《Lone: The Wanderer》 Book 1 Milindo & The Holy City: Prologue: Compatible Champion and Stupid Game "Aigar, here you are," Strigmal said as she appeared right in the middle of Aigar¡¯s current abode. "You know, you can be hard to find sometimes." Aigar just sighed, letting his nine golden fox tails express his displeasure for him while he stared at the four-armed, silver-skinned woman who had so rudely interrupted his research. "Strigmal, why are you here?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer. ¡°Nevermind. There''s only one reason you''d come find me at my personal Convergence Tower. It''s already time again, isn''t it?" He was annoyed. Quite frankly, he was very annoyed. But not at Strigmal. That would be foolish beyond words. The last time he¡¯d made it clear he was upset at her for this very same reason they had fought for almost two dozen years and ended up destroying two planets. The planets he didn¡¯t care for, but the time lost on potential research was utterly devastating. The sooner he dealt with her and this whole situation, the sooner he could get back to his work. She shrugged with her two sets of muscled shoulders as she replied, "Seeing how far away from The Core you are, I''d guess you''re getting the message right about... now."
Hello, Guardian Aigar. The Game will begin on planet 58 in 6-months, 21-days and 34-minutes. Select a player from the list below to represent you.
Planet 18''s Delagu''or.
Planet 7''s Chris Marston.
Planet 96''s Flame Whisper.
Planet 307''s unnamed Fulgar Wolf Leader.
He quickly dismissed the list after seeing only four of the thousands of options. He had once chosen to read through the entire thing. What a massive waste of several days that was. Sure, it happened more than a million years ago but every day was important to Aigar. "I do not have the time for this. I¡¯m at a critical junction in my research, Strigmal. Can¡¯t you, I don¡¯t know, help somehow?" he pleaded. ¡°You know I don¡¯t care for this.¡± Strigmal laughed. "I assumed as much. And while I know you don¡¯t care much, you still want the reward, don¡¯t you?¡± Aigar immediately nodded. ¡°Of course I do, it just isn¡¯t worth me putting any time into it. Just us talking is putting me in a deficit.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I looked through your options before coming here, Aigar,¡± Strigmal claimed. ¡°I''ve selected a compatible player to work with the choice I made from my given list. Care to see his information?" Aigar flicked his wrist dismissively. "Sure, sure. Thank you, by the way. If it makes this go faster without holding me accountable for making a poor decision, then I''m perfectly fine with whoever you chose. As little as this matters to me, I¡¯m sure a battle¡­ enthusiast like yourself wants to win this game a considerable amount." "Here," Strigmal said in a bit of a mysterious tone which wasn''t uncommon for her. She then tapped her forehead with one of her index fingers. A moment later, the details of her hand-picked player entered Aigar''s vision.
Darren McCullen
Planet of Origin: Planet 82: Locally referred to as ¡®Earth¡¯ or ¡®Terra¡¯.
Species - Race: Lesser Human ¨C Caucasian.
Soul Slots: 10.
Adaptability: Extremely high.
Special Compatibility: A soul slot can be consumed to swap his race to that of yours should his identity be combined with that of a fictitious character he frequently roleplays as.
"That''s a lot of soul slots¡­ Terra¡­ Terra¡­ Terra¡­ Wasn¡¯t the place stripped of its magic not too long ago?¡± Aigar asked. For as great as his memory was and for as much as he researched, some things still eluded his mind. Strigmal nodded. ¡°Yes, it was. A few thousand years ago. Then again just a bit short of 900-years-ago. The constant hero summonings hardly help with its magical tears either. No chances to heal, sadly.¡± Aigar sighed wistfully. ¡°Ah, I recall now yes, yes, the purge and then the deluded man calling himself a god... Well, at least it has its technology if nothing else.¡± He stroked his chin thoughtfully before saying, ¡°This lesser human¡¯s compatibility sure is oddly specific to me. I guess you spent a lot of time looking," Aigar said uncaringly. Strigmal nodded slowly in confirmation. "Well, if you think this ''Darren'' is a good choice, so be it. Core, I choose this one," Aigar said, resulting in a smile spreading across Strigmal''s beautiful face.
Confirmed. Please decide if you shall dictate the usage of your chosen player''s Soul Slots and leave a welcome message along with a single promise.
Aigar clicked his tongue as his nine golden tails swished about in exasperation. "This is always such a bother." He sighed and then said, "Well, I should at least give the poor thing some powers... Can¡¯t exactly trust mortals to make wise decisions on their own. It always surprises me how incompetent lesser beings can be. I do want the reward¡­" "Very wise," his four-armed guest noted. Aigar paused for a moment to consider which, exactly, of his many powers to gift. He really didn¡¯t need that long to decide. He was busy after all and this wasn¡¯t a huge priority for him. "Well, here goes. A simple explanatory message should do the job along with the powers¡­ ''Hey, kid. I gave you five of my powers...''" B1: Chapter 1: Building Depression and Sudden Change ¡®Man, I fuckin¡¯ hope this works this time. Neon and Zar know what they¡¯re doing but Sino¡­¡¯ Darren could already hear the man begin to snore over his headset. ¡°Sino? Sino?! Wake the fuck up!¡± ¡°Hm? Ah¡¯m awake¡­ Urg¡­ When are we gonna start this raid?¡± a thick Canadian accent poured through Darren¡¯s earphones. Immediately following that, a far younger and smoother Italian accented voice said, ¡°We¡¯re waiting on you, Sino. Stop doing the dance emote and ready up.¡± ¡°That would be nice,¡± the voice of an American girl added. ¡°Ah. My bad¡­ Uh, there. Ready,¡± Sino chuckled. Darren sighed deeply before he initiated the raid. ¡®¡ê24 on premium pre-fight buffs¡­ This game is such a fuckin¡¯ scam. If you fuck this for me again, Sino, especially since I have work in six hours, then you¡¯re out of the guild,¡¯ he thought in annoyance. He¡¯d poured way too many hours and way too much effort into this game, let alone money. There was no telling how livid he¡¯d be if Sino - or Robert as he was called in the real world ¨C messed up his last chance this year to clear this particular raid. Darren scratched the back of his head and grabbed his energy juice while the loading screen flashed on his monitor. "I know I¡¯m like a broken record at this point, but you all prepped your buffs and pots, right?¡± he asked with concern. "Yeah, I''m ready," Neon, the Italian, replied softly. "Yup," came Sino''s gruff reply. "I''m ready too, thanks for bringing me along even though I''m so weak, by the way," Zarrin said in a chipper tone. Neon replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. ILY was offline anyway and Seventh¡¯s doing it with his friends. You were the best choice by far.¡± A few moments later the raid had finished loading. Darren immediately began his boring but rewarding job of giving out detailed orders to his team. Just reaching the final boss could be a struggle for most groups so while he didn¡¯t want to babysit his friends, he kind of had to. Mostly Zarrin, really. Sino, drunk and foolish as he was, could play the game amazingly well and Neon was as much as a freak as he was about the game. Thankfully, despite Zarrin¡¯s inexperience, she truly had prepared well. Sino too, in spite of being sleepy, excelled. Within five hours they had reached the boss room, a new record, Darren noted. "Okay guys, just like I said earlier, we''re going to-" Darren''s hushed voice was interrupted by the sound of Sino¡¯s speaking over him. "It''s not that strong, and we''re buffed. Look, you¡¯re not the only one who whales on this. I gotta go to bed, like, three hours ago. Let¡¯s fucking go!" Sino yelled impatiently before his character opened the large gates separating them from the boss room. Darren was immediately angered but yelling back wouldn¡¯t fix anything. Sino had forced a now or never situation onto him so all he could really do was focus and bring his A-game to make up for the mistake.
Staring at the game over screen before him, Darren sighed into his headset. "Sino, what the fuck was that? We trudged through that bloody raid for five fuckin¡¯ hours! And you just straight up attacked the boss out of nowhere?! At least if you do that kind of shit, you should be able to pull your fuckin¡¯ weight!" Silence was his only answer. "Lone, I think he''s asleep," Neon said a bit timidly, sobering Darren out of his angered state. He ran a hand through his long and messy hair in frustration. ¡°A twice a year event. Twice a year! He promised he¡¯d be good for it this time since he couldn¡¯t make it to the first one! Fuck¡­¡± ¡°M-Maybe next year?¡± Zarrin offered. Darren closed his eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Yeah, maybe. Sorry for getting so pissed, guys. Thanks for helping me out. You both did great.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Lone. I¡¯m annoyed too,¡± Neon said. Darren could almost hear Zarrin nod through the headset as she replied, ¡°Mmm, it was still fun though.¡± "Well, I have to be at school in an hour, so I need to go. I can''t believe I pulled an all-nighter like this just to die and gain fuck-all,¡± Darren sighed again as he stretched his back. ¡°Once a year...¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "You swear so much for a teacher. Have fun, Mister McCullen," Zarrin teased, perhaps in an attempt to lighten his mood. ¡°He¡¯s Scottish, it¡¯s in his blood,¡± Neon countered. "I''ll try, Zar, and yeah, you¡¯re right Neon, ya cunt. Catch you both later. Tell Sino I hate him if he wakes up before I get home," Darren joked back. Even if he was pissed off and upset beyond belief, there was no point taking it out on his only friends. The one thing worse than being miserable, in his opinion, was being lonely and miserable. Darren had been playing the game for the past three years and while he had sunk an obscene amount of money into it, it wouldn¡¯t be even half as fun or addicting if he didn¡¯t have good people to play it with. Finding people to play with was beyond easy considering who he was, or more accurately, who his character was. He had created and nurtured the well-known Lone Immortus account for years, after all. Lone Immortus was a Golden Foxkin, a stupidly hard race to unlock with a lot of agility and dexterity bonuses that even trumped most rare elven variant races. He also had a wide enough array of skills to make any player jealous. By day, he was a boring teacher at a regular high school. By night, he was a powerful leader of elites. It was just a shame that his group had yet to beat more than a handful of the game¡¯s harder bosses on the highest level of difficulty. Today was supposed to be the day that changed for a rare boss that, as previously stated, only showed up for a single day twice per year. Sighing a third time, Darren put his computer on sleep mode and had a quick shower before he left his apartment and then cycled to school. He would have driven but he had sold his car to fuel his addiction to the game. Microtransactions were his enemy, but boy were they a tempting mistress that he willingly let himself get seduced by. The other teachers made fun of him behind his back, but he couldn''t blame them. They called him a loser and a nerd, but they were right. It was his mistake for letting them know about his hobby. If only they hadn¡¯t spread the fact that he took video games a bit too seriously to the students as well. But what could he do? If he knew anything it was that adults could be just as if not even more immature than the teenagers he and his ¡®peers¡¯ taught. Life was a bitch at the best of times for him. It took Darren 20-minutes to reach the high school he taught at; Arlith High. It was a fairly ordinary high school in the fairly ordinary Scotland, no different from any other high school really. Darren ignored the mocking gazes of the teenaged children as he locked his bike up. What could he do? Shout at them like a disgruntled old man? They were just kids. He instead swiftly made his way to his classroom once he was sure his vehicle of choice was safe. It had been stolen once before so he used two locks now and the bike had a tracker in its frame to prevent something like that from happening again. If he hadn''t spent seven years training to become a teacher, he might have quit considering his treatment here, but the pay was great circumstantially, the holidays were amazing, and he loved what he taught - history. A lot could be learned from history, both the good and the bad, both the old and the new. Perhaps, had his own personal history been brighter, he¡¯d have even more passion for the subject than he did for his game of choice. Darren opened the sliding door to his homeroom and was surprised to see a very familiar student had arrived before he did. It was still another 15-minutes before his first lesson started, but he understood why someone had arrived before him when he saw who it was. "Good morning, Darren," smiling brightly with her beautiful and refreshing face, Hazel greeted him. Weakly smiling in return, Darren replied, "Mister McCullen, please." She just stuck her tongue out rebelliously in response. Darren rolled his eyes and said, "You''re here a bit early, Hazel." "Mum woke me up earlier than normal since she''s going to visit Dad''s grave today," Hazel said casually, though there was a sad undertone in her voice. Darren frowned. "I see," he said. ''I shouldn''t have asked. I forgot today was the anniversary of that sicko''s death.'' She walked up to his desk and helped him arrange his teaching tools and books after noticing him spacing out. "You''re so helpless, Mister McCullen. Did you stay awake late last night again? I can see the bags under your eyes," she joked to lighten the mood. "Of course not... I just had a bad night''s sleep," Darren lied. He felt ashamed at being called out like that by his younger sister of all people. Especially when they rarely talked or even met outside of the school setting. "Hmm..." Hazel stared at him closely. "What?" he asked while he turned his head, avoiding her gaze. He really didn''t want to talk to her right now. Not with their father on his mind now. He''d only end up getting angry. "Nothing," she smiled brightly before she returned to her desk. ''What the fuck? Then don''t say ''hmm'' like that...'' Darren complained internally. After that peculiar encounter, the day continued as usual and he taught history to every class until the final bell at quarter to four. It was a mostly boring day. As much as he enjoyed history, the curriculum forced him to teach barely anything that wasn¡¯t related to World War II in some way. Darren wanted to teach about the Romans, about the Picts, about the Celts, about ancient Greece, but no. Modern history was what the Board of Education wanted the youths to know about and that was it. If nothing else, he was thankful that another day had ended and that he was almost free of obligations for the day. All he had left to do for today was to clean up the classroom and wait until five o''clock before he could go home and sleep for a few hours. He had a couple of tests that needed to be graded but they weren''t due until next Monday so he could hold off doing that for now. At 5:10PM, Darren stretched his back and exhaled. ¡°Finally. Did the little shits really have to stick so much gum to the floor? Just shove it under your desks for Christ¡¯s sake.¡± He cracked his neck then made for the door, ready to grab his bike and cycle straight to his bed if need be. He really wanted to sleep. However, right at the exact moment he moved his foot past the boundary of his classroom and stepped out into the hallway, everything rippled, then his vision was covered by a deep shroud of pitch-black darkness. Something life-changing had happened to Darren, and it was at that moment, that the pathetic shell of a man that he once was, began shedding and peeling away. B1: Chapter 2: Strange Screens and Panic Attack "What the... Where is this?" Darren muttered in confusion as he stumbled around in the endless darkness he had suddenly found himself in. He felt his hand brush against something soft, fluffy and oddly familiar. Darren jumped away from the furry thing and tripped, landing on his face. Again, he could feel something velvety and large brushing up against his legs and back. Even the noise of his impact on the ground had sounded odd as if his ears weren¡¯t in the right place. "What the fuck¡¯s going on?" Darren asked as his confusion slowly began spiralling into something more¡­ primal. "Ahhh!" a high-pitched and noticeably young sounding voice screamed upon hearing Darren throwing questions into the void. "A child? Is someone there? Are you okay? Where are we? Do you know anything?" he asked in a slow voice. Although his instincts as a teacher made him want to make sure that the presumed child was safe above all else, his rising dread at the peculiarity of the situation got the better of him. He was also hopeful this child had some ideas about where they were because he certainly didn''t. Still, even if his motives for calling out weren''t entirely altruistic, he did truly want to help both himself and the other unfortunate soul who also seemed to be here with him. However, the owner of the voice seemed to be even more terrified of him than he was of this whole situation. At least, that was how he chose to interpret them failing to respond. "I''m a teacher so you don''t have to be scared. I¡¯ve got no idea what¡¯s going on but maybe we can figure something out if we work together?¡± Darren asked while he tried his best to ignore the fluffy objects that his hands kept brushing against. If the other person truly was a child as their voice would suggest, then getting them to remain calm was far more important than anything else in Darren¡¯s mind. A short silence reigned between him and the mysterious child before she chose to respond very carefully. "I was in my dimension... I was just minding my own business, but I don''t know where we are either. Who are you, Mister Fox?" "''Mister Fox''?" Everything else this person had mentioned was white noise compared to this in Darren¡¯s mind. ¡®Why did she call me ''Mister Fox''?¡¯ A sudden thought entered his head to answer his ponderings, and he grew increasingly concerned by the possibility his mind had thought up. Raising his hands to his head, Darren''s fears were confirmed. Two fluffy and pointed ears were sat atop his head, and he soon discovered that the fuzzy things that he was touching earlier were actually tails. Counting them, he had nine in total, just like his gaming character, Lone Immortus. Most disturbingly of all, however, was the fact his regular human ears were missing. His hair was thick enough to stop his glasses from falling off but still¡­ Darren could feel a sense of dread and panic welling up inside of him.
Greetings, Cosmos-level being, Sofia Vladimirovich. Greetings, Mortal-level being, Lone Immortus.
¡®Sofia Vladimirovich? So a girl? But isn¡¯t ¡®ovich¡¯ only used on boys? That¡¯s old Russian tradition. It should be Sofia Vladimirovna. I don¡¯t know enough about that to be certain though¡­¡¯ Darren thought before realising something else. He hadn¡¯t spotted it immediately since his online friends called him Lone all the time but didn¡¯t these strange words just refer to him like that as well? With the full name of his character, even. Whatever was going on right now was creepy, weird, alarming, and infinitely less exciting than sleeping. ¡®Honestly, chances are I fuckin¡¯ passed out in the hallway.¡¯
Explanation of transfer commencing.
With a flash of light, the room Darren and the unknown girl, Sofia, were standing in, was illuminated, revealing the young girl''s appearance to the teacher. A child of no older than ten who had long flowing golden-blonde hair and a doll-like face was standing only a few meters away from him. Darren was, quite honestly, blown away by her appearance. It was just so... odd. ''Now that, that needs some good genetics or a lot of surgery to achieve,'' he offhandedly thought. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Something about her face just screamed ¡®princess¡¯ but without any of the effort. ¡®She¡¯d have been in one of the popular cliques in Arlith High in a few years for sure even if she was an introvert I reckon.¡¯ One thing of particular note was that she kept her eyes closed even after a few seconds had passed. He had adjusted to the light almost instantly despite his need for glasses. Speaking of which, those very same glasses were actually blurring his vision a bit right now. Still, he didn¡¯t take them off just yet. Darren also thought it odd that Sofia was wearing nothing except for a very loose and baggy woollen fleece that covered her entire torso and went down to her knees. ¡®That looks old. Like, really old. How has it not crumbled to dust yet?¡¯ He put the piece of clothing at anywhere from 500 to 700-years-old.
Both of you, Lone Immortus and Sofia Vladimirovich, have been selected to participate in a grand game. Further details will only be given when you are ready.
Sofia Vladimirovich has already selected all of her powers and by the request of her Patron God has had 7 of them sealed. Also, by the request of her Patron God she shall be sealed within Lone Immortus
Before Darren or Sofia could voice any objections or ask any questions, Sofia''s small and frail frame was condensed into the size of a palm and she screamed as she whizzed through the air and directly entered Darren''s chest. "What the fuck just happened?! This is insane¡­ Hey! What happened to that girl? Is she okay?!¡± Darren yelled. He had read the words and clearly saw they had stated she would be sealed within Lone Immortus, within him. However, this was all far too crazy to make sense of in just a few short seconds.
By the request of your God, Lone Immortus, five of your available ten power slots have been consumed.
The first has been used to create the skill The Summoning Room. The second was used to forcefully change your species to the ideal one. The third was used to create the skill Creation Magic. The fourth was used to create the skill Basic Regeneration. The final was used to create the skill Growth Accelerator.
Lone Immortus, your Patron God has left you a message to take with you before the grand game commences.
Hey, kid. I gave you five of my powers to help you grow, but you can choose the other five on your own. It was really handy that you had already lived as a Golden Foxkin in a way, so it made it possible for me to give my species to you. Keep in mind that any of the five powers you wish for will be limited. You can''t wish for just anything. Also know that I can save you only one time until the end. Please don¡¯t waste it on something stupid. I¡¯m a busy guy. Good luck and try not to embarrass me too much.
With that being the final thing Darren saw in the illuminated room of darkness, his consciousness blacked out.
Several hours, days, or even years might have passed, but eventually, ''Lone'' opened his eyes. Coughing up a mouthful of sand, ''Lone'' pushed his body up and wiped his face clean. It would seem that he was on a beach of some sort. He couldn''t quite tell, but it looked like he was on an island in the middle of an ocean. The coastline certainly appeared to curve sharply enough for it to be an island and not a landmass, but he wasn¡¯t a geography teacher so he couldn¡¯t be certain. "Where is this?" he asked himself absentmindedly. ''Lone'' walked around for a bit of time and couldn''t find any signs of civilisation, however, what he did find was the lack of the young girl, Sofia. "Sealed¡­ it was a skill or something, right? Uh, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ doing this but¡­ show skill ''The Summoning Room''?" ''Lone'' asked with uncertainty clear in his voice. Thankfully, his memory didn''t fail him and he wasn¡¯t just making a total ass of himself since a big screen appeared in his vision, greeting his request.
Unique Skill: The Summoning Room
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the ability to summon and unsummon listed beings at will. Listed Beings: Sofia Vladimirovich.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
"Summon Sofia Vladimer- Fuck. Summon Sofia Vladimirovich?" Although he messed up her name initially, he succeeded on his second attempt and much to his amazement a young nine or ten-year-old girl appeared in front of him. She had red-raw closed eyes and she was holding her head while her body was violently shaking. Clearly, she had been crying, and she was experiencing some sort of panic attack. ''Lone'' didn''t know what to do but he wasn''t indecisive enough to simply watch someone suffer so much when he considered himself to be a decent person. He immediately grabbed her and hugged her firmly. Comfort of any kind could help in these situations, he had read. He placed one hand on her back and stroked it lightly. "It''s okay. Everything¡¯s going to be okay. You don''t have to worry. You¡¯re safe now, alright?" ''Lone''''s kindness was evident in his tone. He didn¡¯t really know if he himself believed what he was saying but so long as he could help this girl out then he could work on planning out what the hell to do in this weird place after that. This was more important than anything else, currently. Whether due to his words or due to the warmth of his body, Sofia''s shaking stopped. ''Lone'' could feel her hands roughly grabbing his tails, and to be honest, it hurt, but he didn''t mind. Pain was nothing new to him. ''If they comfort you, then squeeze them as much as you need to.'' B1: Chapter 3: Painful Coconuts and Teleportation Seeing as how Sofia had calmed considerably, ¡®Lone¡¯ carefully placed her down on the beach. He let her continue to squeeze one of his tails half to death as she lay there. ¡®Tails¡­ I have fuckin¡¯ tails.¡¯ He held his face in his hands as he chuckled. ¡®This is totally nuts, whatever this all is.¡¯ He flopped down, letting his back rest against the shore. If nothing else, at least his new fluffy limbs were easy to control and didn¡¯t actually get in his way at all despite being massive. "I¡¯ve got nothing else better to do while I think so¡­ I got other skills, right? Show the skills The Summoning Room, Creation Magic, Basic Regeneration and Growth Accelerator? My status too if that¡¯s a thing. It wasn''t in the game though so I''m not really expecting much,¡± ''Lone'' said a bit uncaringly. He wasn¡¯t under the illusion that he was inside of the game he often played, Paradox Online, but there were parallels to be drawn given the screens referred to him by his character¡¯s name alongside the fact he was now quite literally no longer human. He was still trying to wrap his head around everything that had just happened to him and this weird doll-like girl. Or woman who looked like a girl? Her jumper was certainly much older than she looked. Almost instantaneously, five tables popped up in front of his eyes, so he read them all very thoroughly. The Summoning Room was identical and just as it was mere minutes ago. Looking it over again gave him no further insight, sadly. He did find it oddly satisfying though seeing the floating words simply appear at his command. ¡®I wonder if I can do that mentally instead of verbally? I¡¯ll give that a try later.¡¯ The Summoning Room¡¯s information disappeared and was quickly replaced by that of Creation Magic¡¯s.
Unique Skill: Creation Magic
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to create anything existing on Altros or anything that can exist on Altros at will with MP. Grants the host the ability to repair things by creating the missing parts and directly replacing the broken parts.
Cost: Relative to the desired item and the host''s knowledge of the desired item.
Mastery: N/A
¡®Okay, that¡¯s pretty fuckin¡¯ amazing. Altros is the name of this place then? The island? Country maybe? Heck, could even be a new world. I don¡¯t remember that name from the game so that¡¯s a point away from me being transported into it. Am I still on Earth? For some reason that thought seems wrong¡­¡¯ ¡®Lone¡¯ thought as he ran his fingers through the sand and continued reading.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a slow rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for MP.
Cost: 50 MP (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡°Oh?¡± ¡®Lone¡¯ raised an eyebrow curiously. ¡®One, that sounds super helpful but at the same time I have no plans to go get injured. Two, Beginner Level 1? So some skills can level while others can¡¯t. Interesting. That¡¯s completely different from Paradox Online, for sure. I wonder how it works¡­ Improvements per level-up or only when it gets past the beginner stage? Maybe both?¡¯ The only real way to find out would be to test it and right now he was busy lounging on a tropical island beach as he supervised an unconscious person. Perhaps another time. The next and final skill was actually super interesting. More so than the ordinary, though certainly useful, Basic Regeneration was.
Unique Skill: Growth Accelerator
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to learn any skill and level them to the highest possible level (does not apply to species, race, or bloodline specific skills). Allows the host to learn any non-unique skill directly used on them instantly. Passively makes it easier to grasp all learnable things including those not related to the system. Allows the host to tell if a person is using equipment perfectly suited for them (works on the host as well). Grants the host the ability to consume some stats from killing, though the host cannot earn stat points through any other means.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
¡®That is a lot to unpack,¡¯ ¡®Lone¡¯ thought. For a start, different species were apparently a thing. He could only assume that meant sapient creatures and not animals though he could be wrong. Races and bloodlines too. The mention of them in the skill implied they got special exclusive skills. ¡®I wonder if I can get one too as a¡­ whatever the heck I am. Golden Foxkin I think the message said¡­¡¯ The other information on the skill was very intriguing too though most of it needed more information for him to tell if it was particularly, well, unique or not. Just how special was being able to tell perfect matches gear-wise? Was it a big deal or not to be able to learn every skill? Was it a boon or a curse to not be able to earn stats by any normal method, instead needing to kill things? Speaking of stats, his status was the next thing displayed to him. ¡®Lone¡¯ was pretty happy he actually had one. It was a bit of a long shot in his mind but it could prove to be very informative.
Status Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 1
Species: Foxkin Rank: I
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 320/320 SP: 2,000/2,000
MP: 4,000/4,000
Basic Stats
Strength: 16 Vigour: 200
Dexterity: 38 Agility: 40
Vitality: 32 Luck: 50
Bonus Stats
Charm: 70 Charisma: 38
Magic Power: 400
"A lot to unpack here yet again¡­ Looking at the raw numbers of those stats¡­ I guess Vigour is tied to SP, Vitality to HP, and Magic Power to MP? Hmm¡­¡± He read through the details once more. ¡°So my species is foxkin and the race is Golden Foxkin. Like fox and Fennec Fox, I guess,¡± he thought aloud. One detail on the sheet of information started to stick out to him like a sore thumb after a bit. ¡°¡¯Lone Immortus¡¯¡­ ¡®Lone Immortus¡¯¡­ I guess that¡¯s who I am now. Darren McCullen certainly didn¡¯t have a big bunch of fuck-off fluffy tails or good eyesight, that¡¯s for sure, hahah¡­¡± He finally took off his glasses and sighed deeply. They didn¡¯t even fit on his head properly anymore since his human ears were gone. He decided to shove them in the breast pocket of his shirt for now. "... Mmm?" The young-looking girl laying down by his side mumbled wearily. "Mornin¡¯," Lone casually replied with a soft tone and a warm smile as he turned his head towards her. Sofia looked right back at him with light-grey eyes and blinked a few times before decidedly closing those very eyes. ¡®Is she trying to focus or somet-¡¯ Right at that moment she disappeared as if by magic. One second she was by his side, the next, gone. All that was left of her was the new lack of acute pain in one of his tails and the small indent in the sand to show that she had just been there. Lone¡¯s jaw hung loose in shock and awe. "¡­ The fuck? Uhhh¡­ What just happened?" "...W-Who are you?" The sound of Sofia''s trembling voice came from the nearby trees. Lone hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the thick forest that made up the island¡¯s core but he quickly changed that fact as he scanned the treeline to find the girl. ¡®There she is. Hiding behind a tree. Badly hiding behind a tree if my dumb ass can see her. Why bother if your eyes are closed¡­¡¯ He smiled wryly at the girl¡¯s strange yet understandable actions while he slowly got back up on his feet. He slowly approached her and answered, "I was Darren until this morning, but I guess I''m Lone now. Lone Immortus. And you?¡± ¡®All I really know about you is your name and I doubt you¡¯ll give me any more than that but introductions are important to fostering familiarity. It would suck if she had another attack, especially when I¡¯m not sure what caused the first one,¡¯ he thought. "S-Sofia... Vladimirovich..." the girl mumbled before hiding behind the tree completely. ''She¡¯s quite nervous, huh? Better that way. Caution with strangers is pretty wise. We kinda need each other though given the circumstances. I''m glad she''s okay, at least,'' Lone sighed in relief mentally. "I''m going to look around for some food and maybe some shelter. Please don''t run away or go into the forest, okay? Just give me a shout if you need me for anything," Lone said in a friendly tone. He received no reply, but he knew that she had heard him so he made his way towards the treeline and started to inspect each one to see if any bore fruit. While he was doing this, Sofia was maintaining a distance of no less than 15-metres from him. She wasn¡¯t trying to sneak around or hide anymore, clearly being aware it was useless somehow despite her closed eyes. Lone tried his best to ignore her actions, understandable as they were, but he''d be lying if he said it wasn''t a struggle. He wanted to learn more about her, her old-looking jumper, in particular. Her surname also fascinated him since it was meant for boys born of old Slavic royalty, not girls. Still, it was better to let her do whatever she needed to do by observing him before he started asking about her fashion choices and her name. His attention was forced away from the girl by several large, green-skinned balls that sat atop the tree Lone was standing under. "Coconuts?" he mumbled. He was never very athletic before and the only exercise he ever got was when he cycled to work. However, he had noticed that his new Golden Foxkin body was, to not mince words, very fit. ''There''s no harm in trying, right?'' he convinced himself before he grabbed the tree and started to madly shake it. A few minutes and a sweaty body later, Lone''s head started to throb with pain after a large coconut had smacked him right in the forehead. The melodious sound of a girl''s laughter rang through the air. He glanced over towards Sofia who wasn¡¯t even trying to disguise how funny she thought him getting hit was. Instead, she was grasping at her stomach and hunching over while tears welled up in her closed eyes. ''Was it really that amusing? People have died from that before.'' Lone frowned and grabbed the coconut that had attacked him before he returned to the beach and found a palm-sized rock. He sat down on the sand and smacked the coconut with ease after peeling its green skin off. It split perfectly into two halves so Lone threw the rock away and placed one half of the fruit on the sand carefully to make sure what was left of its unspilt water didn''t also trickle out. Lone then, with an annoyed expression on his face and whilst grumbling to himself, drank the coconut water in his half before he began to carefully eat the coconut. A loud rumble reached his sensitive fox ears. Turning his head, he saw Sofia staring at her own belly in utter confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t know what hunger is?¡± he teased in good spirit. She glanced up at him no less confused than when she was looking at her stomach. He picked up the other half of the split coconut and gestured with it towards her. "Here," Lone said as he looked away from the perplexed girl who was just standing there holding her belly, "It''s for you. It ain¡¯t much but it¡¯ll stop that rumbling I¡¯d reckon. Just sit and eat if you¡¯re hungry.¡± She seemed reluctant but ultimately, it appeared her growling belly had gotten the best of her. Sofia slowly walked towards Lone and sat next to him before picking up the coconut and investigating it briefly. After she had confirmed that it was fine by whatever metric she was testing it with, she gleefully drank its water and then started to nibble on it. "Earlier," Lone said in a quiet and relaxing tone, "Was that teleportation?" he added. Naturally, Lone was referring to how she had disappeared and suddenly reappeared behind a tree. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way for it to be anything except teleportation, right? Sofia lightly nodded her head and avoided replying directly. As she ate, she had unconsciously opened her eyes, giving Lone his first chance to get a proper look at those grey irises again. "I thought so... Anyway, you have amazing body coordination and a great sense of spatial awareness for someone who''s visually impaired," Lone praised as he looked at Sofia''s pure grey and lifeless eyes. "T-Thank you..." Sofia squeaked out in response. Lone grinned and stood up, eliciting a curious look from her. "I''m gonna build us a shelter. Nothing fancy, but we can''t really sleep out in the open tonight, now can we? Just stay within my line of sight, please. I don''t think it¡¯s wise to split up given our circumstances," he requested. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s out there.¡± Sofia continued nibbling on her coconut and simply replied, "Okay..." Smiling, Lone moved away a bit to build two small teepees. While he wasn''t physically fit back home, he was deeply knowledgeable and had spent a lot of his time learning new things on the internet between his usual gaming sessions. Mostly history related-things, but his interests weren¡¯t mono-focused. Survival videos and forums were visited by him once or twice. So, while it might take him a few hours, he was confident that he could build a place for them to sleep and avoid any rain or wind for the night at least. Lone, mid-building, heard Sofia finish her coconut half and then mumble, "... Those tails look so fluffy and soft..." ¡®Yeah, definitely don¡¯t like this new advanced hearing,¡¯ he sighed mentally. B1: Chapter 4: Mental Shock and Gods Killer While very shoddy and clearly crafted by someone with little-to-no experience, Lone was proud of his two teepees. Sure, a strong gust of wind would knock them down like a house of cards and if the sky decided to start raining buckets anyone inside of them would get soaked. Regardless, he smiled in accomplishment. A small breeze or light drizzle wouldn¡¯t be bothering them this evening, which felt good. Not good enough to earn a skill apparently though, assuming actions led to skills. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I¡¯m pretty tired after all of that physical labour. Sun¡¯s going down too. Sleep?¡± Lone asked as he looked down at his short companion. Sofia turned to look back at him which was more than a little bit creepy since she was blind as far as he knew. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Right then¡­¡± Lone muttered before choosing a teepee to settle into for the night. The bliss of consensual unconsciousness was happily welcomed by Lone. The next morning, he awoke to a peculiar feeling on his chest. It was like he had suddenly become a heavy smoker of seventy years or had woken up as a sumo wrestler. Surely the coconut from yesterday hadn''t made him gain 40 or 45 kilograms, now had it? Opening his eyes and looking down, Lone quickly found the culprit to his odd condition. Sofia. At least, she looked like Sofia but¡­ older? ¡®Wow she¡¯s pretty. Who is this woman? She looks like Sofia but, like, a decade older,¡¯ Lone thought. It was hard to judge given that she was lying on top of him with a few of his tails in her arms, but while she was only a few inches taller than the girl from yesterday at roughly five feet tall, all her other features were much more mature and womanlier. Her face, in particular. It had a cold, cruel beauty to it that left Lone staring at it. He shook his head. He could feel her body pressing against his far too clearly. It was getting hard to focus so he cleared his throat and said rather loudly, ¡°Excuse me?¡± She, whoever she was, slowly peeled her eyes open and yawned. A few seconds passed as her dead eyes stared at Lone¡¯s blushing expression. She then shrieked and disappeared as if by magic. Lone leaned up and exhaled deeply. ¡°What. The. Fuck.¡± He rushed out of his teepee only to see Sofia, now shorter and with smaller proportions, awkwardly exiting her teepee still wearing her baggy ancient looking jumper. She was rubbing her right arm with her left hand, and she was blushing. ¡°Um, good morning?¡± ¡°No. Not ¡®good morning¡¯. What was that? You can, what, adjust your body¡¯s size? How old are you really? Why did I wake up with you on top of me?¡± Lone asked- no, demanded. Sofia smiled wryly. ¡°Um¡­ Yes? I don¡¯t know how old I am¡­ Sorry, it just¡­ happened? I was thinking of your tails when I went to bed and then¡­ I woke up on top of you¡­ in my oldest form¡­ Um, sorry?¡± Lone took a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t really angry just¡­ flustered. ¡°Is it a skill, the body changing thing? Say ¡®check status¡¯ for me and tell me how old it says you are. We¡¯ll discuss my tails later.¡± Sofia nodded softly. ¡°Em, it is a skill. It¡¯s called Body Manipulation. I can shift between a child, teen, and adult body. I always sleep as the adult one¡­ It¡¯s the warmest. C-Check status? Ah. It says I¡¯m 971.¡± Lone furrowed his brow. ¡®So not a kid, but she seems, I dunno¡­ Oddly ignorant? Also, what does she mean 971? That¡¯s impossible¡­ Unless¡­¡¯ ¡°What species are you?¡± He questioned. She seemed confused by the question. ¡°Human.¡± That¡­ okay, Lone was getting increasingly baffled. He didn¡¯t know what to trust. ¡°Can you change your body for me? To confirm not all of this is crazy.¡± ¡°Oh, um, sure,¡± Sofia agreed. The next moment, she grew an inch and a half and assumed the appearance of a very short teenaged girl of about 15 years of age. Just a few seconds later and her baggy jumper was hugging her skin as she grew to be five feet tall and about 20 years old in appearance. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± Lone commented unintentionally. He quickly realised what he had said when Sofia¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Sorry. That was inappropriate. Uh, thanks. Let¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s move on. I have stuff to do. Survival stuff.¡± Sofia nodded and re-entered her teepee, but she didn¡¯t change her body back into either of its younger forms. Lone closed his eyes and took a very deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s test skills. That should, hopefully, clear my mind¡­ Fuck¡­¡± Lone walked down the beach a little bit, keeping the teepees in his sight, and decided to test his Creation Magic skill first. From its description, he could create anything that existed in this world with his mana points so long as he could imagine it. "I guess a knife? Hmm, then again, how will I hunt anything with a knife in my state? Maybe a bow or a spear? Can¡¯t live off coconuts forever," Lone wondered aloud. He recalled how bad he was at shooting with a bow and arrow as a child when he got the chance to practice archery during a school trip, so he decided to try a spear first. Besides, it was the classic weapon of the soldier. It was relatively easy to use and had reach. What more could he ask for? Thoughts of Sofia¡¯s face filled his mind, so he quickly shook his head. ¡®You literally met her yesterday. Focus on the spear.¡¯ "What are spears even made of? A wooden shaft and a metal tip I suppose. I know more about spear types and where or when they came from and who used them, not how they were made..." Lone complained. He closed his eyes and pictured a very simple spear. He had decided to use the common beginner''s spear from the online game that he had played for the better part of the last five years. Why not, after, all? He had a lot of experience with it even if it was just pixels at the end of the day.
Item does not exist on Altros, however, there is an innumerable amount like it. 5,000 MP has been consumed to compensate for the difference. The host has a great understanding of the item but does not know anything regarding its construction. 1,000 base MP cost. 500 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of knowledge. 6,500 total MP has been consumed to create the item: [Beginner''s Spear]. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
A wooden spear with a long and sharp head fell to the sand in front of Lone. Similarly, he, himself also collapsed. He clutched his head and screamed when a sudden pain assaulted his very mind.
Warning! The host has consumed more MP than they possess. Bracket of extra consumption: 0-5,000 MP. MP has been sealed for 1 hour.
The host has developed the passive skill: Mental Pain Resistance.
Passive Skill: Mental Pain Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host''s mind. Reduces the effects suffered from overusing MP by 5%. All mental pains will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone could barely read the messages that flickered in front of his eyes before he passed out from the suffering he was trying to endure. Quite clearly, at only beginner level one, this wasn''t a very useful skill.
"Mmm?" Lone raised his body and held his still throbbing head. He looked around and saw half of a coconut next to him with its water still inside. Lone looked around and saw Sofia nibbling away at her own half, still in her recently revealed adult form. Lone carefully picked up the coconut and sat next to the short woman. "You got this for me?" "Yeah..." she replied shyly. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t the only one still thinking about this morning judging by her attitude. "Thank you," Lone said and then began drinking the somewhat sweet liquid inside of the fruit. He looked at the ocean and asked her a question that some people might have thought was insensitive, given the circumstances. "Do you miss anyone? 971 years is a long time¡­ Did you have anyone close that you got ripped from when you were sent here?" Sofia looked bothered by the question for a moment but she quickly collected shook her head and answered, "No... I¡¯ve been alone for¡­ a very long time." She turned to smile at him. ¡°I¡¯d miss you if you left. I got scared when I heard you screaming.¡± "T-Thanks. Uh, I appreciate the concern. I was just being stupid with my new skills," Lone took a bite out of his coconut. "What¡¯s it like, being almost a thousand years old?" Sofia smiled bitterly as if she was remembering a lot of painful memories. "I''m immortal... Or at least, I should be. I think that ability of mine got sealed when we came here... It was¡­ lonely. I had no one but myself to talk to for such a long time¡­" ¡®What? If she¡¯s so old, she must have countless experiences from throughout the ages. Why wouldn¡¯t she have talked to anyone but herself for a long time?'' Lone thought but didn¡¯t say. He desperately wanted to know more about her life. Assuming she was from Earth like he was, how could her existence be explained given what he knew about history? The idea of some ethereal wandering immortal gave him goosebumps of excitement. He suddenly recalled something that Sofia had said when they had first met in that weird black space. "What did you mean by ''my dimension''? You said that before we came here, didn''t you?" "Mmm... I don''t want to talk about it, but I''ll tell you if you let me squeeze one of your tails,¡± The beautiful woman offered. ¡°They look very soft¡­¡± ¡®She wants what? Well¡­ She has hugged them twice now, both times seemingly unconsciously. If it¡¯ll sate my curiosity, sure, she can squeeze them again. No pain no gain,¡¯ Lone mused before moving one of his tails onto her lap. That was a mistake. Her legs were smooth to the touch. ¡®Oh god. They can feel things. Of course they can. Fuck. This is awkward¡­¡¯ Sofia didn¡¯t seem to care and quickly grabbed the furry appendix and cuddled it with both of her arms. A few moments passed of her enjoying the softness of his tail before she said, "I was just a normal girl- well, normal-ish... but, uh, some things happened. I found out I couldn''t really die. It¡­ it wasn¡¯t nice learning that.¡± Lone tried to keep an open mind. He was a magical man with fox ears and tails now so what was one or two immortals walking the world he¡¯d known to be perfectly mundane all his life? ¡°That must have sucked. Can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s a nice story.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not. About¡­ uh¡­ 20? Maybe 30 years after I found out I couldn''t die... a, uh, a man who called himself ''God'' forced a lot of men to hunt me for about 200 years... First, it was the commonfolk and then it was... More organised? It was a group of men. What were they called again... Knights Tem... Tem... Tem something. Sorry, I don¡¯t usually manage these memories¡­" Sofia explained with a very sad tone to her voice. Lone raised an equally suspicious and fascinated eyebrow. ''The Knights Templar? As in, the ancient order of highly trained holy warriors from almost a millennium ago? Am I meant to believe the holy crusades weren''t just a grab for land and power but actually all just to find this one girl? That¡¯s a stretch, but if hunting her was one part of the crusades¡­ That isn¡¯t entirely implausible¡­ More importantly, she escaped the crusades for two full centuries and the templars for one?¡¯ As a history teacher and avid lover of the more classical eras of such, this was all very alarming news to him if true, which it almost certainly wasn''t. But... what if it was? What if this gorgeous woman wasn''t just an insane person? ¡®I mean, that''s definitely nuts... There''s no way it could be true, right? But¡­ if it is¡­ Why would she lie about her age and about this? Would the Vatican have records on her? That would be soooo fuckin'' interesting. Not that I want it to be true ''cause it sounds traumatic for her, but what a discovery this would be if history had been rewritten and altered so heavily to hide this all,'' he thought a bit excitedly. Were it any other person in any other situation, Lone would have completely ignored these ridiculous claims. However, this girl had quite clearly teleported in front of him, and from what he could tell, that was a subconscious action, and it wasn''t a skill that she had just learnt in a couple of days. Her body could change its physical age, a power she seemed intimately familiar with, and again, she had no reason to lie about her actual age or these historical details. More and more reasons to believe her were springing up. Sofia smiled sweetly and wiped away the tears that were building up in her eyes. "They eventually caught me and locked me up for a long, long time. After that, I got revenge on the guy calling himself ''God'' and kind of killed him before living in his home, a pocket dimension that sat above Earth. I was there until, uh, this all happened," she said, gesturing to the two of them and the island. "You killed God?" Lone was more than a little sceptical. "Mmm... I don''t really want to talk about this anymore... It¡¯s, uh, I don¡¯t like bringing it up¡­" she said weakly. "Thank you for opening up," Lone said softly. ''Let''s take her words with a grain of salt. Maybe a few grains. I''ll believe her. No reason not to, but if she really did kill a powerful deity... Why is she so timid and ignorant? Best not to ask. I don''t want to set her off accidentally. We were sent here together for a reason I''d wager. No point in adding friction where it''s not needed. Not yet at least.'' Just as Sofia was about to reply, a loud and ghastly shriek echoed out from the forest behind them. Lone whirled his head around and after narrowing his eyes, he could see a large, brown-furred boar charging right at them. Sofia screamed and froze in fear while Lone started to sweat. ''That thing''s fuckin'' huge! It must weigh at least 400 kilos! Fuck! Why is it coming towards us?! One hit from those tusks and we''re dead meat!'' Lone quickly stood up and grabbed Sofia. He didn¡¯t have time to care about his attraction to her nor her feelings at being grabbed. Thankfully she was short, and she didn¡¯t resist him, so he was able to grab her with ease and run to the side, barely avoided the boar as it tore through the spot they were just in. Like a car that had put the handbrake on, the wild animal ground to a halt and changed its direction. "Shit! It''s out for blood!" Lone exclaimed in annoyance and with a tinge of fear. Quite honestly, he didn¡¯t want to die to a massive boar. He¡¯d much rather a peaceful death in his sleep when he was old, incredibly old. He frantically looked around for something that could help in this situation and his eyes fell onto the spear he had created before passing out. Lone immediately sprinted towards the weapon that was laid out next to the two teepees while still carrying the screaming and panicking Sofia. As soon as he grabbed the spear with his free hand, a gust of hot wind brushed past him and he could feel a searing pain from his side. The enraged boar had ripped a large chunk of his flesh out of his chest as it trampled over and destroyed the two makeshift sleeping spaces. "Ahhhhhhhh!" Lone cried out in agony. Somehow, he didn¡¯t die on the spot but he screamed yet again at the sight of his ruined sleeping spaces. ''I worked hard on those, you fat fucking pig!'' The boar swivelled around and stomped its hoof into the ground before it puffed out a bunch of air from its nostrils. With beady eyes trained on Lone and gleaming tusks large enough to skewer a grown man, the boar charged at him again. B1: Chapter 5: Skill-slot and Apology Lone barely had the time to glance at two system messages that had appeared before he had to madly jump out of the way while trying his best to not hurt or endanger Sofia.
The host has developed the passive skill: Physical Pain Resistance
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence. All physical pain shall be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
For all its speed and strength, the massive boar had no finesse. If it was even slightly nimble on its hooves, then Lone wouldn¡¯t have successfully dodged the thing this time. "Hey! Can you move?!" he shouted at Sofia while he tried his best to ignore the searing heat at his side. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that he was used to enduring physical pain. Something to thank his old man for, he thought in a rare bout of cynicism. Sofia, instead of answering him, continued to scream and shake in terror. Certainly not very helpful but given the circumstance, Lone neither had the time nor the energy to be upset with her. The boar was steadying itself after its failed attack and preparing for another. Thankfully for Lone, at the same time, one of his other skills went into action and removed one of his current worries, the injury that was oozing his blood and guts.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
The skill didn''t have the power it needed to fully close his gaping wound within a few seconds, unfortunately, but it was good enough to stop the bleeding and numb his discomfort if only a bit. Lone''s flesh was wriggling and squirming about, and to be frank, it both looked and sounded beyond disgusting. It was as if he was an alien trying his best to maintain his humanoid appearance. A creepy skill but one that was saving his life, nonetheless. Regardless, he had more important things to care about right now than the grotesque nature of his Basic Regeneration skill. Without giving Lone another second to think, the boar raced towards him once more. He made a split-second decision and threw Sofia away as far as he possibly could. He couldn¡¯t fight the thing while holding her and it seemed dead set on killing him first. If it turned to go after her then Lone had no idea what he would do. Right now though, he had no other choice. Perhaps due to her small stature or perhaps the adrenaline flowing through his veins, he¡¯d managed to toss the girl ten or so metres away from him and the beast. Unfortunately, the boar had closed the gap in the small time that he¡¯d used to decide on throwing her away and actually doing so. "Ahhhhh!" Lone screamed as his chest was directly pierced by both of the boar''s tusks. He was ripped clean off the ground as he became a live kebab skewered by the ivory tusks. The creature twisted its head about and tore through Lone''s organs, making his mind go blank. He dropped the spear quickly and grabbed the boar''s tusks in a futile attempt to push himself off them.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Lone ignored the notifications and kept thinking through the pain. Basic Regeneration was trying its best to keep him alive, but it couldn¡¯t out-heal the damage that was being inflicted upon him every passing second by the boar. How could he get out of this? Was he going to die here? He couldn''t concentrate properly. "Ge... Get off of him!" a feminine and shaky voice shouted. Lone looked to his side only to see Sofia picking up his spear and jamming it as hard as she could into the boar''s skin. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The weapon pierced its flesh and the creature jerked its body around violently, scaring the life out of the woman, forcing her to let go of the weapon and topple over. ''Fuck! I need to do something, now! This fucker is gonna kill both of us! What can I do though?! My regen power is barely keeping me togeth- That''s it! My powers!'' Lone thought in revelation. "I''ve chosen one of my powers! I want an ability that can kill anything that threatens me!" Lone roared to the heavens with the remainder of his strength.
Are you sure you wish to use a [Soul Slot] on [an ability that can kill anything that threatens me]? Do be aware that restrictions will be applied and the resulting skill may not do exactly as was requested.
¡°Yes! I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ sure!¡± Lone screamed in response.
Confirmed. Creating desired skill. Implementing Restrictions. Unique Skill [Mental Destruction] created.
Unique Skill: Mental Destruction
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to destroy another being''s mind and soul. Can only injure the mind of those up to three ranks stronger than the host. Current affected rank limit: F-rank. Will not work on those highly resistant to magic-based damage or soul-based damage. Can only be used once per day per rank of the host. Current uses per day: 1.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
The host has four remaining soul slots.
"Mental... Destruction..." Lone said weakly as he felt his eyes closing and his body going limp before he lost consciousness.
The waves of the ocean rolled peacefully against the sand while the bright orange glow of the setting sun illuminated the area. Lone lifted his groggy body up and held his head in both his hands. "I... I''m alive?" "Your body fixed itself." The soft and calming voice of Sofia entered his ears. Lone looked around and saw the corpse of the boar a few feet away from him. Sofia was sitting on the beach as she held her knees to her chest, and she looked visibly upset. Lone glanced at the beast''s body once more before he asked, "It actually died?" "Yeah... You... You were bleeding so much... Are you immortal? It''s not normal to survive wounds like that," Sofia asked with a certain sadness and reminiscence in her voice. Lone stood up and began closely examining his body. When he was satisfied, he approached the boar. "No. It''s one of the powers I got from that ''God'', or whoever the fuck the people are that brought us here." "I see," Sofia replied stoically. A silence reigned between the two. Lone was carefully checking the corpse of the boar to see if it was usable somehow, and Sofia continued to hold her knees tightly. "I''m sorry," Sofia suddenly whispered just loud enough for him to hear her. Lone gazed at the short, huddled up woman, and asked, "What for?" "I... I''m sorry I froze like that. I could have gotten us both killed... I should... I should have teleported the boar into the ocean or up in the sky... I... I was so scared..." Tears slowly rolled down Sofia¡¯s eyes. Lone sighed and walked back to her side. He sat next to her and gently placed a hand on her back even if it felt embarrassing to do so given how attractive he felt she was. "It''s okay. You think I wasn''t scared as well?" "But... But I was useless... I could... I shoul-" Lone interrupted her mumblings with a powerful voice, overcoming his own awkward feelings in this moment. "We''re both alive and the boar is dead. What else matters? I''m just glad you weren''t hurt. You can''t heal like I can, right?" "... Yeah..." Sofia replied with a slight sniffle. Lone got back up onto his feet and he rubbed moving to pat her shoulder but backed off at the last second since facing her, he found it hard to not focus on her face and get lost in it. "Then it''s fine. Just try better next time, okay? You''re a badass who killed God, ain¡¯tcha?" he asked with a charming grin. Sofia wiped away her tears and, looking up at him with her dead eyes, smiled. "Thanks, Lone. I''ll do my best," she replied with a firm resolve. She then mumbled a few words that Lone could barely even hear, "Though... She only managed to kill him because he ran out of power trying to kill us back when we were still immortal... so it''s not really fair to call me a badass..." After a few moments had passed, Lone asked, "Wanna help me with the boar¡¯s carcass?" "Huh?" Sofia looked confused. Lone knelt next to the beast''s body and ripped the spear out of its flank before he stated, "We might be able to use its hide to make some blankets or warmer clothes, and the meat needs to be preserved before it gets spoilt. I''m not an expert on this stuff though since I rarely researched this shit on the web." "You swear a lot..." Sofia replied. ¡°Also, what¡¯s ¡®the web¡¯?¡± "I''m Scottish, it''s in my blood," Lone shrugged. ¡°And, uh¡­ A tool to communicate information with people? It¡¯s like a big brain almost anyone can ask questions to.¡± ¡°And it answers?¡± Sofia asked in amazement. Lone nodded. ¡°Yup. Pretty cool, right? Though it¡¯s also used to spread misinformation. Anyway, the carcass?¡± The short woman got up, brushed her sand covered hair and legs, and then walked around the boar. "I was taught about this stuff when I was still a mortal. I can help... I think. I, uh¡­ I don¡¯t remember much from back then." "It was a long time ago, right? I get it,¡± Lone said before asking, ¡°But still, a child needing to go out and strip dead animals for meat and skin? And a girl? That¡¯s odd.¡± Sofia jumped in panic a little. "It was almost 1,000 years ago. I haven''t needed to hunt since I was nine and¡­ my family was odd." "Was that when you became ageless?" Lone inquired, not broaching the topic of her family since she seemed a bit cagey right now. A pained look entered Sofia''s eyes. "I don''t want to talk about it." "Sorry," Lone said apologetically. ¡®Just what happened when she gained eternal life?¡¯ "Mmm," Sofia mumbled. The two moved on and refocused their attention on the dead creature in front of them. It wasn¡¯t long before Sofia had caught sight of something strange. "Lone, is that a dart?" "What?" Lone looked at the part of the boar which Sofia was pointing at, and his eyes narrowed. "I was wondering why this fucker was so pissed off. Do you think it was drugged?" Lone questioned as he carefully took the small piece of wood out from the boar''s hide. "I dunno," Sofia answered honestly. ¡°Fair¡­ How¡¯d you even see it anyway? I don¡¯t mean to grill you but, uh, you¡¯re blind, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lone questioned. It was something he¡¯d been wondering about since yesterday and it honestly bugged him a lot. Surely her other sense could only help her so much, right? She hadn¡¯t even been touching the boar when she discovered the dart. ¡°I can see but not with my eyes,¡± Sofia explained vaguely. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He didn¡¯t press on further. That could wait until later. Lone placed the small dart right in front of his left eye and he focused his gaze on it intently. "There''s a tiny hole in this. Looks like a mini needle or something. I guess it was filled with a substance as suspected. Now, the question is, who shot the boar and pointed it towards us?" "Do... do you think we''re not alone on this island?" Sofia asked with a tremble in her voice. "I''m not sure," Lone replied. A determined gaze filled his eyes and he said, "But if we¡¯re not and if the other people here aren''t friendly - which they probably won''t be - then we''re in trouble." B1: Chapter 6: Sofias Powers and Sofias Nickname Lone spent the rest of the afternoon after the boar''s attack on fixing their teepees. Well, more rebuilding them from scratch, if anything. The enraged animal had been ruthless to the poor stick constructs. After he had finished doing that, he sat down on the beach and watched Sofia skilfully cut up the boar''s hide as she avoided damaging the beast''s meat. ''There''s no way that we can eat all of that before it rots... Should I use one of my remaining powers to store it somehow? If I do, then I should make a skill that will be useful in the long-run as well... hmm...'' Lone thought to himself. A few moments passed before he realised something. ''Wait, I haven''t even asked Sofia what abilities she has. I''m so stupid. Maybe she can preserve the boar somehow.'' "Hey, Sofia," Lone called out to the focused woman. She turned her head and looked at him with a curious expression on her beautiful face. Smiling politely at her, Lone asked, "Do you mind telling me what powers you have? It might come in handy knowing what we''re both capable of. Y¡¯know, in case of another wild boar attack." Sofia finished cutting up the piece of hide that she was holding, and she then put down the knife that Lone had made for her before she walked over to him and sat down. That knife had been a real struggle to create with his Creation Magic. Less so creating it but more so creating it and not passing out from mental pains. He knew next to nothing about metals, but it was thankfully small and shoddy enough to only drain two-thirds of his MP this time unlike his wooden spear. "I can only use three of my powers right now," Sofia said in a very low and almost upset tone. Noticing her mood, Lone laid one of his many tails on her lap to let her squeeze it despite his awkwardness in doing so. She seemed to enjoy that, after all. To no surprise, she immediately grabbed the fluffy limb and began wringing the life out of it with her iron grip. "That''s okay. Just tell me what you can and can''t do, please," Lone replied in as normal of a voice as he could manage while enduring the pain her ¡®affection¡¯ was causing. ¡®Fuck me where is this arm strength even coming from? Without Basic Regen I bet that tail would suffer permanent injuries.¡¯ He wasn''t going to get upset at Sofia for this though. He didn¡¯t exactly like pain, but his tails gave her comfort and¡­ well, having a beautiful woman hugging you, even if only a fluffy soft limb, felt good. He looked at her and said, "Why don''t I go first? I have six powers. The Summoning Room, which I can put you in or out of at will. I''m not sure how useful this one is, to be honest, but it can keep you safe in a worst-case scenario." Sofia''s eyes trembled a little bit. "I don''t like that place... It''s dark and... lonely." ¡®Dark? Is not everything dark for a blind person? Man, I¡¯m so curious how she can see without her eyes,¡¯ he thought in passing. "I''ll make sure to never put you in there for too long, okay? Only if I really need to. I don''t want to see you getting hurt or dying on me. I think that¡¯s fair, don¡¯t you? We don''t know what or who is living on this island besides us," Lone clearly voiced his opinion. "Mmm... I know. I trust you," Sofia smiled sweetly in response. "Okay," Lone said as he turned away. Her smile was dangerous. He continued explaining his skills, "I have this really useful ability called Creation Magic that you''ve already seen. It made my spear and your knife." Sofia nodded and didn''t say anything, so Lone listed his next skill. "The other two you''ve seen or aren''t relevant. Basic Regeneration seems to heal my body automatically, and Growth Accelerator apparently lets me learn anything that isn''t a unique skill like our powers are. There are a few other features in there but nothing super important." Lone sighed and then added, "The final two are my species and the skill I used to kill the boar. I''m not sure why those stupid gods made me a foxkin. I used to be a human before coming here..." Sofia quietly mumbled to herself, "I love your fluffiness... so it''s not a bad thing." Lone pretended not to hear her before detailing his last ability. "Mental Destruction was used to kill that creature. It lets me destroy the mind and soul of anything a few ranks higher than me so long as it isn''t immune to magic and I can only use it a limited amount of times per day based on my rank. For now, that means once a day." "That seems really powerful," Sofia said with a bit of an awed expression on her face. "Yeah. I made it after you stabbed the boar. I also have more chances to create additional unique skills, but I''m not going to use them until I need to," Lone explained. "So, what about you? What powers do you have besides being able to teleport and change your body?" "... The only other ability I can use right now is called ''Mana Sensing''. It lets me detect magic passively for no cost, but, apparently, even though I''m a ¡®Cosmos-ranked being¡¯ ¨C whatever that is - its power is limited to my rank, which is the same as yours. At I-rank I can only sense magic within a 15-metre radius of myself," Sofia said as she cuddled Lone''s tail tightly. ¡®Ahhh¡­ that explains a lot. That¡¯s why when she followed me through the treeline, she stayed no further than 15-metres away from me. Does it look like sonar or something, that Mana Sensing? Damn that¡¯s pretty cool, well, ignoring the tragedy of blindness,¡¯ Lone thought, happy to have found an answer to his lingering question about how she saw. Lone ignored the pain in his fluffy limb as he asked a less insensitive question than one regarding her eyes. "What do you mean, ''Cosmos-ranked being?''" Sofia shook her head. "I don''t know. It''s what the blue messages told me I was back when I got most of my powers 600 years ago." "Huh... I wonder if it''s something special?" Lone held his chin in thought. ¡®So she killed God at about 400-years-old? The Templars weren¡¯t active for that many centuries. Weird¡­¡¯ "I dunno..." Sofia replied meekly. "What about your other seven unique skills then? What are they and do you know how to get them back?" Lone questioned as he laid down and put his hands behind his head. Sofia lightly nodded and then told Lone all about her other eight abilities. "My other powers are..." She had a lot of interesting ones, but conversely, a couple of useless ones. To list the ones Lone liked the best, they were: Void Walking, Immortality, Unique Magic: Barrier Magic, Phasing, Minor Time Control, and Immunity To All Negative Effects. Sofia didn''t actually know what any of these powers did, because, according to her, she never once used them after gaining them, and now that they were sealed, she couldn''t see their details via the system. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The uses of most of them were obvious from their names, but Lone could see how frustrating not being more knowledgeable about her powers made the short woman feel. She clearly wanted to be helpful, of that, Lone had no doubts. However, according to her, not only were most of her powers sealed, she even claimed she had two useless ones; Body Manipulation and Armour Creation. Of course, he didn''t think her skills were useless, that was just her opinion. They both already knew exactly what Body Manipulation did. It allowed her body to assume a child, teen, or adult¡¯s physique, but seemingly nothing else. Lone had his doubts about that but nothing concrete just yet. ¡®There¡¯s no fuckin¡¯ way that skill is so simple. She could be a secret Gomu-Gomu fruit user for all I know. That would be both incredible and super helpful. We have to experiment with that at some point if we can.¡¯ Armour Creation was obviously a terrible skill since Lone had his Creation Magic which was essentially an upgraded version of it. Although, again, he wondered if it could be used in an inherently unique way to give it some value. He coiled his tail that was being hugged around one of Sofia¡¯s hands gently since she seemed depressed after giving her explanation. "Don''t worry about it. Most of your skills sound insanely powerful. You said you know how to unlock them, right?" "Kind of. The system said the skills will unseal at certain rank ups, which rank ups, I dunno. That means I need to wait for you to rank up, I think. I think our levels are tied together," Sophie said with a slightly more cheerful tone in her voice. "Ranking up, huh? I wonder how that works...Our levels are bound?" Lone asked as he looked at his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 5 [+4]
Species: Foxkin Rank: I
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 410/410 [+90] SP: 2,100/2,100 [+100]
MP: 2,331/4,000
Basic Stats
Strength: 22 [+6] Vigour: 210 [+10]
Dexterity: 53 [+15] Agility: 61 [+21]
Vitality: 41 [+9] Luck: 51 [+1]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 71 [+1] Charisma: 39 [+1]
Magic Power: 400
"Eh? I levelled up? Did killing that boar do that? If so, I guess it didn''t only give us some hide and meat..." Lone mumbled as he thoroughly inspected his status sheet. ¡®How in the name of Saint Peter does a boar have charm and charisma?¡¯ The thought of such a thing made him chuckle a bit. If there was any humour to be drawn from almost dying to an oversized pig with tusks, it was here, that was for sure. ¡°And you gained four levels too?¡± he asked Sofia. She rubbed the tip of his tail against her cheek, resulting in a deep redness surfacing on his face. ¡°Mhmm,¡± she replied innocently. "So, um, HP and SP are 100% linked to Vitality and Vigour respectively. Good to know definitively. I wonder why Magic Power was the only stat that didn''t get any points... There''s so much we still don''t know about this system..." Lone''s lack of knowledge annoyed him. Sofia let go of his tail and smiled. "Thanks, Lone. I feel better now. I-I''m sorry none of my powers are very useful right now... but I''ll finish up preparing the boar and we can eat something better than coconuts soon, okay?" "Sure, and don''t worry about your powers. It''s fine. I''ll look after you. Also, don''t look down on yourself, Soph, your skills don''t define you as a person," Lone claimed as he got up and grabbed his spear, presumably to train in preparation for whatever was waiting and lurking within the shadows of the forest. ¡°S-Soph?¡± the girl mumbled in surprise as a small smile spread across her face. ¡°A nickname¡­ It¡­ feels nice.¡± Lone grinned to himself upon hearing that. ¡®Fuck, she has a pretty smile¡­¡¯
The hours quickly passed, and it was now sundown. Lone hadn''t gained any skills but he did feel like his handling of the spear was far more accurate and deadly than before, which was a good improvement as far as he was concerned. He had decided to, in the end, use one of his four remaining powers to create a storage space, much like his character from his online game used to have.
Unique Skill: Dimensional Storage
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to store things in a nigh-impossible to access pocket dimension. Anything stored will be frozen in time and will not lose its temperature nor its quality. Has no limit to how many things may be stored within it. Cannot store sentient beings. Cannot store anything intangible.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
The host has three remaining soul slots.
¡®And I won¡¯t fucking use any of them unless I absolutely have to. Just getting this skill already feels like a waste,¡¯ Lone¡¯s inner hoarder stated. Still though, with this skill, he and Soph could safely continue to eat the boar for a week or two without having to worry about food poisoning whatsoever. It also alleviated any future troubles regarding luggage and their possessions. Soph had just finished cooking some of the boar meat when she called out to Lone. He sat down next to her at a small campfire she had made all by herself. "Lone... I can sense a few creatures watching us from the forest. They''re hiding behind the trees," Soph suddenly told him in a hushed voice. "What do we do?" "Are they humans?" Lone replied as he wrapped a tail around her. She seemed to love his fluffy limbs and they helped calm her, so he had no issue covering her in one right now despite the obvious dangers. "I don''t know... They''re really small... smaller than even my child form," Soph replied as she used one hand to eat while the other caressed Lone''s fur. "Let''s finish eating. If they don''t do anything by the time we''re finished, I''ll confront them. If things go badly, I''m going to unsummon you, okay? I know you don''t like that place, but we have no choice," Lone ordered in a worried tone. Soph squeezed his tail and nodded her head reluctantly. "Okay." B1: Chapter 7: Small Tracks and Surrounded Sofia- no, she was Soph now. A name of her own¡­ she liked it. Soph had never felt any hunger in her existence before, let alone enjoyed the sensation of food so this was all new and¡­ nice. ¡°We really need to get to working on that boar when we can,¡± the strange yet kind man called Lone said to himself. ¡°This is unbelievably bland. Just how much sugar and salt is added back home for it to taste nothing like this?¡± ¡®¡­ I think it¡¯s yummy,¡¯ Soph thought. She kept her difference of opinion to herself. The last thing she wanted was to upset the man. He seemed nice but even if she wasn¡¯t the one who dealt with her harsher past, she still knew not to be too trusting of others. ¡®If she had her way, he¡¯d be dead already,¡¯ Soph sighed internally. ¡®Keeping her suppressed for so long is getting tough¡­¡¯ After finishing up her coconut, Soph skilfully crafted a simple torch out of the campfire for Lone to hold before she got behind him. She then firmly grasped as many of his tails as her thin arms could contain. They helped clear her mind and gather her focus. He also didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it which was helpful. Lone suddenly winced with a defeated smile on his face. ¡°Level six in Physical Pain Resistance¡­ You¡¯ve got an iron grip, haha.¡± ¡°S-Sorry.¡± She tried to lessen the strength of her hold on his tails a bit in response. She didn¡¯t want to hurt him but she was genuinely terrified. The beings lingering in the bushes were scary, sure, but the prospect of going back to that dark place he called ¡®The Summoning Room¡¯ gave her more than just the heebie-jeebies. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I get it,¡± Lone whispered as he seemed to gather his full attention on the treeline in front of them. Stopping just before the beginning of the forest, Lone softly asked her, "How many of them are there exactly?" "There''s four... They¡¯re holding weapons. They kind of look like strange children... They''re wearing nothing but rags," Soph answered in a very unsure tone. Her mana sensing allowed her to see the world despite being entirely blind. On Earth, this crippled her since magic was long dead on that planet. Here, however? Here on Altros, everything had at least some inkling of magic in it, each with its own brilliant colour and aura. It was crippling in its own way. She likened it to having no tongue for decades upon decades only to one day taste every single thing in existence all at once. Overwhelming and overpowering but amazing and awe-inspiring. Already she had no desire to return to her plundered dimension if it meant she could experience the world so vividly despite her blindness. Besides¡­ she liked Lone¡¯s company even if she was a little bit wary of him in the back of her mind. His presence was warm and comforting. She¡¯s never felt this way before. She¡¯d never had the chance to feel this way before¡­ "Natives maybe?" Lone mumbled. He lightly slapped himself a couple of times, confusing Soph. ¡°You got, this, Lone. Confidence is key,¡± he said to himself before shouting, "We know you''re there! Come out already! We don''t want to hurt you!" ''¡­ It¡¯s that easy? M-Maybe I should hit myself too when I feel lacking in courage¡­'' Soph wondered. "Ukih!" "Kikik!" "Ukiki Kihik!" "Kakukiki!" Soph jumped slightly at the screeches that filled the air. It was only seconds later that both she and Lone could hear the sound of running. "They... They fled?" "Looks like it..." Lone uttered in response. He seemed just as perplexed as she was. "Let''s look around a bit. Maybe we can learn something about these... things?" Soph loosened her grasp on his tail and asked, "Things?" "Well," Lone readied his reply as he squatted down around the trees at the entrance to the forest before he continued, "They certainly didn''t sound like humans. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that there''s more to this world than first meets the eye... figuratively speaking." Soph tried to not move far from Lone as she began helping him inspect the ground while making sure to utilise her prior ¨C almost forgotten - experiences with tracking. She then asked, "What do you mean? I know we''re not on Earth anymore, but it can''t be too different, can it?" "I don''t know. Magic and Foxkin are certainly new." Lone scratched his head in frustration a bit. ¡°I thought it was pretty similar too, what with the singular sun and the coconuts but we have system messages here, humongous boars and children sized things that screech like¡­ well, like monsters.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t remember much about what Earth was like,¡± Soph admitted. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°How long did you spend in that dimension of yours? If you¡¯re comfortable saying,¡± Lone asked respectfully. She smiled a little. He was such a friendly person. His face turned red a lot, but he seemed to genuinely care about her and didn¡¯t want to upset her with his questions even if he was dying to ask way more than he already did. "I don¡¯t really know exactly but¡­ uh¡­ about 600-years? Around that lo- Hey! I found some footprints I think!" Naturally, with her unconventional means of seeing, Soph was able to spot these tracks far quicker than Lone who only had his eyeballs to rely on. ¡®Mana Sensing one, Normal Eyesight zero. Heheh, I¡¯m winning.¡¯ She¡¯d never had eyesight before but she knew it was incredible being able to see everything in every direction for 15-metres so clearly. ¡°Great job, Soph. Show me where?¡± Lone asked. ¡®Why does it sound so nice hearing him call me that? It¡¯s so¡­ warm,¡¯ Soph thought in passing as she pointed a bit ahead and at the ground. Lone crouched down and shined the light of the torch in the area she was indicating. "What the... Only four toes? And just like you said, they''re tiny..." "Should we chase them?" Soph asked. She was personally against the idea, but if Lone thought it would be for the best, she''d do it. Lone shook his head. "No. We still don''t know their intentions, plus, it''s too dark for me to see and fight in a worst-case scenario." He then put his free hand on Soph''s shoulder and grinned. "I can''t see in the dark like you, now can I?" ¡®Mana Sensing two, Normal Eyesight zero.¡¯ Soph blushed though she knew not why. She then asked, "So... what now?" "Hmm, I suppose we should just go back to the beach, take turns to sleep, and then explore the island a bit more in the morning. Sitting around waiting to be attacked again won''t do us any good, after all," Lone suggested after taking a moment to think. "O-Okay..." Soph replied. She was hesitant to confront the little... things that were observing them, but she had to stop being so cowardly and help Lone deal with the strange and frightening situation. At least, that''s what she thought was for the best. He was a rough but caring person and she genuinely wanted to stay by his side. Not only because her power was directly linked to his but also since he had the most important thing of all ¨C the fluff.
Lone sat in front of the campfire as he stoked the flames with a stick. He was keeping an eye on the small teepee that Soph was sleeping in, and a frown was on his face. As he had said earlier, the two would take turns sleeping to avoid being ambushed. He counted themselves lucky that they hadn''t been attacked on their first night when they were the least prepared. "I wonder what they are? Disfigured humans... or maybe actual monsters? I really hope this world doesn''t have monsters in it... If it does, I''m going to have to get powerful enough to keep both Soph and myself safe, aren''t I?" he questioned himself with a sigh. Many thoughts were swimming around in his head. While he was anxious and scared of the future, something about it all made his heart... race. It was like he had stepped foot into the game that he used to spend every waking second of his free time on, Paradox Online. It hardly helped that Lone now owned both the body and name of his character, Lone Immortus. He couldn''t help but wonder if his friends, Neon, Sino and Zarrin, had noticed that he was missing and thought it was weird. What about his sister or estranged mother? He chuckled a bit at the thought. "I hope they don''t worry too much, Neon in particular... he always treated me like a brother, didn''t he? The idiot. Sino can go fuck himself though. I still haven¡¯t forgiven the cunt for being such a dickhead. Hazel¡­ Hazel¡¯s probably worried." It was at this moment in Lone''s verbal ponderings that a quiet noise came from Soph''s teepee, and she crawled out of it before slowly walking towards Lone. "Something wrong?" he asked her in a quiet and relaxed voice. Soph nodded her head and sat down next to him. "I couldn''t sleep... Do... Do you mind if I cuddle one of your tails? I think it¡¯ll help..." she claimed in a bashful tone. Without replying, Lone swished one of his nine golden tails and gently placed it on Soph''s lap. She immediately grabbed it and hugged it closely. A smile crept onto her face as she rubbed the fur against her cheek. Lone signed in frustration through the pain. She still couldn¡¯t control herself and she was much too beautiful to be so casually physical with a loser like him. "Do you really like my tails that much?" Soph''s face flushed, but she didn''t stop. "Yeah... They''re so fluffy and soft... It¡¯s like¡­ like a furry animal, y¡¯know?" she tried her best to explain. "You''re a strange girl," Lone noted with a light laugh. Soph pouted. "I''m not strange. You¡¯re strange." "Haha, yeah, I guess I am." Lone found Soph''s response to be fairly humorous. "Ah, uh, not in a bad way? I like you. You¡¯re nice,¡± Soph squeezed Lone''s tail a bit harder.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Lone grimaced slightly when he read this system notification. Before he had noticed it, Soph had placed her head on his lap, and she''d closed her eyes. Lone sighed and carefully put a hand on her head. Her hair was soft and smooth. "Don¡¯t just say something like ¡®I like you¡¯ when you look like that and when I feel so¡­ confused. I guess it¡¯s my responsibility to know that she was being literal, not romantic or anything stupid like that," he whispered to himself. She didn¡¯t respond since she was busy snoring lightly while she slept peacefully on his legs. He chuckled. ¡°This sucks.¡±
Lone opened his eyes when he heard a lot of rustling and loud movements. ''Shit! Did I doze off in the middle of the night? Great job Lone, really fuckin¡¯ reliable!'' He looked around in a bit of a flurry only to see six small figures with green skin surrounding both him and the still sleeping Soph. They had pointed ears, pitch-black eyes, were wearing nothing but rags and each one of them was holding a rusted or partially broken weapon of some sort. Looking around carefully, Lone could see a slightly larger one of these things standing by the teepees as it closely inspected them. Lone did two things immediately. First, he unsummoned the still unconscious Soph, and second, he grabbed the spear that was lying next to him before he sprung to his feet. The green-skinned creatures were startled and began screaming at him. "Fucking goblins... Fantasy goblins at that. Perfect. Just perfect. Does that mean this place is littered with them? Fantasy goblins are usually notorious for fast breeding. It¡¯s unlikely there are only seven of these things on the whole island..." Lone mumbled as sweat began to form on his palms. He was going to have to kill these monsters. If Lone knew anything about fantasy goblins, it was that they were cowards who were easily intimidated, but in a group, they were almost fearless and would stop at nothing to kill their prey. He couldn''t be sure that they followed the same habits of the mythical creatures from fiction back on Earth, but he wasn''t going to stop and ask them. Well, maybe one question couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°You guys don¡¯t happen to be here to ask for a light or something, right? ¡®Cause I¡¯m not really a smoker so I¡¯ll have to disappoint you.¡± ¡°Ukkkkiihh!¡± ¡°Gikgikgik!¡± ¡°Uksukik kik!¡± Lone smiled wryly. ¡°Was worth a try.¡± B1: Chapter 8: Stabbing and Tall & Fat Lone immediately twisted the wooden spear in his hand and thrust it at the closest goblin. The disgusting creature swiftly dodged, but Lone was still able to nick it in the shoulder, drawing some blood and forcing it to cry out in pain and rage. Two of the other goblins, one holding a rusted knife and the other holding a sharp stick, both jumped onto Lone''s body and began wildly stabbing him. "Ahhhh!" Lone roared in agony as his flesh was torn open and his organs were punctured.
[Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.]
[Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.]
Lone thanked his lucky stars that he had Basic Regeneration. It was a struggle to endure the pain but at least his wounds were only temporary and wouldn¡¯t get in his way too much with them healing like this. He quickly dropped his spear before he grabbed one of the goblins - the one on his torso - and ripped it off, throwing it to the ground. He left the one on his back for now. While it was still madly stabbing at him, trying to find his heart he presumed, its dagger had a far shorter reach than the stick the other one was wielding. He did move his tails in the way though, letting them take the attacks instead. That would buy him time. Lone leaned down swiftly and pried the stick out of the downed goblin''s hand before jamming it into the creature''s throat. It grasped at its neck and thrashed about madly, clearly panicking, and not understanding the pain it was experiencing. It died a few moments later with nothing more than a wet gurgle to signal its passing. With that handled, Lone moved his tails out of the way and collapsed onto his back, trying to crush the goblin riding him with his weight. Unfortunately, the monster was smarter than it looked. It couldn''t pull the knife out of Lone''s back fast enough, but it did manage to jump away and flee to the safety of the other four on-looking goblins. The weapon in Lone''s flesh only lodged itself in further as he hit the hard sand, making him scream at the gut-wrenching feeling.
[Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.]
Lone tried to ignore the terrible sensations and alarm bells that his brain was making his body experience. Normally, he listened to those when he got them back on Earth. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t just curl up in his room to avoid his father this time. These five monsters wouldn¡¯t let him do that, no. Thankfully he had Basic Regeneration and enough adrenaline for what was surely to come. He crawled back up to his feet. With quick movements, Lone flung his left arm behind him and grabbed onto the only part of the knife''s hilt that wasn''t inside of him before he grit his teeth and ripped it out. He then bent down and picked up his dropped wooden spear and held it in one hand as he held the knife in the other. Lone looked at the cautious goblins menacingly as the large presumed Hobgoblin by the teepees simply watched with an incredulous expression upon its ugly mug.
[Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.]
Lone''s skin and flesh wriggled disgustingly as it made an ear-piercing noise that seemed to attack the soul, that was simply how gruesome his regenerative power was to both witness and hear. The goblins and the Hobgoblin all held their ears and screeched before they ran into the forest at full speed. Lone watched this with amazement. He was sweating, out of breath, and honestly, very confused. "¡­ Were they really that scared of my healing?" Lone sat down, still vigilant of the treeline, as he calmed himself and let his body heal. He was covered in blood and his previous work clothes were in tatters. ¡®I paid good money for this shirt and these trousers¡­ Not that it matters now, I suppose,¡¯ he sighed mentally. ¡®I guess I can try to create something new later. I¡¯ve got MP and Creation Magic, after all.¡¯ A few minutes of silence passed with nothing popping out of the bushes to murder him which he felt was a good sign. A good sign or an ill omen of a warband being rallied to murder the absolutely living shit out of him. He chuckled faintly. ''That would be something¡­ Clothes though¡­ I should make a few outfits for Soph too, shouldn''t I? Poor thing¡¯s only got an ancient fleece, for Christ¡¯s sake,'' he thought of his own blood-soaked, hole-riddled outfit. ¡®Not that I¡¯m any better.¡¯ He slowly stood up and stretched, happy to see all of his wounds had closed as if they were never there in the first place. ¡°That¡¯s twice now I would have died without this skill. I need to get in better shape so I can dodge this shit. That boar and the goblins were hardly skilled warriors.¡± He walked back towards his teepees before invoking, "Summon: Sofia Vladimirovich.¡± Hopefully, she was still peacefully sleeping. She¡¯d expressed her dislike of The Summoning Room and without context, he reckoned she¡¯d be less than pleased to have woken up in there. The small woman appeared out of thin air. Her perfect and long golden-blonde hair was in a mess and her face was stained with tears. As soon as she saw Lone, she jumped into his chest and began sobbing wildly. ¡®Ah, fuck. Well, at least she¡¯s didn¡¯t punch me or something. That¡¯s good, right? I don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ know. I was a teacher, not a therapist,¡¯ Lone commented internally. "I was so scared! I was sleeping, then suddenly¡­ then suddenly I was in that dark room again! I thought... I thought something had happened to you! What¡­ What if you had died?! What¡­ What if I was trapped in there forever?! I-I was so scared!" Soph cried into his collar as she hugged him tightly. She either didn¡¯t mind the fresh blood that stained his torso, or she just hadn¡¯t noticed it yet. Even for someone lacking sight the smell of iron was a noticeable one. "I''m sorry," Lone responded as he gently caressed her back. ¡°I had no choice.¡± ''I knew she had a phobia of dark spaces... I knew it was bad after I first summoned her, but she was only in The Summoning Room for, what? Maybe two minutes at best? Must be a deep-rooted fear.'' Lone truly was apologetic, though he didn''t regret it. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He couldn''t risk letting Soph get hurt, or even worse, killed by those goblins. Soph didn¡¯t seem to plan on letting go of him for some time so he chose to slowly push her away from himself. He then used the unstained sleeve of his shirt to wipe away her tears before smiling at her. "I know you were frightened and worried for me but you have to understand I unsummoned you to protect you, okay? Just look at me... I was stabbed over ten times and by a rusty dagger and a stick, of all things. Good thing I have the OP Basic Regeneration.¡± "OP?" Soph asked with a sniffle. Lone''s expression loosened at how adorable the insanely beautiful woman was being. When was the last time someone had cared about his well being so much to the point of tears? Never, really. His mind drifted to how he had treated his younger sister in his childhood. ¡¯Perhaps I was too hard on her when that scumbag died,¡¯ Lone thought while reflecting upon his sister Hazel. ¡®Would she care about me like this if I had been more understanding? Shame there¡¯s jack-all I can do about our relationship now.¡¯ "It means ''overpowered''. The ¡®O¡¯ from ¡®over¡¯ and the ¡®P¡¯ from ¡®powered¡¯ It''s a gaming term," he explained. Soph sniffled a little bit more and held one of Lone''s tails closely. She traced her fingers across his exposed muscles which were only completely healed. "Does it hurt?" she asked weakly. ¡®What the¡­! What do you think you¡¯re doing just casually¡­! There¡¯s ignorance and then there¡¯s ignorance. Fuck. Concentrate. Serious moment, serious answer.¡¯ Lone just about exploded with emotions but managed to respond with, "It hurts like a motherfucker. My insides are still a bit messed up, I think."
[Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.]
[Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.]
He laughed a little bit when he saw Soph frowning. "It¡¯s a waste to not smile more with such a pretty face.¡± Soph¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, what I mean is, there¡¯s no need to be frowning right now. Um, I don''t mind being stabbed, see? Bitten, punched, or even impaled too. Not if it means we can both be safe. Also, every time I passively heal myself, the skill gets stronger, so it''s not a bad thing. Well, levels up, not directly stronger I think. Maybe? It¡¯s hard to tell if levels make a change. Need more dat- I¡¯m rambling. Sorry if calling you pretty made you uncomfortable. It just kinda came out.¡± Soph''s face flushed fully crimson. She stopped touching his muscles and hugging him though she still held onto one of his tails and she awkwardly stood next to him. "I¡­ I didn¡¯t dislike it. I don¡¯t know what I look like but I trust you," she weakly replied. Lone jolted a little. ¡®Right. She¡¯s blind. Has she always been blind? Maybe she never looked in a mirror or water source before losing her eyesight? Does Mana Sensing not show her what she looks like? What do I look like to her?¡¯ He shook his head and said, "¡­ Now what do we do?" Soph''s face, now as red as a tomato, looked down at the ground as her feet carelessly fumbled about, allowing the sand to slide through the gaps between her toes. She clearly didn¡¯t want to voice any ideas towards their immediate goals, Lone noticed. "I should really make us some better clothes. Something durable and warm. I noticed it last night and the night before, but it gets really cold in the evenings here, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he asked. Soph snapped out of whatever daze she was in and nodded. ¡°Mmm. It is kind of chilly when we sleep, yeah.¡± ¡°Right? I wonder if that''s just because this world is free from mass pollution or if it''s a magic thing? Could be a normal climate thing, I guess, but that''s a bit boring, isn''t it?" Lone asked himself rhetorically since Soph was otherwise occupied. The first thing he wanted to do before he did anything else though, was to check his status. When he had killed that boar, it had resulted in level ups and stat gains. With fingers crossed, he hoped for the same this time too.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 7 [+2]
Species: Foxkin Rank: I
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 345/470 [+60] SP: 1,453/2,200 [+100]
MP: 4,030/4,030 [+30]
Basic Stats
Strength: 24 [+2] Vigour: 220 [+10]
Dexterity: 54 [+1] Agility: 62 [+1]
Vitality: 47 [+6] Luck: 53 [+2]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 72 [+1] Charisma: 40 [+1]
Magic Power: 403 [+3]
''Oh, a far lower increase this time, but I did gain a little bit of Magic Power. It also seems safe to conclude that Magic Power is linked to MP now, though that was a bit obvious anyway...¡¯ Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡®I wonder why I gained so little overall though? How does it work for normal people? All I can assume right now is that the majority of people get stats from their actions between level ups, but that''s just a theory at this point...'' Lone thought as he glanced at Soph. ¡°Just wondering but¡­ Did you just level up?¡± Lone asked. Soph nodded. ¡°Mmm. From five to seven. Why?¡± ¡°Just confirming our levels are actually linked. What about stats? Did you gain them too? Also, have you gained any other stats outside of levelling. assuming you got any then?¡± Lone asked. ¡®I wonder how the system is shown to her what with her eyes as they are?¡¯ She smiled a little bit. ¡°Mmm. I did and I did. I, uh, think I¡¯m getting what I had when I was at this power before we, um, came here. But yesterday I got a point in Magic Power without any level ups. Why do I level up anyway When you do? Is it because of The Summoning Room?¡± ¡®So stats aren¡¯t intrinsically tied to level ups for normal people¡­ Then again, Soph is anything but normal¡­¡¯ Lone answered, ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s that skill. We are linked at the soul, after all. You can gain stats from your actions though, I can only get mine by killing.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± She looked towards the ocean and just stared at it with those lifeless eyes of hers. ¡°It¡¯s a weird world.¡± "Sure is. Anyway, Soph, what kind of clothes would you like?" he asked with a charming and friendly smile on his face. "Eh?" she asked with a quizzical look on her expression. Lone was sure that if she weren¡¯t blind, her eyes would be shining with curiosity right now. "Well," Lone scratched his cheek as he looked at Soph. "You can''t just wear that jumper and nothing else forever, now can you?" "But this is all I''ve been wearing for the past 600 years..." Soph replied as she tilted her head to the side and frowned a little. Lone looked at her strangely and pinched her arm. She jumped away from him and grabbed her now injured bicep, "Ow! What was that for?!" "You''re not immortal anymore and we¡¯ve already established that the cold is a real threat to the both of us. Especially you since you¡¯re short and thin. Just do as I say and tell me what you''d like to wear, okay?" Lone said with an unusually stern tone. "..." Soph pouted sweetly. "Anything, I don''t really care... And I''m not short and thin... You¡¯re just tall and fat..." "Fat? You take that back! Who was feeling up my chiselled chest not too long ago, huh?!¡± Lone retorted in indignation. B1: Chapter 9: Boots and Trust ¡®I do patch up my own clothes to save on money, or well, used to, but, hmm¡­ What would be useful for a woman her size that¡¯s also comfy and can fit her smaller forms?¡¯ Lone wondered, considering the goblins first and foremost. Whatever he created, it needed to be light and easy to move in but not eye-catching in the least. ¡®Maybe a camo army suit but without the armour or padding? It¡¯d be baggy on her other forms, but that can be easily controlled with a belt or two and some rolling up, right?¡¯ Lone only had surface-level information on military and survival tactics of the common day and age. He frowned as he looked down at Soph who was just staring at him curiously with her lifeless eyes. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s gorgeous but even I think that¡¯s a little bit creepy. Well, anything¡¯s better than just the jumper that barely covers her, I suppose,¡¯ he thought with a sigh. Lone then closed his eyes and focused on his magic. He crossed his fingers and hoped he wouldn¡¯t overuse his MP again. The pain from doing that the first time wasn¡¯t something he was exactly seeking. ¡®Cotton, wool, some synthetic blends of the two, regular stitching and a camo pattern. Fuck. How is clothing dyed? Uh¡­ it¡¯s dipped and bonded with solution or something, right? The dye attaches to the fabric at a really minute scale, giving the dye permanence¡­ Ah, fuck. I hope that¡¯s right. I¡¯m just guessing here,¡¯ Lone prayed as he also free-balled Soph¡¯s three dimensions, height, arm length, leg length and shoe size. ¡®Ah, also, it already exists on Altros. That¡¯s important.¡¯ Without requiring a chant just like the first time he had used the skill, unlike The Summoning Room and Mental Destruction, a system message appeared in his mind.
Many such items exist on Altros. The host has a great understanding of the item and a basic understanding of its construction. 500 base MP cost. 250 MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of knowledge. 750 total MP has been consumed to create the items: [Camo Survival Gear [Tailor-made for Sofia Vladimirovich]].
¡°Fuckin¡¯ oosh!¡± Lone exclaimed joyfully at having not even come close to using up all of his MP this time. A second later, a neat pile of folded up clothes appeared in his hands smelling of flower-scented washing powder. He wrinkled his nose. ¡®That¡¯s not ideal. I¡¯d have preferred a neutral scent for safety reasons. Oh well, gift horses and mouths and whatnot. No headache is a win.¡¯ Lone carefully handed the camo outfit to Soph who was sniffing carefully at the clothes that had appeared out of nowhere. He smiled a little and said, "Put these on, please, and take that jumper off. I''ll look the other way, so let me know when you''re done, okay?" She blushed a little but nodded her head, though a bit reluctantly. "You swear a lot and I still don¡¯t really get why this is needed but, uh, okay." Lone turned his back and faced the forest as he began to think up what kind of clothing he would like to wear. After all, his wardrobe still only consisted of his teaching outfit, a simple white shirt, and some formal trousers. A simple white shirt that was stained with blood and ripped all over the place while his formal trousers were caked in dried sand and brown mud. At least his shoes were in decent condition though he¡¯d rather not even think about his underwear right now. Swamp-ass was likely the least of his concerns. ''Definitely something cool, but also practical. And, like, 15 pairs of boxers. Fuck, maybe even 30 if they¡¯re cheap MP-wise,¡± He thought. ¡®Gotta make more underwear for Soph too. Does she need a bra? She¡¯s small but they are definitely, well, there¡­ How would I ask something like that without it being weird?¡¯ He¡¯d never had a serious girlfriend before and any of the female friends he had, he certainly hadn¡¯t talked to about underwear. Lone supposed he¡¯d cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, it could wait. ¡®I have enough mana for six more outfits, so three for me and two more for Soph if mine use the same amount of MP. That should also leave me with enough mana in case I need it later. After all, we never know when we''ll be ambushed by those goblins again... I¡¯ll just make one set for me to start though. Boxers come first,'' he thought decisively. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Lone..." a quiet voice called him from behind, so naturally, Lone peered in Soph''s direction. He turned and said, ¡°Done? Goo- Wh-why are you naked?¡± He quickly turned away from the woman who was without clothing. The woman without clothing that he was finding himself more and more attracted to as the days passed. ¡°I can guess. No experience with modern clothes, right?¡± A soft, ¡°Mmm,¡± met him in response. ¡°Got it. Um. I¡¯ll talk you through it all?¡± he said in an unsure manner. Like it or not, this would likely become a core memory for all of the wrong reasons.
¡°I kept telling you, they go under the trousers¡­¡± Lone said emotionlessly as he stared into the ocean. Soph blushed furiously. ¡°How was I supposed to know it wasn¡¯t a hat?! Undergarments were not so small back when I wasn¡¯t in my pocket dimension.¡± ¡°The belts and zippers I 100% understand, but fuckin¡¯ panties?¡± Lone asked more himself and the powers that be than Soph herself. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if you had just stopped asking me to put them on for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It took so long because you refused to!¡± Soph cried in indignation. ¡°You should only let someone you intend to marry see you naked. There¡¯s no way I was gonna dress you,¡± Lone refuted. Soph went silent at that. ¡°That¡­ That makes sense. Sorry. I¡­ I haven¡¯t talked to anyone but myself for so long¡­ Social norms are¡­ hard? We come from different times and I can barely remember the norms of my own time.¡± Lone flopped down so his back was lying on the sandy beach. He closed his eyes a breathed in deeply. ¡°That¡¯s fair. More than fair.¡± ¡°Did I look good naked?¡± Soph asked softly. ¡°What? What kind of question is that?¡± Lone asked back. ¡°I can¡¯t see myself and¡­ Well, you saw me. I was just curious¡­¡± the strange centuries old woman explained. Lone sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not answering that.¡± ¡°Why? Am I¡­ Do I look weird?¡± she asked, insecurity dripping from her voice. ¡°No. You definitely don¡¯t look weird. Can we talk about anything else? You look nice now in that outfit. You look like the drill sergeant everyone wants to make fun of for being short but it turns out she¡¯s the biggest hardass on base,¡± Lone deflected. Soph nodded a little, ¡°Huh¡­ Um, what¡¯s a drill sergeant?¡± ¡°Like a teacher for the army,¡± Lone answered. He then yawned and said, ¡°Sleep?¡± Soph nodded again. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll, uh, make sure not to fall asleep this time when I need to be looking out for those things.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± Lone replied. Lone ignored the words Soph mumbled to herself after that. ¡°If I don¡¯t look weird naked¡­ do I look pretty? And marriage¡­¡±
Thankfully, neither one of them failed their guard shift duty and they weren¡¯t attacked in the middle of the night nor in the wee hours of the morning. Lone got out of his teepee and stretched, cracking damn-near every bone in his body. ¡°Ahh, that feels godly¡­¡± His nose was then assaulted by a rotten smell. ¡°That corpse¡­ I need to get rid of that¡­¡± He walked over to the thing, gagging and holding his nose all the while. Maggots had popped out of its stomach and were eating it from the inside out. Lone quickly used his Dimensional Storage on the monster. It disappeared along with a good chunk of the smell though the maggots, flies and other critters remained. He backed away before any of them could touch him. He wasn¡¯t afraid of bugs really but he¡¯d just gotten to a decent point of cleanliness with his new clothes. If he could avoid maggots and the like, he would. He also took the time to store Soph¡¯s old jumper that was lying next to her teepee. It wouldn¡¯t be getting any use now, after all. Once that was done, Lone cleaned up the camp and spent the time waiting for Soph to wake up on making a dagger for her. She had gone to sleep almost as soon as he had woken up so he had a few hours to tinker.
About three hours later, Lone saw Soph stumble out of her tent looking like death itself. ¡°You really don¡¯t do well with power naps, huh?¡± he asked jokingly. She didn¡¯t respond and just stumbled her way towards him, collapsing onto his lap and grabbing a tail when she was close enough. ¡°Haha, a grown-ass woman but you act like a kid when it¡¯s convenient to you, huh?¡± Lone commented. ¡°I got you a present, by the way,¡± Lone said. Soph¡¯s ears perked up a bit though she stayed mostly motionless. ¡°¡­ What present?¡± ¡°A knife. A proper knife. Granted, it¡¯s made of wood but it¡¯s pretty damn fuckin¡¯ sharp,¡± Lone explained as he grabbed the weapon that was lying next to him. He then passed it to the sleepy Soph. ¡°Be careful with it, sleepyhead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Soph to you, not sleepyhead¡­¡± she said as she inspected the blade. ¡°Nice¡­ dagger.¡± ¡°Knife, not dagger, but thank you. It took a lot of thinking to make without draining all of my MP,¡± Lone said proudly. ¡®Feels like it¡¯s not her ideal weapon, huh? This ability of Growth Accelerator¡¯s is weird¡­¡¯ ¡°Anyway, after a snack to perk you up, I want to do something as a team if you¡¯re willing. Something a bit dangerous,¡± Lone said seriously. It was something he¡¯d been considering ever since yesterday¡¯s attempted ambush. It needed to be done, so he figured sooner would be better than later. He would do what he planned alone if he needed to but if Soph agreed, it would be a far less difficult endeavour. She was quite important, after all since her Teleportation power was incredibly powerful if used properly. ¡°What?¡± Soph asked, still incredibly groggy from only having three hours of sleep. ¡°We need to hunt down some of the goblins,¡± Lone said seriously. ¡°The quickest way for me to get stronger is by using my skills and by killing stuff. The same goes for you since your levels are tied to mine.¡± Soph scrunched up her brow hesitantly. She slowly got off of his lap but still held onto a tail as she asked, ¡°D-Do we really need to? Can¡¯t we just¡­ I dunno¡­ hide?¡± Lone smiled with care. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to do anything. If you don¡¯t want to join me, I¡¯m going to have to put you back in The Summoning Room for safety.¡± Seeing the fear creep into her eyes upon hearing those words, he winced a little. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, not trying to threaten you or anything. I can make you some candles and matches to lessen the darkness and maybe some paper and a pen to pass the time by writing or drawing? Can you write?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Soph closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. ¡°Y-You¡¯re going to hunt them no matter what?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°I have no choice. We have no choice.¡± ¡°T-Then I¡¯ll come with you. Anything is better than that place,¡± Soph answered. Lone couldn¡¯t help but admire her courage though her phobia of the dark bothered him a lot, especially since she was blind. ¡®I need to get her comfortable with The Summoning Room eventually. It¡¯s the most secure way to protect her. Tossing her in and hoping for the best though seems incredibly unwise¡­ An issue for another time, I guess.¡¯ ¡°Thanks, Soph. I really appreciate it,¡± he said. ¡°So, how about some boar jerky and coconut water before we go exploring? How does that sound?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± the girl replied. B1: Chapter 10: Bravery and Experience Experiment About twenty minutes of slowly moving through the forest had passed until Soph suddenly looked into the distance and whispered, ¡°Over that way. I can feel at least one of them.¡± Lone nodded and crouched down. ¡°Let¡¯s investigate then. If there¡¯s too many, do you think you can teleport us out?¡± Before leaving the beach Lone had confirmed with her that with her Teleportation skill, she could, in fact, teleport more than just herself. This would be critical for both escaping and attacking if she used it right, Lone thought. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Although her soft voice trembled, there was resolve in her expression. Lone nodded and tightened his grip on the wooden spear in his hands. Soph, likewise, copied him with her dagger. The two trod carefully through the thicket as they approached the goblin Soph had sensed, being extra careful to produce as little sound as they could. An easy task for Soph but a difficult one for Lone considering the volume of his nine tails. Still, they managed as best as they could. As soon as they were roughly five metres away from the creature, Soph whispered, ¡°There¡¯s more of them. T-Ten in total¡­ No big ones though.¡± As soon as she said that, one of the ugly, green-skinned beasts, turned its head in their direction and began sniffing wildly. ''Shit. Even with the new clothes, they can still smell us. Must have noses like dogs to pick us out over their own stenches. Well, ten normal ones is within the realm of possibility given we have the element of surprise,'' Lone thought rapidly. Not wanting to lose the advantage they currently held of being undetected, he decisively threw his wooden spear at the goblin who was furiously sniffing the air as it looked their way. With a pain-filled cry, the monster slumped over with the spear impaling its chest. ¡®Yes! I half expected to miss. It was worth it practising on the trees during my time on wat-¡¯
The host has developed the passive skill: Throwing Mastery.
Passive skill: Throwing Mastery
A skill that allows the host to throw items with more accuracy and speed. All items thrown by the host will be thrown 5% more accurately and with 5% more speed.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®I got that now and not when I threw my spear at the palm trees? Why?¡¯ Lone questioned though he had no time to ponder over the matter right now. Lone, instead, focused his mind and used his Creation Magic to make a new spear, this one simpler and a bit smaller than the one he¡¯d just thrown. He didn¡¯t have much time since the goblins were starting to panic and search for their attacker.
Many such items exist on Altros. The host has a great understanding of the item but does not know anything regarding its construction. 750 base MP cost. 375 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of knowledge. 1,125 total MP has been consumed to create the item: [Basic Wooden Shortspear].
¡®Thought so. It was the fact that the spear from the game didn''t exist on this planet that screwed me. Just like with the clothes, I saved a flat 5,000 MP by thinking about it already being a thing here on Altros,¡¯ Lone internally commented as he held his new weapon tightly. "Remember what I said earlier," he whispered to Soph as he looked at the other nine goblins who were frantically searching for him in the bushes of the surrounding vegetation. "Your teleportation is our strongest weapon." "M-Mmm..." Soph weakly nodded her head. Lone gently placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I want you to teleport right next to the two in the back. See them?" "Y-Yeah..." Soph replied hesitantly. "Grab them and teleport into the air as high as you can before letting go of them and teleport right back to me, okay?" Lone requested with a quiet and encouraging tone. He could feel the lacking confidence just oozing out of her but she still nodded regardless and gathered her resolve. Soph used her Teleportation skill to move behind the furthest two goblins that he had pointed out to her. She then successfully grabbed on to one of the creature¡¯s arms, but the other goblin saw her and dodged before he lunged at her with his rusted dagger. Lone watched in worried silence as Soph decided to teleport into the air with the one goblin she had managed to grab. It screamed and wriggled wildly as the two of them began to fall through the air. Lone witnessed as Soph appeared to calm a bit mid-air. She teleported straight up two more times without any hesitation. She and the goblin were now roughly 45 metres in the air and the goblin was thrashing about madly like a cat who¡¯d been tossed in a bath. Soph let go of the goblin''s arm and teleported herself back to the ground after using the skill three more times. She returned to the spot where she and Lone were hiding before though Lone had already moved away at that point. Lone noticed her looking where the other eight goblins should have been, where he now was. Wounds covered his body but he was now surrounded by five corpses and three terrified and extremely cautious goblins. They were circling him as they bared their fangs and snarled at him. He could see the wobble in their knees and he grinned. ¡®That¡¯s right. Be scared, you little shits. None of you are going to survive, especially not when I¡¯m enduring so much pain.¡¯ He ripped out a dagger that was wedged in his abdomen before he tossed it towards one of the three remaining monsters. It shrieked as it dodged, but it was that moment that Lone was waiting for. As soon as the creature moved to the left to avoid the flying dagger, Lone thrust his spear forwards and pierced the unguarded goblin right through the eye, killing it instantly. Ignoring the broken sword that another of the goblins had jabbed into his ribs during his attack, Lone pulled his spear out of the now-dead monster and turned around to face the two remaining goblins. Upon seeing his crazed face and undying body, the two creatures finally succumbed to their fear and they turned around in an attempt to flee. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Lone used that opportunity to throw his spear at one of them, which successfully went through the creature''s leg and impaled it to the ground. He then madly charged at the other and tackled it to the floor. With both monsters now subdued, Lone shouted, "Soph, come over here. I want to test something!" Carefully stepping out of the bushes, Soph approached him and looked at the goblin that was frantically scratching and clawing at Lone in a panic. "Wh-What do you need, Lone?" Soph asked with uncertainty clouding her voice. Lone was struggling to hold the surprisingly nimble goblin as he replied, "I want you to check your status, make sure you know what your level is, and then kill these two. You should get at least one level if you can earn levels by yourself, if you can''t, then it confirms the theory that your level always mirrors mine. Meaning you should never kill anything, really, and just leave it to me. We can confirm this for sure later, but for now, yeah, don''t kill anything if you can." Soph gulped and nodded slowly. Walking over to Lone and the thrashing goblin, Soph took out her combat knife and then carefully ran it along the goblin''s throat, depriving it of its life. Lone dropped the creature''s body and watched as Soph made her way over to the heavily bleeding goblin with a spear through its leg, the last survivor of the group. She quickly put the monster out of its misery. With a heavy expression on her face, Soph spoke to Lone, "It didn''t change, my l-level that is." "That sucks," Lone replied. "Oh well. At least we know now for certain. Sorry for making you do that. It must¡¯ve seemed cruel from your perspective.¡± "Mmm, but I understand why y-you needed to know," Soph replied as she walked back to Lone''s side. She began helping him remove all the small things that had entered his body like morsels of dirt and tiny twigs so he could continue to heal. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as he began draining his MP rapidly to speed up the passive healing. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine,¡± she replied as her cheeks flushed with a tinge of red. With that out of the way, Lone finally took a moment to look at the system notifications which had flashed across his eyes during that tense battle. Thankfully, it seemed that they could be dismissed and read at a later point in time, something Lone didn¡¯t doubt would be incredibly helpful for battles in the future. ¡®If only I¡¯d noticed when I was getting fucked up by that boar, haha,¡¯ he thought.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence. All physical pain shall be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''So Intermediate is the next stage after Beginner? I wonder what difference a 10% boost really makes? I kind of felt like I could ignore the pain from my injuries a lot more easily... Hmm. Definitely better than nothing,'' Lone commented internally.
The host has developed the passive skill [Shortspear Mastery].
Passive skill: Shortspear Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Spear Mastery] commonly used by foot soldiers for its ease of learning and versatility. The tips of all shortspears used by the host will be 5% sharper.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Finally, an offensive-based skill...It''s not much and according to Growth Accelerator it isn¡¯t my ideal weapon, but hopefully, it helps me enough to make a difference. And it¡¯s a child skill? I wonder what the significance of that is,'' Lone thought to himself before he asked the system to show him his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 17 [+10]
Species: Foxkin Rank: I
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 523/560 [+90] SP: 281/2,350 [+150]
MP: 0/4,080 [+50]
Basic Stats
Strength: 29 [+5] Vigour: 235 [+15]
Dexterity: 64 [+10] Agility: 70 [+8]
Vitality: 56 [+9] Luck: 53
Bonus Stats
Charm: 72 Charisma: 40
Magic Power: 408 [+5]
''So the non-physical stats didn''t change at all except for magic power? Guess goblins ain''t very charming or charismatic. Less so than a boar. Funny that...'' Lone concluded with a bit of disappointment. He wanted to know as much as he could about this world, how it and his powers worked, as soon as possible to ensure both his and Soph''s continued survival. At this point, a bit of a headache started to form in Lone¡¯s mind. He winced and stopped pouring MP into his Basic Regeneration, only now realising he¡¯d emptied out his tank as stated in his status.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
¡®Yeah, I fuckin¡¯ deserve that,¡¯ he chuckled internally as he endured the new type of pain. ¡®At least I¡¯m almost fully healed now if nothing else.¡¯ "Well, Soph, we should probably go back to the beach now. I''m a bit exhausted and I have a pounding headache after using all of my MP accidentally," Lone said with a short laugh. Soph nodded immediately. Clearly, she, too, was worried about Lone''s condition. With that thought in mind, the two gathered the makeshift and broken weapons of the dead goblins. Lone also stored the corpses themselves so they wouldn¡¯t be discovered by their kin. Once that was done, they returned to their small camp at the island''s beach. As soon as they were back, Lone fell asleep from his physical and mental fatigue. It had been a short day yet a very productive and informative one. B1: Chapter 11: Ocean Koala and Bath Pains Lone opened his eyes a few hours later only for his sight to be blocked by a bright smile. He could also feel a pair of hands playing with his fox ears. "Good morning?" he asked in a questioning tone to Soph. "Eh?" she was clearly a bit startled by the sudden greeting. "Em, g-good morning..." she awkwardly stuttered as she pulled her hands away from his head. ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± Lone chuckled. "It¡¯s fine. I get the appeal,¡± he said as he raised his torso and rubbed the ears himself. ¡°They¡¯re very soft. Also, thanks, Soph." "Huh? What for?" Soph asked in confusion. "You protected me while I was asleep, right?" Lone said. "I can''t believe I passed out as soon as we returned. How embarrassing. You should be the tired one since you got so little sleep, honestly." "I was only playing with your ears and tails..." Soph mumbled sadly. ¡°I-I should have been on watch¡­ Sorry¡­¡± "You don¡¯t need to apologise. You were using Mana Sensing, right? It¡¯s really not that big of an issue," he replied. ¡°Now, if you weren¡¯t paying attention with Mana Sensing¡­¡± ¡°I was! Of course I was. I just, didn¡¯t really move from here,¡± Soph replied. Lone stretched, popping a few of his joints. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to be sorry.¡± He sniffed himself a bit and then frowned. ¡°We kinda reek and my clothes are ruined again¡­¡± "W-What should we do then?" Soph asked. ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t really mind how we smell¡­¡± ¡°You should. I could ignore it since I have Basic Regeneration which seems to heal me on a cellular level but you don¡¯t. Personal hygiene is super important not only for the body but also for the mind,¡± Lone explained, tapping the side of his temple. ¡°So¡­ we clean ourselves?¡± Soph asked. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I can think of a few options but first,¡± Lone said as he glanced down at his clothes, ¡°I¡¯m gonna try to clean these and fix them. My Creation Magic says it can repair stuff too so I wanna try that out before I make a new set.¡± He looked back at Soph and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to strip down to my boxers to do that. Uh, will that make you uncomfortable? As much as I¡¯d rather have you sit in a teepee and wait for me, it¡¯s best we stick together since you can only see 15-metres away.¡± Soph cocked her head to the side. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I can see all of you at all times anyway with my magic.¡± ¡°All of me?¡± Lone asked with a shocked expression on his face. ¡°Uh¡­ should I not have said that?¡± Soph asked in worry. Lone just laughed self-deprecatingly before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t mind me and my sudden immense insecurity.¡± He moved past it and tried to ignore that the almost 1,000-year-old woman with the most perfect face and the sweetest personality he¡¯d ever met probably knew more about his body than even he did. He left the teepee with her close behind him. Once he was at the shore, he stripped down to his boxers and focused. Lone then created a simple washbasin made of wood that was held together by some iron bands. "Iron doesn¡¯t seem to be any more costly than wood provided I know what it is and how it¡¯s made¡­ Thank you, constant time-lapse Facebook videos creating random shit," Lone said to himself with a bit of a chuckle. Soph inspected the basin carefully then asked, "Should I wash my clothes too?" Scanning Soph from head to toe, Lone replied, "You look clean enough to me. Granted, there is some mud on the hem of your trousers and your boots could use a rinse, so sure, feel free." "Okay!" Soph happily replied before she began taking of her boots. Lone refocused his attention to his own matters while Soph was doing that. He stacked his clothes in a neat pile next to the water on the beach and started doing some light exercises to loosen up his body. Soph was finished with taking off her boots, socks, and trousers, in a few moments. Her shirt went down to the top of her thighs keeping her covered just enough to not fluster Lone. He watched in horror as she was about to dunk her clothes right into the ocean directly. He quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Huh? We aren''t washing our clothes?" Soph questioned, her perplexion clear on her expression. "Come on, you''re from the middle ages, right? Surely you know that seawater is horrible for washing clothes," Lone said as he let go of her and gestured for her to put her clothes next to his on the beach itself. "I didn''t live near an ocean..." Soph grumbled as she laid her boots, socks and trousers down. "Ah, fair enough.¡± Lone said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to try and make fresh spring water. It should be possible and if it is, then we won¡¯t need to drink the coconut water anymore.¡± ¡°I like the coconut water though,¡± Soph replied. ¡°You¡¯re free to collect the coconuts yourself if you still want it,¡± Lone said. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly enjoy dodging them when I shake them off the trees.¡± Soph giggled a little. ¡°It is very funny though.¡± Lone rolled his eyes, happy to see her laughing for once. He then closed his eyes and focused. His home country, Scotland, was notoriously famous for its great highland spring water. The tap water was typically nice too as a result. With that picture in his mind but making sure to preface his creation with the water existing on Altros, he used his skill.
Many such items exist on Altros. The host has a perfect understanding of the item. 50 base MP cost. 50 total MP has been consumed to create the item: [5-litres of Fresh Spring Water].
The water had appeared above Lone¡¯s outstretched hands and then fell right into the basin beneath them. Only a little bit of it splashed out from the impact. ¡°Fuck yeah! That was cheap,¡± he exclaimed in joy. ¡®I wonder how much pricier it would be to create hot water? Surely not that much, right?¡¯ He shelved that thought for later before he got to work on cleaning his clothes and teaching Soph how to do it too.
The host has developed the passive skill: Laundry Mastery.
Passive skill: Laundry Mastery
A skill that allows the host to clean clothing more efficiently. All clothes cleaned by the host have stains removed 5% more easily and dry 5% faster after being washed.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®Not a skill I asked for, but one I appreciate nonetheless,¡¯ Lone thought. His and Soph¡¯s clothes were still drying on some makeshift racks he¡¯d cobbled together with some boar sinew and tree branches. Right now, he was sitting on the beach in a pair of swimming trunks waiting for Soph to finish putting on her own swimming suit. He¡¯d asked for her opinion and out of all of the options he¡¯d given Soph, she chose a bikini. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Of course, he¡¯d made a more modest one for her. It was a standard bikini swimsuit where the bottoms had a skirt attached. He had considered making a bathtub and hot water instead of using the ocean but figured that could wait for another day. He could use the exercise of a good swim anyway. Lone was just glad that his trunks and Soph¡¯s two-piece bikini hadn¡¯t cost him much MP-wise. Whatever kind of world they were on, some civilisation out there had relatively modern clothing, that was for sure. ¡®Maybe we¡¯re not the first ones to have come from Earth¡­ It would explain the many items like our survival gear and this being commonplace according to Creation Magic,¡¯ Lone thought. ¡°I¡¯m done! You were right. It was easy to get on though the top took a few tries to tie it properly,¡± Soph called. He turned to see her approaching him with a smile on her face. ¡°Damn... Uh, right. I¡¯m, uh, glad you managed. Ready to do some stretches?¡± "Stretches?" Soph asked with a tilt of the head as she pulled some of her golden-blonde hair behind her ear. Lone sighed before he laughed lightly. "You really are clueless about a lot of stuff, huh? Nothing to be ashamed of since everyone is ignorant in some way or another. Just copy what I do with my body, okay? It won''t be good if you cramp up and start drowning." "Okay! I¡¯m willing to learn!" Soph was clearly very raring to go. After spending a few minutes to loosen their bodies, Lone stepped into the water and began floating as he slowly moved his arms back and forth to stay stable. "Well, gonna join me?" "Yeah, but, um, I can''t swim..." Soph confessed as she held her hands behind her back and twirled her feet in the sand. ¡°Wait, really?¡± Lone asked in shock. ¡°Could have told me that before¡­¡± ¡°S-Sorry,¡± Soph mumbled from the shore. Lone sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He got out of the ocean and held Soph''s hand before he began walking back towards the ocean. "I''ll just teach you. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve had to teach someone how to swim." Not only had he done so with his little sister, Hazel, but also a handful of times at school when he had to sub in for the Physical Education teacher when that guy was sick. He only had to do that since none of the other teacher¡¯s wanted to. If nothing else though, it would be helpful here. "You''ll teach me how to swim? Thank you," Soph was thrilled. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to an ocean or lake before, to be honest¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Well, better late than never, right?¡± he asked with a smile. Soph nodded in response. "Teaching you how to swim will take more than one session though in all likeliness. I''ll teach you how to float first, okay? It should be pretty easy but panicking can pretty quickly offset your natural buoyancy," he explained.
"Soph," Lone called softly. "Y-Yes, Lone?" Soph replied hesitantly. "I asked you a few minutes ago, but you never answered me," he said as the sound of the gentle waves around them accompanied his words. "Y-Yes?" Soph began sweating even though she was in the water. "I¡¯m supposed to be teaching you how to be relaxed and float in the water, right?¡± he asked slowly. Soph nodded. ¡°Um¡­ y-yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then, may I ask, why are you clinging to me like a koala?" Lone asked with a tinge of exhaustion in his tone. Less so from her actions and more so from the constant physical contact. He was not built for this kind of interaction, and it was rapidly draining him. As soon as Soph''s feet had left the sand and she was fully inside of the ocean, she had immediately glued herself to him like a dog who was allergic to baths. Apparently, not only was Soph unable to swim, but she was also afraid of the sea. "S-Sorry..." Soph hung her head down, which only resulted in her leaning even further into him as she clung onto his chest for dear life. Lone sighed. "You could have told me that you were frightened of the ocean, you know? I would have used my MP to create a wooden bath and hot water instead." "I-I''m sorry..." Soph said as her voice cracked. Lone sighed again. He didn¡¯t want to make her cry. "It''s not your fault. It''s okay. Do you want to actually try or should we go back to shore?" "S-Sorry..." Soph apologised, seemingly unable to find any other way to respond. Lone smiled wryly. "Don''t worry about it." Lone wrapped one of his arms around Soph''s waist and swam back to the beach. If nothing else, they were both clean now and Lone had gained yet another skill.
The host has developed the passive skill: Swimming Mastery.
Passive skill: Swimming Mastery
A skill that allows the host to swim with less effort and with more grace. Swimming consumes 5% less SP and the host will find it 5% easier to read the waves while swimming.
Cost: N/A
Mastery Beginner Level 1
Not overly useful but it could be lifesaving in the right conditions, Lone felt. As soon as he was back on dry land, Soph tried to get off of him, but instead, her long hair ended up getting tangled around his legs and feet, making him trip. It was easy to forget at times how long her hair was. It went all the way down to her ankles if she didn¡¯t have it tucked into her shirt like she usually did. "Are you gonna sit on me all day, or what? My chest¡¯s starting to get numb," Lone said. ¡®And my heart is fuckin¡¯ poundin¡¯ like a drum.¡¯ Soph carefully got up and stood next to Lone awkwardly after untangling her hair from him. "Well, we''re both covered in the sand now," Lone said as looked down at his body. "Sorry..." Soph apologised. "Stop saying ''sorry'' so much, please. It''s fine. I''ll just make a bath and some water for us like I said I would¡¯ve done in the first place," he replied. ¡°You¡¯re kinda cute when you¡¯re like this, y¡¯know?¡± "Huh? Oh, uh, th-thanks?" Soph responded, her words getting stuck in her throat. Lone laughed. ¡°There we go, didn¡¯t say sorry for once.¡± Soph blushed. ¡°So you didn¡¯t mean it¡­?¡± Now it was Lone¡¯s turn to get flustered, so he simply didn¡¯t respond and instead moved closer to their teepees, stopping just outside of his own. He decided to try making a wooden bath filled with the hot water itself. His thinking was that doing so would cost less than making both individually. Naturally, he made sure to imagine the tub as being large enough to hold him inside it with enough room to spread out and relax. Unfortunately, while he had seen all sorts of crafting videos online, how to make a bathtub did not list among them.
Many such items exist on Altros. The host has a great understanding of the item but does not know much regarding its construction. 5,000 base MP cost. 2,500 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of knowledge. The host has insufficient MP. All of the host''s MP has been consumed and the host''s MP will be sealed for [10 hours] to create the item: [Hot Water Filled Wooden Bath [Adult Male Sized]].
Near instantly, a searing pain overtook his mind.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Lone didn''t immediately pass out like the last time this had happened. Instead, he grit his teeth and screamed to let out the pain, "Ahhhhh!" "Lone?!" Running to his side, Soph frantically asked, "Are you okay?! What''s wrong?!"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
"No! I''m fuckin¡¯ not! It feels like my brain is being ripped to pieces from the inside! Fuck!" Lone roared as he clutched his head and began panting heavily.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
"Fuck," Lone mumbled as he sat up and slowly climbed into the bathtub with Soph''s help, still wearing his swimming trunks. "You swear so much..." Soph noted while she kept her hand on Lone''s head and gently stroked his soft and fluffy fox ears. Her other arm was wrapped around a few of Lone''s tails that were poking out of the bathtub. "Forgive me for my crude language. Did you miss the part where I said it felt like my brain was being ripped apart?" Lone snapped a little as he felt the warm water seep into his pores. "Ah... This is heaven..." "S-Sorry¡­ But, um, why did you use your magic when this was the end result?" Soph asked as she continued to enjoy Lone''s fluffiness. "Two reasons," Lone said as he held two of his fingers up. "One: There might be some wizard goblins on this island. If you and I can perform magic, then we should assume that some of the monsters can too. It''s better if I''m prepared for that. Mental Pain Resistance training can¡¯t hurt in that regard." "But that could be a different type of damage than mental, right?" Soph questioned. "Sure, but the second reason is infinitely more important." Lone''s ears twitched. He wasn''t used to Soph playing with those, so it felt a bit strange, both physically and emotionally. Soph gulped as she edged a bit closer to Lone. "Wh-What''s the second reason?" Lone grinned and moved so his and Soph''s faces were now only inches away from each other. "It wasn¡¯t fuckin¡¯ intentional. I had no clue the base cost of a fuckin¡¯ bathtub with water in it was 5,000 MP." "O-Oh¡­¡± Soph blushed, not expecting such an answer. ¡°Um¡­ it looks nice though¡­¡± "Yup, it is. Despite the migraine, this feels heavenly. I''ve always had a saying, you know? Showers are for cleaning while baths are for relaxing," Lone stated as he leaned back and laid against the smooth wooden tub and closed his eyes. Even as he was enduring the mental pains that came with having no MP, his face was covered with a single emotion: Bliss. Soph gulped again. "I-I don''t know what a shower is, but c-can I join you?" "Hmm?" Lone peered up at the bikini-clad woman who only looked even more attractive through the lens of his pain-addled mind. "Fuck it. Why not?" ¡°Yay!¡± Soph replied before letting go of his ears and tails. She then clambered on into the tub and atop of Lone, making him instantly regret his impulse decision to agree. B1: Chapter 12: Logging and Goblin Stirrings Soph slowly opened her eyes and felt something soft and fluffy brush past her nose, making her almost sneeze. With her Mana Sensing, she saw the golden blob of mana that was Lone. His face morphed into a smile. It looked¡­ radiant. Perhaps that was just because of his unique colour. She¡¯d never seen anything shining in a golden light before. Most things were just blue or green. The ocean? Blue. The sky? Less blue but still blue. Grass? Green. Goblins? Also green, a dark disgusting green. Even her own mana was green, a light shimmering jewel-like green. She returned Lone¡¯s smile with one of her own, hoping it didn¡¯t look too weird. She was groggy but she didn¡¯t want to be impolite. "It seems that our positions have been reversed from yesterday morning, huh?" he teased. Soph realised that she was laying with her head on his lap and one of his hands was resting on her head. Their positions were just like when she had been caught with his ears in her hands. She quickly fumbled up, scrambling away from him a bit in embarrassment. "Hahaha, you can be pretty endearing sometimes, huh? Well, most of the time, really," Lone joked as he got up and brushed the sand off from his trousers. Collecting herself a bit, Soph noticed that she was wearing the clothes that Lone had made for her, their distinct slight golden shimmer still lingering, a sign of them having been created by him. Her knife and his spears along with the bathtub and his own clothes all shined golden too in her eyes which only saw the magic of the world. ¡°But I was wearing my swimsuit¡­¡± she muttered. Lone chuckled a bit. "Yes, yes you were. Still are, even. It¡¯s under your clothes.¡± Looking more closely at herself, she found he was right. It was hard to see through layers of mana but not impossible when she focused. Lone sighed faintly. ¡°I know you were sleep deprived and it was a long day, but did you really have to fall asleep the second you got into the bathtub?" Her face heated up as she asked, "W-Was I being a bother?" "Nah, it¡¯s fine. I did have to lug you off me, out of the tub, dry you off, and dress you so you didn¡¯t catch a cold, all while I have a killer headache. Still, can¡¯t fault you for being sleepy considering the circumstances,¡± he said then yawned. ¡°You h-haven¡¯t slept yet?¡± she asked in concern. ¡°And I made you do all of that¡­¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Yeah but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to all-nighters. Shame I have no caffeine to keep me going but I¡¯ll live.¡± ¡®So I was being a bother,¡¯ she noted to herself before she scrunched up her face. ¡®She¡¯s trying to get out again¡­ Now is not a good time¡­¡¯ Perhaps picking up on her silence as a cue to change the topic, Lone said, "Anyway, you were out for at least 12 hours, so I had plenty of time to set up some more stuff for us through the night. I''m glad no goblins came to find us. I guess we''re lucky, huh?" "Y-Yeah," Soph muttered as she followed him out of the teepee and looked around, still trying her best to focus her mind. While she was sleeping, it would seem that Lone had started to build a small log cabin. As of now, there was only a foundation set, but nonetheless, Soph was still impressed. Her campfire which she had built herself now had a row of stones encircling it, and it looked far more permanent than her hastily made one was. ¡®I wonder how much of this was done by Creation Magic and how much by just his knowledge alone?¡¯ In truth, Soph felt ashamed. Regardless of her special¡­ mental condition, she was still far, far older than he was yet she felt so much less significant or critical to their continued survival. It was¡­ disheartening. The last thing she noticed that he¡¯d changed was there seemed to be a hole in the ground that was about as wide as a head. There was a cross-shaped stick poking out of the sand with a strange-looking roll of parchment on top of it right next to this hole. "Lone, what''s that for?" Soph asked as she pointed at the aforementioned hole and stick-roll combo. "Hmm?" Taking his attention away from the tree that he had started to saw at with a strange metal device with a jagged edge she didn¡¯t recognise, Lone grinned at her. "It''s to avoid shitting in the forest and wiping with leaves. One, that was disgusting, and two, it was a safety threat. Better to do it out in the open where you can see in every direction. The hole runs straight to the ocean. It was a real bitch to make. Needed so much more Creation Magic than I expected. Still, definitely worth the effort," he explained. Stepping closer to it, Soph could see that the interior of the hole was lined with something made up of a dark brown mana. ¡®Wood? Yeah. Wooden planks,¡¯ she surmised. They seemed to be there to stop the sand walls from caving in, and at the bottom, Soph could see some water. ¡°I forget I even need to do that¡­ I, do, uh, kinda feel the urge though looking at this¡­ Weird¡­¡± Soph confessed. "Yeah, it kinda sucks that we still have to shit and piss honestly. I''m not even a human anymore and you used to be immortal, but what can you do, huh? I¡¯m still a biological creature and you¡¯re now down here with us mere mortals," Lone lamented jokingly as he returned his focus to the tree he was trying to cut down. Soph wasn''t particularly bothered by her body''s necessary functions, odd as they were since she¡¯d lacked the need to perform them ever since she was nine years old. Regardless, she nodded and walked towards Lone. "Did you build this all by hand?" "Mmm, more or less. I used to be interested in this kind of engineering before I became a history teacher, so I know the basics, though still, this would be a complete mess if I hadn''t learnt two skills while I was first putting the foundation of the cabin together. After all, engineering and architectural design are two very different things, even if they are slightly related to one another." Lone''s explanation went in one of Soph''s ears before quickly flying out of the other. "Engineering? Architectural design?" Soph tilted her head to the side in confusion as she held her chin. Lone laughed. "I keep forgetting that you''re from the middle ages." "The middle ages?" Soph was even more confused. ¡°That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve said that. What does it mean?¡± "It''s what we call your time period. From the fifth century to the fifteenth. You really didn''t do anything after you killed God, huh?" Lone asked as he put down his self-created tools and wiped the sweat from his brow. "No... I just slept most of the time away... Sorry..." Soph, once again, ended up apologizing almost as if on reflex. There was more to her story that she was sure he¡¯d be interested in but she felt it was better for him to not know that side of her. Lone frowned. "It''s not something you need to say sorry for." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "M-Mmm." Soph still felt guilty for being such a burden on Lone. She couldn''t shake the feeling that he was wasting his precious energy on her by explaining things that were apparently common knowledge to himself. Lone smiled at her and asked, "Wanna know what my new skills are?" "Uh, y-yeah," she answered. ¡¯So he doesn¡¯t mind talking to me too? That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s good.¡¯
Grinning, Lone quickly pulled up the information of his two new skills to include Soph in the joys of his progress. Something about gaining new skills, regardless of how mundane they were, was quickly becoming very addictive to him. ¡®This is exactly why I was addicted to Paradox Online, only here, it¡¯s real,¡¯ he thought as the skills appeared in his vision.
Passive Skill: Logging
A necessary skill for loggers of all ilk. A skill that allows the host to harvest wood 5% more easily and 5% more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 7
A simple skill really, but it made using his new bow saw that little bit smoother which was great.
Passive Skill: Woodworking
An introductory skill to more intricate crafting skills centred around wood. A skill that allows the host to craft with wood 5% faster and 5% more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 5
This had been incredibly helpful with only a 5% buff. It made it possible for him to try building the cabin without relying too much on his Creation Magic. He only had so much MP to go around, after all. One slip up and he¡¯d be experiencing another migraine. Lone detailed the skill¡¯s effects to Soph before saying, ¡°I was doing everything manually until about three hours ago. Making the bath fucked me MP-wise for ten hours but I¡¯ve been hard at work incorporating it into my building.¡± He scratched his neck and stretched a bit. ¡°Needed the magic to make this and the toilet, sadly,¡± he said, gesturing to his saw. "Amazing..." Soph said in pure admiration. ¡°Uh¡­ Why¡¯s it sad that you need your skill? I-It¡¯s incredibly useful¡­¡± ¡°It is,¡± Lone answered as he frowned, ¡°but it¡¯s dangerous. If I¡¯m not careful I overtax myself and get punished with an MP seal. It seems to vary in time based on how much I overuse it. It needs more testing that I honestly don¡¯t want to ever do.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Soph seemed stuck for words for a bit before she said, ¡°This is all incredible though.¡± Lone grinned. "Right? I should be able to finish a half-decent house for us in a day or two if I really put in the work." "That sounds really nice." Soph''s face was easy to read. The inexperienced woman hadn''t endured the cold, nor had she needed to bathe or look after herself when she was an immortal being living lackadaisically, Lone assumed. Abruptly regaining her mortality must have reminded her of how important it was to have a proper place to take care of yourself and to relax. "But, uh, Lone, what about the goblins? Won''t they just destroy the house once you''ve finished it? You know, with more of those boars or something..." Soph suggested much to Lone¡¯s pleasure. ¡®She¡¯s so clever when she wants to be. Ignorance does not mean stupidity. An easy mistake to make,¡¯ Lone thought before saying, "I thought of that." He pointed to the wooden foundations that were half in the sand and half in the dirt before he said, "Do you see that all of the trees I''ve knocked down were in a circle around there?" "Yeah. Was that on purpose?" Soph asked curiously. "Yup," Lone calmly answered with a proud nod of the head. He knew that Soph was fairly ignorant on a lot of subjects, but he could clearly tell that she was actually rather clever and that she had a desire to learn. "It''s pretty simple, really. My plan is to add a bunch of self-made spikes and force them into the earth and the sand, surrounding our house," Lone said. Soph tilted her head to the side and held her chin again. Seeing that she didn''t fully understand, Lone continued, "I''ll use my Creation Magic for the spikes since I don''t want to risk fuckin¡¯ it up if I do it by hand. I also plan to make a string alarm system, again, with magic." Soph still seemed confused. "How will we get inside the house?" "Good question, but also a stupid one. Come on, you¡¯re a quick one when you need to be. Give it a moment of thought. How will we get inside of the house?" Lone asked with a smirk. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Soph scrunched up her brow and appeared to be thinking seriously about the question before she suddenly gasped a little. "Ah. I¡­ I can teleport¡­" ¡®She¡¯s pretty even when she scrunches her forehead like that¡­¡¯ Lone beamed from ear to ear with pride. ¡°Yes, you can.¡± He patted her shoulder in encouragement. "It''ll be a good form of training for you to strengthen that ability. I imagine that you can teleport farther and more times the more you train it. Most skills seem to work off the principle of refinement, though you never know, it might be possible to create sub-skills from our unique powers. I have no clue how limited or free the system that binds our powers really is." "I never attempted anything with my powers before I met you, so it''d be fun to try," Soph admitted as she scratched her cheek playfully. "Wouldn''t it just?" Lone smiled. A few hours passed as not only Lone, but even Soph worked hard to build the cabin. Lone would cut down the trees between sessions of creating string and bells with his magic. Soph would teleport those trees to the cabin and use her knife to cut them as he instructed. She didn¡¯t do a perfect job and, honestly, neither could he. It was more than enough though and it was pretty fun to be working together. Before long, Lone had finished setting up the string perimeter and was able to complete a third of the spike wall before he came dangerously close to running out of MP. It was getting late too so he had decided to call it a day. He got Soph to help him cover the top of the cabin that now had some walls with large leaves. A real roof could wait until tomorrow. With what little sunlight they had left, the two tore down their teepees and used the materials as insulation for the walls to stave off the cold of night a bit. It was makeshift, a bit wonky on the left side and wouldn¡¯t sell for more than a few quid to someone desperate but it was built by his and Soph¡¯s hard work. He¡¯d be damned if he wasn¡¯t proud. "Lone, what are we gonna do about the goblins? I''m worried..." Soph''s eyes were a bit hazy as she bit into her dinner which was just some roasted boar meat. "I was thinking about making a map of this island first," Lone replied. ¡°I do agree they are an issue though and we should try to hunt a few more groups like yesterday when we can.¡± "A map?" Soph asked. ¡°And, uh¡­ I a-agree. We need strength¡­¡± "Seconded. We don''t really know anything about goblins, but I''m assuming that they have a nest or a home or something. My plan is to map out the island and find out exactly where that base is via the process of elimination," Lone explained. Soph''s dull grey eyes sparkled. "Wait¡­ You can actually write maps? I remember that was a very hard thing to do properly back¡­ back before I was captured. I thought you meant scouting it out and remembering the layout of the island¡­" Lone stared into the girl''s lifeless eyes that seemed to somehow exude so much emotion. ''How can a blind person be so expressive with just her eyes?... I wonder what the world looks like to her with that Mana Sensing of hers?'' "Lone?" Soph cocked her head to the side while looking at him. Unconsciously, Lone ended up laughing. "Sorry. I was lost in thought. I''ve never actually drawn a map before but I must have read thousands of them, what with my job being what it was. Lot of maps in history. I''m fairly sure I can get a skill from the system and work it out along the way." "T-That''s amazing... I haven''t learnt any skills since we got here..." Soph mumbled a bit dishearteningly. She smiled weakly at him. ¡°You keep getting more and more though¡­ I-I¡¯m happy for you.¡± "It''s okay," Lone said as he punched her shoulder lightly. "I have the Growth Accelerator skill so it''s unfair to compare us. I''m sure you''ll get skills that are just as useful on your own." "Y-Yeah¡­ I''ll, uh, I¡¯ll try my best!" Soph''s enthusiasm gave the former teacher hope.
In the depths of the forest on the island, a force stirred. An ancient temple of some sort was illuminated by a single torch held by a goblin who was running as fast as his short legs would take him. He was rushing to the heart, where his king was surely waiting. A few moments passed before the goblin was in a grand chamber filled with bodies, equipment, jewels and gold. This room also hosted several large beings, Hobgoblins. The small goblin counted at least six. Scary things, those Hobgoblins. They could crush him with a single strike and he knew it. Even more frightening though was what they feared, not what he feared. At the very centre of this room, on a throne of wood and bone, a massive goblin sat as he feasted on an entire boar. This goblin was so huge that it wouldn''t be hard to mistake him as an Ogre. This was the target of the Hobgoblins¡¯ terror and it was why they at least pretended to treat him and his kin fairly despite being so much stronger than them. A Goblin King. A rare breed that had a one in a million chance of being born. He was the ruler and god of this island. None stood above him, all bowed beneath him. The king¡¯s blood-red eyes peered at the intruder, at him. Without hesitation, the young goblin began detailing his report. "Ikik! Kik! Gakhikikiii!" The Goblin King smiled, showing his fang-like teeth. "Human... female? Hutututututu..." The little goblin knew what the wicked smile meant. Only human females could breed Hobgoblin offspring, not like the pointy-eared elves who only sired his kind or the ones who thought themselves better than all other goblins. The Goblin Mages. B1: Chapter 13: Cooking Cartographer and New Encounter Lone awoke to a heavy sensation on his body. Without even opening his eyes, he already knew the source of this unusual weight. ''Should I just make a king-sized bed instead of the planned two singles? I have a feeling she''ll find a way to my tails no matter what I do so giving her the space to do so might be wise,'' Lone thought with a sigh as he gently pushed Soph off himself. As much as he was very much so a fan of her appearance, he was slowly growing desensitised to the intimate physical contact she gave him with nary a thought. Gently shaking her shoulders to wake her, Lone greeted the sleepy girl. "Good morning." Rubbing her eyes with two of his tails still held within her arms, Soph replied, "Good morning." "You really like those, huh?" Lone commented with a wry smile. ¡°I could make you some plushies instead if you¡¯d prefer.¡± Soph''s cheeks flushed before she let go of the fluffy limbs and looked embarrassed. "Sorry... They''re just really soft... I¡­ I can¡¯t help it¡­ Um, what¡¯s a ¡®plushie¡¯?" Lone scratched his cheek. ¡°A toy? It¡¯s basically a stuffed animal that¡¯s soft and, well, plush.¡± Soph scrunched up her brow. ¡°I-If I¡¯m bothering you, I can try¡­ I don¡¯t want you to w-waste your valuable MP though. I feel like I¡¯d ignore the toy¡­ I really can¡¯t overstate how soft your tails are¡­ Sorry.¡± Lone laughed a bit before he got up off the treated boar fur that was acting as the duvet. "It''s fine, I don¡¯t really mind I just wanted your thoughts and to know if this would be a recurring thing or not." "Mmm," Soph mumbled as she weakly nodded her head. The pair soon left the half-built cabin after fixing their hair and shaking off their drowsiness. Thankfully, none of Lone''s alarms had been triggered last night. ''That implies nothing saw the cabin, something saw it but was warded off by the spikes or string, or something saw it, bypassed it and investigated us while we slept. Hopefully the first option is the right one. I do wonder what the goblins that got away during our first encounter ended up doing though¡­'' Lone shook his head. it wasn''t worth thinking about it any further for now. Soph tried to cook breakfast for the two of them using some of the boar meat after Lone took it out from his Dimensional Storage. Sadly, much to his horror, it would seem that Soph was even worse at cooking than his younger sister, Hazel, was. A commendable feat of lacking skill, he thought. "I''m really sorry!" Soph exclaimed with tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. Lone just sighed and smiled wryly. "It''s my fault. I should have known that you can''t cook since you didn''t need to eat for almost 1,000 years. I¡¯m glad I let you try though. You can¡¯t learn without first trying." "Still..." His words didn¡¯t seem to have relieved her much. "Don''t worry about it. We can do it together from now on. If we keep at it we might get a skill out of it," Lone suggested. He then took some more meat out from his Dimensional Storage and a few herbs he had gathered yesterday. As a person from modern Earth who lived by himself, he knew what a few edible plants that worked well as seasoning looked like. It sure was a blessing that the spice bottles had handy images of what they were made of on the labels. It was also a blessing that this world, Altros, shared some of the same plant life as Earth. Soph watched Lone as he began making a meal for them and asked, "Lone, can''t you use your Creation Magic to make food for us?" "I tried that while you were sleeping yesterday. It uses up way too much MP, sadly. I might have been able to make some basic blankets for us had I not. Maybe after I¡¯ve gained enough Magic Power for my MP to reach a level where I can splurge on stuff. For now, I need to always maintain a certain amount of MP in case I need to create something mid-fight," Lone explained. Soph had an impressed look on her face. "Y-You can use Creation Magic while fighting?" "I dunno," Lone shook his head. "But I think I can. I tried to create some simple items in less than a second yesterday, spools of string and the like. It worked, but it seems to use up more MP since I don''t have a clear image in my mind." "You''re amazing..." Soph absentmindedly muttered. Lone grinned. "Says the 1,000-year-old woman who can teleport." Soph pouted and squeezed one of Lone''s tails hard enough to make him wince. "I''m 971, not 1,000." "Sorry, sorry, for fuck¡¯s sake that hurts!" Lone cried out.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Soph promptly apologised for accidentally injuring Lone and she then affectionately showed her care for his fluffy limbs as he cooked their breakfast. All the while, instructing her of his every step in the process. And, of course, once he was done, two system messages covered his vision.
The host has developed the passive skill: Cooking Mastery.
Passive Skill: Cooking Mastery
Every chef of any renown possesses this skill. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. A skill that makes cooking 5% easier and reduces the time needed for food items to cook by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"So there was a skill for it, huh?" Lone chuckled at the fact that his encouraging words for Soph had quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. ¡°Hmm?¡± Soph quizzically looked at him while she dug into her herb-infused boar steak. Lone smiled and waved dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to be a very confident person so letting her know of his success in spite of her failure didn¡¯t seem like the wisest of moves in his opinion. After their meal, Lone got geared up in his newly repaired survival gear and then helped Soph into her boots. She still struggled with the buckles. With that done, they set out to explore the full size of the island. Lone''s plan was quite simple in all honesty. He didn''t know how many goblins inhabited the island so he was going to walk around the entire place and create a rough map of its shoreline so he could get an estimate on their numbers based on the habitable land. Of course, this would not be an accurate estimation. It was impossible for him to know the goblins breeding rates, life expectancy, living conditions, so on and so forth, however, this would, at the very least, give him and Soph some idea of what they were up against. After all, the units he¡¯d seen so far were made up of six to ten members. With just that and the island''s size, he could paint a picture with the help of his historical knowledge.
The host has developed the passive skill: Cartography.
Passive Skill: Cartography
A skill that makes map-drawing and copying 5% easier. Any maps drawn by the host are 5% more easily understood by those who read them.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Upon getting this skill Lone¡¯s first thoughts were that not everything had the ¡®mastery¡¯ tag slapped onto it even if it was passive. The second was that he greatly appreciated the skill since artistry was never his strong field.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
The pair of odd adventurers had almost returned to their campsite at this point, so Lone filled the rest of the map¡¯s drawn shoreline based on his existing knowledge. He then put it away in his Dimensional Storage. Soph noticed this and asked, "How big is this place? My feet don''t hurt like they did when we went into the forest, so it must be pretty small, right?" "Right you are," Lone praised, making Soph smile. "Your feet hurt mostly because of the uneven terrain and the fact that you were wearing new boots, but you''re still right that this place is small. I''d guess that it''s no bigger than three miles from end to end." "Miles?" Soph tilted her head at this unfamiliar word. Lone sighed mentally for forgetting that this measuring unit wasn''t used by any of the countries that Soph had lived in during those times. He simplified by saying, "Roughly 482 of our cabins lined up from end to end if my maths is correct." "Woah!" Soph''s eyes sparkled. "That''s a lot of cabins!" "It is, isn''t it?" Lone casually replied. "By the way, Soph." "Hmm?" Soph looked at Lone. "What would be your preferred weapon if you had to fight in close combat?" Lone asked seemingly out of nowhere though he had a reason for doing so. Her Teleportation skill was absurdly powerful and it couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Despite that though, Lone felt it was smart to use his Growth Accelerator to determine her ideal weapon and give her one to train with. The more options she had to defend herself and to attack with, the better. "I trained with two short swords as a child all those years ago. It was just for fun more than anything else. My parents never expected me to be a warrior or anything. I''ve pretty much forgotten it all by now, but if I had to choose, it''d have to be that," Soph said. "Here," Lone abruptly said as he took two of the short swords he had claimed from the slain goblins out from his Dimensional Storage and handed them to her. They looked almost brand new, which seemed to puzzle her. Seeing that, Lone explained, "I spent my mana on repairing the daggers, swords and axes that we looted off of the goblins before we went to sleep last night. Repairing things seems to be far cheaper than out-right creating them." "Oh... Thank you!" Soph replied as she enthusiastically held her new weapons with affection. "Try your best to get acquainted with them. You might need to use those swords in a minute. Worst case scenario, rely on your teleportation as a weapon," Lone suddenly ordered. "Huh?" Soph cocked her head adorably. Lone took his wooden spear out of his Dimensional Storage and a serious look enveloped his expression. "I thought I could hear people. Now that I''m used to this body, my ears are actually quite sensitive. So while not as accurate as your mana sensing, it seems that I have more range... for now at least." As soon as their cabin was back within their vision, both Lone and Soph could see several figures carefully snooping around and inside of it. Lone¡¯s spikes had been ignored and even his string trap didn¡¯t seem to have been triggered. "They''re not goblins... They have so much mana... It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so bright and brown? Lone, what are they?" Soph asked, concern leaking out of her voice. "Well," Lone tightened the grip on his spear before saying, "if Earth mythology proves to be accurate again, they appear to be some kind of elves." "Elves?" Another unfamiliar term to her, it would seem. "Yeah. Pointy ears, beautiful faces, most of them seem to have bows and arrows on them... They look really dirty though. Not exactly picture-perfect elves," Lone noted in a quiet voice. "... Beautiful faces?" For some reason, this single piece of information had struck Soph more than the other details he had listed. "Yeah, though there are only men there. I have no clue if that¡¯s odd or not. Maybe their culture disallows women from being scouts," Lone commented. As a history teacher this all fascinated him, even if he was both scared and a bit anxious right now. Abruptly, one of these elven men turned his head to where Lone and Soph were slowly approaching them from. "Shit," Lone muttered. The elf looked alarmed. He drew his bow and yelled, "Who are you?!" "What...?" Lone was so dumbstruck that he forgot to answer. "Did he just speak in English?" Soph was frightened, but also confused. "What''s ''English''?" "What?" Lone''s mind was spinning. ''Is the world translating our words to each other or something?'' "I asked you who you are!" The elf''s voice filled the beach once more. At this point, his companions had joined his side and were also aiming their weapons towards Lone and Soph. ''I guess I can save it for later. For now, I need to de-escalate this or prepare to fight...'' he thought. Ideally, Lone would like to make some friends on this island with the ever-present danger of the goblins. However, he was more than willing to take drastic measures if these people proved to be hostile to him and Soph. B1: Chapter 14: Acting and Illusions By all rights, Lone felt he should be a bit angry. A group of strange men had come to his home with weapons drawn clearly ready to kill first and ask questions later if need be. This could go so many different ways. ¡®I¡¯m just glad I store everything in Dimensional Storage. One more reason it was a wise decision to use a soul slot on getting it.¡¯ Lone wasn¡¯t a murderer. He didn¡¯t get any tendencies or thoughts that made him wish someone would just drop dead. Perhaps with enough prodding and pushing he¡¯d be more than happy to punch an asshole in the jaw, all the more now that laws weren¡¯t exactly a thing here. Or, perhaps they were and he just didn¡¯t know. Maybe this was an elven island. An elven island that just so happened to host a pack of wild goblins. ¡°Speak or die! This is your final warning!¡± the elf demanded. ¡®This guy¡¯s losing his patience as quickly as I¡¯m realising I might not be able to take on seven armed dudes who actually live on this world,¡¯ Lone thought. Swiftly coming to a decision in light of the impending crisis, Lone popped up from out of the bushes with his arms above his head. He slowly and very carefully said, "I am Lone, Lone Immortus, a Golden Foxkin. My companion and I arrived on this island only a few days ago. Not by choice." Brows were furrowed and hints of compassion could be seen on the elves¡¯ expressions. The one closest to Lone even lowered his bow a bit. "Where is your ship? " the centremost elf asked in a far calmer tone than his companion had been speaking in. "... It sunk, hence why we''re stranded here," Lone replied. ''I should change the topic so he can''t poke holes in this little lie, shouldn''t I? Also, keep a note of it. Ship and sunk. Gotta think up the how and why too if it comes up.'' ¡°I see,¡± the elf replied. ¡°Tragic. Your companion, may they stop hiding as well?¡± Lone nodded slowly before he said, ¡°C¡¯mon, Soph. You can get up.¡± She seemed wary but she did as told and stood at her full height, revealing herself. One of the elves showed a disgusted expression. ¡°A human. Your owner? We can set you free, Beastkin.¡± Another nodded. ¡°Though we have different backgrounds, as fellow demis who suffer under their hands, we understand your plight.¡± ¡®Ah, fuckin¡¯ perfect,¡¯ Lone sighed in his mind. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. She and I were slaves, yes, but not anymore. Our master died in the wreck.¡± He then gently held Soph¡¯s eyelids open and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± when she got startled by him. ¡°See? That bastard took her sight just for looking in his eyes when he spoke to her,¡± Lone said with venom in his tone. ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones they go after.¡± He let go of her and spat on the ground. ¡°She was just a child when she was added to his collection, I, a teen. ¡®Beautiful, more so than my non-human pets¡¯ is what he said when he first saw her. Fuckin¡¯ good riddance, I say. I¡¯ll take washing up on an island with goblins on it any day over serving that cunt a day longer.¡± The elves shared a few glances between one another before sheathing all of their weapons. ¡°Truly, disgusting beings capable of so much sin, those humans.¡± ¡°Indeed. To do this to one of their own¡­ Barbaric,¡± another added. ¡°You mentioned goblins¡­¡± the central one said as he seemed to carefully count Lone¡¯s tails. Once he was done he wore a surprised look on his face. ¡°Nine? So such a thing is possible¡­ Regardless, goblins, yes, Ninetails?¡± ¡®Okay, so, they appear to believe me. That¡¯s ideal. Also, I assume Ninetails is a far more respectful form of addressing me than ¡®Beastkin¡¯ was. Nine tails on a Golden Foxkin is unheard of to these guys as well apparently? A lot of information, a lot of lingering questions,¡¯ Lone noted mentally. "We were attacked by goblins on our second day here but we managed to fight them back. The very next day we hunted a group of ten of the monsters," Lone detailed in a tired and hopeless tone. He then ran his fingers through his hair and said, "There was even a massive one with the first group. Somehow, I managed to make them flee after quickly killing one of them but boy was that fucker scary. He was easily three times my size." "A Hobgoblin? You speak the truth? One showed caution in the wake of you?" the central elf asked. Lone smiled wryly. ¡°Do I have a reason to lie? We¡¯re scared, tired and just trying to survive. Honestly, any help you could offer would not go unappreciated.¡± "It must have been hard, Ninetails. Even for a foxkin - a golden one to boot - goblins can prove to be a challenge if you are greatly outnumbered," an elf commented. The leading elf stepped forward and bowed deeply at Lone. "I am Lal''roh, formerly of the western world tree''s Green Keepers. We have little to offer, in truth, but we share the same plight and perhaps we can be of use to one another." Lone tried his best to mimic the gesture as a show of politeness. While he did that, four notifications clouded his vision.
The host has developed the passive skill: Acting.
Passive Skill: Acting
Naturally makes everything that the host does which does not align with their personality or motives 5% more believable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Persuasion.
Passive Skill: Persuasion
Naturally makes everything that the host says 5% more believable and also entices the host''s listeners to trust the host''s words by 5% more.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone immediately saw the usefulness of both skills. However, his mind was busy trying to deduce the meaning behind what this elf Lal''roh had just said. ''What exactly is a world tree and why is it implied that there are many? Maybe one per cardinal direction since he said western? What are Green Keepers? Why is he a former keeper, not a current one and what does he know about my new species?'' Lone''s mind was racing as he and the elf broke their bows. "It is surprising that the goblins did not attack you more fiercely for her," Lal''roh said as he gestured towards Soph. "They are usually very active in the pursuit of breeding materials. The King must be plotting something..." "Breeding materials? King?" Lone could get a very rough idea of what the man meant, but a deeper explanation was certainly in order. ¡°Sorry if I seem ignorant but, uh, I really don¡¯t know much about the green little beasts.¡± Shaking his head, Lal''roh said, "I understand but not here. Your little base isn''t safe. Follow us. We can talk back at our current camp." Lone nodded in agreement. He wasn¡¯t about to say that the cabin was actually pretty safe when you factored in Soph¡¯s Mana Sensing or their explosive combat potential. The group of elves turned towards the forest and started to silently run. Lone picked up Soph in a princess carry and did the same. He knew that her small physique wouldn''t possibly be able to keep up with these men, and she didn''t protest since a fluffy tail had found its way into her arms. It also furthering the illusion that she was fully blind. The run would be hard on him since, while he was physically fit, his muscles weren¡¯t used to extended running. Still, the stats from killing the goblins were already helping. Also, each day he could feel his small pockets of fat thinning out as his new muscles grew and tightened more so than they already had upon having his species swapped. Soon he¡¯d be as healthy as an athlete, he bet. "Soph," whispering, Lone spoke to the girl, "whatever happens, don''t speak. Act like you''re a mute as well as blind, okay? I don''t know if it''s wise to let people know that we''re not from this world, and the best way to avoid information slipping out is by simply not talking. Can you do that for me?" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Soph quickly consented to his words with a few bobs of her head.
The group of elves led Lone and Soph to what looked like a cliff face. Letting Soph down, Lone looked around in confusion. "We passed this place when I was mapping out the island''s perimeter just today... Is there something special here?" ¡°You can forge maps?¡± an elf asked in amazement. Lone smiled wryly. ¡°One of my few talents. It¡¯s actually why I still have my sight. The master thought it was useful to have someone around that could both make and properly read maps and nautical charts.¡± He then chuckled. ¡°Not well enough though, but perhaps that was a blessing.¡± ¡°Eternal darkness is not a fate anyone should have to suffer, not even humans,¡± Lal''roh said while he looked at Soph. She wore a saddened expression that spoke of the pain she had endured for so long without sight. The elf remained silent after that comment and then walked directly off the cliff. Instead of plummeting straight into the ocean as Lone had expected, the man''s entire body simply disappeared. The other elves followed Lal¡¯roh¡¯s example, and all disappeared just as he had. Lone was left speechless. "Is this some kind of magic or something?" he asked himself in confusion. With careful steps, he placed one of his feet across the border of the cliff. And, lo and behold, it, just like the elves, was now gone. He was definitely standing on something with his foot and it hadn¡¯t been severed, it was just invisible.
The host has developed the passive skill: Illusion Detection.
¡®An Illusion¡­ As in, magic?¡¯ Lone¡¯s mind raced and his heart rate increased. ¡®Magic¡­ Actual bonafide fuckin¡¯ magic! This is completely different from Soph¡¯s and my unique skills!¡¯ Something about encountering magic natural to this world and not gifted by some strange mysterious gods really spoke to Lone on a spiritual level. Of course, the details of his new skill presented themselves to him.
Passive Skill: Illusion Detection
A skill that allows the host to detect illusions. The host will be able to sense when they have entered or have been trapped by a weak illusion.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®Useful, though I have no clue how common illusions are. Still, I¡¯m better off with it than without it,¡¯ he commented internally as he carefully held Soph¡¯s hand and stepped through the illusion entirely. Immediately, he was greeted by two new skills.
The host has developed the passive skill: Illusion Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Illusion Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Illusion Magic. Illusion Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the illusion magic skill: Illusionary Dome.
Illusion Magic Skill: Illusionary Dome
A skill that allows the host to create an illusionary dome around a specified location, hiding it from being perceived by ordinary eyes. The dome can be maintained for up to 3 days if it does not get disturbed by hostile attacks. The dome¡¯s maximum diameter is 10-meters.
Cost: 4,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Illusion Magic and, as a result, has gained access to the magic affinity sheet.
¡°Holy fuckin¡¯ shit¡­¡± he exclaimed. ¡®I¡­ actually have magic. Real magic. I¡¯m a fuckin¡¯ wizard! Haha¡­ Hahaha!¡¯ ¡°Impressive, is it not?¡± Lal¡¯roh asked with an approving nod, seemingly misunderstanding the target of Lone¡¯s words. Of course, Lone was incredibly impressed by the large, shimmering bubble that was perhaps 200-metres in diameter that had appeared after having stepped within its boundaries. Squeezing Soph''s hand, Lone said to her, "Don¡¯t let go of my hand, okay?¡± She was a smart woman despite her lacking common sense, so he was confident she¡¯d continue to act entirely blind and mute as his lies required of her. Soph nodded, making sure not to speak either just as Lone had instructed her earlier. A short walk away from the edges of the barrier was what appeared to be a desolate and rundown camp of sorts. There were roughly 15 to 20 more elven men equipped with bows, daggers and short swords busying themselves all with work. Quickly though, they noticed Lal¡¯roh¡¯s group as well as Lone and Soph. Each one of the distant elves looked at Lone with hopeful caution and at Soph with both pity and worry. "Come," Lal''roh said as he waved the odd pair over. "Let me bring you to the chief of our tribe. She will wish to hear about your encounters with the green devils, the goblins." The three made their way to the largest tent in this camp, separating from the rest of Lal¡¯roh¡¯s group. They then entered the big tent with the elf at the head of the trio. Sat on the floor with crossed legs was an elf who had strikingly fairer skin when compared to the ones Lone had met so far. Her ears were also a lot longer. ''A different race of elf?'' Lal''roh lowered his body and kissed the woman''s forehead. "I greet the chieftain." Standing up, she returned his greeting by placing her lips on his forehead as he had to her. "Lal¡¯roh, welcome back. It is a blessing you returned unscathed. Who, might I ask, are these outsiders?" "This is Lone Immortus and his companion. They are survivors of a shipwreck that killed their master. We found them by the southern shore. They had begun building a cabin of sorts with rudimentary defences,¡± Lal¡¯roh explained. Lone bowed and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m sorry about my companion, Sofia. She cannot see nor speak.¡± Kindness and compassion flowed forth from the chieftain¡¯s stoic expression. ¡°I understand. Continue, Lal¡¯roh.¡± Nodding, the elf said, ¡°The ninetails says they encountered a hobgoblin. He also makes claim that he and the child survived an attack from a raiding party before going out to actively hunt what I believe to have been a regular scouting force of the green devils." Lal''roh''s tone was incredibly humble. Clearly, this woman had a far higher status than he did in this little community. The chieftain eyed Lone from top to bottom and cast a scrutinising gaze upon Soph though soon warmth returned to her eyes. "My people detest humans. Your kind seems to always view us as mere merchandise, but your dead eyes tell of a story of betrayal, of pain, of hope and of freedom¡­ For a blind person''s eyes to tell me more than a person with clear vision normally would... I am sorry for all you had to endure," the chieftain said. Soph flinched a little but tried to smile thankfully in response, seemingly not knowing what else to do. Nodding, the woman moved on to Lone. "And you, Ninetails. Not only have I never met a Golden Foxkin in my long life, but I haven''t ever heard of a beastkin possessing nine racial traits. How curious you are. I can only imagine what sort of a person your master must have been to acquire you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re free now though, even if you¡¯ve traded one hell for another." ''Okay, that¡¯s new. Are Golden Foxkin super rare? Can I squeeze out more info without coming off as suspicious, maybe?'' Lone thought as he schemed. "I have also never met your kind before. I don¡¯t even remember seeing the mainland before. Our ship was our home for so many years¡­ Please, forgive my ignorance, but who are you people?" Lone asked in a light-hearted and curious tone. "Ah, of course. How silly of me. I never introduced myself, did I?" the elven woman replied with a hint of embarrassment.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
¡®Nice, I wonder why it levelled now though and not when I expanded on the lie earlier. Do I need to fool more people for the skill to gain progress? Food for thought,¡¯ Lone wondered. "I am Rewal''eh, former council member of the western world tree. I was exiled for my ''heretical'' thinking. Now I am simply the last remaining High Elf of this pitiful tribe," the elven woman claimed with a sad sigh. "I see¡­ Forgive me if this is rude to ask, but how did such an important-sounding person end up on this desolate island filled with goblins, of all places?" Lone asked, eager to learn more of this world and perhaps of its customs. Smiling bitterly, Rewal''eh answered, "Both my memories and powers were sealed upon my exile. The same was done to the High and Wood Elves who served under me. We were brought here and ordered to start a new life or to die. We chose the former, but deep within the heart of the forest laid a dungeon that we overlooked as weak." ¡®A dungeon? Is that a technical term or just a descriptor? Interesting, interesting, interesting,¡¯ Lone thought. A heavy sigh of regret escaped Rewal''eh soft lips. "We were assaulted by at least 1,000 goblins - or green devils, as my tribe have come to call them ¨C as well as dozens of hobgoblins.¡± She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°We killed and killed and killed, however, it wasn''t enough. Our women were taken from us, our men slaughtered or eaten alive. Luckily, we had no children with us when we were exiled. I cannot imagine what such disgusting beasts would do to them if we did." Resting her eyes on Lone''s golden irises, Rewal''eh ended her story. "We discovered a Goblin King was pulling the strings behind the endless assault. With no way to slay such a powerful monster in our current states, we had no other option than to carve a path of blood and flee. With what little magical power I still possess, I was able to set up this barrier, but as you can see, destruction inches ever closer." Lone didn''t reply for some time. His mind was too busy racing. Eventually, he did open his mouth to speak his thoughts. "I know I asked, but why are you telling me so much?" No tricks, no lies, Lone was only showing genuine sincerity. Even if this woman wasn¡¯t being wholly truthful to him, how could he not show sympathy after hearing such a heart-wrenching tale? Of course, there were some suspicious parts. In particular, the mentioned ''heretical'' thoughts. That could ultimately prove to be a thorn in Lone''s side depending on what it really meant. Maybe they had no children because they were cannibals or sacrificed them. He had no clue. He was simply too ignorant of what was normal for these people and what was not. For now, however, he needed to know more about this tribe of elves as well as this supposed Goblin King. "Are we not both in the same boat, so to speak? What would I gain by hiding these trivial details from you if I wish for your help?" Rewal''eh shook her head. "My help?" Lone didn''t know exactly what she wanted his assistance with. "Indeed," Rewal''eh nodded knowingly. "I am fully aware of the legends surrounding Golden Foxkin despite having never met one. With your help, it may just be possible to rid ourselves of the menace that plagues this island once and for all." B1: Chapter 15: Lones Worries and Hazels Dismay ¡®It¡¯s weird,¡¯ Lone thought to himself while he ate some of the food the elves had offered him and Soph. The two of them were sitting on a log within the elven camp. The talk with Chieftain Rewal¡¯eh had ended fairly swiftly after she had requested his aid. Lone didn¡¯t want to commit to anything. These people seemed sympathetic, but he had lied to them. Not only that but they seemed¡­ on edge. Untrusting, even. Beneath their kindness hid a darkness Lone had seen before. Specifically, in his father. ¡®They¡¯re hiding stuff from us, I¡¯m sure. I just don¡¯t know what or why¡­¡¯ While he was guilty of the same thing, he felt certain their reasons differed wildly. Before long, he had finished his food and discreetly stored Soph¡¯s. Call him too paranoid but he didn¡¯t want her to get poisoned. At least if their food had been spiked, he could likely heal from the effects quickly and maybe even get a skill from it. Soph was their escape artist, after all, what with her Teleportation. Thankfully, no notifications came up and everything seemed to be well with the food. Once they were finished, Lal¡¯roh approached them. ¡°Will you be staying here? We have little room but we¡¯re happy to offer you our protection. Though we come from different species and backgrounds, we share a similar fate.¡± ¡°Thank you, but no. We should return to our cabin. I know you don¡¯t think it¡¯s very safe, but we can protect ourselves. It has been a great experience to meet you all and to learn we¡¯re not alone,¡± Lone replied with a smile. He put Soph¡¯s hand in his own and added, ¡°We should get going before the sun sets.¡± Lal¡¯roh frowned and creased his brow but ultimately nodded. ¡°Allow me and a few men to escort you back at the very least. I know you said you have eliminated an entire scouting party of the green devils, but it would give us some peace of mind.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know if that makes them less or more suspicious,¡¯ Lone thought with an internal sigh. He never was very good at deduction games though he was trying his best. Perhaps he¡¯d earn a skill that would aid him with enough effort. He nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you, that would not go unappreciated.¡±
Once they were back in their cabin and after Soph had made sure there was no one monitoring them, Lone used his new skill. ¡°Illusionary Dome,¡± he chanted. He felt his body almost go limp as a dull pain entered his mind. Damn-near every drop of MP escaped his body and slowly became a far smaller and thinner barrier than the one at the elf encampment. It barely covered the entirety of their little cabin. It only had a diameter of 10-meters and it clearly drained Lone more than he was comfortable with. However, it offered an extra layer of protection that they couldn¡¯t just ignore. ¡®If it¡¯s good enough for the elves, it¡¯s good enough for us,¡¯ Lone thought as he flopped down onto the boar-skin blanket and winced as he endured the pain.
Congratulations! The illusion magic skill [Illusionary Dome] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Thankfully, he still had 80 MP leftover, so he wasn¡¯t completely spent and the pain was, ever so slowly, becoming more and more bearable. Soph laid down next to him and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡®God, how can she just¡­ crawl up next to me on a bed so nonchalantly?¡¯ He chuckled and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She grabbed onto the tail that he had moved her way and asked, "Why couldn''t we stay with those people, Lone? They seemed¡­ helpful." There was a hidden reluctance in her voice that he could sense. Lone felt that the more he got to know Soph, the easier such things became to spot. He scratched his cheek and answered, "I don''t trust them is the long and short of it. They were helpful, certainly, but I feel like we stand to lose more if we stuck around with them for too long. I dunno. Something seems fishy with them." ¡°Huh¡­¡± Soph paused to think on the matter for a moment. ¡°What does ¡¯fishy¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that. Right. You can¡¯t speak English, can you? That was a surprise to learn this morning,¡± Lone said as he closed his eyes. The headache was starting to fade a bit now since his MP was regenerating. ¡°Fishy just means suspicious,¡± he said casually. ¡°It¡¯s a term more so than it is a word.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the language I speak is called¡­¡± Soph expressed with a bit of longing in her tone. Lone furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯ve no clue. It could be Old East Slavic, Old Novgorodian, Gothic, Old Norse. Lots of options. The world was a very split place back in your era. Hundreds of kingdoms, dozens more languages and local dialects. Y¡¯know, diverse as all hell.¡± He grinned a little before saying, ¡°Your accent is nice though. I just thought you could speak English for some reason. Dumb of me, thinking on it a bit.¡± ¡°Yours is pleasant too. It¡¯s rough, like mine,¡± Soph said with a warm smile before something seemed to click with her. ¡°Did you s-say Novgorod?¡± Lone raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah? Old Novgorodian. I don¡¯t know nor could I pronounce the actual term but that¡¯s the English for it. I have no clue how you¡¯re hearing it though. Why?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m from Novgorod,¡± Soph said with a deeply nostalgic yet pained tone in her voice. ¡°No fuckin¡¯ way. Really? That¡¯s awesome. Considering how you look you must¡¯ve been someone pretty important, huh? Maybe the daughter of some noble or something?¡± Lone laughed softly. ¡°Hell, you¡¯re 971, right? Maybe you were even the daughter of Vladimir the Great, Prince of Novgorod, himself, hahah.¡± He grinned a bit more before he noticed that Soph was silently trying to hold back tears spurned on by memories. ¡°No way¡­ really? But¡­ No, well, he did have nine daughters... But he was such an important person, only dwarfed by his son, your brother, Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of all of Kiev. Why would the church have so willingly started crusades just to get you when you have such a grand backing? No, even better, how did the crusades end up in the middle east? Or did you leave the Slavic lands?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to talk about t-this,¡± Soph said as she curled up into a ball and began sobbing. Lone felt he had been punched in the gut. It was never nice to see a woman cry, especially not one so¡­ naive. Doubly so when he was the main cause, though, admittedly, not by choice or intention. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He respected her words and stayed silent. Time passed. At first, minutes, before long, hours. His headache was all but gone when Soph finally spoke again. A fluffy tail found its way into Soph''s arms. She grinned happily as she squeezed it. "I-I don''t want to become ''breeding material''. That¡¯s what will happen if I¡¯m caught by the goblins, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to be abused again¡­" Once again, his heart sunk in his chest. ¡°Did the peasants or the templars¡­?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°No¡­ God commanded them to catch me and seal me where I would never be found. They didn¡¯t dare go against his word or take liberties¡­ I was to be untouched and l-left alone until I died¡­ Which obviously I-I couldn¡¯t. But it was abuse nonetheless¡­¡± ¡°Abuse¡­¡± Lone wore a distant look in his eyes. ¡°It comes in many forms, huh? Don¡¯t worry, Soph. I¡¯ll protect you. I know you don¡¯t like it but The Summoning Room will keep you safe. So long as I live, you won¡¯t have to go through anything like that again. I¡¯ll keep you safe until you¡¯re strong enough to keep yourself safe, deal?¡± She beamed the most beautiful smile Lone had ever seen in his life. ¡°Deal.¡± At this point, he had no doubts left if Soph¡¯s story was fabricated or not. In his mind, she was undoubtedly who she claimed she was. A 971-year-old victim who had been hunted by the commonfolk, then the Knights Templar before being ultimately captured and locked away. She then somehow escaped and killed God, the man behind her imprisonment and then resided in his dimension for centuries until she met Lone. Also, she was more or less a Russian princess of the Middle Ages. He couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. ¡®It is absurd, isn¡¯t it? Then again, my life, while less magical, had plenty of ups and downs. I wonder how Hazel¡¯s doing¡­ It¡¯s been a few days now since I disappeared¡­¡¯ "Lone?" Soph turned to look at him with puffy eyes from crying. Shaking his head softly, Lone replied, "I was just thinking about Earth." "Why?¡± Soph asked as she scootched a little bit closer to him. "Mmm, I have a sister. I was wondering how she¡¯s coping with my disappearance. Knowing her, she''s likely doing fine. She was always stronger than I was," Lone explained. Soph''s eyes opened wide. "Stronger than you? Did she have ten tails or something? Your family sounds kinda scary¡­" Lone burst out laughing. "I already told you that I wasn''t a Foxkin before we came here, didn''t I? Your memory really can be flaky at times, huh?" "S-Sorry. I¡¯m trying¡­¡± Soph replied with a blush. ¡°I know, and that¡¯s what¡¯s really important at the end of the day, trying,¡± Lone said with a warm smile. ¡°Now let¡¯s catch some shut eye, huh? The dome should keep us safe. I¡¯ll work on improving our defences more tomorrow though.¡±
Hazel arrived at high school 15 minutes late today. She practically ran into her first lesson of the day, History. She¡¯s already missing homeroom today, unfortunately. "Sorry I''m late!" She bent over and caught her breath before raising her head. "I was busy posting u-" "Posting up missing person flyers, yes, yes. Please, Hazel, sit down and unpack your things. I''ll hand in the necessary paperwork for your lateness during first break, so see me then," the teacher, a spindly man with glasses and straight black hair, said in a slightly dismissive tone. "... Thank you, Mister Black." Hazel did as she was told and sat down next to Alisa, a short blonde girl with extremely long hair. Alisa silently passed a note to her. Apparently, it was a handout from homeroom announcing that Mister Black was now taking over full time for Mister McCullen since he hadn''t been found in over a week. The position would be his again if he showed up but hope was grim and the school had to move on at some point. Hazel scrunched up the note and shoved it in her skirt''s pocket. She was intent on binning it at the first chance she got. First and second period came and went. During first break, as promised, Mister Black helped Hazel fill out the late form before he told her that she needed to relax a bit. ¡°It¡¯s really not good for your mental health, Hazel,¡± Mister Black said. ¡°We all miss him dearly but I don¡¯t wish to give you any false hope. You know as well as I do that the first 72-hours are critical. More than twice that time has already passed.¡± Hazel bite her lip and replied, ¡°I know. Thank you for your concern.¡± Mister Black sighed before he reached over the desk in the teacher¡¯s lounge and grabbed her hand. ¡°If you need anything, let me know. I¡¯ll help however I can.¡± Hazel felt chills go up her spine. The way he had said those words and the manner in which he was looking at her while he grasped at her hand¡­ it made her want to vomit. She quickly rose to her feet, separating herself from him. ¡°T-Thank you, but I¡¯m fine.¡± Without looking back or giving him room to respond, Hazel damn-near bolted out of the room and down the hallway towards her next lesson. The double period lesson of English would have bored Hazel beyond belief were she not still shaken up by Mister Black¡¯s attitude. ¡®What a creep. I¡¯m 15, for God¡¯s sake! I should report him¡­ though I doubt anyone would actually believe me unless he actually assaulted me and was caught in the act. Fucking predators in decent positions of power¡­ Protected by the system,¡¯ she thought with venom. Darren was right. He had told her about how he got a weird feeling from his substitute teacher, Mister Black, on the rare occasion the two of them met. Only now did she realise just how right her currently missing brother had been. After the double period of English came to an end, Hazel chose to have her lunch in the school''s courtyard. By herself, this time. Her mind was busy mapping out her route for posting flyers after school when her train of thought was interrupted by a hand coiling around her shoulder. Looking to her left, Hazel was relieved it wasn¡¯t Mister Black but also annoyed greatly that it was, instead, one of her classmates from her History, French, Computing and Business Management classes, Ben. Ben was somewhat of a jock. Short brunette hair, a well-groomed stubble that didn¡¯t fit his age, muscles, rich parents, the boy had practically everything that he could want at his age. "Yo," he greeted as he entangled one of his fingers into Hazel''s hair. She felt her stomach churning. "Sorry, I''m busy." She then tried to stand up but found her wrist being gripped by Ben. "Why are you in such a hurry? There''s still 30 minutes until fifth period. Wanna skip the rest of today''s classes with me? My folks are at their vacation home in Milan, so I''ve got the house all to myself. Oh, and don''t tell anyone I told you, but I also stole the wine fridge key from the old man before they left." Ben winked at Hazel and tightened his grip on her wrist. ''This dirtbag! There are hundreds of other girls flocking around him! Why does he have to bother me?! First Mister Black and now this cunt!'' Hazel felt powerless. She started weighing her options. On one hand, she was half of the mind to just slap a few teeth out of his skull before telling on him, but she figured that wouldn''t do her any favours. On the other hand, her only other viable choice was to follow along with his insane demands. That, she did not want to do. "Hey, loser, leave the girl alone. Can''t you see how jittery she is? Sheesh. Is there an afterschool class on how to become rapey or something? All of you douches somehow nail it perfectly without fail," a loud and fed-up voice said from across the courtyard. Now that all of the attention was beginning to centre on him, Ben let go of Hazel and scratched the back of his head a bit sheepishly. "I just wanted to comfort her. Y''know, since Mister McCullen''s disappearance hit her so hard and all that... Haha... Ha..." The other boy who had spoken up for Hazel, a fifth-year - one year higher than Ben and Hazel - Scott, brushed his fingers through his gelled-up hair and spat on the ground. He intentionally flexed his bodybuilder-like muscles and looked down on Ben. "Sure thing, Sport." Ben audibly gulped. This wasn''t the first time that Scott had shone a light on him in Hazel¡¯s memory, just the first in which she was also involved. In fact, he''d actually beaten him up once before, somewhat traumatising the 15-year-old playboy who was allergic to the word ¡¯no¡¯. "Sorry. Looks like something came up," Ben said apologetically as he got up and left. Hazel could hear Scott''s deep sigh. "Seriously, just ''cause you''re pretty he goes and hits on you. I wouldn''t be surprised if he thought you were an easy target since you''re all upset about Mister McCullen. Kids are so fucking thirsty." ''You''re a kid too!'' Hazel noted mentally before she rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I didn''t know what to do back there." Scott gave Hazel an inquisitive look. "You should¡¯ve. Show him who''s boss and he acts like a bitch real quick." "T-Thanks, I''ll keep a note of that..." Hazel was starting to feel uncomfortable again. Scott just shrugged and sauntered off. With that peculiar encounter behind her, Hazel finished up the school day and returned to her task of posting missing person flyers. As the night was ending, Hazel finally returned home and laid down on her bed after some light dinner her mum had prepared for them. Even she seemed to have gotten over her brother¡¯s disappearance. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe she was the crazy one for actually giving a shit. ¡®Why isn¡¯t there more coverage on it? Sure, Darren wasn¡¯t anyone special but who disappears without leaving a single trace or hint or clue or whatever the fuck else?! He had no enemies and no one has a motive to kidnap him! A body hasn¡¯t been found either so it wasn¡¯t suicide¡­¡¯ she shoved her face into her pillow. Tears spilt out of the teenaged girl''s eyes as she buried her face in her pillow. Hazel missed Darren. She missed him so much that it hurt just thinking about him at times. She felt so regretful. Why did she only call him once a week instead of actually visiting him? She knew why. He lived like a slob outside of his job and that disgusted her. But¡­maybe she could have helped him fix that if she¡¯d just tried. It wasn¡¯t his fault for keeping her at a distance and for absolutely despising their mother when neither of them helped him. She was barely older than a toddler when it happened so he didn¡¯t blame her but that didn¡¯t mean she magically had a pass to ignore him when he moved out. Now, worst of all, it was only when she would likely never see her older brother again that Hazel had finally come to realise how much she actually cared about him. B1: Chapter 16: Beach Fort and Natural Weapons Two weeks had passed since Lone and Soph had first met with the elves. In that time, the pair had only gone to visit the elves a total of two times. The first time was at their request. They had been confused at his cabin having disappeared and had left a note tied to an arrow on a nearby tree. Of course, the cabin hadn¡¯t actually moved they just couldn¡¯t see past his beginner rank Illusionary Dome. That was great news to his fluffy ears. He¡¯d explained that they had moved to a more secure location since Lal¡¯roh had pointed out how poorly defended the cabin was. The second time he went alone and it was to tell them that he wouldn''t be returning in the near future unless he was absolutely needed. He did this because he had an odd feeling about the elves. He felt the best way to avoid anything bad happening was to simply stop interacting with them. Lone didn¡¯t mind if he was being overly cautious. What mattered the most to him right now was his and Soph¡¯s continued survival. The reason he had given the elves though was a genuinely valid concern. He had said he didn¡¯t want to leave his and Soph¡¯s ¡®new¡¯ hiding location for fears of the goblins. The green devils, as the elves called them, had been furiously scouring the island day-in and day-out, seemingly looking for something. If what Lal''roh had said was true on their first meeting, then they were likely targeting Soph. He did fully intend to kill the goblins. He was confident they could do it with the help of their unique skills but not quickly nor easily. Lone didn''t have the confidence to take out the small armies that were patrolling the whole island without gaining the notice of the Goblin King, and that would spell nothing but death. If Lone was going to try to wipe out the green menaces, he''d have to do it right. In light of that, he had decided to dedicate his time to turning his and Soph''s cabin into something of a fortress. The cabin of old was no more but had been replaced by a keep of stone just small enough to fit within Lone¡¯s Illusionary Dome. Pitfall traps and trenches encircled the ramparts while a moat was just past those. Even further than that could be seen several metal spikes that were firmly planted in the ground. There was barely an inch between the edge of his illusion and the defences. He couldn¡¯t wait for the skill to rank up to intermediate rank. Only then could he expand, he assumed. Right now, Lone was taking a break from his work and he decided to review the progress he had made with all of his skills in the past fortnight.
Illusion Magic Skill: Illusionary Dome
A skill that allows the host to create an illusionary dome around a specified location, hiding it from being perceived by ordinary eyes. The dome can be maintained for up to 3 days if it does not get disturbed by hostile attacks. The dome¡¯s maximum diameter is 10-meters.
Cost: 4,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 9 [Up 8 levels!]
As it turned out, his skills showed exactly how many levels they had gained since he last pulled up their details if he so wished. A handy feature of the system, for sure. Even without the three-day time limit being reached Lone could reapply the dome if he wanted to. The only issue being that it was very expensive MP wise. Another issue he hoped to lessen with a rank up. ¡®Even if the elves are up to something, getting this skill alone was worth the interaction with them. It¡¯s made the last two weeks super peaceful,¡¯ Lone thought though he had no doubts that something would wander past the dome¡¯s borders eventually.
Passive Skill: Logging
A necessary skill for loggers of all ilk. A skill that allows the host to harvest wood 15% [+10%] more easily and 15% [+10%] more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [Up 4 levels!]
This skill hadn¡¯t gained as much attention recently even despite ranking up. That was almost entirely due to a new skill of his, Masonry.
Passive Skill: Masonry
A basic introductory skill to more intricate stone-based crafting and building skills. A skill that allows the host to lay bricks and tiles 15% [+10%] more easily and 15% [+10%] more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 7 [Up 16 levels!]
While he could build an entire wall with just his Creation Magic alone, making the bricks and cement mix individually was much more cost-efficient. Plus, it was kind of fun with the help of his new skill.
Passive Skill: Woodworking
An introductory skill to more intricate crafting skills centred around wood. A skill that allows the host to craft with wood 15% [+10%] faster and 15% [+10%] more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 3 [Up 8 Levels!]
Unlike Logging, Lone still had a need for this skill every day. He used it to help him carve furniture as well as puzzle toys and figures for both himself and for Soph. She hadn¡¯t asked for anything but he figured it would be helpful to have them in The Summoning Room so she wasn¡¯t completely devoid of distractions when in there. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Soph seemed to appreciate the gesture which was more than enough for Lone to continue crafting things and working on the skill in his free time. As well as his building work, every day Lone had been cooking their meals for them while trying to help teach Soph how to cook herself. This had led to more levels in Cooking Mastery but also to another new skill.
Passive Skill: Cooking Mastery
Every chef of any renown possesses this skill. A skill that makes cooking 15% [+10%] easier and reduces the time needed for food items to cook by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4 [Up 13 Levels!]
It made a world of difference having the skill at intermediate rank. It gave him so much more time to focus on helping Soph with her own attempts at the craft. Which, in turn, had led to him earning the skill Teaching Mastery.
Passive Skill: Teaching Mastery
A skill that makes teaching concepts 5% easier to the unlearned. It also boosts the host¡¯s ability to impart their own insights of skills to others by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 4 [Up 3 levels!]
It seemed fitting that he earned this skill though he found it kind of ironic that he didn''t get it for teaching Soph about Earth''s more modern history. Instead, gaining it when he tried to help her learn how to cook, of all things. His only other gain skill-wise during the past two weeks was that of Laundry Mastery.
Passive skill: Laundry Mastery
A skill that allows the host to clean clothing more efficiently. All clothes cleaned by the host have stains removed 5% more easily and dry 5% faster after being washed.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 8 [Up 7 levels!]
¡®Illusion Detection nor its relevant resistance levelled up even though I went to the elven camp twice¡­ I wonder why,¡¯ Lone thought. His immediate theory was that he needed to interact with a new illusion. That seemed the most likely. Also, it clearly couldn¡¯t be an illusion created by himself since he was constantly aware of it. He pondered over the matter for a moment before bringing up the details of his status to check. "So you''re doing it tomorrow, Lone?" Soph asked as she sat cross-legged on the sand next to him. While he had been going over his skills, she¡¯d been finishing up her lunch which was some lovely French toast that she had made all on her own without burning it even a little, much to Lone¡¯s joy. It was expensive to create ingredients with his Creation Magic but it was worth it to vary up their diet and also to give Soph different foods to try and cook. "Yeah. I think we¡¯ve pushed our luck long enough as is. Plus, we really do need more levels. I need more MP now more than ever. It¡¯s time to kill some goblins,¡± Lone said in a serious tone. "Mmm, I understand that, but, uh¡­ can''t we just live here forever?" she asked hesitantly. Lone knew where she was coming from, of course. Thanks to his Illusionary Dome they¡¯d been left alone besides that one arrow message from the elves. Every day that passed was another one that saw their little keep improve. Food was abundant thanks to Lone and it was peaceful. For now. Lone sighed when he saw the expression on Soph''s face. "I know how you feel, Soph, I really do. I''m happy too, really. The time I''ve spent with you has been great. You''re a fun person who''s easy to get along with and I lo- like hanging out with you. but we can¡¯t maintain this status quo forever, sadly." "Why not?" Soph squeezed the tail in her arms tightly. He smiled a little. ¡°For a start, I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll be found by the goblins soon. The dome doesn¡¯t turn people away. All it takes is one goblin to find this place while we sleep and then run off to tell its friends where we are.¡± He leaned back a bit and added, ¡°Secondly, I want to find a mainland of sorts. I want to investigate those who brought us here as well as to just learn more about this world. I feel kind of trapped here. I¡¯m sorry if you don¡¯t feel the same.¡± Soph frowned a little but said, "I-I understand that. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s just nice here right now." Lone let out a small sigh. "I can¡¯t fault you for that, now can I? Well, let''s go to the courtyard then. No point in further delaying this, right? Ignoring any future plans to leave the island, we¡¯ve still got to kill the goblins, now don¡¯t we?" "Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Soph replied before bouncing to her feet. She then followed Lone to the heart of the fort, all the while holding a couple of his tails. It took them no time at all considering the fort was only about nine metres from one end to the other. Once at the small courtyard, Lone began to seriously practice with several weapons of various shapes and sizes that he¡¯d created in the past two weeks with leftover MP every night. He was trying to find the perfect one for him. Soph had already done this just yesterday, and as it turned out, oddly enough, paired dual short swords were her true calling. This made little sense to Lone since historically, dual wielding actually wasn''t a serious school of sword fighting or any other type of fighting for that matter. It was impractical and clunky outside of simply sparring for entertainment. He could only assume that the gods who had sent them here had done something to further mess with them. Yet another reason to dislike them, Lone thought. Moving on to himself, he was fairly confident with the spear, but he wasn''t going to ignorantly disregard all other weapons just in case he was actually more suited to another. After all, he had only created a shortspear in the first place since it was the most useful weapon at the time, not the one he was most proficient with. Six hours later, Lone still didn''t feel like any of the gathered weapons were perfect for him and his Growth Accelerator agreed. He flopped down onto the ground and stared at the sky past the Illusionary Dome as he caught his breath and gathered his thoughts. "What am I doing wrong...?" Soph walked over to him and carefully dabbed the sweat from his brow with a towel. "Maybe the weapon you need isn''t here?" "But we have every basic weapon I could think of. Surely I''m not fit for a more complex weapon, am I? I was just a normal history teacher before we came here," Lone protested. Soph smiled. "Would a normal history teacher get sent to another world with me?" Lone was lost for words. "You can be surprisingly sharp when you want to be, huh? Well, you''re from a time when such weapons were more common. What would you suggest, Soph?" "I don''t know." Soph blushed. "I only know about basic stuff like swords, spears and bows." "Huh... Well, all I can really think of right now is maybe my character''s weapon..." Lone said jokingly. ¡°After all, your perfect match happened to be the thing you trained in while still a young girl just for fun right?¡± Soph tilted her head. " Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ But, uh, what¡¯s do you mean by ¡®character''s weapon¡¯?" Lone chuckled softly. "Nothing, really. It''s just a stupid weapon that should only work in games, to be honest. There''s no harm in trying it though. Another ten or so minutes like this, then I''ll go at it again. I can spare some mana for some more exotic weapons when I¡¯ve recovered a bit." Soph softly nodded her head. A few hours after that, As the sun was setting, Lone finally discovered that the weapon which felt natural to him was, in fact, a swordspear. The weapon of choice of his Paradox Online character, Lone Immortus. It was a combination of a sword and a spear. Essentially, one end was a very wide and long spearhead, while the other was the entire blade of a thick long sword. In the middle, these sharp weapons were joined by a cylindrical handle of sorts. It reminded Lone a lot of a certain Sith lord¡¯s weapon of choice. He had to wonder how much he could tweak the design and still maintain Growth Accelerator¡¯s approval. "No wonder the spear felt good, but not quite right. It was only half of the answer... Still, did that fuckin¡¯ god literally copy-paste my character on top of me? A swordspear is my most natural weapon? Ha-ah..." Lone sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I''m still shocked that you can tell what weapon is best for a person, Lone. I couldn''t tell the difference when I was using an axe instead of my swords," Soph admired. Lone just smiled wryly. "It isn¡¯t me, it¡¯s my Growth Accelerator. I can gain any skill used on me with it like I did with Illusionary Dome. It also lets me see how much of a match a person is with equipment. I do need to kill stuff to gain stats though because of it unlike you who just needs to level up or train." "Huh¡­ That¡¯s a complex skill," Soph said as she tilted her head and held her chin in her hand, an act Lone found all to endearing. "I don''t fully understand it, but I guess the system is constantly checking people to see their potential for various things, and my unique skill allows me to tap into the results of that check or something? I dunno. Tell me if you have a better theory." Lone couldn''t help but smirk as he saw Soph trying her hardest to think about the matter. "Hmmmm..." It was almost as if smoke was about to come out of her ears in frustration. "Nope. I can''t think of anything! You''re probably right anyway, you usually are. Let''s go to bed¡­ Thinking too hard made me tired." "Okay, just be gentle with my tails tonight, okay? I can still feel all the pain, even if I can resist it pretty well. I need to be in my best condition for tomorrow," Lone requested with a somewhat pleading look in his eyes. Soph was unexpectedly rough with his furry limbs some nights and incredibly gentle other nights. It was honestly annoying how inconsistent she could be. "Sorry, I¡¯ll, uh, try my best¡­" Once again, the woman''s cheeks flushed red. B1: Chapter 17: Emergency Unsummoning and Tail Blanket Lone arose to no pain in his tails, which was a great sign for the day to come. He left their bedroom and then the fort. With a yawn, he put a hand to the dome that obscured them from view and chanted, ¡°Illusionary Dome.¡± New life was pumped into it as Lone felt almost all of his MP get drained from him. He knitted his brow a bit but smiled when he saw a notification.
Congratulations! The illusion magic skill [Illusionary Dome] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
¡°If only Mental Pain Resistance levelled up,¡± he muttered as he knocked the side of his skull with his knuckles. ¡°Eh? What¡¯ll it take to make you level? Probably overusing my MP, that¡¯s what.¡± He stretched a bit before he withdrew his new swordspear from his Dimension Storage and began swinging it about to the best of his ability. Lone didn¡¯t expect to gain a skill from this but it couldn¡¯t hurt for him to get better acquainted with his new instrument of death. Not long later, Soph stumbled out of the fort while rubbing her eyes and while still wearing her pyjamas. ¡°Lone?¡± He stopped and smiled at her. ¡°Mornin¡¯, sleepyhead. Breakfast? It¡¯s gonna be a long day so I want us both at our best.¡± She returned his smile with a sunny one of her own. ¡°Mmm, sounds wonderful. The, uh, breakfast part.¡± Lone chuckled then got to preparing them something to eat. Once they were finished, it was time to enter the forest again. Both of their outfits were a little bit different now. Atop their combat gear now lay a gambeson and some simple metal plates that covered their vitals. Thankfully, while effective, gambeson was a pretty simple piece of clothing so creating it hadn¡¯t been too costly. It was the same story with the plates. The only downsides were that Soph found it harder to move and the light armour wasn¡¯t a perfect match for either of them according to Growth Accelerator. Lone almost didn¡¯t wear his since he had Basic Regeneration. His tails were impossible to armour anyway so he figured he was screwed on that front no matter what. It made Soph feel more at ease though seeing him wear the gambeson and plates, so wear them he did. The two quickly and silently left their little fort and ventured into the forest. Within minutes, they had found a group of goblins. "Don''t do anything. There''s at least 20 of them that I can see. That''s way more than we can handle. Slowly move back and try not to make any noises. We''ll find a smaller group," Lone whispered very quietly. Soph looked a bit shaken up by the report of how many there were but she didn¡¯t break. She sternly nodded her head and followed Lone as they began very carefully backing up. ¡®Good. The most I bet we can deal with is eight, maybe nine or ten again. We¡¯re not used to our weapons even if they¡¯re perfect for us. We want a group of two to four, ideally,¡¯ Lone thought. It was then that he heard a loud snapping sound. Darting his eyes towards the source, he saw Soph panicking. She had accidentally stepped on a particularly thick twig, creating a damn-near thunderous crack that sent the goblins wild. The green-skinned devils immediately began screaming and banging their chests before they rushed towards their location. "Ah... Uh.. Um.. Ah... I-I didn''t mean-" Soph''s panic was cut off by Lone''s brisk and unhesitant voice. "Unsummon Sofia Vladimirovich." All 20 of the goblins were charging over to his and Soph''s position at this point. They¡¯d be on them in seconds. Even if Soph hated that place, Lone made the tactical decision to return her to The Summoning Room. She¡¯d be of no use as a stuttering mess. He had no confidence in being able to deal with 20 goblins without a lot of them escaping. That being the case, at the very least, he couldn''t let the foul beasts realise that Soph was with him. Lone would be lying if he said that how upset and jittery Soph had gotten about making a mistake instead of accepting it had happened and moving on hadn¡¯t pissed him off. This was exactly the kind of shit Zarrin, one of his gaming buddies, used to pull. It took him and Neon the better part of a year to teach her how to actually play to the point that she was better than a drunken Sino. He couldn¡¯t exactly blame Soph but boy did he wish those hundreds of years running from and presumably fighting the templars had given her some grit. ''Now''s not the time for idle thoughts, you idiot,'' he said to himself. Lone tightly gripped his swordspear then threw himself at the approaching mob of goblins. They were slobbering and yelling with glee all the while. Lone managed to successfully skewer one of the fatter goblins with the spearhead end of his swordspear, however, not without a cost. Two goblins had gone to either of his flanks and riddled him with holes. Their shabby and rusted weapons pierced his skin and his body jolted in pain. He let out a low grunt as he forced himself to pivot. With that, he slashed his swordspear and cut down the two goblins on his left. This only allowed several more of the other monsters to swarm around him. Lone madly swung his weapon, but after he''d sliced open the bellies of three more of their kin, the other goblins realised how sharp and dangerous his weapon was, even if the man wielding it was nothing but an amateur no better than themselves. Three of the monsters jumped onto Lone''s arms on either side while two more ripped his swordspear from his hands. They then jumped on him and madly clawed and attacked him with their nails and weapons. Panic flashed through Lone''s eyes. He was dying. He could clearly feel his health points draining away as the seconds ticked on by with his body restrained. Even as his Basic Regeneration restored his broken flesh, it could do nothing about the weapons still stuck inside of him, nor could it keep up with the sheer number of wounds. Left with no other choice, Lone rapidly tried to use his most powerful skill, Mental Destruction. At I-rank, he could only use it a total of one time, but that didn''t stop him from trying to spam it. ¡°Mental Destruction! Mental Destruction! Mental Destruction!¡± he roared successively six more times. Much to his and the goblins¡¯ surprise, two of the green-skinned monsters toppled over as their eyes rolled back and blood trickled out of their facial orifices. Lone recovered from his shock far sooner than the dim-witted goblins did, so he punched the one who was holding his swordspear in the face and ripped the weapon from its dirty hands. He then grabbed a dagger that was lodged in his ribs with his other hand and used that to stab the eyes of two goblins in quick succession just before the beasts finally realised what was going on. Lone quickly scurried back to get a bit of distance between himself and the monsters. They did the same. The group of goblins glared menacingly at Lone while he returned their gaze with an even fiercer one. He tore the weapons that were still in his flesh free and threw them at the goblins wildly. Lone then tried to scream at the beasts, but instinctively howled instead. Their numbers were once 20, but now only half that remained. They were clearly hesitant to attack any further and were considering what to do next. Continue to attack the non-goblin, or run away? They had their answer when they saw all of Lone''s wounds close themselves. He was looking as good as new. A second unintended howl from Lone prompted the beasts to run further into the forest. Lone grinned very slightly before he wavered and almost toppled over. He steadied himself by stabbing his reclaimed swordspear into the earth. "I''m fucking howling now... Fuck me. Do foxes normally howl?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. His stamina and mana points were at rock bottom. Healing himself completely via expending his barely recovered MP had been a gamble, but it was a gamble which he¡¯d won, thankfully. Lone collected the broken and rusted weapons of the slain goblins, as well as their bodies, before he spent the next hour carefully hobbling back to his home. He was being extremely careful so as to not alert any more of the wretched creatures. The very instant he passed through his Illusionary Dome, with the last of his mental strength, Lone said, "Summon Sofia Vladimirovich," and then passed out cold. He knew how much Soph hated The Summoning Room. She had made a point of it several times over the last half a month. As much as he was annoyed by how useless she had been there, he couldn¡¯t really blame her and the last thing he wanted to do was to torture her.
Lone slowly opened his eyes. ''Well, this feels familiar.'' He looked down only to find Soph laying on top of him. He was in their bed and had been undressed and cleaned of blood apparently. He was quite proud of how well Soph had actually taken care of him. Lone didn''t expect her to go as far as to remove his tattered and dirty clothes and to wash him. She was incredibly bright when she wanted to be. Waking up covered in mud, blood and whatever else had gotten on him wouldn¡¯t have been a pleasant experience. ¡®I¡¯ll have to thank her for washing me first then shoving me in bed,¡¯ he thought with a chuckle. Lone didn''t want to disturb his chest''s occupant, so instead, he simply lay there and took the time to check the flashing notifications in the corner of his eyes. He had barely been able to walk, let alone focus on such things when he was returning home, so now was as good a time as any to check them out. The first message was one he had suspected was waiting for him given that he had been able to use Mental Destruction twice somehow.
Congratulations! The host has successfully gained enlightenment and ranked up. The host is now an H-ranker.
As Lone had assumed, he''d ranked up mid-fight. If he hadn''t, then it would have been impossible for him to use Mental Destruction twice in one day instead of just once. There was no such thing as miracles. He had no idea how the goblins had been enough to push his level to whatever boundary there was between the I and H rank, but regardless, he was thankful. Although, Lone did have to wonder what it meant by ''enlightenment.'' Was the system using that term in the traditional sense, or was there perhaps a deeper meaning? He wasn''t sure. More investigation would have to be done discreetly at a library or something similar upon finding a larger settlement of people than that of the elven camp. What followed next was a large string of skill level-up notifications. Lone glanced over them briefly.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
¡®No surprises there. It fuckin¡¯ hurts like a bitch to be ganked by a dozen gangly green goblins,¡¯ Lone thought.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Lone clicked his tongue distastefully. ¡®Son of a cunt-licker. One level off a rank up.¡¯
The host has developed the passive skill: Spear Mastery.
Passive Skill: Spear Mastery
The parent skill of all spear-based masteries. All spears used by the host will pierce their targets 5% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Spear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Spear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Lone wore a mildly confused expression on his face. ¡®Spear mastery, not Swordspear mastery? That¡¯s we- Ah, there¡¯s another notif.¡¯
The host has developed the passive skill: Swordspear Mastery.
Passive Skill: Swordspear Mastery
A child skill of the skills, [Sword Mastery] and [Spear Mastery] which is critical for swordspear-users and passively allows for better handling and control over swordspears. All swordspears used by the host will cut and pierce their targets 5% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®Ah, cool. So it doesn¡¯t help with the use of swordspears, just their power, really. I need to get Sword Mastery at some point then. I need to level that and Spear Mastery, probably,¡¯ he thought. The only thing left to do, really, was to check his status and see what stats he had earned from his battle and subsequent rank-up.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 26 [+9]
Species: Foxkin Rank: H [Up from I]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 860/860 [+300] SP: 3,100/3,100 [+750]
MP: 5,830/5,830 [+1,750]
Basic Stats
Strength: 74 [+45] Vigour: 310 [+75]
Dexterity: 160 [+96] Agility: 96 [+26]
Vitality: 86 [+30] Luck: 55 [+2]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 72 Charisma: 40
Magic Power: 583 [+175]
Lone laughed internally. ''Damn these must have been some high levelled goblins or something. That is a lot of stats.¡¯ He stroked his chin and thought, ''Granted, I did kill a lot of them on my own. I didn¡¯t gain many levels either. Maybe level 25 was the cap for I-rank so I wasted exp before I ranked up?¡¯ He was just theorising at this point. Only further study and ranking up in a more controlled environment could give him the answers he sought, really. Apparently, Lone''s musings and slight movements had woken up the person who was treating his tails and chest like a blanket and bed respectively. B1: Chapter 18: Dome Replacing and Attractive Frustration "Mmm..." Soph groggily opened her eyes and blinked several times once she noticed that another set of eyes were calmly watching her. "Lone... Lone! Lone! Lone!" she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and began sobbing. Unsure of what to do, Lone just returned Soph''s hug. "What''s with the overreaction?" Soph pulled away from Lone momentarily in shock before she dove face-first back into the nape of his neck. "You... You wouldn''t wake up! It''s been so long!" Soph''s cries filled the bedroom and did little more than make Lone feel both awkward and sorry. It was also hard to focus when she was pressing herself against him so hard. It was never a very good sign when a woman was crying, especially when it was your name being said alongside the tears. ¡®''Been so long''? How long, exactly? I got beat up pretty badly but I¡¯d healed myself too so it can¡¯t have been, what, more than a few days, right?¡¯ Lone thought. He continued to hold Soph and gently pat her back as he waited for her to calm down. It took some time, but after roughly ten minutes, Soph managed to settle her emotions. She got off Lone and scurried out of the room quickly before returning with some clothes and some soup. "I-I''m not that good at cooking... I¡¯ve, uh, I tried to do what you taught me,¡± she said as she passed the bowl of soup to him. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed it. ¡°Mushrooms?¡± She nodded happily as she sniffled a bit. ¡°Mmm. I-I know it doesn''t look that good, but I promise it''s really tasty! I, uh, only picked the mushrooms you said were safe and I tasted it myself earlier. Sorry it¡¯s cold¡­" Lone couldn''t help but smile at her. He brought the bowl of soup to his lips and took a sip. ''Lacking in all flavour but her heart was in it. I give it a¡­ hmm¡­ seven out of ten. Could use more salt.'' He patiently enjoyed the meal of cold mushroom soup. He had an audience, after all. It would be rude to let her down when she¡¯d clearly tried so hard. ¡°You went outside?¡± he asked. ¡°To get the mushrooms, I mean.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°Mmm. I teleported. I never stayed out for more than a few minutes. I, uh, didn¡¯t spot any more goblins¡­ I think.¡± Lone wore a ponderous expression on his face but didn¡¯t speak. Once he was done with his soup, he said, "It was delicious, thank you very much, Soph." A smile bright and gorgeous enough to put the sun to shame appeared on Soph''s face. "I''m glad..." "Soph, how long was I unconscious for?" Lone asked as he sat on the side of the bed and started getting dressed. Without hesitation, the girl scootched right next to him. She was practically sitting on his lap at this point. Apparently, his extended state of unconsciousness had made her more physically attached to him, even more so than she already was. ¡®Focus. Ignore the immensely beautiful woman who¡¯s pushing up against you. She lacks common sense. Don¡¯t overthink it,¡¯ he ordered himself. "I-It''s been four days..." she said in a soft tone, sadness clouding her words. ¡°I was¡­ I was worried you¡¯d never wake up.¡± "Four days¡­ Fuck I must¡¯ve been exhausted or what, huh?¡± Lone laughed dryly. He finished putting his change of clothes on and flopped down onto the bed. ¡°Is the dome still active?" It only had a life expectancy of three days since it was still beginner rank. By all rights, it should have dropped and disappeared yesterday. Soph shook her head, ¡°N-No. It¡¯s still there, uh, kinda¡­¡± ¡°How and what does¡¯ kinda¡¯ mean?¡± Lone asked. Soph crawled up next to him and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he replied. ¡°Promise?¡± she pleaded, looking right into his eyes with those dead grey ones of hers. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You saying this is making me think I should be mad. Just explain, yeah? You know I¡¯m a reasonable guy.¡± "O-Okay.¡± She took a deep breath then explained, ¡°I-I''ve been giving it my mana... I''m really happy that you woke up when you did. Of course, I''m happy that you woke up in the first place, but I feel like the dome might explode soon." "Well, you should have said that straight away. Still, you can funnel your mana points into my spell and keep it active? How does that even work?" Lone said as he got up and began travelling to the illusionary dome. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not mad?¡± she asked in shock. Lone stopped to give her a funny look. ¡°No. I said I wouldn¡¯t be and if anything, I should be happy. You extended the dome¡¯s lifespan by an extra day. That¡¯s no easy feat. Hell, I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s normally possible. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it for the elves¡¯ dome, that¡¯s for sure.¡± "O-Oh¡­ Sorry for being so worried¡­ I just, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what I expected,¡± she giggled a little bit awkwardly as she matched his pace. Soph then said, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how I can do it. I have a lot of mana points so I just thought about putting them in the barrier and it happened.¡± "I definitely can''t do that. Maybe it''s to do with your unique skill, Mana Sensing?" Lone asked. "Maybe. I never knew you couldn''t do that. You always make me feel like you can do anything. You''re really amazing, you know that?" Soph''s undisguised admiration caught Lone off-guard. "I''m not, really." Lone''s voice clearly stated how much he felt that he wasn''t deserving of Soph''s praise. ¡°I¡¯m just some dude. I¡¯m not anyone special or anything.¡± Soph tilted her head. "But you left a proper life behind, unlike me, and you''ve adapted so well to this place. Most of the people that I met while I was still... travelling, were very bad at getting used to new situations. They hated that I was an immortal girl, so they always tried to burn me. Not once did a person just accept me and question their old way of life." Lone ended up laughing lightly. "You think I''ve gotten used to this place?" "You haven''t?" Soph questioned. "Not even slightly." Lone scratched his head as he thought of how best to explain what he meant. "If you weren''t here for me to talk to, I honestly think I might have gone insane by now. Granted, you do drive me nuts but in¡­ other ways. Do you think a normal person like me can just endure being cut up and torn to pieces by a boar and goblins several times? It fuckin¡¯ sucks, but I don''t mind doing it if it means that you''re safe. That we¡¯re both safe. How to properly convey this¡­ hmm... You''re like an anchor? Certainly an upgrade from your typical Wilson, that¡¯s for sure. Does that make any sense?" he asked with a sigh. Shock filled Soph''s blind eyes. "Wilson? And, uh, I never knew you were struggling... I-I just assumed-" Lone stopped walking and put a palm out to stop her from saying anything further. "It''s fine. To be honest, I probably am more adapted to our situation than most people would be. It''s definitely lucky as fuck that I used to study engineering for a bit. Not to mention that my Creation Magic is an incredibly convenient skill." Soph''s cheeks were dyed red as she stared at Lone¡¯s long fingers. "All of your skills are really useful. Mine are terrible... I was even supposed to get a new one but when we ranked up the system said I wouldn¡¯t until two more ranks." ¡°That fuckin¡¯ sucks. Oh well, at least we know for sure you¡¯ll get them back eventually,¡± Lone said in as cheery a tone as he could manage. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Soph said awkwardly. Lone noticed she was averting her eyes from him so he said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Uh, well, your clothes are¡­ tighter than I remember. I can see your muscles. They look. Nice? Sorry. Was that weird to say? I feel distracted looking at you,¡± Soph answered honestly, perhaps too honestly. ¡°Ah, right. Uh, well, I¡¯ll go fix the Dome then,¡± Lone quickly said before leaving to do that. Soph trailed after him but at a distance and slowly. Once he was done fixing the dome, Lone wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow. "Jesus, this thing really was about ready to explode. Dangerous shit. I''ll keep a note of that for the future." He then sighed mentally. ¡®No level up¡­ Maybe next time. I could use it since it¡¯ll push the skill to the intermediate rank.¡¯ "You swear a lot for a teacher," Soph noted with a cute frown on her face. Lone chuckled. "Hahaha, you say that a lot and you''re not the first person to tell me that. You, Zar and my sister. All of you seem to notice it, huh?" "Who''s Zar?" Soph asked as she fell into step with Lone and followed him back into their home, an awkward air still hanging around the both of them. "Just some Canadian kid who I played a game with. Nice girl, but she always kept her feelings very close to her chest. Y''know, the type who says yes to almost anything, even if she doesn''t want to do it. A crowd-pleaser I guess," Lone explained with a dismissive wave of his hand to add emphasis. ¡°Quick learner, though.¡± "''Canadian''?" Soph didn''t recognise this word. Lone sighed. He gazed at Soph with a slight disappointment in his eyes. "I told you about all of the countries only a week ago. Did you really forget already?" "Sorry," Soph avoided his eyes as she apologised. "It''s fine. Not like it really matters, I''m just upset that my teachings didn''t stick with you. Maybe I was a crap teacher after all?" Lone mused sarcastically as he stroked his growing stubble. It had been two weeks since he''d last shaved but a fine-looking beard was starting to take root on his face. Soph got a bit flustered upon hearing his words. "Th-That''s not it! I just always get distracted by your fluffy tails... And muscles, apparently." "Ah, right. Yeah, of course.¡± And the awkwardness was back in full force and with reinforcements to boot. Soph''s face went beet red. ¡°Why does saying that make me feel hot? Do you know?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Lone answered immediately. ¡®It¡¯s probably just her mortal body feeling attraction to the first man she¡¯s talked to in centuries. Do not get your hopes up or gaslight her into thinking it¡¯s more than it is.¡¯ "It¡¯s weird. I don¡¯t¡­ dislike the feeling. It¡¯s warm and fuzzy and¡­ It¡¯s nice, y¡¯know? Do you feel it with me too?¡± Soph asked almost absentmindedly like she was examining the feeling and trying to figure it out. He stopped to look at her. To really look at her. ¡®Yup, she could definitely have been a fashion model, super model, actress, or whatever else. She¡¯s beyond gorgeous while I¡¯m just¡­ normal,¡¯ Lone commented. ¡®I definitely like her. I definitely get that feeling but what would the best answer her-¡¯ He saw how she was looking at him with those oddly endearing dead eyes of hers and he sighed. ¡°Yeah, I feel it when I¡¯m with you too. You¡¯re 100% my type, if that helps at all with your internal musings.¡±
Not too long after that weird yet very comforting conversation, Soph was on her own while Lone was busy training some skill or the other. "He feels the same, but why is he so... sad about it?" She finished putting on her night clothes and just sat down on the bed in a bit of a daze. She held her face in her hands and couldn¡¯t help grinning. ¡°I¡¯m his type¡­ Heheh¡­¡± She grabbed a pillow and hugged it. ¡°Why does hearing that make me so giddy? It¡¯s so weird¡­¡± Quickly, her good mood was ruined by a throbbing pain in her mind. ¡°Not now¡­ You can¡¯t come out!¡± She curled up and fought back, waiting for the pains to fade. Things were finally going her way. Soph would not have all of this new, thrilling pleasantness be taken from her. Not now, not ever. B1: Chapter 19: Third Hunt and Goblin Magic
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cooking] Mastery had levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
¡®An unexpected yet welcome pre-battle gift,¡¯ Lone mused as he served Soph her sausages, beans, and eggs. She hadn¡¯t brought up what they talked about yesterday nor his defacto confession. He wasn¡¯t sure if he appreciated or hated that. Having no experience with these things from both parties likely wasn¡¯t very helpful. It was a hearty breakfast that was also doubling as lunch since they could be out in the forest for a while. "So... uh, I know you explained it a lot and, uh, y-you really do make a lot of sense¡­ but do we really need to go out there again?" Soph asked timidly as she stabbed her fork through a sausage and began nibbling on it. ¡°Tasty¡­¡± Lone nodded his head before tucking into his own breakfast. "I know you''re scared and I get that, but we really do need to do this. Avoiding the goblins will only get us so far." He nodded as he ate. ¡°Damn I¡¯m a good cook. But yeah, like I¡¯ve already said, if you don¡¯t mind it, you can stay in The Summoning Room instead. I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t, but I won¡¯t blame you if that¡¯s what you¡¯d rather do.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡­ No, I don¡¯t want that,¡± Soph replied hesitantly. Lone raised an eyebrow. ¡°You sure? Do recall that we can shove anything in there if you¡¯re holding it and it¡¯s not alive. Candles, toys, your swords. You name it. We can make the place more comfortable.¡± Soph smiled sadly. ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t make a difference¡­¡± ¡®Huh. Thought the different mana types would help make the place less dark for her. Guess it doesn¡¯t entirely work that way,¡¯ Lone thought as he shovelled some beans into his mouth. Soph looked down at her food before saying, ¡°I want to help¡­ I just don''t want to be a b-burden... Like last time¡­" Lone sighed faintly before smiling at her. "You have never been a burden, Soph. There is nothing wrong with being scared. Now, if you never overcome that fear, yeah, maybe it¡¯ll be time to reconsider having you fight. You don¡¯t need to be able to hold your own though to not be a burden.¡± He reached over with his free hand and ruffled her hair. ¡°You need to start believing me when I say this shit, ¡®cause I mean it.¡± "I-I know. It''s just... I''m so weak... and everything''s so... dangerous. What if I freeze up again? I don''t want you to get hurt so badly because of me... Not again. What if you never wake up next time?" Soph mumbled as she began to cry. Lone wore a helpless expression on his face. He slowly wiped away her tears with his hand and said, "I can''t just lie and say that it''s not possible. You''re a smart woman, despite how naive you are for all of your years." Lone chuckled a bit once he saw Soph pout a bit through her tears in reaction to his words. "I''m trying my very best here to protect you at all times, Soph, so why don''t you just try your best to protect me at all times as well? You don''t need to focus on killing the monsters." "I... I don''t?" There was hope in Soph''s tone. ¡°T-That would be¡­ less bad.¡± "Of course you don¡¯t. I¡¯m not making you do anything, Soph," Lone shook his head and smiled kindly. "If you don¡¯t think you can do it, then let''s just change your job. I just want you to be as quiet as possible, and when I inevitably charge at the goblins like the bumbling buffoon that I am, just teleport the bad guys away from me a bit. Or into the sky if you can. To be clear, you don''t need to go into the sky. It would be great if you could, but you don''t have to. Does that sound like something you could do?" he asked as he finished up his food. Soph stopped her sniffling and had a look of belief on her face. "I... I think I can do that. I-I''ll be super sneaky and quick!" Lone wiped the rest of her tears away and gently held her cheek perhaps for a moment too long. "Good. I''m counting on you, Soph." "Mmm!" Soph replied with a radiant smile.
The pair wandered around very carefully in the forest surrounding their slice of the beach. Lone definitely didn''t want what happened a few days ago to happen again today. However, if he did end up in an unwinnable scuffle, he at least wanted it to be closer to their base so he didn''t have to drag his exhausted body so far this time. It wasn''t very long before they encountered a group of goblins. They numbered at least 15 from what Lone could see. Soph looked at him with some worry in her lifeless eyes, however, she didn''t lose her cool this time and seemed determined. Lone made some quick calculations and estimations in his mind. After watching the group of monsters for about 20 seconds, Lone came to a decision. He shook his head and spun his index finger around three times. Unfortunately, Lone didn''t know any actual hand signals from Earth, so he had just decided to go with spinning his index finger for everything. It was a simple set of signals he¡¯d gone over with Soph several times the prior evening and just a few hours ago. The number of rotations indicated what his plan was. Simple, but perfect for a person like her who was clearly more a of practical learner than a verbal one. Lone was on edge a bit and prepared himself for a slip up on his short friend''s behalf, but much to his surprise, Soph kept herself together far better than their last retreat attempt. She was still shaking like a leaf, but she was also actively keeping her attention on her feet to make sure that she didn''t create any loud noises during their silent escape. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Once they had safely gotten away from that large group of goblins, Lone thought that it was a fitting time to boost his partner''s confidence. "You did great, Soph. I''m very proud of you. Keep this up all day and I''ll be really impressed." Soph blushed from ear to ear and beamed a smile. "I''ll try my best!" The pair wandered around for a bit more until they finally stumbled across a group of seven goblins and a single boar. It seemed like the boar was tamed, and one of the goblins was holding what looked like a very crude staff of some sort. Well, it was either a staff or a very long stick. Lone¡¯s inner magic-lover was going wild but he couldn¡¯t deny how much it resembled a¡­ simple long stick. Still, he thought it wise to inform Soph of his more fleeting thoughts. "That might be a mage, Soph, so be careful... I can''t tell until we start fighting, of course. He¡¯s hardly got a pointy hat and rune-lined robe on, but I have a feeling¡­ That or it just drew the short straw when they were choosing their weapons," Lone said with a little chuckle. Soph nodded her head seriously. "I can feel a lot more mana from that one. Are you gonna kill it first?" ¡®Holy shit. Is it actually a mage? Fuckin¡¯ score if so.¡¯ Lone shook his head. "I think it would be best if we got rid of the other six and the boar first. I kinda want the mage - if he is a mage - to attack me with his magic." "W-Why?" Soph¡¯s voice, while quiet to avoid detection, spoke of her shock and concern. Lone smiled wryly. "I''m not looking forward to it, trust me, but I can''t just pass up the chance to learn some new magic skills, now can I? You do remember that I can learn almost any skill so long as it''s used on me, right?" "I don''t like that skill anymore." Soph expressed as she knitted her brow. "Why should you have to let yourself get hurt to learn new stuff?" Lone chuckled very softly. "No pain no gain." ¡°No pain. End of story,¡± Soph huffed quietly. The pair watched the goblins and boar for a few more minutes until Lone finally decided that it was time to act. He didn''t want to deal with the less than predictable boar in any way, shape, or form. Trying to handle seven goblins would be stressful enough as it was. In light of that, he used Mental Destruction on the beast straight away. The massive pig toppled over. Foam dribbled out of its mouth as blood seeped out from its ears and eyes. The goblins were very confused. They all looked towards the one holding the staff, but it shook its head and made several unintelligible noises. Lone didn''t waste this brief moment of confusion amongst the monsters. He brought his swordspear above his head and threw it like a javelin. It soared through the air before it punctured the chest of one of the slightly bigger goblins.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
He quickly ignored his notification log and spun his index finger twice. That was the signal for Soph to teleport him next to the goblins. The girl took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. She then used her power and brought him and herself right next to the remaining six goblins. As soon as they saw the two of them appear, they ignored Lone entirely and all glared at Soph with lust in their eyes. She could count herself lucky that she couldn''t physically see their expressions or she might have been frozen stiff in fear, Lone thought. He quickly reached over and pulled his swordspear free from the goblin that he had skewered a few seconds ago. Lone then swung the sword end of it towards the head of one of the monsters leering at Soph. He decapitated the creature without hesitation, however, the next goblin he attacked had broken itself out of its lust-driven stupor. It brought its rusty axe up to its torso and blocked Lone''s attack. Two more of the remaining goblins helped it surround Lone while the one holding the staff waved it around a few times, making a few flickering flames appear in the air that were all pointing towards Lone. The final goblin charged right for Soph. The girl fumbled about with her sword sheathes, but she did manage to draw her swords before the monster had reached her. The beast made a conscious effort to not hurt Soph too badly as it brought its club down towards her head. Soph sidestepped and almost tripped over a tree root, but she had dodged the blow successfully nonetheless. She then tried to slash the goblin with her blades, but she wasn''t the only nimble one between the two of them. The goblin laughed as it mocked Soph''s poor excuse for an attack. It swung its club once more. Soph was still readjusting her stance from her failed attack, so she wasn''t able to evade the blow in time. She braced herself, but she still ended up getting hit with almost the full brunt of the club''s force. Soph collapsed onto the ground and let go of her swords as she clutched her side and cried out in pain. The goblin licked its lips lecherously. It didn''t even look back at its companions. Not that doing so would have saved it. One second, the monster was preparing to assault Soph, the next, foam came frothing out of its mouth and blood escaped every other facial orifice it had. It fell over dead. Lone breathed a sigh of relief. There was a tiny dagger lodged in his side, and a long cut had destroyed one of his eyes, but he''d been able to focus enough to use his second and final daily Mental Destruction usage on the goblin harassing his companion. ¡°Teleport away!¡± he shouted. She should have done that in the first place but she still had performed valiantly. They could talk about it more later. For now, her safety mattered most. Soph was still wincing as she held her gut but she nodded then vanished. Now that the worry of her purity and life was gone, Lone returned his attention to the three goblins that had been riddling him with injuries. He channelled his mana into his eye, and thankfully, his Basic Regeneration seemed to be able to restore it to full functionality. Forcefully grabbing one of the goblins and killing it by using it as a meat shield against the other two, Lone tossed the corpse that he was holding away and faced the remaining pair of goblins. He punched one in the face and cut the other one''s leg off. They both screamed and scrambled to flee, but Lone wouldn''t let them go now that they had seen Soph. According to the elves, they were out here hunting for her after all. Narrowing down their search area was the last thing Lone wanted to help the filthy monsters do. He threw his swordspear at the one that was running, and he jumped on the one-legged one before snapping its neck. The mage hadn''t tried to flee yet, surprisingly. It had just focused entirely on its magic. Maybe it was too concentrated and hadn''t noticed what was going on with its comrades. Perhaps it simply didn''t care and was confident in the power of its spell. Regardless, both it and Lone would soon find out. After he had collected his swordspear once more, Lone waited patiently as the goblin mage readied its skill. Lone''s body was fully healed by the time the goblin was done. It snarled menacingly and launched the magic that it had so laboriously prepared. A big ugly grin was spread across its face. A huge fireball the size of a cow whizzed through the air from the tip of the creature''s staff, and it slammed right into Lone''s body. Soph watched from a distance and saw that Lone was being burnt in his entirety even as he tried his best to resist and endure the magic. She apparently couldn''t trust his Basic Regeneration to keep him alive since she¡¯d chosen to make the executive decision to save him. Soph had teleported right behind Lone and had grabbed one of his tails before immediately teleporting him away. Her hand had ended up getting severely burnt in the process and she cried out in pain as a result. The goblin mage was surprised beyond belief. It clearly didn¡¯t have the time to cast another spell without leaving itself open for attack. It chose to turn tail and run. Lone could barely make out Soph teleporting again and then grabbing the goblin with her healthy hand. She then teleported three more times straight up and let go of the monster before safely teleporting back to his side. With a wet thud and the sound of numerous bones snapping, the goblin mage died a messy and brutal death. Lone and Soph had been completely victorious. B1: Chapter 20: Crude Fireball and Stress Before Sleep ¡®Should I teleport him back?¡¯ Soph thought in a bit of a panic. Still, she didn¡¯t start crying or even so much as make a sound. The last thing she wanted to do was alert any more groups of goblins. ¡®I don''t think I have enough mana points to get us both all the way back home... There''s the weapons too...¡¯ She bit her lip almost hard enough to puncture it. She sat on the grass next to Lone''s burnt and broken body. He was groaning a lot which meant he was at least conscious this time. She wondered if that was even a good thing or not. ¡®The sheer amount of pain he must be in¡­¡¯ Soph snuck a glance at him and was damn-near jubilant to see that he was visibly healing. Slowly, his burnt-to-a-crisp black skin was flaking off to reveal red-raw but tender flesh. His lost eye was recovering too. The filthy goblin magic that covered him was being pushed away by his ever brilliant, ever beautiful golden mana. The noises of his regeneration though sent a chill up her spine. Still, she could endure that. She had endured far worse experiences in her memories, after all. Maybe a minute or so ticked by as she struggled to figure out what to do. Thankfully for Soph, she didn''t have to struggle for much longer.
Immense pain filled every fibre of his being. Just breathing was a challenge but still, Lone slowly opened his eyes and tried to grin at Soph. She was likely scared out of her mind so he felt he needed to comfort her somehow. "Physical Pain Resistance is really something, huh? Even if it doesn''t actually get rid of the pain itself, it sure as fuck makes it somewhat bearable," Lone said. ¡°Oh god. I can speak but I sound like a chronic smoker. Better focus my MP on getting this throat healed up first, huh?¡± "Lone!" Soph exclaimed in a quiet but very worried tone. ¡°Y-You shouldn¡¯t strain yourself!¡± Raising a black and crisp finger to his charred lips, Lone whispered. "Shh. Let''s not make too much more noise, okay? I need a few more minutes to heal all of... this," he said as he gestured to his body. He then sighed faintly. "I''m putting my mana into the skill, but Basic Regen can only do so much in so little time. Can you gather all of the goblins'' weapons for me?" Soph covered her mouth with her hands and nodded her head quickly. "Mmm! I can do that!" she answered in a hushed tone. Lone smiled. "Great. I''m counting on you. Please put them in front of me." Soph got on her feet and carefully collected the various broken and rusted weapons before putting them where Lone had asked. The last one she got was the mage''s staff since that goblin''s body was the furthest away. By the time she had placed the wooden stick in front of him, Lone¡¯s entire body had healed. He was thankful almost all of the damage dealt was surface level. The wounds from the simpler goblins still remained but he could let them heal passively. What was a stab wound or two to him now? He chuckled at that thought. Lone stored everything inside of his Dimensional Storage and stumbled up onto his feet. He hobbled over to the boar''s body and took that as well. Once he was finished, he stretched his body a bit. "Okay, I think I''m good to walk back home now. My MP and my SP are both really low while my HP¡¯s at about two-thirds. Let''s be super sneaky so we don¡¯t get jumped on our way back, okay? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m up for another brawl." Soph immediately bobbed her head up and down in agreement. "Yeah. I can be super sneaky," she whispered. Lone couldn''t help but smirk at her antics. He did have to wonder how a blind woman could be so expressive with her dull eyes though. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d had that thought and likely wouldn¡¯t be the last. ''I wonder what colour they should be? Or maybe she was blind from birth... What are you thinking, you idiot? Let''s get home first and think about this stuff later.'' The two, unfortunately, ran into another group of goblins on their way back. A collection of nine of the monsters in total who appeared to be investigating the loud sounds from earlier. That or perhaps the smell of blood. Either way, Soph managed to teleport both of them away before they were spotted. Besides that little scare, they successfully returned to their hidden fortress. "I''m gonna lie down for a bit. I''m really tired and I wanna look at these system notifications that keep begging for me to look at them. What do you wanna do, Soph?" Lone asked as he was in the middle of taking his boots off. Soph tugged at her own footwear and she scrunched her face up adorably as she struggled to pull her shoes off. Once her feet were eventually freed once more, she wriggled her toes, making her socks move about. "I dunno. If you''re gonna lie down, can I lay down with you?" Lone thought for a second. He imagined her pressing her body against his and then thoughts of their conversation the other day surfacing in his mind. He shook his head to get rid of such thoughts and where they might lead. "Sure. Just be gentle with my tails, okay? I don''t think I can handle your... roughness until I''ve rested for at least a few hours." Soph blushed then pouted a bit. "I''m always gentle..." Lone chuckled. "Sure you are," he said as he left the entrance hallway and made his way to the bedroom. Once there, he changed out of his burnt and destroyed clothes and got into a set of loose and comfortable pyjamas. He couldn¡¯t be bothered taking a bath nor did he feel he really needed to. All of his skin was brand-spanking new, after all. ¡®Getting burnt to a crisp is certainly one way to get a deep cleanse.¡¯ Soph yawned as she entered the bedroom and, like him, quickly changed into her pyjamas. The two clambered into the king-sized bed with somewhat lazy and tired movements. Lone put his hands behind his head and got comfy while Soph snuggled up to his tails and closed her eyes. He reasoned that she was probably just as exhausted as he was. Him physically, her more so mentally, or at least that''s what he assumed. Taking one of his hands and using it to play around with her hair mindlessly, Lone finally spared a moment to check out the many notifications that were waiting for his attention. Soph didn¡¯t mind his actions since she commandeered his tails more often than not. He briefly wondered if playing with her hair could be considered as taking advantage of her given her ignorance but soon pushed that thought out of his mind. It was only hair.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a moderate [up from slow] rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana.
Cost: 40 MP [Down by 10 MP] (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
As expected, his Basic Regen had stepped into a new rank; Intermediate. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ''Ah, so the cost of boosting it went down and it''s a bit faster passively. That''s definitely good,¡¯ Lone thought with a grin. ¡®So ranking skills up is a must-do thing then, huh? Then again, I wonder if all skills get a direct buff from ranking up?¡¯ he wondered.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Lone assumed one level up was from the stabbings he had endured and one was from the fireball. Heck, perhaps the fireball had accounted for both levels. He twirled his finger in Soph¡¯s hair a bit thoughtfully as he pondered over Physical Pain Resistance a bit more. ¡®It''d sure be nice to have a toggleable skill that could directly block all pain. I wouldn''t have to worry about getting too risky without the fear of pain since I have Basic Regen anyway...¡¯ Moving on, the next string of system messages was about his weapon masteries.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Spear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
The next notification surprised him a bit.
The host has developed the passive skill: Sword Mastery.
Passive skill: Sword Mastery
The parent skill of all sword-based masteries. All swords used by the host will cut their targets 5% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The only thing he could think of as to why he had earned this skill was that one of the goblins today must have had the Sword Mastery skill. Surprising considering that none of them had any skills so far, or at least they didn''t use any of them on Lone before he killed them if they possessed any. It was still under debate whether skills were rare or not in this world, so Lone couldn''t be sure. Finally, he checked the last few messages which pertained to the magic that Lone had wanted badly enough to risk almost dying to obtain it.
The host has developed the passive skill: Fire Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Fire Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Fire Magic. Fire Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner level 1
¡®It¡¯s weird that some skills have that ¡®a skill that¡¯ bullshit, but others don¡¯t. I wonder why? Still, this directly resists the thing, huh? Not just the pain made by the thing. That¡¯s pretty fuckin¡¯ awesome,¡¯ he thought quite happily.
The host has developed the active fire magic skill: Crude Fireball.
Active Fire Magic Skill: Crude Fireball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Fireball] Fire Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 100 lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is substantially increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Fire Magic.
Lone was left speechless. ''This ''magic affinity'' stuff is kinda useless to me considering I have Growth Accelerator, but I guess it could be useful to literally anyone else. I suppose for me it''d be like adding a few dribbles of oil to an already roaring flame. It won''t do much, but it will do something... maybe. This Crude Fireball though... It''s total shit.'' Lone really wasn''t a fan of this skill now. From what he could piece together, one of the elves probably knew the proper Fireball skill. The mage that Soph had killed most likely saw it and tried to recreate it. That made the most sense to Lone. This was definitely genius, mind you. Lone was unaware of how hard it truly was to gain a skill from just seeing someone else do it. He did know that he was special in that particular regard, otherwise, why would the mysterious god give him a skill that specifically allowed him to learn skills by simply having them be used on him a single time? This goblin must have been really talented. "Shame it was born a goblin. I wonder if it would have become a genius magic-user if it was born as a more intelligent species?" Lone mumbled to himself. Even if he despised the goblins and their seemingly lust-driven nature, Lone couldn''t help but think like a teacher and wonder what could have been were that particular goblin to have a fair and proper chance to learn and allow its talents to blossom. Shaking his head lightly, Lone chuckled softly. "Such a stupid idea." He smiled wryly before checking out his status sheet. The magic affinity sheet didn''t interest him at all so he didn¡¯t bother opening it this time either just like when he had earned it.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 28 [+2]
Species: Foxkin Rank: H
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 705/1,010 [+150] SP: 202/3,610 [+510]
MP: 331/6,520 [+720]
Basic Stats
Strength: 82 [+8] Vigour: 361 [+51]
Dexterity: 183 [+23] Agility: 110 [+14]
Vitality: 101 [+15] Luck: 56 [+1]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 72 Charisma: 40
Magic Power: 652 [+72]
''Two levels this time instead of nine... Well, it''s progress all the same. I really wish I knew what luck actually did. Does it even do anything? Another thing to research once we get to some kind of mainland.'' Lone''s mind was filled with worries. The sound of light snoring filled his ears. Lone looked down at the short woman who was peacefully snuggled up to him while she used his many tails as both hugging-partners and blankets. He couldn''t help but smile at this peculiar sight before disentangling his fingers from her golden-blonde locks. ''I wonder how someone can be so... unfettered by the things going on around them? She gets scared and nervous easily, but when we''re in here... she''s like a different person,¡¯ he thought absentmindedly. ¡®I wonder if it''s nice being so¡­ carefree?'' Lone''s head was full of various thoughts. Although, eventually his mind drifted to his complicated feelings for Soph. He shook his head and closed his eyes, deciding to sleep away those thoughts. B1: Chapter 21: Past Nightmare and Other Side In an endlessly bright dimension filled with every colour imaginable except for black, a young girl no older than ten sat in the very centre of this dimension. This girl was Sofia, and this was a time many centuries before she had been forcefully linked to Lone and then sent to an unfamiliar land. "Why can I not just die?" she asked herself for the billionth time. She never ate, but never starved, she could bleed, but never bleed out, she could refuse to breathe, but never suffocated. Sofia slumped onto her side and stared into nothingness with a blank gaze in her dead eyes. "What is the point of immortality if I do not want to live?" She idly created a shimmering jade-green barrier and controlled it to lop off her own head. Within seconds, the severed limb floated back to her neck and reattached itself. ¡°Such a pointless, forgettable existence,¡± she said to herself before spitting on the floor. She did this for 30 straight years. Eventually, mutilating herself to the point an ordinary person would have died lost its charm. "Maybe it would have been better if God could have ended my life... I should not have killed him when he exhausted himself... Even though he was the reason for my imprisonment... Maybe it would have been nice to have someone to talk to?" she mused. She tapped her finger on the floor of the dimension before she had a thought. ¡°I could just talk to myself. Ah, but I am a boring person with nothing fun to talk about¡­ How about an exciting yet timid me? That sounds like an interesting dynamic.¡± Day, weeks, months, years passed as she perfected her new personality. She wanted another person to talk to, not some cheap imitation made by her mind but a true, living, breathing person. It took her 20 years before Sofia felt like she¡¯d created a persona worthy of a true conversation. ¡°Hello,¡± she said to herself. ¡°H-Hi,¡± she replied to herself. Smiling, she asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°S-Sofia. What¡¯s, uh, yours?¡± she asked back. ¡°My name is also Sofia. It is nice to finally meet you. To meet someone I can trust,¡± Sofia claimed. ¡°Y-You can trust me?¡± Sofia questioned. ¡°Oh, yes. More so than even myself,¡± she answered as her smile grew. Decades and centuries passed as she talked to herself without end. She fell in and out of love with herself, had arguments, fights, even wars with her own mind. There had even been a whole year where her other half had refused to speak to her, claiming she was too afraid of her violent and cruel nature. Eventually, something¡­ split. Sofia no longer felt in control of her body but seemed to be an observer from her mind as her limbs and fingers moved on their own. ¡°W-What¡¯s happenings?¡± Sofia¡¯s meeker persona questioned in a panic. ¡®I have no idea,¡¯ Sofia replied though her lips didn¡¯t voice her words. ¡°I-I heard that!¡± Sofia gripped her head and screamed, ¡°I heard that! In here! I-I can think! I, we, I¡¯m not you!¡± ¡®¡­ What on Earth have I become¡­ No, wait, perhaps it should be ¡®what on Earth have we become¡¯¡­¡¯ Sofia muttered as she observed herself begin to feel all over her body as if discovering the sense of touch for the very first time. More time passed and Sofia soon learned that she and her meeker self could swap who was in control of their immortal body. The persona that she had made to avoid her loneliness had somehow evolved and become a fully-fledged person. Two minds, one body. Truly, a frightening thing. Wearing her usual woollen jumper, the girl sat cross-legged as she talked aloud. "I¡­ I want to leave this place¡­¡± ¡®Why?¡¯ Sofia responded from within their shared mind. ¡°I, uh, I really like you but¡­ it¡¯s boring and¡­ lonely here. All we can do is sleep or talk to you,¡± Sofia answered with an innocent honesty that was foreign to her other half. ¡®No one down there will be as nice to you as we are. You were not there but you have our memories. Recall what those knights did to us. Chased us for over a hundred years like some rare animal. Chained us up at the bidding of their lord and left us for dead as our eyesight was stolen from us. You aren''t just going to forget those 300 years, now are you?¡¯ her response to herself was cold, vile, and filled with hatred. "I know... But I''m so alone. Even if they''re bad, I just want a friend, no, not even that, just someone to talk to, to listen to¡­ I already know everything about you," the girl explained as she cried silent tears out of her grey and lifeless eyes. ¡®You don''t need anyone else, you fool! You have us! We are friends, are we not?!¡¯ Sofia shouted at herself. Burying her head between her knees, she replied, "But you''re just me. I¡¯m you. It''s not the same." ¡®Then we can simply make more of us! We made you, did we not?¡¯ Desperation oozed out of Sofia¡¯s every word. A very weak smiled spread across her physical face. "Maybe... I, uh, I want to sleep now." She curled up into a ball and tried to ignore the heavy pains in her chest as she began to drift asleep. It was then that the entire dimension shook and began collapsing around her. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Standing up rapidly, the girl looked around with those blind eyes of hers as the colours started to fade. Even if she couldn''t see the colours, she could certainly sense them. Her entire ''vision'' was filled with darkness suddenly. A pitch-black darkness. Memories flooded into her mind, memories of her other self that she didn''t want to recall. "What the... Where is this?" a strange and masculine voice said in confusion. A few moments passed as she watched him fumble about like he wasn¡¯t familiar with his own body. "What the fuck¡¯s going on?" Out of instinct, Sofia screamed at the top of her lungs. She was in a terrifyingly dark place with an unknown person, and this horrified her immensely. Though a part of her was excited to meet someone new. She quickly and decisively sealed up her other self with layers and layers of mental barriers. It was something she did often. Only when her other side got too aggressive or angry with her. Still, she knew how against meeting others she was. This chance wouldn¡¯t be messed up by her. "A child? Is someone there? Are you okay? Where are we? Do you know anything?" the voice asked slowly and carefully once its owner had heard her screaming. She held her mouth shut and began to hyperventilate. She had no clue how to interact with another person besides herself. Instead of responding she tried her best to calm herself by just inspecting the person¡¯s body closely. He was tall, had tails, oddly enough, and every part of him was blazing in a bright golden light. He was like a beacon in this dark place. In truth, the girl cared not for what this man looked like. She just wanted a new friend, and maybe this was her chance. But still, she had to approach this carefully. She didn''t want a repeat of God. Granted, that man had done some terrible things to her other self. This person had done nothing bar ask some questions thus far. "I''m a teacher so you don''t have to be scared. I¡¯ve got no idea what¡¯s going on, but maybe we can figure something out if we work together?¡± he requested in a kind tone. Sofia ignored his words and instead focused on the fact that he couldn¡¯t seem to find her. ¡®So he can¡¯t see like I can¡­ He can¡¯t see magic¡­¡¯ "I was in my dimension... I was just minding my own business, but I don''t know where we are either. Who are you, Mister Fox?" She ended up sounding far more frightened than she had intended, but it was commendable nonetheless that she was trying her absolute best. The man responded simply, "Soph." ''Huh? That''s a bit like my n-name though?'' She was very confused. "Soph!" The darkness around her evaporated and was replaced by the face of Mister Fox''s concerned expression. She was lying on top of him with several of his tails held between her arms. "Lone?" "Were you dreaming? It seemed almost like a nightmare... You were thrashing about pretty badly..." Lone''s tone indicated how worried he was about her. Soph let go of Lone''s tails and hugged him tightly. "Mmm, it was both? I''m sorry if I woke you up..." Lone just sighed and smiled wryly. "So even you with all of your lacking common sense can have nightmares, huh?" He gently returned her hug. Soph buried her face in his chest. "Is it bad that I''m like this? Ignorant, I mean." Lone shook his head instantly even if she couldn''t see him right now. Well, she could see him if she just focused and used her Mana Sensing. However, her emotions were all jumbled up right now, so she wasn''t concentrating much on her passive skill. "No, it¡¯s not bad. Ignorance should never be disparaged. The lack of a will to get rid of your ignorance should, however. Just keep being yourself," he suggested. ''Myself? Which self, exactly?'' Soph kept her somewhat cynical thoughts hidden. She definitely didn''t want to reveal her other side to Lone, not after she had become friends with him and gotten a proper person to talk to out of him. Not when he made her feel so¡­ warm. She could never risk letting him see her more hateful, uglier side. Not now, not ever. "O-Okay... I''ll try." The two stayed like that, simply hugging for a while. Once Soph finally separated herself from him, he ran his fingers through her hair and gently held her cheek - something she, for some reason, deeply enjoyed and even yearned for sometimes. He smiled at her and said, "Hungry?" Nodding lightly, Soph replied, "Yup." "Okay, you go take a morning bath then and I''ll cook breakfast for us. I plan on going back into the forest today, so no lazing about, ''kay?" Lone ordered in a slightly playful tone. Soph pouted. "Just ''cause I don¡¯t know everything like you do, that doesn''t mean that I¡¯m lazy.." "Haha, that¡¯s fair, still, how is that half the time my tails find themselves in the grubby little mitts of a person who is neither training nor making herself useless somehow else, hmm?" Lone replied with a warm smile. Soph stuck her tongue out in defiance. "I''m not lazy. Doing nothing and being lazy are different." "I guess they are. Anyway, go on and have a bath, unless you''d rather I washed and you cooked today?" Lone suggested as he stroked his stubble. Soph shook her head and crawled off of the bed. "Bathing is fun, cooking is too but you¡¯re better at it than me. I prefer tasty food." With that, she scampered off to the bathroom. Just as she reached the door, she turned around and looked at Lone with a somewhat lonely expression on her face. "Lone." "Hmm?" Turning his head to face her as he was getting properly dressed, Lone gave her an inquisitive gaze. "You... You won''t ever leave me, will you?" Soph''s expression changed from one of loneliness to one of desperation in a split second. Lone¡¯s cheeks flushed. "Fuck, that¡¯s¡­ heavy. Well, I have no plans to do so. We¡¯re kind of joined at the hip thanks to The Summoning Room. Why?" "No reason." Soph left the room and made her way to the bathroom, leaving Lone perplexed. "What an odd girl," he muttered under his breath.
After he was finished getting dressed, Lone heated up the bathwater for Soph via his Creation Magic skill and then went to work preparing a light breakfast for the two of them. He decided on porridge, which required the help of his ever-handy Creation Magic since he didn''t know nor have the ingredients to make any kind of porridge. Lone added extra sugar to fit both of their palettes. Something that he and Soph had in common was their sweet tooth, it would seem. Although, Soph''s was far worse than his was. After he had made the porridge, he added some honey to Soph¡¯s bowl and then left them to cool down. A few minutes passed before Soph came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel once again. Lone was already resigned to the fact that telling her to stop doing that would lead nowhere. He was just grateful she didn¡¯t walk around naked. Her long golden-blonde hair was carelessly brushed against her ankles, almost touching the floor as it dripped everywhere. Lone frowned. "You really need to learn how to dry your hair." Soph occupied the seat next to his and dug into her porridge. "Yummy." Satisfaction filled her face as she said, "My hair''s too long. I like it when you dry it." "I mean, I like it too but it¡¯s not really normal for me to dry it," Lone remarked. "Why? You''re my friend, no, best friend! Right?" Soph asked with a bit of uncertainty in her voice. ¡®Did I just get friend-zoned? I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t, but still¡­ harsh words, Soph, harsh words.¡¯ Lone sighed. "I mean, I''m the only person here, so by the process of elimination, of course I''m your best friend." Soph blushed. "Oh, yeah... Hahaha..." Lone frowned. "What''s up with you today? You''re being a bit... weird. Not normal weird. New weird. Was it the nightmare?" Soph flinched. "N-Nothing. And n-no¡­ I was ju-just worried about you since you keep getting hurt and I''m so useless." Lone had a feeling that she wasn''t being truthful. ''It was definitely her nightmare-slash-dream thing, right?'' He shook his head lightly. It didn''t really matter. For whatever reason, she had become even more insecure overnight. There was only enough room in this fortress for one insecure person and his name was Lone. "Okay." He put his hand on her wet head and rustled it despite its dampness. "Thank you. Your concern means a lot to me. Also, stop putting yourself down. You''re plenty useful, okay? I don¡¯t enjoy repeatedly saying this to you." "Thanks... and sorry¡­" Soph''s face was red from a mixture of bashfulness and joy. Lone sighed a little. ¡°Now, with that out of the way, finish breakfast, train a bit then hunt. Sound good?¡± Soph nodded a little. ¡°Mmm, sounds good.¡± B1: Chapter 22: Armour and Bones As Lone was practising his swordspear forms ¨C all self-created, of course ¨C Soph approached him. "Lone." "Hmm?" He finished the set of movements tied to his form and gave his undivided attention to her. His forms were pretty sloppy after all. Going into or out of them took no effort at all. Still, he had to work hard on them. There was no one around to teach him how to use his ¡®perfectly suited¡¯ weapon, after all. "Well..." Soph tilted her head a bit as she scratched her cheek awkwardly and said, "I''ve been thinking and, uh¡­ why don¡¯t we try to find an armour type that suits you perfectly? M-Me too.¡± She stood for a moment before adding, ¡°Uh, I-I know our weapons are weird but they feel natural to use, right? I just thought it might be good to get the same for armour¡­ The stuff you gave me is a bit uncomfy¡­ I can¡¯t move the way I really want to in it.¡± Lone stroked his chin and thought about the matter for a bit. "I¡¯d be lying if I said I hadn¡¯t considered it.¡± Confusion filled Soph''s face. "T-Then why haven¡¯t you done it already? I-I¡¯m not complaining, I¡¯m just wondering¡­" Lone smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I totally get where you¡¯re coming from.¡± He put his swordspear down and cracked his neck. ¡°Issue is there are as many types of armour as there are weapons. Not literally but there¡¯s a vast range. Armour is more costly MP-wise too since compared to weapons, they¡¯re far more complex.¡± Lone sat down on a log that was acting as a bench for the keep¡¯s courtyard. ¡®I gotta carve out a proper place to sit on this thing at some point. Woodworking hasn¡¯t seen any love in a while.¡¯ ¡°I mean, it¡¯s definitely a good idea, Soph. If I dedicate myself to finding us fitting armour though it could take days. I¡¯m not gonna make a full set outright but do each one in bits. Don¡¯t want to bottom out my MP,¡± Lone said. ¡°What about the goblins then?¡± Soph asked. ¡°Will we have time for both?¡± Lone leaned down and started taking his boots off. "Well, if I''m gonna be using my MP to create armour, there''s no point in us going out today. By the time my tank¡¯s refilled it¡¯ll be dark out. We''ll stay here for a few days I guess while we figure it out. That okay with you, Soph?" She wore an upset expression on her face. ¡°S-Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to ruin your plans¡­¡± Lone rolled his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t and please stop saying sorry so often. You did nothing wrong. I can still get stronger by focusing on my other skills rather than the combat ones and my levels. Less so, yes, but it isn¡¯t a waste of time nor are my plans ruined. We can kill goblins again once I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± she asked as she sat down next to him. He smirked at her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Once Lone was finished taking his boots off, Soph wagged her feet by his side and requested, "Mine too, please." Sighing lightly, Lone replied, "Really?" Soph blushed but nodded. ¡°They¡¯re hard to take off¡­¡± ¡°Ha-ah, fair enough. At least tell me if you have any preference armour-wise while I unboot you,¡± he said with a short chuckle. He then got off the log and kneeled in front of Soph to help her with her footwear. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Soph said softly. She then chose to fulfil his request. "I could never fight off all of the knights that came after me, you know? Most of them were just idiotic farmers and peasants following the will of their ''God'' or forced to fight by their local lords. Still, it was far too much for me.¡± Lone nodded. ¡°That lines up with what history states. No rolling armies of knights, just a lot of mobs persecuting the Jews.¡± ¡°There were knights, just not a lot of them when compared to endless nobodies willing to die for essentially nothing,¡± Soph replied with a sadness in her voice. ¡°I¡­ I killed a knight a few times. I stole one¡¯s armour who was roughly my size. It wasn¡¯t a perfect fit but it felt very¡­ natural? Maybe that¡¯s my perfect armour type.¡± "Really? Was it a hauberk of some sort?" Trying to picture the short woman in a suit of medieval armour made the former teacher mentally laugh. ¡°That¡¯s must have been quite the sight¡­ Y¡¯know, a, what, four-foot-eleven lady running around in all that chain?¡± Soph smiled wryly. "Maybe. I didn¡¯t ever, uh, see myself. Whatever it was, it was stiff in some joints if I¡¯m remembering right¡­ the memory is, uh, kind of fuzzy. I think that was due to it not being made for me though." "Could be. Did you wear those shirts too, by the way? The ones that are just linen under the armour but chainmail around the arms and armpits," Lone questioned as he finished helping Soph with her boots. "Yup, I did. They got really sweaty though..."Soph answered honestly. "You know a lot about armour, Lone. Is that something a history teacher knows normally?" Finishing up with removing her boots, Lone shook his head as he got up. "I was a history teacher, yeah, but the curriculum usually forced me to teach kids about the world wars. Medieval stuff was side-lined pretty damned hard. Shame you weren''t around for full plate. Now that would be a hilarious sight.¡± He got back on the log right next to her and sighed. ¡°The middle ages fascinated me. The Roman Empire is pretty interesting as well. Modern history is what the board of education demanded we taught the kids though. Important stuff, sure, boring as fuck though." Soph cocked her head to the side in befuddlement. ¡°World wars?¡± ¡°To simplify, an Archduke got killed, half the world went to war as a chain reaction, a lot of people died. A couple of decades later, a hypocrite becomes the leader of the second world war. That one ended with millions upon millions of deaths, and I¡¯m not even talking about soldiers. That, and two cities got wiped off the face of the planet,¡± Lone explained. Soph shivered. ¡°That sounds horrible.¡± Lone nodded. ¡°It was. It impacted the world massively in a lot of ways. Anyway, armour, right?¡± Soph nodded, seemingly happy to change subjects. ¡°What armour do you think will suit you best? You, uh, kinda get hit a lot¡­ That¡¯s not okay but y-you can at least heal so maybe something that compliments that?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Lone wore a thoughtful expression as he replied, "Another interesting idea. You¡¯re full of good ideas today, huh?" Soph smiled innocently. "I''m always full of good ideas." Lone laughed and patted her knee as he said, "Right. Of course you are. Shame you rarely share them with me.¡± ¡°So-¡± A sharp glare from him kept her from apologising yet again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being serious,¡± he said as he stretched. ¡°What kinds of armour do you think I should make for me? I''m thinking full plate, half plate, gambeson, leather, and just chainmail. If this body follows what my game character was good at, heavy armour will be the answer. So maybe reinforced steel full plate. I never used armour on my character really, but when I did, it was heavy armour." Lone eyed Soph up and down a bit sceptically before he sighed deeply. "I''m gonna have to get a good look at your other forms and maybe measure them too so I can cut MP costs when using Creation Magic. I''m pretty sure I can shave off tonnes of MP if I can learn your exact heights, three sizes, arm lengths, leg lengths, the whole nine yards,¡± Lone said. ¡°That makes sense. You¡¯ll need to make armour for all three forms, right?¡± Soph replied. Lone nodded. ¡°Should be easy enough though. I can make a measuring tape or stick and you can get these details for me.¡± ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Soph smiled.
Over the course of the next few days, Lone experimented a lot with full sets of different types of armour, partial sets, as well as a combination of various armour types and pieces. It was incredibly expensive to create the full plate and the reinforced full plate armour, in particular. The gambesons and the leather armours he made were fairly simple in design, especially the gambesons since they were essentially just padded linen. Still, both of them drained him completely just to make a single piece even having spent the time to learn his own exact measurements. Sadly, not a single thing he made was a perfect fit for him according to Growth Accelerator. In brighter news, Illusionary Dome had ranked up and he had turned that log into a proper bench between waiting for his MP to come back and creating armour.
Congratulations! The illusion magic skill [Illusionary Dome] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Illusion Magic Skill: Illusionary Dome
A skill that allows the host to create an illusionary dome around a specified location, hiding it from being perceived by ordinary eyes. The dome can be maintained for up to 6 days [+3 days] if it does not get disturbed by hostile attacks. The dome¡¯s maximum diameter is 20-metres [+10 metres].
Cost: 3,500 MP [-500 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
He was overjoyed at how massively this skill had improved just by reaching intermediate rank. Still, he felt bitter. All of the new space in his dome was just filled with pointless and useless armour. ¡°I could have made so much more useful shit with the MP wasted on this stuff¡­¡± he sighed long and hard. He wouldn¡¯t give up though. He¡¯d find his perfect armour sooner or later. Soph¡¯s had been found almost instantly. Full plate was her true calling and not chainmail or anything lighter, unbelievable as it was. She was one hell of a lucky person, he felt. He wished his ideal armour was as cool. Well, maybe it will be since he didn''t know what it was yet.
A few more weeks petered on by with no more success. Lone had tried literally every single type of body protection that his mind could recall existing. Even a Kevlar bodysuit, which he had to make over the course of an entire week piece by piece. Not a single one of his other skills had levelled up in that time, not even Cooking Mastery. It all felt like such a¡­ waste. Soph gently wrapped her arms around his neck from behind him while he was sitting on a chair in their kitchen. She rested her head on his shoulder then turned to smile at him sweetly. Even though the two of them were close enough to kiss with but the slightest of movements, Lone didn¡¯t react. Soph had gotten more and more physically affectionate over the weeks, and he honestly couldn¡¯t find the mental capacity to really react to it. He was going insane over this armour issue. "Lone... Why don''t you just use the full plate? Even if it''s not your best fit, I''m sure it''ll help a lot against the goblins, won''t it?" Soph asked in a tone that was mixed with worry and hope. Lone smiled wryly. "I mean, you''re right, Soph, but this is really bugging me. Like, really bugging me. I want to know exactly what I''m the most suited for. In the game, my character actually never used armour most of the time, but even that doesn''t feel right. It''s so weird." "Why do you even want armour? I know I, uh, I suggested it in the first place, but I don''t get why you''re so obsessed with it now..." she asked. "Didn''t you, um, want to... get hurt to level up your skills?" Scratching his head awkwardly, Lone replied, "Well... Yes and no." Soph cocked her head to the side in confusion, pressing her cheek against Lone''s in the process. Seeing this, Lone sighed. "I do want to level up Basic Regen and my resistances, yes, but I also want to be prepared to fight something where taking a direct hit from it will result in instant death, more or less. Armour''ll help with that, won''t it? It never hurts to be more prepared rather than less prepared." Soph slowly nodded. She then suggested, "Maybe your skin is your best armour? Uh, I mean, you can create anything, right? Why not just create more skin? I love watching you do stuff, it¡¯s fun. Seeing you so upset and frustrated, though¡­ it, uh, it hurts to look at..." Lone''s cheeks flushed a little. "Yeah, pretty uncool, I imagine¡­ We¡¯re honestly so lucky nothing had stumbled into my dome yet. Still, that¡¯s a wacky idea, huh? Creating skin.¡± Despite making fun of the notion though, Lone¡¯s eyes shone as a certain thought entered his mind. ¡°Creating skin¡­ creating skin¡­ there¡¯s something to this idea¡­" "Huh? Really?" Soph was as confused as he was excited. Lone grinned. "I think you were really onto something.¡±
Soph started letting go of his neck when Lone suddenly sprung up to his feet and held his palm out. ¡®W-What? Did he really think of something with that silly idea?¡¯ she thought in shock. He stared at his hand intently, as if hypnotised by it. Nothing seemed to happen for some time, but Soph could sense his mana points were rapidly depleting. ''What''s he doing?'' Her other personality thought that it was a good opportunity right now that she was distracted to warn herself. Something at the back of her mind screamed at her to attack him, to kill him while he was distracted. Soph shook her head and drowned out that voice which she thought she had been blocking fairly well for a while now. Apparently, not well enough. Lone and Soph both watched in amazement as a tiny white needle slowly eked out of the centre of his palm. It looked incredibly fragile, she thought. "What''s that?" Soph asked in a very soft voice. She didn''t want to disrupt Lone''s focus, but her curiosity was killing her. Lone didn''t answer. The needle continued to grow until it was half an inch tall and it then expanded outwards. It only stopped once it had formed the shape of a gauntlet that wrapped around Lone''s entire hand. A gasp left his lips and the gauntlet shattered, leaving nothing in its wake. Lone flopped to the ground with a big smirk on his face. He leaned up and pulled Soph down into a bear hug, using all of his tails in the effort which she very much so enjoyed. He gave her a big kiss on the forehead and laughed. "It actually worked... Bones... Fuckin¡¯ bones... I''m not sure I would have ever figured that out on my own... Damned bones... Who would have thought that''d be my best form of armour? Another sick joke from that fuckin¡¯ god, I''m sure." Soph stayed still like a deer caught in the headlights. Her mind had gone completely blank the moment that Lone had planted his lips on her temple. "I even got a skill. Thank you, Soph, you''re amazing. What would I ever do without you?" Lone asked as he rubbed the girl''s hair and began laughing in glee. ''This is it...'' Soph closed her eyes and slowly coiled her hands around Lone''s waist. ''This is what I''ve been looking for... The other me is wrong. I can make connections, friendships, and maybe more with other people¡­ With him¡­ I don¡¯t need only her.'' With that commitment firmly planted in her mind, Soph focused on enjoying the warmth of Lone¡¯s embrace. B1: Chapter 23: Loving Thoughts and Utter Confusion Lone had realised his mistake fairly quickly when Soph refused to stop hugging him. He¡¯d just gotten swept up in the moment. For her, it seemed the moment had lasted a lot longer than it did for him. It took a lot of coaxing and a fair amount of bribing with his tails as the prize, for her to accept that she could live while not literally being attached to him. Now slouching in the bathtub, Lone ran his fingers through his wet golden shoulder-length hair and took another look at his brand-new skill. Well, subskill to be specific.
Unique Subskill: Bone Armour
A subskill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to use the unique skill [Basic Regeneration] to push the host''s bones outside of their own body and use them as a weightless shield. The strength of the bones will increase with mastery. The strength of the bones will also increase the more that they''re broken and damaged. The host can only create a set of gauntlets currently.
Cost: None to invoke (30-minute cooldown). Drains MP to recreate rapidly or to heal at varying speeds depending on the speed of the recreation or the severity of the damage being healed.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone tapped the side of the porcelain bathtub thoughtfully. "Subskills, huh? That opens a whole wealth of options... Do I have a limit of total subskills? Can all of my unique skills have subskills? Can Soph make subskills too, or am I special due to my Growth Accelerator?" There were no answers that immediately jumped out at him. He would be alone in finding out these truths, sadly. Another thought was flooding Lone''s mind though. "Can I use my Creation Magic or maybe my Basic Regen to heal other people? I wonder... what colour are Soph''s eyes?" Recently, all he could think of when he wasn''t messing around with his experiments or training his skills was Soph. Not that that was particularly new, but still, it was bordering on an obsession at this point. He dropped his head off the edge of the tub as he lounged in the hot waters. ¡°I already basically confessed, and so did she, didn¡¯t she? She¡¯s so clingy but¡­ we¡¯re not in a relationship, right?¡± Lone chuckled. "Man, this shit is complicated." He laughed even harder. "I never cared about girls back home... I guess living alone with one for a couple months changes things, huh?" Lone, or more accurately, Darren, was never popular with the fairer sex. Sure, he''d had a girlfriend or two before, if you could call them that, but that was all during his ¡®edgier¡¯ phase. After the incident. He never even really considered them girlfriend¡¯s due to how little had happened in the relationships. He treated love and the like as more of an ego thing back then, something to confirm his worth. Hell, he¡¯d never even kissed any of his exes. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re exes¡­¡¯ He summoned a spare pauldron and stared at his reflection in it. ¡°I am¡­ kinda handsome? Maybe? It¡¯s hard to tell really¡­ Shame I never took care of myself back home. I guess Basic Regen does that for me here though.¡± Lone let his body sink further into the large tub. "Is this what it feels like to have a smidge of confidence buried in a bog of insecurity? Would Soph even accept me if I just came out and said ¡®let¡¯s be all romantical and the like¡¯ super directly?" He found himself chuckling again. "Would she even consider rejecting me? I''m struggling to picture that... My tails hold too much power over her... Hahaha..." Even if he hated his current circumstances and the gods for throwing him and Soph into them, he''d be a liar if he didn''t say that the new opportunities and experiences hadn¡¯t pumped life into him. As for his time with Soph, while brief objectively, it had led to a lot of unexpected self-reflection. He enjoyed spending time with her. He smiled and shook his head. ¡°Probably just the suspension bridge effect. First girl I spend an extended period of time with is the one I want to open up to and maybe start an actual relationship with? Fuckin¡¯ textbook bridge shit.¡±
A rapidly beating heart just outside of the door to the bathroom was struggling immensely to keep its symphony of pounding to itself. "He¡¯s muttering about love, isn¡¯t he?¡± Soph whispered almost inaudibly to herself. She had no idea what a suspension bridge was nor what its effects were. None of that mattered. She stumbled her way back to the bedroom and flopped down on the bed. Her head was in a mess though she couldn¡¯t help but grin to herself. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "That¡¯s what this warm feeling is¡­¡± Soph muttered in disbelief as the word slipped out of her mouth. ¡°¡­ Love¡­¡± After all, what was there to like about her? She knew as well as anyone how useless she was. Every day she worried about how much of a burden she was to Lone. How much she was leeching off his kindness. It almost felt unfair. As if she didn¡¯t deserve for him to return her newly budding feelings. She liked depending on him even if it pained her too. But if he enjoyed having her depend on him¡­ that changed things a bit. ¡°It¡¯s crazy¡­ He¡­ Why does he feel the same?¡± She looked down at herself and wore a confused expression. ¡°He treats me like¡­ not an idiot but¡­ someone who just doesn¡¯t know. Why would he ever like a dumb cripple like me¡­¡± Soph''s rapidly forming bubble of pinkness was ruthlessly popped by her own lacking self-worth. A few tears spilt out of her eyes. She was truly happy but also filled with fear and endless doubts. In that moment of mental weakness, Soph''s eyes grew heavy as if being forcefully closed by the warm hand of a caring mother. Sleep called to her and its voice was powerful. It took no more than a few seconds for her to pass out completely. A moment later, her torso rose from the bed and a cold look clouded her blind eyes. ¡°It is obviously just because of our appearance, you foolish girl. Now, to prove how little he truly cares for you beyond your looks¡­¡±
Lone left the bathroom in an ultimately good mood. His hair was dry and his body was clean. He was only dressed in a pair of casual and slightly baggy trousers since it was late and he wanted to sleep. While he wasn¡¯t wholly sure of the origin of his newly discovered feelings, whether true or false, he still felt happy. Mostly because he didn¡¯t plan to do anything. Nothing had changed. He had no ideas of asking Soph for something stupid like to date him. He didn¡¯t suddenly want to protect her any more than he already did. The status quo was the status quo and would remain unaffected. It was almost cathartic to realise all of this. If nothing else, perhaps he would think less of Soph¡¯s physical advances now that he¡¯d concluded all of this. Lone yawned and scratched one of his fluffy fox ears before he casually made his way to the bedroom. "I''m kinda surprised Soph never just barged in. Weird for her to have manners," he muttered aloud. He really had to get out of the habit of talking to himself soon, he felt. It was something he''d picked up to keep himself entertained when he played video games and was at a grindy or particularly boring part. Such as reading dialogue out loud or muttering curses if he died by mistake. Nothing serious, but it was slowly becoming a more and more problematic habit of his as the days ticked by. When he entered the bedroom, Lone saw the shape of a person hiding under the sheets and his ears were treated with the sound of soft breathing. "And she says she isn''t lazy... I''m the one who used up all of my mana today, not her." He couldn''t help but smile wryly despite his words. "Still, I guess that''s one of the better things about her, huh? Her relaxed nature reminds me of a cat kind of. No, wait, maybe a domesticated fox? Hah," he laughed. Lone blew out the candle that was keeping the room lit before he got into the king-sized bed. Two thin and delicate arms immediately wrapped around him and held his back tightly. He could feel Soph''s soft and youthful skin touching his exposed chest, and he sighed. Whispering, he said, "That makes it three times now she¡¯s forgotten to put on her PJs. I swear, she¡¯s smart but she can be real dumb too at times.¡± Soph''s warm and calm breath tickled Lone''s nape as she fumbled about in her sleep. When she stopped moving, her and his face were a few inches apart. It was hard to see in the dark though so Lone just sighed. "Seriously..." He brushed her hair behind her ear and muttered, "No self-awareness at all, huh?¡± As if to answer his mumblings, Soph gently pushed Lone onto his back and affixed herself on top of him. With the sheets now moved out of the way, the moonlight dripping in through the window exposed him to the sight of her adult form in all of its beauty. Lone could almost feel his heart leaping out of his throat as he took in every curve, every line, every lock of hair, every bit of her glistening body. His body had an almost immediate reaction and he couldn¡¯t help but curse himself for being such a virgin. It didn''t help that he was now starting to realise his feelings for the girl straddling him, which only amplified his attraction to her. Grinning coyly and a bit shyly, Soph lowered her body until it was once again plastered to Lone''s. She slowly took her tongue out and licked his neck, sending shivers up his spine. Seemingly enjoying his reaction, she twirled her fingers around his thin and ever-so-slightly muscled chest playfully while her mouth moved upwards. Lone was confused, in more ways than one. He didn''t know what to do. As if on instinct, he put his arms around Soph''s lower back and pressed her closer to himself. That was his body¡¯s reaction though his mind¡¯s differed. He was puzzled beyond belief. He wanted to know where this sudden carnal outburst had come from. Maybe a skill was at play? He didn¡¯t know. He was going to say something but found his lips being blocked by hers. The kiss was wet, it was sloppy, and it was full of inexperience, however, Lone knew that it was overflowing with passion. He almost lost himself in the sensation when she forced his mouth open carelessly with her tongue and began to explore a bit roughly, brushing past every tooth as if to create a mental map of the insides of his mouth for future use. Several long seconds passed by before Soph finally released Lone''s mouth from her invasion. A silver string of saliva connected the both of them as they breathed heavily in unison. Things were being stirred deep inside the two of them. Lone stared into those lifeless eyes of Soph''s and brought one of his hands up to her face. He caressed it gently before he suddenly flipped her over, putting her on the bottom and him on the top. "Lone..." Soph''s bell-like voice rung in his mind, trying its best to seduce him and make him hers. Lone wanted this moment to never end, but in the far reaches of his mind, something was screaming at him that this wasn''t right. ''Why is she acting like this? Is she drunk? Is it a skill? This makes no fuckin¡¯ sense!'' As he was thinking of these issues, the little minx underneath him had grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down. Once again, she wormed her way into his mouth with her untrained and unskilled tongue. Lone struggled to think as he enjoyed the raw pleasure being afforded to him. He¡¯d never kissed a girl before, let alone a ten out of ten perfect girl. His mind was practically melting. However, he managed to eke out a few more thoughts. ''Is she ill, maybe? I don''t know anything about an almost 1,000-year-old woman, so maybe she''s just really horny or something? She could have found an aphrodisiac mushroom or something and ate it foolishly¡­'' Soph rolled over since Lone wasn''t paying attention to her, putting her in the dominant position again. She then brought one of her dainty hands down and let it slip into Lone''s trousers. That was the final nail in the coffin for him. As much as he was enjoying himself, he wouldn''t let this go any further without answers. Lone almost shoved Soph away from him, so much force did he use. He was so confused by her shift from a charming girl who tried her best and fumbled her words often to a seductive beast that wanted to bed him. He gasped for air as he sat cross-legged on the messy sheets. "Soph, what''s wrong with you tonight?" B1: Chapter 24: Retreating Paranoia and Sharing Problems Soph giggled softly and licked her lips. "Nothing." She crawled forwards like a lioness creeping towards its prey. She then got on top of Lone and firmly wrapped her legs around his waist before licking his cheek playfully. "Don''t you love what you see? What you feel?" Lone felt several urges, one of which was to push the girl off himself again, but she now had him trapped with her legs. He¡¯d likely hurt her if he got forceful which he¡¯d rather avoid. His situation didn''t improve when the very next second, she coiled her arms around his neck and purposefully leaned back so if he wanted to look down at her and meet her eyes, he''d be able to see every part of her sweat-covered body. It took an incredible amount of willpower for Lone to not do something entirely hormonal in nature. "No, I do. You''re... insanely attractive, but I don''t get it. Why''re you coming on to me so strongly?" "Hehe... We haven''t come anywhere... yet..." Soph''s hot breath brushed against his chest and her words made his heart pound furiously. "We can hear it... Thump... Thump... Thump... What''s wrong with a little fun?" Soph dragged her tongue across Lone''s lips and ran her fingers through his hair. "We want to have a little bit of fun..." Lone had talked to a lot of people in his brief 24-years of life. Now, he was no extrovert, but he thought himself to be pretty damned perceptive when it came to social habits. Soph, or whoever he was talking to, had just shown one that was entirely foreign to the Soph he knew. "''We''?" he asked, suspicion lacing his tone. Soph''s expression crumpled a little bit. "I. I meant ''I''. Come on... stop asking silly questions and just sleep with me... I want you inside me, you want to be inside me... Win-win, no?" Something was definitely going on. Lone was sure of it now. "I don''t know how I feel about you, Soph. I won¡¯t go and lie. I think, emphasis on think, I''m in love with you.¡± His confession came easily since deep down, he didn¡¯t expect anything. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he was really talking to Soph right now. This could be some sort of shapeshifting demon trying to extract his soul for all he knew. That had its own appeal, in truth. He steeled his mind and said, ¡°I wanna talk to you about my feelings before we do anything we might regret. We''re going to be stuck together for as long as we''re on this planet I think, and I don''t want to ruin our relationship.¡± Lone smiled wryly as he finished his little speech by asking, ¡°Can you give me some space to think about things if this is how you really feel about me? I can''t focus right now when you''re all that''s filling my mind. Uh, if you are Soph. God, I hope you are. This¡¯ll be very awkward if not." He prayed to whoever was listening that the woman mounting him right now wasn¡¯t actually Rewal''eh using some illusion magic of some sort. Soph''s cheeks flushed red for the first time all night. "¡­ You are being honest?" Lone leaned his forehead against hers. "I am." He gazed into her grey and lifeless eyes before he smiled warmly. "I don''t know why you''re acting like this, but we have time to work this out, to work us out. Assuming there will be an us once everything¡¯s been hashed out and whatnot." "W-We are lost for words..." Soph''s grasp with her arms and legs loosened a little bit. "There you go again with the ''we''." Lone saw another crack appear in Soph''s expression at the mention of that. "We can talk about that too. I''d be stupid to not expect some baggage with a girl who''s had your life. If you want to talk about it, I''m all ears, you know? I have some stuff I wouldn''t mind sharing as well, though I doubt it can compare to what you might tell me..." Lone offered. After all, sorry as his tale was, he could barely imagine how it stacked up against the life of a 1,000-year-old woman from the middle ages who claimed to have killed God himself. He saw something change in Soph¡¯s eyes. She was clearly considering his words deeply and in that moment of concentration, something had slipped through. Something recognisable.
An endless dream. Countless experiences with Lone. Most of which, involved playing with his tails. Soph was a simple girl. She wasn''t sure what was going on, but her mind felt as clear as it had ever felt. However, suddenly this never-ending fantasy collapsed almost as if it had never been there to begin with. Soph blinked her eyes several times as she adjusted to her body. It took her a few seconds to realise that she''d been asleep. ''Weird. Why aren''t I lying down? What am I hugging? Why are my legs wrapped around it? My forehead feels warm...'' she thought in succession slowly but clearly. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The second she processed the information her Mana Sensing was feeding to her; she immediately felt her entire face heat up. She was sat on top of the cross-legged Lone. Okay, normal enough by her standards. However, she was naked, and she was hugging him. None of that was unique but all together? It was very odd and extremely embarrassing. Even worse, both of their bodies were covered in sweat, and she could taste something sweet and unfamiliar in her mouth. A few seconds of awkward silence passed while she stared at Lone, and he stared right back into her eyes. Eventually, something changed. Memories alien to her flashed through her mind. Memories of the last 20 minutes. Half of that time was spent lying in bed naked in her usual adult form, the other half, however¡­ "Oh, oh no!" Soph squealed as she let go of Lone and practically jumped away from him. She grabbed the sheets that had been tossed aside and covered herself with them. After seeing her memories, she was suddenly very conscious of her body. "I''ll kill her..." she mumbled. Perplexion filled Lone''s complexion. "Kill who?" Tears threatened to bubble out of Soph''s eyes. For the first time in a very, very, very, very long time, Soph was angry and incredibly upset. She felt betrayed by her other self. This wasn''t what she wanted at all. This was far from the reason she had sealed away her other, older, typically wiser self. Still, she felt wholly justified in her decision to do so now regardless of her original intent. She could admit that she held feelings for the man before her, she could be clueless at times but she wasn¡¯t stupid. He made her feel warm. She knew that was special and now was aware it was love. However, in spite of that, her other self had stolen so many firsts from him and ruined any chance of a slow build-up in their budding love. Tears spilt out of her eyes and hatred began to bubble and brew inside of her; hatred directed at herself.
Lone panicked when he saw Soph''s face shift to that of a person who had been hurt, robbed and quite possibly used. He thought she had every right to hold those feelings for him after what he¡¯d said. It wasn¡¯t the reaction he wanted but it made sense to him. Lone reached over and grabbed her shoulder firmly but with care. "I''m not rejecting you, Soph. I just want to talk about everything first, okay?" He almost fumbled his words mid-sentence. Honestly, seeing Soph crying like a wounded animal stung more than he had ever expected it to. He¡¯d never really held feelings for anyone, whether ones of true friendship or of love in over ten years. Not since¡­ then. Soph was different though. She cared about him. She''d saved his damned life twice already. She listened to everything he said and tried to empathise with him even if she rarely understood what he was talking about. She acted comfortable around him and wasn''t afraid of some skinship. Above all else though, she treated him like a human being. He really didn¡¯t want to lose what they had right now. It meant a surprising amount to him. So, in an attempt to calm her and maybe soothe some of her seething emotions, he said "I want to sleep with you, really, I do. I desperately want to. My body is screaming at me to kiss you again and to hold you in my arms. I just can''t until we both confirm our feelings and talk about things, okay? You¡¯re¡­ rather important to me. An anchor, remember?" Soph shook her head and the dam holding back her tears burst open. What was once a few droplets turned into a venerable flood. She tried to form a smile as she replied, "It''s not... it''s not that! I... I need some time alone¡­" Soph picked herself up and ran out of the bedroom and made for the living room while still clutching the sheets tightly. Lone sat there stunned for a few moments before he undid his crossed legs and flopped onto his back. He covered his face with one hand and mumbled, "What the fuck am I supposed to do?"
Soph, now back in her youngest form, was curled up in a ball on the sofa in the living room with the bedsheets covering her entire body. Her face was badly stained with wet streaks, a tell-tale sign of her sobbing. "What am I supposed to do?" Soph''s mind hurt as she stressed herself for an answer. "I-I''m not like that... Should I tell him about her? About the other me?" She squeezed her knees and firmly shut her eyes. "I don''t know what to do!" she screamed into her chest. She felt a throbbing pain in her head and it was getting hard to think. Soon, the feeling spread across her entire body and she started crying once again. Minutes, maybe hours passed. The heart-breaking sound of her weeping was interrupted by a long sigh and a short sentence. "Fuck. I should have pulled myself together sooner." An arm wrapped around her and pulled her into an embrace. She could feel several soft sensations coil around her slowly which calmed her by a surprising degree. A warm hand brought itself to her face and wiped away her tears. "I''m sorry," the man cuddling her said with a pained expression on his face. "Lone?" Now it was Soph''s turn to be confused. He shook his head and smiled wryly. "This is all my fault. I had no idea what you were going through, and I thoughtlessly got too close to you without realising what I was doing." Soph''s heart skipped a beat and she felt it sink a few fathoms. "Lo-" A finger pressed against her lips to interrupt her. "Let me finish." He pulled his finger away, leaving a lingering taste that Soph craved more of. He puckered his lips in thought before saying, "I definitely feel something for you, Soph. Could be love, could just be my horny side wanting to bang you. Crude as that sounds, you are perfect so it¡¯s not impossible for my hormones to just be going insane. I''ve legitimately never felt like this before, so I¡¯ve no clue. But¡­ I look at you... and I get these urges. Urges to protect and hold you, urges to do more... adult things with you clouding my mind, dominating my every thought.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s pretty distracting." Soph was tongue-tied, which was good for Lone since he had more left to say. "I still have no idea what''s going on with you. I had some time to think about it, unfortunately, since I left you here... I don''t know if you have schizophrenia, if you''re bipolar, if you have a split personality, or maybe something else entirely different, but we can work it out together, can¡¯t we?" He smiled and said, ¡°I mean, no matter what, we¡¯re kinda attached at the hip. Yay for fucky sealing magic from unhelpful gods, right?¡± Soph watched with her Mana Sensing as his smile brightened before he kissed the top of her head and then tapped her skull lightly. "Everyone''s a little fucked up in here. Even me. I never got diagnosed, but I''m pretty sure I have depression and I used to be suicidal. Maybe I still am. I dunno, what with how I keep throwing myself at the goblins like I do... Maybe I want them to kill me and just end this...¡± his words trailed off. He shook his head and refocused. ¡°Anyway, I also have a decent amount of trauma. Nothing special. Everyone¡¯s got their demons but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t deserve to get help. Let''s work these issues out together, okay? Be the help we both need? Can¡¯t exactly visit a professional here on Goblin Island, haha." Soph felt a warmth spread throughout her entire body until a deep sadness took its place. She let go of the bedsheets and returned Lone''s embrace with her own. "Mmm. I''d like that, to, uh, talk." B1: Chapter 25: Pancakes and Past Recounting "First," Lone said as he took out a spare set of pyjamas for Soph, "Some clothes?" Bobbing her head up and down, Soph grabbed the blue button-up sleeved pyjama shirt and silk trousers combo. Carefully getting off Lone and unwrapping herself from his fluffy tails, she began putting the clothes on. Meanwhile, Lone searched in his Dimensional Storage and grabbed a tank-top to wear since he was still shirtless. Once he had done that, he waited for Soph to finish getting dressed. As soon as she was done, she shyly held his hand and looked up at his face. "Sleep?" Lone shook his head. "Not yet. I''m way too awake now. Plus, I think we both need a bath at some point. We reek of sweat. Late-night snack and a talk first?" Soph nodded shyly. "Mmm..." Lone chuckled. "I don''t hate the smell of your sweat. It''s just a bit gross thinking about it outside of a more... intimate moment.¡± He then shook his head. ¡°That was awkward. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Uh, to the kitchen?¡± She seemed just as keen to move away from the topic judging by her expression and the fact that she began leading him by the hand to the kitchen. Once there, she helped him set up the candles which he appreciated. When that was done, he watched her sit on a stool and wait in silence as he began to use his magic to create different ingredients. Lone had decided on pancakes for their late-night snack. While he was mixing together the batter, he chose to start their important discussion. "My parents were pretty rich retrospectively. They owned a fairly successful business selling computers," he said. "Computers? Are those the things you always talk about? With the ''screens'' and ''pictures''?" Soph asked, clearly trying to be engaging. Lone smiled. "Yup. Those are the ones. My dad ran the company, and my mum was his secretary ¨C they were married before she became his secretary, by the way.¡± He laughed at the confusion that sentence formed on his companion¡¯s face. ¡°Anyway, it wasn''t the most successful business nor the most relevant around, but it made more than enough money to support us and then some." He created some chocolate syrup and added it to one of the two bowls of pancake batter that he''d been mixing. Soph adored chocolate, so he was hoping that this little treat would help cheer her up. "When I was about seven or eight - I can''t really remember which - my dad made a few shitty deals and the company started collapsing. It was still turning a profit, but it wasn''t as much as before, so in his eyes, it was a failure. A slowly capsizing ship, so to speak," Lone said. He pulled out a frying pan from his Dimensional Storage and sat it atop the counter. Lone then created some propane with his Creation Magic, an expensive thing to make since he had no clue what it was made of, doubly so since he was making a small canister of it. After that, he let the gas flow up through the stove and then created a match to light the hob. He then retrieved some butter from his storage and spread it across the pan before pouring just enough of Soph''s pancake batter into it for a single pancake. ¡°He got irritated more easily, smiled less, started losing his hair from the stress. Nothing good, more or less. I don¡¯t know if this shift in him made the company sink faster or not but before long, he had to file for bankruptcy,¡± Lone explained stoically. This was the distant past for him, even if the scars of what happened were still firmly visible in his mind. "As soon as that happened, my dad changed even more. He never touched Hazel, thank God. Ah, excuse that... Bit of a habit. I''m not actually thanking God. It¡¯s just an expression," Lone said as he scratched his cheek with a bit of shame. Soph nodded. "It''s fine. I know what you mean." "Thanks." Lone smiled. "Anyway, he started beating me pretty much every day. If I failed a test, beating, if I came home past my curfew, beating, if I left the toilet seat up, beating, if I looked at him wrong, beating. You get the picture." Using the slight physical boost his Dexterity afforded him, he perfectly flipped the pancake and started cooking the other side. Soph had a pained look on her face imagining it. "That sounds awful. I was never tortured like that... Well, kinda, but not so directly..." Lone chuckled a bit. "I can''t imagine what I went through compares to your story, but still, thank you. It''s nice hearing you say that." Soph blushed, but otherwise remained silent, so Lone continued. "This went on until I was 15. No one ever helped or stood up for me. Not Hazel, not my mum, not the school authorities. No one seemed to notice." He wore a ponderous expression. ¡°Granted, Hazel was barely a toddler, but she knew what was going on. I can forgive her but it¡¯s my bitch of a mother and everyone else who didn¡¯t do anything when they could have stopped it.¡± Soph looked a bit disgusted. "Really? Not a single person? Why not? Didn''t they know you were in pain? Wasn''t your body bruised?" Anger clouded the girl¡¯s face. "I would have helped you." Lone shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it wasn''t worth the legal troubles? We still had a decent amount of money despite the failed business. Only the company filed for bankruptcy, not my dad himself. I guess the people I told were scared he¡¯d hire a great solicitor if he needed to. My family? Maybe they were just scared to go against him in case he turned on them. People can be real fuckin¡¯ cowards when it comes down to choosing between their suffering or someone else¡¯s, even if that someone else is just a kid." Soph frowned. "Sounds complicated." "I bet it was to them," he laughed. "Then there was school..." "School?" Soph echoed. Nodding, Lone continued, "I got bullied a lot there. Both primary and high school. I never spoke to anyone and just kept to myself. I was thin, average-looking, wore glasses, had a pimple-covered face and was just a loser in general. I probably looked depressed to everyone thanks to what was happening with my dad. Easy target, I guess. It didn''t help that if I tried to fight back against my old man, he''d beat me twice as hard - which I sometimes did, then I''d be even more upset, and fight back against the bullies, making it ten times worse." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "That sounds like hell... I don''t know if I could have put up with so much suffering from so many angles..." Soph¡¯s tone made it sound like her heart was aching hearing this despite everything she herself had experienced. "You''re a strong woman. I''m sure you''d have done just fine," Lone replied with a confident tone. The first pancake was done now, so Lone plated it and made some whipped cream and a cherry appear on top of it. He put a steel fork on the plate and passed it to Soph with a smile on his face. "Eat up. Don''t lose your appetite because of my story, ''kay? I put a lot of love into that." Soph nodded mutely and began munching on the food. Lone smiled again and got to work on her second and final pancake. "Well, one day, I come home from school to find police standing guard and forensics in the house. Turns out my dad hung himself. I wasn''t even happy. It all just happened so fast. The forensics were in and out in a couple of hours. No detectives since it wasn''t suspected to be foul play. His body was carted off. End of story." Lone sighed as he flipped Soph''s second pancake. "The day I turned 16, I moved out. The bastard left me some inheritance money. I''ve no fuckin¡¯ clue why, but I wasn''t going to turn my nose up at it.¡± He felt a bit sick thinking about how he had so willingly used that evil man¡¯s money. Still, he continued with his tale. ¡°I lived off of benefits when my inheritance ran out, and I went to college then uni to get my teaching degree.¡± ¡°Why a teacher?¡± Soph asked with a face full of chocolate pancake. Lone shrugged. ¡°Studied for seven years. I have no idea why I wanted to be a teacher. Maybe to help people like myself? Doesn''t matter anyway. I just ended up getting bullied again. Some things never change until they do, I guess. I dunno. That sounds stupid now that I''m thinking about it. I was lucky to live in the UK. Benefits were easy to swindle out of the council, but even with my gaming addiction and my weekly phone call from Hazel, life fuckin¡¯ sucked." The pancake had finished cooking now and thankfully, Soph had finished her first one. He plated the new one and topped it with honey and strawberry syrup this time. "I''m honestly really glad I met you. I don''t know how much longer I would have lasted in that repetitive cycle," he admitted. Lone got to work on his own pancakes while he waited for Soph''s reply. "I only understood about half of what you said. I don''t know anything about police, forensics, phone calls, bullying, benefits, the council, but it all sounds horrible." Soph had finally chosen to come clean. "Lone, there''s two mes," she said after taking a deep breath. Lone raised an eyebrow, but otherwise nodded and continued cooking. Soph smiled at that and continued, "I''m the normal me... It''s hard to explain, but the time that I spent running from the templars and being imprisoned by them... tortured by them... everything before that¡­ It hurt me. I spent decades trying to kill myself. To end the pain, but nothing worked. I was completely immortal." Soph looked down at her food and grinned bitterly. "It''s sweet." She sucked back her tears and continued talking. "I eventually stopped trying to kill myself and filled my time by talking to myself." "And this created a split personality?" Lone asked. "Mmm." Soph licked her plate clean. It really was very sweet. "Everything that happened before killing God... It all kinda joined together and formed¡­. me. Uh, even though I¡¯m not the original she''s really nice to me, but ever since I met you, she''s been trying to get me to murder you." Lone froze for a moment mid-pancake flip, making the batter splatter all over the floor. "Ah, fuck. Gotta clean this up now." He poured the second half of his pancake batter into the pan and took out a few rags which he started using to clean up his mess. "So she''s really paranoid? Of men, or just people? I don''t mean to ask a really sensitive question, but you weren''t... sexually abused, were you? We¡¯ve gone over this before but I¡¯d like to confirm it again." Soph shook her head. "Like I said last time you asked, God, uh, didn''t let anyone directly touch me. They tortured me in different ways. Mostly pouring this liquid they called ''holy water'' into my eyes. It blinded me. Both of us don''t trust people, but for different reasons. I''m scared of being left alone, she''s terrified of betrayal and insists that there''s an evil in all people that controls them. She really didn''t like you. Saying that you''re just using me, that I''m only using you. I''m scared she''s right..." Lone tapped his chin thoughtfully. ''Not going into detail about her past? Still, this is a fantastic start.'' He hummed softly. "What''s so wrong with that?" "Eh?" Soph made a strange noise at Lone''s unexpected words. "Well, I am using you." Lone sounded like he was stating the most obvious thing in the world. "Y-You are?" Soph was confused and started to panic. Flipping his new pancake, Lone smirked. "Sure. I''m using you to keep me company, to talk to, to help me fight, to help me train, and hell, maybe for even more depending on how our relationship pans out. There''s nothing wrong with using someone. It''s how you use them that matters. That''s what I believe, at least." "... ''There''s nothing wrong with using someone. It''s how you use them that matters''..." Soph echoed Lone''s words as if entranced by them. He laughed upon seeing that. He plated his pancake and sat next to her after turning the gas off. "You can be really adorable sometimes, you know?" Her cheeks flushed a shade of crimson. "Sorry..." "And you''re back to apologising for no good reason," he said with a roll of the eyes. Lone saw Soph pout, so he rubbed her head with his free hand as he shovelled the pancake into his mouth, piece by piece. "Don''t worry about it. We''ll work things out. Don''t force yourself to change though, or her, the other you. Forcing it to happen can only lead to a disaster." "Mmm," Soph agreed. He couldn¡¯t help but noticed her eyes kept darting back and forth between his fork and his mouth. Of course, he noticed that. "Want some? You''re such a glutton..." "Ah, em, no! That''s not it!" Soph replied in a bit of a fluster. "I was just wondering what it felt like to... to ki- to ki-" ¡°Ahhh, to kiss. We can¡­ do a redo if you¡¯d like?¡± Lone asked as he felt his heart pound rapidly in his chest. He had never been this forward before but he felt confident he wouldn¡¯t get rejected. Soph blushed furiously but slowly nodded. She turned to face him, closed her grey eyes, and puckered her soft lips. Lone¡¯s hand was shaking as he reached over and held her chin in it. He then leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers. "Well, uh¡­ got an answer now?" he asked as he averted his eyes. ¡®I have no idea if that was smooth as fuck or awkward as fuck¡­¡¯ "Ah, um... Yeah... It was nice... sweet... and a bit wet." Soph brought a finger to her lips and was beaming from ear to ear. "I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to do that kinda stuff¡­¡± Lone scratched his cheek and smiled a little bit sheepishly. "I¡¯m super attracted to you. I said that, already, didn¡¯t I? I just wanted to sort out our feelings. So, uh, wanna be my girlfriend?¡± She wore a confused look in her dead eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m already a girl and your friend, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Hahaha, right. Middle ages. It¡¯s a more common word for lovers. Like, the relationship stage before marriage and betrothal,¡± Lone tried his best to explain. ¡°L-lovers¡­¡± Soph¡¯s smile bloomed. ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± "I''m glad. That was pretty fuckin¡¯ stressful," he claimed as he felt a massive weight lift from his entire being. He then finished his pancake and a thought crossed his mind. "We should use different names for you and this other you... Hmm... Maybe Soph for you like now, but Sophie for the other you? Sofia can be for both of you." "Sure." She clearly had little-to-no issues with that. Soph then creased her brow and said, "I usually suppress her since she''s been so mean to you, but she''s sleeping right now. I can''t even talk to her." "You can usually talk to your other self?" Lone asked in shock. He knew nothing about split-personalities or anything of that like so this was news to him. "Mmm. She''s really supportive and protective of me, but she''s really violent. I don''t like her much. She was my only friend for a long time, but I don''t know... I want her to like you too," Soph admitted. Lone rubbed his chin. "We can work on that I guess. We have nothing if not time." "Mmm." Noticing that Lone had finished his pancake completely, Soph asked him, "Bedtime?" Lone nodded. "Sure. Sounds good. It''s been an exhausting night. I guess we can have a bath in the morning." "Em, Lone," Soph looked to the floor as she got up off her stool and called out his name. "What''s up?" Lone questioned. "T-Thanks for not hating me... I-I know I''m weird, and I know I act strangely... but I''m really grateful you treat me normally. It means a lot to me. I wanted to say that I think I really do love you..." Soph''s bashfulness was only overshadowed by her embarrassment. Lone chuckled softly. "Right. You never said it until now... Anyway, like I already stated, we''re all a bit fucked in the head, so don''t sweat it." "Still... really... thank you..." Soph mumbled as she took his hand and followed him out of the kitchen. It had been an eventful night for the both of them. Not everything was positive, but their relationship had gone a step forward, hopefully, in the right direction. B1: Chapter 26: Training with Sophie and Massage The following morning, Lone had promptly asked for Soph to help him with something. Of course, she was more than willing to offer him her aid. What he wanted her to do though left her feeling quite concerned. ¡®He can be so weird sometimes,¡¯ Soph thought as she wore an unwilling expression on her face. "A-Are you sure that you want me to hit them as hard as I can?" she asked with a clear sense of uncertainty in her voice. She and Lone were in the training yard of their little fort and in her hands were her twin short swords while Lone was only equipped with his bone gauntlets. Oddly enough, the gauntlets weren''t stiff at all and moved more like gloves despite their bulky appearance. Soph also noticed that their mana, while still golden like the rest of Lone, was a bit murky and seemed very¡­ weak. "Yes." Lone nodded his head. "Smack them, slash them, cut them to ribbons. They get stronger when damaged, and I don''t think just this will be good enough against the goblins. I think, going by the flow, I should unlock more armour parts as the skill ranks up." "I-I know, but I''m not sure if I can hurt you..." Soph replied indecisively. Lone lowered his stance and sighed a little. "It''s fine. You know I don''t mind, right? It''s for the sake of training." "C-Can''t you just use the steel armour you already made instead? You can slowly build up the rest of your bone armour over time, right?" Soph asked, desperate for an out. She already never wanted to hurt him, hence why she had restrained Sophie for so long. Now though, now that she knew she had feelings for him, it would be near-impossible for her to injure him and she knew it. Lone put on a difficult expression. "I could, but it''s very rare to get hit in the hands when fighting, especially with the goblins who are too stupid to even think of stabbing my hands to make me drop my weapon. Since we can train in a controlled environment, I''d rather do that, honestly." "R-Right..." Soph felt like crying. Seeing her blatantly pained face, Lone suggested, "Why don''t you get Sophie to do it? Is she awake yet? She''s violent and wants to kill me, doesn''t she? I should be fine so long as you shout at her to not go too far." Soph shook her head. "She''s still sleeping. Ah, b-by the way, I was thinking about it, but why does she have the longer nickname when I get the shorter one? I''m not u-upset or anything, I just thought it was a bit strange..." Lone scratched his cheek with one of his gauntleted fingers and grinned. "Well, you said that she was a collection of the you from before you killed God. So she''s closer to the true you, Sofia. Sophie is close to that than Soph. Besides, Soph is cuter." Soph giggled and enjoyed that explanation quite a bit. Seeing that, Lone continued, "So, yeah, you''re Soph. A newer, softer, more loveable you. I never was very good with names, to be honest. We could pick a new one for you if you''d like? Her¡¯s too if she wants one." Soph shook her head and tightened her grip on her swords. "It''s fine. I like it... b-because you gave it t-to me..." Soph was carefully choosing her next words mentally when her other self, Sophie, suddenly spoke to her. ''Let us fight him.'' Soph''s eyes went wide. ''Eh, you''re awake?'' A scoff was her immediate reply which was quickly followed by a few words. ''We were always awake. We were just ignoring you. We were... thinking. Just... give us control, okay? We promise We will not hurt him.'' "Soph?" Lone asked, a bit perplexed by her radically shifting expression. "Em..." A bit timidly, she responded, "Sophie''s awake apparently. She wants to take control and f-fight you. She says she won''t hurt you." Lone grinned. "Perfect. Feel free. I don''t mind. I know this violent stuff was making you uncomfortable." Soph looked relieved if not a little bit upset. She was feeling a bit sad that she couldn''t be more useful personally. "Um, I''ll still be inside, so, um, don''t do anything weird with her, okay? I-I don¡¯t want her to steal anything else¡­" Lone''s face reddened a bit and he coughed lightly. Before he could say something to defend himself though, her aura changed. Something about her was just... more primal now. Lone¡¯s expression turned serious and he said, "Sophie?" She nodded. "The one and only. Such a charming man, renaming woman as if you own them. Do wish us to bark for you?" ¡°What? No. Don¡¯t recontextualise such a pure mom-¡± ¡°Woof,¡± she interrupted. Something deep stirred within Lone. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, please.¡± She walked up to Lone - swords still in hand - and smirked as she got within inches of his body. "She is really rather adorable, is she not?" "Yeah... why?" Lone answered with creased brows. ¡®Hmm? He is not very flustered¡­ He was not so firm last night. Well, he was in some places¡­ What a shame. We suppose making him blush chin to forehead will not be so easily achieved,¡¯ she thought with a grin. "Hehe." Sophie giggled before she suddenly licked Lone''s cheek. "Hurt her, and we'' will cut it off. We do not care if you are nice to us as well, but if you ever break her heart, we will break you. Over and over and over again, your healing power be damned. She cares too much about you, the poor girl. And we, well, we care too much about her. It is an exchange, you see? You keep her happy, we do not end your miserable and worthless life." "Are you stupid?¡± Lone asked with a confused expression. ¡°You can¡¯t be that naive at your age, right?¡± Sophie didn¡¯t expect that response. She was kind of hoping he¡¯d get frightened and nod his head like the foolish man he was deep down. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, seeking clarity. If he didn¡¯t have a good reason for insulting her then she may let slip a few more than lethal attacks during the upcoming training. ¡°I mean, how the fuck can I promise to never hurt her? That¡¯s just an unreasonable demand. What if I say something that I personally think is fine but that offends her and hurts her feelings? What if she gets possessed by something magical and the only way to get her back is to beat the shit out of her? Don¡¯t be so stupid,¡± Lone said as he wore a frustrated look on his face. ¡°These kinds of promises always, and I mean fuckin¡¯ always, get broken. They can¡¯t be kept. Ask me something a bit more reasonable, would you?¡± Sophie frowned. ¡°¡­ Well, we will admit, you are intelligent if nothing else. Very well. Do not ever cause her harm intentionally unless it is necessary for her, and by extension, our, survival. Is that sufficient, Mister Pedantic?¡± Lone wore a smile. ¡°Yeah, now that, that I can promise to do.¡± "Good, though remember, all it would take is a few teleports straight up. Seconds later... " she kissed his cheek before peering into his eyes with her dead ones and smiling coyly, "¡­. splat." Lone shrugged. ¡°Bet I¡¯d survive. But anyway, you don¡¯t need to come on so hard and aggressive, y¡¯know? You¡¯re a part of her too. If I¡¯ve got feelings for Soph, then, by extension, I have feelings for you.¡± Sophie scowled though her lips trembled a bit and she felt her cheeks flush. She put her left short sword in her right hand along with her other sword and used her now free fist to lightly punch Lone in the chest. "That is hardly fair. Acting like you care about us too. We know you only want Soph. We understand. We are not covetous of what she so deeply yearns for, just... you do not need to try to please us as well." Lone laughed. "I''m not. I care for and want to protect all of Soph. Like I said, that includes you too, idiot." "W-Well..." Sophie stepped back a few paces and assumed a stance with her swords. "Y-You shall hab to prove it!" ¡°Did you seriously just bite your tongue? Fuck me, that¡¯s cute. Real gap-moe vibes,¡± he smirked. Sophie¡¯s face filled with rage. ¡°We are not ¡®cute¡¯! We shall begin attacking you now, so prepare yourself!¡±
12 hours soon passed. It would have been 12 straight hours if not for bodily needs like the toilet and hunger. Of course, Lone had to recharge his mana points a few times as well. Sophie was still in control of Sofia''s body, and she, like Lone, was covered in sweat. The two were sat on a bench simply leaning against each other. The girl tilted her head onto his shoulder and stared up at the rising stars. "Why did... we... stop?" Flashing his perfect teeth, Lone replied, "''Cause we''re done for now. Bone Armour ranked up."
Unique Subskill: Bone Armour
A subskill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to use the unique skill [Basic Regeneration] to push the host''s bones outside of their own body and use them as a weightless shield. The strength of the bones will increase with mastery. The strength of the bones will also increase the more that they''re broken and damaged. The host can currently create a set of gauntlets and [New!] boots.
Cost: None to invoke (30-minute cooldown). Drains MP to recreate rapidly or to heal at varying speeds depending on the speed of the recreation or the severity of the damage being healed.
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
"I can make boots now as well, supposedly," Lone said, pretty happy with himself. Unlike him, Sophie had very little stamina points in comparison, so she was still breathing heavily through almost every spoken word. "We''re... happy. It... was... surprisingly¡­ fun. Beyond your¡­ incessant need¡­ to attempt to rile¡­ us up, we mean." "Haha, don¡¯t react like you do and I¡¯ll stop. Wanna have a bath though? We haven''t had one since two days ago," Lone suggested as he tugged on his tank top several times, creating an impromptu fan. Sophie grinned. "We thought... you liked the... smell of our... perspiration. You even... avoided a bath this morning, so... we were sure..." "No!" Lone almost screamed. "I''m not some pervert with a sweat fetish. I was just excited to test out if my skill worked how I thought it would. Sheesh." "Hmm..." Sophie looked at him with scepticism in her dead grey eyes. "Sure. We will swap-" "I was kinda hoping to bathe with you, not Soph," Lone admitted, interrupting her mid-sentence. Sophie''s eyes instantly narrowed. "Why?" "To get closer to you? She¡¯s been recently trying to sneak in and bathe with me. I¡¯ve never let her, of course, but now that we¡¯re essentially a couple¡­ I thought it''d be a nice bonding experience," Lone said a bit sheepishly. He wasn''t expecting such a... sharp reaction from her, honestly. It¡¯s not like he and Soph were new to skinship, this was just another step. Hell, he was even going to suggest they wore their bathing suits too. In his mind, Sophie was just an extension of Soph and¡­ honestly, he found her kind of charming. Beneath the grit and bloodlust, there was a nice woman to be found if looked for. He could sense it and it had become easier and easier to see her in the past 12 hours. "No. We''ll swap." Sophie''s attitude flip-flopped to being entirely devoid of any interest in him at all. "She enjoys the idea of bathing with you, no? We would not want to take that away from her. Fighting for 12 hours is more than enough ''bonding'' for us today." With that said, she returned control to Soph. The girl almost slumped onto the floor before Lone caught her. "Are you okay?" he asked with clear concern in his voice. Soph smiled up at him. "Sophie is better at managing physical strain than me." Her smile was filled with bitterness. "Carry me, please?" ''Ah, fuck. Good job, you dumb fuck. One step forward, three steps back. Of course she¡¯d want to be the first of the two to bathe with me. She got so upset over just a kiss last night¡­. Fuck. I can be so fuckin¡¯ stupid at times.'' Lone sighed internally before he scooped Soph up into a princess carry and slowly walked back into the fort.
"You know that I didn''t mean any harm, right? I only want to get along with both of you. I had no idea how important this was to you," Lone said honestly as he ran his fingers through Soph''s soapy hair. She was leaning into his chest with her back as the two of them lay in the large bathtub. Lone made a mental note to thank Japan personally if he and Soph ever returned to Earth. Their bathing technique of simply pouring buckets of warm water over yourself to cleanse all filth before getting in the tub was ingenious. A decent working shower was beyond his capabilities so this easy and straightforward method was perfect for him. Plus, he''d always enjoyed baths more than showers. The two of them were really filthy. It was like they had a second layer of skin that was solely made up of hardened sweat. It disgusted him more than he expected it would considering he was a bit of a slob back on Earth anyway. "I know... I''m not upset," Soph replied as she closed her eyes and focused with her hands on washing Lone''s tails while he did her hair. "Still, I wanna make up for it. I was insensitive. Is there anything you want?" Lone asked. "Hmm... How about... a m-massage?" she stuttered. ¡°You¡¯ve never given me one so¡­ I dunno, it might be¡­ uh¡­ nice?¡± Lone beamed from ear to ear. "I can do that. I''ve got no experience, but it can''t be that hard, right?" Pulling his fingers away from her golden locks, Lone cracked his knuckles and began rubbing her shoulders as gently as he could.
[The host has developed the passive skill: Massage Mastery.]
Passive Skill: Massage Mastery
All massages given by the host shall be 5% more pleasurable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Three level ups of that new skill, an hour of massaging in the tub, and a very red-faced and oddly even more exhausted Soph later, and the two were now fast asleep in their bed after a long day of training and a nice warm bath. B1: Chapter 27: Hobgoblin and Synergistic Mages Three days had passed since that long day of training his Bone Armour skill with Sophie. During the first of those three days, Lone focused on using his mana to create a perfect set of armour for Sophie, which wasn¡¯t really needed as it turned out. Sophie still recalled how to use and move in the various equipment that Lone had made for her and Soph, so it was quickly discovered that she was, much like Soph, best suited for full-plate armour with a chainmail underlayer to protect her exposed joints. This just reinforced the idea in his mind that they were the same person deep down. It would be wrong of him to not express his feelings towards Sophie as well as Soph, he felt. Soph seemed inclined to agree when he brought it up though she was strangely obsessed with doing everything with him first. Lone could imagine a coy smile on her lips. Unfortunately, he couldn''t see it since he was stood behind her fastening her heavy boots on. The two of them had gotten closer over the last three days since he had continued to focus on ranking his Bone Armour up during that time. He wasn''t satisfied with just gauntlets and boots, he wanted a full set. His Growth Accelerator seemed to agree with him. He also wanted to fix his relationship with the violent and seductive side of the woman he had strong feelings for. While they had certainly grown more comfortable around one another, an invisible wall had formed between the two after he had offered her to bathe with him. Regardless, Sophie was happy to oblige with his training. She was far more vicious after the first 12-hour session and she didn''t hold back at all. Supposedly, she even earned the skills Short Sword Mastery and Dual-wielding Mastery yesterday evening. Lone had to wonder if that was a fast or slow pace. Were it him, he''d have earned those skills in minutes, maybe an hour or two at most. For her though, it had taken a total of about 40 hours of nearly non-stop training across the span of three days plus the initial long training session. Was that normal for someone without Growth Accelerator? Was Sophie a very quick learner when compared to your average person? Was she a slow learner? In Lone¡¯s mind, this was definitely something to research once they reached some sort of town or city. Regardless, he successfully upgraded his Bone Armour to the next rank, Advanced. What Sophie lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for in pure ability and ruthlessness.
Unique Subskill: Bone Armour
A subskill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to use the unique skill [Basic Regeneration] to push the host''s bones outside of their own body and use them as a weightless shield. The strength of the bones will increase with mastery. The strength of the bones will also increase the more that they''re broken and damaged. The host can currently create a set of gauntlets, boots, [New!] armoured sleeves and [New!] greaves.
Cost: None to invoke (30-minute cooldown). Drains MP to recreate rapidly or to heal at varying speeds depending on the speed of the recreation or the severity of the damage being healed.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
He was wearing a reinforced steel chest plate and a full-face helmet to make up for what his Bone armour couldn''t create yet. Still, now, with this, he could level the skill without too much trouble via the goblins since it covered a good portion of his body. Unfortunately, he couldn''t cover his tails with steel armour since it was stupidly uncomfortable and even more so unwieldy. It just felt like his tails had been dipped in tar. He couldn¡¯t move them at all, which, honestly, made a lot of sense. He was just regretful that it was such a big distraction that it was genuinely a better idea to just let his tails be targets for attacks than to restrict them so heavily with armour. Helping Sophie into her new full plate armour, Lone asked, "No more chafing?" She shook her head and stretched her limbs a bit. "No. You readjusted it perfectly. Good job. Maybe we should reward you for being such a good boy?" ¡°Bark for me again and I might consider agreeing with you,¡± Lone retorted. ¡°If you want it, you won¡¯t get it,¡± Sophie snorted. ¡°Is the opposite true? Don¡¯t bark for me again,¡± Lone grinned. ¡°Meow,¡± Sophie deadpanned. ¡°Reward enough for the little fox?¡± "I dunno. I feel like you''re the one who really deserves a reward. I''ve been working you to the bone for the past few days, after all," Lone replied as he finished tightening her armour up and then got on his feet. Sophie spun around and chuckled before she ran her gauntlet-covered fingers across his breastplate. "You haven''t worked either of us to any bone, yet." Lone nodded. "Yup. Far less attractive when we''re both covered in armour. Also when I know you don¡¯t mean it. Maybe I should force you to wear that all of the time?" He walked past her and headed towards the edge of his Illusionary Dome. Sophie trotted alongside him and held her hands behind her back. "It is not fun if you do not blush nor get tongue-tied." Lone smiled wryly. He took his steel swordspear out from his Dimensional Storage after he''d passed Sophie her swords. "Are you sure you''ll be fine fighting? I know you''re better at it than Soph is, but I''m happy to let you stay here or in The Summoning Room if you''d rather avoid it," Lone offered. Sophie shook her head. "We are perfectly fine. Soph is a blubbering mess in a fight and that won''t be changing any time soon. She can only act when her life is on the line or if yours is. Admittedly, we have not ended anything¡¯s life in over 600 years, but we will be - as we said - fine." "''Kay. I trust you," Lone replied as he stepped through the Illusionary Dome. "Since we''re in this bulky armour, I doubt we can be sneaky like in the past excursions. Do you mind teleporting us a few times to get away from home a bit? Just in case there are any gobs nearby." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sophie grinned under her helmet and sheathed one of her swords before linking her arm with Lone''s. A split-second later, they had teleported five times. They were now in the thick of the forest. ¡°Soph really is very talented with this skill of ours. To think it¡¯s already reached Intermediate rank¡­¡± ¡®Right, yeah, because just shy of three full weeks is quick for a rank up¡­ Man, I have a feeling she genuinely is talented though. How abnormal am I?¡¯ Lone thought as he frowned. He got his bearings though and whispered, "Thanks." Sophie nodded and redrew her second sword.
They had wandered around for 15 minutes before they caught sight of a group of 20 goblins. There were two goblins with staves who were probably mages of some sort as well as one of what Lone recognised to be the far larger race of goblin, a hobgoblin. They hadn''t been spotted just yet since they had luckily ended up behind this massive group of monsters. Sophie turned to look at the crouching Lone and asked, "Do we fight, or flee?" Lone tightened his grip on his swordspear and thought to himself. ''With our armour, the normal gobs shouldn''t be a problem... I''m a bit worried about that hobgoblin''s club though. Armour sucks against blunt force... The mages too, they might be a problem...'' "I want to fight," Lone admitted. His blood was boiling. This would be a true test of his and Sophie''s skills. Perhaps if it was Soph by his side he''d have immediately retreated. However, it wasn¡¯t. Next to him was her second personality, Sophie. Or first personality? It was complicated. When it came to combat, she seemed far more competent than her sweeter side so he felt more confident than usual. "Okay." Sophie slowly got up and held Lone''s arm. "What is the plan?" "We need to get rid of the normal gobs first. They can''t hurt us with our armour unless they''re really lucky, but they''ll get in the way. I want you to focus your attention on them. Don''t kill them since you can''t get exp from them but cripple them if you can. I''ll finish them later," Lone ordered. Sophie nodded. "And the big ugly one who looks a bit like you?" "Fuck. You. I¡¯m gorgeous,¡± Lone protested though he quickly gave her a serious response too. ¡°I''m gonna try to engage him in one-on-one combat. If he has no skills I can steal, I''ll use Mental Destruction if he''s too much to handle," "Greedy." Sophie grinned. "We like it. How about the mages?" Lone frowned. "I''m hoping they''re like the one Soph and I encountered not too long ago, the fireball one. If their spells take ages to chant, we''ll be fine. We should have enough time to clean up before they''re done. Let them hit me with their magic. If it looks like I''m dying, save me, okay?" "Only if you kiss me when we''re done," Sophie declared in a juvenile tone while still keeping her voice down. Lone smiled underneath his helmet. "Get your far more likeable side¡¯s permission and I¡¯ll do almost anything you want." ¡°Be careful what you promise, Lone. It may just come back to... bite you.¡± With that said, Sophie teleported herself and Lone right into the centre of the goblins'' formation. Confusion filled the faces of almost every monster there. Only the hobgoblin seemed to understand that they had shown up out of nowhere and clearly weren¡¯t presenting themselves as a free buffet. However, before the rest of the goblins could properly react, Sophie spun like a hurricane and targetted the thighs of the regular goblins as well as their shoulders. She wasn''t as fast nor as accurate as she would have liked, Lone was sure. That was mostly due to her abysmal physical-based stats and thanks to how bulky her armour was. Some of the goblins reacted in time and dodged her attacks, but in her initial flurry, she managed to cripple three of the normal monsters, leaving only 14 more to deal with. On his way to the now enraged hobgoblin, Lone didn''t bother trying to evade or block the attacks from the other goblins at all. He swung his swordspear wildly and lopped off two heads while skewering three more goblins, bringing their numbers down to nine. The hobgoblin was beyond furious upon seeing this. He roared powerfully, and in response, the terrified goblins that were still trying to penetrate Lone''s armour retreated a bit before they sprinted towards Sophie. Lone was a bit surprised that they hadn''t done that already since she was a woman. ''Maybe they couldn''t tell thanks to the armour so the hob reminded them? Ah, the mages are chanting too... Well, at least it''s a one-on-one now.'' Without mercy or hesitation, the hobgoblin brought its two-metre-long club over its head and then slammed it down towards Lone. As much as he wanted to block that with his bone armour, Lone could instinctively tell that were he to try to endure that attack, his arms would be crushed without a doubt. He''d be able to heal them after the fact, of course, but he wanted to save his mana points to fuel his Basic Regeneration when the mages finished their spells. The Crude Fireball had come extremely close to cutting his life short. As much as he wanted new magics added to his repertoire, he wasn¡¯t going to die over it. He leapt out of the way and barely avoided the devastating hobgoblin¡¯s attack. The creature¡¯s club got lodged into the earth and the monster was struggling a bit to remove it. Lone took that opportunity to cut at the back of the thing''s knees, restricting its movement. The hobgoblin screamed in pain and abandoned its weapon. Turning as quick as lightning, it moved with its hands to grab Lone''s body. ''He''s fuckin¡¯ fast for his size,'' Lone noted. He stepped backwards and sliced down with the sword end of his weapon, severing the monster''s hand. A wail of pure anguish flowed out of the ugly beast''s mouth as it gripped its now profusely bleeding wrist. Lone smiled. ''I don''t think it has any skills so I should be fine to kill it like this. The mages are taking their time though which is a good sign. Probably more crude magic and nothing amazing but magical beggars can¡¯t be magical choosers.''
As Lone was dealing with the hobgoblin, Sophie had been utilising her Teleportation to flicker through the nine remaining healthy goblins. A stab to the shoulder. A smack to the back of the head with the hilt of one of her swords. A trip into the air only to result in several broken bones after a long fall. Sophie was, if described with a single word, ruthless. By the time Lone had cut off the hobgoblin''s hand, all of the remaining goblins bar the mages had been incapacitated. Sophie may have been inactive for centuries and her body was several times weaker than Lone¡¯s, still, she had killed hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers of Christ. Dozens of which were members of the Knights Templar. Some untrained, unskilled freaks of nature would never be her match. She stayed still and simply observed Lone''s fight with the hobgoblin while dividing her attention between the downed goblins and the still-chanting mages. ''Em, you did really good, Sophie...'' Unexpected praise filled her mind. ''Thank you, Soph. At least this way, we can help him. That is what you wish for, is it not? While we aren''t as good at comforting him as you are, we can more than make up for it in battle,'' Sophie replied. ''Y-Yeah!... I''m just sad that I can''t be more useful...'' Soph expressed. Sophie shook her head. ''You are far more useful than we are, Soph. Do not sell yourself short simply because you struggle when it comes to fighting.'' Silence was her only response. Clearly, her meeker self either didn¡¯t agree or just didn¡¯t know what to say.
Perhaps a minute or two had passed before Lone finally managed to slay the lumbering hobgoblin. The mages were very nearly finished with their spells, so he wasted no time in slitting the throats of every one of the still breathing goblins. This might have been seen as cruel by a more pacifistic soul, however, these monsters only had two goals as far as Lone was aware; kill all men, kidnap, and breed all women. His morals couldn''t let him leave such vile monsters alive. This was not going to change unless some sort of miracle happened which revealed everything they were doing was for a better purpose other than self-preservation and propagation. It didn¡¯t help the creatures that ending their lives directly increased both his and his companion¡¯s strength. Lone stood in front of the mages and simply waited while Sophie was just behind him, ready to teleport him out of danger at a second''s notice. The two mages were clearly quite scared given their constant shaking though they didn¡¯t stop chanting their magic. Suddenly, and almost without warning, the left goblin had finished his spell. A massive ball of water appeared out of his magic circle and spun violently towards Lone. Standing strong like a bulwark, Lone endured the pressure of the thing slamming into him and his armour. It was far more painful than he had imagined it would be, but he was faring immensely better off than he did with the Crude Fireball from not long ago. None of his armour broke, and he was ultimately fine if not a bit wet after the ball of water had collapsed onto the ground. What happened next, though, was truly surprising. A tiny arch of black lightning was formed by the other mage and it slammed right into Lone and coursed through his water-soaked body and his metal chest plate and helmet. "Urggg¡­." Lone let out a strange-sounding grunt as he grit his teeth and felt his entire body jolt. He could practically hear his rapidly beating heart that was barely enduring the electric discharge of energy that was destroying his nerves and stiffening his body up. Sophie could see that Lone was in danger, but he didn''t seem to be dying. With that knowledge in hand, she teleported next to the Goblin Mages and slashed their thighs and shins, making escape impossible. As an extra precaution, she reached into their disgusting mouths with her armoured hands and ripped their tongues out. As expected by both Sophie and Lone, a few minutes passed before he was right as rain. He was a bit mentally exhausted and devoid of some MP though. He put the mages out of their misery and smirked from underneath his helmet. "Totally worth it." B1: Chapter 28: More Magic and Village After such an intense fight, Lone decided to leave it at that for the day. Besides, he had a lot of notifications to check up on. As much as his body ached after being abused so badly by both the goblins and their mages, his mind was beyond eager to see how he had improved and to check what new skills he had gained. The thought of gaining new magic was just so mystical in his eyes. Sophie didn¡¯t have the MP to teleport them back, sadly. Still, the effects of the lightning-water magic combo in his body had mostly subsided. It was certainly a bit of a slog tracking through the woods while trying not to alert any roaming goblin packs but he managed with Sophie¡¯s help. ¡®Honestly, Soph and Sophie are such a godsend,¡¯ he thought though he didn¡¯t mean it literally given her history with the big man upstairs. Since their forced arrival on this island, her Mana Sensing had increased in level from beginner-Level-1 all the way up to intermediate-level-2. She had told him their own rank up from I to H rank had resulted in its range of 15 metres going up by a frighteningly large factor of ten. She could now see 150 metres in any and all directions. The skill¡¯s personal rank up had allowed her to sense emotions in people close to her or in those with particularly strong feelings. The sheer volume of improvement astounded Lone. It really put into perspective for him that her Mana Sensing was, in fact, also a unique skill. If it continued to grow at a factor of ten, just how far would she be able to see eventually? H was a pretty low letter. It was a frightening thought. Since she could inform him of any approaching goblin groups well before they reached them, the biggest worry when returning home was how his entire body ached. It was only when they had reached their hidden fort that his muscles finally stopped seizing up. Basic Regeneration had done its job, it would seem. Lone collapsed onto the bench in the fort¡¯s courtyard with Sophie taking a place next to him. He knew what she wanted so he brought out a fresh set of clothes for her and began helping her get out of her heavy armour. At the same time, he began looking through his notification log.
Congratulations! The host''s subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
"Huh. Bone Armour went up after just that one skirmish? Why?" Lone asked aloud. Sophie glanced at him as she slipped her helmet off. "Is that special?" she asked curiously. Lone shook his head. "Not really, it''s just, it took us roughly an hour per level before, so I''m kinda curious why it levelled up after only getting hit a few times by the shitty weapons of those goblins and that magic. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the magic fucked me up but it went right through my bone armour and left it practically undamaged." Sophie shrugged. "Maybe because they wanted to kill you while we were simply training? Intensity could induce heightened growth. Soph and we have certainly gained more of our levels during combat than outside of it." "Maybe..." Again, he needed more data. For now, he moved on with his notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Again, only a single level, but that made sense. He had only personally fought five of the regular goblins as well as the hobgoblin. Sophie had done most of the grunt work, honestly. ''Well, this at least confirms that the strength of the target means nothing. Otherwise, with my Growth Accelerator, I''m pretty sure I''d have gotten two or three levels for the hobgoblin alone. Still, need to verify this at some point,'' he thought. Next in his log came a string of new skill notifications.
The host has developed the passive skill: Water Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Water Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Water Magic. Water Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
A simple enough skill. The water magic used on him actually hadn¡¯t been all that bad. A bit cold, but harmless on its own. It was the clever usage with the lightning magic that been the real kicker.
The host has developed the active water magic skill: Crude Waterball.
Active Water Magic Skill: Crude Waterball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Waterball] Water Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 100 lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is substantially increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Water Magic.
¡°Definitely gonna find a way to use this to fill up the bathtub,¡± Lone thought out loud. Sophie gave him a funny look before she shook her head. She was out of her armour at this point and took her change of clothes off him before leaving the courtyard. Lone smiled awkwardly before deciding to just go back to his notification log.
The host has developed the passive skill: Lightning Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Lightning Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Lightning Magic. Lightning Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®This should prove to be super useful if we find more gobs who know fuckin¡¯ lightning magic. What a surprise that was¡­¡¯ he thought with a sigh. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The host has developed the active lightning magic skill: Crude Lightning Bolt.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Crude Lightning Bolt
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Lightning Bolt] Lightning Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 100 lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is substantially increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Lightning Magic.
''Sweet!'' Lone exclaimed in the privacy of his mind. Something about magic just sent his heart fluttering despite the fact that the crude spells seemed pretty useless considering their long casting times and absurd MP costs. Still, he¡¯d always loved the idea of magic and myths. He could think of some practical uses for the Crude Fireball and Crude Waterball spell such as his bathtub idea. Crude Lightning Bolt though? He kinda wanted to go full Palpatine and fry some goblins to a crisp. "Still, crude, huh? They honestly seem really¡­ unrefined. Is it goblin-exclusive magic or something? Is it possible for me to develop the non-crude versions of the spells?" he wondered. "Hmm... I should check my magic affinity sheet at some point too if I wanna experiment. I bet I can learn new spells for the magic types I''m more attuned to pretty fast," Lone concluded. With his magical skills out of the way, he, once again, returned to scrolling through the log that remained in the corner of his eyes.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
''Damn. One more level until another rank up. I wonder how it''ll change at advanced-rank?'' Lone thought. He currently only had one skill at the rank beyond intermediate: advanced. It was his subskill, Bone Armour. He was genuinely curious to see how a resistance would change at that point. Would it gain more effects? Would it simply gain larger percentages? How much would said percentages increase by? This was all very interesting to the former teacher.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
''Only one level when Physical Pain Resistance got two? I guess there was more pain than actual damage. Either that or self-healing damaged nerves is the same as self-healing skin in Basic Regeneration''s eyes,'' Lone commented internally as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. With his notifications out of the way, all that was left to inspect now was his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 36 [+8]
Species: Foxkin Rank: H
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 1,230/1,480 [+470] SP: 3,891/4,650 [+1,040]
MP: 6,543/7,960 [+1,440]
Basic Stats
Strength: 153 [+71] Vigour: 465 [+104]
Dexterity: 209 [+26] Agility: 126 [+16]
Vitality: 148 [+47] Luck: 56
Bonus Stats
Charm: 72 Charisma: 40
Magic Power: 796 [+144]
''Lots of strength, vitality and magic power with a decent chunk of vigour... So much magic again basically confirms I steal a portion of the stats of whatever I kill. It has to be a portion too otherwise, with only 1,440 MP between both of those mages, then there¡¯s no way they could have cast their crude magic,'' Lone speculated. ¡®Even if they have it at a high tier and the cost is pretty low, it had to start at beginner-rank. So yeah, gotta be a portion,¡¯ he reasoned. He got up and stretched his back. "I need a bath.¡±
The following day, Lone and Sophie had decided to move further inland for this hunt this time in the search for more magic-wielding goblins. After all, he needed tens of thousands of MP to freely cast the garbage crude magic he had obtained. He wouldn¡¯t get that MP from normal goblins, not without killing hundreds of them. They''d never gone this far into the island¡¯s forest before, but with how well the last battle had gone Lone felt more confident about their chances. Lone pushed his way past a particularly thick bush and found himself to be standing in an open field. In the distance, he could see what looked like broken-down huts or houses of some sort. It was hard for him to tell at this distance. "Do you think that''s where the elves lived before the goblins attacked them?" Lone asked as Sophie got up next to him. She looked at him like he was asking the stupidest question imaginable. "How would we know if you do not?" "Right," he sighed. "If I ask you a question, and you don''t know the answer, just pretend it was rhetorical." Sophie giggled a little. "We wonder what she sees in you? You have attractive muscles, your face feels handsome, and you are very cute sometimes, but other than that..." "I ask myself the same question at least four or five times a day. I can be pretty worthless at times," he responded. Sophie seemed a bit off guard by Lone''s blunt and honest answer, so she averted her gaze from his. Lone moved past it and said, "Anyway, let''s get closer. I want to know if there''s any gobs there." Sophie nodded stoically in response. The pair slowly approached the buildings and managed to safely get behind one of the slightly taller ones. At this distance, it was clear to Lone that they had once been beautifully crafted homes of wood that put the aesthetics of his ramshackle fort to shame. Even in their current run down and mostly destroyed state, the buildings still looked absolutely beautiful. "Sense anything?" Lone asked his armoured companion. Sophie frowned. "Two hobgoblins and about 50 goblins. Four have staves." She then pointed in the direction of the largest building in the village. "They are in what we assume was the town hall. In or near it." Lone narrowed his eyes. Right she was. Just outside of the building she¡¯d pointed out could be seen some patrolling goblins. Sophie¡¯s frown deepened. "A lot of the ones inside are surrounding taller figures. Maybe elves? It is hard to tell. They are just on the border of our senses so it is a bit unclear." Lone''s face became one of concern. "Putting two and two together is pretty easy." Sophie agreed. "It is. Soph is crying. We have sealed her away temporarily so she need not see more of how cruel the world can be. What is the plan here?" "I''m thinking you go in first and teleport the elves away. I fuckin¡¯ hope they aren''t elves and are just gangly gobs, but it''s best to assume the worst," Lone said. ¡°Can you tell the gender, by the way?¡± Sophie nodded. ¡°All female as far as we can tell.¡± Lone¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Thanks for sealing Soph. Yeah, we need to focus on saving the elves. I don¡¯t really trust Rewal¡¯eh but no one deserves what¡¯s going on in there.¡± "Okay. We can do that. There are seven that we can detect. What about after that?" Sophie pressed. "Once that''s done, you try your best to kill the mages. Be quick. I''ll use Mental Destruction on the hobs then we work together to wipe out the normal gobs," Lone said. Sophie raised an eyebrow from underneath her faceplate. "You are not going to endure the magic?" Lone shook his head. "Too many. Too risky. They might finish chanting before we''re done with the normal gobs. 50 isn''t a small number." "54 to be specific. We were rounding down," Sophie admitted. "54 then," Lone echoed. "Got any more amendments to make?" "Yes, we do," Sophie replied. "We are not going to kill the mages. We will cripple them and keep an eye on them. We are sure you would like to obtain all of their magic in the case that they have anything you have not already stolen, would you not? We can keep them crippled and out of action until the ordinary goblins are eliminated." Lone scowled. "Can you do that? I don''t want you getting endangered for my sake." Sophie immediately answered, "We can. Mana Sensing is far more useful than mere eyesight is. It won''t be an issue." "Okay." Lone stiffened his grip on his weapon. "I''ll trust you. The second - the fuckin¡¯ second - things go south, I''m unsummoning you and going on a rampage. Provided I can instakill the two hobs, I bet I can somehow win against the rest in a do or die situation." "Mmm," Sophie replied uncharacteristically meekly. B1: Chapter 29: Rescue and Plans The moment Sophie appeared in the building, the goblins began screaming madly. Almost at the very same second that she had teleported in, she grabbed an elven woman who was being sexually assaulted by a goblin and then disappeared with the both of them. Instantly appearing behind the town hall and out of sight, she slit the confused goblin''s throat without any hesitation. She then whispered to the perfectly still elf, "We do not know if you are still in there, but do not make a sound if you want to live." Without waiting for a response, Sophie repeated that process six more times. By the fourth time, the goblins had wisened up and started piling on top of the elves. Sophie didn''t care. She slaughtered them all like the pigs that they were. Thankfully, they seemed to value the elven women and weren''t harming them while dogpiling them, which made things a lot easier for Sophie. Once that was done, she left the women on their own with each other just outside of the building. There was killing to be done. She returned to the building''s interior and then successively appeared behind each one of the mages and cut their shins, the backsides of their knees, their thighs, and then their foreheads to make them panic with the excessive bleeding. That was a nice trick she learned all of those years ago when she was trying to end her own life. It didn¡¯t do much harm but the sheer amount of blood that poured out from a horizontal slash to the forehead like that was staggering. Hopefully, they''d blind themselves with their sharp claws as they panicked to remove the flowing blood. Now that the elves and the mages were dealt with, she began mercilessly slaughtering each and every single ordinary goblin that she could reach. By the time that Lone had used Mental Destruction on the two hobgoblins that were standing guard outside and then killed the seven goblins wandering around the periphery, Sophie had already massacred all but three remaining goblins. Ten had been killed during the rescue of the elves. The last trio of green-skinned monsters were all writhing about on the floor like worms. Sophie was keeping a very tight watch on the mages to make sure they didn''t do anything dangerous when Lone approached her. "Jesus Christ. This is... Wow. You''re a fucking badass. This smell though..." his face scrunched up in disgust. Sophie scoffed. "This is rather disgusting, we will admit." She then gestured with her head to the remaining normal goblins. "They had no order though. We are no ¡®badass¡¯, as you say. They were easy to slaughter, just as farm animals are. We decided to keep as many alive as we could when we thought the threat of being overwhelmed had disappeared." "So I can finish them off?" Lone asked with a knowing nod. "So you can finish them, yes," Sophie confirmed. "Go ahead. The mages aren''t channelling their mana... yet." Lone nodded at her words. He ended the lives of the three goblins struggling on the floor before he approached Sophie and the mages once again. Seeing that their faces were covered in blood and that they were incoherently yelling at the top of their lungs, Lone used his Creation Magic to make a big ball of water appear over one of them. The blood was washed away in an instant and the goblin looked very confused before he scrambled for his staff. It was a struggle though with his ruined legs. "I guess this will work," Lone muttered as he got in front of Sophie and prepared himself.
Ten minutes later, the four mages lay dead. Lone took a look at his gains from enduring their various magic spells.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
It was a shame that the first two of the four goblins only had the Crude Fireball skill just like the first magical goblin he had encountered. Still, Lone was pleased. Them using the fireball on him had led to the discovery that Lone¡¯s version of this skill could not develop further once it had been stolen except via him personally using it. Obvious, really, still a sad discovery for him though.
Congratulations! The host''s subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
This time, the magic used on him had actually destroyed some of his bones. A damned painful experience since his armour was still a part of him even if it helped protect his body.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence. All physical pain shall be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
''That''s... a bit underwhelming. Oh well. Better than nothing, I suppose.'' Lone was really hoping for a new effect. He couldn¡¯t complain though. While the skill didn¡¯t reduce pain, it make it so much easier to ignore which was a boon to not be shunned in his eyes. Next on the list of notifications though was the true bread and butter. The new magics and their accompanying resistances.
The host has developed the passive skill: Air Magic Resistance.
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Passive Skill: Air Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Air Magic. Air Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Honestly, it not being called ¡®Wind Magic Resistance¡¯ bothered him more than he thought it would. Still, he eagerly looked at the next notifications that detailed the skill which had spawned this resistance.
The host has developed the active air magic skill: Crude Wind Blade.
Active Air Magic Skill: Crude Wind Blade
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Wind blade] Air Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 100 lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is substantially increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Air Magic.
¡®So this skill is called Crude Wind Blade instead of Crude Air Blade? Talk about inconsistent. I fuckin¡¯ have to find out why that is when I get the chance,¡¯ Lone decided.
The host has developed the passive skill: Earth Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Earth Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Earth Magic. Earth Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®Just like Fire, Water, Lightning and ¡®Air¡¯.¡¯ Lone thought as he read the skill¡¯s information.
The host has developed the active earth magic skill: Crude Boulder.
Active Earth Magic Skill: Crude Boulder
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Boulder] Earth Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 100 lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is substantially increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Earth Magic.
That was the final notification waiting to be read by him. As he and Sophie made their way to the back of the building to collect the elven women, Lone slowly nodded his head. ''Yup. It''s just like someone''s copy-pasted all of the skills. I guess the system managing them is trying to be efficient? Oh well. That''s all four of the basic elements now as well as lightning. I wonder if that lightning mage was unique, or maybe the four basics aren''t the only basics in this world?'' More unanswered questions to be explored in the future. Lone wanted to check his status next, but he and Sophie had turned the corner. Upon seeing the dreadful state of the women send chills up his spine and made him feel sick to his stomach Almost all of their hair had been torn out. They were covered in minor cuts and bruises. Several unidentifiable crusts littered their bodies. Lone didn''t even want to hazard a guess at what that stuff was. He could make an educated guess but just the thought almost forced him to empty out his breakfast right there and then. Each and every one of the elves wore a dead look in their eyes and they were just... laying there, doing nothing. Hell, they were barely even breathing. Worst of all, Lone could see a large, indicative bulge on five of the women¡¯s stomachs. "Perhaps we should put them out of their misery?" Sophie suggested in a tone Lone had never heard her speak in before. It wasn¡¯t sympathy nor understanding, really¡­ Perhaps pity? Lone couldn¡¯t really place it. He shook his head. "No. I... I can fix this." It was clear that these women weren''t going to be walking anywhere, so Lone turned to Sophie and asked, "Can you teleport all of them back home?" Sophie shook her head. "It costs more MP per person. we''re a bit low as it is, so it would be impossible for us to teleport eight extra people so many times. That eight includes you." "Okay. Touch one of them for a second, please," Lone requested. Sophie didn''t question him and did as told. She lightly grabbed one of their arms. A few seconds passed before she heard Lone clicking his tongue. "Well, that''s one theory debunked. Looks like you can only take inanimate objects into The Summoning Room with you," Lone claimed with a sad sigh. "What now?" Sophie moved away from the elves and returned to Lone''s side. Lone closed his eyes and concentrated for a few moments. Out of thin air, a large carriage appeared. Its back was big enough to hold ten people easily though it looked pretty low-quality. "Help me bring them up." Sophie glanced between the cart and the elves dubiously. "How will we pull the cart, and where to?" Lone carefully picked up one of the women and replied, "I have the stats and the SP. I''ll drag the fuckin¡¯ thing back home." Sophie wore a shocked expression underneath her helmet. "Is that wise? What about the tracks? Carrying so many people will no doubt leave markings in the dirt." Lone laughed. "Let the fuckers track us. We¡¯ll just kill them all. Each. And. Every. Single. Last. One." To that, Sophie had no response. She silently helped him load up the cart and took a seat at the rear of it to ensure that none of the elves fell out or got injured along the way.
It took the pair just over an hour to find their way back home. Twice goblins came to ambush them, but without any hobgoblins or mages, Lone didn''t even bother to stop pulling the cart as Sophie ambushed the ambushers. Her Mana Sensing gave her an overwhelming tactical advantage now that its range was 150 metres. Immediately upon entering the Illusionary Dome, Lone stopped dragging the cart and began helping Sophie bring the elves inside their miniature fort. "What is the plan here, Lone?" Sophie asked after having taken her armour off with his help. ¡°Surely you cannot intend to have them live with us permanently.¡± Lone shrugged. He took his chest plate and helmet off before forcing his Bone Armour to recede back into his body. He was far more collected now after having had slightly longer than an hour to think and mull things over. "I think it''s time to test if my Creation Magic or Basic Regeneration can be used to heal other people. I have a good feeling about Creation Magic since it can return stuff to its intended original form.¡± Lone sighed as he stretched. ¡°After that? A bath and some clothes for these girls. Then we return them to Rewal¡¯eh and find the ''Goblin King''." ¡°Really? We thought you did not trust that high elf,¡± Sophie pointed out. Lone nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t, still, these are likely her people. It¡¯s only right.¡± "Then what?" Sophie pressed. "Then," Lone smiled a little bit cruelly, "Then when we find the king Rewal¡¯eh mentioned, I butcher him and enjoy the level ups and stats he''s bound to give me. After that? We get the fuck off of this island and find some people." Sophie nodded. "Well, we will be there to help you. For now, Soph has calmed and wants to assist you with these women, so we will be returning control to her now." When they were both out of their armour, Lone gestured for her to get closer to him. She raised an eyebrow but complied. Lone suddenly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. It was brief and sloppy. Nothing more than a peck, really. After parting his lips from hers, Lone grinned a little nervously. "Your reward." "Ah, uh, em, yeah." Clearly, Sophie had forgotten about teasing him with that. The next second, Soph was in control, and she instantly scampered off. Lone smiled. "Never expected her to get so flustered..." He turned his attention to the nearly lifeless women sitting on the floor or the sofas in the living room. "Hopefully, I didn''t just sign our death warrants with this... It was the right call, wasn''t it?" he mumbled to himself. He couldn¡¯t imagine the Goblin King would be most pleased with having his elves stolen from him. Still, Lone felt he had no choice in the matter but to save them. B1: Chapter 30: The Kings Rage and The Lucky Rain Lone had wanted to try and heal the elves immediately. Sadly, doing so would require them to be cleaned from top to bottom. Honestly, Lone didn¡¯t have the stomach for it. His own blood and guts were one thing. It was a different feeling when you were the one who was revolting. Besides, he was a man. Soph also seemed to be more than willing to at least spend the time to clean up the unresponsive women, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to lump the task onto her. It took her four hours to get the elves anywhere near a point that could remotely be referred to as ¡®clean¡¯. There was only so much that could be done with soap and water, which Lone perfectly understood. Besides, Soph had to be very careful since each woman had numerous puss-filled infections festering all over them. One even had such an infection on her left eye, rendering her completely blind in it. The levels of filth on their bodies was utterly sickening and the sheer scale with which they had been mistreated left Lone wondering how they hadn¡¯t simply died yet. Regardless, six of the seven women were now sound asleep while Lone sat in front of the seventh. Like the others, her entire body was covered in cuts and bruises. She had a particularly bad black eye that didn''t open fully which was going to be Lone''s first target. It wasn¡¯t as big of a lost cause as the woman with the blinded eye, so he figured this was as good a place as any to start. He closed his eyes as he gently touched the elf¡¯s face and imagined a flawless eye with no swelling or damage at all.
Item does exist on Altros. The host has no understanding of the item. 1,500 base MP cost. 6,000 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. 7,500 MP has been consumed to recreate the item: [Wood Elf [In¡¯ar¡¯udah]''s right eye, surrounding muscle, and skin tissue].
Lone was able to endure having almost every last drop of his mana points being drained out of him well enough that he didn''t gain any skill levels in Mental Pain Resistance. A shame, really, that he needed to go beyond his limits to level in that particular skill. Still, a big smile was strewn across his face. The healing had been flawless. Just like when he had fixed his clothes, the woman¡¯s eye was in perfect condition. It was as if the black, swollen eye from before hadn¡¯t even existed. It was downright magical. The elf slowly brought a hand up to her face so Lone removed his from her cheek. She slowly caressed the area surrounding her eye then started to cry faintly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡± she muttered with quivering lips. Lone smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± She didn¡¯t respond to him and just sat there quietly sobbing as if she hadn¡¯t noticed his existence. He took no offence to being ignored. The trauma this woman must have experienced wasn¡¯t beyond his imagining, which was the problem. ¡®It''ll take a few weeks, but I can definitely heal these women. I could use a bit more MP though,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Just how did they get caught though if the elves live and move as a group?¡¯ There were no captured men in that elven town hall. Sure, that made some sense. Why keep men when they couldn¡¯t be used to create more goblins? ¡®Why were there no corpses though? Surely their husbands or lovers would have tried to rescue them. Hell, Rewal¡¯eh may have even organised a rescue operation herself. She¡¯s powerful despite what she claims happened to her and her people. That Illusionary Dome of hers is no joke,¡¯ Lone thought. It all seemed very¡­ suspicious. Shaking his head he helped the unresponsive elf up and led her back to her fellow kin. Once that was done, he headed to his and Soph¡¯s bedroom. He flopped down onto the bed and began thinking some more. After this successful healing session, Lone¡¯s mind was filled with the possibility of repairing Soph''s eyes. However, he knew that was a more complex matter than it sounded like. From her own explanations, her Immortality restored her body to its perfect state on its own much like his Basic Regeneration did to him. This meant that her body felt that being blind was a part of her perfect body. He had no idea how to fix that. Sophie had explained that the blindness only took a hold of her permanently after God¡¯s holy water had been poured into her eyes for over five decades. This implied that he could perhaps restore her sight if he were able to somehow fix her eyes and keep fixing them for 50 years. The issue with that though, besides how long it would take, was that her Immortality skill would need to be unsealed. Hell, what would happen if Soph lost a finger right now then later had her Immortality restored? Would the skill restore her to the state before losing the finger or would the finger be forever lost? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He had no clue and this bothered him greatly. He just sighed lightly. ¡°One thing at a time. Goblins and elves first, huh?... I wonder what rank the Goblin King is?" he asked himself as he stared at the ceiling. The door to the room clicked open and then shut before the sound of soft pitter-pattering filled Lone''s ears. A few seconds later and a cold body was snuggling up to him as it coiled itself around his tails and laid down on top of him. Reaching over with his arm, Lone grabbed the covers and pulled them over himself and the small woman that had decided to curl up on top of him like a cat. It was clear to him that Soph was in control instead of Sophie since she was being so innocently affectionate. He wrapped his arms around her back and began to play with her long hair as he kept silently thinking. Minutes passed before Soph finally worked up the courage to ask, "Will they be okay?" "Physically?" Lone responded. "Sure. I might even be able to erase the pregnancies. Worst-case scenario, I create some pills that force a miscarriage. Gruesome, but it might be better than forcing them to birth more goblins. Mentally? Unlikely." "... I''m scared," Soph''s grip on his tails tightened and she buried her face deeper into his fluffiness. Lone stopped messing around with her hair for a moment to ask, "Of?" "Of becoming like them... What... What if the goblins get me? I-I don''t want to end up like them... You can''t see it, but I can," Soph claimed with a tremble in her high-pitched voice. Lone raised an eyebrow. "See what?" "Those girls... They don''t move, but they''re full of emotions." Soph shuddered. "I feel it in their mana. This new rank up ability of Mana Sensing, you know? Normally, I just get the general shape of something, its colour, and how dense its mana is... but those girls... All I can feel from their mana is a deep fear and a longing for release." Lone closed his eyes. "That''s... good." "That''s good?" Sophie asked in surprise. "Mmm, it is. It means there''s still hope for them. If they can feel fear, then they can still feel hope." He pulled himself up and hugged Soph tightly. "Also, don''t be stupid." "Eh?" She was befuddled as she sat there on his lap. "Don''t be stupid, Stupid," he repeated himself. Lone then moved her fringe out of the way and kissed her forehead before he held her cheeks and gazed into her eyes. "As if I''d ever let you become like them. I will always protect you. Both of you. When I''m not enough, The Summoning Room will keep you two safe. So long as I¡¯m not dead, nothing like what happened to those women will ever happen to you. Got it?¡± "Ah..." She looked into his golden eyes as if searching deeply for something before she said, ¡°Mmm, you¡¯re right. I¡­ I trust you.¡±
"Rain... Rain... Rain!" The Goblin King screamed at the top of his lungs as he threw his precious treasures around. Precious as they were though, they didn¡¯t come even close to the value of what had been lost. "Tracks... washed away! Planned... All planned!" He yelled and shouted until his throat felt coarse. ¡°Betrayed! We have been betrayed!¡± His three remaining hobgoblin generals all cowered in fear at the foot of his throne. Rage clouded the massive monster''s mind as he screamed, "Find them! The females! We need the females! The pointy ears too! Find and kill them all! Betrayers! All betrayers of the great king, me!" His gaze landed on the only two remaining Goblin Mages. They were rare in the first place since there was only a one-in-twenty chance for a Goblin Mage to be born from a goblin and a magic-based species like an elf. However, even they had been slaughtered like cattle and reduced from the once-grand number of nine to a mere two. It was clear in his mind that he was being plotted against. His kingdom was being threatened! Luckily, the most common type of Goblin Mage was a fire mage, which was exactly what he needed right now. Madness filled the Goblin King''s mind. "Go! Burn down the forest! Flush out the thieves! Find the females! Burn all that the betrayers call home! Destroy their food! Kill everything!" The two Goblin Mages made several unintelligible noises before they scampered out of the dungeon temple. Pointing one of his humongous fingers at the three hobgoblins, he ordered them, "Go! Protect the magic ones! Bring all of the weaklings! We must find the females!" As soon as he was alone in his throne room, the Goblin King slumped down onto his magnificent throne of bones. He picked up a small jet-black orb before he stroked it and enjoyed the humming sounds it made. "I must protect you... I know... The females come second to you... I know..."
Lone was smiling from ear to ear as he looked out of a window and saw the rain heavily pouring all over the place. Back in Scotland, it rained all of the time. This heavily though? Maybe once or twice a year, sometimes more if it was a bad year, of course. In the few weeks that he and Soph had been on this island, it hadn''t rained once. The climate was mild and it was usually somewhat windy, but there hadn''t been so much as a single drop of rain since they came here. "Soph, how high is your luck stat? I''m curious," Lone asked as he glanced at the girl who was still happily wearing her pyjamas with a sleepy look on her face. "Hmm?" She wiped her eyes and yawned lightly. "Just over 60,000. Why?" ¡°Wait. No bullshit?¡± Lone asked with shock in his tone. She smiled shyly. ¡°Mmm.¡± "I see..." Lone nodded his head in a sagely manner. "That explains a lot... No wonder a pretty normal - while badass - girl like Sophie could evade the templars for so long as well as be so lucky as to not have some templars, well, let¡¯s say ignore God¡¯s commands... This rain is just such a stroke of good fortune." He stood up and approached Soph before picking her up. He spun her around a few times and laughed heartily. The woman who was mere moments away from dozing off again suddenly got flustered and waved her arms around. Lone sat her down and kissed her on the cheek. "You''re my beautiful little lucky charm now." "Eh... Um... Ah... Thanks?" Soph was both very happy and very confused. ¡°That was kinda fun¡­ unexpected though¡­¡± "This means the cart tracks are gone. Rain this heavy? No doubt it''s muddled up the markings in the sand and the dirt," Lone explained. "Sure, an expert tracker might still be able to see the residue of the cart tracks, but gobs? Fat chance." "Ah..." Soph nodded in understanding. "So... is the plan any different since we don''t need to worry about the gobs so much now?" Lone nodded. "Yeah. Let''s rest here for a few weeks. I''d like to heal the elves completely. More MP would be great but I think I can manage without. Maybe get one of them to a point that they can talk openly again. I''d like to know where the Goblin King is and if he has any more... hostages." "Mmm," Soph agreed. ¡°I think that¡¯s smart.¡±
A month passed in a flash. The first thing Lone focused on was the matter of the pregnancies. Luckily, his Creation Magic was able to deal with that problem. He was just glad he didn¡¯t get any stats for dealing with the unborn goblins in this way. That¡­ that might have been hard to deal with. As each day ticked on by though, Lone got more and more skilled at healing the women, so it became cheaper and cheaper. They still refused to talk to him to this day. Perhaps because he was a man, he wondered. Regardless, Soph had managed to learn from their mumblings that the Goblin King lived in a very old temple that had become a dungeon on the western side of the centre of the island. The elves didn''t elaborate on what a dungeon was, but Lone had a few guesses. He and Soph were both happy to learn that they were the only victims and that there weren''t any more elven prisoners. This did imply that the rest had died if there were more, but surely that was a better fate than being forced to endure such torture for years on end, Lone felt. The only other thing of note was that Lone''s Bone Armour skill had increased to advanced-level-eight. It was free to invoke once every 30 minutes, after all. Because of that, he simply had Sophie smash it apart every half an hour or so. It wasn''t exceedingly efficient, but he had to save his mana points for the healing of the elves, so it was better than nothing. Sophie''s Sword Mastery skill had also levelled up and reached beginner-level-five. Nothing much in comparison to Lone''s development, sadly, but it was hardly fair considering his Growth Accelerator was broken beyond belief. In regards to Lone and Soph''s romance, despite four weeks having passed, their relationship hadn''t advanced at all beyond the odd kiss and the usual skinship. It just didn¡¯t seem appropriate to advance any further given the situation with the goblins. "We''re here," Lone said as he stopped pulling the wagon momentarily and waited just outside of the Illusionary Dome that covered the elven settlement. It was time to confront Rewal¡¯eh and see how she would react to having her people returned to her. B1: Chapter 31: Tea and Pathetic While he waited, Lone tried his best to notice the magical dome and see through it. He had very limited success. Lone could vaguely feel that something was there. He knew it was the Illusionary Dome but without having that prior knowledge, it would have just seemed like any other odd hunch, honestly. It didn''t take long for a familiar face to step through the Illusionary Dome, forcing him to halt what he was doing. "Greetings, Ninetails, Human," Lal''roh said as he raised bow and eyed the cart behind the two of them with suspicion. Seven of his fellow Wood Elves followed him out with bows and swords drawn at the ready. "What brings you here during these chaotic times?" Lone couldn¡¯t help but notice them all inspecting his mix of bone and metal armour as well as Sophie¡¯s pristine full plate with suspicion. It was also strange how hostile they appeared to be, what with their weapons all being drawn and whatnot. ''Chaotic times, huh? I guess you could call the forest fires that, sure,'' Lone thought. Drawing an arrow and nocking it, Lal''roh lowered the tone of his voice. "I shall ask one more time. What brings you here and in such heavy equipment? What is the cart for?" ''Yeah, man, this hostility is such a red flag. Best be ready to unsummon Sophie instantly if need be,'' Lone thought as he looked to Sophie then back to Lal''roh. "We recently found a destroyed village in the middle of the forest on the south side of the island. There was a group of goblins situated there, four Goblin Mages and two hobgoblins included. We rescued seven Wood Elves - all women - after slaying the goblins. We''re here to return them," Lone stated truthfully, gauging for a reaction. He shivered as he felt something¡­ dangerous. No, more than dangerous. It was like¡­ ¡®Was that bloodlust? Fuck me that¡¯s a real thing? They sure reigned it in quickly though.¡¯ Sophie tensed up at his side and moved her hands to the hilts of her short swords, ready to unsheathe them. ¡°¡­ May I see the inside of the cart?¡± Lal¡¯roh requested. Lone nodded calmly. ¡°Go ahead. We¡¯re here to bring them back anyway.¡± Lal¡¯roh lowered his bow but kept the arrow nocked as he approached. The moment he was able to see into the cart, Sophie leaned a bit closer to Lone. ¡°The women are panicking wildly upon meeting eyes with him,¡± Sophie whispered. Lone frowned deeply. There could only be so many reasons for that given the fact Lal¡¯roh was one of their kind. Before long, the wood elf nodded his head and slowly returned to his group. He then said, ¡°Come. I¡¯m sure Chieftain Rewal¡¯eh would like to hear more of how you reclaimed our lost people.¡± ¡®And I¡¯d like to know why they got scared just by seeing you, and how to get ¡®lost¡¯ in the first place,¡¯ Lone replied in thought as a theory began to appear in his mind. A theory he didn¡¯t like one bit.
¡°Ah, Ninetails, welcome. And to you too¡­ Beg my pardon, I have forgotten your name,¡± Rewal¡¯eh said calmly and with a polite smile. Sophie didn¡¯t reply verbally, instead, she chose to simply shrug uncaringly. Her hands were still firmly wrapped around the hilts of her sheathed weapons. ¡°Ah. This tension is¡­ unpleasant, no? Please, have a seat. Perhaps some tea could help calm these nerves? We don¡¯t have much but I¡¯m willing to share some of my rare tea leaves with you both. As thanks to the saviours of my kin,¡± she said as she pulled out a simple wooden tea set and began brewing some right then and there. ¡°We¡¯ll stand,¡± Lone answered. ¡°You want to talk more about the elves we saved and the goblins we killed, right?¡± The high elf frowned for a moment before shaking her head and wearing a smile again. ¡°Indeed. I will be honest, I did not think you had the strength to do such a thing. It¡¯s truly unbelievable. Your equipment is so odd too. It looks brand new and those are¡­ bones? Impressive craftsmanship, to say the least. Your own handiwork?¡± she asked. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She then pushed two cups of full tea towards them before filling one for herself and taking a sip. ¡°Delicious.¡± Lone reached over to pick up a cup but was stopped when Sophie said, ¡°It has the same mana in it as the most poisonous mushrooms we have encountered on this island. My cup contains a sedative similar to that of the plants you pointed out to Soph.¡± Rewal¡¯eh and Lal¡¯roh¡¯s expression froze. In a split second, an arrow whizzed through the air and pierced right through an eye hole in Lone¡¯s helmet. It easily made its way through his eyeball and even his brain. Sophie, on the other hand, had instantly teleported behind Rewal¡¯eh and had both of her swords pressed against her neck in a cross shape. ¡°Move even a single muscle and she will die,¡± Sophie growled threateningly. Lone had stumbled back and felt his consciousness fade in and out. In one moment of lucidity, he grabbed the arrow lodged in his skull and ripped it out in one pull, taking some brain matter and his entire eye with it. Blood flowed like a river out of the bottom of his helmet and his head felt like it was on fire. Lal¡¯roh hesitated. ¡°Were you not mute? And he should be dead!¡± Lone slowly cracked his neck as he pumped MP into his Basic Regeneration to quickly heal his brain. The eye could wait. ¡°Well, if nothing else, you just confirmed several theories for me. Good to know fatal blows aren¡¯t quite so fatal to me,¡± Lone said softly and slowly. ¡°Now, you two have some explaining to do. A lot of explaining to do if you don¡¯t want my lovely little companion here to fillet this entire camp like a fuckin¡¯ fish,¡± Lone demanded with power and anger in his voice. Lal¡¯roh already had a second arrow drawn and had it pointed at Sophie¡¯s head this time but he didn¡¯t fire, instead he looked for guidance from his leader. Rewal¡¯eh seemed conflicted. However, perhaps due to the blood slowly eking out of the shallow cuts in her fragile neck, or maybe thanks to Lone not dying by getting shot in the head, she sighed. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± she said weakly. ¡°It was this or total annihilation.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± Sophie hissed into her ear. ¡°¡­ We were unaware of the goblins when we were exiled to this land. Even when we learned of their existence, we thought nothing of them. Who would? This place is too small for them to grow exponentially as they usually do,¡± she claimed. ¡®So goblins are a plague of sorts normally? That¡¯s not hard to believe,¡¯ Lone thought. ¡°Little did we know they were being controlled by a king with hobgoblins serving under it. Our arrogance blinded us to the mere possibility of such a thing,¡± she said in a regretful tone. ¡°They rushed your town with an army, huh?¡± Lone said. Rewal¡¯eh nodded as much as Sophie¡¯s swords allowed her to. ¡°We didn¡¯t stand a chance. I¡¯m only a D-ranker now thanks to my exile. Goblin Kings start at that rank. Do you understand? This Goblin King had the wisdom and strength to control hobgoblins.¡± She chuckled at herself. ¡°Hobgoblins could kill even a strong C-ranker who was caught unaware. Monsters truly do have an unfair lot when it comes to stats per level,¡± she remarked, catching Lone¡¯s interest. ¡®Huh. Monsters get more stats than non-monsters? I wonder why and how big the difference is,¡¯ he thought. ¡°We were overwhelmed in under an hour. Everyone knows what it means to be defeated by goblins, of all things. I did not want to live the rest of my life as a toy to satisfy the lust and sheer breeding desire of such¡­ filthy beings. So, we tried to kill ourselves,¡± Rewal¡¯eh claimed. Lal¡¯roh had a deeply saddened look in his eyes upon hearing the recounting of a tale he had presumably lived through. Rewal¡¯eh smiled bitterly. ¡°Not only was the Goblin King strong though, but it was also cunning. It gave me a deal. Provide it with a sacrifice every year and we would be left alone. Fail to deliver a single sacrifice though and he vowed to raze the entire island to the ground to find us.¡± ¡°Pathetic,¡± Sophie snarled. ¡°You sent your women to be violently raped over and over again, forced to bear the children of monsters, only serving to strengthen your enemy. Death was clearly the better option.¡± ¡°Do not speak as if you know me, Human!¡± Rewal¡¯eh shouted. ¡°I-! I¡­ I was afraid of death. Do you have any idea what it is like to live for centuries yet see so little of the world only to be forced to end it all due to a measly goblin?!¡± Lone scoffed. ¡°A measly goblin who you willingly obeyed, ruining several innocent lives in the process only to lengthen your own.¡± At this point, his eye had been fully healed and he had already heard enough. ¡°You have access to poison, intricate magic, skilled warriors. You have all of this yet have you never tried to kill the king? Even just once?¡± Silence filled the tent. ¡°Sophie¡¯s right. You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ pathetic. Pathetic cowards. Why didn¡¯t you just leave the island?¡± Lone asked, just about done with this conversation. Tears streamed down the High Elf¡¯s face. ¡°We have no boatswain among our numbers. The ship that brought us here left after ensuring we have safely been delivered to our site of exile.¡± Lal¡¯roh suddenly spoke. ¡°The king has a ship though, hidden somewhere.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you stolen it yet? You¡¯ve had years to scour the island and find it. At least seven, probably more,¡± Lone pointed out. ¡°What part of ¡®hidden¡¯ did you fail to understand?¡± Lal¡¯roh asked. ¡°We may have had it gifted to us though if only we¡­¡± ¡°If only you what?¡± Sophie asked pointedly, pressing her swords a bit deeper into Rewal¡¯eh¡¯s neck. ¡°If we delivered you to it,¡± the high elf revealed. ¡°Only human mothers have a chance of birthing hobgoblins. We suspect that was who owned the ship in his possession, humans.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Lone said. ¡°Not only would you sell out your own people to save yourself, but even a stranger. Even a blind woman who until now, you assumed was also mute and a former victim of slavery. You guys aren¡¯t just pathetic cowards, you¡¯re downright fuckin¡¯ deplorable.¡± ¡°I had no choi-¡± ¡°There is always a choice!¡± Lone screamed. ¡°¡­ Sophie, we¡¯re leaving. With the women. Rewal¡¯eh, I am going to kill the king. I¡¯ll do it even if it¡¯s dangerous. Know why? Because I won¡¯t let a fuckin¡¯ monster turn someone I care for into a sex slave just to save my own hide. I¡¯d sooner die.¡± With that, he signalled to Sophie. She nodded and then pulled back from Rewal¡¯eh and instantly disappeared. A moment later, both she, Lone, and the cartful of Elven women, completely disappeared from the camp. B1: Chapter 32: Dungeons and Orb ¡°You were right,¡± Sophie said as she slumped down on the sofa, exhaustion marring her complexion. She didn¡¯t even bother taking off her armour, Lone noted. She was just sitting there, panting heavily. ¡°That¡¯s not a good thing,¡± he replied as he glanced at the seven confused women in the middle of his and Sophie¡¯s living room. ¡°No, it is not, but they are safe for now. We suspect they would have just been offered up as ¡®sacrifices¡¯ once more had we allowed them to remain,¡± Sophie suggested. Lone nodded. ¡°Probably. Selfish fucks.¡± He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. ¡°I get it to an extent. Most people are fuckin¡¯ terrified of death, but to abandon your own to a fate even worse just to avoid it? That¡¯s beyond inhumane.¡± At this point, the women had come to their senses and very light hints of life radiated out of their eyes. The one whom Lone had healed first prostrated herself in front of Lone and Sophie. ¡°Thank you!¡± she exclaimed. The other women quickly followed suit. ¡®Huh. So healing them wasn¡¯t worthy of thanks but sparing them from being tossed back to the wolves is?¡¯ Lone commented internally. He exhaled deeply and got up. ¡°None of that shit. We don¡¯t need thanks for doing the right thing.¡± Sophie frowned but she did nod to his words slightly. ¡°What you could do though is perhaps let us know where to find the Goblin King. If we¡¯re to kill him, that would be pretty handy info to have on hand,¡± Lone stated. The women stopped thanking them and seemed hesitant. Eventually though, one of them did decide to give him the information he was seeking.
30 minutes of walking in an almost straight line had led Lone and Sophie right to the temple that was supposedly a dungeon. The elves had explained that it used to be an ancient elven ritual site of some sort before all elves migrated to the world trees. Its existence was why this island was their exiled lands. Negligence and a lack of care had slowly turned the place into a dungeon. At this point, Lone had already revealed his incredible healing abilities to the women as well as Sofia¡¯s Teleportation. Making it known that they knew nothing of dungeons didn¡¯t concern Lone in the slightest. Apparently, they were concentrated zones of mana that amplified the strength of any monsters occupying them. They were actually somewhat common on the continental scale and often coveted by kingdoms and empires as exceptional places for a good challenge to break through rank bottlenecks. There were different types of dungeon according to the elves but they didn¡¯t know much beyond the fact that different types definitely existed. There was another reason though that dungeons were highly valued: artefacts. Each regular dungeon had an artefact within them and these tended to be items of great power. Once removed alongside the dungeon master, the whole thing would collapse. The structure would be fine but its existence as a dungeon would be completely erased. The artefacts themselves were rather special, from the sounds of it. Ones from lower ranked dungeons could directly boost a person¡¯s combat strength by a whole rank. Sometimes even skills were given upon completely destroying a dungeon, though that rarely ever happened since the skill gain wasn¡¯t a guarantee. Lone certainly didn¡¯t need additional reasons to completely massacre the goblins but now he had them anyway. Regardless, the two of them had slowly been circling the building while being extremely cautious so as to not arouse suspicion. Once they had lapped the entirety of the temple, they made a hasty retreat to the tree line. "So, how many are in there?" Lone asked. Sophie''s voice was full of concern. That was uncommon for her. "We counted 642 normal goblins. Our Mana Sensing wasn''t strong enough to reach the depths of the temple, so there is more than likely more of them." "No special ones?" Lone needed to know how many Hobgoblins there were at the very least. Also, knowing the king''s magic power in comparison to their own and that of the mages would be useful information to have. Sophie shook her head. "None. They are either all further in, or they are outside of the temple for now." Lone nodded. "Okay. Guerrilla tactics it is." "Guerrilla tactics?" This was a new phrase that Lone hadn''t informed her or Soph of thus far, so he understood her confusion. He smirked underneath his helmet. "We hit ''em hard and fast. Really fuckin¡¯ hard and really fuckin¡¯ fast. Deal as much damage as we can, then retreat. Rinse and repeat until they''re all dead. They likely have no women now, so the never ending well of green devils will, eventually, dry up. We have time. They don''t." "Brutal." Sophie chuckled softly. "We like it." "Well then, let''s get started, shall we?" Lone questioned rhetorically as he cracked his neck and took their weapons out of his Dimensional Storage.
"Alone... All alone..." ¡°My forces are gone¡­ Dead. Not a single one lives¡­ Not even my precious warriors or the weak magic ones. All gone¡­¡± Footsteps entered the mighty king¡¯s ears, footsteps that were slowly approaching his grand throne room. ¡°Why? Have they come to kill me too?... Fine. I welcome it. My horde lay dead and here come the killers. Hah. What have I, all-powerful king of the island, of my island, to fear?¡± A violent pulse from the object in his hand awoke him from his anger momentarily. ¡°I know. I must protect you and I will. Let me think a bit selfishly for now though¡­¡± The orb calmed down slightly when the king poured his unending rage into it. The intruders quickly entered his sight when they approached his throne, his grand, grand throne. They were two in number but small in stature. One had tails and strange-looking armour while the other was... a female¡­ ¡°Hope! Hahah! Of course the world does not abandon the unstoppable me! The female human from before! It must be! With you, I can create a new family! A new army! A new horde! I can recapture the elves with the warriors your womb will bear for me!¡± "Ah, so this is the king? Fuck me. He''s even worse than I had imagined. Revolting creature," the tailed person said as he glared beneath his helmet at the king. "What? Insult me, puny man? I will crush you, feast on your flesh and pillage the female! She will bear my new army! Her insides will remember my shape whether they want to or not! Kikikikiki!" He wasn¡¯t joking. No others could compare to him in size. It was one of the many reasons he was so much more than everyone else, than everything else. The next second, the king found himself on the floor and all he could feel was a throbbing pain in his skull. It hurt. It hurt a lot. More so even than when the orb was the one expressing its anger. ¡°How?! I didn''t see the attack, so¡­ how¡­¡±
"Wow. Yeah, his rank must be high. Two Mental Destructions didn''t kill him," Lone mumbled as he cut the Goblin King''s head off. "I was a bit surprised that a disgusting pig like him knew how to speak... Still, that was stupidly easy." Sophie snorted from his left and silently thanked her helmet for hiding her own fury at the creature¡¯s disgusting words. It was obvious to her that Lone wanted more information from the creature once he knew it could talk, but the moment it mentioned her and the things it planned for her... he just instantly killed it without a shred of mercy. Sophie coughed softly before commenting, "Your Mental Destruction is unfair. Although, we are also surprised at how easy that was." She bent down and got a closer look at the Goblin King. "Ah. Deflated stomach. He was starving, it seems. We suppose that makes sense. We did leave the place alone for a few days after we''d confirmed all of the others were dead. Animals still roam the burnt landscape he created though. Perhaps he feared leaving his throne. A vain king." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lone looked shocked. "I never even thought of that... I guess goblins are too intellectually lacking to stockpile rations then? Maybe he couldn¡¯t leave since he was the dungeon master. That¡¯s possible too." "Perhaps," was Sophie''s lacklustre reply. "Well... Let''s get out of here after we loot the place," Lone said as he began shovelling the golden, silver, and bronze coins that littered the room into his Dimensional Storage. Sophie just nodded and did her part. She gathered up everything on the edges of the room to the centre. When she was dragging the Goblin King''s body to the pile of goodies, she noticed a small black sphere roll free from his grasp. She dropped his massive body and picked up the curious sphere. "Hey, Lone." "Hmm?" Craning his neck to look at her, Lone shot her an inquisitive glance. Trotting over to his side, she showed him the orb. "What''s this? It''s full of magic. Deep black magic. We couldn''t tell from a distance, but now that we''re holding it, we''re fairly confident that something is sealed inside of it." "Heh..." Lone took the ball from Sophie''s outstretched hand and looked at it closely. "I wouldn''t know. I''m bad with that stuff for now. It''s a real shame I can''t copy your unique skills. It could be the dungeon''s artefact though." "What should we do with it? We are getting a bad feeling from it. It feels... Not evil, but... Hmm... Wrong? Almost like it should not exist," Sophie noted. Lone just shrugged. "It''s sealed, right?" Sophie nodded again. "In that case, I''ll just pop it in my Dimensional Storage... Artefacts are meant to be really useful, after all." He tried to do as he had said but he was still clearly holding the thing. "... Or not. I can hold onto it for now. I''ll research it when we reach a mainland of some sort. Who knows what it¡¯s meant to be able to do? Sound good to you?" he asked. Sophie turned her back on him and returned to gathering the loot. "Sure. If it ends up biting you in the rear though, do not blame us." Lone sulked as he started storing all the bits and bobs that had been collected by Sophie thus far. "It should be fine. I can''t really throw it away, now can I? It''s probably magic, after all." ¡®Indeed,¡¯ Sophie thought. Magic was one of the poor fool''s many, many weaknesses.
The pair had soon returned home, and Sophie had returned control of Sofia to Soph after giving her a very frightening warning. Lone was lounging in the bedroom since it was already dusk, and it''d been an exhausting day. A new type of notification had blocked his vision as he and Sophie were teleporting back home. Now that he was comfy, he took a second to inspect it.
Congratulations! The host has cleared the [F-rank] Dungeon: [Goblin King''s Temple of The Ancient Elves].
That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a simple message to confirm that he had destroyed the place by killing every single last occupant. He sighed and decided to take a look at all of his skill and status gains from when he and Sophie had begun their guerrilla warfare. Of course, he''d checked them before going to fight the Goblin King, but he wanted to confirm a few things. First, he called upon his status and asked the system to display all the gains from when he and Sophie had rescued the elves. That was a fun little trick he''d discovered recently, so now, he could recap certain growth periods easily. A very handy function. Although, neither Soph nor Sophie saw the value in being able to do this. Sadly, he was alone in his love for the system and the growth it represented.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 49 [+13]
Species: Foxkin Rank: H
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 4,500/4,500 [+3,020] SP: 3,891/11,060 [+6,410]
MP: 7,643/11,900 [+3,940]
Basic Stats
Strength: 310 [+157] Vigour: 1,106 [+641]
Dexterity: 445 [+241] Agility: 333 [+207]
Vitality: 450 [+302] Luck: 63 [+7]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 [+5] Charisma: 46 [+6]
Magic Power: 1,190 [+394]
"The charm and the charisma adds are new, but I still haven''t gained any new levels even after killing the king... 49 has to be the cap for the next rank then¡­ So is it normal to gain stats despite not ranking up? I''m inclined to think the answer''s a big fat ''no'' but I¡¯m not how it works for normal people. I guess if Sofia stops earning stats until I rank up again, that¡¯ll answer that," Lone mumbled to himself as he slotted his hands under his head. "Hmm... Will this give me good or bad attention when we reach civilisation?" Lone just shook his head lightly and moved on to his skills.
Unique Subskill: Bone Armour
A subskill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to use the unique skill [Basic Regeneration] to push the host''s bones outside of their own body and use them as a weightless shield. The strength of the bones will increase with mastery. The strength of the bones will also increase the more that they''re broken and damaged. The host can create [New!] a full suit of armour (does not cover the host''s tails).
Cost: None to invoke (30 minute cooldown). Drains MP to recreate rapidly or to heal at varying levels depending on the speed of the recreation or the severity of the damage being healed. [New!] The cost of the shield will vary depending on its thickness and size.
Mastery: Expert Level 1 [Up by 3 levels]
No matter what he did, this skill would not even budge past expert-level-one after getting there. Both Lone and Sophie reasoned that the attacks of the goblins and Sophie were simply too weak to justify levelling the skill up even though they did increase the strength of the bones themselves.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a moderate rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana.
Cost: 40 MP (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery Intermediate Level 10 [Up by 6 levels]
"Hmm... Maybe I should have let the king hit me once or twice?" Lone asked himself before he laughed out loud. "What a stupid idea. I''m not a masochist. It''ll rank up when it ranks up, I suppose."
Passive Skill: Swordspear Mastery
A child skill of the skills, [Sword Mastery] and [Spear Mastery] which is critical for swordspear-users and passively allows for better handling and control over swordspears. All swordspears used by the host will cut and pierce their targets 15% [+10%] more easily. [New!] Grants the talent [Pierce]. Say the word [Pierce] and the host shall perform a piercing strike with twice the host''s maximum force on the desired area.
Cost: 1,000 SP to perform the talent [Pierce].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 2 [Up by 9 levels]
"A lovely little boon, that Pierce talent... It''s a shame it stopped levelling after about 200 kills. I wonder if the system decided I wasn''t learning anything from the gobs anymore? Damn it. Even more questions," Lone grumbled. He then checked his Illusionary Dome skill, but, sadly, it hadn¡¯t levelled any further. Perhaps because it had been in the same spot for over a month now. He didn¡¯t know. "I guess that''s everything, huh? Real shame that I never got hurt. Would have been nice to rank Physical Pain Resistance up to advanced... No, no. Control yourself. Don''t fall down the path of depravity, Lone," he said to himself jokingly. The last thing he wanted was to become a masochist. At that moment, the door to the bedroom creaked open. "Soph?" Peering up, Lone found himself swallowing as the sight of the woman before him entered his eyes. She stood there awkwardly twiddling her fingers, but more importantly, she was only wearing a very risqu¨¦ set of underwear that Lone had made for her as soon as they had formalised their relationship. For the ¡®just in case¡¯ scenario, of course. It made her look¡­ more¡­ enticing than he had intended, honestly. She was inching closer and closer to the bed all while a roaring blush was strewn all over her face. B1: Chapter 33: Post-talks and Ship Searching Lone stared out at the ocean while wearing nothing more than his boxers. The light of the moon shined down upon him with the stars and the expanse of space as its backdrop. In his hand was a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. He just stood there, silently listening to the sounds of the waves. After a few more minutes of doing that, he pulled up his notification log.
The host has developed the passive skill [Sex Mastery].
Passive Skill: Sex Mastery
A skill earned only by those well versed in the arts of pleasure. Makes the host passively 5% more attractive and boosts the host¡¯s sexual prowess by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
He¡¯d been rewarded for his efforts after his¡­ encounter with Soph. The last thing Lone had expected, in truth, was the girl coming on to him so strongly. ¡®It felt good,¡¯ Lone thought. ¡®The sex was nice, yeah, lots of passion. Being wanted though¡­ fuck, never expected that to feel as good as it did.¡¯ His mind then shifted back to his new skill. Would it work like most of his other skills in that it would cap out at a certain point if he stayed loyal to Soph? Lone had no plans to betray the woman he loved but the thought of how skills worked at a finer level did intrigue him. He honestly couldn¡¯t care much for the new skill. It was almost insulting to him that he¡¯d been given it, as if the system was laughing at him and saying he needed it. Still, he did find it comforting knowing that Soph would now find him slightly more attractive and if they ever did it again, hopefully with him taking the lead, then he could please her more skilfully. ¡°Ah, here you are,¡± the cold and detached voice of Sophie¡¯s voice stated. Lone turned his head slightly and smiled at her. ¡°Good evening.¡± ¡°To you too,¡± Sophie replied as she got up next to him. She was wearing some pyjamas, and something about the way she looked just¡­ glowed. Lone didn¡¯t know why but he felt so much more attracted to her now than he had before. It was as if she, too, had earned Sex Mastery but instead had it at an incredibly high rank. ¡°This isn¡¯t the moment where you tell me you coerced Soph into seducing me, is it?¡± Lone asked with a worried chuckle. Sophie scoffed. ¡°We tried to tell her it was too soon, in truth. We may try to tempt you from time to time, yes, but we do it purely to fluster you.¡± ¡°Which never works since it¡¯s just adorable given how bitchy you usually are,¡± Lone sighed. ¡°¡­ We will work on that. Regardless, she made it painfully clear to us that she wanted to be physically connected to you. Your lust is plain to see when you gaze upon us as well,¡± she said, gesturing to her own body. Lone smiled wryly. ¡°Look, you¡¯re really fuckin¡¯ hot. You¡¯re like a slightly shorter Lottie Moss but with a Russian accent, a nicer face, a nicer figure, and super long hair. Okay, so nothing like Lottie Moss except for the hair colour. Forgive me if my monkey brain goes ¡®ooh ooh aah aah¡¯ when you look like that.¡± Sophie smirked. ¡°Ah, no, we understand perfectly. You merely love Soph for her perfect body. How shallow of you.¡± Lone rolled his eyes. ¡°I am how I am. I do love her for her personality too though. She can be a bit immature and quick to say sorry at times but she¡¯s really smart when she really applies herself.¡± He smiled deeply. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s surprising how nice she is to be around and to talk to when the only person she¡¯s ever spoken to before is a callous and cold elderly woman who some might call heartless.¡± ¡°We will see who has their still-beating heart laying outside of their chest after insulting us with no grounds with which to stand on,¡± Sophie snapped. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Lone laughed. ¡°See? Charming, isn¡¯t she?¡± Sophie¡¯s cheeks flushed red a bit. "We may be old when compared to someone barely out of the womb such as yourself, however, we are not elderly." "Yet you''re no longer immortal," Lone countered. "I wonder if you''ll start ageing now." "We have thought on this and concluded it is unlikely. We can die now, yes, but we think Body Manipulation will only allow us to maintain one of our three forms. Perhaps this grants immunity to ageing," Sophie explained. Lone hadn¡¯t considered that angle at all. ¡°That¡¯s a really good point. I mean, the only real way to confirm would be to wait a few years to see if your forms grow in apparent age,¡± Lone suggested. Sophie nodded. ¡°That or if some skill exists that can inspect our vitals and then do so again in several years.¡± ¡°That or I can just regularly try to use Creation Magic on you,¡± Lone said. ¡°Indeed¡­ Lone, how do you truly feel about Soph?¡± she asked suddenly. ¡°Why¡¯re you asking? I mean, I love her,¡± Lone replied. Sophie stared at the ocean and said, ¡°As do we. You were her, and by extension, our first man. We have never given ourself to another and allowed such a connection to form before. Some have tried, but we pushed them away.¡± ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± Lone asked. He could only assume that she was talking about the time before she had been captured. It made total sense to him that people would be attracted to her. After all, she was absolutely gorgeous now, so she must have looked like a goddess to the commonfolk of the middle ages. ¡°No,¡± Sophie replied. ¡°We hardly remember those encounters. Half we suspect were simply consumed by lust and the other half we think were trying to discreetly capture us and turn us over to the crusades, supposed witch that we were.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Regardless, our intent with bringing this up is that you have taken up responsibility for her. I will not allow another man to sully our body just as we will ensure you shall not sully another woman¡¯s. You belong to Soph and only Soph.¡± ¡°And you,¡± Lone pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re two sides of the same coin. I belong to Sofia, which encompasses the two of you.¡± Sophie smiled faintly. ¡°Perhaps with time, we will come to love you as well. As it stands, we do not share Soph¡¯s feelings. We do deeply cherish them and wish to protect them, but we have no desire to mimic them.¡± She got up and walked around him before stopping in front of him. Sophie then looked up into his golden eyes and powerfully proclaimed, ¡°If you betray her or make her regret giving her and our purity to you, we will kill you. We know not how, but we will find a way.¡± Lone pulled her in for a hug. ¡°All I can say is that I plan to treat my relationship with both you and Soph as seriously as I possibly can. Don¡¯t forget that I, too, lost my virginity tonight.¡± Sophie teleported out of his arms. He noticed her face was reddening further as she said, ¡°Not the both of us. Only Soph.¡± And with that being said, the feeling around her shifted to that of the one Soph exuded. She scratched her cheek bashfully and smiled sweetly. ¡°Um¡­ s-sorry about her. She really cares about me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad she does,¡± Lone said as he walked over to her and put her hand in his. ¡°I just hope she can come to care about me too eventually. I¡¯m pretty sure I love all of you so I want all of you to love me back, haha.¡± ¡°I¡­ I would like that,¡± Soph admitted. ¡°Um, back to bed?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°Yeah, we could use some sleep before we go looking for that monster¡¯s supposed ship.¡±
¡°So it really isn¡¯t here?¡± Lone asked Soph while the two of them walked around the ancient elven temple. When they came here yesterday their entire objective was to kill every goblin they could find. Hell, Sophie had done most of the work since she could quickly flick between walls and kill entire units by herself. She had only left the Mage Goblins and hobgoblins to him for the stats and levels. Wiping out the goblins quickly mattered more to them than letting Lone kill every single one. Because of that, they hadn¡¯t really explored the place thoroughly. Soph nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve checked as well as my Mana Sensing will allow. There¡¯s no ship here.¡± Lone frowned. ¡°Do you think Lal¡¯roh lied to us?¡± Soph replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. He really didn¡¯t want Sophie to kill the the High Elf. Maybe it just isn¡¯t here, or it¡¯s been used for firewood or something? The goblins aren¡¯t very smart.¡± Lone nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Well, I¡¯d really rather not make a ship from scratch. That could take me weeks even with my Creation Magic.¡± ¡°Should we just look around the whole island?¡± Soph suggested. ¡°If it¡¯s here, I bet it¡¯s in a cove or something.¡± Lone shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. We could also use the time to clear out any straggler goblins we find. I¡¯m happy leaving the fort to the women we rescued but if the goblins just catch them again¡­ Yeah, I¡¯d rather not think about that.¡± Soph¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Mmm, I agree.¡±
It took them four days to find the ship. Thankfully, it still existed and was actually in decent shape. The Goblin King clearly had enough IQ to see the value in keeping such a thing. ¡®Shame it didn¡¯t help him. I wonder what his plans for it were? Spread to another island or something when this place ran out of food?¡¯ Lone thought. Right now, he was alone working on repairing the ship while Sophie was busy training the Wood Elves at the fort to defend themselves. They hadn¡¯t run across a single goblin during their travels across the island but that didn¡¯t mean that some hadn¡¯t escaped their eyes. There was also the threat of the elven camp. Even with the Goblin King¡¯s demise, Lone didn¡¯t feel comfortable returning the women to the people who had betrayed them and gave them up to such a monster just to save their own skins. In better news though, his Cartography skill had levelled up.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Small improvements but improvements, nonetheless. Lone wiped the sweat from his brow as he smiled. The ship was coming along nicely. His current plan with it was to do as much as he could with just his hands and then fix all of his mistakes with Creation Magic. It would likely take a few days, but he felt it would be more worthwhile to do it this way rather than fix the entire thing right away with his unique skill. After all, he could train Woodworking this way. Sophie needed time to finish up the elves¡¯ crash course in sword handling too. He also had a feeling he may earn a new skill by doing it manually. Only the coming days would prove if he was right or wrong. B1: Chapter 34: Farewell Letter and A Snappy Encounter Lone spent an entire two weeks working on the ship. Unfortunately for him, creating a boat that could brave an ocean was not a simple thing to do when he was avoiding relying solely on his Creation Magic. Still, he greatly enjoyed the process. He¡¯d never done anything even close to this back on Earth and it was honestly very cathartic for him. He didn¡¯t have to worry about goblins, elves, nearly dying, getting drugged¡­ nothing. He could just happily work away on the boat day-in-day-out while Sophie trained the recovering women. It did come to an end though. Eventually, he was done patching up the ship to the best of his ability.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
The host has developed the passive skill [Shipbuilding].
Passive skill: Shipbuilding
A skill typically earned only by professionally trained shipwrights. Makes any ships built by the host 5% more durable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone greatly appreciated that his hunch was right. While it was an incredibly niche skill with minimal uses in most situations, that 5% boost could be the difference between surviving a storm and having the ship get entirely destroyed. ¡®I knew it was a good idea to fix it by hand. Besides, I needed the downtime. If I wasn¡¯t worried about Rewal¡¯eh¡¯s camp, I¡¯d suggest we just sail around the island for a while so I can gain a Sailing Mastery skill or whatever. Oh well,¡¯ Lone thought. He sighed, cracked his neck, and then got to work using his Creation Magic to make up for his lacking skill. Tomorrow, they would set sail in hopes of finding a mainland and perhaps actual civilisation.
¡°Did you really not want to say goodbye?¡± Soph asked from his left. The two of them were already aboard the repaired ship and Lone was focusing pretty intensely on the wheel in his hands. They had only set sail a few moments ago and the island was still very close. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have done any good,¡± Lone said with a shake of his head. ¡°Sophie could barely communicate with them. Those women need years, not weeks to come to a better place mentally.¡± Soph frowned. ¡°I still think you should have said goodbye, at least.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Lone conceded. ¡°What¡¯s done is done though.¡± Soph nodded. She couldn¡¯t argue with his logic. Instead, she picked up the compass he had sitting on the railing next to the helm. "Hey, be careful with that," Lone said. "Don''t drop it, ¡®kay? It was a real bastard to make. I don''t wanna have to Creation Magic up another one if I can afford not to, so don''t let it fall into the water." Soph turned to look at him as she asked, "How much MP did it take to make?" ¡°A bit over 15,000,¡± Lone admitted. ¡°That¡¯s more than I have, by the way.¡± Soph wore a concerned look on her face. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean your MP is sealed?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°Yup. Not for much longer though since I do nearly have 12,000. Still, if I can avoid another headache, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Soph carefully put the small device back into the little groove on the railing that Lone had carved out for it. ¡°I-I¡¯ll just leave it there.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Lone said with a smile. ¡°What does it do anyway?¡± Soph asked with a tilt of her head. ¡°It points north so you can reliably figure out which cardinal direction you¡¯re going in at all times,¡± Lone explained before he quickly recalled Soph¡¯s knowledge base. ¡°Right, north and south have been a thing for over a thousand years but them being cardinal only started in the fifteenth century.¡± "Anyway, it¡¯s basically for telling which direction you¡¯re going in.¡± Lone scratched his chin in thought. "Wanna keep an eye on it for me? We want the arrow pointing that way." He pointed to the left side of the ship. Soph happily accepted the task put upon her. "I can do that. The arrow¡¯s a different colour of mana from the rest of it. What¡¯s the direction we¡¯re going in called anyway?" Lone smiled. ¡°East. The opposite direction is west.¡± ¡°Huh. Maybe I¡¯ll get a skill from helping you?¡± Soph asked with excitement in her tone. ¡°We can only hope,¡± Lone answered though he didn¡¯t expect much. His Growth Accelerator gave him an unfair advantage. His Shipbuilding skill had also given him a bit of insight into how long it took to gain skills normally. If it was a skill normally only rewarded to people who had been professional trained in the art, surely that meant it took months or even years of dedication to gain such a skill. Still, he had a feeling Soph was particularly talented. It had only taken her a few weeks to earn both Short Sword Mastery and Dual-wielding Mastery. Only time would tell, really. A sudden whizzing noise pierced Lone¡¯s ears before it stopped and was replaced by the sound of metal penetrating wood. He looked at the mast only to find an arrow in it with a piece of paper attached to its shaft. "A letter? From the elves?" he mumbled with narrowed eyes. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Lone left the helm and approached the arrow. Pulling it out cautiously, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Gonna have to fix that when my MP¡¯s not fucked.¡± He returned to the helm and looked over the back of the ship. He couldn¡¯t see any elves on the shore but that meant nothing. Lone was almost certain Lal¡¯roh was the one to fire this arrow. ¡®That could have gotten Soph in the head,¡¯ he thought before he untied the paper attached to the arrow. He stretched it out and read the message on it. It was likely in some elven script though to his eyes, it read as flawless English. ''To our islands former guests, Ninetails Lone and the human Sofia. We have no way to repay you for your mercy of sparing us when we threatened your lives. We also did not deserve the kindness you afforded us by killing the Goblin King. We know not how you did this. We know not how you survived an arrow to the head. We know not how you copied my own illusion magic. We know not why you show such generosity to our betrayed kin. Still, we are thankful. We shall not disturb those who we have let down and abandoned. They do not wish for our presence so please, leave well with the thought that we shall not disturb the peace you have granted our kin. We, the exiles of the western world tree, once again, thank you for saving our people and for slaying the monsters that plagued our every waking thought for countless years. We have no idea how you were successful in either of these things, but we can only find ourselves believing the countless legends of the Golden Foxkin. ¡­ We wonder, Ninetails Lone, was there truth in your tale of being washed up slaves? No matter. We have little place to question such things considering what you have done for us. We swear to aid you in any way that we can in the future. It is the least we can offer to the two individuals who have saved us. As exiles, we know this promise to be almost empty and what reason would you ever have to rely on it? Still, offer it we must for we have nothing else of value. I, on behalf of my entire clan, swear on your Primals and our Spirits that we will never forget what you have done for us until our very last breath. Yours sincerely, Chieftain Rewal''eh'' Lone wore an ugly expression on his face. ¡°So they knew about the Illusionary Dome? When did they find out?¡± He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter now. Rewal¡¯eh was right. He couldn¡¯t trust such a promise. Still, it did comfort him a bit to know that they at least seemed to have no desire to bother the victims of their betrayal. With that thought in the back of his mind, Lone took up the ship¡¯s wheel once more and tossed the letter into his Dimensional Storage.
Four days passed peacefully out on the open ocean. Thankfully, the seas were kind to the two drifting souls. Lone attributed some of that to Sofia¡¯s absurdly high luck, in truth. He and Soph spent most of their time playing board games since there was no reason at all to fish, and the wind carried them most of the time. So far, this voyage had only further illustrated how incredibly lucky Soph and Sophie were. Out of the different 40 board games that they''d played, Lone had only won a total of two, and these two were entirely logic focused games. Also, the fact that the wind only ever blew east or was still couldn''t have been a coincidence. Of course, Lone had also gained a new skill during that time.
The host has developed the passive skill [Sailing Mastery]
Passive skill: Sailing Mastery
Makes it 5% easier to sail all ships.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Simple, yet helpful. Right now though, instead of being at the helm, Lone was laying down on the deck in a sunbathing chair while he wore nothing but a pair of swimming trunks and some sunglasses. The glasses were not cheap mana-wise, but Lone thought of them as worth every single point of mana. Soph was happily humming a pirate song Lone had taught her as she stood at the wheel, ready to adjust it if needed. As it turned out, Soph was very good at sailing. She had even earned the skill he had, Sailing mastery. Of course, unlike him who got it in a couple of hours, it had taken her a while longer. Still, after only four days she had been granted the skill. In light of that, Lone absolutely refused to even attempt to control the ship so as to not steal the girl''s thunder after he found out. Suddenly, Soph shouted his name. "Lone!" "What''s up?" he yelled back lazily. "I can sense a small boat just behind us. You can probably see it. There''s only one person on it... A woman?" Soph claimed hesitantly. Lone shot up onto his feet and quickly put his Hawaiian shirt on without bothering to button it up. He walked up to the stern''s rear-facing railing, and sure enough, there was a woman roughly 150 metres away from them casually rowing in their direction. Her boat looked almost like a wooden plank. Were it not for the small lip on all four sides of this plank and the sheer exquisiteness of it and her oar, Lone might have thought that she was a shipwreck victim. "Just like we planned, Soph. You play the mute master while I play the stand-in slave. Got it?" From what he had inferred from his limited interactions with the elves, this was the safest approach when it came to humans. Of course, from this angle, Lone and Soph could only see the woman''s back which was covered by her long purple hair, so it wasn''t certain if she was a human or not, but it was better to play it safe rather than to end up sorry later on. Soph nodded and wore a stern expression on her face. Two minutes passed before the woman was finally alongside their ship. Looking at her face, Lone realised that her skin was pure green, and she had a somewhat... round face. "A frog person?" "Hahaha, nice to meet you too," she said as she placed her oar on her lap and smiled sweetly at both Lone and Soph in turn. "No, I''m not a ''frog person''. My kind are long gone from this place, but we were once known as ''The Guiders''. You can call me Snapper though." ¡°This is my master, Miss Vladimirovich," he said as he gestured to his short companion politely. ¡°I am called Lone. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Snapper." "Isn''t it just?" Her smiled deepened as she subconsciously snapped at the air with her fingers. "Oops. I should get going soon. Anyway, I came to tell you that you''re heading straight for the Fallen Sea. A big ol'' beasty lives there. Nasty fella. So, if you''re looking for Teresta - the main continent of Altros - sail north from here for two days. You should find a quaint little human kingdom called Milindo. A nice place for a short visit." "I¡­ see?" Lone replied with confusion in his tone. "I''m glad you do. It''d be a waste of those charming golden eyes of yours if you couldn''t. Ah, no offence intended to the lovely little girl with the green eyes. They''re very beautiful." With that said, the woman picked up her oar again and rowed away while humming a little tune. Lone and Soph just stood there like lemons. "Hey, Soph." "Yeah?" she replied. "Your eyes are grey, right? Not green?" he asked. "Yeah... They were green before I went blind though," Soph answered. Lone frowned. "How the hell did she know they were green? A good guess? A power? Magic? I bet it was magic, wasn''t it?¡± In the end, the two decided to change course and headed north. They had nothing to lose, after all, even if Lone did feel a bit uncomfortable trusting a stranger. Particularly one so... odd. A few hours later, Lone scratched his head in frustration. "Ahh, dammit.. I was gonna wait until I had more mana to fuck around with this stuff but screw it. I''m getting all antsy about magic after that ''Snapper'' woman¡¯s appearance." "System, show me my magic affinity sheet, please," he asked out loud instead of internally. Instantly, his vision was blocked by a large blue screen.
Lone Immortus'' Magic Affinity Sheet
Magic Type Affinity Percentage
Illusion Magic 100%
Fire Magic 100%
Water Magic 100%
Lightning Magic 100%
Air Magic 100%
Earth Magic 100%
"Now that definitely isn''t normal. If 100% was the norm, then why the fuck would there even be an affinity sheet? No¡­. that does make some sense. It¡¯s to see if you can do that magic or not, right? Still, the percentage wouldn''t make any sense," he muttered to himself. Lone held his chin as he flopped down on to the deck and crossed his legs. "Now, which do I specialise in? I don''t have the mana to play with all of them... Hmm..." B1: Chapter 35: Lightning and Second Ship After spending a good 20 minutes mulling over which magic type to focus on, Lone had finally made his mind up. "Yup. It''s gotta be lightning magic, right? It''s the only one not of the four basic elements. Plus, who can resist the call of the Dark Side?" he chuckled. ¡°The Dark Side?¡± Soph asked as she peered over the helm¡¯s railing down at him. He smiled at her. ¡°Unlimited power, young padawan.¡± She frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not trying to,¡± he countered. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m gonna practice some magic now so let me know if I somehow fuck up the ship.¡± Soph nodded. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°I will try.¡± He got up and walked over to the lower deck''s railing. "So I just have to want to cast the spell to use it right? I have no clue how this¡¯ll compare to Illusionary Dome since that isn¡¯t crude," he mumbled as he stroked his chin. Lone then tried to cast Crude Lightning Bolt. Immediately, unknown words of power began flowing out of his mouth. His eyes widened in shock while his body practically vibrated with glee. While he was brimming with joy, however, he could feel his MP slowly draining. Likely to fill the words he was spewing with the 5,000 MP needed to cast the spell. A few minutes passed before he was finally done with the chanting. Far longer than it had taken the goblins, he noticed. That told Lone that rank-ups in the skill likely resulted in casting times going down somehow. ¡®Probably by needing fewer magical lines to be chanted.¡¯ Regardless, a sleek bolt of black lightning zipped out of his hand. It was small and didn''t look very powerful. A far cry from the bolt the goblin he had got the skill from possessed. It weakly hit the ocean and fizzled out after a few seconds. It was, needless to say, pretty disappointing. "Huh. I know it was crude, but that was far less impressive than I thought it''d be-" At that moment, roughly 30 fishes of varying sizes all bobbed to the surface. They were charred and all clearly dead. Very, very dead.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Lone frowned deeply even if he actually wanted to smile. "I really wish I would only get one notification telling me it went from level one to level seven instead of giving me one for each individual level-up." He sighed and flopped down into a cross-legged position. "I guess it makes sense since the skill levelled up six times separately just really quickly. It didn¡¯t gain six levels just because I used it once, but boy is it a bit of an eyesore..." After he was satisfied with his complaining, a big fat grin spread across his lips. "So, because the skill''s shit, it levelled up six times with just 30 or so normal fish? Good to know using it to hunt is an effective method to level it. Maybe I can max it out? What will happen then? Will it become a higher variant of the skill? Just Lightning Bolt, maybe? I could always just be stuck with a strong yet ultimately shit skill¡­" Lone''s blood was boiling with anticipation.
''Hey, Soph. Give us control for a moment, please,'' Sophie requested surprisingly politely. Soph scowled. ''No. You''re going to bully him for talking to himself, aren''t you? I know you don¡¯t like it when he does that.'' A heavy sigh could be heard in her head. ''We promise we will not. We have a suggestion for him to make his magic training more efficient.'' Soph was reluctant, but in the end, she stopped fighting it and gave control to her other personality. "Lone," Sophie called to get his attention. "Hmm?" Clearly noticing the sharper look on her face, the man squinted his eyes at her. "Sophie?" She nodded before saying, "You should jump in the water and hit yourself with the magic. Will that not increase your Lightning Magic Resistance, Physical Pain Resistance, and Basic Regeneration also?" Lone slowly nodded his head after he spent a second to think the suggestion over. "You''re right... I''ll need you or Soph on standby though to fish me out if I start sinking. I don''t know if I''ll be able to stay afloat when my nerves are being fried." Sophie smiled. "Do not worry. We shall save you. This should be a good way to kill time and train our Teleportation at the same time. Watching Soph focus so much on sailing is endearing if not very boring."
Two days passed in a flash and finally, land was on the horizon, and it was only the morning of the second day since they''d changed their course on Snapper¡¯s suggestion. The frog woman had been weird and incredibly suspicious, but she hadn¡¯t lied when she¡¯d given them directions. Due to their imminent need to find a port of some sort, Lone decided to check his gains from his lightning magic training as a way to pass the time before then. He¡¯d been training a bit too hard on Sophie¡¯s suggestion. He had a feeling she got a kick out of seeing him electrocute himself. Still, their bond was growing deeper, and he could slowly see the cracks forming on her extremely durable shell.
Passive Skill: Lightning Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Lightning Magic. Lightning Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 8 [Up by 7 levels]
Lone was a bit disappointed that the skill hadn''t reached intermediate rank yet, in truth. He had sort of expected that though. Lightning Magic Resistance was a far broader skill than Crude Lightning Bolt was. After all, it dampened the effects of all lightning magic, not just the weak crude skill he had effectively stolen from a goblin, of all beings. If anything, he should be thankful, he felt. The resistance could help him against a theoretical lightning god. He had no rights to be sullen. On the topic of his lightning magic, however, he had improved vastly in the past two days.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Crude Lightning Bolt
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Lightning Bolt] Lightning Magic skill. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Due to its crudeness, 25 [-75] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. [New!] The bolt''s thickness and speed have been increased by 1.25 times its norm. The MP cost to invoke this skill is slightly [down from substantially] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 1,250 MP [-3,750 MP]
Mastery: Expert Level 7 [Up by 36 levels]
It was no wonder to him any longer why the magic of the goblins seemed so powerful. It had only taken him two days to reach such a high level of mastery. Surely the goblins who had weeks, months, or even years, to work on the skill were able to reach similar levels of power. ¡®Truly crude,¡¯ Lone thought. He was very happy with the skill''s progress. At intermediate rank, the MP cost was halved from 5,000 to 2,500. At advanced, the MP cost was halved once again to its current amount. Only once it had reached the expert rank, however, did it truly start to shine. The needed ancient lines for chanting the spell were cut down dramatically and the new effect was added. He was surprised that the skill continued to rank up even though he was only killing fishes and the occasional marine life monster with it. Lone assumed this was due to how weak the skill was, but his inner-magic-lover was still very pleased regardless.
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence. All physical pain shall be weakened by 30%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4 [Up by 3 levels]
He was glad that Physical Pain Resistance had levelled up despite him being the one inflicting the pain. It hadn¡¯t gone up by much, of course. The lightning tended to cripple his pain receptors fairly quickly, but progress was progress nonetheless.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a fast [up from moderate] rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana.
Cost: 30 MP [-10 MP] (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Advanced Level 1 [Up by 1 level]
While it was only a single level, it was still enough to push the skill over the edge and rank it up. Now with this having improved some more, Lone felt far more confident when it came to combat. Assuming goblins were the bottom of the barrel when it came to the monsters of this world, then Lone was in desperate need of more powerful skills and he also needed to upgrade his existing ones as quickly as possible. In the past two days, Lone had also tried to upgrade his Bone Armour with the help of Sophie, but the system still wasn''t letting the skill budge past expert level one, it would seem. On a brighter note, one of his random skills had also ranked up unintentionally.
Passive skill: Swimming Mastery
A skill that allows the host to swim with less effort and with more grace. Swimming consumes 15% [+10%] less SP and the host will find it 15% [+10%] easier to read the waves while swimming.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 3 [Up by 12 levels]
Honestly, Lone was torn between ignoring the skill and putting his entire heart into mastering it. He was a pretty natural swimmer even before becoming a nine-tailed foxkin, so the latter option was somewhat appealing to him. Hell, as far as Lone knew, the skill could let him breathe underwater at a high enough rank. Still, he decided to shelve it for now. Of course, he was planning to research as much as he could about his non-combat-oriented skills just as much as he was about his combat-oriented ones. He would be a fool not to. He just felt it wasn¡¯t ideal to take up a hobby like swimming until he and Sofia could be sure they were in a safe environment where they could act so relaxed. The elves had offered insight that was invaluable. Humans seemed to be detested by them as habitual slavers of non-humans, enough so that it was odd to them that Sofia was also a former slave. At least, that¡¯s the impression Lone got. Caution first, messing around with unnecessary skills second. Now that he''d checked his skills, Lone felt like checking on his status. He called upon the system to show him his gains from when he''d started using the Crude Lightning Bolt up until now.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 49
Species: Foxkin Rank: H
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 4,620/4,620 [+120] SP: 10,356/11,130 [+70]
MP: 860/12,110 [+210]
Basic Stats
Strength: 320 [+10] Vigour: 1,113 [+7]
Dexterity: 466 [+21] Agility: 363 [+30]
Vitality: 462 [+12] Luck: 64 [+1]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 1,211 [+21]
"So few points for killing hundreds of fishes and maybe a dozen little sea monsters..." Lone muttered under his breath. Of course, he was happy that''s he''d gained any stats at all since his current running theory was that he shouldn''t be getting any until he''d ranked up. Soph wasn¡¯t gaining a single thing from his kills. All she had earned the last two days was a level-up in Sailing mastery. Not even a single point in her Magic Power or any other stat either. Lone saw that this meant he could infinitely farm stat points even if he couldn¡¯t rank up, unlike normal people. Honestly, he knew his Growth Accelerator was truly far too broken. Still, even with that in mind, he was a bit disappointed at how few points he''d absorbed from his prey. "Lone!" Soph¡¯s serious voice called loudly, breaking him out of his thoughts. Looking up at her, he replied, "Something wrong?" She really had shed out of her ignorant shell a lot and was showing how mature and collected she could be when she truly focused. It was also honestly kind of challenging to see who was in control when she was serious like this. Still, he found that challenge fun. He loved both sides of Sofia so he was determined to be able to identify who was in control in a split second, regardless of the circumstances. Soph nodded tensely. "There''s a massive ship approaching us. They''re dead ahead. I can feel 53 people on board. One has a lot of mana. They feel like humans, I think? Their mana has a lot of different colours though it feels kind of like my own." Lone cracked his neck and clambered up onto his feet. Indeed. He could see a large galleon roughly 150 metres in front of their ship. "Okay. Gimme the wheel. Same rules as with that Snapper person though with less oddness this time, hopefully. I''m the stand-in slave who''s talking on behalf of my mute and blind master, ''kay?" he asked. Soph nodded and stepped aside, letting him take the wheel as soon as he''d walked up to the ship''s upper deck. "I''ll give control to Sophie. She''s better at acting than I am." Lone nodded. "Okay." Within a moment, Soph had given over control. Her body then grew. Sophie then walked down to the lower deck and sat herself down on a recliner. She was the very picture of nonchalance and her aura just screamed ''I am severely lacking in the anxiety department''. Lone was a bit sorry for Soph since the second he touched the ship''s wheel, he had levelled the Sailing Mastery skill, but his mind was too busy to be apologetic to his lover for now.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Sailing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
He ignored the notification and instead thought, ''It''s time for you two to earn your keep, Acting and Persuasion.'' B1: Chapter 36: Lady Malik and Acting The galleon pulled up alongside Lone and Sophie''s ship, clearly intent on investigating it much to Lone¡¯s dismay. Ideally, he wanted to meet civilisation on dry land. At least it didn¡¯t seem to be a pirate-run vessel. That was one of Lone¡¯s concerns but if that were the case, he had a feeling their ship would already be sinking. Peering up at the ornate railing of the galleon¡¯s, Lone saw several heavily armoured and professional-looking knights. One of them shouted down at him, "Anchor your vessel, or we will be forced to sink it!" ¡®Okay, that¡¯s not intimidating at all,¡¯ Lone thought though he nodded his head and replied, ¡°Of course. One moment, please.¡± With his acute fox hearing, he picked up one of the knights mumbling, ¡°Ah, the animal speaks Western Common Human. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡®Animal? Well, that¡¯s pretty fuckin¡¯ rude,¡¯ he thought as he left the helm and went down to the ship¡¯s lower deck. He then furled up the sails and picked up the ship''s anchor before tossing it overboard. The ship was really rather simple, not even possessing a capstan. Lone wished it had a winch system at the very least for pulling the anchor up, sadly though, he had to hoist it manually if he wanted the ship to move again. The man who had ordered him nodded his head approvingly before he left the galleon''s railing and, consequentially, Lone¡¯s line of sight. Lone stood behind the seated Sophie and scanned the galleon''s crew. Or, at least what little of the over 50 he could see. From what he could tell, every single one without a helmet on was looking at him like he was nothing more than a piece of trash. Of course, he was no expert at reading people nor facial expressions, but the men on that ship were definitely not trying to hide their disgust. ''Okay. Good thing I put some trust in the elves¡¯ attitudes. Slave and master is certainly the right approach here. Still, are the humans of this planet really that openly judgemental, or are these guys just unique?'' Earth was no stranger to racism and all sorts of discrimination, but this seemed almost hostile. It was¡­ honestly kind of discomforting. He pondered over the matter for a few more seconds before he shook his head. ''There''s no use thinking about this. They don''t like me, but they seem indifferent to Sophie... I think? She¡¯s pretty damn attractive... Hopefully that doesn¡¯t complicate things.'' Lone took a little bit more time to inspect each of the men''s armour. They were all slightly different, clearly tailor-made for each man and woman aboard. One thing of note though was that they all shared a small crest of a dragon, or perhaps a wyvern right by their hearts. Lone wasn¡¯t sure which of the two mythical beasts was being depicted. ''Men belonging to a kingdom? Guards? Border patrol? Defenders of this sea route? Maybe they are pirates who''ve killed said people and stole their clothes and armour to raid unsuspecting victims?'' Lone''s mind was racing with possibilities. ''If they are pirates... I''ll use mental destruction on the captain to prevent him from giving orders, then I''ll have Sophie cripple the one with all the magic that Soph pointed out. 50 grown men shouldn''t be much harder than 50 gobs, right?... Unlikely. Training can make a hell of a difference plus the sheer mass difference. I really hope they aren''t pirates. I don''t particularly want to kill people... I''m not sure if I could handle that,'' Lone pondered. It was at that moment when someone different in appearance from everyone else approached the galleon¡¯s edge. He was a tall man with a well-trimmed beard and sharp eyes which matched his chiselled face. This man was maybe in his late thirties, or perhaps his early forties. At his side stood a young girl of maybe 15 or 16 years. She was wearing very expensive-looking clothes and her amber eyes opened wide when they landed on Lone. "Wow! He''s so handsome!" she exclaimed. The tall man next to her frowned. "Lady Malik, please, control yourself. These people may be criminals." ''Lady Malik? Lady? Someone important? Maybe a noble? Does this world have nobles? Milindo is a kingdom from what Snapper said, so that would make sense. Why is she on that ship? Is she on some sort of seaward excursion? Was she kidnapped but she''s still in a favourable position due to her political standing? I need more information,'' Lone concluded internally. Lone coughed lightly and approached the edge of his own ship once more. "I apologise if I am speaking out of turn, but would it be okay if I asked who you people are? My master is both blind and mute, so please forgive this slave for speaking up." A lot of eyes fell onto Sophie, and once they noticed that her eyes were grey and lifeless, Lone''s words suddenly had a lot more stock in them despite their clear distaste of him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''Wow. Three levels for one lie? Fuck me. Is it based on the number of people I can convince of my act in one go?'' Lone wondered. The short teenaged girl bounced around and happily responded, "Hi! I''m Emma Malik. What''s your name? Oh. You''re a slave. Do you not have one? Can I call you Mister Handsome?" Lone looked at the tall man who he assumed owned the title of the ship''s captain. The man was stroking his well-trimmed beard and seemed very suspicious of both him and Sophie. ''Well... Fuck it. Let''s lie some more. If this''ll devolve into a fight, I want to get as much out of it as possible first,'' he thought. Lone was more than aware that some people simply could not be convinced. He already had a pretty clear idea of how this man and his crew felt about non-humans like him. Either way, Lone was hoping to work off of the girl¡¯s enthusiasm with his good looks. "I do, indeed, possess a name. My master is very gracious and was kind enough to bestow one upon me," Lone claimed with a very short bow in Sophie''s direction to show her his respect. She nodded in response and waved dismissively just as a graceful noble might. She did so without actually looking at him to indicate that she had heard his bow instead of seeing it. Emma clapped her hands. "Oh! What is it? Do you mind telling me?" "Of course. Due to me being the first and only Golden Foxkin that my illustrious master has ever met, she gave me the name ''Lone''," he said. ''Let''s assume surnames are reserved for nobles. Just ''Lone'' will do here.'' Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
''Oh, persuasion too? What does that imply? They were under the impression I was nameless but I¡¯ve successfully convinced them - or at least her - that I do, in fact, own a name?'' Lone noted mentally. It was at that point that the ship''s captain finally decided to speak to Lone. "Slave. Where is your collar?" Lone''s expression cracked slightly. ''Fuck. Collar? Is that normal? Like, a slave collar? Is it magical, or is it just a physical object to show that I belong to someone else? Time to make a gamble.'' Lone lowered his hands to his feet. His sudden movements made the galleon''s crew far more wary of him, so they drew their weapons and were prepared to attack immediately. In that instant, Lone used his Creation Magic to make a small anklet of steel and he pulled the hem of his trouser leg up to expose this new anklet. "Please don''t be so hasty, good knights. I was merely displaying my slave collar," he explained. "Why isn''t it around your neck?" the captain asked with a stern tone. ''This is good. He didn''t call it out for being a fake. I can work with this,'' Lone thought before he raised his torso and smiled once again. "My master thought it would be a waste to hide my neck. She''s quite fond of me, you see. Apparently, my neck and collarbone are particularly to her liking. As are my tails." The captain narrowed his eyes. ¡°She is blind. That makes no sense.¡± Lone smiled. ¡°My master still possesses the sense of touch, good sir.¡± Emma nodded fervently as she closed her eyes. "I can imagine it. That''s totally understandable. I guess they must feel really good then since she''s blind and whatnot. Why the neck though?" Lone¡¯s smile gained a few hints of wryness to it. ¡°It¡¯s from when she was a child. Due to her disabilities, I was charged with carrying her around everywhere, you see.¡± Sophie snapped her fingers in a displeased manner. ¡°Ah, my apologies, Lady Malik, sir,¡± Lone said. ¡°My master does not like how accusatory your statements have sounded. Are we under suspicion for anything?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Wow. You can infer that much for so little? That¡¯s impressive.¡±
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
The captain finally nodded his head. "I apologise. To answer your previous question, Slave, we are a part of the regional guard of the harbour city, Ros. This young woman here is Lady Malik, daughter to the duke, Henry Malik." "Well I never, A duke''s daughter," Lone said as he bowed politely. "I did not know that I was in the presence of such a great person. Forgive my prior rudeness, please." Lone thought that his acting was a bit over-the-top, but regardless, the crew and Emma seemed to believe him if his Acting skill levelling up was any indicator to be trusted.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Emma waved her hand dismissively. "I don''t care. Honestly, noble traditions are stupid. Don''t worry about offending me or anything. I won''t take revenge on you and your master or do something stupid like that. Speaking of her, she''s very pretty. What''s her name?" Sophie''s cheeks flushed slightly. Lone wasn''t sure if that was genuine embarrassment from the cold girl, or if she was just playing the part. "My master''s name is Sofia Vladimirovich. Since her surname can be hard to pronounce, please call her by her first name. She is much like you and doesn''t care much for the traditions of nobles," Lone explained. "Perfect! What country are you two from? Or are you from an empire? Maybe the Taslo Empire? Though you two aren''t tanned... Hmm..." Emma asked as she clapped her hands playfully. ''And here''s where it gets tough... Well, I can only do my best, I guess,'' Lone shrugged mentally. He took a deep breath and said, "My master is currently participating in a family tradition for her coming of age ceremony. As a part of that tradition, she is only allowed to bring one of her servants with her - which would be me - and she is not allowed to reveal who she truly is nor where she is from.¡± ¡°Ohhh that sounds exciting! I wonder why Milindo doesn¡¯t do anything like that? What I wouldn¡¯t give to get out more¡­ Can you tell me more about it?¡± Emma asked excitedly. Lone nodded happily. ¡°Of course. The point of all of it is for my master to make a small name for herself in a foreign land and to procure a certain amount of wealth before I have permission to bring her back home." "Oh! That sounds incredibly fun!" Emma said with a certain sparkle in her eye. The ship¡¯s captain nodded his head once more. "Such traditions aren''t unheard of. Some foreign nobles are known to be a bit... peculiar. That would answer my unasked question of why you are in Milindo''s waters." He walked to the edge of his galleon and looked right into Lone''s eyes. "If you''d let my men check your ship for any illegal contraband, then we''d be willing to show you the way to Ros once dusk is upon us considering your unique circumstances. We¡¯ll even assist in helping you purchase temporary citizenship."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
''Holy shit. He actually bought that? Are my charm and charisma stats influencing him, or is he just a naturally trusting person once his biggest suspicions are cleared? Maybe Sophie''s luck is playing a role here?'' Whatever the answer was, Lone was glad that things had been resolved peacefully. He really didn''t want to be forced into killing people. Lone turned and looked at Sophie. She gave him a nod of approval very slowly, so he looked back at the guard captain. "Please, your men are most welcome. My master has no qualms with you inspecting her ship''s hold," he said. The matter about buying temporary citizenship worried him somewhat though. There were coins in the goblin-run dungeon but Lone had no idea if they were the correct currency or what their value was. Only time would tell, really. Perhaps he¡¯d have to bullshit his way out of that. If nothing else, he had a story to fall back on. After all, he and his ¡®master¡¯ had little wealth since they had only just begun their journey. The captain sighed with relief. "That''s good. Men! Be gentle with their ship! These people aren¡¯t pirate scum, so your pay will be docked to act as compensation if you mess with a foreign noble''s belongings!" ¡®Oh? Kinda want them to fuck with shit now. Could use that compensation,¡¯ Lone¡¯s more opportunistic side thought. "Aye-aye, sir!" the crew of armoured knights boomed back in response. A group of soldiers soon lowered the boarding plank to connect the two ships, and then they carefully walked onto Lone and Sophie''s ship. 20 minutes later, they left and reported that they hadn''t found anything illegal. Lone was thankful for his Dimensional Storage. He kept almost everything in there, which was why he couldn''t care less if their ship was checked. Had they actually found something, Lone was worried that the men would have planted it to frame the two of them as an excuse to fleece them for coin or extort the ship from them. Luckily, this crew of regional guards seemed to be a decent sort. ''Luck, huh? Maybe if Sophie wasn''t here, would I have encountered pirates or corrupt guards instead?'' As he was entertaining such an idea, the captain called out to him. ¡®Could have got racially profiled too. They really don¡¯t seem too fond of me.¡¯ "Hey, Slave." The captain gazed at Lone from top to bottom before he asked, "My men said that they couldn''t find any food stored below deck. How are you two keeping yourselves fed?" Lone flashed a handsome and warm smile as he immediately answered, "By fishing, of course." B1: Chapter 37: Establishing Goals and Ros City Lord Apparently, the captain and his soldiers had been tasked with protecting Lady Malik as she toured the southern coast of Milindo. They had stopped their activities to investigate Lone and Sophie¡¯s ship as their duties demanded of them. With their harmlessness and intent confirmed, however, the captain made it clear to Lone that the tour would resume, and they would have to follow the galleon. Lone honestly wanted to try some fishing but without the use of lightning magic, so he asked if the captain wouldn¡¯t mind having a soldier or two stay about their ship to man the helm in his stead. Lone also didn¡¯t want to progress in the Sailing Mastery skill while Sophie acted like the princess she was at her roots. The captain easily agreed, seemingly happy to help though Lone suspected he simply liked the idea of having control over their ship in case something went awry.
The host has developed the passive skill [Fishing Mastery].
Passive Skill: Fishing Mastery
A must-have skill for anglers of all walks of life. Makes fish 5% more likely to find your fishing hook more appealing.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®Hey, that¡¯s a cool skill. Wonder why I didn¡¯t get it with my lightning magic fishing? I guess the rod was needed. This skill even has flavour text. I need to find out why some do and some don¡¯t,¡¯ he thought idly. Two hours, three small fish, and a few level-ups in his latest skill later, and dusk was upon them.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fishing Mastery] has levelled up. It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fishing Mastery] has levelled up. It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fishing Mastery] has levelled up. It is now Beginner Level 4.
Lone packed up his fishing gear since he could see lights on the horizon. He quickly carted his equipment as well as his bounty below deck. He¡¯d rather store the fish in his Dimensional Storage but when he didn¡¯t know how common such a power was, he chose to leave the fish in a bucket of cold water for now. Returning topside, Lone squinted to see as much of the distant city as he possibly could. The largest buildings seemed to be only two stories tall though the place was surprisingly large. It was about as big as Arlith - where he was from - was, in truth. His home city wasn¡¯t huge by any means, Hell, it only housed 50,000 people. Still, considering the people here used galleons and wore knight¡¯s armour¡­ Ros was likely a big place. It also looked simply gorgeous. It was as if the place had been plucked straight out of an ancient history book with its carriages, crowded port, and bustling streets despite the night creeping in. ¡°Real beaut¡¯, ain¡¯t she?¡± the soldier behind the ship¡¯s wheel said. ¡°Built on the back ah ye demis, it was. Gotta appreciate yas fer ¡®at, if nuthin¡¯ else.¡± ¡®Well, excuse me. Racist and poorly educated. Fantastic,¡¯ Lone thought as he nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s certainly a sight to behold.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t nutin¡¯ compared to the capital but aye, she¡¯s got her charms ol¡¯ Ros does,¡± the man replied with a smile. Lone didn¡¯t answer though he bowed his head politely. The man though didn¡¯t quite seem done with the conversation yet, sadly. "Fer a demi, ya ain''t bad at fishin¡¯. Could give me lad a run fer ¡®is money. Ya took yer time though." ¡®There¡¯s that word again. ¡®Demi¡¯. Is that the official word for non-humans, or is it a derogatory term?'' Lone smiled proudly despite the inner workings of his mind. "Half of the fun is in the fight, no? It would be awfully boring if I reeled them in as fast as possible. I also must confess that it¡¯s a new talent I¡¯ve picked up specifically for this journey of my master¡¯s." The armoured man shrugged. "Fair ¡®nuff. Must be nice though to ¡®ave a bit of fun as a slave. Gotta take ¡®em moments ''ere ya can get it, I su¡¯pose." "Exactly," Lone agreed. "Anyway, yer luck stat must be fairly decent. Ye''r good te get three and no miscasts, but ye''r still a beginner. Clear as day ¡®at is." The man chuckled faintly and then put all of his attention on the wheel. "Hmm..." Lone thought to himself, ''Luck stat, huh? So the people of this world can definitely see their own statuses too then. It isn¡¯t a thing unique to just Sofia and me. That¡¯s one mystery solved. Also, he has a very thick accent. Soph and Sophie both speak properly despite the heavy traces of Russian so I could never tell but accents can go through whatever force is translating every word? Maybe not accents but local dialects? Interesting.''
¡°You simply must come and meet me at the Malik estate in Ranton if you and¡­ Sorry, I don¡¯t actually know your title,¡± Emma apologised to Sophie. Sophie tugged on Lone¡¯s arm which she was holding for ¡®support¡¯. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Miss Vladimirovich or just Miss Sofia are fine, Lady Malik. As previously stated, formalities are of little use to my master during her trial.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Well, Miss Sofia then. If you find yourself heading towards the holy city, please, do stop by. I¡¯d love to see you two again,¡± Emma said. ¡°My master shares your sentiments wholeheartedly,¡± Lone replied while Sophie nodded. The captain stepped forward and said, ¡°Right, well, I¡¯ve sent for one of my men to inform the local customs office to help apply for your temporary citizenship during your stay. An officer should be coming to process you both shortly.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Ah, sadly, we have a slight issue in that regard,¡± Lone confessed with a strained look on his face. The captain scowled. ¡°What issue?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a monetary one¡­¡± Lone said.
"Hello. Might you be the ones that Sir Riglorn mentioned?" a well-dressed woman with glasses who was holding a clipboard asked Sophie while she ignored Lone completely. They had just entered the building the knights had escorted them to before immediately hearing this question. Clearly, someone wasn¡¯t best pleased to be working so late into the evening. ''Glasses? Nice. So the level of glass working is quite advanced here. That''s good. I guess Sir Riglorn was the ship captain''s name?'' Lone internally commented before he coughed lightly. The woman spared him the slightest of glances before saying, ¡°Pets have to stay outside.¡± Lone¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock. ¡°¡­ Are you talking about me?¡± She rolled her eyes in disgust. ¡°Of course I am. Now vacate my office, slave.¡± He had to control himself to not punch the woman in the face. At least the soldiers only gave him dirty looks and were mostly nice to him in conversation. Lone compartmentalised his rage and smiled. "Forgive my rudeness, but my master is both blind and mute. Did the good captain not explain this to you? If it is okay with you, might it be acceptable for this slave to handle things? I have my master''s permission to act and speak on her behalf." Sophie nodded to add weight to his words. The woman eyed Lone contemptuously. "This is the issue with foreign nobles. Giving so much trust to beasts that can talk¡­ Fine, so be it.¡± She looked down at her clipboard then stated, "The dock tax for a ship of your masters¡¯ size is one silver coin flat rate and then two bronze coins per extra day. The fee for a temporary citizenship permit is 50 copper coins per person. Half for a member of the Merchant''s Guild. The local one, not the continental one. If your master is a member, have her show me her guild card." Lone smiled wryly. ''Well, at least she''s not spitting in my face or something. Damn, though. Is it that hard to hide your racism?'' He fished about in his pockets for a moment and pulled out three silver coins from his Dimensional Storage, all of which had been gifted to him by Emma. At least that girl didn¡¯t seem to have a racist bone in her body. ¡®Maybe this town is just particularly bad. The capital sounds like a decent place though if everyone¡¯s like Emma.¡¯ He handed the three coins to the woman and smiled as charmingly as his face would allow him to. "My master is very gracious. Please, keep the change for yourself. My master would like for her ship to be handled with care." The woman shook her head. "Perhaps where your master is from bribes are common, not here.¡± Still though, she took all three silvers. ¡°50 coppers for a temporary citizenship permit, a silver for the flat rate docking fee, then one silver and 50 coppers for pre-emptive docking fees. That gives your master 75 days until she¡¯ll have to pay for an extension or undock from the city¡¯s port.¡± She looked up as if expecting Sophie to protest but honestly, it sounded like a fine deal though there was one issue. ¡°Only one temporary citizenship?¡± Lone asked in confusion. The woman laughed in his face. ¡°You¡¯re not a person, you¡¯re a slave. You¡¯re her responsibility.¡± ¡®¡­ Just like a pet,¡¯ Lone thought. ¡°Of course, how foolish of me.¡± The woman nodded as if his stupidity was simply to be expected. She fished around in a nearby desk before she pulled out a small card. She then used a skill on it from what Lone could tell before handing it to Sophie. It immediately registered her name and face and had an active countdown on it. ¡°That expires in exactly six months¡¯ time. If you try to leave Milindo before that date, you¡¯re liable to be arrested unless you have a permit to exit the kingdom,¡± the clerk claimed. Lone froze and Sophie, too, seemed perturbed by the idea. ¡®The fuck? Did we just enter this world¡¯s version of the CCP or something?¡¯ ¡°Also, we don¡¯t have the tools nor personnel to detect magic, but if either of you happen to be magic users, do not, under any circumstance, use your spells. That¡¯s liable to get you killed. It¡¯s a capital offence to use magic without express permission from the crown itself,¡± the woman claiming, making the situation oh so much better.
It took some time, but Lone and Sophie eventually found an inn willing to let slaves actually sleep inside, not in a barn or somewhere even less dignified. The two were now in their rented bedroom. Sophie was lying down on their double bed with her hands under her head while Lone was sitting at the nearby desk. "So, Lone. What''s the plan here? We''ve reached civilisation like you wanted," Sophie asked. ¡°It is hardly perfect though.¡± ¡°Haha, no fuckin¡¯ shit.¡± Lone ran his fingers through his hair before he answered, "Well... we can¡¯t exactly leave now. What a fuckin¡¯ cunt. Would have liked a warning for that.¡± ¡°Indeed, though do not worry about the magic ban. Your Dimensional Storage does not create any magical fluctuations and we can simply keep watch for you if you wish to practise your crude spells,¡± Sophie offered. ¡°Haha, ready to break the law the second we reach a country, huh?¡± Lone asked teasingly. Sophie shrugged. ¡°This place has no respect for you nor for freedom, it seems. Why respect it back?¡± He found himself agreeing with her, in truth. ¡°We¡¯ll do that then. Still, we¡¯d best be careful. We¡¯ve also got to find something constructive to do for half a year. We can figure that out tomorrow but on the grander scale? There are two things in particular that I¡¯d like to do," Lone claimed. Sophie raised an eyebrow but continued to stare at the ceiling from the bed. "Go on." "First, I want to meet the gods that brought us here and punch them in the face," he said. "Why? Are you not happy with this new life?" Sophie asked curiously. Lone laughed. "The end does not justify the means. Those fuckheads ripped us out of our lives without even a single thought towards our feelings. Sure, it''s worked out so far, but we¡¯ve had to see and do some pretty fuckin¡¯ terrible things. I won''t be satisfied until I find out what the hell those gods want from us and most certainly not until I''ve clocked them once or twice right in the chops." "Hah. We can agree with that sentiment if nothing else. So, what is the second goal?" Sophie questioned. A distant look entered Lone''s eyes. "I kinda want to visit my family. I want to tell my mum that I don''t resent her anymore. I want to let my sister know that I love her...¡± He smiled a wry smile. ¡°As for my dad... I want to tell him that I still hate him, but he no longer holds any meaning in my life. Coming here to Altros has shown me how small my life and my issues were back on Earth. Especially when stacked up against yours." "Wanting to talk to the dead... What a silly thought," Sophie scoffed. "So, in essence, you want to return to Earth?" Lone nodded. "Not the dead, just his grave. And yeah, someday. I assume it''s possible. Since we came here, there''s gotta be a way to go back." "Do you plan to obtain the power of the gods that brought us here? That''s a lofty goal," Sophie claimed. Lone laughed. "I doubt world transferal is limited to gods. But yeah, you know what, why not? Fuck it. If I wanna sock ''em in the face a few times, I should at least be as strong as them, shouldn''t I?" he rhetorically asked as he grinned. "We see. Well, we shall work hard to not fall behind you, though considering the difference in our unique skills, it is probably impossible to stay as your equal in direct strength," Sophie muttered passively. Lone just laughed a bit awkwardly in response to that statement. He could hardly deny it. His Growth Accelerator was unfair and offered a clear advantage to him which would probably be impossible to match, even with a genius-level of talent.
"What did you say? Repeat yourself," an overweight man with a goatee asked. He wiped the grease from his fingers onto his lavish clothing carelessly as he stared at the rogue in front of him. "¡­ Yes, my lord." The short woman with a loosely tied blonde ponytail sweated heavily in the city lord''s presence. "I saw a Golden Foxkin wandering the streets this evening. He had nine tails, and he hasn''t awakened. I think, at least. It was hard to tell since it was dark but, it¡¯s possible he has awakened to Life though that¡¯s unlikely. He seems to be the slave of a young foreign noblewoman. From my investigations, she''s both blind and mute, but like the foxkin, she is very pleasing to the eyes." The city lord stroked his goatee thoughtfully. Reaching into his waistcoat''s front-left pocket, he plucked out a single gold coin and tossed it to the woman. "Good work. Keep an eye on this demi. There''s another coin in it for you if you can tell me his location when I need it," he ordered powerfully. The rogue caught the metal coin and stowed it away in a pouch strapped to her hip. "As you will it, my lord." Waving his hand dismissively, he said, "You may leave." The girl did so. Now alone with his servants, the city lord smiled deviously. "A Golden Foxkin? Here? In Milindo? The Primals must be smiling down on me. That makes two this year alone and this one isn¡¯t just a likely false rumour. To think that everyone thought they were extinct for the last century..." His gaze wandered through the room until it landed on one of his many servants. "You. Go file a request at the Adventurer''s Guild. Offer one gold coin. I need a B-ranker or greater. Preferably a gold-plate, but I''ll accept as low as a steel-plate. The request is to assess someone''s strength." "Of course, my lord." The servant bowed and rushed out of the room. "Hmm... I won¡¯t ignore such a ripe opportunity. It''s such a shame that only B-rankers or above can sense another''s internal power, isn''t it?" the city lord suddenly asked. Startled by his abrupt question, several of the servants blanked and fumbled for an answer. Eventually, one muttered, "Y-Yes, my lord." "It''s such a shame, indeed. If only Bastion could rank up, I wouldn''t need to hire adventurers for such trivial things... Oh well. Let''s hope this demi isn''t that powerful or an awakened beastkin. It would be great to give my boy some real field experience for a change," the city lord said more to himself than to anyone present. The power owning such a rare animal would afford him¡­ why, it could change everything. B1: Chapter 38: Shopkeeper and Angered Lord Griffset "Heavy..." Lone grumbled as he opened his eyes only to be greeted by a system message.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Lone groaned. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. I¡¯m a beginner.¡± He must have missed the notification after he and Soph finished training that particular skill. Regardless, he glanced down at the sleeping beauty laying on top of him and he smiled. She yawned and blinked a few times in confusion, seemingly having been woken by his words. Once she recognised that she was on top of him, she smiled. Soph raised her head and kissed him softly. "Morning." ¡®What a perfect way to start the day.¡¯ Lone thought before he returned her smile. "Yeah, morning." They both slowly disentangled from one another and got dressed. ¡°So many kiss marks¡­¡± Soph murmured while glancing down at her body. Lone froze and smiled at her awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re free to give me hickey¡¯s too in the future if you want.¡± Soph blushed as she slipped on her shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it it¡¯s just¡­ you really like exploring my body?¡± Lone nodded seriously. ¡°Damn straight. Every inch.¡± Soph¡¯s cheeks almost exploded. ¡°Lewd¡­¡± Lone coughed. ¡°Ahem¡­ Um, changing topics, have you fucked around with your body yet?¡± ¡°You mean other than with you?¡± Soph teased. ¡°No. I¡¯m faithful.¡± ¡°Hah, not what I meant but I appreciate the humour. I mean Body Manipulation, your skill. It¡¯s pretty useless beyond maybe shifting mid-fight to throw someone off balance but that would require armour that shifts with you. I can see it being useful for disguises as well, but not much else right now. It¡¯s got to have more uses since it¡¯s a unique skill just like Teleportation, Mental Destruction, or the other skills we have,¡± Lone explained. Soph frowned. ¡°I have tried but I don¡¯t really know what to do¡­¡± ¡°Shame. Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out eventually. I was lucky to develop Bone Armour from Basic Regeneration. You¡¯re even luckier than I am if your status is to be trusted, right?¡± Lone encouraged. Soph smiled. ¡°Right. I won¡¯t stop trying until something happens, at least.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± Lone replied. Once they were finished getting dressed, they left the inn though not before Sophie took control of Sofia¡¯s body. She was the far better actor when it came to playing the disinterested noblewoman, after all. Their goal today was to find a library and perhaps probe some people on how restrictive the rules on magic and leaving the country truly were.
Three hours meandered on by as the morning slowly rolled into the afternoon. "No library, huh?" Lone sighed as he looked at the small miscellaneous store that sold a variety of things which was in front of him and Sophie. One of the things it sold was books, or so the sign out front said. "Here''s hoping it has some stuff on common knowledge and not some obscure shit like how best to pickle a potato or whatever." Sophie, who was holding onto his arm for perceived guidance, shrugged and whispered, "We can only hope. By the way, someone has been following us for the past ten minutes." Lone''s eyes sharpened. "Are you sure?" Sophie nodded. "There''s three of them. One has a lot of mana, but the other two seem fairly ordinary. It was hard to tell at first, but they''ve consciously been maintaining a distance of no closer than 20 metres from us." Lone frowned. "Hopefully they''re just curious about me because of my rare heritage." Sophie shrugged once again. "They have no extremely strong emotions. Or at least, none that we can feel through their mana like with Soph and the elven women." "That''s good, I suppose. Well, for now, let''s buy some books. Information is key if we want to get anywhere fast here," Lone said and then lightly pulled his ''master'' into the store. A small bell rang as the two entered the shop. The somewhat bored-looking old man behind the counter gave them a cursory glance and whistled. "It''s rare that such a good lookin'' demi is wanderin'' ''round these here parts. Whatcha lookin'' for, young man, or are ye actually a few hundred or thousand years old? It''s always hard ta tell with you demis," the wrinkled man asked with a toothy grin. ''What? So demis are long-lived? Or maybe free from the risk of ageing entirely? Interesting. He also doesn''t seem racist... I think. That''s a great start,'' Lone thought privately. He cleared his throat and returned the old man''s smile with his own. "I''m young, thank you. My master here loves books. Well, she loves it when I read them to her. Would it be possible to buy all of your books? The topic doesn''t matter." The old man raised an eyebrow. "Ah¡¯m an old man with enough money ta buy a store that sells books an¡¯ enough smarts ta hold onto it in a country more rotten than ma chamber pot. Ah can see a lie when it slaps me across the face.¡± He chuckled, revealing his yellowed teeth once more. ¡°Ye¡¯r clever actin'' like a slave, I¡¯ll give ye that. It''ll keep some folk away. Can''t fool me though. Ye might wanna brush up on those there actin'' skills of yers, Son. I hope yer strong enough te defend yerselves. ''Cause if ye don''t go lookin'' fer trouble, ye can bet yer sweet arses it''ll come lookin'' for you. S''not every day a Golden Foxkin appears." Sophie tensed up and prepared to kill the man instantly, but he just laughed. ¡°Thick bloodlust. C¡¯mon, I¡¯m no danger. I¡¯ve got skills ta help with this kinda stuff. Most merchants do. If I was gonna rat ye¡¯s out, why in the name ah the Old One would I tell ye about mah suspicions?¡± Sophie didn¡¯t move but she remained vigilant. The bookseller smiled and cracked his back before he began walking around the room collecting tomes as he hummed a little song that Lone didn''t recognise. "Um..." Lone was a bit lost for words. "How''d you know, sir?" The shopkeeper laughed. "''Sir''. That''s a good''un." He turned to look at Sophie and smirked. "The girl was a massive giveaway outside ah mah skills. She''s pretty smitten with ye. I can smell ''er feelin''s from a mile away. Looks like ye return ''em too. I ain''t ever ''eard ah a slave in love with ¡®is master. Sure, it ''appens, but a slave like you?¡± He laughed so loudly it was like the mere notion of such a thing had set a fire in his belly. ¡°Not a chance. I ain''t no powerful sage or nutin'', but I can tell ye right now, a guy like you, being enslaved to a girl like her? Never. I could be wrong, but I''m willin'' to bet that I''m not. I¡¯ve travelled enuff ta ¡®ave actually left this pisshole of a kingdom once or twice," the elder claimed. Lone''s eyes widened for a moment before he smiled in defeat. "Wouldn¡¯t happen to have any advice for us then, would you? You said you¡¯ve no plans to reveal our little charade, which I really appreciate, but a few words of wisdom would go a long way." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The merchant shrugged. ¡°Most won¡¯t be able ta tell, trust me. Some merchants might but they likely won¡¯t care. Best ta shop alone though I guess.¡± He scratched his head before shaking it. ¡°Nah, not this book.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lone said. ¡°Any advice regarding the ban on magic or leaving the country before our temporary citizenship expires?¡± ¡°Aye¡­ First, don¡¯t use magic, second, don¡¯t leave until it expires,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°Why? Plans to go slingin¡¯ spells or flee this lovely little shitstain on Teresta?¡± ¡®Teresta? Is that the continent¡¯s name? Snapper did mention that¡­ Also, I thought old people tended to be more patriotic¡­ Well, it¡¯s helpful that he doesn¡¯t like this place much, if nothing else,¡¯ Lone thought. He then smiled awkwardly. ¡°Not exactly, but I certainly don¡¯t like being restricted.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°Fair ¡®nuff. Can¡¯t be usin¡¯ magic unless ye¡¯r allowed ta by the royals. That - or ¡®ere¡¯s something they don¡¯t publicise much - join the guild.¡± Lone raised an eyebrow. ¡°A mage¡¯s guild?¡± ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t got nutin¡¯ like that here in rural ol¡¯ Milindo. We do got a ¡®The Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯ though. God-awful name. Why the ¡¯The¡¯? Only one office which is up in the Capital, the Holy City of Ranton. Adventurers aren¡¯t looked upon very well by the officials but commonfolk like you or I appreciate ¡®em,¡± the man explained. He wandered back to his counter and placed seven books on it. ¡°They get shit done way quicker an¡¯ better than the army ever ¡®as. Plus, ye can use magic all ya want since they¡¯re a foreign force. Might even be able ta invalidate a temporary citizenship legally fer ya. Dunno though.¡± Lone wore a thankful expression on his face. ¡°That¡¯s all very useful information. Thank you.¡± The bookseller sat back down on his stool and smiled again. "These''ll be two silvers,¡± he said, gesturing to the books. ¡°I¡¯ll take 50 coppers for the advice. I¡¯ve no ¡®ate fer yer kind nor love for my country, but I do ¡®ave a bottom line that needs ta be met.¡± Lone reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. It was one of the few that he had plundered from the Goblin King¡¯s throne room. "Here. I really appreciate your kindness," Lone said. After Lone had picked up the books and was walking out of the store with Sophie, the shopkeeper said, "Dungeon currency, eh? Fancy. Fancy. Good luck out there, Son." Lone nodded in response. As soon as he and Sophie were back on the cobbled street, he looked at Sophie. ¡°Luck, huh?¡± She replied, ¡°That was an incredibly lucky encounter. Such a useful stat.¡± Lone slowly grinned. "So¡­ you''re ''smitten'' with me now, are you?" Sophie scowled. Her cheeks were red as she glared at Lone with her lifeless eyes. "That senile old man was clearly blinder than we are. Of course we have no feelings for you." Lone chuckled. "You''re just as cute as Soph is, but only when you''re flustered. How weird." Sophie scoffed and simply moved on, choosing not to take his bait unfortunately enough. "The three people from earlier are watching us. We''re hiding our mouth from them since we are supposed to be mute, but what shall we do?" Lone wore a serious expression. "I guess we find a deserted alley and confront them. Either that or we act like we haven''t discovered them. What do you want to do?" Sophie shrugged. "We are confident that we can handle them. Teleportation should be enough to cripple them." "Morbid," Lone replied. "Fine. Let''s find out what their goal is then."
Five minutes later, Lone and Sophie were now in a fairly isolated road between two buildings. Hardly wide enough to be called a street, but not narrow enough to justify being an alleyway. Books still held in his hand since he didn''t want to expose his Dimensional Storage ability, Lone spoke loudly, "We know you''re there. Come out now and explain why you''re following us." ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be able to detect us, honestly, what with you two being H-rankers,¡± a man in a well-fitting robe said as he and two other men revealed themselves. One had a sword at his waist and a shield strapped to his wrist. The other was short and rattish but had a few daggers affixed to his thigh-guards. Lone frowned as he readied himself for a fight. ¡°Can we help you?¡± The robed man shook his head. ¡°No, but we might be able to help you. You see, we¡¯re adventurers. Quite powerful adventurers, even. For this shithole anyway. The lord here wants us to scope you two out for him.¡± ¡®Scope us out? Why? We¡¯re not that extraordinary, are we?¡¯ Lone thought. ¡°Haha, I understand that look,¡± the adventurer chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do our jobs because who¡¯s to say what that overweight pig of a lord really wants, right? Could just be investigating a strange couple of foreigners. Unlikely, but possible. However, he didn¡¯t order us to tell you to fuck off.¡± The rattish rogue nodded. ¡°Ain¡¯t no good ¡®at came come out of a nine-traited beastkin in these parts. Ma money¡¯s on the lord wantin¡¯ ya as a sex toy.¡± ¡®Nine traits? My tails? So nine isn¡¯t the normal number for Golden Foxkin?¡¯ Interesting information. The warrior of the group nodded. ¡°The guildmaster up in the holy city is a beastkin too. We¡¯d be hung if our work here led to something bad happening to you. By the way, I have to ask, is she really your master?¡± He then ran his finger across his neck as if to signify that they were willing to kill her to set him free if need be. Lone shook his head. ¡°She isn¡¯t. It just seemed like a good cover story,¡± he admitted. These three individuals had him on edge. Something about them made him feel like they could kill him at the drop of a hat. Even if he could handle two of them with his Mental Destruction, the third would surely get him. ¡®Just how strong are they? I guess I have to thank Sophie¡¯s Luck stat for them having a conscience.¡¯ The robed one nodded. ¡°As good a story as any. Head to Ranton. Join the guild. If it comes up, say we helped you, would you? A favour for a favour and whatnot. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said the guildmaster dotes on his kind. Heck, anything not human he gives extra care to. Our group¡¯s called Iron Tong, by the way.¡± ¡®Ah, selfish motives. Now that, that I can trust,¡¯ Lone thought. ¡°We can do that. Why Iron Tong though?¡± The robed man laughed. ¡°I was a blacksmithing apprentice before my mana organs awakened. Funny how life works sometimes, eh?¡±
As soon as the adventurer¡¯s had left, Lone turned to Sophie. ¡°We''ll do as they and the shopkeeper suggested. Becoming an adventurer will at least make it legal for us to use magic and give us a net of protection from the sounds of things. Do you mind teleporting us as far north as your mana will allow?" "We do not. We can do so without risk of discovery, but what of the ship?" she replied with her own question. Lone shrugged. "Who gives a fuck? I can build a new one later if we ever need to sail again. It¡¯s a shame Soph can¡¯t work on her new skill, but our safety matters more right now. We need to get out of Ros as fast as possible. I don¡¯t trust the intentions of a lord who doesn¡¯t approach us himself but instead hires people to probe us.¡± Sophie didn¡¯t argue against his points. "We can agree with that," she said before grabbing his arm and activating her unique skill. The two vanished instantly.
Ten minutes later, in the city lord''s keep, three men stood before the ruler of the city. His flabby face wore a frown at these men not bowing or kneeling before him, but they were all B-rankers, so he couldn''t risk offending them right now. "Well? I trust that you have good news?" The middle man of the three, the warrior with the longsword strapped to his waist and a kite shield on his back, replied, "Yup. They''re both H-rankers." "Are you certain?" the lord questioned with his anxiety clearly on display. The adventurer clicked his tongue and picked at his ear with his pinkie finger. "Look, we did the job. Pay us. They''re both H-rankers, okay?" "Of course, of course. You," he said as he pointed at a servant, "go fetch me two gold coins." The rogue grinned and asked, "What, ye don''t ''ave the coins on ''and? An; a bonus for lil¡¯ ol¡¯ us?" The city lord wore an apologetic face. "No. I didn''t expect you to accept the commission so fast, nor did I expect you to complete it so soon. The speed is, of course, worth the bonus, hence the extra coin." The glasses-wearing robed adventurer stroked his beard and hummed lightly. "Understandable. We were rather fast." He readjusted his grip on his magic cane and smiled, seemingly amused by something but the lord didn¡¯t bother asking what. It would only make the unruly adventurers respect him even less which he simply could not allow. Let the petty men keep their petty secrets. A few minutes later, the servant returned, and the men were paid. One gold coin was worth 100 silver coins, so they had made off quite handsomely for such a simply job. The second they left the audience room, the city lord''s face morphed into one of rage. "Impudent adventurers! Not showing me even a modicum of respect! If they weren''t protected so fiercely by that guildmaster of theirs, then I''d have their blasted heads!" A mere second later, the doors to the room swung open again. Gazing at his hall¡¯s new intruder, the city lord''s face regained some composure. It was the blonde-haired rogue who he had on his payroll. "Well? What have you come here for, Ceela?" He was certain that he had ordered her to watch the foxkin and the foreign noble until she was given further instructions. "L-Lord Griffset... T-They disappeared... T-The two of them are no longer in Ros..." Her face was pale, and her eyes were plastered to the floor as if she had been charmed by the velvet carpet. "They... what?" The city lord was hoping that she was mistaken. "You were a fool to return if what you say is true. You know what becomes of those I deem incompetent, yes? Your life in Milindo will be over. A difficult task I could forgive, but something so mundane? All I asked of you was to watch two people! Two people who I¡¯m told are nothing more than H-rankers!" "Y-Yes, Lord Griffset. Please... command me to hunt them down. I will not fail you again. They simply used a trick on me. I won''t be fooled twice," Ceela begged. Had she chosen to run, her family would be sold into slavery, and she would have eventually been caught to join them in such a sorry existence. Such was the fate the lord decided in his mind. Her willingness to prove herself though gave him cause to rethink. "Hmm... Very well. They are only H-rankers as I said. I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯ve gone far if they left the city. Every second wasted is another step taken by them away from Ros. Go. Find them. There will be no more chances." His eyes were cold, and despite his rotund figure and lacking strength, he was putting vast amounts of pressure on the C-ranked girl. "Y-Yes! I won''t fail you again, Lord Griffset!" She practically slammed her head onto the floor as a show of loyalty. "Good. Should you find out that they have a set destination, return and bring Bastion with you. He needs the experience. Otherwise, offer to buy the fox from the noblewoman. Should she decline an offer of five white-gold coins, kill her. I''d rather acquire the fox legally to avoid any trouble, but the risk of offending foreign nobility is worth the gains I stand to acquire should it prove necessary." After saying that, the city lord didn''t wait for a reply and left the hall. He was hungry, so it was time for lunch. No matter the events of today, he still had to eat to maintain his overflowing, as his wife put it, ¡®health¡¯. B1: Chapter 39: Storing Rules and Safe Roads "It''s getting dark..." Lone said as he looked at the horizon that contained a slowly setting sun. Sophie had started getting a headache pretty quickly from using too much of her MP and thus couldn''t teleport them anymore. According to her though they had already moved more than a few miles away from the city. This was rather impressive since moving more than just herself made her Teleportation far more MP-intensive. Lone knew what it felt like to have no mana points left, so he had readily agreed when she had asked if they could walk for a while. "Let''s find a decent clearing away from the road. I¡¯ll cut down some trees and make us a basic hut," Lone decided. ¡°I kinda wanna remake my fort if I get the time. Not much else to do in the six months we¡¯ll have to spend here.¡± Sophie nodded. "We can train our swordsmanship in the meantime.¡±
A few hours had passed, and progress had been made for both Lone and Sophie. On the front of Sophie, she had gained a level in her Dual Wielding Mastery apparently though she had opted to stop training and allow Soph to take control. Physical pain and exhaustion were easy enough for her to deal with, but the headache of lacking MP really put her off-centre, apparently. Soph was the better of the two when it came to managing that. As for Lone, quite a few of his skills had levelled up.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Masonry] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
It was only a single level but that didn¡¯t bother Lone. He had earned it by creating a solid foundation for their new cabin. A foundation made entirely out of limestone. A simple material really, and one that he understood rather well thanks to his time spent researching the history of architecture and how different countries all over the world used different techniques to create their settlements throughout the ages. Still, he had needed to rely on his Creation Magic to get enough of the stuff for their cabin.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Logging] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Logging] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Two levels for felling ten times as many trees. It had taken him a while to do but Lone was glad to be improving the skill.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Lone had tried to add some design to their simple new home which had resulted in him getting two levels here as well. Something he felt quite proud of. In fact, he would have gone on to engrave all of the logs he¡¯d put together into a lovely little lodge, but he was tired and had a slight headache. His MP would return with time, reducing his headache, but it wasn¡¯t wise to overwork himself while sleepy, even with his Basic Regeneration to keep him going. Sadly, he didn¡¯t gain a level in Illusionary Dome despite setting one up. Perhaps another day. With that in mind, he turned in for the night with the equally exhausted Soph.
¡°What a stupid idea,¡± Sophie scoffed as she futzed about with her dress. Clearly, she would rather be wearing her armour over the silk clothing Lone had prepared for her. Sadly, their master-servant act seemed to work on Ros¡¯s guards, even if it wasn¡¯t very effective with the adventurers or the shopkeeper they had ran into. She would have to keep acting like the noblewoman she used to be almost a thousand years ago. It was just the wiser play in Lone¡¯s opinion. He shook his head. ¡°Ye of little faith. It belongs to me, it isn¡¯t alive, why can¡¯t I store it?¡± Lone was planning on shoving his entire cabin into his Dimensional Storage, hence the mocking tone from his girlfriend¡¯s harsher personality. ¡°Just destroy it. Practice your fire magic or something. You can build a new one later,¡± Sophie said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°We do not see the point in lugging a building around with us, assuming it will work. If it does, what is stopping you from storing entire cities?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Lone frowned. ¡°The same thing keeping me from peeling those clothes straight off of you without using my hands. Or your swords when we fight.¡± Sophie¡¯s lips quivered a bit. ¡°That¡­ that makes some sense. Is ownership the reason?¡± ¡°That or use. I mean, who owns your swords and clothes? I made them and I haven¡¯t exactly said ¡®these now exclusively belong to you¡¯,¡± Lone reasoned. ¡°Hmm¡­ For once, you make a good point, for a simpleton. Fine. Try to pick up that dingy little lodge of yours and then let us be on our way,¡± Sophie demanded. ¡°As you wish, your highness,¡± Lone replied with a grin and a half-hearted bow. That earned him a glare, but he thought it to be a worthwhile exchange. Lone then approached the structure he wished to eventually turn into a fort as he had done to the building the elven women now owned on Goblin Island. He placed a hand on it and tried to place it in his Dimensional Storage. Lo and behold, it disappeared entirely, leaving only the wet, insect covered indent where its foundations once lay to serve as proof it even existed. ¡°That is so cool,¡± Lone mumbled. ¡°You are too easily impressed by anything of a magical nature,¡± Sophie complained. ¡°Let us go then since you have been proven right.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t get a kiss as an apology for you being both rude and wrong?¡± Lone asked with a raised brow and an indignant look on his face. Sophie heaved a heavy sigh before she walked up to him, grabbed his collar, and pulled him down, locking her lips onto his. After a moment, she separated from him and asked, ¡°Satisfied?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I could always resummon the cabin and we could work on levelling up my Sex Mastery¡­¡± Lone offered. Sophie rolled her eyes and walked away with a look of disgust on her face. ¡°We are not your girlfriend, Soph is. We would not have even kissed you had she not said you did deserve an apology from us.¡± Lone just chuckled. ¡°I was only being half-serious. And you two are the same person. I keep saying this.¡± ¡°And you can continue to say it all you want, Lone. That does not make it true,¡± Sophie countered. He threw up his arms in defeat. ¡°Right back at you, Miss Chip On Her Shoulder.¡±
¡°Lone,¡± Sophie called, snapping him out of his thoughts while they walked down the stone road. It was honestly a surprisingly well-maintained road and Lone suspected it had been created with magic. It was almost on par with modern-day tarmac roads as far as smoothness went. ¡°Hmm? Something the matter?¡± he asked. Sophie nodded. ¡°People approaching from behind us. Eight of them in total, four of which are carrying weapons and are on horseback. The other four are in a carriage of sorts. Wares and good surround three in the rear while the fourth is steering the thing.¡± Lone stroked his jaw. ¡°Sounds like a trader with an armed escort.¡± He reached out into thin air and then pulled out a collar that had two bolts holding two separate halves together. One was undone, not too unlike a handcuff that had yet to be placed on a wrist. Lone put the thing on his neck then set the second bolt. With that done, he withdrew his swordspear. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll say hello. Maybe we can get some info on the holy city or something. Could always ignore us entirely too.¡± ¡°They could also be working for the city lord,¡± Sophie argued. ¡°Nah, unlikely. Why would Ros¡¯s city lord send a trader after us?¡± Lone shook his head, seriously doubting Sophie¡¯s worries. ¡°I appreciate the idea, but it¡¯s so unlikely.¡± ¡°Just be ready to murder them all if they harbour desires to do anything malicious with us. If I feel even a hint of malintent, heads will fly,¡± Sophie growled. Lone smiled wryly. ¡°Please don¡¯t murder anyone. I¡¯m confident it¡¯s a normal group of travellers.¡± ¡°We shall see,¡± Sophie replied. Not a minute later, the carriage and armed escort came into view. ¡®Huh. I noticed it with the three guys that warned us about the lord, but those escorts also have a tag? No¡­ plate on them. Some around the neck, some sown into their gear¡­ Is that an identification method of the guild?¡¯ Lone wondered as he gave the group a friendly wave. The rider¡¯s got the carriage to stop a distance away before they cautiously approached Lone and Sophie. ¡°Hello, travellers,¡± the leading rider, a woman in full plate with a large sword affixed to her saddle said. ¡°Is there a reason you hailed us?¡± ¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Lone wore an awkward look on his face. ¡°I was just being friendly. My apologies. My master and I aren¡¯t from Milindo. Despite being her guide through these foreign lands, it seems I¡¯ve failed in properly learning the local customs.¡± ¡°Local customs?¡± the woman asked with a suspicious tone. ¡°As in, hailing others on a road that is done everywhere on the continent?¡± Lone smiled. ¡°Living on the family estate for our entire lives can be somewhat crippling when it comes to regular practices. It¡¯s actually why we¡¯re out here. My master intends to have us both become adventurers like yourselves. Would it be too much to ask for some information?¡± The woman shrugging, not seeming to trust him but not feeling threatened either. ¡°That¡¯s up to our employer.¡±
Luckily, the man who had hired the adventurers was very willing to have a conversation partner. In exchange for information on the dos and don¡¯ts of both Milindo and its holy city, Ranton, all he requested were tales from a foreign noble. He didn¡¯t seem to mind that Sophie was mute and more than enjoyed the lies Lone spun for him. Well, half-lies. Lone had just decided to detail affairs and events that had happened to notable nobles in Earth¡¯s history and tailored them to fit the narrative of Sophie and the ¡®Vladimirovich estate¡¯. An easy task for a man of his education. It had even earned him a skill level up.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
The trader was so impressed by these stories that he had even offered Lone and Sophie a free ride to Ranton, his and his passengers¡¯ destination. Lone declined politely, of course. After all, he couldn¡¯t work on his portable home nor on his Illusionary Dome if he spent the time travelling with the merchant. Also, he was a bit concerned that cracks would appear in his slave act and the lies he was spewing. Lone was more than satisfied with the information he¡¯d already gotten. Besides, the carriage was incredibly uncomfortable. Walking was more pleasant for a man like Lone who had Basic Regeneration so didn¡¯t have to worry about getting blisters. Sophie seemed to agree more on the premise of not wanting to be on guard around so many potential threats for an extended duration of time. And thus, the two were now in Lone¡¯s cabin in the middle of the woods not too far off from the road. ¡°I¡¯m surprised how safe these roads are, really,¡± Lone noted. Soph, who had taken control now, tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I dunno, I expected bandits and wolf attacks galore. That¡¯s always how it goes in the stories back home, at least. I guess there are benefits to having a really strict form of government.¡± Soph slowly nodded. ¡°That merchant did say military patrols are frequent and they make sure all of the roads are free of monster threats. Banditry isn¡¯t even a thing here since it¡¯s treated super seriously and punished by death. Kinda scary.¡± ¡°True but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s necessary. Being able to walk freely in a medieval kingdom without worry about being jumped must be massively appealing to inter-city traders,¡± Lone said as he yawned. ¡°Only concern is stray monster packs that go too far from their dungeons or nests.¡± ¡°Tired?¡± Soph asked with a warm smile on her face. Lone shook his head. ¡°Not really, but I think I¡¯ll go to bed. You gonna join me?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m gonna try to see if I can figure out another use for my Body Manipulation skill while you sleep,¡± Soph declared. ¡°Great idea. Well, come wake me up if anything happens before you join me for some kip. Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± Lone requested. ¡°Will do¡­ I love you,¡± Soph said. Lone grinned. ¡°Love you too.¡± He gave her a kiss then collapsed on the bed. The cabin was still only one room large, after all. He¡¯d expand it in the morning. B1: Chapter 40: Building and Reading Lone woke up to find a set of lifeless eyes only inches away from his own simply staring at him. Grinning, the eyes¡¯ owner rubbed her nose against his then gave him a soft peck. "Good morning." "I almost thought you were Sophie for a second there. Is this the first time I¡¯ve even woken up after you?" Lone asked as he yawned a bit and rubbed his eyes to wipe away the dreariness. Soph nodded. ¡°Yup. I actually didn¡¯t go to sleep¡­ I, uh, got kind of lost in trying to figure out another use for Body Manipulation.¡± ¡°Any luck?¡± Lone asked. Soph smiled wryly and shook her head. ¡°No, but I could see my magic moving weirdly when I tried. I think it¡¯s possible I just need to keep trying.¡± Lone nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Even my Bone Armour was super hard to unlock despite it only taking one real attempt. Keep trying. It could take days, months, maybe years. You¡¯ll get it.¡± Soph nodded her head. "Mmm. I won¡¯t give up." Lone watched her get out of their bed and stretch. She then yawned even longer than he had. "Want me to try refreshing your body with Creation Magic?" Lone suggested. She or her other half going around without a good night¡¯s sleep couldn¡¯t be healthy, he thought. After all, he¡¯d done the same many times before back on Earth and it was never a pleasant experience. Soph smiled faintly. "I can manage. Please don''t waste your MP on me. I¡¯ll just go to bed early tonight." Lone got up and hugged her. "Okay. By the way, are you getting more comfortable in those dresses? Sophie doesn¡¯t complain but they can¡¯t exactly be comfy.¡± Soph smiled. ¡°A bit. I prefer the army gear but the ¡®blend in¡¯ stuff you made is nice too. Sophie says she doesn¡¯t mind the dresses so stop fussing over it.¡± ¡°Haha, yeah, of course she¡¯d say that,¡± Lone replied. ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna work on the cabin a bit. See if I can¡¯t get this place looking a little bit like a fort. Take a nap for a couple of hours if you think you¡¯ll be able to sleep this evening as well.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s helpful. Sure. I¡¯ll do that!¡± Soph happily exclaimed.
Five days of travel, building, cooking, training, and nightly activities, passed by peacefully as they made their way up to the holy city of Ranton, Milindo¡¯s capital. During that time, they¡¯d encountered three more travelling merchants and a handful of powerful patrol units. None seemed to be out to start trouble and two of the merchants were similar to the first they had encountered in that they were happy to exchange knowledge for stories. As far as the cabin-turning fort was concerned, Lone had gone all out this time. Unlike with the one he had built on Goblin Island, he had less of a focus on raw utility and defences this time since Milindo was a pretty safe kingdom so long as one didn¡¯t stray too close to a designated dungeon or monster nest. In light of that, he had made more rooms, doubled the size of the courtyard, and added a training area. He was honestly very happy with how much more he could do since Illusionary Dome was intermediate rank, doubling the dome¡¯s size to 20-metres. It afforded him a lot of wiggle room. Of course, all of his hard work along with his usual activities while they travelled had resulted in many skills levelling up. Lone called up his notification log to have a proper look at all of his recent gains to think on them all in a bit more depth than when they had actually levelled.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Masonry] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Masonry] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Masonry] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Masonry
A skill that allows the host to lay bricks and tiles 15% [+10%] more easily and 15% [+10%] more skilfully. [New!] The host can now consume SP to trigger a mental state known as ¡®Builder Mode¡¯. Builder Mode allows the host to use their mind to perform masonry tasks.
Cost: 500 SP per hour of Builder Mode.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
¡®Honestly, such a cool fuckin¡¯ ability. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from ranking it up, but it¡¯s made building four or five times faster. It¡¯s so cheap too,¡¯ Lone thought joyfully. It was extremely restrictive, sadly, but that made sense to him. He could only use the power to progress in the laying of bricks or the collection of raw stones. Still, it was magical, and he loved every second of using it.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Two levels in Woodworking were a nice surprise since he wasn¡¯t using much wood in the construction of their fort. He had been carving furniture though, and quite a bit of it. Speaking of which, the skill related to felling the trees with which he used to supply his woodworking hobby, Logging, had also levelled up.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Logging] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Logging] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. It wasn¡¯t a revolutionary change like with Masonry but Lone appreciated it nonetheless since tricky trees were now a lot easier to control when chopping them down. His final improvement in regard to building was actually a new skill he had obtained.
Passive Skill: Architecture Mastery
A skill reserved for those who had seen and built some of the very best buildings known to sentient beings. Allows the host to see a very basic grid layout when constructing a building.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
An incredibly cool skill, Lone felt, but it wasn¡¯t very useful sadly since he¡¯d earned it after he was practically finished with the fort. ¡®Maybe it¡¯ll come in handy the next time Illusionary Dome ranks ups so I can hide a larger building,¡¯ Lone thought with hope. ¡®It did only gain one level in the past five days though despite me setting up the dome every night¡­¡¯
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active illusionary magic skill [Illusionary Dome] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
¡®Eventually you¡¯ll reach advanced, I¡¯m sure,¡¯ Lone thought with a sigh as he kept looking through his log.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Lone didn¡¯t really cook often, only when Soph and Sophie were too exhausted to do it themselves. The split-minded woman wanted to earn Cooking Mastery herself so he only became the fort¡¯s chef when she asked him to. Usually, his only involvement when it came to meals was eating them and making ingredients for her to cook with via his Creation Magic.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
¡®Y¡¯know, as happy as I am to see this skill improve, I kinda wish Soph wouldn¡¯t always refuse me when I offer a massage. How is that any more embarrassing than sex is?¡¯ he shook his head. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯ll receive some attention when Soph¡¯s ready to accept that her fate is to be turned into a pile of jelly by my godly fingers,¡¯ he thought with a chuckle. His last few notifications were from two of his more useful but less used skills.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
The former had improved because, while they were just walking down a road, Lone figured it¡¯d be wise to make a map of wherever they travelled. It was a useful item to have, and it helped level an equally useful skill. Win-win. As for Teaching Mastery, that was unintentional. He¡¯d received the level up when trying to help Soph figure out how to use her Body Manipulation in a new way. She hadn¡¯t managed yet but apparently, his efforts had been worthy of a level up. Lone wasn¡¯t exactly going to complain. Regardless, with his recap done, Lone picked up the books he¡¯d bought in Ros. They were currently sitting on his desk in his new study room. He was missing Soph¡¯s company a bit, so he¡¯d decided to read the tomes in their new, far larger, bedroom instead of in this lonely room. It was nice to look at, but it was a bit too stuffy for his liking. ¡®Reminds me too much of my gaming set-up back in my apartment but just more refined. I wonder what Soph¡¯s doing anyway? Probably sleeping, haha,¡¯ Lone cheerfully though.
The light sound of gentle breathing could be heard as Lone muttered to himself while he worked his way through the books. ¡°Definitely feels better in here,¡± he said as he glanced at the woman sleeping in their bed with her limbs every which way. He chuckled a bit then returned his attention to the books. Thankfully, most of them were rather short, only clocking in at 100 or 200 pages each. A single book was particularly thick, hosting a respectable 749 pages. The first books that Lone read were storybooks. They seemed quite mature in all honesty; however, they were poorly written by his standards. He did learn some legends regarding a few of the monster species from them though, which was certainly helpful. The next three books were questionably useless. The first detailed how best to plough a field and harvest your crops'' yield. The second was all about fishes and their types, which made sense considering that Ros was a harbour city. The last was a very informative novel on how best to treat your slave for maximum work efficiency. Each of them wasn''t entirely useless, but Lone had to wonder if he''d ever get the chance to apply the knowledge held within them. Coincidentally enough, the second to last book was all about sex and how best to, well, do it. Lone made sure to burn the information into his mind as he tossed the novel back into his Dimensional Storage. ''I wonder if this knowledge will help me level up that skill more?'' On the topic of skills, he¡¯d actually gained one while reading. It was, fittingly enough, called Reading Mastery.
The host has developed the passive skill [Reading Mastery].
Passive Skill: Reading Mastery
Naturally makes reading 5% easier for the host and increases the host''s reading speed by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡®There really is a skill for fuckin¡¯ everything, isn¡¯t there?¡¯ he laughed mentally. Regardless, Lone had just started digging into the large 749-page-long book, the final of the seven he had purchased. This novel - very luckily - was all about the history of Milindo and about its current ruling caste and the royal family. "King Ralph Heidron, is it? This book doesn''t paint him as a racist, so why isn''t he working to fix his fucked-up country? Hmm¡­ More PRC vibes. Or, well, CCP to be more specific. I mean it says here the guy¡¯s over a hundred even though the portrait makes him like he¡¯s still in his early thirties. I mean, this book was published only four years ago. That¡¯s just like China or North Korea with their governments¡¯ brainwashing. Bet the guy¡¯s a massive racist and supports that shit secretly," Lone conspired. "''The Adventurer''s Guild is a continent-spanning organisation and is one of the few companies not under the wise leadership of the crown¡¯, huh? Definitely sounds like a good place to go," Lone said as he continued to read. Before long, dusk had ended entirely, and everything was rapidly darkening. Thankfully Lone had no shortage of candles. "''Due to the wishes of the tenth king of Milindo, no other guild has been allowed to set up a branch within the kingdom''s borders. Many debates have been held to determine if this rule should be forsaken, but the crown assures its people of the need to be cautious with allowing outsiders to establish themselves within Milindo¡¯s glorious borders...''. Hmm... A good chunk of this book is dedicated to this topic, isn''t it? Still, other guilds? What other guilds? And it says ¡®set up¡¯, nothing else. Can they still work and trade here?" Lone asked himself. He suddenly felt a set of arms coiling around his neck as a lazy head drooped onto his shoulder. Soph smiled at him warmly. "Hi¡­ I heard you talking to yourself, and I wondered if you wanted to come to bed?" Lone closed the big book on Milindo''s history after bending the page''s corner that he was on, and he then stored it away. Normally he¡¯d never disgrace a book by bending a corner, but he had no bookmarks, and he didn¡¯t want to waste any MP on creating one. It wasn¡¯t like he respected this volume anyway. Lone replied to her with, "Maybe? I dunno though¡­ This study chair is pretty comfy¡­" ¡°The bed¡¯s comfier¡­ and you get to¡­ how did you say it? Spoon? You get to spoon with me,¡± Soph countered. Lone sighed as he leaned further into her embrace. ¡°Well, just go and tie my hands, why don¡¯t you? Fine, to the bed.¡± Soph grinned. ¡°Yay!¡± B1: Chapter 41: Acting Rank-Up and Matriarch Lone and Sofia ending up spending a total of three extra days in the completed fort. In that time, Lone had finished the massive book on Milindo¡¯s history and current situation, earning him a couple of level-ups in Reading Mastery.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 2.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 3.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 4.
He¡¯d tried to reread the shorter books or even narrate them aloud for Soph while she worked on her Body Manipulation. Sadly, neither of these things levelled the skill further, leading him to believe he needed to read different works to gain any progress in it. Maybe he was wrong, but from the current information available to him, that seemed the most likely. Something Lone had gained substantial progress in, however, was his lightning magic. ¡°Crude Lightning Bolt!¡± Lone cast as he pointed a palm at a dummy in the courtyard he¡¯d set up. The magic script he mentally recited flowed out of his mind and gathered his MP in his hand. With a discharge strong enough to push Lone back a few feet, a large and unstable bolt of black lightning blasted forth from his hand and slammed into the distant dummy, charring it badly and damaging it beyond conventional repair.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 10.
As it turned out, beyond expert came master. That made sense to Lone. What didn¡¯t make sense was that it still had mastery upon reaching master rank. Why? For what purpose? Individual levels in the system didn¡¯t reward him with more power, or so he assumed. Was there perhaps a grandmaster rank? Lone didn¡¯t know but he felt the next notification in his log would give him some answers.
Congratulations! Due to the host''s active lightning magic skill [Crude Lightning Bolt] having reached Master Level 10, it has evolved into the active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt].
"Fuck yes! This explains so much and makes it totally worth putting effort into garbo goblin magic," Lone shouted in excitement. Sophie, who was practising her sword forms, glanced at the overjoyed foxkin and she raised an eyebrow. "Did something good happen?" Lone nodded fervently. "I reached the level cap with Crude Lightning Bolt, and you know what? It fuckin¡¯ evolved. Assuming this isn''t an isolated incident, then doesn''t that mean that all, or at least a lot of, my skills that can level, can also evolve into better skills? Like Bone Armour or Basic Regeneration?" Sophie smiled arrogantly, "Well, how did it change? Was it a substantial ''evolution'', as you called it? Perhaps you can fire two bolts now instead of one?" "Now that would be something. Lemme check first though. I was too happy to check myself and it didn¡¯t pop up automatically like a rank up does,¡± Lone said. Sophie chuckled. "Such a foolish man." He just grinned and scratched his cheek as he called upon the skill''s information.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Lightning Bolt
A standard application of the lightning magic school where the caster focuses the element of lightning into a condensed bolt of pure lightning.
Cost: 2,500 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone frowned. "Well, its description is a lot barer. It lost the additional effects that the crude version had from ranking up, oh, also, its cost has more than doubled." "Does that not make it useless?" Sophie asked with some scrutiny in her voice. Lone shook his head. "No. If we''re purely comparing it to the master level ten version of the crude skill, then yeah, it''s garbage. However, if we compare it to the beginner level one version of the crude skill, well, then it''s a lot better. It starts without the chanting restriction, and it also has half of the MP cost." Sophie held her chin and slowly bobbed her head up and down. "We understand. That makes sense, although it is a little bit complicated. Why not use it? We should compare its power to the crude one." "Sure," Lone agreed. He pointed his palm towards the badly damaged training dummy. Two seconds later, he said, "Lightning Bolt." The bolt was no longer pitch-black, but instead, was distinctly blue and a lot thinner than the master-rank crude one. With the sound of a thunderous crack, the bolt slammed into the dummy. Its chest was turned into a pile of smoking ash, the bolt having left a large hole in its wake.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
"Wow. That''s, what, five or six times as strong? Will that kill me if I hit myself with it?" Lone asked. Sophie laughed. Something in her voice gave Lone the chills. "Perhaps it will... should we test it out?" she asked a bit sadistically. "Nah, let¡¯s not.¡± Lone wiped the sweat from his brow as he waited for her reply. It was fairly humid, after all. ¡°Wanna head to Ranton now though? With this done, I¡¯m ready to go see what the guild¡¯s all about.¡± Sophie sheathed her swords and tilted her head to think. "Do we really have to leave? Would it not be wise to simply hide inside of this Illusionary Dome of yours until you have maximised the potential of all of your skills? That would give us the best chance of survival should people come to capture you, no? We know not of intent of the lord of Ros, but slavery is legal here and you are a rare breed, are you not?¡± Lone shook his head. "I need to rank up. The more I rank up, the more special powers of yours that will unseal... Assuming our theory''s correct, anyway. That''ll boost our chances significantly. I also need to learn new skills. The best way to do that is to, unfortunately, fight other people. Maybe I can enter a tournament or something in Ranton? It is the capital, after all.¡± He smiled as he added, ¡°And I do want that legal safety from the guild. Barely here for a week and we¡¯re hiding in the woods? I kinda want to experience civilisation after Goblin Island. Plus, the guild could have us finding monsters to kill which¡¯ll get me more stats.¡± Sophie sighed. "You should just massacre the people with designs on you. Would that not be far easier than battling some beasts we know nothing of? People are far easier to kill, of that, we can guarantee." Lone gave her a fierce glare. "I don''t want to become a murderer." Sophie just returned his glare with a look of contempt. "Lone, one way or another, it will happen. If Golden Foxkin are as rare as they seem to be, then you can be sure that people will come for you, and not all of them will turn tail and run after getting beaten black and blue. You do know this, yes? Human nature is a dark and ugly thing." Lone nodded sadly. "I know. When the time comes, trust me, I won''t hesitate. I''ve prepared myself mentally. I was ready with Rewal¡¯eh. I also would have killed Lal¡¯roh if he had acted out. I know damned well that you''ll kill another person with ease too, so I need to be ready to do the same thing to not hold you back.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Sophie''s expression softened. "You always ramble incoherently at the worst of times... We shall return control to Soph now since our training is over." With that said, the woman''s cold expression turned joyful. ¡°Gimme a minute to put my armour on, okay?¡± Lone nodded. A few minutes later, she returned to his side, so he asked, "All ready?" "Mmm!" Soph replied. Lone stored their home once again and disabled his Illusionary Dome. The two of them then resumed following the northern road towards the holy city.
"Papers, please," the lazy-looking guard asked Lone and Soph while he picked some earwax out of his ear and flung it onto the ground. "If ye''ve no papers, then there be a fee to register as a citizen of Milindo. Shoulda been done at the border wall, but we can do it ¡®ere too if need be." Lone nodded and passed Soph¡¯s temporary citizenship card. ¡°Here you go, sir.¡± The guard scratched the back of his head as he checked it. "Ros, eh? Ye''ve come a long way." Lone smiled. "We just had to see the capital. I''ve heard it''s the shining jewel of Milindo and it would be the greatest shame of my master¡¯s life if she never came to experience it, she informed me." The guard looked a bit prideful at that. "True ''nuff. Every''ing looks in order. The entry fee''s five coppers per ''ead. Double fer non ¡®umans. Daft rule if ya ask me but rules be rules." Lone handed the man 20 copper coins. "That they are. Here, a little bonus for yourself, my good man. It''s a hard job guarding the gates, no?" "''At it is. ''At it is, my friend. See? You demis do ''ave good ''earts. They should abolish slavery is the way I sees it. Happy folk is hard workin'' folk,¡± the guard expressed as he slowly put the coppers into a pouch at his waist. He then returned Soph¡¯s temporary citizenship card and said, ¡°There''d be more demis like ye if they weren''t forced into shovelling shite or ploughin'' the fields. Either get rid of slavery or make all masters like this pretty little lady of yers.¡± Lone nodded. ¡°Shame the world isn¡¯t so simple.¡± ¡°Oh, aye. Right shame. Oh well, nutin'' to be done about it. Enjoy yer stay in Ranton, ya hear? I ain''t never seen a demi like ye what with all dem tails, but ye''ve got a good ''ead on yer shoulders," the guard said with a toothy grin strewn across his lips.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
''Nice! I wonder what benefits it has now? Raw percentage or a new effect?'' Lone wondered. As he was saying his goodbyes to the guard and pulling Soph along by her hand into the city, Lone checked the notification that had immediately followed the level up.
Passive Skill: Acting
Naturally makes everything that the host does which does not align with their personality or motives 15% [+10%] more believable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''Damn. No new effect... Still, a 10% increase to the perma-buff isn''t horrible. I wonder if this skill can reach a point where I can convince anyone of anything with just my acting? Like, after it''s evolved once or twice?¡¯ That intrigued Lone. ¡®Speaking of that, can a skill even evolve twice? It must be able to, right? There''s no way Lightning Bolt is the peak of that skill... I really hope it isn''t, at least.'' As per usual, magic and his dreams of being a powerful sorcerer were clearly some of his biggest obsessions. "Lone," Soph called. He had told her on the journey here that it was fine for her to speak now if needed. This might eventually lead to some trouble down the line since she was supposed to be mute back in Ros, but Lone figured it would be better for her to talk and socialise a bit more with other people to bolster her social skills. He was going to get strong enough to protect her, so he was okay with the discrepancy of her ability to speak cropping up to bite him in the ass later on. It just felt wrong to deprive her of one of her valuable senses when she was already lacking normal sight. It didn¡¯t seem to bother her much, but it gnawed away at Lone a bit. ¡°What''s up?" he asked her as he continued strolling down the cobbled streets of Ranton. There were quite a lot of robed or heavily armoured men and women walking around, all of whom had a peculiarly designed triangle with either differently coloured orbs sown or carved into their gear. From what Lone had read in the history book, this was the symbol of The Church of The Primals. "Em, what are we gonna do now? Find an inn?" she asked. Lone nodded. "Yeah. Preferably one that''s on the safer side. I''m not too bothered if they discriminate against me a bit. Safety is far more valuable than comfort is." "Um... Okay. I r-really hope they don''t hate you because of your tails... They''re so fluffy and soft and amazing..." Soph mumbled as a smile crept up onto her face. Lone laughed. "You''re such a fluffaholic." "A what?" the girl asked as she cocked her head to one side adorably. "A fluffaholic. It means that you love fluff. Well, that you¡¯re addicted to it, really," Lone explained while he kept most of his attention on the streets and the buildings they were passing to find a decent place to stay. "Oh! Then I''m definitely a floofaholic!" Soph exclaimed a bit excitedly as she squeezed a tail or two with her free hand. Lone smiled. "Floof, not fluff, huh?"
"Hi, do you accept demis here?" Lone asked the nice-looking young lady behind the counter of the fifth inn he and Soph had visited thus far. The first four were perfect as far as security went since each had their own private guards, but three declined demis entry and the fourth only let demis and slaves sleep outside. Lone was fine with low quality, but he refused to sleep separately from Soph. He''d sooner send her to The Summoning Room than split up with her. What healthy young man with a skill to train would ever accept being forced to sleep in a completely different room as their gorgeous girlfriend? Not Lone, that¡¯s who. "Yes! We do! Pa''s a demi himself, so of course we do!" the girl answered with excitement. "Oh really? Biological father... or?" Lone let his question trail on so the girl could fill in the blanks. She laughed. "Come on! Don''t be silly. You know as well as I do that demis can''t have kids with humans. Ma remarried when I was only this high," the girl said as she put her hand to her waist. "He''s looked after me and my brother ever since." Lone smiled. "Of course. I was only teasing you." Internally, he was somewhat relieved. ''So I don''t need to put Soph on the pill or something? I''ll research this a bit more to be safe, but that''d be ideal. It''d be stupid to have kids no matter how much I love her, and if I can avoid spending mana on prevention methods, then all the better.'' "If you don''t mind me asking, what kind of demi is your father? I''m from a place where it''s rare to run into demis. Humans too, if I''m being honest," Lone said with sincerity in his voice as he showed off his perfect teeth. ¡°Sheltered lifestyle. Few encounters with people. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± The girl behind the counter felt her heart flutter. "Um, he''s a Lesher, not a beastkin like you are, sir. Em, even though he''s a Lesher, don''t think of him as a slave if you meet him, please. He was bought and raised by a good family who looked after him. He was given his freedom when his master died of old age." "No worries. I''ll respect him if I see him. Anyway, we''ve strayed off topic quite a bit, haven''t we? What''re the rates for your rooms?" Lone was very satisfied with what information he''d charmed out of the girl. ''I''ve no clue what a Lesher is, but I imagine I''ll find out if I hang out around this place a bit. Maybe he''s a long-lived species and can tell me about that too since he outlived his master? The bookkeeper mentioned the possibility of me being very old since I''m a demi, so I''d like to learn more about that...'' Lone thought. "Ah! Right! How could I have forgotten? How silly of me," the young lady said with an embarrassed smile on her face. ¡°Happens to the best of us,¡± Lone reassured. "Haha, uh, well, since you''re guaranteed protection by our inn''s guards as well as two full meals a day, it''s 30 coppers per night for a single room. A double room is 60 coppers. If you want a wooden bathtub and hot water every night, that''ll cost you an extra 20 coppers. Hot water is expensive since Ma has to make it herself. She''s a retired water mage, you see." Lone nodded and took out six silver coins. "Ten days should do for now. A double room, of course. No bathtub." "Of course, sir!" she happily replied. The girl spun around and grabbed a key from the shelf behind her before she spun once more to face Lone and Soph. She then handed the key to Lone and said, "It''s the fourth room to the left of the stairs on the third floor. I hope you enjoy your stay! Both of you!" "Me too," Lone replied. He pulled Soph along and ignored the curious looks he was getting from every which angle. It was mildly irritating, but he couldn''t help the fact that he was a Golden Foxkin. He simply reasoned that this was one more reason for him to punch the gods in the face for bringing him and Soph into this world without their consent and for messing with them so drastically. Once they''d reached their room, Soph jumped onto the bed and frowned. "It''s a lot better than that shabby place in the other city, but this bed still doesn''t feel right..." "Ros, and yeah. Get off of it for a sec, please?" Lone asked of her. She did as requested and jumped back onto her feet. Lone stored the double bed and brought out their king-sized one. It was a relief that he could do this since he''d stored it as a set with the fort. His Dimensional Storage was clearly quite a versatile skill. Soph squealed with delight and buried herself under the cotton sheets. "Mmm, much better..." Lone just laughed faintly at her antics. He occupied a leather-padded seat and began a certain experiment he''d been wanting to try for ages now via his Creation Magic.
"Any success, Trella? Has Tiera found the child?" a staticky voice asked through a glowing crimson orb. A young boy of perhaps nine or ten years shook his head even though the person on the other end of the orb couldn''t see him. "No, Matriarch. She''s still searching. I''m afraid that powerful magic is hiding the child. But, um, there is something... strange." "Oh? Explain," the voice ordered in a calm and soothing voice. The matriarch was not upset at his or Tiera''s failure to locate the ''child''. It was expected, considering the unique circumstances of their mission. "Well... um, I haven''t seen for myself, but Tiera said that she saw a Golden Foxkin in the streets earlier today when she went out to buy groceries," Trella admitted. "..." There was a deafening pause before the matriarch sucked in a deep breath of air and her tone turned serious. "Tiera swears it wasn''t the child?" "Yes, Matriarch. She claimed that it was a man who looked to be in his early twenties. Um, I''m not sure how old he really is since he apparently hasn''t awakened, but he had nine tails according to Tiera. He was also travelling with a blind human adult. A female. She may be his master, but I''m not sure. Tiera said that they seemed... closer than a master and a slave," Trella stated everything that he knew. "I see... Contact this man. I find it hard to believe that a beastkin can have nine racial traits, even more so if they are a Golden Foxkin. Assuming he''s real, I wish to talk with him. He may know of the child''s location. I''m also curious if he needs help with anything. It would be wise of us to ingratiate ourselves with a nine-traited beastkin, all the more so since he is our kin." There was hope in the matriarch''s voice. "Of course, Matriarch. um... How are our parents? Are they any better?" Trella asked cautiously. "Unfortunately, no. Their condition continues to worsen as the days go by. Do not worry. I won''t forsake my son and daughter-in-law so easily. I have already contacted the soul hall of the White Dragonkin Clan. With some luck, Lord Elksworth himself will come to offer his services," the matriarch claimed. The boy''s eyes brightened. "Thank you... Grandmother." "I''ve told you to only call me ''Matriarch'' during official communications. I will call you again in three days. Make contact with this supposed nine-tailed Golden Foxkin before then, Trella," the matriarch ordered. With that, the conversation was over. The red orb lost its lustre and became inactive, signalling that the connection had been cut. B1: Chapter 42: Phil and Blacksmiths After cooking breakfast with Soph, Lone took their porcelain bathtub out from his Dimensional Storage and created hot water for them to bathe with. A good 15-minute soak and some heavy towel usage later, and the two were now fully dried and dressed. "So... The Adventurer''s Guild?" Soph asked as they were walking down the inn''s flight of stairs. Lone shook his head. "Not yet.¡± ¡°Why not now? We don¡¯t really have much else to do here,¡± Soph questioned. ¡°Well for a start, I want to talk to the reception girl''s dad if he''s about. He¡¯d be the first demi we¡¯ve come across since leaving Goblin Island. Well, unless Snapper was a demi too.¡± Soph frowned. ¡°That frog woman was weird.¡± Lone chuckled. ¡°Indeed. Also, if the receptionist¡¯s dad isn¡¯t around, I wanna search the city for a smithy of some sort and a library too. Maybe that girl knows if there are any and where to find ¡®em?¡± Soph held her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe. I wouldn¡¯t know. I get the smithy. To learn more about metals and stuff, right? Why a library though? Just to read more?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°Yeah. I am a historian of sorts, after all. I also want to get answers to a lot of my system-related questions; like how increasing my personal rank really works. Stat points are nice and all, but I have other stuff more important to do if just killing shit won''t help me rank up at all." "Like?" Soph cocked her head curiously. "Like working on my Acting and Persuasion skills. I suspect they will be incredibly useful for another goal of mine," he answered. "Another goal?" Soph was full of questions today. "Connections. Money talks loudly, but connections can be just as vocal. Money, connections, power. These three things. They rule all sapient life. Some are more weighted than others depending on the society. In this kind of kingdom in this kind of world? My guess is that the order goes power, connections, then lastly, money. At least, that''s the list of importance for me," Lone explained. "Money isn''t important?" Soph didn¡¯t seem to understand his logic. Lone shook his head once more. "I have my Creation Magic. This is kinda linked with connections since I want to find a good, diverse blacksmith to teach me about weapon and armour forging. As a result, I''ll learn more about metals like bronze, silver, and gold, no doubt. With that, I could make coins very easily I¡¯d bet. Three birds, one stone." "One... Connection to a good smith... Two... Knowledge about the metals that make money... Three... knowledge on weapon and armour forging... Huh. If they''re the birds, what''s the stone?" Soph inquired. Lone laughed softly. "The stone is the fact that I get all three of those in one. Maybe the smith?" As Soph was wrapping her head around that, the two had finished their descent and found themselves to be in the inn''s reception. Behind the desk was a disinterested-looking young man who was maybe a year or two younger than Lone himself. He spied the two of them and raised an eyebrow. "So Grella wasn''t lying. A nine-traited beastkin, and a Golden Foxkin on top of that. What''s someone like you doing in a place like Milindo?" ''The girl from last night''s brother? She did mention having one,'' Lone thought as he wore a smile. "We''re just wanderers exploring the world. Milindo happens to be a part of the world, so here we are." "Huh. Is that so? What kind of places have you been to on your travels?" There was still a clear lack of genuine curiosity in the man''s voice, but he was being polite, so Lone saw no justifiable reason to blow him off. "We only recently started our travelling, so Milindo is the first stop on our journey. We originally lived on an island due west of Teresta. A small place with no official name," Lone claimed. The man raised his eyebrow again before lowering it and nodding. "Okay. Well, should I tell Ma to make yous some grub? It''s still a bit early, but I''m sure she wouldn''t mind. It''s her job, after all." "Ah, no, thank you. We plan to eat out today. What time is dinner? We''ll be sure to return for that. I want to meet your father if the opportunity should present itself," Lone explained. The man shrugged. "Anytime between dusk and midnight is fine. Pa comes home at around that time anyway, so I''ll be sure to tell him you wanted to talk." Lone smiled and pulled a few copper coins out from his pocket before he placed them on the desk. "Thanks. You wouldn''t happen to know where I could find a library? A bookstore is fine if Ranton doesn''t have a library. I also want to find a good blacksmith. Obviously, one who''s not a racist." "You don''t need to bribe me for bog-standard info like that, y''know?" Grella''s brother said. Lone shook his head. "It''s not a bribe. It''s a tip." "A tip, huh?" He pocketed the coins and reached under the reception desk before he pulled out a sheet of paper.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
''Oh, cool. I wasn''t even trying to be persuasive. Maybe he''d have refused me if I was ruder?'' Lone wondered as he glanced at the parchment and saw a rough-looking bird''s eye view of what seemed to be the city. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It wasn¡¯t an overly impressive map, but it was easy to read. Perhaps it was his 5% bonus from Cartography helping him out, but he intrinsically knew where he was in relation to the map right now. Simple as it was, it showed the uniqueness of the districts and even some building¡¯s pretty damned well as far as he could tell. The man reached under the desk once more and took out a quill and an inkwell. With graceful movements, he circled five buildings on the map. "This one is the city library. You need a pass to get in which can be pricey, more so for demis. These two are bookstores, although this one is a bit discriminatory against demis from what Pa tells me. This is the most acclaimed armoursmith in town, and this is a demi-run smithy. Guy who owns the place is your jack of all master of none type when it comes to forging. Armour, weapons, tools, nails, you name it, he can make it but not as well as a true pro. Take your pick," he detailed as he handed the paper to Lone after he was done pointing at each circled building. "Thank you. I really appreciate this," Lone said sincerely. ¡®That armoursmith seems like a good shout. As much as a demi who can make almost anything sounds appealing, I can¡¯t help but notice that their shop is in the slums¡­ Kinda wanna avoid that place if possible.¡¯ "It''s fine. The map and ink ain''t worth six coppers, so I should be the one thanking you," the man replied with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Well, we''ll be off then. See you this evening?" Lone asked. "Nope. I''ve got a herbalist''s apprenticeship from noon to dusk and I''ll be in bed the moment I come back. I''ll see you tomorrow morning though," Grella''s brother said. "Okay. By the way, I''m Lone and this is Soph - Sophie when she¡¯s feeling spicey," Lone said as he gestured to himself and then the lovely woman by his side. Soph frowned and poked his ribs a bit, but she did offer a shy smile to the man. Clearly, she would have rather not been brought up at all. Nodding, the man answered, "Nice to meet yous both. I''m Phil." "Likewise, Phil." With that done, both Lone and Soph left the inn.
Checking his map once more, Lone mumbled, "So this is the most acclaimed smith''s shop in Ranton? I wonder if they can only make armour or if they just have a super high level in that skill?" Lone walked into the well-decorated building as he held Soph''s hand. Once inside, he could see armours of all kinds completely filling the shop floor, however, they were all arranged perfectly so as to give enough room to move around as well as to best display each item. There were a handful of basic weapons and some odds and ends in a corner, but it was clear as day that this place sold armour. Fancy and ornate armour at that. Since it was still quite early, there were only a few customers inside, all of which looked at Lone with interest or clear contempt. He tried his best to ignore that as he headed towards one of the three serving counters at the back of the room. "Can I help you, Miss?" the clerk asked as he blanked Lone and looked at the blind Soph. "U-Um... Em.. Lone... He... Um..." Soph was hardly socially adept, even less so when spoken to without having prepared beforehand. After all, she¡¯s only really spoken to two other people in her entire life; herself and Lone. Lone tightened his grip on her hand and said, "I was wondering if you could help us. My master is very shy, so if you don''t mind, please speak with me, not her." "Hmm..." The man behind the counter gave the two of them a quizzical glance before he shrugged. "Okay. How can I help you, Demi?" ''Just demi? Could be worse, I guess,'' Lone thought. "Well, I was wondering if it was possible to apply for an apprenticeship under the armoursmith who owns this business? If not, then perhaps under one of their students? I''m eager to learn the craft." The man behind the counter laughed in Lone''s face. "A demi learning under Master Seloph? Not in a million years. If you''re not here to buy something or get something repaired, then piss off, yeah?" Lone scowled. "My master has afforded me a lot of coin for this should the apprenticeship fees be a bit more expensive for a demi such as myself." "Hah. Look, Demi, do you even have the Metalworking skill or the Blacksmithing one? I won¡¯t ask for Armoursmithing but you need at least something of value beyond money. Do you have either one of those skills? Even just beginner rank?" the clerk asked mockingly. "No, but I do have the Logging and Woodworking skills. Shipbuilding and Masonry too. I¡¯m good with my hands and crafting in general. So, I''m sure some of that is transfer-" "See? You''ve got no skills but you come in here demanding Master Seloph teaches you herself? Fuck off. You''re not welcome here. Neither you nor your master," the man rudely said as he interrupted Lone. Another customer chuckled. ¡°A Golden Foxkin slave and a crippled master. Now I¡¯ve seen everything.¡± A second nodded. ¡°Considering his looks, he¡¯d make a good sex slave for those lonely widows you see in the noble district.¡± ¡°Better them than being wasted on such a beauty like that cripple there. I wonder who she is? I¡¯ve never heard of a blind noblewoman in Milindo. A commoner, maybe?¡± the last customer in the shop questioned. Lone felt himself being taken over by his quickly-building rage. He did manage to reign it in though since he knew he couldn''t afford to lash out here for this blatantly unfair treatment. ¡®What rude fucks. We¡¯re literally standing right here. I should toss a Lightning Bolt or two their way¡­ That would be immature though. And very deadly,¡¯ he sighed in his mind. "Fine. I''m sorry to have wasted your time," he said as he bowed his head lightly and then walked out of the shop with Soph in tow. Silently and secretly, the pitch-black orb that Lone kept in his front-right trouser pocket pulsed excitedly before it settled down again.
"This is the demi-run smithy?" Lone asked himself. ¡°Honestly? Looks like a mini fort. I expected worse for the slums. Soph, can you feel anyone inside?" She nodded her head with hints of uncertainty in her expression. "I think so? There are two people in there. Both of them are really short. They''re only slightly taller than the goblins, but one of them doesn''t feel like a child, so maybe they''re demis?" "Huh... A short demi race? Do they look like humans?" Lone questioned. Soph nodded once again. "Yup." "Maybe some sort of gnome or dwarf? I guess there''s only one way to find out." Lone raised his fist and knocked on the metal door a few times. "Ah, fer fook''s sake..." The sound of locks being opened filled Lone''s ears before the big metal door slowly swung open and a beard-covered face angrily frowned towards him. "Ah fookin'' teld ye. Ah''ll nae make any fookin'' arms or armour fae ah prick wae ah stick so far up ''is own arse ¡®at ah can see the blasted thing pokin'' oot o¡¯ ''is mooth!" the man screamed, phlegm flying everywhere. A few seconds of silence passed as Lone and this short man with ginger scruffy hair and a well-braided beard stared at one another. "A dwarf?" Lone muttered. The man half Lone''s height only scowled even fiercer. "Ye''r naw ¡®at arsewipe fae afore. Who the fook''re ye?" "Um..." Lone was incredibly shocked. ''Okay. So accents are obviously a thing here, but really? This guy is more Scottish than even I am... What the fuck...'' "Ah asked ye who ye were, laddie. Ye gonna tell us? If naw, then get tae fook. Ah''ve work tae do." The apparent dwarf started closing the door, but Lone caught it. "Sorry. I was just a bit shocked. I''ve never met a demi like you before. My name''s Lone, and this is Soph. I want to learn how to forge weapons, armour, everything metal, really. So, if you''d have me, I''d like to become your apprentice. I''ve got plenty of coin if that''s an issue," Lone said quickly. One of the man''s caterpillar-like eyebrows shot up. "Apprentice?" "Yes, apprentice. I heard that you were a great and very versatile smith, and, I mean, we¡¯re both demis. Gotta stick together in this shithole, right?" Lone honestly replied. "... An¡¯ ye''ve got coin?" the apparent dwarf asked. Lone nodded. "Yes, lots. I''ll pay you whatever your rates are, and I promise to take your teachings very seriously." The bearded man let go of the door and wore a toothy grin. "In ''at case, come on in. Let''s talk over a mug ah mead or two. Ah''m Grimsley, the best fookin¡¯ smith ye¡¯ll find ootside o¡¯ ah krieg fae several kingdoms over." B1: Chapter 43: Agreement and Intoxication "Bah! ''Master¡¯ ma left nutsack! That Seloph wench can hardly control ah fookin'' torch, let alone ah whole blasted forge! Tae ¡®ave the gall tae call ¡®erself a master¡­ What an insult tae try experts at the craft,¡± Grimsley hollered. Currently, Lone and Soph were sat in the man''s house in a very dirty and messy living room-slash-forge. A peculiar combination of rooms, that was for certain, but who were they to complain considering the building''s size? Lone did have to wonder why he was operating out of a slum though if he was so skilled. ¡°I take it you aren¡¯t friends?¡± Lone asked. The dwarf scoffed. ¡°That whore¡¯s only friend is the coin the nobles an¡¯ daft local adventurers funnel down ¡®er arsecheeks.¡± ¡°Colourful¡­ Well, the guy manning her shopfront looked down on me solely for being a demi. Didn¡¯t even give me the time of day,¡± Lone explained. ¡°Aye, ¡®ats how it works ¡®ere in this shitehole. Good thing, ah guess, or ye might ¡®ave actually become ¡®er apprentice. Ye¡¯ll learn more fae me in ah day than she could teach ya in ah month,¡± Grimsley boasted. The dwarf poured three pints of ale and handed one to Lone, one to Soph, and then kept the last one for himself. ¡°Homebrew fae Krieg Aftor. It¡¯s the good shite. Fookin¡¯ costs an¡¯ arm an¡¯ ah leg tae import, so ye¡¯s better enjoy it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the percentage on it?¡± Lone asked as he carefully took a sip. Immediately he felt some vertigo and his vision was clouded by system messages.
The host has developed the passive skill [Intoxication Resistance].
Passive Skill: Intoxication Resistance
A skill awarded to those with an iron gut and a low enough intelligence to make getting drunk a regular sport. Alcohol is weakened by 5% when consumed by the host.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
¡°Fuckin¡¯ Christ alive!¡± Lone yelled. ¡°It feels like my throat¡¯s on fire!¡± ¡°Haha! At least ye can still speak! Look at yer lady friend!¡± Grimsley cackled as he chugged his own mug of ale. Soph had drunk about as much as Lone, but her cheeks were already rosy and a silly grin was spread on her face. Her eyes were unfocused as they watched Lone¡¯s tails slowly sway back and forth. He sighed. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a pain to deal with¡­¡± ¡°Och, ye¡¯ll be fine. Look at her. She¡¯s barely any taller than me. Just carry ¡®er ¡®ome. Ye¡¯r doin¡¯ better than ah thought ye¡¯d be doin¡¯, in truth,¡± Grimsley said. Lone took another sip of the beverage and only winced a little bit this time.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
He grinned a bit wryly at both the observation and the notification. ¡°Where I¡¯m from hard liquor is kinda common, not that I¡¯m an avid drinker. I¡¯ve had my experiences though. I¡¯ve also got a¡­ let¡¯s say tough constitution.¡± Lone could already feel his Basic Regeneration trying its best to clear all fogginess from his mind and restore his motor control. Grimsley groaned in pleasure as he sat down and cracked his back before he slouched and sipped on his ale a bit more. "Well, laddie. Ye wan¡¯ tae be ma apprentice, aye?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Lone nodded. "Yes. I''d love to. I really want to learn more about weapons, armour, metal, leatherworking, just everything to do with smithing, really." He took a big gulp of his drink as he looked around a bit. ''I wonder where the other person is that Soph detected? Through that door? Maybe they''re sleeping...'' "Aye, well, ye¡¯ve come tae the right bloke. Ah dinnae mind, but what''s in it fae me? Ah''ve time tae spare, aye, but nae enough tae just throw at some whelp with nary ah care in the world. Primals be damned if ah do this fae free. Ah''m sure ye understand," Grimsley said as he used his sleeve to clean up the mead that had missed his mouth and ended up on his beard. Lone smiled. "Of course. Like I said, I can pay you. How does a gold coin sound?" "It sounds like ye only wannae get apprenticed tae me fae ah month or two. Practice materials arnae cheap, laddie. Ah also need tae go buy ah contracting scroll, an'' those buggers sell for ten-silvers, an¡¯ that''s even after ah''ve gone an'' haggled it down at the black market," Grimsley claimed as he finished his drink once again. ''Black market? That''s interesting... Why¡¯d he tell me that off the bat? Solidarity in us both being demis?'' Lone frowned lightly as he pondered. "Well, I can give you more money if you need it. I''m not the royal mint, but I''m also not poor. A month or two should be enough for me to learn the basics, right?" ¡®I¡¯ve yet to use my magic to make coins but I¡¯m sure it can¡¯t be that hard. They¡¯re small, after all. I¡¯ve got enough on me though to pay for a few months¡¯ apprenticeship,¡¯ he thought. "Hahaha! ''Ah''m naw the royal mint''! Ah''ll fookin'' remember ¡®at one, laddie." Grimsley bounced back up to his feet and returned to his mead keg. He smacked it a few times in anger when the tap only filled up half of his mug before running dry. "Aw, fook off! Ah''ll need tae order another bleedin'' barrel today anaw." He slumped back down into his chair and said, "Aye. If ye''ve talent, ye should be smithin'' iron in ah month or two nae bother. Maybe even steel." ''I bet with that much time, I can get advanced or maybe even expert rank in the skills related to this shit. That''ll be a good enough base for me to experiment on my own with,'' Lone decided internally. "Perfect. A gold coin it is." Lone took out the promised coin from his pocket and placed it on a nearby table. "But how¡¯s about we don¡¯t do a contract? I trust you, you trust me, no weird magic shit. Sounds good?" Considering the prevalence of slavery here, and considering Lone decided not being a lawyer, the last he wanted to do was enter some sort of magically binding contract with exploitable loopholes in it. Grimsley held his neck as he thought. "Hmm¡­ It¡¯s nae exactly legal but¡­ aye, ah¡¯m honestly nae much o¡¯ ah fan o¡¯ contracts maself. Trust it is. Ye¡¯ve paid me already anyway an¡¯ the contract would be fer yer peace o¡¯ mind, naw mine. Well, no time like the present to start, aye? May as well gae ye an introductory lesson now if ye''d like." Lone shook his head. "Thanks, ¡®ppreciate it, but I actually have other plans for today. I honestly didn''t expect to get myself apprenticed right away. I thought it''d take a few days of showing my worth and negotiating. Should I come back tomorrow or the day after?" Grimsley gave him an odd look. "Ye''r ah good sort, huh? Cannae say ah hate ¡®at. Yer lady friend¡¯s as quiet as ah moose though. Vastly different fae yerself. Mind ye, she¡¯s pissed oot o¡¯ ¡®er socks.¡± Soph smiled sweetly as she wobbled about a bit on her chair. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t all quite there. ¡°She¡¯s small so of course she¡¯s a lightweight,¡± Lone grumbled with a slight shake of the head. ¡°Haha, anyway, aye, tomorrow morn''ll do. Dinnae ever come by in the afternoon or evenin'' though. Ah''m busy completin¡¯ commissions at those hours. Ah''ll cancel this whole shite if ye ever break ¡®at rule, ye hear me, laddie?" the dwarf boomed, seriousness oozing out of him. "Yeah, I understand. We''ll be back tomorrow morning then," Lone said as he finished his drink and got up. Grimsley stayed seated as he glanced at Soph. "She''ll come back anaw? Ah''m only teachin'' ye, naw ¡®er anaw." Lone smiled. "That''s fine. She''ll just watch. I don''t feel safe keeping her out of my sights. Milindo is a harsh place for demis, true, but that doesn''t mean that it''s perfectly safe for beautiful young human women as well." Grimsley shrugged. "True ''nuff. Ah cannae say ¡®at ah find her tae be in ma tastes, but ah''m ah Stone Dwarf, so that''s nae surprisin¡¯ ah suppose." He cracked his neck as he said, "Well then, see ye the morrow, laddie." ¡®Stone Dwarf? That would explain why some of his skin has hard grey patches. I thought they were injuries¡­ Guess it was lumps of stone. That¡¯s pretty fuckin¡¯ metal,¡¯ Lone thought before replying, "Yeah, see you then." He pulled Soph by the hand, and once they were back on the streets, he asked her a question. "Out of curiosity, where exactly was the second person in Grimsley''s workshop?" "Huh? I love you¡­ I really do, y¡¯know? Hehe¡­ Oh. Uh, the other person? Uh¡­ In the... hehe. In the basement sleeping on a bed, I think... Is there supposed to be eleven¡­ twelve¡­ thirteen tails? I thought you only had nine¡­" Lone was shocked by what he got as an answer. Glancing down at his little companion, he saw that Soph''s eyes were half open and her face was obscenely red as she wobbled along next to him. "You need to get Intoxication Resistance or to never drink that dwarven stuff ever again. I don¡¯t know for sure if you¡¯re a lightweight or not since that shit was fuckin¡¯ strong but this is¡­ something.¡± "I''m very light! And small! And cute... Hehehe... Lone told me I''m cute... and pretty! Gorgeous too. He loves me¡­ He tells me that a lot, you know? Hic... It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... Like now, but a different kind of warm and fuzzy..." Soph almost fell over as she rambled on between hiccups, but he leaned down and wrapped an arm around her waist. He picked her up into a princess carry and laughed a little bit. "What will I do with you now? I doubt we can go to a bookstore or the library like this without making a scene, can we? And you''re not a fan of The Summoning Room, now are you? Hmm..." He glanced at her face and saw that she had fallen asleep as he was holding her. "Huh... Well, I guess we should go back home for now. I can always visit the bookstores and the library tomorrow after Grimsley''s lesson." B1: Chapter 44: Failing Frustrations and Lefakern "Ah, God damn it," Soph heard Lone mumbling as she woke up. Her head was pounding, but she still managed to roll over to look in the direction that she''d heard his voice. ¡®Why does my head hurt so much?¡¯ she thought as she winced and brought a hand up to her forehead. ¡®The alcohol, you fool,¡¯ Sophie chastised. ¡®One or two sips would have left you in a fairly horrible position, but you downed the whole mug slowly while Lone and the dwarf were conversing. You have only yourself to blame for our body¡¯s current condition.¡¯ Soph closed her eyes, not that they did her much good as is anyway. "Where are we...?" she asked a bit drearily. She heard Lone stop whatever it was that he was doing. He then approached the bed she was laying in and sat down on its side before he began stroking her hair. Just the fact that she was on a bed gave her a good idea of her current location, but her head was pounding oh so violently. ¡°You can¡¯t tell from your Mana Sensing?¡± Lone asked in a caring voice. ¡®It¡¯s sweet how kind he is to me¡­¡¯ Soph though as she enjoyed the warmth of his palm gently combing through her locks. ¡°My head hurts too much.¡± "Ah, that does make sense. We''re back at the inn, by the way. You were so drunk that you fell asleep pretty much as soon as we left Grimsley''s," Lone explained as he squeezed her a little. ¡°¡­ Who¡¯s Grimsley?¡± Soph asked a bit sheepishly. That wasn¡¯t a name that rang any bells for her. While she waited for a response, she noticed that a couple of tails had made their way into her arms. She wasn¡¯t one to deny such a generous offer, so she grabbed the fluffy limbs and drowned herself in enjoying their softness. ¡°Haha, wow. Completely black-out drunk¡­ He¡¯s the guy who¡¯ll be teaching me how to forge stuff while we¡¯re here. Gotta stay here for six months, right? May as well learn something cool to kill time,¡± Lone said. ¡°Well, alongside whatever we end up doing at the guild.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± It was still hard to focus what with her throbbing headache, but she was trying her best. ¡°On that note¡­¡± Lone said, drawing out his sentence, ¡°what do you want to do, Soph? Sophie too, for that matter.¡± ¡°Whatever¡­ I¡¯m happy doing what you want,¡± Soph replied as she smiled as well as she could. Lone often complimented her for her good looks and precious smiles though she couldn¡¯t see for herself. It¡¯s not like a mirror was of much use to her, after all. Still, she wanted to fill his heart with warmth as he did for hers. She felt Sophie tugging for control, so she yawned a bit and let her other personality take over. She¡¯d be better at handing a headache of a physical nature like this anyway. ¡®I¡¯m just gonna sleep for a while longer¡­¡¯ Soph though as she felt her consciousness drifting off.
Lone noticed the switch in personality of his girlfriend immediately. Mostly because a good chunk of the sheer exhaustion from the woman laying by his side evaporated. She let go of his tails and stretched very carefully, resulting in several of her bones popping. A bit gross in his opinion if not very satisfying to listen to. He could practically feel the tension leaving his own body after hearing such a thing. ¡®Shame my Basic Regeneration makes such loud pops impossible for me. I¡¯ve gotta force it just to get something out of my neck,¡¯ Lone sighed mentally. ¡°And you, Sophie? What do you want to do besides trying your best to hide your growing infatuation with me?¡± he teased. Sophie rolled her eyes as she frowned. ¡°This really is a powerful pain. Strong ale. Regardless, no, we care not for you. We only wish to train and grow strong. In more depth? We want to be rewarded by our efforts when we level up. We are far too Magic Power and Luck heavy. Some of our stats are still in the single digits.¡± Lone recoiled as if hearing such a thing had injured him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Wow. That¡¯s super harsh.¡± Sophie shrugged. ¡°Soph cares not but we wish to be more balanced where possible. Apart from that? We, too, are happy to help you in your silly little adventures.¡± ¡°Haha, you and Soph are one and the same. One of these days I¡¯ll hear you say something nice about me. Something along the lines of ¡¯I love you. Lone!¡¯¡± he exclaimed only to be met with a punch in the face. ¡°Deserved that,¡± Lone said. ¡°Didn¡¯t hurt though. You need to work harder.¡± Sophie scowled deeply. ¡°Indeed, we do. Now, tell us, why were you cursing the title of the man we once slew when Soph woke up?¡± "Ah, you heard that?" Lone asked in embarrassment. ¡®I thought she was still asleep.¡¯ Sophie simple nodded. Lone smiled wryly. "Well, I was trying to make a book about magic. My thinking was; if it exists, then surely, I can make it, yeah? I understand paper and ink well enough. Not perfectly, admittedly, but good enough for me to be able to make a book. I was even prepared to have my mana sealed temporarily for overexerting myself, but it just flat-out failed." "Why would it fail when your skill has a punishment system in place?" Sophie asked as an interested expression surfaced on her beautiful face. Something about the way she held her chin in contemplation and stared into nothingness while thinking lit a fire in Lone¡¯s heart. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m a lucky guy,¡¯ he thought a bit absentmindedly before he got a glare that helped refocus him. "Well," Lone coughed before continued, "my current theory is that I didn''t know the combination of the words needed to make a book about magic. Either that or I didn''t know the content and the theories behind the content. I tried to make a gun too, but no dice.¡± ¡°What is a ¡®gun¡¯?¡± Sophie inquired. Lone shrugged dismissively. ¡°Think of it like an easier to use and more compact crossbow. It¡¯s a lot more complex though. I think the complexity is why I failed.¡± Sophie shook her head. ¡°We do not get it. We assume you shall figure it out eventually, just as you will your dozens and dozens of other problems and theories." "I dunno if your sass makes me more or less attracted to you,¡± Lone commented in a serious manner as if he were truly troubled by this. Sophie sighed heavily. "It matters not to us either way, you know this." Lone grinned. "So you claim. Anyway, I tried to make a blank book first. Y¡¯know, to see if I could simplify it by making it a step-by-step process, yeah?¡± Sophie nodded. ¡°That makes, sense, yes.¡± ¡°Right? That went well. It was a bit pricey MP-wise, but I was able to make it without getting a seal slapped on me. After that, I tried to basically create the book''s content word for word. That, however, did not go very well," Lone explained. "And why is that?" Sophie asked. "Well, a single word costs me 500 MP is why. That''s just insane. Books have hundreds of thousands of words in them, maybe tens of thousands if the info is sparse but even that''s still a big fat waste of my mana,¡± Lone said in a defeated tone. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°And what if you lose focus and end up with a novel that had no cohesive plot or structure, making it useless? If you are only making one word after the other instead of a collective whole, we imagine that could be an issue,¡± Sophie pointed out. ¡°I thought of that but didn¡¯t expect you to reach that conclusion so quickly. Gorgeous, enough personality that you¡¯ve got two of ¡®em, and a big ol¡¯ brain? What a keeper,¡± Lone noted with an appraising look in his eyes. ¡°You can ¡®keep¡¯ your flirting with your girlfriend, not with me,¡± Sophie retorted. ¡°What will you do from now? Continue trying to slowly create a book?¡± ¡®Like I keep saying, you¡¯re one person with two sides,¡¯ Lone thought as he shook his head. ¡°I''m gonna have to shelve the idea in favour of grinding my Lightning Bolt. I can only hope that the bookstores and the library have the kind of information that I want but can¡¯t easily create." "That sounds wiser,¡± Sophie agreed.
A few hours later, a knocking at the door roused Lone from his slumber. "It''s me, Phil. Pa just got home. I told him you wanted to talk to him, so he''s in the back room on the ground floor waiting for you,¡± the man called through the wood before Lone heard him walk off. Slowly opening his eyes, Lone stretched. He uncoiled himself from Sophie and kissed her on the forehead. ¡®Verbally deny involvement with me all you want, you still happily snuggle up with me in bed, don¡¯t you?¡¯ He chuckled a bit and said, "Teleport to me if something happens while I''m away, ''kay? I''m counting on you, Sophie." She rolled over and mumbled, ¡°Yes, yes. Leave us then if you must meet the man¡¯s father. Soph is awake in our mind now so she can handle babysitting you. We, on the other hand, shall sleep some more.¡± ¡°Haha, okay,¡± he replied with a smile. Lone then got dressed and quickly made his way down to the inn''s ground floor. He gave Phil''s sister - Grella - a polite smile when greeting her at the building¡¯s reception. He then entered the back room. Once there, he saw several seats and couches as well as a single chess table in the centre. Sitting next to the chess table as he arranged the pieces, was the man who was presumably Phil and Grella''s adoptive father. Lone approached him carefully as he studied his features. ''Is that bark, not skin? So a Lesher is a type of sapient tree? He''s surprisingly well dressed for a tree person. Doesn''t that suit chaff against his bark?'' "Oh, hello there. I didn''t hear you coming in," the Lesher claimed as he slowly stood up and bowed his bark-covered head. "It is my honour and pleasure to meet a fabled nine-traited beastkin. My name is Lefakern, but please, call me Kerny." He moved his twiggy hand as he gestured to the chess table. "Care for a game? The rules are very simple, I assure you. We can talk as we play if you don''t mind." Lone took the offered seat and glanced at the chess table in confusion. "What''s this game called and how do you play it?" "Ah, my son did say that you and your companion are on the start of a worldwide journey. If it pleases you, Ninetails, I''d be more than happy to explain," Lefakern said.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
''Nice. I''m not sure if chess is normal on this planet, but a level-up was definitely worth the risk of looking like an idiot. Anyway, ''Ninetails'' again, huh? The elves called me that too, but Grimsley didn''t. I wonder why? Is it because he''s a more city-lived demi and the term ''Ninetails'' is a more traditional form of respect for someone with, well, nine tails?'' Lone wondered and he pretended to be interested in Lefakern''s detailing of chess''s rules. Several minutes passed like that until Lefakern was done with his retelling of how the game worked and was played. "Out of curiosity, Kerny, who invented chess? It''s such an interesting game from what you''ve told me, so whoever created it must have been a genius of some sort, no?" Lone asked. Lefakern stroked his leafy beard thoughtfully. "I wonder about that. The man who created this game was said to be an incredibly powerful demi who lived over a million years ago. Apparently, he was a hero." "A hero?" Lone asked as his mind wandered. ''A million years ago? That''s a really fuckin¡¯ long time ago. So, chess has been here longer than it has been on Earth? It''s a pretty big coincidence that two completely different worlds both created the exact same game, isn''t it?'' "Yes. One of the heroes of Earth. Much like our own current hero, however, this fabled one was supposedly a powerhouse amongst powerhouses. It''s a shame that he wasn¡¯t very long-lived despite being a demi. At least according to the records kept at my clan¡¯s hometree," Lefakern lamented sadly. ''What?... What?! Heroes from Earth?! That''s a thing?!'' Lone was incredibly interested by this. "We have a hero? Forgive my ignorance, but I''m new to Milindo, as you already know." Lone was hoping that the hero was exclusive to Milindo or at least lived here so he could meet them. Lefakern nodded as he moved his first chess piece, a knight. "I believe his name was Daisuke Tamiko. I may be misremembering. From what I know, he''s not the nicest man to have ever existed, especially to demis. He''s fond of slaves, you see. Particularly of the sexual kind," the Lesher expressed. ¡°The younger the better, too. Truly, a deplorable person, but the world is what it is, sins and all.¡± "I see..." Lone spoke plainly. He, of course, had strong views about this matter but he had no idea how the topic was viewed in this discriminatory kingdom as a whole. Lone felt it was wiser to simply keep his mouth shut when it came to such a sensitive thing. So, instead, he chose to keep the discussion centred on the hero himself as he moved his own chess piece, a pawn. "Why was he summoned? Is Milindo in danger?" Lefakern''s face cramped up in surprise before he laughed softly. "No, it''s not. I see you are from a very remote part of Altros as my son claimed." Lone raised an eyebrow. "It isn''t? Then why did they summon a hero?" "Oh, many reasons. Many reasons indeed. I suppose you could boil it all down to political power, though. It''s practically a show of wealth and strength to summon a hero from Earth at least once every century for a certain group of human-run countries. Few of them have the mental fortitude to extend their lifespans by ranking up beyond C-rank. As a result, they are rarely actually used as pawns of war, but more as trophies for international meetings and the like," Lefakern explained. Lone slowly nodded as he responded to the Lesher''s advancing knight. "I suppose that makes sense. It''s rare for the ruling caste to not feel the obligation to puff out their feathers to their rivals, I guess." "Indeed. It is a bit of a shame though that this century''s hero is a philanderer. He also has a very weak unique skill from my understanding. A shame indeed," Lefakern expressed. ''This ''Daisuke'' guy has a unique skill? He might know a bit more about my and Sofia''s situation then... Damn. I''m kinda torn. Do I go meet him to investigate, or do I avoid him since, from what I¡¯ve heard of him so far, I might open the conversation with a Glasgow Kiss?'' Lone contemplated. After that, he and Lefakern focused on their match as they exchanged small talk. "Checkmate. That was a great game, Ninetails. For a beginner, you really had me on the edge of my seat," Lefakern praised honestly.
The host has developed the passive skill [Chess Mastery].
Passive Skill: Chess Mastery
The road to conquering the board is long and not for the weak minded. Expands the host¡¯s processing capabilities by 5% when playing chess.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''I really should start expecting damn near everything having a skill linked to it,'' Lone thought before he swept back his hair with one hand as he stretched the other. "I can''t believe you thrashed me with only your knights. I never knew that was even possible." "It was risky. I didn''t expect that you would capture my queen and a rook. It''s been a long time since I last considered using other pieces, to be perfectly honest. You had me very close to using my bishops there, Ninetails, which is honestly very rare," Lefakern admitted humbly. Lone couldn''t help but wonder if the Lesher seated across from him was actually an expert at the game with an exceedingly high level in the Chess Mastery skill, or if his own skills were just horrendous. Regardless, he stood up and bowed his head lightly. "Thanks. It was fun and informative. I''m glad to have had the chance to meet another demi, especially one so well-lived." Lefakern shook his head. "The pleasure was all mine. I''m just an ageing tree while you are a young nine-tailed Golden Foxkin. It was truly the highlight of my life to meet you, Ninetails." Lone laughed a bit awkwardly. "My name''s Lone. I know ''Ninetails'' is a respectful way to address me, but please, just ''Lone'' is fine." "Just ''Lone'', then," Lefakern said as he smiled faintly. "Shall we play another match tomorrow evening? I''d be glad to have another conversation with such a polite young man again." Lone grinned. "I''d love that." With the conversation ended, he left the back room and returned to his and Sofia''s room before he went to sleep.
"Are you sure we should trick him like that? Grandmother definitely said that we need to make a good relationship with him," Trella said to his sister. She was a spitting image of Trella save for the fact that she had a long, braided ponytail and a slightly rounder face. "Yup! He''ll understand after we reveal ourselves anyway, so it''ll be a-okay!" Trella frowned. "Okay, but if he gets upset, I''m snitching on you to Grandmother." "Boo!" Tiera jeered at him. "He''s a foxkin. Sure, he''s not a crimson one like us, but he''ll understand! There''s no better way to introduce yourself to family than by tricking them!" Trella just held his forehead and prayed to the Primals that the nine-tailed Golden Foxkin had a forgiving heart. The Azure Foxkin their clan was having a mock war with certainly wouldn¡¯t be in his place. Once Tiera had an idea in her head, nothing short of the matriarch herself could stop her, so the best he could do was go along with her and try to smooth out any ruffled fur she might cause. B1: Chapter 45: Peaceful Morning and Rowdy Afternoon The evening passed calmly, and soon enough, morning crept around to take its place. Lone greeted Phil after he and Soph were fully prepped for the day and well-fed. The room did come with two meals a day, after all. It would be rude not to enjoy said meals. Lefakern''s wife was a lovely portly lady with a charming smile that only added to her appeal. Her cooking was also exceptional, so Lone made sure to promise that both he and Soph would be returning for dinner. That simply made the woman laugh politely and tell him that he didn''t need to act so seriously about a bit of food. "Don''t get drunk this time, ''kay? Not unless you think you can earn Intoxication Resistance. It¡¯s not only bad for you, but you can¡¯t handle it," Lone''s tone was soft, but he meant every word that he said. As cute and endearing as she was before she had blacked out, cleaning up the vomit she¡¯d spewed all over their bed and herself before waking up was a nightmare. A nightmare Lone would rather not repeat. "I promise. I don''t want a headache again anyway," Soph mumbled with a frown on her face.
¡°Ye arrived on time. ¡®at¡¯s ah good sign,¡± Grimsley said as he scratched his head. ¡®Ah really accepted a fuckin¡¯ beastkin as ma apprentice. What would ol¡¯ Wilbur think?¡¯ He chuckled a bit at the thought as he turned around, letting Lone and his human companion follow him back into his home and workshop. ¡®Ol¡¯ fooker¡¯d likely tell me ¡®ow ¡®e was right aboot ¡®ow ah was ah daft cunt fae bein¡¯ so nationalistic back ¡®ome,¡¯ Grimsley concluded as he sat down and gestured for his guests to do the same. ¡®Ah wonder what Wilbur¡¯s up tae these days? Last ah ¡®eard ¡®e was in Krieg Moor and ¡®e¡¯s set up a steamforgin¡¯ workshop¡­ Ah well, ¡®at¡¯s nae important right now. Ah¡¯ve ma own pupil tae teach,¡¯ he thought as he cracked his neck and began talking.
¡°That was a blacksmithing lesson?¡± Soph questioned with a confused look on her face. Currently, Lone and she were in the bookstore which Phil had said was neutral in regards to demis. It was roughly three times as large as the miscellaneous store back in Ros, and it was obviously only selling books and manuscripts. Lone nodded. ¡°I mean, the guy doesn¡¯t want to waste metal. I get him doing a purely verbal lesson to start things off. I found it quite informative.¡± ¡°It was boring,¡± Soph countered. Lone smiled. ¡°I guess blacksmithing just isn¡¯t for you then, huh?¡± She nodded. ¡°Fighting and cooking will do for me. Maybe being a floof enthusiast too? You¡¯re too diverse in your talents. It¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Haha, well, I guess,¡± Lone said, not bringing up how incredibly gifted she was with both magic and her Luck stat. "Excuse me," Lone said to a young human boy of maybe 14 years who was dusting off an empty shelf. "Do you work here?" The boy paused what he was doing and smiled. "Yes, sir, I do. How can I help you?" "Great. I''m looking for novels on ranking up, levels, and skills. Does the store sell those kinds of novels? Also, anything on the history of Altros as a whole would be perfect," Lone requested. The boy frowned. "Not really. That¡¯s the kind of information that¡¯s not easily spread. Folks don¡¯t want their secrets being handed out to the poor and unworthy. You know how it is.¡± ¡®He¡¯s incredibly well-spoken for a child. Maybe he¡¯s a noble working part-time here? Could also be in a similar situation to Grella and Phil since he isn¡¯t disgusted by the notion of talking to me,¡¯ Lone mused mentally. The boy scratched his chin. ¡°History though, we have a lot of that. No clue how much of it is accurate but there¡¯s motes of truth in every story and legend, right? I''ll go fetch some of those books and bring them to the counter if that works for you? If not, I can point out those particular novels, but I''d suggest accepting my recommendations. I''ve read almost everything in this store." "I''ll trust your judgement," Lone replied which earned him a nod. Not long later, their funds were reduced by eight silver coins, leaving them close to broke. However, Lone¡¯s collection of books had increased by 16. Eager to read them, he made haste with Soph in tow back to the Amberbark Inn. When they stepped through the doorway, a tired-looking Phil raised an eyebrow at them. "Back so soon?¡± he asked. ¡°It''s not even noon." Lone grinned. "I''ve started an apprenticeship with Grimsley - the demi blacksmith you told us about. After his lesson, we visited a bookstore." He showed the single tome that he was carrying for appearances while the other ones had been covertly stored in his Dimensional Storage. "I returned to read this in peace." Phil ''hmmed'' audibly. His eyes moved from Lone and landed on Soph. "She ain''t your master, is she?" "What makes you say that?" Lone asked only somewhat seriously. He felt that he could trust the family running this inn, so he didn''t particularly mind exposing this little secret of theirs which he was barely even trying to hide now that they were away from Ros¡¯s city lord, and considering he intended to sign the both of them up as adventurers soon. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Even for a blind girl, she''s too submissive, and you''re too assertive. If anything, she''d be the slave and you''d be the master," Phil explained with a shrug. "Not that I really care anyway. I assume ya wanna keep this hush-hush?" Lone smiled. "It¡¯s not a huge deal, but it¡¯s convenient so I''d appreciate that, thank you." "No worries. Seeya tomorrow. I''m off to my herbalist''s apprenticeship now anyway," Phil replied as he picked up a rucksack from behind the counter and left the building the second Grella appeared to take his place. The girl laughed a bit awkwardly. "He''s a keen study despite how bored he always acts here." "I don''t think he acts bored intentionally, I just think that nothing here interests him. Maybe you should buy him a book on herbology or alchemy or something like that for his next birthday? I''d expect that to keep him entertained while he''s manning the desk," Lone suggested as he started walking up the stairs with Soph in tow. Grella smiled softly. "I usually just buy him herbs. I''ll be sure to try your idea next time though!" She was a bit air headed in Lone''s opinion, but like the rest of her family, she wasn''t a particularly bad person.
Lone rubbed his forehead and cracked his neck as he put down the book explaining levels and ranks in a decent amount of detail. "Okay, so fighting is the only known way to gain enlightenment as far as this book''s author is aware. I guess that''s good news. Still, the ranks are only documented up to triple-X-rank. I wonder why? So, I to A, then S to triple-S, and lastly, X to triple-X, but what comes after that? Nothing?" Lone sighed. He shook his head as he muttered, "No. There''s no way that¡¯s the end. Admittedly, I haven''t researched the gods that brought us here yet, but I have a feeling that they''re beyond this world''s highest standard... Weird. Why the fuck do I feel that way?" Soph who was sleeping on their bed suddenly sat up. A cold expression took over her face and she immediately started putting on some clothes. "Talking to yourself again, are you?" "Yeah, sorry. It''s easier to visualise my thoughts if I say them out loud. Anyway, what''re you doing taking control and getting all prepped for, Sophie?" Lone asked curiously. She gave him a weird look. "We heard you say that fighting is how one ranks up, so of course, we are preparing to help you hunt some monsters. You were planning to go to this ''Adventurer''s Guild'' and accept a commission from them, yes?" Lone smiled wryly. "Yup. You¡¯re surprisingly good at reading the room despite your social ineptitude.¡± "And we will accept your compliment while dismissing your insult." Sophie finished putting on her clothes and glanced at Lone again. "Armour. Bring it out and help us into it." "Sure," he replied as he shrugged and stored the book that he was previously reading. As Lone was helping the girl into her suit of armour, she spoke to him again. "We may be attacked if we leave the city. By people, not monsters. We nor Soph have mentioned it, but many, many eyes have been watching us. Not only you either." Lone nodded. "Well, you are stunning.¡± Sophie¡¯s cheeks flushed a bit, but she still furrowed her brow. ¡°Do you think it might be wise to always wear our armour? The helmet in particular.¡± ¡°To hide your face?¡± Lone asked. ¡°Nah, no point. So many people have seen you by now. It might even make things worse. We just need to be ready for if and when someone tries something.¡± ¡°Will you be ready? Can you end another person¡¯s life?¡± Sophie asked very seriously. Lone immediately nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of it, but I''ve mentally prepared myself. If it comes down to us or them, I won¡¯t be choosing them." "Good," Sophie replied sternly.
Lone had noticed Grella giving him and Sophie very strange looks when they passed her on their way out. More so Sophie than Lone. It wasn''t every day that someone could see a woman as beautiful and dainty as his girlfriend fully clad in reinforced steel armour, after all. Lone and Sophie swiftly weaved their way through the city and found themselves at The Adventurer''s Guild. It was a decently sized building with five floors and a big, grandiose plaque indicating that it was the guild for adventurers was hung above the large entry doors. People flowed in and out of it like a stream, but they made room for Lone and Sophie in consideration of the exquisiteness of her armour and the oddness of his race and peculiar weapon. As they walked through the massive hall towards one of the many staffed inquiry desks, Lone couldn''t help but wonder, ''Will I be accosted for my race in here? The shopkeeper in Ros said this place fostered a far more equal mindset, but surely most of the people working here are from Ranton, right?'' He honestly didn¡¯t think he¡¯d mind if some low-level thugs came after him here. It would be a good excuse to test himself against something smarter than a goblin. He could also get a new skill or two if he was lucky. As if the stars were perfectly aligned, or perhaps due to some of Sophie''s luck rubbing off on Lone, two human men approached them with annoyed looks on their faces. "Hey, what the fuck is a tiny woman doing in here? In full-plate too. Is that fake? I have a feeling it is," asked the taller of the two men who had a large greatsword affixed to his back. He eyed Sophie top-to-bottom. ¡°A young tiny woman too. You¡¯re short, missy. Very short.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m very short on patience,¡± Lone responded. The other man of the two - an average guy in every single possible regard - sneered as he looked at Lone. "What''s a demi doin'' walkin'' in here like he owns the place? I bet ye''r not even an H-ranker, are ye? Ye should run back off into the wild where ya belong, ya fuckin'' mutt." Lone frowned despite being mildly surprised and a little bit happy that the men who''d chosen to cause trouble with him and Sophie seemed entirely beatable. They appeared a bit... weak. Or at least, they looked and felt weak to Lone. He was no expert, but he felt like the starved Goblin King was stronger than these two men combined. ''I wonder if they even have any skills that I can steal?'' he thought before he asked, "Can we help you two?" "Yeah, you can get out. The Adventurer''s Guild is no place for the likes of you two," the more well-spoken one said. The other didn''t comment on Lone being a demi again but instead chose to threaten the two with a gesture involving his knife and his throat. Lone saw someone wearing what looked like the guild''s official clothing approaching him, Sophie, and the two men, so he looked in his direction and smiled. Lone questioned, "Is there something we can do about this situation? It seems that my companion and I simply existing has offended these two very sensitive men here." The employee returned Lone''s smile with his own. "I''m very sorry for their actions. They''re drunk, and this happens quite often." The man then looked at the two before saying, "You know that the guildmaster won''t be happy if he hears that you baselessly insulted a beastkin, right? Especially a nine-traited one." The shorter man spat on the wooden floor. "Fuck the guildmast''r. I haven''t gone out on a quest today, so my thirst for blood hasn''t been quenched yet, ya see? I wanna invoke the Adventurer''s Duel on this walkin''-furball." "I''ll challenge the short one too. Show her a woman¡¯s place. Adventuring isn''t to be taken lightly. If any old child barely off their mum''s tit could do it, then the profession would become a joke," the taller man said to back up his friend. The employee shook his head. "You can''t. These two aren''t adventurers if I''m not wrong. This should be their first time here, yes?" he asked as he looked back and forth between Lone and Sophie. Lone nodded. "That''s true, but we don''t mind applying and then accepting that challenge. Can we become adventurers and then have you tell us the details?" The employee frowned again but ultimately sighed and nodded. "You may. If everyone is happy with that, and all of the fees are paid, who am I to stop a friendly duel or two? This way, please," the employee said. B1: Chapter 46: Guild Explained and Perfect Provocation The two belligerent men who had challenged Lone and Sophie were already gone, quick to use the training area they were going to ¡®duel¡¯ in to warm up. They might have been rude assholes, but Lone had to give them credit. At least they were treating this seriously, which was exactly what he wanted. There would be little-to-no point if he and Sophie were treated like children, after all. He wanted to learn through this spar. Regardless, Lone refocused his attention on the guild employee. "As you don''t have enough members to form an official adventurers¡¯ group, only your name shall be etched into your adventure plate," the man explained. He then used a small carving knife that glowed faintly to write ''Lone Immortus'' on a small piece of wood and then ''Sofia Vladimirovich'' on another. It took him several tries to write her name due to how odd it was. "It will cost you 20 silvers to register per person, making it 40 in total," the employee said with a polite smile on his face. Lone raised an eyebrow as he rummaged through his pocket and noticed they only had 56 silvers left and a handful of coppers. Emma Malik had been truly generous to them. If he didn¡¯t learn how to create coinage soon, he¡¯d have to find a place to trade in or sell the currency they had received from dungeon on Goblin Island. Still, lone picked out the 40 needed silver. "That''s a lot of money, isn''t it?" Lone asked. The employee nodded as he took the coins and started counting them carefully. "It is, but with some elbow grease, it can easily be earned back in a day to a week depending on the types of quests you undertake as well as your skill level." "What I meant to ask is why''s it so pricey in the first place?" Lone said as he smiled wryly and began playing with his new adventurer''s plate. "Hahaha, of course, sir. Well, being an adventurer has many benefits. So many, in fact, that it would take an incredible amount of time to explain them all. The biggest one is that it allows free travel across almost every border. Adventurers also get an entry discount to most human-run countries. Demi-run countries will allow adventurers of a certain plate rank to enter regardless of species as well since we don''t let just anyone increase their rank because they''re strong or because they''re influential. Not even if they''ve done a lot of quests. We consider personality and motivations quite heavily when ranking up an individual¡¯s plate," the employee explained. Lone nodded slowly. "Makes sense, considering all adventurers kinda represent the guild. It does sound incredibly hard to, you know, regulate. Surely there''d be internal corruption getting in the way of that, no?" Again, the employee laughed gently. "The Grand Guildmaster is a Divine, so that''s hardly a realistic worry. People have tried before, but she has a very powerful artefact that allows her to detect wrong doings amongst her employees. She also only employs the most trustworthy of people to act as guildmasters for guild''s branches. Besides, contracts are signed and those are very difficult to break." "Sounds a bit unbelievable. The part about that tool," Lone noted as his mind wandered elsewhere. ''A Divine? What the fuck''s a Divine? The book didn¡¯t mention that. Is it a title?'' "Many do not believe it exists, but please, if you see a morally bankrupt person with a plate ranked above silver, or working as an employee for any branch of the guild, let me know. I''ll pay you a whole ruby-gold coin if you do," the employee declared a little bit smugly. ''What the hell''s a ruby-gold coin? Never heard of that type of currency before,'' Lone thought before he asked, "Sure, but I''m curious, what ranks are there anyway?" He gestured to his wooden plate and said, "I can guess that wood is the lowest, right?" "How astute. Indeed, a wooden plate is the lowest possible adventurer rank. There are 15 in total. Going from the lowest to the highest, we have; wooden, iron, copper, bronze, steel, dark-steel, silver, gold-silver, gold, white-gold, adamantine, ruby-red, emerald-green, sapphire-blue, and lastly, diamond-clear," he happily explained in a very routine-like manner. "Huh... That''s a lot," Lone commented. "True, but there are also 15 natural ranks of I-rank to triple-X-rank, so even without being above B-rank, you can usually tell how strong an adventurer is if you mentally pair their plate to the same rank. Like how an adamantine plate would be roughly an SS-ranker. Of course, there are talented people who this doesn''t work on as well as unsavoury types who just never reach silver plate status. It also becomes irrelevant if you manage to become a B-ranker since you can just sense the other person''s internal strength at that point, but it''s a handy and fairly reliable trick at C-rank or lower," the employee advised with a warm expression on his face. Lone frowned and held his chin as he privately ruminated over the man¡¯s words. ''B-rankers can detect other people''s internal strength? Shit. That''s really useful and really dangerous information. I need to reach B-rank as soon as I can then, don''t I?'' At this point, Sophie yawned audibly. "Lone, may we finish up here and go deal with those buffoons that insulted us?" Lone grinned a bit wryly. "Right. Um, one last question. Do we have to display our plates at all times, or can we hide them if we want to?" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Ah, a fair question. Normally, yes, you do have to wear them on your person. Most hang them around their necks via a string or a chain, but I have seen them sewn into clothing or welded onto armour before. When I say that you ''have'' to wear them, that only applies when accepting and turning in quests. I would advise that you do keep them visible at all times, however," the man said. "Why?" Lone asked. He didn''t see the point. Wouldn''t it just tell people that they were newbies and easily attackable? Knowing that B-rankers or above could tell their ranks was annoying enough, why give that ability to those at C-rank people and below? The employee chuckled softly. "I know that look, sir. Trust me, you will be safer with your plates on display, regardless of their material. Every guildmaster takes after the grand guildmaster and is very protective of adventurers. So long as an adventurer is not in the wrong should an incident happen, the guildmaster of our branch here in Ranton will give his full support to them." "And this guildmaster is someone impressive?" Lone followed up by asking. "Exceedingly so. His uncle is an incredibly well-respected soul oracle and he himself is a powerful SS-ranker. Just to put that into perspective, Milindo only has five SS-rankers of their own, but each one of them is weaker than Guildmaster Gilbert on the individual scale," the employee claimed. "Huh... Okay. Thanks for the info," Lone replied. The employee smiled brightly. "Not at all, sir. It''s rare to find someone so interested in anything beyond making quick money here. This was a refreshing conversation. Now, I assume you wish to proceed with your challenges against those two men?" "Yeah. Are there any formal procedures or anything?" Lone asked politely. "Indeed. You may have seen those... gentlemen speaking with my colleague just before I started making your plates. I''ll need you to sign waivers just as they did, waivers stating that the guild is not responsible for any life-changing injuries or death,¡± the man claimed. Lone furrowed his brow. ¡°This place fosters a culture that allows such things? I would expect it to be banned.¡± ¡°Sadly, there are far too many skills and slight differences in power that can easily lead to a severe accident, intentional or not,¡± the employee clarified. Lone¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change but he did nod, understanding the logic. ¡°Of course, both maiming and murder are strictly prohibited in challenges between adventurers, but they happen occasionally. Signing the waiver means that you accept full responsibility to compensate your opponent or their next of kin should you cripple or kill them, and vice-versa, you leave all responsibility to them should you be the victim," the employee calmly stated as he slid two parchments across the counter along with an inkwell that had two quills in it. ¡°The guild also provides legal immunity for murder but only when it can be proven it was an accident with 100% certainty.¡± "Huh. Well, the waivers make a lot more sense now. You can''t have some losers waltzing in here, sign up to be adventurers, then just lose a hand in a duel on purpose to sue the guild," Lone muttered as he and Sophie signed their papers. "Indeed. There is also a fee of a single silver piece for the guild to host such challenges, but only the challenger has to pay this, so you are now free to go to the training area where your opponents await you," the employee said as he checked both Lone and Sophie''s signatures before he filed the documents underneath the counter. "As a small word of advice, the misogynist is known to be quite quick despite his large weapon, while the speciesist is mostly an all-rounder, though he does supposedly know some very basic fire magic. Crude Fireball, if I''m not mistaken," he added with a warm smile. ¡°A lack of formal training means a lot of good magic skills.¡± Lone gave him a peculiar look. "Uh, thanks for the tips." "Think nothing of it. Those men will never become anything more than steel-plates in their entire lives unless they change their ways, so I''m perfectly happy giving you two a nice little advantage. I have a good eye for people, you see. All of the staff here do. It''s why we were hired. I look forward to working with you in the future, Mister Immortus," the employee said as he bowed his head politely. "Huh. Good to know. Likewise. Well, we''ll be back shortly then to take on a quest or two," Lone happily replied as he left with Sophie.
''Wow. There''s a lot of people gathered here. I guess they came to watch our fights since they''re rare like that staff member said?'' Lone wondered as he walked into the open courtyard that had a large fighting ring in its centre. Perhaps 30 adventurers had gathered and were making bets on who would win, or they were simply enjoying food and drink that they''d bought from the guild''s second floor restaurant. The short man who''d aggressively insulted Lone for his foxkin heritage grinned and stretched his body. "Finally. I thought ye''d nev''r show. I figured ye''d fucked back off into the forest where yer kind belongs, demi trash." The taller man just glared at Sophie menacingly. Ignoring the insult thrown at him, Lone asked, "How do you guys wanna do this? One-on-one, or two-v-two? I''d prefer we all fight together, to be honest. The quicker this is over, the better. We plan to actually do some work today, not just loaf about like losers drinking like there''s no tomorrow." The two men''s faces distorted with anger while the crowd started hollering and laughing. "Hahaha! For a demi, he sure knows how to hit ¡®em where it hurts! Hell, even ah feel like doin¡¯ a quest now just to proof the cheeky fuck¡¯r wrong!" "Right you are! Even slaves can have a sense of humour!" "This''ll only make it even more satisfyin'' when he gets his shite pushed in for bein'' so arrogant!" "Hey, Grindol, make sure you cut a tail or two off for what he said!" "You two should fight ''em together! Only a coward would be scared of one demi and a woman! ¡®Sides, they¡¯re both only H-rankers!" At this point, their opponents had clearly heard enough. The taller man drew his greatsword from his back and narrowed his eyes. "So be it. Come at us together. It will hardly make a difference." The shorter and slightly pudgier man held his daggers backhandedly as he smirked while looking at Lone. "I''m thinkin'' three or four tails. ''At should put ya back in yer place." Lone laughed. "There must be a misunderstanding here. You''ll only be fighting me. I said two-v-two, but I really meant both of you against me and my swordspear, not my companion. You see, if Sophie fights, she''d struggle to hold back, and I''d honestly rather not pay your bastard sons and daughters who don''t even know you''re their fathers your funeral money." That shut the whole training field up before the crowd of onlookers suddenly burst out with uproarious mirth. "This fuck''r... Oi, Quint, fuck ''im. ''E wants to fight us both at the same time? Well then, fuckin'' let ''im! Keep ''im busy while I prep my magic. I''ll fuckin'' roast ''im like the animal ''e is!" the short man ordered his friend furiously as he sheathed his daggers. Lone grinned. ''Perfectly provoked. Now I can upgrade my Fire Magic Resistance and maybe learn Greatsword Mastery if this oaf has it. Just as planned.'' B1: Chapter 47: Icy Chill and Quest Accepted Lone held his swordspear tightly in his right hand and positioned it behind him as he spread his feet and put his free hand out defensively. ''This is my first time fighting another person seriously, isn''t it? I wonder if it''ll be different from when I train with Sophie?¡¯ he thought. He watched the men cautiously as they watched him back, neither side seemingly keen on making the first move. ¡®I need to be careful about getting injured. Maybe I should purposely let him nick me a few times so I can practice blocking my Basic Regeneration? I don''t exactly want everyone to freak out when I get hit with a fireball but heal the damage almost immediately, now do I?'' Lone thought as he stood and waited for the taller man - Quint - to attack him. Of course, there was a clear advantage in being the one to respond rather than the one to initiate here. Especially since Lone was already in a defensive position. However, the seconds ticked on by with nothing happening, confusing Lone. ''Why the fuck isn''t he attacking me?'' It only took a moment or two more for him to realise what was going on. ''Motherfucker! He''s stalling for the fireball! I thought they were idiots, but it looks like I''m the real fool, huh?'' Lone abandoned his stance and sprinted forwards. He swiped down at the tall adventurer with the sword end of his weapon the second he was within range. "Tsk," Quint clicked his tongue as he used his greatsword to parry Lone. "I was hoping you''d stand there for longer, but oh well. A few exchanges worth of time should be more than enough for you, no, Grindol?" The short man who had obviously been mentally chanting several metres behind him nodded and grinned. It was so clear now that Lone could stop to think about it. ¡®Just because the goblins verbalised their chants, it doesn¡¯t mean a person will even if he¡¯s using crude magic too. Hell, even I did it mentally when training Crude Lightning Bolt. Lesson learned, I suppose.¡¯ "Perfect." Quint grinned. He then began swinging his greatsword wildly - almost barbarically - towards Lone. Sweat covered Lone''s brow as he focused his entire being on dodging or parrying the spindly man''s attacks. He had noticed two things as they exchanged blows; first, this man was only slightly more powerful than a hobgoblin, the other thing being that despite this, he was far more skilled. It was taking Lone every ounce of his concentration to not lose an arm or get impaled while their weapons met one another. ''This guy''s really trying to kill or cripple me so he can fight Sophie, isn''t he? I can''t even find an opportunity to let myself get nicked a little... Looks like I''ll have to go with plan B,'' Lone subconsciously thought as he avoided a sword-swipe aimed for his knees. The seconds kept on rolling by as Quint kept Lone busy. Every half a second, he would glance over at Sophie, presumably to make sure that she wouldn''t jump in mid-battle. Finally, the shorter man had finished his chanting. With an incredibly satisfied smirk strewn across his lips, he cast his completed spell. "Crude Fireball!" A wave of heat filled the training area as a large orange flame expanded out from Grindol''s palms and then rushed towards Lone''s right flank. Quint made sure to block off Lone''s escape from the magic with some very well-placed attacks. Clearly, this wasn''t the first time that they''d done this. "Fighting us alone was your biggest mistake, foxkin. I hope you survive to watch me teach that girl that The Adventurer''s Guild is no place for women who aren¡¯t truly brilliant," the man gloated. Lone didn''t even try to flee from the magic that was only a few metres away from hitting his body. To the spectators, it had looked like he''d given up. With the sound of a very small explosion, the Crude Fireball erupted and enveloped Lone''s entire body. "Hahaha! Serves ya right, ya filthy dog!" Grindol screamed sadistically as he licked his lips. "What does?" Lone''s calm voice tore through the flames like a hot knife through butter. Almost everyone present wore a look of surprise or genuine admiration when they saw Lone standing there perfectly uninjured save for his charred clothes. His exposed skin showed off his toned muscles perfectly, but he definitely didn''t seem to be melting, or even burnt for that matter. Lone cracked his neck and then nodded his head softly. "Yup. Having a really high mastery in Fire Magic Resistance is pretty helpful, huh?" "What...?" Grindol was confused beyond words. Quint was just as perplexed. ¡°That makes no sense! How would you have a high enough level in Fire Magic Resistance to completely negate the effects of his magic?! Even if it¡¯s crude, his mastery is high enough to threaten even a C-ranker which you most assuredly are not!¡± "Well, when you¡¯re stuck at the level cap just waiting for enlightenment, what do you do?¡± Lone asked. ¡°What does ¡®at ¡®ave to do with anythin¡¯, ya cheeky mutt?!¡± Grindol shouted. Lone chuckled. ¡°I mean, c¡¯mon. If you can¡¯t gain enlightenment quickly, you shouldn¡¯t mope around in the guild picking on folk you don¡¯t like for no reason. You should be improving your skills. Stats are one facet of your personal power, yeah, but skills are just, as if not even more, important.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. A few nods met him in response from the crowd. Clearly, this rhetoric was nothing new or revolutionary. ¡°I went out hunting goblins since they''re easy enough for my rank, right? I had a few skills I wanted to level, passive skills. You just need to get lucky and find a Goblin Mage who can use fire then capture it and force it to hit you. It¡¯s really that easy. You get it to blast you with magic so much that you can resist it to the point that it does practically nothing," Lone said in an extremely matter-of-factly manner. Silence filled the training room for a while. Lone saw several blue screens pop up in the corner of his eyes and he dismissed them for right now along with the ones that had shown up during his melee fight. "I also happened to catch one that specialises in lightning magic. Pretty rare, right? You know what''s even rarer?" Lone asked as he pointed his hand at Quint''s chest. "Lightning Bolt." Quint fell like a wet sack of potatoes. His eyes had turned white, and foam was gushing out of his mouth as the ends of his hair split and got fried. Lone¡¯s grin became a big smirk. "What''s even rarer is that I have a talent for lightning magic." "He''s awakening his mana organs..." "Oi, oi, ain''t he like, super strong?" "''E''s only an H-rank''r, I can feel it, but yeah, the fuck''r''s stupidly talented if ''e''s castin'' a tier two spell like that already." ¡°Wonder if he¡¯ll get in trouble for usin¡¯ magic¡­¡± ¡°Probably not. He¡¯s an adventurer now, right? Perfectly legal, that.¡± Grindol''s face contorted with rage. "This is impossible! A fuckin'' slave like ye havin'' stronger magic than me when ye''r only a fuckin'' H-rank''r?! Fuckin'' H?! I''m a fuckin'' D-ranker! This is impossible!" He drew his daggers and lunged for Lone''s throat. He was quick. Extremely quick. Lone panicked a bit in response to that. He hadn''t predicted Grindol getting so offended. If anything, he was expecting him to pretend to surrender then attack him stealthily or something, not to just launch a frontal attack like this. The sound of metal hitting metal rang out in the air. Sophie now stood in front of Lone with her blade pointed at Grindol''s neck. The very next second, a loud clanging noise filled everyone''s ears. Looking at its source, Lone saw Grindol''s daggers clattering about five metres away from himself. ''She moved from over there and disarmed him that quickly? Fucking hell... Has she been taking it easy on me during our training? I guess that kinda makes sense since she did fight in a one-man war against pretty much most of Europe for two centuries...'' Lone thought in shock and realisation. "Surrender or die." Sophie''s tone was so incredibly cold that the spectators could have sworn that they felt a chill take hold over their souls. Grindol''s eyes darted back and forth between the sword pressed against his Adam''s apple and his daggers. "Nev-" "If you do not surrender, I will kill you and your sexist friend. You have three seconds. One. Two. Thr-" "I surrender!" His resolve crumbled in the wake of Sophie''s seriousness. She smiled softly underneath her helmet and kicked him to the ground hard enough to incapacitate him. After that, she waltzed over to his daggers and picked them up. She tucked them into the belt used to sheath her swords before she grabbled Quint''s greatsword. "These are ours now. Consider them compensation for trying to kill Lone dishonourably." Grindol just squealed in pain next to his unconscious partner as he muttered. ¡°¡¯Ow¡­ She¡¯s blind¡­ What¡¯s the world comin¡¯ to¡­¡± Sophie looked back at Lone and said, "Shall we go accept a quest now? I have a very sudden and very strong lust for blood." Lone laughed faintly. "Sure, I suppose we can accept one. We''re buying new clothes before we actually complete it though."
"Your shirt suggests that you were hit with fire magic, but your body and confident stride over here suggests that you won in spite of that?" The receptionist from earlier seemed very fascinated by Lone and Sophie who had both quickly returned to his desk. Lone shrugged. "I was hit, and we did win, yes. Anyway, we wanna take on a quest to kill monsters. Can we?" "Certainly. Quests are all labelled over there on the quest boards. There''s a different board for each different tier of quests. To simplify it, the quest giver can choose what rank of adventurer he or she wishes to complete their request. Some use the plate system, but most ask for specific personal ranks. Some don''t ask for anything, but those tend to be high-risk-high-reward quests," he explained. Lone stroked his chin. "Sounds simple enough. Thanks." "You are very welcome, sir, madam," the receptionist replied cheerfully. "By the way, do you know where I could find a good tailor? I need new clothes, as you can see," Lone said as he gestured to his ruined attire. "I''ve got a map of the city, so just point out where I can find one, please," he asked as he took out the map that Phil has given to him. "Certainly." The guild employee raised an eyebrow upon seeing the circled areas on the map, but he didn¡¯t question them. "May I?" he asked to which Lone nodded. "Thank you." With that, he took out an inkwell and a quill from underneath his desk and circled three locations. "This store here is very affordable and the materials used are rather durable, though lacklustre in the style department. And this store is more geared towards adventurers and warriors. They sell gambeson and leather armour as well as heavy-duty or flexible clothing. And lastly, this store here is generally used by the nobles or those of a higher class. It also sells robes and magic enhancing staves, if that interests you," he explained slowly as he pointed to each of the three locations gracefully. Lone took the map back and looked over it. "Thanks, I appreciate your help." "Not at all. As a small side note, should you wish to accept a quest today, one issued by the crown for all plates and ranks recently came in. Unlike most unspecified quests, this one isn''t very high-risk. The task is to help quell a rapidly forming Blue Orc tribe," the receptionist suggested kindly. "Oh, really? How strong are Blue Orcs in relation to hobgoblins, and do they have any exploitable weaknesses?" Lone asked. The employee wore a surprised look upon hearing of Lone¡¯s apparent interest. "Of course, sir. A single Blue Orc could defeat a hobgoblin nine-out-of-ten times, but against two or three of them, a Blue Orc may be overwhelmed and die.¡± ¡°Huh, strong fuckers then,¡± Lone commented. The man nodded. ¡°Indeed. As for a weakness, they have very poor eyesight, but they compensate with their excellent innate ability to detect things via scent. This can also be used as a weakness if exploited correctly." "Hmm." Lone looked at Sophie. "What do you think? Wanna do it? It sounds like the perfect enemy for me to gain enlightenment, doesn''t it?" The girl shrugged, making her armour rustle about. "We are fine with whatever so long as we can end a life or 20." "Great. We''ll accept that quest then," Lone said as he ignored Sophie''s morbid comment and returned his attention to the staff member. "Of course. The reward is two silver coins for every slain Blue Orc. We require a part of their bodies as proof. Adventurers generally cut off a tusk or an ear, but anything is fine. Our specialists are trained to discern monster bodies and their parts, after all. There is no penalty for failure, so if you feel out of your depth, please, do not push yourselves," the receptionist said very seriously. "Sure," Lone casually replied. The guild employee smiled then added their names to a list which contained the name of the quest''s participants. "Lovely. The Blue Orcs have been seen gathering their forces in the old, abandoned bandit fort to the southwest as well as in the Bengon Forest which is south by southwest. I''d personally suggest the forest for beginners as the orcs are far more spread out there, making it easier to pick them off one at a time," he said. Lone nodded. "Noted. Seeya later." With that said, he and Sophie left the guild and made for a tailor shop. As they walked through Ranton''s streets, Lone took the time to inspect all of his new system notifications. B1: Chapter 48: Thoughts on Metals and Ducal Encounter The first notifications to greet his eyes upon willing them into view were level-ups for Swordspear Mastery.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Lone raised an eyebrow as he walked through the cobbled streets of Ranton. ''Three levels just from those few exchanges with that Quint guy? Even though killing hundreds of goblins did nothing for it nor did sparring with Sophie? And no level ups to the parent skills, Spear and Sword Mastery?¡¯ This was confusing to him so much so that he paused reading his notification log to ponder over the matter further. ¡®I guess¡­ I guess fighting someone who uses unfamiliar tactics and an unfamiliar weapon helps more than battles you have complete control over and face no real challenge? It''s not confirmed, but this is good to know if that''s really how you can more easily level-up weapon passives. He was also a few ranks higher than me, wasn''t he? Maybe the strength gap contributed. And the parent skills¡­ I guess they¡¯re just much harder to level, even for me? Something to consider,'' Lone thought before returning to looking at the floating screens. Surprisingly, the next notification was actually about a new skill which he had developed mid-fight. He hadn¡¯t copied it, no, he had earned it entirely by himself.
The host has developed the passive skill: Evasion Mastery.
Immediately, excitement filled his mind as he waited for the skill¡¯s information to scroll into view. ''It seems obvious what it does, but I''m hopeful for a special effect...¡¯
Passive skill: Evasion Mastery
A skill that assists the host in their attempts to evade harm. Improves the host''s subconscious instinct to evade dangerous situations by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. ''Interesting. So, it doesn''t boost my ability to evade, but my instinct to evade? Also, situations, not attacks? So... does that apply to if I get a gut feeling telling me to, oh, let''s say, not walk down that alley over there, then would this skill make that feeling five percent stronger, or would it increase the chance of me having that feeling by five percent?'' He thought on it for a moment longer before he softly shook his head. ''Either way, it''s too unreliable. I guess I can only hope that it gets some sort of awesome effects after a rank up or two, assuming I ever invest the time to farm this skill. I was only being evasive there to avoid revealing my Basic Regeneration. Normally, I''m better off letting myself get hit to strengthen both that and my Bone Armour.'' With that closing thought on the skill, Lone resumed checking his notifications.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''Fuck me... Four levels from one fireball? Christ... How did I not get horrifically crippled from that like the first time I got hit by a Crude Fireball?'' Lone asked himself very seriously. ''I think... I think Basic Regeneration was pulling its weight now that it''s levelled up a lot compared to back then?'' He felt like that was the only logical answer and he had no other theories fresh at hand, so he moved on.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Lone nodded his head. ''I''m glad. One level is definitely better than none at all. Still, I really need Basic Regeneration to rank up again at least once. The better that skill is, the safer I am. The safer I am, the safer Soph and Sophie are. I''ll have to get reckless with those ''Blue Orcs''. Speaking of which, I should really research them before we go out on a crusade against them, huh?'' His next notifications were for the two skills that he''d been using quite a lot lately.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
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Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
''Acting too? I was only expecting persuasion since I lied a bit...'' Lone was mildly surprised. ''I guess because I didn''t want to lie, Acting levelled up? I really hope it gets a new effect when it hits advanced rank. Persuasion too for intermediate rank since that''s only a single level away. These skills are so similar, it''d be nice if they got wildly different additional effects.'' And finally, his last notification was one that he had expected, and thus had no in-depth thoughts about.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
¡®Shame the spindly Quint guy didn¡¯t have Greatsword Mastery or something similar. It wasn¡¯t his ideal weapon though, so I guess it makes some sense,¡¯ Lone thought. As he was absorbed in his ideas regarding his skills, Sophie skilfully led him through the city while she referred to their map.
Sophie had found a decently isolated alleyway, good enough for Lone to pull out a new set of clothes from his Dimensional Storage to change into discreetly. A short while after that, as they approached the highest-class tailor store of the three that The Adventurer''s Guild employee had pointed out, Sophie asked Lone a question. "Why are we still going here? We saw the reason in it when your clothes were a mess, but we see no point now. Especially since we are rather poor at the moment." Lone smiled. "Silk. That''s all I want." "Silk? Why?" Sophie asked as she tilted her head in confusion. "Because Soph''s silk pyjamas cost me a fortune in mana to make. She and you both look great in them, so¡­ I want to make more sets. Different colours, different designs, you know,¡± Lone explained. Sophie frowned deeply. ¡°We are not your dress-up doll.¡± ¡°All of your clothes were made by me, and I pick out which outfit for you to wear every morning,¡± Lone pointed out. Sophie rolled her blind eyes. ¡°Whatever. Have your fantasies, boy.¡± ¡°Heh, I will. Anyway, I''m not going to waste such an obscene amount of MP like that ever again. Not on silk, of all things. The plan here is to just buy some, and I''ll make the clothes myself. Silk is the big hiccup as far as my magic goes. I can make the other materials fairly cheaply," Lone replied matter of factly and with a shrug. Sophie didn¡¯t seem impressed. In fact, she closed the visor of her helmet and walked ahead of Lone. ¡°Haha¡­ We¡¯ll get to your orcs soon, I promise. Just, this is important too,¡± Lone said. ¡°Do as you wish,¡± Sophie said. ¡°Well, it won¡¯t really be me doing what I wish,¡± Lone claimed only for Sophie to stop and turn his direction. ¡°It¡¯ll be you.¡±
"Animals stay outside," a cold voice said as its owner glared at Lone. The ''animal'' in question frowned. ''As expected. This is the highest-class tailor shop in the capital of a systemically speciesist kingdom, after all. ¡¯Speciesist¡®. What a weird word though I guess racist would only be accurate if a different coloured foxkin was being discriminatory to me¡­'' "Sophie, I''ll leave it to you," Lone said as he passed her a few of their last silver coins and then leaned against the building''s wall. The man that had stopped them at the door scowled greatly. "Get your filthy body off of the store. You''ll sully it. Honestly, this is why we enslave your kind here. Otherwise, you never learn how to behave in a civilised manner." Lone suppressed his anger and sighed lightly before he did as he was told. ''Fuck you too, Asshat. It''s just a fucking wall.'' Sophie suppressed a giggle. "Be a good boy now, Lone. We shall not be long," she said as she followed the tailor into his store. Lone kicked a rock across the street in frustration. "Man, can¡¯t say I¡¯m fond of being discriminated against for no good reason beyond the fact I have fluffy ears and bunch of tails." He hung his head down and rubbed his neck. Lone then chose to sit on the cobbled street cross-legged and simply think as he waited for Sophie. Many people scoffed at the sight of him and turned up their noses while others simply laughed at how he looked like a beggar. One nobleman even found it amusing enough to toss him a single copper coin. For a man like Lone, pride was a useless concept. He nabbed the coin and continued his thoughts. ''We''re really low on money, but I doubt we can earn much if we rely solely on The Adventurer''s Guild. I want to buy strange and wonderful stuff to experiment on... Books too, I need to buy as many books as I can find... I don¡¯t really wanna sell anything we got from the dungeon though. That one coin to the bookshop in Ros was enough.¡¯ He sighed. ¡®Should I try making coins early? I know nothing about the metals. Grimsley will teach me, but copper, silver and gold are hardly standard for weapon and armour smithing, aren''t they? Maybe for engravings, hmm...'' Lone shook his head. ''I really should have paid attention during science class at school. Shame I was too worried about Dad the whole time. However, since I know nothing about all three types of the coins¡¯ metals, won''t they all cost the same amount of mana regardless? I guess I''ll try to make some gold coins tonight then. We¡¯ll get some money from killing orcs, yeah, but if I can just make money out of nothing, it¡¯ll be worth it to find out if that¡¯s an easy endeavour or not.'' "Hey, are you okay?" the sudden voice of a man asked. Looking up, Lone saw a handsome young man of maybe 15 or 16 years. He was wearing a luxurious robe and he was oddly tall for his age. ''A noble?'' Lone wondered and he slowly stood up, wore a smile, then bowed his head. "Sorry if I bothered you somehow. I¡¯m just an adventurer. No one of any real importance.¡± The boy looked a bit flustered at Lone''s politeness. "Ah, no, you didn''t bother me. I saw you sitting there with a pained look on your face, so I was worried." Lone didn''t really believe that. He looked up and saw a very exquisite carriage on the road behind the boy which was surrounded by a small unit of heavily armoured knights. ''Yeah, definitely a noble. He doesn''t seem to be a religious figure since I can''t see that weird triangle on his clothes. Hmm... What does he want? Me, I''m assuming,'' Lone thought a bit pessimistically. "My master is inside buying some fabrics. She adores sewing, you see. As a demi, I was told to wait out here. I was merely thinking about her safety. I''m nothing but a barbarous foxkin, so I''m sorry if my ponderous expression worried you, sir," Lone lied. "Um, no, that''s fine. You didn''t bo-" The tallest and most well-built knight out of the unit stepped forwards. His face wore an unpleasant glare as he approached Lone and the boy before he interrupted with, "Young Master Leston, we do not have the time to be concerning ourselves with someone else''s slave. We must return to the estate post-haste." The boy had an angered look on his face for a split second before he wore a warm smile. His slouching back straightened up and he cleared his throat. "Right. Thank you for reminding me, Fredrick." He gave Lone a nod to signal his farewell before he sauntered back to his carriage. Once inside, the coachman cracked the horses'' reins, and the carriage rolled down the street with the knights escorting it. "Leston? Isn''t that one of the ducal households?" Lone muttered to himself. In the book regarding the history of Milindo, it had mentioned the four ducal households. Lone had already encountered the daughter of the current duke and head of the ducal house of Malik. "The other three were the house of Leston, the house of Fenton, and the house of Silpo, weren''t they?" He held his chin in thought for a few moments. "I should look into this country''s nobility and its laws a bit. That could be helpful stuff to be in the know about." "Again, we catch you talking to yourself," a very cold voice said accusingly. Lone grinned as he spun around to face its owner. "There''s not much point in me saying sorry, is there? Old habits die hard." Sophie just frowned deeply as she shoved the rolls of silk into his hands. "Whatever. Here, your silk." Lone checked them then glanced back to Sophie. "And my change?" "What change? We had to threaten the shopkeeper just to get that for the small amount of money you gave us," Sophie claimed as she crossed her arms over her pitiful chest, making her armour rustle. "We are extremely bored. Orcs. Now." Lone smiled wryly. "Sure. Man, I don''t know if you''re high or low maintenance. Is having your lover demand to go kill orcs a good or bad thing?" Sophie walked away from him as she replied, "We are not your lover, Soph is." Lone shrugged as he caught up to her. "Here comes my common rhetoric; you''re the same person as far as I''m concerned." With a shake of her head and a faint sigh, Sophie answered, "Think what you will, fool.¡± Lone just laughed. ''I kinda wanted to buy a few books on Blue Orcs with the last of our money or go to the library but fuck it. We''ll manage somehow. I''d rather she didn''t get even more angsty than she already is.'' B1: Chapter 49: Bandit Custom and Childish "We''re being followed," Sophie informed Lone quietly as they were approaching the Bengon Forest. "Oh? By what?" Lone questioned. ''Monsters? Unlikely. Slavers maybe? Also probably wrong. Could always be adventurers. Maybe those bigots from before? They were dumb but they didn¡¯t seem the type to jump someone outside of an official setting¡­'' "Children. Two of them. They are cloaked in magic to change their appearance, but we can tell that they are nothing but tykes. They are quite similar to you, actually," Sophie noted impassively. "How so? Are they devilishly handsome?" Lone asked with a smirk on his face. Sophie rolled her eyes. "Of course. Yes, they''re devilishly handsome, even the girl. No, they have big bushy tails and fox ears on their heads." "Foxkin? Interesting... Can you tell what colour their fur and hair are?" Lone was quite curious if they were being followed by his own kind or if they were of a different race of foxkin to himself. This would be his first interaction with those of the species he had been forced to become, after all. More information on them couldn¡¯t hurt. The heavily armoured icy woman shook her head. "No. We have vaguely described this to you before, but we do not see in colours. Not conventionally, anyway. We see in mana. Your mana is bright golden, yes, and while theirs is a different colour, a deep red, we do not understand our power enough to tell if that is due to affinity or racial differences. Your gold is marred with many additional colours just as their red is not pure either.¡± "Huh. That makes sense, I guess. I''ve never really thought about it too deeply," Lone said as he held his chin in his hand. "Anyway, you said that they were disguising themselves with magic? What do they look like right now then?" Sophie grinned. "Like the fools who we just defeated at The Adventurer''s Guild." "Interesting... I wonder what they want?" Lone muttered to himself.
"We really shouldn''t be doing this... I thought you were just going to tie his shoelaces together or something, not try to do... this," Trella complained as he looked down at his now much taller and lankier figure. "I hate this feeling. It''s so icky..." A big smile was spread across the short man''s face who resembled the novice fire mage, Grindol. "Stop worrying so much! It''s perfect! Sure, he might hit us with that lightning magic thingy, but I''m very confident that he won''t kill us! This''ll be great! He''ll see that we''re family and laugh it off!" "Tiera, these kinds of schemes are why the elders want the next leader of our clan to be me, not you, even though you''re older than me by a few minutes," Trella noted as he sighed with Quint''s mouth. "Meh. Who cares about being the smelly matriarch or patriarch? Pranks are fun!" Tiera bounced around excitedly as Grindol''s ears twitched. "They stopped! Maybe they''re taking a break to shit? Perfect time to strike if you ask me!" Trella held his face in his hands. "Look, I''m not saying a word. This is all on you, Tiera. If we get hurt or annoy him, I''m telling on you to Grandmother." "Boo! Just watch! It''ll all go smoothly! As smooth as silk!" Tiera claimed, which only helped to reinforce Trella''s lacking faith in her idea. He sighed into his hand. ¡°More like as smooth as your brain¡­¡±
Lone stirred the stew that was sitting over the campfire and savoured its lovely aroma. "Yup, food that I create is stupidly good. What¡¯s even the point of cooking when magic is so OP?" Sophie ignored him as she polished her armour. Since they were having a ''break'', she''d chosen to take advantage of this time to increase her skill with maintaining her armour and her swords. Suddenly, Lone''s fox-like ears twitched. "I can hear them. Well, at least they''re not trying anything sneaky, I suppose. Kids are real cunts at being sneaky when they really want to be. Low weight and high natural dexterity can be a real bastard." Raising his head, Lone saw ''Quint'' and ''Grindol'' approaching him and Sophie. The former looked nervous and very regretful while the latter had a certain twinkle in his eyes. "Can I help you two?" Lone asked as he carefully stood up and brushed off his dirty knees. "I''m pretty sure we settled everything back in the guild, didn''t we?" The short man, Grindol, confidently strode forward before he put his hands on his waist and cackled like a cartoon villain would. "Give us yer money, or we''ll steal yer woman!" Lone didn''t look impressed. "Try to take her and you both die." ''That should be enough to scare them out of this illusion, right? Then again, they might actually be super old if they''re really foxkin like Sophie said... I dunno if foxkin grow to be adults and then age slowly, or age and just stop at some random point.'' He wasn¡¯t wholly sure of how the whole ¡®immunity to ageing¡¯ thing worked. That needed more research on his part. Lone wasn''t particularly worried about any further escalation since they seemed... harmless? He didn''t feel threatened by them, at least. As he was setting up this camp, Sophie had told him that both of the foxkin tailing them could use magic, but they had only slightly more magic inside of them than an average Goblin Mage did. This told Lone that they probably weren''t ranked very highly and were quite possibly as young as Sophie said their true appearances suggested. While he watched his camp¡¯s two uninvited guests share a few concerned glances, he tried his best to see if he could look past their illusion with his own skills.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Illusion Detection] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
¡®Ah, I can feel something. There¡¯s a slight¡­ haze? Yeah, a slight haze to their clothes. Looks unnatural,¡¯ Lone thought. He also realised that his Illusion magic Resistance wasn¡¯t reacting, nor had he gained any new skills. This meant a few things. First, the illusion wasn¡¯t being used directly on him, meaning it was on the foxkin in front of him. Obvious, really. The more interesting implication, however, was that Illusion Detection had actually levelled up. ¡®Its description only states it weakens illusions I have entered or am trapped in. Is it because my visual senses have been trapped or something? Very, very, bizarre,¡¯ He concluded. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sweat dripped down the face of the foxkin pretending to be Grindol. "Ahahaha... Um, give us all of your money, or, eh, we''ll steal your clothes?" ''Dropped the accent already? Hmm... That response just reeks of childish mischief to me. Something I am sadly well-versed in. Let''s test the waters a bit to double check,'' Lone decided. He wore a disgusted look on his face as he glanced back and forth between the two men. "You would strip not only an innocent woman but even a man? Now, I have nothing against same-sex relations personally but to think you¡¯d go so far just because I defeated you both in a fair duel¡­ The guild will hear of this after I show you both the sole of my boots once again.¡± "Uh..." Grindol¡¯s face was slowly becoming more sweat than skin. "N-Not your clothes then?" Lone shook his head. "If anything, you two should be giving us your clothes." "Wha?!" Grindol''s face had turned beet red while Quint''s was being firmly held between his hands at this point. Lone tutted his tongue and went back to stirring his stew. "Don''t you know that it''s common amongst human bandits to leave a piece of their clothing with their victims? It''s like a calling card. Most usually just leave a scrap of cloth. Considering your reaction, are you two really humans?" "Uh, o-of course we are!" In a mad attempt to prove himself, Grindol took off his belt and threw it towards Lone. As soon as it touched Lone''s hand, the belt turned into a few motes of light and then reappeared around Grindol''s waist. "Okay, that''s enough playing around," Lone said, having decided that the two kids were, in fact, children and harmless. "Dispel the illusion and join us for some grub, huh? We can talk about this nonsense while we all fill our bellies." "Eh?" Grindol''s body morphed into that of a small foxkin girl with red hair and a single bushy tail while Quint became a handsome young lad with three tails to his name. "I told you he wasn''t stupid. He''s a Golden Foxkin." The boy stepped forwards and bowed deeply. "I''m sorry for my sister''s stupid actions. I couldn''t convince her to act otherwise. She''s the type to be even stupider if I try to get her to stop, so it''s best if I play along and try to make sure nothing goes horribly wrong... I hope you can understand and forgive us." Tears started bubbling out of the girl¡¯s eyes. She ran up to Lone and stared up at his face accusingly. "How''d you see through my illusions?! I was really worried for a bit there, but if you knew all along, why didn''t you just play along?!" Lone just laughed as he served the two children a bowl of his stew. Sophie, however, had a fed-up look on her face. Clearly, she didn¡¯t see the pureness nor the humour of the situation. Her icy demeanour soon dissolved though and was replaced by a brightly smiling face. "So fluffy..." Soph ambushed the frantically swinging tail that was attached to the young girl¡¯s hips so quickly that no one could react in time. "Hya!" The little foxkin yelped in surprise as her back straightened up like a bow. She turned her head around as quickly as was physically possible before she asked, "Wha-wha-what are you doing?!" "Savouring your floof," was the only reply that she was ever going to get. The boy looked over at his twin anxiously. "Um, the human won''t hurt Tiera, will she?" Lone shrugged. "I doubt it. She loves fluffy things. It''s been a while since she''s done that to my tails but experience has taught her how to be gentle. I wonder why she didn''t go for you? You''ve got two more than your sister does. Anyway, Tiera? What¡¯s your name then? I¡¯m Lone and that¡¯s Soph." Trella shuddered as he slowly replied, ¡°I-I¡¯m Trella. Trella Redtail.¡± Lone smirked once he saw the fear-stricken look on the boy''s face. "Cool name. Well, mind telling me who you two are then and why you were following us?" "Uh, em, sure," Trella answered hesitantly as he kept his eyes off his sister who appeared to be struggling for dear life.
"A baby Golden Foxkin, huh?" Lone asked rhetorically as he had finished listening to Trella''s explanation for why he and his sister were in such a discriminatory human country. Not realising that his question wasn''t actually meant to be answered, Tiera nodded her head as she sucked down her third bowl of stew. "Yup! Grandma wanted us to find them, but even after spending two months here, all we could find out was that the baby was in Ranton somewhere, which we already knew. Part of some big auction or something." ''Well, you''re only kids. You don''t exactly strike me as master information gatherers. This ''Crimson Foxkin Clan Matriarch'' must''ve been pretty fuckin'' desperate to send kids over here, or was there another reason? Maybe kids are less noticeable, somehow?'' Lone thought. He stroked Soph''s hair softly, making the lazy woman who was resting on his lap smile in her sleep. "Well, I think it''d be better if you two went back to your clan. I''m not sure how common your illusion magic is, but I''m pretty certain you''ll get found out eventually if you''re not careful. From what I''ve heard, two young kids like you would be enslaved pretty damned quickly in these parts. At least with your magic, you can cross the border easily." Trella nodded sadly. "You''re right. We were actually going to leave until Tiera found you. I guess we can go back though now that we''ve met." Lone shook Soph awake and then stood up to stretch his back. "Sounds good. Tell your matriarch that I''m more than happy enough to talk to her if she comes to visit me in person. It''s a shame you can''t use that ''communication orb'' of yours whenever you want, huh?" "Yeah! It sucks! I wanna talk to Mum and Dad more often!" Tiera said loudly before she muttered, "It sucks that they''re so sick..." "Quest?" Soph asked in a dreamy voice as she rubbed her eyes. "Yeah," Lone replied calmly. "The day isn''t getting any younger, and I really would like to fight at least one or two orcs before the sun starts to set and we have to go back." "Um, it was the Amberbark Inn you two were staying at, right?" Trella asked to double-check his info. Lone smiled faintly. "Yes, the one run by the Lesher." "I''ll make sure to tell Gran-, em, the matriarch that that''s where you''re staying so she can visit you," Trella said as maturely as he possibly could. Lone casually rubbed the boy''s head. "Sounds good. Tell her I look forward to meeting her." "We will!" Tiera answered in her brother''s place. "Seeya later, Mister Lone! Miss Soph!" "Yeah, um, bye," Trella added a bit bashfully. ¡°I know we were kinda rude, but, uh, it was an honour to meet a ninetails. Truly.¡± "Thanks, and stay safe," Lone replied while Soph just waved slowly as the kids wandered away. Soph returned control to Sophie who immediately demanded Lone to help her into her armour since Soph had removed it to take a nap. As Lone was finishing strapping her into her steel-reinforced plate mail, Sophie asked him a question. "Why did you lie?" "About?" Lone responded immediately. "About looking forward to meeting their leader," Sophie elaborated. Lone got up and, after finishing with her armour, shrugged. "I didn''t have much choice. It''s not like I could have just told them to go back in time and not tell their matriarch about me ever existing, now could I?" Sophie raised an eyebrow at that. Lone sighed. "You were awake in here, weren''t you?" Lone asked as he lightly tapped the girl''s exposed forehead with his index finger. "You heard him say that he was the next patriarch of their clan, right?" "Yes... And do not touch our forehead without our permission," Sophie replied with a sulk as she put her helmet on. Lone grinned at her timidity. "Well, why the fuck would the future leader of a clan of foxkin - which I''m assuming are powerful - be sent to a small human country that is widely known to enslave demis when it has the chance? Just to follow a lead on a Golden Foxkin baby? There''s got to be more to it than that.¡± "Your meaning?" Sophie didn''t quite follow. "Well, there''s all of these supposed legends about Golden Foxkin, right?" Lone said as he started walking towards the forest. "Indeed. We''ve yet to hear a single one, but there certainly are legends, it would seem," Sophie answered. "Right. Well, my current running theory is that the Crimson Foxkin Clan is in a war or something, a serious one. So¡­ the current matriarch is looking for a powerful ally to turn the tides. She sent the next leader away to avoid the flames of this war of theirs from reaching him since he''s too young, or maybe to use his good nature to win over a powerful expert to help back at the clan''s base as they searched for the rumoured baby. Maybe only one of those, maybe all of them, maybe none. I''m just making assumptions here," Lone explained. "And you did not wish to refuse or act rudely because you were afraid?" Sophie concluded. ¡°How foolish. We did not know you liked to create fantasies in your head.¡± ¡°Sophie, we¡¯re in a fantasy.¡± Lone sighed. "If this matriarch is coming to see me regardless due to my heritage, I see no reason in making her mad. Hell, it could even be a good opportunity to learn about my race, but I don''t like it." "Because you''re a coward?" Sophie teased. Lone scoffed. "No, because I''m a control freak, but right now, I''m far too weak to control anything, so I''ve gotta suck it up and try to make the flow that''s pushing me, bend to my will at least a little bit." "How childish," Sophie mocked. Again, Lone shrugged. "Call me what you want. I dealt with enough of my life not being decided by me back on Earth that I won''t let the same thing happen here. We barely got through our encounter with the elves.¡± ¡°True enough,¡± Sophie agreed for once. ¡°Right? Caution seems wise. Anyway, on this topic, let''s go kill some Blue Orcs and rank up, shall we?" he asked with a smirk strewn across his lips. Sophie smiled coyly beneath her helmet. "Yes, we shall.¡± B1: Chapter 50: Light-footed and Henry Malik "Lightning Bolt," Lone whispered faintly. Immediately, as if on instinct, a head whipped around only for the eyes nestled within it to stare right at him with malice and cruelty. It was too late though. A silent flash of blue escaped Lone¡¯s outstretched palm and hit its mark with practised ease. Its target: the cranium of a hulking Blue Orc. The beasts were easily two metres tall, sometimes taller, but never shorter. They had biceps the size of watermelons and rippling muscles all over their bodies. Lone was honestly quite intimidated by their appearance, especially the unrefined metal bars that had been roughly shoved through their noses or forehead wrinkles. This one had four such bars in the latter location. It showed signs of culture among these beasts, but he somehow doubted the things had piercing parlours. ¡®Must hurt like a bitch getting those put in,¡¯ Lone thought. While curious things, however, the metal made killing the orcs far easier since whatever minerals their piercings were made from conducted Lone''s Lightning Bolts perfectly. ''Man, it¡¯s like I''ve got a real-life aim-bot. I can forcefully aim somewhere else, but if I just let it go on its own, the bolts always smack ''em right in the nose or the noggin''. These guys certainly aren''t pushovers. I guess Lightning magic is just an unfair match-up for them,'' Lone concluded as he hid in the bushes and waited. A moment later, as soon as the Blue Orc that Lone had summarily executed fell to the ground, a small girl in full-plate armour appeared on top of its confused partner''s head. She swiftly lodged one of her swords into the monster''s chest and then jumped off the creature''s head before jamming her second short sword into its spine, crippling the monster. The Blue Orc tumbled over as it lost control of its limbs. Before it could scream, Sophie ripped the sword wedged in its chest free and then cut its throat. She glanced over to the bush that Lone was hiding in. "Do hurry up and kill it before it bleeds out or chokes to death on its own blood, will you not?" she said as she immediately found a spot to go clean her short swords of the blood and spinal fluid that now covered them. ''Man, that''s the fourth time she''s done that exact thing today, but no matter how many times I see her cut a spine open, I just can¡¯t get used to it... She¡¯s a trained killer. Well, self-taught more so than trained, but still¡­'' Lone thought privately before he stepped forward and jammed his swordspear into the remaining Blue Orc''s brain. There was a little bit of resistance since the orcs had fairly dense bones, still, he managed to crack open the beast''s head with a bit of effort. Sophie glanced up to the sky and frowned beneath her helmet. "Should we return for today?" Lone nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to rank up, but this is fine too. I know enough about the Blue Orcs now to make a solid plan for ranking up tomorrow." After saying that, Lone cut an ear off both of the orcs before he stored their whole bodies into his Dimensional Storage. "Why the whole thing? We do not see the point," Sophie questioned. Lone shrugged as he stretched. "Why not the whole thing? My Dimensional Storage literally has infinite space. I''ve no clue what happens to the bodies of the orcs that''re killed by other people, but it seems irresponsible to me to just leave them here." Sophie found that explanation to be adequate. "We see. By the way, our Sword Mastery has levelled up." She then held out her hand. ¡°Cloth and oil. We wish to clean our weapons.¡± Lone nodded and retrieved the requested items for her. If Sophie was relaxed enough to clean her swords right now, that meant that there wasn''t anything dangerous within a 150-metre range of them. A good thing in his opinion since he was starting to get a bit tired. "What level''s it at now?" Lone asked as he got himself comfortable. "Beginner-level-seven, although, Short Sword Mastery is now intermediate-level-one, and Dual-wielding Mastery is currently at beginner-level-nine. Small improvements, but they are improvements nonetheless," Sophie said with hints of pride in her tone. Lone smiled. "That''s good. Well, that pretty much confirms that I gain skills and level-ups way faster than normal. Kinda obvious considering Growth Accelerator''s description, but it''s always good to get confirmation. Well, except Sword Mastery. You¡¯re getting that way faster than me. Maybe because my swordspear is a hybrid weapon¡­" "How does this confirm anything?" Sophie asked as she started packing up her cleaning tools. "Well, as I said, you''re definitely a genius when it comes to the sword. There''s no doubt about that. It¡¯s your perfectly suited weapon after all - two short ones. If I''m getting skills and levelling them even faster than you are for your ideal skills, then what the hell could ever prove this blatantly obvious theory?" Lone asked. Sophie shrugged. "Fair enough. Shall we head off now?" "Sure," Lone replied casually. As he and Sophie left the Bengon Forest, Lone made sure to check his status and his latest system notifications.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 49
Species: Foxkin Rank: H
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 6,120/6,120 [+1,500] SP: 5,743/12,150 [+1,020]
MP: 502/12,110
Basic Stats
Strength: 496 [+176] Vigour: 1,215 [+102]
Dexterity: 476 [+10] Agility: 380 [+17]
Vitality: 612 [+150] Luck: 66 [+2]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 1,211
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ''Not even a lick of Magic Power, huh? I kinda expected as much, still sad though. That¡¯s a lot of Vitality, Vigour and Strength, huh? Makes sense. Big burly fuck-off orcs not giving those in abundance would be weirder,'' Lone thought. With the status out of the way, he moved onto the numerous skill level-up notifications waiting to be read in the corner of his eye.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
As expected, since Lightning Bolt was all that Lone had used to kill the Blue Orcs today, it was his only attack-based skill to have levelled up. He was genuinely surprised and quite pleased with exactly how much it had grown. Five levels in an already evolved skill was certainly a welcome gain in exchange for what was essentially just easy hunting. ''Not too long now until it''s at the intermediate rank,'' he thought as he looked at the other notifications.
The host has developed the passive skill: Light-footed.
Passive Skill: Light-footed
A skill that allows the host to passively produce 5% less sound while sneaking or walking.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''A new skill? I never even realised...'' he thought as he poured over the skill¡¯s details a bit more carefully. Not long later, he was smiling to himself, earning him an odd look from his blind yet observant companion. ''It sounds pretty cool. It''ll likely be really useful once it''s at a high level. I wonder why I never got this back on Goblin Island?¡¯ That idea lingered in his mind for a while as he and Sophie trekked through the woods. ¡®Was it because I wasn''t stealthily stalking the goblins like I was with the orcs? To be fair, I was being a lot less cautious once I realised that we could take out a hob pretty easily...'' Lone wondered as Ranton slowly came into view. ''Anyway, still no level-ups in Mental Pain Resistance? Even though I have a very light headache? That skill isn''t even past the beginner rank yet, so I wonder why it''s not levelling up... Do I need to exceed my mana limits or something? I''d honestly rather not. There''re mental pains, then there''s literal mental torture,'' Lone thought as he and Sophie approached the southern city gate of Milindo''s capital and holy city.
"Ah, eight left ears? You two are quite skilled for your ranks. May I have your adventurer plates, please? This is enough to promote your ranks once," the same receptionist from early that morning said as he slid 16 silver coins across the counter. Lone pocketed the money and did as he was told. "Really? A promotion already?" Nodding, the guild member began carving Lone''s information into an iron plate that he''d taken out from underneath the counter. "Indeed. Most subjugation quests will result in an immediate rank up at the wooden level. Please think of the wooden plate as an induction of sorts. It only takes a while if safer, city limited quests are taken. The plate is a measure of many things, but this early, it is mostly a measure of strength and capability. It will take a handful of quests at the minimum to be promoted to a copper plate after this point, not just one." "Ah, okay. That makes sense. Still, is it really so surprising that we took out eight Blue Orcs?" Lone asked to pass the time as he and Sophie waited for their new plates to be finished. "Well, granted, it''s not unbelievable considering how you defeated both Quint and Grindol, but Blue Orcs are usually G to C-rankers depending on their age. I can''t really tell how old the ones that you killed were from their ears alone. If you happen to kill more in the future and wish to know roughly what ranks they were, please bring me their tusks. The length is a very tell-tale sign of their age, and thus, their strength," the employee said as he finished Lone''s new iron plate and handed it to him. He then started to work on Sofia''s as he continued, "I was expecting you two to defeat between one and four Blue Orcs, not eight. Would you mind if I asked how exactly you defeated them?" Lone shook his head. "Not at all. We ambushed them. I''d generally strike first and then Sophie would launch a sneak attack on the second orc. We only found pairs of two, so it worked the exact same way every time." ¡°Sophie? Not Sofia? Did you make a mistake earlier when signin-¡± ¡°Ah, no. Sophie is a nickname. It¡¯s quicker to say, haha,¡± Lone interrupted. "Ah, I see. Anyway, I''m glad you used your wits in the quest. A lot of new adventurers don''t yet have the wisdom to employ more dirty tactics like ambushing," the employee claimed. "You don''t offer that advice to newbies taking on subjugation quests?" Lone asked. "It depends on the target of the subjugation as well as the adventurer in question. As I said this morning, we staff of The Adventurer''s Guild are very talented at reading people," the receptionist claimed with a smile. "We also happen to offer a weekly lesson on basic starter tactics for new and old adventurers alike. Included is a two-hour course on simple skills related to adventuring and how to obtain them. Would you be interested in that, sir?" Lone raised an eyebrow as he accepted Sofia''s finished plate and handed it to Sophie. "Maybe. When is it and how long does it last?" "Of course. It''s held every Seventh Sun between dawn and dusk. Food and bathing facilities are included in the experience. Unfortunately, it isn''t free. It costs five silvers to attend," The staff member explained. ''Getting some basic skills does sound pretty alluring, but 12 hours? I can do a lot of shit in that time...'' Lone turned his body away from the counter and replied, "I''ll think about it. Anyway, we''ll be back tomorrow." Looking slightly disappointed, the guild employee bowed his head and smiled. "Of course. Sir, madam, enjoy your evening, and I look forward to serving you again tomorrow should you arrive during my shift."
"Your Grace," a knight called as he got down on one knee. "I personally searched the reported house, but it seems that it was empty." The man being reported to - a thin and wizened man who looked to be in his late-fifties - stroked his pointed beard thoughtfully. "Did the passing mage lie, perhaps?" "No, Your Grace. The house did look lived in, so I don''t believe that the mage tried to swindle you. From my investigation, two children were certainly treating that abandoned manor as their home for a while. At the very least, they lived there for a month or longer," the knight claimed. "Hmm..." The man sat upon the ornate chair at the back of the hall frowned. "Perhaps the mage tipped off the children? Support for the freedom of demis has been growing wildly these past few centuries. Erion, that bastard of a headmaster, he''s been spreading those wild ideas of his past Felron''s borders as of late... To reach the other side of the continent¡­ How absurdly influential. Divines¡­" "I do not know if that is the case, Your Grace. It is certainly possible, however," the knight replied stoically. "I see... Find this mage and have him executed for high treason. A possibility is more than enough reason to punish him. To have two presumed Crimson Foxkin slip out of our fingers so easily... I''d be ashamed to show myself in front of His Majesty if he knew of this," the wizened man ordered. "As you will it, Your Grace," the knight replied instantly before he stood up and bowed respectfully. He soon left the hall to perform his duty. A few moments later, the doors to the audience hall swung open, and a young girl whom Lone would recognise strolled right in. "Daddy! I missed you!" the girl shouted as she gave him a hug. A smile wormed its way onto the man''s face. "Please, Emma, dear, you saw me this morning, did you not?" "That doesn''t mean that I can''t miss you, does it?" Emma replied with a pout. "I wonder how the servants would react if they saw the feared and respected ''Duke Henry Malik'' cuddling his daughter so publicly, hmm?" he teased. Emma pouted. "You''d just blow them away with your magic if they started any rumours or anything, wouldn''t you?" "Indeed, I would. Regardless, you''re no longer a child, Emma. Shall I test your lightning magic? You haven''t shown me your progress since you returned from Ros, now have you?" Duke Malik asked almost rhetorically. "Ahahaha..." Emma began sweating as she followed her father through their estate and into a courtyard. He knew practising magic bored her greatly despite it being her birth right and her power. ¡°I¡¯d, uh, I¡¯d love to¡­¡± B1: Chapter 51: Blacksmithing Worries and A Blacksmiths Worries ¡°Well, here goes¡­¡± Lone mumbled as he closed his eyes and filled his mind with thoughts of gold. He was trying to create a simple golden coin. Just one, not a full pouch or anything of that sort. He had some slight concerns over how he could affect the global economy with his Creation Magic, but honestly, strength seemed more important on this planet than wealth did. The king and the dukes of this kingdom were SS-rankers, after all. The nobles? All families built on a foundation of A or B-rankers. Business was an afterthought. Hell, even the guild. While they seemed to put a focus on character, strength was also incredibly well-valued there as proven by the guildmaster also being an SS-ranker. Besides, he had little love for this country and while adventuring could get them some money, knowing he could make any whenever he so wished was far too mesmerising to just ignore. The image in his mind of the shimmering coin grew firmer, and while his knowledge of the materials and forging process was limited, it wasn¡¯t completely bare after having had his first lesson with Grimsley. Before long, Lone felt the MP being drained to fuel his Creation Magic.
Many such items exist on Altros. The host has A little bit of understanding for the item and its creation. 750 base MP cost. 2,250 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. 3,000 MP has been consumed to create the item: [The Adventurer¡¯s Guild Standard Issue Gold Coin].
And just like that, Lone and Soph¡¯s finances had more than tripled. ¡°Didn¡¯t know the guild issued these¡­ I did hear it¡¯s a continental-wide currency though. Does that mean these coins can be used literally everywhere in the world? Probably not. They''re probably only usable in places that host the guild. Still handy though,¡± Lone thought aloud. He then cracked his neck and grinned. Since it had only cost 3,000 MP, he felt it would be downright criminal to not use up the rest of his reserves on bulking up their coin purse a bit.
Lone entered Grimsley''s smithy as he yawned lightly. Soph happily squeezed his hand to help wake him up. She was far more alert than he was, that was for sure. ''That fourth coin was a mistake. I have a splitting headache now as a result,'' Lone complained internally. ¡®I wonder if there¡¯s a Greed Resistance skill? I could certainly use one¡­¡¯ As if to show him that he hadn''t overused his mana in vain, a notification filled his vision.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
"Ha-ah... Of course it only levels up after I''ve woken up and feel like shit after the fact," Lone grumbled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have gained two more levels while it was at it, huh?¡± The gruff voice that could have only belonged to Grimsley asked, "What ya mumblin'' ''boot at ma smithy''s doorstep, eh, laddie?" in a slightly annoyed tone. Lone smiled wryly. "Sorry, I had a bad night''s sle-" Lone stopped talking the second he caught sight of his short blacksmithing master. Today, the red-haired man was wearing his locks in a rough ponytail, and his eyes were covered by a very thin and fancy looking pair of glasses that had bronze legs and some cogs near their joints. "What... what are those?" Lone asked with a slight tremble of excitement in his voice. ''Please, please, please don''t just be ornamental.'' "These?" Grimsley took the glasses off and shook them about a bit before he put them back on. "Steamforg''d glasses. Ah got ''em at the last hoose gatherin'' five years ago fae ma grandpa. The sappy git''s ah master steamforg''r. Nae the best in the field, naw. ¡®At title belongs tae anoother. Anyhoo, the old cunt always hands out bits an'' bobs like these when the hoose gets together. Why? Nev''r seen ah pair o¡¯ glasses afore? Or ''ave ya just nev''r ''eard of steamforgin''? Both''re equally daft, so be ''onest with me, laddie." Lone grinned lightly. "Caught me red-handed. I''ve never heard of steamforging before. What even is that? Some sort of dwarven craft? It sounds fascinating." Grimsley gave Lone a very contemptuous look before he simply sighed. "Well, come on in. Ah''ll nae speak tae ya when yer stood in the fookin'' doorway like a lemon oot in tha sun." "Ah, right, of course," Lone replied as he and Soph closed the door and found seats - Lone by the forge, and Soph next to the wall. Soph curled up and closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to be interested in the same things as him, blacksmithing was sadly of no interest to her. She had fallen asleep yesterday halfway through Lone''s lesson, so today, on his advice, she had decided to just get a few extra hours of sleep instead of forcing herself to pay attention. Grimsley cracked his neck as he reached into a box next to the forge and pulled out a lump of deep-grey - almost black - metal and showed it to Lone. "Ah told ya plenty aboot metals yesterday, so tahday, ah''ll be showin'' ya ¡®ow tae turn this shitey lump ah iron intae ah dagger. Process is simple enough, aye, but just watch me then try it yerself. Learnin'' fae doin'' is far easier than learnin'' fae just watchin''. ¡®At rings true in my experiences, at least," the Stone Dwarf claimed as he touched the rim of his glasses with one hand, making a second set of lenses pop out and slide in front of the first. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. After that, he grabbed the chunk of wrought iron with a pair of tongs and then flipped a switch on the forge, making it light up. Once it was hot enough, he placed the iron and the tongs over the roaring flames and patiently waited while the metal started to heat up. Lone had to hold himself back from asking several questions upon witnessing all of this. ''Wow. Those glasses have a second set of lenses? Where the fuck''d it come from? Is that what steamforging does? That wasn''t natural. The forge too. How''d it get lit? There''s no way that switch is connected to anything electrical, right? More steamforging? It''s still creating tonnes of smoke, so maybe the device can only light and turn off the forge?'' ¡°That won¡¯t be a health risk to her, will it?¡± Lone asked in concern as he gestured to the snoozing Soph. Grimsley shook his head dismissively. ¡°Nah, all fumes go up¡¯n¡¯oot. Air in ¡®ere is well ventilated. ¡®As tae be or ah¡¯d be riskin¡¯ ma own ¡®ealth. Perks ah usin¡¯ steamforg¡¯d tools, eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Lone replied. Needless to say, he was only growing more and more heavily interested in steamforging. He had always liked steampunk stuff, and while this wasn''t exactly the same thing, it was damned near close. He kept the topic of steamforging in the back of his mind as he focused whole-heartedly on the smithing taking place before his very own eyes. Lone was amazed at how quickly and expertly Grimsley was crafting the practice dagger blade. ''Traditionally, it took days to make swords, right? Granted, this is a dagger, but come on, he''s already attached the hilt and put an engraving on it! Is it the effect of the Blacksmithing skill? Weaponsmithing too, maybe? It must be. There''s no way he just made a perfect dagger in two and a half hours.'' Grimsley wiped the sweat from his brow as a toothy grin filled his face. "S''been ah while since ah last put so much effort intae somethin¡¯ so simple. ''Ere, ye can ''ave this. Use it as ah reference. Now, try tae forge yer own." Lone carefully took the dagger and held it up to his eyes to read the engraving. ''Tae ma first apprentice, dinnae fookin'' lose it!'' ''He wrote in his accent...'' Lone grinned. ''So I''m his first apprentice, huh?'' he noticed as he tucked the weapon under his belt. He''d put it in his Dimensional Storage later, but for now, it could sit there snugly by his hip. After that, Lone got his own chunk of wrought iron and carefully began to replicate the process of forging it into a dagger''s blade. Well, he tried his best but honestly, even with his Growth Accelerator, Lone didn¡¯t expect to nail it on his first attempt. As predicted, the initial lump of iron ended up melting and became nothing more than a wasted effort. Grimsley didn''t say any words of disappointment and simply kept his arms crossed. He did, after some time, scratch his head and say, "''Appens tae everyone. It''s nae the easiest thing in the world tae judge when the iron''s hot enough tae be pound''d intae ah blade, so dinnae fret over it. Grab anoth''r hunk ah iron an'' restart. We''ve got enough time left fae one more try tahday." Lone appreciated the dwarf''s kind words, but he was slightly distracted by a notification.
The host has developed the passive skill: Blacksmithing.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 5% faster and 5% more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''So it does give a speed boost, as suspected. In fact, it''s exactly like the Woodworking and Masonry skills, just for metal, instead,¡¯ Lone thought. Lone reached for his second chunk of wrought iron but his mind was still unfocused. ¡®I wonder if there''s a Metalworking skill to help with harvesting ores too? Maybe Mining Mastery? Ore Collection? I don''t wanna look like an idiot, so I won''t ask, but I should go spelunking at some point to find out...'' Lone decided.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blacksmithing] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blacksmithing] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blacksmithing] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
The host has developed the passive skill: Weaponsmithing.
Passive Skill: Weaponsmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft weapons 5% faster and 5% more skilfully. Additionally, the weapons crafted by the host will do 5% more damage.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Grimsley held the shoddy looking dagger blade up to his face as he inspected it thoroughly. "Rough. Blunt''r than ma bawsack, in truth. Weight''d on the end an'' the left side o¡¯ the centre. Curv''d tip. Dented. All in all, shite smeltin'', shite hammerin'', shite coolin''. Ah piece ah shite fae top tae bottom, but fer yer second try? It''s ah fookin'' masterpiece, laddie." Lone smiled as he took the crummy scrap of metal that vaguely resembled a dagger back from his blacksmithing master. "Thanks. I promise the next one''ll be at least three times better come tomorrow." "Ah''m nae made ah iron, so aye, it fookin'' better be. Results or ah''ll gae ya the long side o¡¯ ma boot up yer fookin'' arse. Anyhoo, it''s noon. Wake up yer wee missy an¡¯ get tae fook. Ah''ve work tae dae," Grimsley grunted as he tried to hide the prideful smile that was creeping out from underneath his bushy beard. Lone pretended not to notice that as he gently shook Soph awake and left the store, happy with his progress in the craft.
Grimsley let the forge die down and he then slumped into his chair after the two of his guests had left. Lone was a true talent, of that, he couldn¡¯t deny. It was more than a little odd that he had a human woman following him around. Especially one with such good looks that seemed perfectly comfortable in a demis workshop. Sleeping on his sofa through the sounds of them forging daggers? The thought made Grimsley chuckle. ¡°She¡¯s ah tough¡¯un. Rare tae see decent ¡®umans like ¡®er sort.¡± He glanced at his empty ale barrel and sighed. "Ah really wish ah had some fookin'' ¡®omebrew ale... Ah''m nae sure if anythin'' else can distract me, Shana." He hunched over and clenched his hands together tightly. "Was ah in the wrong? Maybe accepting an apprentice wasnae the wisest ah choices right now... ''E''s got talent, aye, but involving ''im with me''s only gonnae drag ''im intae ma mess... Damn it! If only ''e hadnae shoved that fookin'' gold coin in ma face..." Grimsley laughed dryly as some new wrinkles made themselves known on his brow. "Ol¡¯ Mother Stone, wouldn''t mind sendin'' me some help, would ye? Ah''m up shite creek an¡¯ ma paddle''s naewhere tae be fookin'' foond..." B1: Chapter 52: A Crushed Lone and Panic Now all geared up and ready to go, Lone and Sophie left Ranton for the Bengon Forest once again after a quick stop to the Amberbark Inn and then The Adventurer''s Guild. "Lone, we were curious, what exactly is your plan to rank up?" Sophie asked as they trekked through the farmlands that stretched outwards beyond Ranton''s city walls. Shrugging lightly, Lone replied, "Well, seeing as how they''re strong but dumb, I figured I''ll only fight with my swordspear. No Bone Armour, no Lightning Bolt, nothing. You keep the other one busy or just kill it, assuming we find another pair again." Sophie raised an eyebrow. "That is rather simplistic, coming from you. You usually prefer to overcomplicate and overthink things." "They''re simple creatures. Besides, what good would a complex plan do me when, from what I know, all I need to rank up is an intense situation with my life on the line? Mind you, if I get smacked about and look like I''m dying, please don¡¯t hesitate to save me," Lone said half-jokingly, half-seriously. Sophie smirked underneath her helmet. She brought an armoured finger up to her helmet''s faceplate and inclined her head ever-so-slightly. "We shall consider it." "If you don''t save me and I survive, I''m gonna kiss you. You have no feelings for me, right? I bet you¡¯d just hate it if I did that," Lone threatened teasingly. Sophie shuddered lightly. "We shall put that into serious consideration." Lone nodded as a smirk wormed its way onto his lips. "You¡¯re not that different from your other side after all. As I¡¯ve said before, you¡¯re both cute." Sophie ignored him, instead choosing to just pick up the pace of her walking.
"Okay, you wanna train with the one in the back while I''m busy with the other one? Not like a single one of these things can really threaten you considering how agile Teleportation lets you become," Lone suggested in a whisper. He then glanced away from the two Blue Orcs a few metres away from them to look at the heavily armoured woman by his side. She nodded. "Okay. If we see you struggling and losing, we shall stop and teleport you away. As fun as toying with a mindless beast sounds, we would rather the mindless beast tied to our soul did not die in the process." "Haha, Thanks,¡± Lone responded faintly to the jab. ¡°I''ll try to Lightning Bolt them if I feel like I''m gonna die, but yeah, be on standby to get us out of there,¡± he added in a serious tone. With a small bob of the head as Sophie''s only form of affirmation, Lone and she then moved forwards. Sophie immediately teleported behind one of the two orcs and cut into its left thigh. The monster screamed out in pain and instantly swiped with its club towards where Sophie was standing, but she dodged with a well-timed teleport. As she was doing that and slowly leading the Blue Orc away, Lone had walked right in front of the other one. His palms were sweaty, but his knees weren¡¯t weak, and his arms weren¡¯t heavy. He could do this. He''d be lying to himself though if he said that he wasn''t a bit intimidated by the huge size of the monster before himself, but he kept a good grip on his swordspear with his right hand as his left one stayed open to fire a Lightning Bolt should the need arise. The orc gave Lone no time to hesitate as it used the incredibly crude but massive axe in its hands to chop down at him. Knowing that parrying or blocking a blow with that much power behind it was out of the question, Lone decided to move to the side slightly to dodge with minimal wasted movements. If he had chosen to jump out of the way instead, his recovery would take far too long, giving the orc plenty of time to attack him again and keep him on the defensive. Unfortunately, Lone hadn''t properly anticipated the orc''s insane speed that was afforded to it by its exceedingly thick and muscled arms. From the tip of his left shoulder all the way down to his wrist, practically half of Lone''s arm, was cut off as if it were made of paper. He didn''t scream, but he was in an extreme amount of pain. Forcing some of his MP into his Basic Regeneration, his arm slowly started to heal. He could still use his hand, but any movement of the left arm resulted in shooting agony. ''It''s too fast. I need to back off for a minute and heal, but that''ll fuck me if it gets the initiative,'' Lone thought as he swung his swordspear at the Blue Orc''s ribs. Barely the tip of the sword end of his weapon managed to cut some flesh before the orc had swung its axe once again. With a bit of hesitation, Lone decided to abandon his swordspear and instead circle around the monster to evade its strike. He had three spare swordspears in his Dimensional Storage, so he took one out and held it with both hands. ''I have to treat this like it''s a polearm, not a sword or a simple spear. I can''t use magic like this, but I can''t utilise the weapon properly otherwise,'' Lone decided as he grit his teeth through the pain that his bloody arm was causing him. At this point, the sound of his Basic Regeneration hard at work had reached the Blue Orc''s ears. The creature cried out as it dropped its weapon before it covered its ears with both of its hands. Lone hadn''t expected such a grotesque and simplistic monster to be affected by an equally grotesque noise, but he wasn''t going to give up this opportunity. Using fluid hand movements, he started swinging his swordspear back and forth almost like an angled propeller. Four or five attacks landed on the Blue Orc before even a second had passed. Both of its blades started to chip from smacking into the monster''s hard bones, but it was still wreaking havoc on its torso and its intestines. A pure scream of anguish and rage surged forth from the Blue Orc''s mouth. Its eyes turned red before a frenzied look overcame it. Suddenly, the monster stepped forward and wrapped its arms around Lone. Seeing what was happening, Lone knew that he had no time to dodge. "Pierce!" he shouted as he activated Swordspear Mastery''s additional active effect. While the swordspear''s spearhead had fully penetrated the monster''s chest and exited its back thanks to Lone''s use of Pierce, the Blue Orc now had him tightly in its grasp. With a massive grin on its face, it squeezed Lone as hard as it could. "Ahhh! You motherfucker! B-Bone Armour!" Almost all of his bones had been shattered before his armour came out, but once it did, he was no longer under so much physical duress. The Bone Armour cracked and was restored with Lone''s mana repeatedly until finally, the life in the monster''s crimson eyes finally faded. What was left of its adrenaline or whatever skill that was keeping it alive, had clearly ran out along with its remaining HP.
Congratulations! The host has successfully gained enlightenment and ranked up. The host is now a G-ranker.
Lone groaned and grunted as he wriggled his way out of the fallen orc''s death-grip. It took him over a minute, but once he was free, he dismissed his Bone Armour and then exhaled deeply as he wiped the blood and sweat from his face. "Almost out of mana and you''re not fully healed yet, huh?" Lone rhetorically asked his left arm. The missing muscles were back, but the skin was still very slowly being passively healed. "Ha-ah, I hope this is done before we''re finished here. Fuckin¡¯ restoring my Bone Armour over and over and healing my crushed bones sapped me dry." Sophie wandered out from behind a tree and approached Lone. "It seems you were successful." Lone smiled wryly. "Yeah, somehow. Did you unlock a new skill or is my theory closer to being proved true?" She shook her head. "No. We did rank up, but no new skill is available for our use." Sophie then glanced behind her. "By the way, the other one is bleeding out over there. We may have gone too far as we were worried you were about to die." ¡®I¡¯m so confident she¡¯ll get a new skill next rank up. Don¡¯t prove me wrong, shitty god that sealed most of her skills,'' Lone smirked. "Thanks for worrying about me." She scoffed. "If you ceased breathing, Soph would never forgive us." ¡°Haha, right,¡± Lone smiled wryly. He then slowly got up and ended the life of the other Blue Orc. After that, he and Sophie collected a tusk from each as proofs of their kills, and they then slowly made their way out of the forest. It was still early in the day, but Lone had fought enough for now. On their way back, he made sure to check all of the notifications that he had received during his intense battle with the Blue Orc, as well as his updated status. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
The host has developed the passive skill: Fear Resistance.
Passive Skill: Fear Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from their fear. Reduces all fear the host experiences by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Huh... I guess I was pretty scared to fight evenly without relying on Mental Destruction or Lightning Bolt for a change...'' Lone thought as he scratched his cheek. ¡®A bit embarrassing, but a natural reaction, I think.¡¯
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
The host has developed the passive skill: Polearm Mastery.
Passive Skill: Polearm Mastery
A skill that allows the host to wield polearms with a basic level of competence. All polearms used by the host will pierce and cut their targets 5% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Oh? Will that boost stack on top of the 15 percent from Swordspear Mastery? On that topic, I haven''t really tested what that means. What does x percent easier mean? Should I test it? How would I even do that? Get Sophie to try cutting a rock without using any strength, then me doing the same?'' Instead of dwelling on this much longer, Lone decided to move on with his notifications. Of course, he was glad to have gained a new skill that would probably become great for his future battles. He would be lying though if he said that he wasn''t a little bit pissed off at the fact that he hadn''t earned this skill thus far for the sole reason of not treating his swordspears like polearms before.
The host has developed the passive skill: Panic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Panic Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from panic attacks. Reduces the chances that the host will experience a panic attack in a stressful situation by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''I did shit myself a bit when the bastard hugged me, that''s true. I doubt it''ll happen often enough for this skill to level up much, but hey-ho, a passive skill isn''t something that I won''t happily accept,'' Lone thought gleefully.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
''Oh? Even Bone Armour levelled up? Awesome. I wasn''t expecting that. Well, that blue fucker did crush pretty much all of the bones in my body, and he even cracked the fuck out of Bone Armour itself, so I guess it does make sense,'' Lone concluded as he brought up his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 59 [+10]
Species: Foxkin Rank: G [Up from H]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 3,298/6,510 [+390] SP: 5,743/12,420 [+270]
MP: 765/12,110
Basic Stats
Strength: 547 [+51] Vigour: 1,242 [+27]
Dexterity: 479 [+3] Agility: 385 [+5]
Vitality: 651 [+39] Luck: 66
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 1,211
Lone nodded slowly as he held his chin. "So, levels don''t carry over. There''s no way I only got ten levels for hundreds of goblins, a handful of hobgoblins, a Goblin King, and ten Blue Orcs. That last orc must have been the only one to give me any level-ups. That''s kinda shitt- Ow! Why the fuck''d you punch me?" Sophie ignored Lone''s wronged expression. "You were thinking out loud again, so we stopped you. It is as simple as that. You have a brain, no? Use it." Lone frowned. "Sorry. The thought was too interesting, so I forgot to keep it inside. However, punch me like that ever again, then you''ll be getting a kiss and a hug. You know for a fact that calling my name is just as good at getting my attention as physical violence is." "We shall take note of that. Who is to say that we do not wish for you to pamper us like a princess every now and then, hmm?" Sophie asked flirtatiously. ''Well, her mood''s certainly shifted. One second, she refuses any and all advances, the next, she''s the one making them. Granted, suspiciously false-sounding advances. Are all women so complicated? Is Soph the sole exception?'' Lone asked himself as he and Sophie returned to Ranton.
"Oh, wow. Colour me impressed, sir, madam. Did you two really take down the owner of this tusk?" the receptionist at The Adventurer''s Guild asked as she looked back and forth between Lone and Sophie. ''I guess that means it was at a high rank, that Blue Orc? Still, I''d rather we had the other employee. Is he on break right now?'' Lone thought as he nodded. "Yeah. I almost died fighting it." "Is that so? You seem rather healthy to me," the receptionist said with a smile on her face. Lone returned her smile with his own. "Healers are amazing these days, aren''t they?" "Yes! They are, aren''t they? My second cousin twice removed is actually a member of the Healer''s Association. Quite the powerful set of magical skills those lot have at their disposal," the receptionist claimed as she held her cheek and sighed lightly. ¡°Shame the association isn¡¯t allowed in Milindo, still, the church does good work.¡±
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
"Anyway, you wouldn''t happen to know what rank that orc was, would you?" Lone asked with a polite tone. The lady behind the counter tucked the tusks away and she then slid four silver coins across the table. "Well, it was at least a D-ranker and at most a C-ranker. It was roughly 17 years old, and that''s the rank range for Blue Orcs of that age. If the tusk had a bit more colouration or natural damage, I''d be able to give you a more accurate reading. my apologies." Lone accepted the coins with a small grin. "That''s fine. Thank you regardless." "Of course! Enjoy the rest of your day, sir, madam!" the receptionist said in farewell cheerfully. B1: Chapter 53: New Level Cap and Muradon the All-mage "My Lord," Ceela called respectfully as she fell to one knee. "The foxkin and his presumed master have settled in Ranton, it would seem. I cannot say for sure how long they will stay in the holy city, but from my investigations, it doesn''t seem likely that they will leave relatively soon." Lord Griffset smiled as he stroked his oily goatee. "Excellent. What else? Have they been approached already by another noble?" Ceela trembled in fear at the overweight lord''s... excited tone. "N-No, My Lord. However, they have joined The Adventurer''s Guild. Thus far, they have taken a commission to hunt down Blue Orcs two days in a row with some mild success." "Hmm... Powerful. If those other adventurers are to be believed, the girl and this foxkin were only H-rankers... To defeat Blue Orcs... Indeed, the legends about the Golden Foxkin must be true." Lord Griffset sipped from his goblet thoughtfully as he sat in silence for a moment. ¡°M-My Lord, I know it is rude of me to speak out of turn, but should we really continue to pursue obtaining the Golden Foxkin when he is now a member of the guild?¡± Ceela asked, perhaps foolishly. She was an adventurer herself, but she wasn¡¯t anyone special like a beastkin from an extinct race who also happened to have nine racial traits. She was just¡­ Ceela. A somewhat useful human rogue. Disposable and easily blackmailable. If she could perhaps convince Ros¡¯s city lord to stop all of his plans for the foxkin, however, a beating or two would be worth doing so. ¡®This man doesn¡¯t deserve to live, let alone have the ability to ruin others¡¯ lives,¡¯ she thought with gritted teeth as she stared at the noble¡¯s feet respectfully. ¡°I understand your apprehensions. That lizard of a guildmaster certainly might be a bit more vigilant when it comes to one of his own. Hmm¡­ I suppose we should put more effort into a more peaceful acquisition of the foxkin. Still, to speak up against me¡­¡± the man frowned. ¡°I-I apologise, My Lord! I merely wish to preserve your status and public image as much as possible. I hold no ill will. I would never,¡± Ceela quickly bootlicked to the best of her ability. She did have the Persuasion skill so she hoped it would kick in here and spare her from a beating, or worse, having to spend the night with the disgusting pig sitting upon his fake throne. "Wise. Very well, I''ve decided. Bring my boy Bastion with you to Ranton immediately. Have him spearhead the negotiations. While he didn''t inherit my good looks, he has certainly inherited my intelligence. I trust he''ll do well in the capital," Lord Griffset decided, seemingly happy to drop the matter of Ceela speaking out of turn. She pressed her head to the floor, making her yellow bangs spread out a bit loosely. "Of course, my lord." "Hmm, if I recall correctly, isn''t the annual fighting tournament being held in Ranton this year? I heard the crown prince himself was participating... Acquire the foxkin before then. Wouldn''t it be a perfect show of loyalty to His Majesty King Heidron if I can present to his son the perfect challenge of an opponent, no?" Ros''s city lord rhetorically asked while Ceela remained rooted to the velvet carpet.
Lone stretched as he woke up. "Man, I feel fucking amazing. Is this what it''s like to rank up? Well, it didn''t feel nearly as good as this when I went from I-rank to H-rank. How does it work? Is it like Chinese cultivation or some shit? Expelling more impurities over time? Well, I''m not covered in black gunk, so I guess not, haha," he joked as he tried to get off his and Sofia''s king-sized bed. He tried, but as per usual, someone short and heavy was tightly hugging his waist and she was firmly attached to his tails. "Soph," Lone softly called, "it''s time to wake up." "Mmm... Five more floofs..." the sleepy woman responded as she yawned and tightened her grip on his cuddly limbs. Sighing and smiling wryly, Lone stayed there and resigned himself to his fate as little more than a stuffed animal for a good 20 minutes until Soph finally opened her eyes. "Mmm? Morning," she lazily greeted with half-open eyes. Lone pushed her bangs out of the way and kissed her forehead. "Morning, Little Miss Sleepyhead." Soph smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sorry... I know I sleep more than you, but, uh, it was all I really did for a really long time, so, um, sorry?" Lone laughed faintly. "It''s fine. It''s cute, just don''t go all lethargic on me." "Lefa-wha?" Soph asked as she stumbled out of their bed and started dressing herself. "Extremely sleepy, or very lazy," Lone answered as he got up as well. "Anyway, I was thinking that after today''s lessons with Grimsley, we really hunt down some Blue Orcs to grind levels. You and I, not Sophie and I." "Me?" Soph wore a confused expression on her face as she slipped into a light blue blouse. "But I''m useless in a fight..." "You''re not, but your confidence is pretty shitty. We''ll work on that. If I''m not pushing myself to gain enlightenment or skill levels, then I can kill the Blue Orcs with very little effort, so it''ll be fine," Lone claimed as he was finishing getting dressed - his final article of clothing being his boots. "Um, o-okay, just, uh, please don''t get mad at me if I, uh, if I do something stupid. I-I''ll try not to, obviously, but, em, you know, mistakes, and stuff..." Soph clearly didn''t like the thought of working on her attitude towards combat as much as Lone apparently did. "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine," he reassured her in a warm tone.
As one could predict, Soph only fought via her Teleportation. She used the tried-and-true method of teleporting next to the enemy then bringing them up into the sky and dropped them, crippling the Blue Orcs she faced. Lone had expected this of her, and he was quite proud of her, actually. The day had been a success, and they were now returning to Ranton after another successful subjugation. Naturally, Lone went over his skill and status gains to kill time as they travelled back to the city.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Lightning Bolt
A standard application of the lightning magic school where the caster focuses the element of lightning into a condensed bolt of pure lightning.
Cost: 2,000 MP [-500 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
No extra effect, which, of course, upset Lone slightly, but a reduction of cost was always a welcome benefit if nothing else.
Status Stolen story; please report.
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 74 [+15]
Species: Foxkin Rank: G
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 8,700/8,700 [+2,190] SP: 9,321/15,270 [+2,850]
MP: 73/12,110
Basic Stats
Strength: 849 [+302] Vigour: 1,527 [+285]
Dexterity: 493 [+14] Agility: 417 [+32]
Vitality: 870 [+219] Luck: 68 [+2]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 1,211
''My level stopped rising after the fourth orc, so does that mean I''ve already hit the cap before F-rank? Hmm¡­¡¯ That seemed more than likely. It was helpful not having to worry about levels anymore, but he could only imagine how frustrating it was for a regular denizen of the world to deal with the level caps. ¡®For me, I can keep getting more stat points thanks to Growth Accelerator. People like Sofia only get points when they level based entirely on their talents and what they have done since levelling,¡¯ he noted mentally. ¡®Or, rarely, a stat point or two outside of levelling. That all screeches to a halt at a level cap though. It¡¯s like the world is saying ¡®No more freebies. Get enlightened if you want to become stronger.¡¯ Or something¡­¡¯ Lone pondered on that for a moment more before his mind returned to his own strength. ¡®It sure would be nice if there was a safe way for me to test exactly how much stronger I am than your typical G-ranker... Maybe I can fight a powerful monster that''s leaps above the Blue Orcs in power that I can both test myself on and try to gain enlightenment from? Like, surely, I can skip ranks with my stats. The orc from yesterday was supposedly a C-ranker, after all¡­'' Lone wondered. Not long after, he and Soph were paid for their hard work, and they had their adventurer plates upgraded once again. Now instead of being iron plates, they were proud copper plates. From here on in, however, increasing in plate rank would require huge contributions to the guild. Wooden to copper were the training wheels of the plates, supposedly. On their way back to the Amberbark Inn from The Adventurer''s Guild, Lone decided to stop by at the library and register both himself and Sofia. For Sofia, since she was a human, it cost her five silver coins. Lone''s entry pass, however, was set at an astonishing 25 silver coins to obtain. Were it not for that fact that he could make gold coins and had a decent supply of them already, perhaps Lone would have ignored the library for now. Instead, he paid the fee, accepted his and Sofia''s library passes, and then he spent the next four hours covertly reading books as quickly as he could and then making duplicates with his recovered mana via Creation Magic. Soph chose to nap on a cushioned chair in that time or read some of the children''s books which were told mostly via drawings. Why she chose those, Lone had no idea. Maybe reading wasn¡¯t interesting to her and the illustrations made it somewhat enjoyable. Due to Lone''s lacking knowledge of the books he was trying to duplicate, as well as his small mana reserves, he was only able to copy four volumes before he decided to wake up Soph from her latest nap, and the two then left. ''That was great practice, plus, I got a lot of levels in Reading Mastery. Well worth the 30 silver,'' Lone said to himself in thought as he checked his notification log.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 5.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 6.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 7.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 8.
"Mmm, Lone?" Soph called questioningly as she tugged on the man''s sleeve. "Hmm?" Lone glanced down at his blind companion curiously. "What''s up?" "What''s going on over there?" she asked as she pointed towards a group of 30 people that were surrounding a single man stood atop a wooden box. "I can''t hear them, but I can feel that everyone''s really excited. Their mana is jumping around a lot." "You can feel that?" Lone was very interested in this, and less so in whatever the people over there seemed to be invested in. Soph nodded. "The colour of the mana. It reacts and changes in response to really strong emotions. I, uh, I told you that, right? Um, you turn all pink when we, uh, do, uh, y¡¯know¡­ that..." Lone chuckled softly at Soph''s bashfulness while he tried to hide his own. "Yeah, you did. Thanks for the reminder though¡­ Anyway, let''s go find out what''s going on over there, why don''t we? I can kinda hear them a little with these big fluffy ears of mine, but it''s a bit hard to make out what''s going on since there''s, like, eight convos going on at the same time all around us." "Mmm," Soph replied with a light bob of her head.
"Indeed! I, the great and powerful polyma- nay! Allmage, Muradon, top graduate and honoured alumnus of The Academy, shall be participating in the upcoming annual fighter''s tournament of Milindo!" the man stood atop the soapbox announced. The gathered crowd issued a variety of ''ooh''s and ''ahh''s in response. "I''ve heard of him. Supposedly, he slew a dragon on his own. It was an infant, yeah, but that kinda thing could easily wipe out a country like ours if it really tried!" "I heard the same thing! Did you also hear that he discovered a lost B-rank dungeon on the border of the Monster Continent? He cleared it in two hours to make sure it was safe, then he informed the nearby kingdoms of his heroic feat!" "That''s nothing! I''ve heard he''s even had to reject several princesses and powerful adventurers who want his hand in marriage! He keeps saying that his heart is only for his true love who he''s yet to meet!" The corners of Muradon''s mouth inched upwards into a smirk. ''Plants are so useful... I like these ones. Maybe I''ll keep them unlike that useless bunch from the Free Nations'' Alliance...'' "The Academy? Doesn''t that mean he''s really good at magic, Soph?" a foxkin with an absurd number of tails and a peculiar fur colour asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. The blind human girl by his side shook her head. "U-Um, he has some magic, but, uh, even you have more, Lone." "Huh. So he''s weak," the foxkin said a bit softly in disappointment. Muradon frowned. "Who are you to blaspheme my fame, demi?" He turned to the girl called ''Soph'' and said, "Please, control your friend better. Or perhaps he''s your slave? Regardless, I do not take kindly to slander." The foxkin known as ''Lone'' bowed his head politely. "Sorry, I spoke my mind out of turn. Forgive me. I''m just a stupid beastkin, so I didn''t know any better." Muradon flinched a little at the foxkin''s mature response. "V-Very well. I am magnanimous, so I shall overlook it, but control yourself in the future! Not all are as kind as I." "Wow. If that were me, I''d ''ave slapped that demi upside ¡®is ¡®ed." "Me too, but ah''m no mage and don''t know no fancy magics." "Ain''t every day you see a beast with so many traits. I wonder ''ow strong he is?" "Who knows? Maybe ''e''ll compete in the tourney?"
Soph held Lone''s arm as they walked away and looked up at him in puzzlement. "Why''d you do that?" "Getting in the way of a swindler is a fast way to get yourself killed. I''d rather humble myself to him than antagonise him. Anyway, this tournament looks interesting. Wanna go investigate it a bit before we head home?" Lone asked as he smiled down at Soph gently. ¡°We¡¯re stuck in the country for half a year anyway as is. A tournament could be a fun distraction.¡± Soph nodded her head excitedly. "Mmm! I wanna know what kinda prizes there will be!" "So do I. It sounds like the perfect setting for me to properly test myself in a safe environment, doesn''t it?" Lone asked rhetorically as he changed their direction. They were now heading towards the only area that Lone thought an annual country-wide tournament could possibly be held - Ranton''s Grand Colosseum. B1: Chapter 54: Registration and Participation Test "It''s big," Soph whispered as she stared up at Ranton''s Grand Colosseum with those lifeless eyes of hers. Lone smirked. ''That''s not the first time that I''ve heard you say that,'' he privately noted as he walked towards what looked like the structure''s entrance while happily using his arm to guide her. ¡°What colour is it?¡± he asked her. Soph raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s a mix. Most of it is a bright grey, almost white. There are browns, blues, and greens too though. A couple of¡­ banners maybe? Yeah, banners. They¡¯re red to me and I can almost see the patterns on them.¡± ¡°¡­ I wish I could see the world as you do,¡± Lone muttered. ¡°It sounds so magical.¡± ¡°I feel the same way about how you see it,¡± Soph replied with a wry smile. ¡°Sophie¡¯s memories are so¡­ vibrant.¡± ¡®I need to look into seeing if that¡¯s possible somehow. Creation Magic would be a stretch since eyes are so complex¡­ Who knows though, maybe a healing magic expert can restore her sight,¡¯ Lone wondered. Once inside the building, he could see several booths that seemed to have been set up specifically for the registration of the annual tournament. Approaching one of them, Lone frowned upon seeing the look of disgust on the face of the person manning the desk he''d chosen. Quite clearly, the man sitting behind it wasn''t very fond of demis. Lone considered switching booths for a moment, but ultimately decided it''d be pointless since the person in charge of this one might find further fault with him if he did so. While unafraid of confrontation with his newfound confidence from being an adventurer and from having ranked up, Lone wanted to avoid getting into any trouble. He decided he''d sign up with this guy and just get this over with sooner rather than later. "Hi, my master wishes for me to part-" "Human participants must pay 25 silvers, non-humans need pay four times that. Slaves cost an extra 50 silver on top of that. All registered participants must fight at least one of our instructors first before being given permission to enter the tournament, as there are only a limited number of available slots due to time constraints on the day of the competition." The employee clearly didn''t care about Lone''s opinion nor about his words. He just wanted the foxkin out of his hair as soon as possible. ''Well, at least he''s not blowing me off, so he''s a professional racist. If only he could rein in that glare of his,'' Lone commented internally as he quietly listened. "All rewards are listed on the posters all over the colosseum, so go look for them if you don''t already know what the first-through-fifth place prizes are. If you cause any trouble as a participant, you forfeit all of your citizen''s rights, temporary or otherwise, and are liable to be jailed, so keep that in mind." The man slid a sheet of paper across the booth''s desk as well as a quill and an inkwell. "Fill out this form. If you can''t read nor write, I shall do it for you, but there is a ten silver service fee," the employee said. ''Wow. No small talk whatsoever. Again, at least he''s being professional. If only all racists, or, well, speciesists, could be so civilised. Hahaha, the irony in that is hilarious,'' Lone thought mockingly as he took the writing tools and quickly filled in all of the boxes with the relevant information. The employee took the paper back and checked its contents. "Good handwriting for a non. You¡¯re free though? Unlikely. Your master''s taught you well but we don¡¯t allow lying here. That will be one gold coin and 50 silvers, thank you very much." ''''Non''? Is that, like, a more offensive version of ''demi''? As in, ''you''re either a human or so beneath one that you don''t deserve a classification''? I could be reading into it too much, to be fair,'' Lone thought as a frown overcame his expression. ¡°I¡¯m a demi so you just assume I¡¯m a slave? So, it¡¯s okay for me to assume you¡¯re a talentless hack whose neck I could snap with a sneeze because you¡¯re working a desk job, huh?¡± Lone asked provokingly. Soph¡¯s atmosphere changed and then she arched her brow disapprovingly. ¡°We are adventurers. Treat us as such or we shall call upon our guildmaster to address this grievance- nay, this case of daylight robbery. He is our partner, not our slave.¡± The employee glanced between Lone and Sophie with annoyance clear on his expression. Lone heard him mumbling, ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this,¡± before he sighed and loudly said, ¡°Fine, one gold.¡± Lone reached into his pocket and balanced a golden coin on his thumb perfectly. He then flicked the coin with his index finger hard enough to leave a small dent when it smacked the employee square in the forehead. "That¡¯s assaul-¡° Sophie leaned over the desk and interrupted, ¡°That is kindness considering how you slighted him. Were it us you had offended; your head would be sitting in your lap right now. Silence your petty complaints and do your job, you insignificant worm.¡± The booth''s attendant grumbled again; this time soft enough for Lone to not hear him with his fox ears. The man chucked a bronze badge with a shield and two crossed swords on it at him, intent on returning the favour of the coin. Lone easily caught it. His stats didn¡¯t make him superhuman despite their large numbers, but they did make such an easy feat of agility and dexterity all the simpler. The man spat out, "Go through that door and wait your turn. Don''t lose or eat that badge before your test, you animal. It''s your participation identification. Your ¡®partner¡¯ can go with you only up to that room, after which, she will have to wait for you in there as you get tested." Lone silently acknowledged him with some very minimal head movements and then left. Normally, he''d have thanked the man for being helpful, but he agreed with Sophie here. ¡®What a cunt.¡¯
Now in the room that he had been directed to, Lone could see roughly 20 other people. Most of them were clearly warriors of some sort with swords and axes, however, a small handful seemed to be hunters or rogues while only a single person was wearing a robe and holding a staff. Lone immediately took a place next to the presumed mage. Sophie placed herself down next to him silently. ¡°What kinda magic can you do? You must be an adventurer, right? Ah, or a noble, I suppose,¡± Lone asked with a warm smile towards the man next to him. Stolen story; please report. Pushing up his glasses, the mage shook his head. ¡°Do not talk to me, do not look at me, do not think of me. In fact, I¡¯d rather you got up and moved.¡± Lone sighed deeply but respected the guy¡¯s wishes. He didn¡¯t move places though he ignored the man, much to his own displeasure. ¡®Another person treading the path of magic like me but he¡¯s either an arrogant ass or another bigot. What a fuckin¡¯ shame,¡¯ Lone thought wistfully. After that, he waited very patiently until everyone before them had been tested. They were called in via a very rudimentary ''who''s next'' fashion, and Lone didn''t want to step on any toes by going before anyone that had arrived prior to himself. Naturally, while he and Sophie had waited, the room filled up again with more hopeful combatants, but Lone went up once the employee called for the next person to be tested. "Out of the way, fucking demi trash," a skinny woman said loudly as she used her armoured hands to shove Lone out of the way, almost tripping him over. Were it not for his decent Dexterity in relation to the woman''s Strength, he would have no doubt fallen over. The woman scoffed and entered before him. A round of laughter rang out in the room as everyone watched this going on. Lone just sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door that led to the testing area. He kept a close watch on Sophie while he stood there and allowed himself to stew in his thoughts. ''What a cunt. Why are people such pricks just ''cause I have fluffy ears and some bushy tails?... Okay, a lot of bushy tails, but regardless, they must be fuckin¡¯ touched in the head if they can''t recognise that I''m also a person. I never understood racism, so I doubt I''ll ever understand speciesism, but fuck me if it isn''t annoying,'' Lone privately commented as he folded his arms across his chest and frowned. The black orb in his front trouser pocket softly pulsated without anyone''s knowing, seemingly in reaction to Lone''s anger.
Five minutes soon came and went before the employee returned. This time, Lone very briskly walked through the door. Were he not standing right next to it, he was certain he''d have been heckled even more so than earlier by the other participants, which would only bring up memories that he''d rather continue to forget. Thankfully, he was successful, and thus, followed the winding hallway that no doubt led to the testing area. As he arrived at a new door, a familiar face entered his vision. "I thought you''d be next, demi scum," the armoured woman claimed as she sensually caressed the hilt of her longsword. "I wonder if anyone will bother to investigate it if your corpse was found here?" Lone frowned deeply once again. "Try it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± the woman asked. ¡°I said try it. We¡¯ll see who leaves this building in a body bag, you invalid,¡± Lone taunted. ¡°What did you just call me, you piece of filth?!¡± the woman screamed. ''Just straight-up filth? No demi prefix? Vulgar bitch,'' Lone thought as he smiled faintly and replied, "Well, until your brain starts functioning properly, I think the label fits. Who in their right mind would threaten an adventurer with no valid reason? And a beastkin adventurer at that. Does foolishness get any more apparent than in this case? Idiotic humans will forever be idiotic humans.¡± ''Man, calling someone a human feels weird as fuck given my origins. Still, as much as I want to make this waste of a sperm cell bleed from her face, I can¡¯t imagine killing someone would be looked upon with kindness even I was the wronged party,'' Lone thought to himself in mild frustration. The woman knitted her brow seriously as a fire strewed beneath her bright blue eyes. "I hope you pass and that we face each other in the tournament, you coward. Hiding behind your organisation? I¡¯ll enjoy killing you in the tourney." Lone just smiled silently as the woman bashed her shoulder into his and then briskly walked past him down the hallway back towards the waiting room.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
"Fucking absolute cunt. Would give my dad a run for his money," Lone spat out as he opened the door and walked through it. ''I regret coming here now. What a stupid fuckin¡¯ decision. It''s too late now since I''m already here, but maybe Sophie and I should skip town? She might be able to sneak us over the border¡­ There''s a dwarven fortress northeast of here, right? Maybe... But then again, I could be letting my anger think in my place...'' Lone put the matter to the back of his mind as he looked around. He was now in a chamber that was about twice the size of the waiting room, and three people stood in its heart. One looked like a warrior, one a rogue, and the last, a mage. The mage - a lady in a blue robe holding a pure crystal staff - cleared her throat. "Your specialisation?" ''Hmm? I guess you fight a different person depending on what your fighting style is? Well, there''s little point in lying about my skills beyond what I''ve already shown in public,'' Lone decided as he bowed his head politely. "I have some skill in evasive manoeuvring as well as with using this swordspear of mine, on top of that, I can use the Lightning Bolt skill from the lightning magic school." The warrior scratched his beard. "Talent fae magic but yer usin'' a polearm? Nae the rarest thing on Altros, aye, but that''s unusual for ah foxkin. Mind ye, ah''ve never met ah Golden Foxkin afore." ''A dwarf? No... He''s too tall and not quite stocky enough... A half dwarf then? Dwarves are one of the few demi races that can reproduce with humans, so it''s not implausible.'' Lone smiled. "I''m most suited to this type of weapon. I try to avoid using magic when I can to limit myself since it''s too powerful. It''s a very useful skill though, Lightning Bolt." The mage seemed pleased with that comment. "Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility." She nodded wisely then glanced at the rogue. "Wallace, you fight him. You''re fast enough to not die to a Lightning Bolt assuming he''s telling the truth." "As if a B-ranker could possibly be killed by a G-ranker," the rogue, Wallace, grumbled in response. "I''ll be holding back a lot, Ninetails, but try your best regardless." Lone got into position and gripped his swordspear tightly. "Thank you." After that brief exchange, the two began the test. Lone put all of his concentration into warding off as many of Wallace''s dagger strikes and knife throws as he could, but he would try to dodge if parrying or blocking seemed impossible. Occasionally a knife would nick his cheek or the backs of his hands, but he was able to dodge or parry almost all the attacks from the man''s dagger. The ones that hit him stung, but they were only superficial wounds. What was a genuine challenge though, was suppressing his Basic Regeneration so as to not expose it. Lone was rapidly running out of stamina, but he didn''t want to try using Swordspear Mastery''s pierce nor his magic in fears of killing or greatly injuring the man even despite the rank gap. For all he knew, Wallace was a noble who happened to be strong, and hurting him could potentially upset the wrong people given his status as a demi. Five minutes later, just as Lone was about to collapse, Wallace suddenly stopped his fierce assault and walked back to his fellow testers with barely a single droplet of sweat on his brow. "Yer evaluation?" the warrior asked as his fingers combed through his thick facial hair. Wallace shrugged. "He''d be dead 49 times already if I''d poisoned my tools. He''s overly cautious and tends to hyper-analyse things which leads to a lot of openings.¡± The warrior nodded. ¡°Ah noticed that too.¡± Wallace added, ¡°He definitely has Polearm Mastery, but it''s shallow, unquestionably no higher than intermediate rank - and that''s being generous. His stamina though, he must have an incredible amount of Vigour for his rank. I''d wager a guess at roughly the level of a high F-ranker, maybe even a low E-ranker. His Strength stat may even be equal to a normal low D-ranker''s. The bastard was parrying and blocking more blows than he was dodging, and I wasn''t pulling my punches as much as I should have been. All-in-all, I give him a strong pass. A flawed diamond is still a diamond." "If ye say so, then ah guess ah pass him too," the presumed half dwarf said with a grin on his face. The mage coughed faintly and then asked, "If you wouldn''t mind, Ninetails, could you please display your Lightning Bolt for me? I''d like to be certain that you possess the ability to harness magic from the lightning school." Lone raised his palm and pointed it at the wall. "I assume it''s fine to hit over there, right?" With a slight nod from the lady as his answer, Lone used his second most powerful skill which only fell short of the overpowered Mental Destruction. "Lightning Bolt." A blue current danced across Lone''s fingertips and then jumped from his open palm to the wall, destroying a layer of bricks and charring several dozen more. "Very good! It''s a pass from me too!" the mage reached into her pocket and tossed a silver badge to Lone. "Hold onto that. The competition is in two months. Please refer to the posters all over the colosseum and the city for the exact date of the matches, but once it starts, make sure to present that badge to the staff in the entry hall. Failure to show will be treated as a capital offence, so don''t sleep in on the big day." Lone laughed a little bit nervously in response to that as he said farewell then left the room. B1: Chapter 55: Persuasion and A Margraves Son Immediately upon re-entering the waiting room where the other hopeful participants were, Lone frowned. He could see Sophie trying her best to not reach for her swords as three men and two women surrounded her and mocked her. While she was dressed in her full plate, she had chosen not to wear her helmet since it could get rather stuffy, particularly inside. A mistake, it would seem. "Hey! Open your eyes! Lemme see those lifeless fuckers again!" "Hahaha! How''s she gonna fight when she can''t even see?" "Oi, do you think she''d die if we just grabbed her and tossed her in some random place? Like, wouldn''t she definitely get lost?" "That''s a great idea! But I also kinda wanna see her after she gets her ass kicked by the examiners..." "She reeks of magic. There¡¯s no way someone can be that beautiful without something fishy going on in the background. She must be using illusion magic or something. Make-up''s one thing, but magic? Pathetic." Sophie took a deep breath before she said a single word, ¡°Leave.¡± "Okay, okay, we promise to leave you alone if you show us your eyes one more time, right, guys?" "Yeah." "Of course." "I swear on the Primals." "That or come back to my place and let me unravel that magic of yours...." Sophie turned her head to glance at Lone who was swiftly approaching her and the group. The next moment, one of the women grabbed her by her hair and tossed her onto the floor. ¡°How dare y-¡± ¡°Let me handle this. I¡¯d rather we didn¡¯t walk out of here as wanted murders, ¡®kay?¡± Lone whispered to her as he helped her up and dusted her off. There was fury on her face and a deep bloodlust radiated out of her, washing over Lone, chilling him to the bone "You are lucky we can see sense right now. Do as you must before heads roll." Smiling weakly, Lone helped Sophie back to her seat before he turned and sighed deeply. ¡°One question, are you nobles?¡± The leading man of the five-person group sneered. ¡°Of course we are. To think though that not only would we have to educate a helpless cripple, but also be forced to communicate with an animal¡­ What had Milindo come to these days?¡± Lone chuckled. ¡°No wonder this kingdom is a backwater shithole whose strongest person is only an SS-ranker. I bet you idiots die damn-near instantly from your misplaced superiority when you cross the border. Ah, can you even cross the border? Authoritarian dictatorship and whatnot.¡± ¡°How dare you besmirch the king and the dukes!¡± one of the men yelled. ¡°Know your place, you peasant!¡± Lone laughed loudly at that. ¡°I¡¯m the peasant? Maybe technically, but the tone you¡¯re using¡­ You do realise we¡¯re both adventurers right?¡± He reached to his neck and showed his copper plate. ¡°Just like you, we¡¯re near the bottom of the barrel of our respective societies however, the difference is, my barrel has a Divine as its lid. Yours has¡­ mere mortals.¡± That comment earned a few stifled laughs from the seated participants that hadn''t bothered helping Sophie, not that she really needed help, only restraint, which she demonstrated magnificently. Lone had struck a chord it would seem, judging by the fist that was rapidly approaching his face. ''I can dodge it, but let''s not,'' Lone decided internally as he let himself get struck. His head rocked slightly, but less than a second later, he looked none the worse for wear as he stared calmly at the man who had hit him. "Wow, that was fuckin¡¯ weak. Anyway, that counts as you attacking an adventurer without justifiable provocation, right? Would I even get in trouble if I murdered you right here and right now?" Lone asked curiously. A bystander just waiting for her turn to be tested spoke up. ¡°Nah, the guild would agree with you. Cunt punched you ¡®cause you told ¡®im the truth. If you lashed out, you might get reprimanded but legal bother? A fine at the worst, probably nothing though. No one with a brain between their ears wants to provoke Grand Guildmaster Sarah¡¯s wrath.¡± Lone looked over at the woman and noticed the silver plate hanging around her neck. ¡®Ah, a fellow adventurer. An experienced and trusted one too to be a silver plate.¡¯ ¡°Well, gentlemen, ladies. There you have it. So, you¡¯ve got two choices. Stay put and die or fuck off and live. I¡¯ll be honest, I kinda want you to choose option one, especially you,¡± Lone said as he pointed at the woman who had assaulted Sophie. ¡°No one yanks my girlfriend¡¯s hair but me.¡± Lone saw Sophie blushing a bit and he heard her sigh but neither of those things stopped him from grinning a little. Perhaps it was his unwavering confidence, or maybe the support of a silver plate was what did it, regardless, the nobles left without saying another word. Lone shook his head. ¡°Not even a ¡®sorry¡¯? Why are these people in charge again?¡± Regardless, he thanked the woman who had spoken up for him then left with Sophie. Once they were a fair distance away from the building, Lone crouched down while he leaned against a random house''s wall. He held his forehead and sighed. "Skipping town is looking more and more attractive by the minute..." he muttered. He didn¡¯t want to break any laws really, so, for now, staying and relying on the guild seemed like the more reasonable course of action. However, if not only him but even Soph and Sophie would be discriminated against¡­ Well, he saw no reason to stick around really. During his interaction with those young nobles, he had gained several notifications, so Lone chose to look at them now to distract himself somewhat. Sophie watched him with a complex expression strewn across her face. Clearly, she wanted to say something to him but was struggling to find the right words.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
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Passive Skill: Persuasion
Naturally makes everything that the host says 15% [+10%] more believable and also entices the host''s listeners to trust the host''s words by 15% [+10%] more.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 2
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
"Well, at least I got something out of that beyond personal satisfaction," Lone muttered, "Definitely a really useful skill, but still, not the most helpful thing in the world right now."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Acting
Naturally makes everything that the host does which does not align with their personality or motives 30% [+15%] more believable. [New!] When acting, there is a 5% chance for the host''s audience to become immersed in the host''s act, increasing the likelihood of them believing it by 50%, regardless of how unbelievable or exaggerated the act may be.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
"Well, I can''t really turn my nose up at a new effect, but boy is the wind blown out of my sails," Lone said a bit sadly as he straightened his back and cracked his neck. "Just these two skills, huh? So, I guess Bluffing isn''t a skill? Coercion, bluffing, intimidation, and all that kinda shit must fall under the Persuasion skill, huh? I wonder why Acting has its own skill then," Lone said absentmindedly as he pulled up the skill''s information. Sophie raised an eyebrow. ¡°You were bluffing?¡± Lone smiled very wryly. "Yes? I dunno. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have murdered them. I mean, I was super pissed. Who just grabs a gorgeous young woman¡¯s hair and tosses her like that? I definitely would have kicked their teeth out if they kept pushing. Gotta use those adventurer privileges, right?" Sophie looked at him with her dead grey eyes long and hard before she grabbed his shoulder and forced him onto his feet. ¡°Hmm?¡± he said in a questioning tone. She frowned before she got on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. She then muttered, ¡°You are too tall. Also, that was wholly from us, not because Soph asked it of us.¡± Lone, despite all of the new stresses being added to his life as of late, smiled from ear to ear. ¡°Did me saving the damsel in distress finally crack your hard exterior to reveal the gooey love hidden within?¡± Sophie rolled her eyes. ¡°Think what you will. A prince needs a reward for services rendered, no? Regardless, what are we to do now with the rest of our day?¡± Lone didn¡¯t try to push his luck and instead answered honestly. "Well¡­ I was thinking we¡¯d grab a snack, then head to the library. I wanna look up some info on this tourney. Thoughts?" Sophie scoffed, "Boring. Soph can accompany you. Farewell."
"Fuck," Lone audibly swore as he and Soph sat in an abandoned corner in the library. He scratched his head roughly and pulled on his hair a little bit in frustration. "''Duke Henry Malik personally enforces all capital offences, and in the past century, under his watchful gaze, not a single person has escaped death under the justified laws of the kingdom''? What fucking bullshit is this? I mean, I¡¯ll happily perform in the tournament but skipping town isn¡¯t even an option anymore if things get worse." Lone wanted to throw the thrice-damned book across the room, but that would do nothing beyond venting his anger, so he instead rubbed his temple and thought long and hard. "Well, for starters, he''s a human, but he''s been doing this for over a century? How''s that possible? Is it because he''s an SS-ranker? Does ranking up expand a person''s lifespan?" he wondered aloud. Soph was leaning against the wall with her eyes half-closed, but she slowly rubbed them open and began listening to Lone''s ramblings. "So, at the very least, I need to somehow test my Mental Destruction on an SS-ranker. I can insta-kill up to three ranks above me, so up to D-rank. What about beyond that though? SS-rank is probably a stretch¡­ maybe a powerful C-ranked monster?¡± He mulled over the matter for a moment. ¡°That Blue Orc that almost crushed me to death was supposedly at C-rank but there¡¯s no proof of that. It could have just been an old E-ranker, so I was able to kill it with Mental Destruction. If that testing does work, however, then we¡¯re fine. We can just flee from this place and I can kill Duke Malik if he pursues us." Lone stroked his chin and frowned. "Worst-case scenario, my Mental Destruction doesn''t work on someone eight ranks above me at all, or, heavens forbid, he¡¯s resistant to magic or soul damage¡­ Either way, I need to really grind my stats as much as is humanly possible for the next month before the competition, win the fuckin'' thing so I''m not killed mid-match, then leave Milindo as soon as our temp citizenship expires." Lone closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Regardless, I need to go questing and look for powerful monsters, don''t I?" Lone leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "There''s also that meeting with the Crimson Foxkin Clan''s matriarch, Lossa Redtail. I could always ask her for help... maybe. There''s still a while before she''s supposed to meet me, so it''d be wise to start hunting as much as possible before then regardless of if she will or will not help me." "All done?" Soph asked softly as she yawned. Peering outside of the library¡¯s stained-glass windows only to see that the sun was now setting, Lone smiled. "Yeah. Let''s head back for today and get some early rest. Sophie and I will be busy all day tomorrow hunting." Soph wore a warm expression on her face. "Sophie says she''s looking forward to it." "Hahaha, of course she is," Lone replied as he got up and put the book he was reading back where it belonged, after that, he left the library with Soph and returned to the Amberbark Inn.
"I heard you and your friends entered an altercation with a non today, son," a portly man said as he glanced at one of his three children before he cut off a slice of his steak and gleefully shoved it into his mouth. Shrugging, his son replied, "Yeah. He was nothing more than an arrogant adventurer relying on Divine Persistence¡¯s name, as all of those types do. I let him off with a simple hit to the face, to let him know his place, of course." "How generous of you," the man''s mother - a woman with more make-up than flesh - said with a certain proudness in her voice. One of his younger siblings raised the courage to ask, "What species was the non? A rare one?" The portly father reached over the dinner table and smacked the young girl across her head. "What species the beast was hardly matters, Cornithia. What''s brought on this sudden interest in nons, hmm? Has professor Lyndon been teaching you some things that he shouldn''t have been? Do I need to hire a new personal tutor for you?" "Please don''t, daddy! I was just curious," the girl no older than eight said as she pouted cutely and held the top of her head with both of her tiny palms. Her mother held the portly man''s hand and smiled graciously. "Come now, dear. She''s but a child. It''s unbecoming of you as a margrave of Milindo to be upset at a child." "Ahem, right you are, Annabelle. Regardless, Cornithia, I hope this interest in nons was a one-time thing, do you understand?" the margrave said in a stern tone as he pointed the sausage pierced on his fork at his only daughter. She bobbed her head up and down as she replied, "Yes, daddy!" The other child - a boy in his teens with apathetic eyes - scowled silently as he ate his peas. Such a scene wasn¡¯t far from the norm amongst this noble family, nor of others with similar levels of prominence. After all, why show compassion to lesser beings? It was foolish. Even the Church of the Primals frowned upon beastkin above all other demis. Margrave Algor was no fool. He could read the writing that was so colourfully painted on his kingdom¡¯s walls. On the walls of most, if not all, human kingdoms, in fact. B1: Chapter 56: Spiders and Talks Of Crude Magic "Hmm..." Lone stroked his chin in thought as he and Soph looked over one of the quest boards at The Adventurer''s Guild. "None of those monsters are very magical in nature... Anything on your side of the board?" Soph unpinned two requests and showed them to Lone. "This one is to kill a Lesser Hydra, but only S-rankers or above can take the quest on, so maybe we shouldn¡¯t bother? Uh, this one here though is to wipe out a colony of Manasilk Spiders. There are no requirements on it since it''s urgent, but the notice does say that the recommended adventurer should be a part of a silver-plated group or an A-ranker." "Perfect. Put the Lesser Hydra one back since we can''t even legally claim it, but we''ll do that spider one," Lone said excitedly. ¡®As much as I want to test Mental Destruction on a powerful creature, a Hydra could have multiple minds so yeah, not gonna fuck with that.¡¯ He made a mental note of the Lesser Hydra¡¯s reported location though to avoid it. After that, he and Soph headed to the kind receptionist from two days ago since the man was on duty today. There was a bit of a line unlike yesterday, so after 20 minutes of waiting, the two of them were finally seen to. "Ah, Mister Immortus and Miss Vladimirovich. It''s good to see you both again. How can I help you on this fine afternoon?" the man politely asked with a lovely smile spread across his lips. "Hi," Lone replied in a friendly manner as he passed the Manasilk Spider quest notice to the receptionist. "We''d like to take on this quest." "Of course. Let''s see here..." the employee adjusted his glasses and then frowned after reading the details written upon the piece of parchment. "Are you sure you wish to take on this quest? I can''t rightly stop you since it is a quest with no acceptance requirements, but I feel it would certainly be unwise to attempt exterminating a colony of Manasilk Spiders at your personal ranks." A few other adventurers heard what the staff member had said and they all chuckled or outright mocked Lone and Soph for being stupid. Since they were a fairly common pest for the surroundings regions, it was basic knowledge that Manasilk Spiders weren¡¯t to be underestimated. Just one could easily kill an entire group of C-ranker if they were caught with their trousers around their ankles. Lone knew this too. He¡¯d done his research of the dangerous critters, and he was confident he, Soph, and Sophie, could deal with them given their unique talents. Trying not to mind the ridicule of their peers, Lone shook his head. "No, we''ll be taking on this quest. If we''re confident in anything, it''s our ability to run away." Still frowning, the employee pulled open a drawer from behind him and then placed two sheets of paper on the desk. After doing that, he opened a second drawer and took out a list of sorts. He wrote down Lone and Soph''s names then passed his quill over to Lone. "Please sign these waivers which state that The Adventurer''s Guild holds no responsibility should you die on this quest, as you have been adequately warned by a member of staff." Lone was a bit shocked at how advanced the paperwork here actually was. ''First the agreement of no responsibility during a duel, now a far more formal one here for a pretty dangerous quest? Well, at least it''s a serious organisation.'' He nodded and signed one of the forms before he said, "My companion is blind. Is it okay for me to sign in her place?" "So that''s why I¡¯ve never seen her open her eyes... I assumed it was an odd sensing-based martial skill she was practising. But then how-, no, it doesn''t matter. Of course, sir. So long as she consents, I have no issue with you signing on her behalf," the employee politely replied. "Mmm, it¡¯s fine," Soph happily replied with a blooming smile. The receptionist smiled back then gave Lone a bit of helpful information. "The forest that the Manasilk Spiders can be found in is 17 miles due north of here, close to the country''s northern border. They are rather weak to fire but burning down the entire forest is not an option since the lumber is a valuable resource for the county in which the forest belongs. Also, whatever you do, please do not directly engage should you run into the colony''s queen. If you insist on fighting her, only do so when she is asleep and make sure to employ any possible tricks and dirty tactics you can. Your lives matter more than your honour does." ¡°I¡¯ll raise me glass to that!¡± one of the guild¡¯s adventurers and a prospective bar patron cheered. Several more men and woman chuckled as they raised their drinks in celebrations. ¡®Heh. Nice atmosphere, this place. Way less discrimination than anywhere else thus far. I¡¯d much rather be called an idiot when it looks like I¡¯m being stupid than being made fun of for my tails and ears,¡¯ Lone commented internally. ¡°Drunk layabouts. If you have the time to waste your coin on our imported drinks, then you should be spending that time getting stronger or by doing quests. There¡¯s no end to the menial tasks,¡± the employee muttered as he shook his head wryly. He then picked up the quest notice and handed it back to Lone. "Please return the notice to the board as it is not an exclusive quest, so more than one person or a single team can accept it. Also, please be careful. Run the moment you think that you are in danger. The guild loses enough hopeful youths every month as it is already. I don''t want to be inadvertently responsible for the deaths of two more." ''He feels responsible? Even if the quest is open to all? This guy really is a kind person, isn''t he?'' Lone smiled faintly. "Thanks. I promise. We''ll be back, uh, when we''re done, I guess, haha." "I look forward to your return," the man replied as he mirrored Lone''s smile with his own.
Lone felt the control on his thoughts return as he finished his chanting. Pointing his palm to the sky, he invoked the spell, "Crude Fireball." A small collection of flames no bigger than a person''s head flew out of his hand and soared up into the sky, smacking and killing an unsuspecting bird instantly. It was too busy watching the skies to detect the soaring mass of fiery death that had engulfed it, Lone suspected. That, or he just got lucky. It was his second attempt, after all. The other bird had escaped his clutches scot-free, having dodged the magic and fled for its life.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Well, three level-ups on a bird isn''t bad, but boy is using magic other than Lightning Bolt a big fucking waste of MP," Lone grumbled as he continued walking with Sophie who wasn''t far from him. The girl had taken control back from Soph almost as soon as they had left Ranton¡¯s city walls, clearly thrilled at the prospect of killing things after Lone had forced her to spare those nobles at the arena. Sophie cocked her head to the side and cast a questioning look his way with that cold expression of hers. "Why did you not use it on yourself? Would that not have been more efficient than killing some helpless poultry?" Lone rolled his eyes. "Firstly, that was a wild bird, not poultry, secondly, it''s fuckin¡¯ expensive. It costs 5,000 mana per use. I only have a little over 12k total, and it takes, like, half a day to refill my mana. There''s also the fact that it''s really boring waiting for the 100 lines of text to automatically read in my head. As for using it on myself, I''d rather not ruin a perfectly good set of clothes and give myself third-degree burns, thanks." Sophie shrugged. "We care not for your naked flesh so you could simply do it without wearing clothing. Besides, you would heal in no time." Lone gave her a look that was begging for an explanation as to why she could be so heartless. "Even if I have Physical Pain Resistance and Fire Magic Resistance, all they do is make the pain easier to tolerate, they don''t actually lessen the pain." "How did that idiom of yours go that you were always saying when you were tossing Lightning Bolts into the ocean that you also happened to be in? ''No pain, no gain'', we believe it was?" Sophie asked with a smirk. Lone sighed. "Yeah, you''re right. I do need to stop being a bitch and just grind out the other magic skills I got from the gobs on myself, but the mana cost is gonna make it take a few days since, at a bare minimum, I need to get them all to at least intermediate rank." "To decrease the costs?" Sophie asked somewhat disinterestedly. "That and reduce the magic lines that need to be chanted," Lone said as he took a quick moment to reference his map of Milindo that he''d bought from a bookstore as they had left the city. "Yup, we turn left here at this T-junction." He put the map back into his Dimensional Storage and then continued from where he had left off. "The mana cost got quartered and so did the needed lines when it came to my lightning magic. So, 5,000 MP became 3,750, and the 100 lines became 75. I''m hopeful and expectant that the other magics will follow that same improvement scheme as they rank up." "Why stop there? You should evolve all of them like you did with Lightning Bolt. Or, at the very least, reach master-rank with the crude versions so the cost is negligible," Sophie suggested. "I could, yeah, but if I focused on that, then I''d have no room to tinker and experiment with my Creation Magic. That''s hardly free," Lone replied. "Hmm..." Sophie held her chin as she thought. "Why do you not simply focus on training offensive magic when we are out on excursions like this, and when we are within the relative safety of Ranton''s city walls, you can practice your Creation Magic and any other less battle-oriented magic skills that you learn?" Lone wore a ponderous expression for a few seconds before he nodded slowly. "Okay. I can agree to that." After saying so, he cracked his neck and grinned at the surprisingly helpful Sophie. "We should hurry up a bit. I only told Grimsley that we''d be gone for three to four days tops, so we can''t be wasting so much time walking." He''d booked their room at the Amberbark Inn for a full week, so they were safe on that front, at least. Sophie was the one to sigh this time. "Yes, yes, and we cannot abuse my Teleportation since we may need it to escape a precarious situation. We have delicate feet, so we expect a foot massage if you''re going to make us walk faster than this in full plate." "Consider it done," Lone replied as he maintained his grin.
A fireball quickly whizzed past several trees before it slammed onto the head of a blue-striped spider that was easily the same size as Lone''s mini-fridge which was sat in the corner of his apartment back in Scotland. Or, at least, that was where he''d last left it, but that was months ago now, so it could rightly be anywhere now for all he knew.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Lone quickly stored the now-dead spider''s corpse as he dismissed the rest of his notification log, mainly the updated information of the skill. He rushed to Sophie''s side and asked, "How many?" "16 are heading over here," she very calmly replied, but she failed to hide the slight hints of anxiety and fear that were leaking out from her expression. "Okay. We''re done for today. Teleport us out of this forest and into a place big and stable enough for our fort and an Illusionary Dome," Lone ordered. Sophie gave him no sass and immediately did as she was told. Over a dozen teleports later, the two of them were standing in some nearby abandoned farmlands. Not minding the state of the untilled soil and trusting Sophie''s judgement, Lone brought their personal fort out from his Dimensional Storage. "I wonder if I can store something massive like that colosseum? Heh. It''d be funny to see the reactions of those racists if the entire fuckin¡¯ building disappeared mid-fight. I would be using it, so maybe it¡¯s possible¡­" Lone entertained himself with such thoughts as he used what was left of his MP to create an Illusionary Dome.
Congratulations! The host''s active illusion magic skill [Illusionary Dome] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
"Oh, a level-up. That''s rare for this skill nowadays," Lone noted. A moment passed in silence, which confused him, so he spun around to look at Sophie. "Why''re you not telling me to stop talking to my-... Are you shaking?" Trembling lightly in her armour, Sophie didn''t answer and she just walked into the Illusionary Dome. Naturally, Lone followed her. "Wait, are you scared of spiders or something?" Lone asked as he caught up to her. A big frown covered the girl''s face. "Yes, we are. Most insects do not bother us, but spiders... During our time when we were imprisoned by the Templars, in our lonely little cave, many spiders crawled all over our body, bit us, made nests out of our hair, covered us in webs... So yes, we are scared of spiders. Laugh all you wish, but first, help us out of our armour. Forget the foot massage. We wish to swap with Soph and sleep," she said as she took her helmet off and roughly shoved it into Lone''s hands. Storing the helmet, he didn''t make fun of her, instead, Lone smiled warmly. "That might be the girliest thing you''ve ever said. Well, ignoring the whole imprisonment and nest thing, but scared of spiders, huh? That''s really cute." "Is that so?" Sophie''s expression worsened. "We do not think it to be. Regardless, please help us out of our armour." "Sure," Lone replied instantly and got to work. "Still don''t want that massage? I''m perfectly happy to try my hand at giving you one. I do have the Massage Mastery skill, after all¡­" Sophie''s cheeks turned red as she ultimately sighed. "Fine. You win. We want it. We did not expect you to understand us, in truth. Our mood is already a bit better now." ''I guess I''ll leave checking the rank ups I skipped over and my status until later.'' Lone smirked. "Great, maybe I''ll get a new skill out of it?" he teased. "That, or just level up Massage Mastery." B1: Chapter 57: Massage Success and A Heroic Encounter "I actually got a new skill on top of some level ups..." Lone muttered in disbelief as he looked at the system notification hovering in the corner of his vision. "I''ve had Massage Mastery for ages, so what''s the with the new skill difference?"
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 5.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 6.
The host has developed the passive skill: Basic Massage Technique.
Passive Skill: Basic Massage Technique
Increases the host''s ability to relieve muscle tension via a hand massage by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone chuckled softly as he continued to rub Sophie''s feet. ¡®So, this skill is about tension while Massage Mastery is about pleasure? Good to know, I suppose.¡¯ He continued to service Sophie''s feet as he pulled up Crude Fireball''s skill information. He wanted to go over its upgrades from having ranked up once more.
Active Fire Magic Skill: Crude Fireball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Fireball] Fire Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 50 [-50] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is moderately [down from substantially] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 2,500 MP [-2,500 MP]
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
These changes were from both the rank up to intermediate and then advanced, hence why the numbers were double what they should be. The system was surprisingly flexible when it came to seeing stuff like this. ''Bog-standard, as I assumed. I hope it''ll get a nice buff like Crude Lightning Bolt did at expert rank. Thicker and faster bolts, right? What would the equivalent for a fireball be? Hotter and faster? Maybe smaller but still just as powerful?'' Lone''s mind was racing as he worked his way up from Sophie''s foot and started massaging her calves.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Basic Massage Technique] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Basic Massage Technique] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Basic Massage Technique] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 7.
As he soothed Sophie''s body and helped her loosen her joints, his skill continued to level-up. ¡°Why Soph forbids you from doing this to her is a mystery to us¡­¡± Sophie purred. ¡°It feels so good¡­¡± ¡°Keep talking like that and I¡¯ll start practising a different skill instead,¡± Lone teased. Sophie answered, ¡°We honestly would not mind given how¡­ loose we feel right now.¡± Lone resisted the temptation. He still had more stuff to check, after all. And besides, she likely wasn¡¯t being wholly serious. He¡¯d been working hard on including her in his and Soph¡¯s relationship. He wouldn¡¯t screw that up by rushing things when he had only recently started to break down her reservations. By the time that he had reached her thighs with his massage, Lone finally looked at his newly updated status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 74
Species: Foxkin Rank: G
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 9,100/9,100 [+400] SP: 7,424/15,950 [+680]
MP: 1,230/16,010 [+3,900]
Basic Stats
Strength: 867 [+18] Vigour: 1,595 [+68]
Dexterity: 595 [+102] Agility: 590 [+173]
Vitality: 910 [+40] Luck: 72 [+4]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 1,601 [+390]
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Consciously trying to not annoy Sophie, Lone spoke with his inside voice. ''Fuck yes! Almost 400 Magic Power from only four overgrown spiders? Don''t mind if I fuckin'' do. Wow. They''re pretty dextrous and agile too... The other stats are a wet disappointment, but we came here for more MP, so I hardly have the right to bitch.'' "Mmmm..." a sensual moan leaked out of Sophie''s lips. Breaking free from his thoughts, Lone looked up at her only to see a flushed face stared back at him with glazed over lifeless eyes. Sophie''s mouth was parted as she panted lightly, and her body was trembling. Putting on a cute frown, she slowly peeled her clothes off. "If that''s what a massage feels like, then you should give us one more often," she said as she wrapped her arms around Lone''s neck. Pulling herself closer to him, she kissed him passionately. A trail of saliva separated them a few moments later before the girl said, "You¡¯re right. We are just one person, are we not? Then treat us as you treat Soph. Take off your clothes." Lone, while very clearly stimulated by her actions, decided to raise an eyebrow. "Here? In the living room? I know my fort¡¯s pretty amazing, but what a waste of a perfectly good bed¡­" He was just as keen as she was, in truth. She was far wilder than the tame Soph tended to be, and he¡¯d be lying if he claimed to not have fantasized about this very moment many times before this. It only made it better that he had discussed this with Soph a few times before and she agreed with him that the two women were essentially one and the same. Two girlfriends for the price of one. Who wouldn¡¯t be chuffed at the thought of such a thing? He was happy holding back but she was clearly coming onto him, and she¡¯d been showing signs of interest for a while now, so he¡¯d have to be beyond foolish to deny her advances now. Sophie slapped him very softly. "Here, or nowhere." Lone laughed and then held her by her thighs and spun her around to be sitting on his lap while he occupied the sofa. "I didn¡¯t know you to be the kinky sort." Grinning coyly, Sophie replied, "You are to blame for constantly teasing us. Were it not for your and Soph¡¯s constant nagging, as well as for my attraction to you¡­ well, this would never be happening." "Glad to know you think I¡¯m hot, haha. The feeling¡¯s mutual," Lone replied as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "Well, gonna help me out here, or are you just gonna watch me strip as you sit on me?" Sophie leaned in and licked his exposed neck. "We shall watch."
The next morning, Lone awoke to a mildly agonising sensation that was sending shooting pains throughout his body. He opened his eyes to see that Soph was snoozing on his chest as she strangulated two of his tails. "Why is it so easy to tell which personality is in control without even looking at your face or hearing you talk?" Lone asked himself more than the sleeping girl. He very carefully slipped out of her grasp and placed a blanket over her. Looking outside through the fort''s windows, Lone could see that it was still a little bit dark. "Hmm. About four-AM? Maybe five," he muttered as he scratched his fluffy ears and started making breakfast after tossing some boxers and a tank top on. About ten minutes later, still nude, and now clutching a blanket, a very dreary Soph stumbled into the kitchen. "Food?" "Hah, yes. Food. You''re always so adorable in the morning, aren''t you?" Lone commented as he served a freshly cooked omelette and two slices of buttered toast to her. Picking up the fork and knife off her plate, she dug into her food very ungraciously. "You know I''m not a morning person..." Lone nodded as he served his own breakfast, a simple bowl of cereal and hot milk. He sat next to Soph and grinned before saying, "Not a morning person, afternoon person, or, would you believe it, an evening person." Soph frowned even despite the big bushy tail that had coiled itself around her waist and was now resting on her lap. "Sleeping is fun. And... And I feel safe sleeping around you..." He felt his heart melt a little bit upon hearing that. ¡®They¡¯re so different. Sophie is such a carnivore while Soph couldn¡¯t be any more of a herbivore even if she tried.¡¯ "That''s awfully sweet of you. I feel the same. You know, despite how much I bitch about how often you sleep, you do wake up when you have to, so that''s a good thing," Lone complimented. "I... I don''t wanna be a burden to you," Soph claimed as she bit into her toast. Lone nodded. "And you''re not. You never have been nor ever will. Any burden you put on me is immediately countered by how helpful you are for my mental stability. That''s a weird compliment..." Lone stroked his chin in thought for a second. "Anyway, you''re great, so no need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone if you don''t wanna. I don''t mind you sleeping for longer if you want. In fact, I can go hunt the spiders myself if you want? I can just unsummon you then resummon you if I''m gonna die or something." He shovelled some of his cereal into his mouth and savoured the sweetness for a second before he added, "We already know I can do that from range thanks to our testing, so if the spiders bother you like they do Sophie, and if you wanna laze about for a bit, feel free." Soph smiled faintly but shook her head. "I... I wanna be helpful. I-I''m not scared of spiders like Sophie is, but she''s still brave. She, um, she wants to help you today if that''s fine?" Lone nodded. "That''s perfectly fine. Well, feel free to rest until about noon. I''m gonna start training my shitty Crude Boulder, Crude Waterball, and Crude Wind Blade today. I''ll use each skill once then rest until my MP''s all back, which should be around lunchtime." Soph happily replied, "Mmm."
"We assume you are ready?" Sophie asked as she approached Lone in the fort''s garden. She was fully dressed from head-to-toe in her armour, meaning that she''d gotten into it all on her own for a change. Lone gave her a curious look as he finished off his water and put the glass he was holding back into his Dimensional Storage. "Sure. I''m good to go. No quip about last night? You were pretty passionate." "Do not remind us. We might get in the mood again. Let us just go and hunt the spiders, yes? We can talk of sex upon our return, though it is Soph''s turn tonight, not ours," Sophie replied sharply. Lone chuckled at that. "You two have a rotation system in place literally one day after deciding to join our relationship? Why am I less surprised than I should be? Whatever, haha, let''s get a move on. The day ain''t gettin'' any younger."
The pair quickly made their way into the forest, and, naturally, with Sophie''s unbelievably reliable Mana Sensing, killing an even 14 spiders as the night was descending upon them wasn¡¯t much of a challenge. Having almost 4,000 mana more than yesterday, as well as the fact that Lone''s Crude Fireball only cost half the price now certainly allowed him to murder far more of the creatures as opposed to yesterday, which the foxkin was very thankful for. Lone checked his notifications and his skill Crude Fireball, which had Ranked up once again, as he was retrieving the corpse of the Manasilk Spider in front of him.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Active Fire Magic Skill: Crude Fireball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Fireball] Fire Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 25 [-25] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. [New!] The fireball''s base temperature and its size have increased by 0.25 times. The MP cost to invoke this skill is slightly [down from moderately] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 1,250 MP [-1,250 MP]
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
''So I was right about it being hotter, but bigger? I guess that makes sense looking back on it now. That first goblin who hit me with it, wasn''t his fireball big enough to cover my entire body?'' Lone wondered as he straightened his back and cracked his neck. "Lone, there''s trouble," Sophie suddenly said as she grabbed his arm, ripping him out of his thoughts. "What? Loads of spiders again?" Lone asked in a hushed voice. "No, worse, people," Sophie said as she looked in the distance. Following her gaze through the trees, Lone could barely see three figures, two shorter than the one in the lead. From the looks of it, the pair in the back were children wearing rags while the leading figure was a young man wearing somewhat gaudy armour and his features looked almost... Asian. "Is that a foxkin and an... elf? Her skin is a bit darker and crisper than the ones on the island, but those ears, while shorter, they are definitely pointy..." Lone frowned as he focused on the other child. "A red tail and crimson hair..." Sophie glanced up at Lone''s face with her head still covered by her helmet. "A friend of the twins, perhaps?" "Maybe... The rags and metal collar, on top of those hopeless expressions, well, they aren''t exactly the best of signs," Lone said. Sophie frowned under her headgear very much like how Lone was. "Slaves?" "So it would seem, and I''ve an inkling to who the man is..." he replied as he fixed his posture and made sure to stand slightly in front of Sophie. Within a few seconds, the Asian-looking man, the foxkin girl, and the elf, were within a few metres of Lone and Sophie. A scowl covering his expression, the man asked, "Why are you in this forest and who are you?" directly to Sophie, completely ignoring Lone for the moment. Sophie kept both of her hands on the hilts of her shortswords as she answered, "We could ask the same of you." The man''s face noticeably brightened when he heard Sophie''s crystal-clear voice and almost melodic tone. "That''s fair, I suppose," he replied as he nodded his head. "I''m Tamiko Daisuke, or just Daisuke. This is Harem Member One," he said as he bobbed his head to motion at the elf, "and this is Harem Member Two," he claimed as he gestured to the foxkin. A second of cold silence filled the air as the man narrowed his eyes. "Now, answer me. Who are you and why are you here?" B1: Chapter 58: Disappointment and Intermediate "Sofia Vladimirovich," was Sophie¡¯s answer to the man''s question before she shrugged her right shoulder at Lone, "and this is Lone," she added. Daisuke frowned. "A family name? Are you a noble, or just a rich merchant?" She didn''t answer him, giving the man a moment to think. "Well?" he asked with some impatience in his tone. Sophie frowned beneath her helmet. "Do you think any normal merchant would be found wandering around in a Manasilk Spider infested forest in full plate armour and with a beastkin? We think not." "''We''?" Daisuke had a regretful look on his face. "Tch. A noble, and a high-ranking one too to be talking in plurals like an idiot... And here I was hoping I''d make you Harem Member Four." He scratched his head as his face soured. "You''re definitely pretty with a voice like that... A bit old for my tastes but I¡¯m a universal man¡­ Oh well, later. I only have an hour to hunt before I need to return." Suppressing his anger at that final comment of the hero''s, Lone found something to be odd in what Daisuke had said. ''Harem Member Four? Not Three? If that wasn''t a mistake, then where''s Harem Member Three?'' Ignorant of his thoughts, the summoned hero of Milindo turned around and walked further into the forest with his lifeless slaves following closely behind him. Sophie lowered her voice and whispered, "Do we kill him? We want to kill him. How dare he lust after us after only hearing our voice. We have pledged ourselves to you already, we would like it for others to ignore us in that way." Lone was just as pissed but he shook his head. "That makes two of us, but no, we can''t." Sophie raised an eyebrow beneath her helmet. "Why not?" Lone just shook his head then held her gauntlet. "I''ll tell you later. I''m almost out of mana anyway, so let''s go back for now, ''kay?" "Four spiders are rushing towards us, so yes, we shall do just that," Sophie happily complied.
Slumping down onto the sofa after helping Sophie out of her armour, Lone leaned his head back and closed his eyes before sighing. Sophie seated herself next to him and started polishing and sharpening her swords as she asked, "So, why can we not kill that lecherous excuse of a hero?" Lone stayed silent for a moment before he unconsciously put one of his hands into his trouser pocket and gently stroked the black orb within. For some reason, doing that calmed him. "You just said why." He used his free hand to create a chocolate milkshake with his Creation Magic. An expensive treat, for sure, but he had recovered just enough magic to afford it. After taking a few big mouthfuls of the sugar and fat-filled treat, Lone added, "He''s a hero. I hate him just as much as you do for treating kids like that and for looking at you like a piece of meat, but if I''d killed him there with Mental Destruction, or if you''d teleported him to his death, we''d be suspects number one when he doesn''t go back to Ranton when he''s supposed to." Sophie frowned deeply. ¡°We do not like how much sense you are making. Why is life so complicated¡­¡± ¡°It just is,¡± Lone answered as he stopped rubbing the orb before he scratched the back of his neck. "There''s also those slaves to deal with. I honestly wanted to kill him right then and there just for ''owning'' and obviously mistreating those girls, but slavery is a custom of this land. Besides, we hardly have the means to support two demi children. Sure, we could feed and clothe them, but people would recognise them immediately as the hero''s slaves and start asking us questions. The guy clearly enjoys parading them around." He sighed deeply. "And those questions would reveal us to have been the hero''s murderers, and I don''t know about you, but I''d rather not have a powerful and overly patriotic duke sniffing up my ass trying to cuff me and toss me in jail. The stuff I read about Duke Malik is downright horrifying." "So what do we do?" Sophie asked as she finished working on one of her swords and began maintaining the other one. Lone shrugged. "We keep hunting. My mana matters more. We can''t just leave the spiders when they''re such good game. If you sense people enter your Mana Sensing¡¯s range again, just bring us behind a tree then teleport us away. The more I see him and that disgusting look on his face, the more inclined I''ll be to kill him." Sophie frowned. "And what if he is killed by a spider?" "Then so will those girls be, meaning we shouldn''t be implicated. Besides, I bet he has people watching him via magic or something. Kerny said that the human kingdoms highly value their summoned heroes as flexing tools, so I doubt they''d let him quest on his own without putting in some protective efforts. Hell, he might even have a magical artefact or something to ensure he can''t die, assuming something like that exists," Lone said in a far calmer voice and with more thought behind his words than earlier. Sophie slowly nodded. "That makes sense. Speaking of magic, how were today''s gains? You killed twice as many spiders as you did yesterday, so we imagine you gained a lot of Magical Power." "I haven''t checked yet," Lone casually replied as he pulled up his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 74
Species: Foxkin Rank: G
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 9,580/9,580 [+480] SP: 9,120/17,260 [+1,310]
MP: 2,673/24,440 [+8,430]
Basic Stats
Strength: 907 [+40] Vigour: 1,726 [+131]
Dexterity: 825 [+230] Agility: 919 [+329]
Vitality: 958 [+48] Luck: 79 [+7]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 2,444 [+843]
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Good progress. My Magic Power went up by just over 800, so my MP is now sitting at a little over 24,400 at its max capacity," Lone answered. Sophie nodded slowly while she finished working on her swords and leaned them against the sofa''s armrest. "A lot less than us, but still enough to seriously gain progress on your magic skills. Good." Lone raised an eyebrow. "I know you''ve got fuckloads of Luck, but how much Magic Power''ve you got now?" "Hmm?" Sophie cocked her head and smiled a bit smugly. "We have a little over 40,000. It was 20,000 before you ranked up recently. The recent levels were very helpful. Honestly, our level and rank being tied to yours is very frustrating now that our personal efforts will do nothing but built a dam that will only burst when you rank up once more." Lone closed his eyes, held his forehead, and simply shook his head in defeat. "So you have over 400,000 MP... Does Teleportation use up a lot of mana or something? If it didn''t, I''m sure you could spam it like there''s no tomorrow with that much MP." Sophie shrugged as she stood up then sat herself on Lone''s lap with her body facing his. coiling her arms around his neck, she said, "Yes, it does. Anyway, moving on from this boring drivel, take good care of Soph, yes? We are going to sleep." Without letting Lone respond, the sharp look in Sophie''s eyes faded only to be replaced by the warm and innocent eyes of Soph. Pressing his temple against hers, Lone said, "Ever the wilful soul, huh? Anyway, it''s your turn in your fancy new ''rotation'', isn''t it?" Soph blushed from ear to ear before she kissed Lone courageously. "Mmm..."
"To think that she fell asleep so quickly... To be fair, we went at it for a while, so no doubt she was tired from that on top of her body''s physical strain after Sophie''s and my hunt," Lone mumbled as he sat on a bench in their fort''s garden. He remained sitting there for some time just going over how to handle the hero should they reach a do-or-die impasse with him in the future. Perhaps two hours passed while he simply remained there as he contemplated. His mana had recovered to the point that he could afford to cast Crude Waterball, Crude Wind Blade and Crude Boulder once each, so he pulled himself out of his thoughts and stood up to practice some magic. Naturally, he made sure to strip first. He didn''t exactly want to tear his clothes to shreds nor soak them. As simple as it was to make a new set, that would be wasting MP - MP which he honestly didn''t want to use if he could avoid it.
Lone, now a bit damp and dusty, retreated to the fort''s bathroom. Once there, he immediately filled the tub with hot water via his Creation Magic then clambered on in. Sinking down so that only his neck and up could be seen, Lone sighed in joy. "Man, Growth Accelerator may be my most useful skill practically, but Creation Magic sure as hell makes living in this magical medieval world less of a chore than it rightly should be." He started humming happily as he grabbed the bottle of shower gel sitting on the bathtub''s rim. "Display skills; Crude Waterball, Crude Wind Blade, Crude Boulder, Water Magic Resistance, Air Magic Resistance, and Earth Magic Resistance." As he treated his shoulder-length hair and fluffy ears, he looked at all of the skills since each one had now reached intermediate rank. He was, of course, hopeful for a new effect, as unlikely as that was.
Active Water Magic Skill: Crude Waterball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Waterball] Water Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 75 [-25] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is greatly [down from substantially] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 3,750 MP [-1,250 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4 [+13 levels]
Passive Skill: Water Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Water Magic. Water Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+10 levels]
Lone enjoyed this one the most out of the three magics he had used on himself. For a start, while the pressure and weight of the water balls was a bit annoying, it was miles better than having his skin cut up or enduring literal boulders breaking against his body.
Active Air Magic Skill: Crude Wind Blade
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Wind blade] Air Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 75 [-25] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is greatly [down from substantially] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 3,750 MP [-1,250 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4 [+13 levels]
Passive Skill: Air Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Air Magic. Air Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+10 levels]
Honestly, were it not for the resistance counterpart, Lone likely wouldn¡¯t have even bothered with Crude Wind Blade. The pain it gave him when he hit himself with it was just too sharp. Not enough to level Pain Resistance but enough to make him grit his teeth and force him to hold back a scream. Acute pain was the worst.
Active Earth Magic Skill: Crude Boulder
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Boulder] Earth Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 75 [-25] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. The MP cost to invoke this skill is greatly [down from substantially] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 3,750 MP [-1,250 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4 [+13 levels]
Passive Skill: Earth Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Earth Magic. Earth Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+10 levels]
Crude Boulder was fine. It was messy, but the rocks themselves slowly disappeared as the MP used to form them returned to Altros. Speaking of MP, Lone was only able to rank up all three of these skills in a single night thanks to his new capacity. He suspected that as one gained more Magic Power, they simultaneously gained a higher regeneration rate of the resource. This was proven to be true tonight. ¡®If that wasn¡¯t the case, it would take Soph weeks to get her full capacity back, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ He nodded before speaking aloud, "It''s a shame those weak spells didn''t level up my Physical Pain Resistance or Basic Regen... But yeah, as I expected." At that moment, the door to the bathroom opened. A weary-eyed Soph stumbled in and began taking off her pyjamas. "Expected what?" she asked with a yawn. "You woke up?" Lone asked before he said, "Nothing, I was just muttering about how I had expected my magic shit to not have any new effects after ranking up, resistances too." "Huh..." Soph mumbled before she finished undressing, she then got into the bath alongside Lone and sat between his legs. She carefully took the tail that he was busy cleaning away from him and then hugged it to her chest. "I''ll clean your tails for you..." Lone grinned and rested his chin on the girl''s head. "Sure, just be gentle." She pouted. "I''m always gentle..." B1: Chapter 59: Poison and Tails The next day, after a hearty breakfast, enduring some lovely cuddling to help Soph, as she put it, ¡®recharge¡¯, and post-completing his new daily magic practice, Lone left the fort with Sophie in tow. The two of them were now trekking into the forest again. Of course, Soph had swapped out with Sophie before they left home. While she had no aversion to spiders like her colder side, Soph just didn¡¯t have the same battle-senses or quick decision-making skills Sophie did. She had promised to work on that, but for now, she let her more physically abled self handle adventuring with Lone. He had no issues with this. As much as he¡¯d love to have the shy yet bubbly Soph around while slaughtering magical spiders, sadly, Sophie was, in fact, the much wiser choice. She didn¡¯t much like his sense of humour when he tried to tease her or make small talk. He¡¯d crack her shell eventually fully at some point though, he told himself. A challenge, to be sure, but one that he would happily rise to. On the topic of his magic, Crude Waterball, Crude Boulder, and his Crude Wind Blade, had all reached advanced-level-two while his relevant resistances had gone up to intermediate-level-two. "Crude Fireball," Lone said after his internal chanting was completed. The next second, a Manasilk spider''s head was engulfed in flames. Less a moment later and its body was slumping down onto the leafy forest floor below it.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Lone immediately stowed the monster''s corpse away in his Dimensional Storage before he turned to Sophie. "Which direction now?" A massive frown was on the girl''s face beneath her helmet. "There are no small spiders nearby, however, something with a massive amount of mana that is also very¡­ big just entered our Mana Sensing''s range. The queen, maybe? It has a similar anatomy to the smaller ones we have been dealing with thus far, only much, much larger. Should we run?" Lone shook his head and made a split-second decision. "I want to fight her assuming she''s come to avenge her babies. She might be able to push me to F-rank." Sophie shrugged. "We do not even want to see such a creature. Unsummon us if you are going to fight it. Simply summon us again if you wish to flee, we shall teleport you away instantly. It is fast, but we are confident we are faster." Lone nodded. "Will do. Unsummon Sofia Vladimirovich." With those three words, the armoured girl seemingly disappeared from existence. "Bone Armour," Lone muttered, resulting in everything bar his tails being wrapped in pure-white bones. Lone had yet to fight even one of the smaller Manasilk Spiders properly, so he wasn''t going to risk fighting the queen without his armour like he had done with the powerful orc from the other day. He stood perfectly still as he held his steel swordspear a bit nervously. ''Where is it? Maybe I should have asked Sophie that before I unsummoned her... But then again, it''s a spider, so it could be anywhere right now... I can''t see it, but sti- Shit!'' Almost instinctively, Lone tried to move out of the way as alarm bells sounded off in his mind. Something instinctual had told him to dodge. Perhaps his Evasion Mastery, perhaps his gut, perhaps something Golden Foxkin related. It could have been anything. That last option was unlikely though. Lone had looked into the race of his species he happened to be a part of. There were so many legends regarding what they capable of that it was a bit disorienting to him. Some of the tales even contradicted one another, putting all of them into question. It was incredibly frustrating. Enough so that he had to dismiss damn-near all of the legends as hearsay. He had to assume most of it was made up stories used to help mystify the Golden Foxkin race of the foxkin species. They disappeared a hundred years ago, and people loved to gossip when there was no one left to refute them. Regardless, Lone had failed to follow the feeling in time and was struck by something. A searing pain assaulted his body as he jumped to the side. Directly in front of him could be seen a massive creature easily the size of a mini-van, and in its mouth was one of Lone¡¯s nine tails.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
¡®So it was Evasion Mastery. I swear, I need to stop overthinking this kinda shit,¡¯ Lone thought before he realised the searing pain wasn¡¯t going away with the help of Basic Regeneration as it should have. No, it only spread even further through his body.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
¡®Yeah, I am kinda pissing myself here? Why isn¡¯t the pain going away?¡¯ Lone questioned internally as he backed away from the towering beast that was salivating as it slowly crept closer towards him.
The host has developed the passive skill: Poison Resistance.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°You bitch! You poisoned me!¡± Lone exclaimed in shock. It made complete sense when he thought about it, but he was annoyed that a creature that clearly vastly outclassed him physically had decided to secrete its venom into his system when it had also ripped one of his tails clean off. As Lone tried his best to ignore the hot pain coursing through his veins on top of the uncomfortable and gnawing sensation that it was to have one of his tails - essentially a limb ¨C torn from his body.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
The notifications were getting in the way, so Lone dedicated a portion of his concentration into actively ignoring them as he kept a firm eye on the lumbering monster that was eating his tail like a snack while it stared at him. The point where all of his tails converged at his hip stung so strongly that it felt like 1,000 wasps had attacked it all at once. Physical Pain Resistance helped, of course, but just because it helped resist the pain, that didn¡¯t mean it was suddenly gone or anything. He willed a bit of his mana into increasing the speed of his Basic Regeneration. That would reduce the pain. Within seconds, his ninth tail had started to regrow and the numbness and agony that had spread through his body like a wildfire receded a bit. ''Basic Regen can purge poison?'' Lone would have normally spent some time thinking over this new discovery, but the spider queen in front of him had almost finished her snack, so he had to act now. "Lightning Bolt!" he cast as he began chanting the needed magic lines for Crude Fireball in his mind. With a crisp crackling of the air, a beautiful bolt of blue energy jumped from Lone''s open palm and landed perfectly on one of the monster''s many dozen eyes. "Kiiiiiii!" the beast screeched in pain as it dropped what was left of Lone''s severed tail and then tried its best to shield its burst eyeball with one of its many legs. Its movements were sluggish, and a lot of the monster''s muscles were cramping up due to the lightning that was still bouncing around in its body. Lone didn''t stand still as the massive spider tried to fight the nerve damage and temporary paralysis. No, he instead gripped his swordspear with both of his hands and then lunged at the beast. "Pierce!" he yelled, activating the ability of his skill, Swordspear Mastery. With a soul-wrenching growl, the Manasilk Spider Queen managed to open her mouth and clamp down on the large blade that was coming straight for her head. She closed her jaw immediately upon catching the end of Lone''s weapon, resulting in it snapping off like it was made of paper. He quickly dropped his weapon and dodged to the side as a leg swiped at his head, clearly intent on taking it clean off. Reaching into his Dimensional Storage, Lone pulled out another swordspear identical to the last one. Naturally, Lone had expected his weapon to get damaged during a fight, so he had prepared several backup ones just in case such a situation ever arose. He pirouetted and slashed the massive monster''s belly with his swordspear. It couldn''t block him this time, but to Lone''s horror, his weapon barely grazed the beast. "What fucking rank are you?!" Lone asked fully not expecting an answer as he jumped away. ''Lightning Bolt worked, but my swordspear''s fuckin'' less than useless. I can maybe hurt her with it if I can stab her from the inside, but fuck getting inside of her. I''d sooner talk to that hero again than jump in a mouth that has fangs the size of my hand all laced with a deadly numbing poison,'' Lone decided. "Alright! Come at me, you big bitch!" Lone taunted the monster as he used his Bone Armour ability to create a shield. A towering greatshield the size of his body was formed out of his own bones in front of him as he held it with both hands. He didn''t strictly need to touch it since it was connected to his armour, but it helped him steel himself mentally for the coming assault. ''Only ten more seconds and I''ll be done chanting...'' Lone thought to encourage himself. He was really hoping that the Crude Fireball would make the damned thing''s head just explode. It was this faint hope that gave him some modicum of bravery despite the threat of his exposed tails being ripped out again or that heinous poison flowing through his veins once more. Hell, the creepy car-sized spider could kill him with a single move if it really wanted to. With a menacing hiss, the massive arachnid scuttled along the ground straight towards Lone. In less than a second, it had closed the distance and then swiped at him with two of its front legs while also attempting to bite his head off. Evasion Mastery moved Lone''s body for him, forcing his spine to arch back. The two furry limbs of the monster pierced his armour and internal organs in one swift motion, but his shield had managed to deflect the creature''s massive fangs. ¡®Strong limbs, weak jaw. Noted,¡¯ Lone thought rapidly. He then clenched his teeth as he poured even more of his MP into his Basic Regeneration. In a stroke of luck, his armour tightly clamped around the two sharp legs that were lodged in his body, so the Manasilk Spider Queen wasn''t going anywhere fast. ''Shit! Sure, it can''t move, but neither can I! Also, were the thing''s fucking limbs covered in poison or something?! I can still move my tails, but what goo-, wait, my tails?'' Lone felt two more spider legs enter his abdomen and more of its toxic poison began violently assaulting his body. "Fuck it! I''ve got nothing to lose right now!" Lone gave in to his rage and desperation. His eight remaining tails all rapidly descended onto the spider''s body in a seemingly insane attempt to penetrate her exceedingly thick skin. ''So fucking what if they do nothing?! Attack my tails, not me! I only need another five seconds!'' Lone yelled internally, but the very next second, he almost went deaf as an ear-piercing screech sounded off from the creature''s massive mouth. He couldn''t see most of the spider queen due to his massive shield blocking his vision, but the tips of his tails felt wet... They felt... sticky. With a single massive tug, the Manasilk Spider queen retreated backwards, resulting in the ends of her four legs that were embedded in his armour being severed from the sheer force. Moving his shield slightly, Lone was amazed to see green blood covering the ends of his tails as well as eight noticeably large holes on the monster''s body. "No way..." "Kiiiii!" The beast sounded scared and very reluctant to attack once more. Seeing this, Lone''s dropped his thoughts regarding his tails and immediately cast another spell to prevent her from fleeing. "Lightning Bolt!" Much like before, the magic was far too fast for the monster to dodge it, so she ended up having her muscles spasm wildly as she struggled to stand on her six remaining healthy legs. Lone didn''t let this opportunity pass him up. He absorbed the bone greatshield back into his body and then charged at the spider. "Die, you bitch!" he shouted, and he jumped on its head and then shoved his hand into her mouth. "Crude Fireball!" Immense pain attacked his mind as he felt the Manasilk Spider Queen''s fangs bury deeply into his arm, but he ignored that and dedicated all of his attention to boosting Basic Regeneration. "If you ain''t dead yet, I swear to fuckin¡¯ God, I''mma blast you with Mental Destruction!" Luckily, he didn''t have to follow through on his threat. A few seconds passed, and the beast''s grasp on his arm weakened as the life in its eyes disappeared. Lone heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He felt like death itself, but he had won. He stored the monster''s body, his broken weapon, and what was left of his severed tail, then he summoned Sophie. "Finished, are you? I was expecting you to lo-" Sophie''s words came to a halt when she saw the state that Lone was in. One of his tails was missing, his bone armour was painted red with his own blood, four unidentifiable things were stuck in his torso, and - perhaps what had hit her the hardest, was the fact he was barely even able to stand as his body shook and convulsed. "What happened?" "I fuckin¡¯ won, that''s what," Lone said very roughly. "Bring us back home, would you? I need to lie down. Oh, I also need you to rip out these legs for me. I can''t heal my lungs or intestines or any of my other innards with the legs in the way. Do that first, please." Sophie hated spiders, he knew this, she knew this, Soph knew this. Still, she nodded regardless. Without wasting even a moment, she dug her armoured hand into his wound and ripped what was left of a leg out the moment he cancelled his Bone Armour. After repeating that process three more times, she slung Lone''s uninjured arm over her shoulder and then she teleported away. B1: Chapter 60: Level Ups and Time Staring up at the ceiling as Lone lay in the bathtub, he sighed. "That was really close... What the fuck was up with my tails though? I was sure I''d have to use Mental Destruction at the end there..." He ran his hand through his newly regrown tail and smiled wryly. "Why didn''t you guys let me know that you were sharp as fuck when I wanted you to be earlier, huh?" It was certainly a welcome surprise. After all, it had allowed him to defeat such a powerful monster without needing to rely on his strongest trump card. Mental Destruction was not to be underestimated but the Manasilk Spider Queen was a highly magical being. Perhaps it could have resisted his unique skill. Now, he didn¡¯t have to find out since his tails and fire magic had bested it. Regardless, Lone started checking his pending notifications one by one with some excitement.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
The notifications for Poison Resistance just wouldn¡¯t stop. They kept increasing and increasing. As much as Lone loved skills and level ups, this was a bit much. Still, he sat through it all until finally, the last level up was displayed to him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Passive Skill: Poison Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist most types of poison. Most poison that the host is inflicted with shall be weakened by 60% [+30%]. The host has a 25% chance to ignore the effects of poison used on them. [New!] The host has a 10% chance to gain permanent immunity to any poison used on them regardless of if it is a poison weak enough to be entirely resisted.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
The ignoring effect had been given once the skill had reached advanced rank. Poison Resistance having earned not one, but two additional effects, both of which sounded useful, made Lone more than pleased. "That second effect is fuckin¡¯ broken. With my Basic Regeneration, I just need to buy poisons en masse and have some every now and then before I¡¯ll eventually become immune to most common poisons. 10% is massive percentage-wise,¡± Lone was ecstatic. "Also, it was always a small concern of mine, but now I don''t have to worry about being, like, chloroformed in an ambush or something. I can just resist it then purge it with Basic Regen. Well... assuming the system views harmful drugs as poison too... Wait... if it does, does this mean I''m resistant to alcohol too?" He wondered. ¡°Like, I have Intoxication Resistance, but do these two skills stack?¡± The only real way to verify that would be by consuming 100% proof and seeing if both skills levelled. As much as he loved his skills and his stats, he didn¡¯t really want to torture himself like that. While that thought was at the forefront of his mind, the door to the bathroom creaked open and a red-eyed Soph pitter-pattered her way over to the tub. "Um... can I join you?" Lone eyed her adult form with a raised eyebrow. She was covering herself with a towel but that didn¡¯t hide her suggestive curves. He smiled. "Of course you can. I was getting sick of washing my own tails anyway." "T-Thanks..." she shyly responded as she carefully eased herself into the bathtub and placed herself between his legs and tails. Lone wrapped a hand around her stomach and frowned when he noticed the redness around her eyes. ''She was crying... I guess seeing me almost dead like that really affected her negatively... I wonder if Sophie was shaken up too? Oh well, it''s not like I''ll find out unless I ask. May as well just let her comfort herself with my fluff and keep checking my notifs. Asking now''ll only make her feel sorry and awkward.'' And that was exactly what he did.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Considering that Bone Armour only levelled up once when Lone was being crushed to death by the presumed C-rank Blue Orc, he was quite happy to see that he''d gained two levels after his fight with the Manasilk Spider Queen. If anything, he¡¯d have been pissed off had he not improved this skill considering he¡¯d not only used the armour to protect himself, but also as a weapon to forcefully remove the queen¡¯s legs.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Again, no rank up, but it was only two levels away from reaching expert level one, so Lone was quite excited and equally terrified to level it up again; excited to see it become more powerful, and terrified to go through the needed harm to level it up. As much as he enjoyed getting stronger, he was no masochist and while he could resist pain, it still existed and clawed away at him when he was suffering through it.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Those two skills were certainly helpful with keeping his cool, but no matter how frightened or panicked he ever got, Lone knew he wouldn¡¯t act cowardly. His father was a coward who had resorted to child abuse and even taking his own life when things didn¡¯t go his way. If Lone wanted to be anything in this world, it was to not be like that man. Also, as he grew stronger and could rely on his strength more and more, he felt it was likely he¡¯d be getting less frightened and panicked by dangerous situations. Still, the skills were useful, it was just a shame they weren¡¯t exactly easily trained. When he considered that, he could only see these two resistances as somewhat useless. ''Maybe they''re good against like, I dunno, magic that causes fear or panic? Or maybe they get nice effects after ranking up? I¡¯ll have to look into that if we ever go to that The Academy place. Anyway, next.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
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Passive skill: Evasion Mastery
A skill that assists the host in their attempts to evade harm. Improves the host''s subconscious instinct to evade dangerous situations by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
''Nice, but I expected that much. Man, it''s so rare for a skill to get a new effect after only one rank up...'' Lone thought as he moved onto the next set of skills ¨C his Polearm and Swordspear Masteries.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Swordspear Mastery
A sub-skill of the skills, [Sword Mastery] and [Spear Mastery] which is critical for swordspear-users and passively allows for better handling and control over swordspears. All swordspears used by the host will cut and pierce their targets 30% [+15%] more easily. Grants the talent [Pierce]. Say the word [Pierce] and the host shall perform a piercing strike with thrice [up from twice] the host''s maximum force on the desired area.
Cost: 800 SP [-200 SP] to perform the talent [Pierce]
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Lone squeezed Soph in joy, surprising her a bit, resulting in a blush spreading across her face. Still, she kept diligently washing his fluffy limbs with religious zeal. ''Nice!'' Lone yelled internally. ''Thrice is insane... With that much power, would I be able to pierce that spider''s flesh now maybe? I mean, it''s not like I can check on a living queen, and I''d rather not poke a dead one with a swordspear even if I did shove her corpse in my Dimensional Storage... Still, I''m very happy with Swordspear Mastery''s progress.'' Polearm Mastery still had a long way to go until it would be useful in Lone''s opinion, but that was fine. After all, he was focusing more on magic now, wasn''t he? Speaking of which, both Lightning Bolt and Crude Fireball had levelled too.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
"I barely even used them," Lone mumbled as he rested his chin on Soph''s head, making her yelp in surprise once again, only this time at the added weight. She soon leaned her back into his chest and continued with her important work. His tails wouldn''t clean themselves, after all. She did, however, ask, ¡°Used what?¡± ¡°My magic,¡± Lone replied a bit absentmindedly. His thoughts were still on the two magical skills and a grin was on his face. "It won''t be long now before Crude Fireball ranks up... Soph, Since the queen''s dead, you don''t mind us going back in the forest tomorrow, do you? I want to rank up my magic. Ask Sophie for me too, would you?" Soph kept scrubbing and petting the fluffy limbs in front of her as she closed her lifeless eyes. A second later, she nodded. "If it''s only tomorrow, Sophie doesn''t mind. I-I... I''m happy doing whatever you want..." Lone squeezed her a bit tighter and kissed the top of her head. "You''re too cute sometimes, you know that, right? Very different from the sexy and domineering Sophie. Not that you aren¡¯t those things in your own way." "S-Sor- Um, thanks," Soph corrected herself mid-apology. Lone nodded proudly, pleased at her realisation that he was complimenting her. He then looked at the two final notifications of the long list ¨C one of which came with the description of a new skill he had acquired.
The host has developed the racial skill: Tail Spear.
Racial Skill: Tail Spear
A skill unique to the race of foxkin known as Golden Foxkin. This skill allows the host to turn their tail(s) into an extremely sharp and hard weapon that can easily pierce most Normal-quality items or B-ranked beings. The skill is only usable once a day, and it only lasts for 5-minutes.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone puckered his lips in thought. ''Huh... So my tails did that because I''m a Golden Foxkin? But that hardly explains how I developed the skill. Was my willingness to use my tails as weapons all that was needed, or was there more to it?¡¯ He ruminated on that subject for quite a few minutes. In fact, by the time he moved on to thinking about another aspect of the new skill, Soph had finished soaping up and washing seven of his nine tails. ¡®I should ask this Matriarch Lossa person about this when I meet her. Well, so long as it doesn¡¯t come off as too suspicious. Also, Normal-quality items? Items have qualities? But you can''t see their info with the system, right? Maybe there''s a skill for that,'' he hoped. Lone quickly moved on to his final notification. There was only so much he could figure out on his own without help or extensive research, after all.
Congratulations! The host has successfully gained enlightenment and ranked up. The host is now an F-ranker.
He didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment to pull up his status to check the changes.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 99 [+25]
Species: Foxkin Rank: F [Up from G]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 11,910/11,910 [+2,330] SP: 4,113/19,900 [+2,640]
MP: 4,322/38,460 [+14,020]
Basic Stats
Strength: 1,128 [+221] Vigour: 1,990 [+264]
Dexterity: 1,232 [+407] Agility: 1,440 [+521]
Vitality: 1,191 [+233] Luck: 98 [+19]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 46
Magic Power: 3,846 [+1,402]
''Insane... This is just from four normal Manasilk Spiders and their queen? What rank are these stats equivalent to? C-rank? B-rank? How strong am I now?'' Lone had a million questions, however, only one of his concerns could be answered immediately. "Soph, I ranked up again, so did you earn a new power this time, or is it a bust like when I became a G-ranker?" he asked with hope evident in his tone. Soph lowered her head and held a tail timidly to her naked body as she replied, "Yeah. One got unsealed..." "Really?" Lone was both surprised and happy. "What one?" "Um, Minor Time Control, but, em, it''s not any good..." Soph said in a mouse-like voice. Lone raised an eyebrow. "How come?" "Um... Well, I can only use it once a year, and if I use it, my mana will get sealed for a whole month, meaning I''ll be completely blinded... And, uh, I can only go back two hours. No more, no less, just two hours exactly... It''s useless, right?" she asked rhetorically. Lone felt his heart ache upon hearing how depressed her voice was. ''She''s really upset by this, isn''t she?'' He kissed her head again and said, "No, it isn''t useless at all. What if I die? Can''t you save me now? I''ll immediately see that you''re actually blind, ask what happened, and then you can tell me how I died, can''t you? Think of it as a last resort. Sure, it''s not trainable practically speaking, but it has so much potential... It''s kinda nuts." "Lone..." Through their skinship, Lone felt her heart beating faster. He could also hear it, which was weird, but his fox ears were more sensitive than his former human ones. "I... I don''t want you to die... And, um, I... I uh... I love you..." Soph whispered in embarrassment. Lone was a bit startled, but then he laughed softly. "I love you too." B1: Chapter 61: Disbelief and Gilbert Shortly following waking up the next morning and after having breakfast, Lone stored the fort he had self-built and had immense feelings of pride for into his Dimensional Storage. One day, he¡¯d make this little fort a sprawling castle that could fly. Well, that was the dream, at least. Lone couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how many different types of magic he would need to accomplish something like that. ¡®If I weren¡¯t so worried it would break, I¡¯d consider using it as a weapon. Imagine that. Fighting little old me then boom! A whole fuckin¡¯ building pops out of nowhere on your head,¡¯ Lone thought with a chuckle. Regardless, he stopped thinking so fancifully as he forcefully collapsed the Illusionary Dome that surrounded the spot their home was in mere moments ago. ¡°You good?¡± he asked the fully armoured Soph. She nodded. ¡°Yup! I¡¯m, uh, looking forward to going to the city again, to be honest.¡± Lone smiled. ¡°Despite the discrimination, yeah, I am too. There¡¯s something comforting about civilisation.¡± He and Soph then walked back to Ranton at a leisurely pace. As they travelled, Lone used his Crude Fireball on any low-level monsters like goblins, mutated dears, and the odd Blue Orc Soph was able to detect with her Mana Sensing. Just as they were approaching Ranton''s walls and Lone was going to call it quits for now in regard to practising his fiery magic skill, it evolved. He¡¯d been using it for hours now on and off, so it gaining ten entire levels wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected given its crude nature.
Congratulations! The host¡¯s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Master Rank 10.
Congratulations! Due to the host''s active fire magic skill [Crude Fireball] having reached Master Level 10, it has evolved into the active fire magic skill [Fireball].
Active Fire Magic Skill: Fireball
A standard application of the fire magic school where the caster focuses the element of fire into a condensed ball of pure fire.
Cost: 2,500 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Just like Crude Lightning Bolt when that evolved..." Lone muttered. "It''s a bit more costly now than the previous master rank version of Crude Fireball, but I don''t need to chant it at all anymore." Soph smiled as she hugged a tail. ¡°Congrats!" "Thanks, Soph," Lone replied as he flashed her a charming smile, putting his hidden stats to work. The two of them then approached the entry queue and lined up to enter the Holy City of Milindo, Ranton. Sadly, Lone was harassed a little bit by today''s guards and was forced to pay double the normal demi entry tax. Money wasn''t much of an object to him since he could just create it, but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t pissed off by the whole interaction. It wasn''t exactly cheap on his MP to create coins, but he could do it. Regardless of that, it still hurt Lone to be treated like a sub-person and no amount of enjoying the perks of civilisation would make him ignore that. He did try to though as he and Soph returned to the Amberbark Inn. Phil was manning the reception desk today and he raised a curious eyebrow upon their entry. ¡°Welcome back. I assume you¡¯ll want to rebook your room?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°That¡¯d be great. For another week, and no need for hot water but a tub would be appreciated. Meals included too.¡± Phil gave them a lazy nod. ¡°Sure.¡± Once everything was all said and done, they got settled in their bedroom. Soph had a nap while Lone used what was left of his MP to restock their gold supply. Later that day, Sophie took control of Sofia¡¯s body, donned her armour, then the two of them both greeted and said farewell to Phil¡¯s sister, Grella, as they left the inn. Before long, they had returned to The Adventurer''s Guild after a four-day long excursion. The guild was rather busy today, so after a 30-minute wait, they were finally seen to by their preferred member of staff. "Ah, Mister Immortus, Miss Vladimirovich. Did you give up on the quest, or perhaps you managed to kill one or two of the Manasilk Spiders? Regardless, your faces are a most welcome sight to see," the receptionist asked and then claimed with a relieved smile. ''I guess he was worried that we''d get ourselves killed...'' Lone returned the man''s smile with his own and then leaned over the counter slightly. "I''d like to make my report in private if that''s possible. I know you''re busy right now, but it''s sort of necessary for what I''m going to say and show to you. You know, to avoid drawing even more attention to Sofia and myself." "Oh? I understand. There is a fee that will be deducted from your quest reward or that will need to be paid in cash if you wish to make a private report. The fee is one silver coin. Is that okay with you?" the employee asked. Lone nodded. ''If I can successfully and discreetly report having killed the queen, then there''s no doubt I''ll easily make back a simple silver coin.'' As Lone''s thoughts would imply, he was planning to report his successful subjugation of the Manasilk Spider Queen. The only reason he was doing this was to gain more favour with the guild. From his research and from what he''d heard from Lefakern, Phil, Grimsley, and the receptionist himself, The Adventurer''s Guild was a wholly neutral force that was independent of all the many nations, countries, and empires on the continent. The guild had a very strict policy which discouraged and punished any and all internal speciesism or racism, so Lone felt like if he could trust anyone in this hateful kingdom, it''d be The Adventurer''s Guild. Needless to mention he also wanted to improve his plate rating. The better one¡¯s adventurer plate, the more access to guild information and resources one got. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Silver plate was the immediate goal since that was the threshold to be recognised as a trustworthy adventurer continent-wide. Lone took out a single silver coin and slid it across the desk. The employee took a second to inspect it, and then he tucked it away in a register of sorts that was underneath his desk. "Well then, Mister Immortus, Miss Vladimirovich, please, follow me," the receptionist requested politely. The two did so, and two minutes later, they were in a very quaint office of sorts. Sitting down, the employee said, "This room is enchanted to prevent sound from leaving it, so please, feel at ease giving your report." Lone nodded once again and took a seat on the other side of the desk the employee was sitting behind while Sophie chose to stand. It was a bit awkward to sit in her armour, so she was more comfortable this way, or so she had explained to Lone previously. He had a sneaking suspicion she just didn¡¯t want to be made even smaller by sitting. After all, even in her adult form which she assumed almost exclusively outside of her attempts to train Body Manipulation, she was a full head shorter than Lone. He scratched his hair then said, "Well, when we were hunting the spiders, we ran into the queen." "So there is a queen... This is very valuable information, Mister Immortus." The guild staff member claimed. "Manasilk Spider Queens very rapidly rise through the ranks and before even a year passes, they almost always become SS-ranked monsters with complete ease. Thankfully, they have very limited lifespans regardless of them ranking up, but still, the amount of spawn they can birth during that brief period of a few years... It''s quite frightening. I''m glad you managed to escape after encountering one such creature." ''Huh. I guess this confirms it. First Kerny said people can add more years to their life via ranking up, then there''s that asshole duke who''s been protecting Milindo for over a century... So ranking up adds more years to your natural lifespan... I wonder how that works?'' Lone thought. After all, some species lived longer naturally regardless of ranking up. Humans could make it to about 100 on average. Elves, 2,000. Dwarves, 300. Giants, 10,000. Beastkin, eternity if not awakened. There were too many sentient species to list them all but considering the vast difference in just those five examples, Lone could only assume it wasn¡¯t a flat increase. His best assumption was that it was percentage based but he had no evidence to substantiate that. A few moments passed before he snapped back to reality and shook his head. "You don''t need to worry about the queen." The employee looked a bit confused for a second before he replied, "No, Mister Immortus, we have a lot to worry about. At the bare minimum, the guildmaster would have to participate in the subjugation if we let the monster grow for too long." Lone smiled awkwardly. "That''s not what I meant. I, uh, I already killed it..." "You... did what?" The sheer amount of raw disbelief in the man''s tone was almost ludicrous. "Do you have any evidence?" Lone nodded for the third time. "I have its body in my, uh, Adventurer¡¯s Pouch." ''Space magic is a thing on this planet, I know that much from Grimsley¡¯s grumblings... Here''s hoping a pouch big enough to hold that fuckin'' thing¡¯s corpse isn''t too uncommon,'' Lone privately thought. "Is that so?" the man was far more composed now after having a few seconds to collect his thoughts. "Could you please show me? Only a part of the body will do if you don''t mind. This room isn''t nearly large enough to host something like the corpse of a Manasilk Spider Queen. If you somehow defeated it and it''s still in one piece, I''ll clear out a larger room for you. There will be a fee if you''re found to be lying." ''I like this. He isn''t immediately thinking I''m full of shit, but he''s still giving me a chance to prove my claim. It''s guys like you that make me not hate my former species entirely. Well, there''s Soph, Sophie, and Kerny''s kids too, who all prove not all humans are speciesist trash,'' Lone praised the man internally. In preparation for selling the monster''s body off or simply displaying it, Lone had made a bag that resembled an adventurer¡¯s pouch but was actually just a glorified purse. Reaching his hand into it, he accessed his Dimensional Storage and pulled out one of the four legs that were previously housed in his gut. The employee took the leg from Lone and inspected it incredibly thoroughly before his face paled. "This is far above my pay grade. If you don''t mind waiting here, I would like to have you meet the guildmaster. Only he''ll know how to adequately reward you for slaying this beast." ''Oh? Well, I trust you, so sure.'' Lone kept his honest opinion to himself then said, "Yeah, that''s fine. We''ll wait." "Excellent. I''m unsure of how busy the guildmaster is, but I swear on my status as an employee of The Adventurer''s Guild that he''ll be down to talk with you both in no more than 20 minutes," the staff member said very respectfully, then he quickly left the room.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
"Huh? Was that for pretending to use an adventurer¡¯s pouch?" Lone asked himself. "Was what for pretending to use such a thing?" Sophie often ignored Lone''s habit of talking to himself, but for once, instead of hitting him or threatening him for it, she decided to pass some time by questioning him instead. "Ah, Acting levelled up. It was nothing important," Lone replied casually. Sophie frowned lightly. "We have a good feeling that both Acting and Persuasion will be critical to you in the future.¡± Lone raised an eyebrow. ¡°How so?¡± She shrugged. ¡°In a do-or-die situation with intelligent beings, you can always unsummon us and destroy their minds, but if you are out of daily Mental Destruction uses and are weaker than our opponents, you will only have your tongue to rely on." "That''s contrived, but yeah, you''re not wholly wrong," Lone replied with a casual shrug of his own. He understood her logic, but regardless, he had never disregarded the two skills in question as worthless - especially since they were passives, so Lone felt that his lover''s cold personality was making a mountain out of a non-existent molehill. A short five minutes passed before the employee from earlier returned and asked Lone and Sophie to follow him. Doing as they were told; they were led to a far larger room which had several carving tables in the room''s core and a dozen or so tanning racks lining the walls along with several other tools for dismantling and treating monster corpses. In the centre of the room next to a table, stood a fairly short man who was perhaps a little bit taller than five foot five inches. His good looks nor his lacking height were his most prominent features, however. No, that status belonged to his two curled horns and his long scaly tail. "What... What are you...?" Lone subconsciously asked. The man smiled as he narrowed his eyes. He swished the sleeves of his robe and then clasped his hands behind his back as he slowly walked forwards. "Never seen a dragonkin before, have you?" "A dragonkin?" Lone was both confused and incredibly excited. "No, I haven''t," he replied as he stared at the man''s pure-white dragon features. "Haha, curious lad, aren''t you?" the man said as he brought one of his hands to his face and stroked his goatee. He then glanced at his employee. "Charles, you can return to the front desk now. I''d like to talk to both Lone and Sofia here on my own." Bowing his head slightly, the employee replied, "Yes, Guildmaster. Mister Immortus, Miss Vladimirovich, until I next see you." "Seeya," Lone replied while Sophie simply nodded. As soon as the three of them were alone, the dragonkin stretched his hand out and said, "I''m Gilbert Elksworth, or Gilbert Shimmerscales. I prefer my more human moniker like you do though, Lone, so please, call me that. As you also already know, I''m the guildmaster for this branch of The Adventurer''s Guild." ''Human moniker? Ah, right. Those foxkin kids had ''Redtail'' for their surname, didn''t they? So ''Shimmerscales'', huh?... Would mine be ''Goldentail'', or ''Shinytail'' or something?'' Lone wondered before he answered, "It''s good to meet you, Mister Elksworth." Sophie gave the man a polite curtsy even despite her armour. ¡°Lone, this man has so much mana. Far more than we do,¡± she whispered. Lone didn¡¯t react. Of course he didn¡¯t. The guy was the guildmaster of the guild, for Christ¡¯s sake. That meant he was one of this kingdom¡¯s only six SS-rankers, and the singular one not native to this land. "There''s no need for the ''Mister'', just call me ''Gilbert''. We''re both demis and beastkin to boot, and besides, considering your race of foxkin, I should be the one offering my respects to you, not the other way around, hahaha," the dragonkin chuckled as he showed his pearly whites with a cheeky smile. "Uh, okay," Lone replied. If that was how Gilbert wanted it, he would hardly refuse the friendly offer. "Lovely. Anyway, shall we get down to business? You killed the queen, yes? Show me her corpse if you wouldn''t mind. I understand you have it in an Adventurer¡¯s Pouch, yes?¡± Gilbert asked as he opened his eyes slightly and didn''t bother to hide his massive interest in both Lone and Sophie as well as the deceased Manasilk Spider Queen. "Yeah. I almost died during the fight, but thankfully, I have some levels in the Poison Resistance skill," Lone explained as he reached into his fake pouch and took out each of the monster''s pieces, leaving the main body for last. B1: Chapter 62: Promotion and Intermediate "Wow. She''s a big one, huh?" Gilbert asked as he stroked his goatee and carefully examined the full corpse of the Manasilk Spider Queen. "She must have been at least a B-ranker already, maybe even an A-ranker. How on Altros did you kill the Primal-damned thing?" Lone scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Well, like I said, my Poison Resistance kept me alive. The fucker did manage to stab me a few times, but when she did that, I discovered that I could, uh, harden my tails. I pierced her body with my tails then shoved a Crude Fireball in her mouth." "She stabbed you? You look fine to me," Gilbert said as he held his chin curiously. "Were it not for my own racial skill, I''d be certain that you were lying. How curious." "Racial skill? You have one too?" Lone asked with both confusion and interest covering his expression. Not a single one of the books that he had read thus far spoke about demihumans beyond the fact that in Milindo, they were believed to be an inferior collection of species when compared to the human species. Even less information was publicly available in regard to skills. A saddening thing for Lone since he had quite a large, vested interest in the subject. This was the first time that he was hearing about Racial Skills from someone who seemed to know what he was talking about, so, of course, Lone was going to inquire about the topic. Gilbert nodded proudly. "I''m not on the best of terms with my family, you see, but all White Dragonkin have the potential to learn the skill Eyes of the White Dragon. It''s a glorified lie detector, but it has its uses. From my knowledge, every demihuman species has the potential to learn a racial skill. Some even have options. In fact, even the humans have one. It''s related to their unnatural ability to procreate so quickly, but it''s far rarer for them to unlock their racial skill than it is for us demihumans to unlock ours. You must be young to be unaware of this. Odd, given when your race disappeared." Lone began sweating as he smiled. ''Wow. Good thing I only told the truths that weren''t very hard to explain... If I had lied about my Bone Armour or said I never got hurt, then I might have really dicked myself over...'' His interest in racial skills had been completely curbed by the mention of a natural lie detection ability. Having watched plenty of shows and read many stories that featured such an ability, he was aware of how ridiculously powerful and dangerous it was. ¡®For him to just reveal that to me must mean that White Dragonkin are well-known for this skill. Otherwise, it would make zero sense telling a nobody like me about such a significant ability,¡¯ he thought. Seeing Lone''s silence, the guildmaster chose to change the subject. "Anyhoo, returning to my other question; you got stabbed? You don''t seem injured as far as I can tell, though I¡¯m not a specialist in any type of healing magic nor am I a doctor... I have some expertise in nature magic, but again, not in the healing aspect. Not beyond a handful of skills, none of which are evaluation-based." Gilbert didn''t seem to be overly nosy and was just genuinely curious about how Lone was looking as fit as a fiddle. He hadn¡¯t even asked any incriminating questions, really. Most of what he said was just an observation, making the pressure upon Lone¡¯s shoulders lessen somewhat. "Uh, well, let''s just say I''m a fast healer?" Lone really didn''t want to explain his Basic Regeneration to a stranger if he could avoid doing so. The man seemed friendly thus far but who was to say he wasn¡¯t a secret mad scientist who would happily kidnap Lone and experiment on him once he learned he was incredibly hard to kill? It was a farfetched and somewhat paranoia-fuelled theory, but Lone wouldn¡¯t be quick to dismiss it in this magical world he now called his home. "Haha, fair, fair. I imagine you had a rare herb or a potion which you had to consume to save yourself, no? A shame if that was the case since this beauty of a monster won''t be worth nearly as much as a medicine good enough to cure stab wounds from a Manasilk Spider Queen," Gilbert claimed with an apologetic look on his face. Lone could see right through the man¡¯s facade. He didn¡¯t believe a word of what he had said but the guildmaster choosing to respect his secrets had raised his standing in Lone¡¯s mind as a tactful person. ¡®You¡¯d have to be, really. To be the guildmaster in a country that is distrustful of outsider organisations and also hosts potent systemic speciesism. The guy must have a pretty open mind,¡¯ Lone concluded. "Speaking of that," Lone said to move the conversation away from the fight, "how much will we get for killing it?" he asked. "I was already preparing a first draft for a quest notice to help me subjugate the queen if she was reported to exist by the hero, but since you''ve already killed her, you can have the planned remuneration. The reward will be a single platinum coin, and the guild will buy the corpse off you for an additional 50 gold coins if you''d let us have it," Gilbert offered. ''A platinum coin? Awesome! With that, I can melt it down and learn more about the texture, taste, smell, feel, and general make-up of the metal, resulting in the creation of the coins becoming cheaper,¡¯ was his immediate plan. ¡®So far, only copper is easy to make since Grimsley refuses to teach me about decorative metals like silver and gold until I''m good enough with the basics... At least with a platinum coin, it''ll be worth the insane mana cost to whip some into existence with Creation Magic since one of them is worth 100 gold coins,'' Lone thought as he struggled to hide his building greed. "Uh, yeah. That sounds fine. Is 50 gold a good price for the corpse? I don''t really have any other options since I don''t want people to know that we killed it, but yeah, I hope we''re not being short-changed here," Lone admitted. "A valid concern," Gilbert replied with a nod of his head. "The Adventurer''s Guild offers the best prices continent-wide for monster materials. That¡¯s what makes us the most popular place for budding mercenaries and adventurous souls to come to ¨C even if only to sell loot.¡± That made sense to both Lone and Sophie, so the two of them nodded. The dragonkin continued, ¡°If any other store or independent merchant is offering more than us, then they simply wish to never turn a profit on any monster parts purchased. Over the many ages that the guild has existed, it has just recently become socially accepted that the only place to sell monster goods is here, at the guild. Oddly enough, it takes quite a long time to set a continent-wide social norm when the top percentile live to be tens to hundreds of thousands of years old." ''Hundreds of thousands of years old? Here''s hoping that''s an exaggeration, or here''s hoping that Growth Accelerator makes it so I don''t have to wait too long before I can punch those shitty gods in the face.'' Regardless of his crude thoughts, Lone was in awe of what Gilbert had said. "Why does that sound like a genuinely decent monopoly? If the guild is offering more money than everyone else, then no one can be discriminated against when trying to sell any valuable herbs or monster parts, right?" he inquired. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Exactly. A lot of people ask how we can afford this from just our ten percent cut of all commission rewards and standardised fees, so I''ll just tell you now that the guild is mostly funded directly out of Grand Guildmaster Sarah''s pocket. Ah, if you don''t know who she is, she''s the founder and owner of The Adventurer''s Guild," Gilbert explained. ''What? Founder? But isn''t the guild, like, a million years old? I get that lifespans can be extended, but isn''t that a bit insane? Is she a ghost or something?'' Lone privately thought then smiled and asked, "So, um, are we good to go now? I know you''re a busy man, so I don''t want to waste any more of your time, if possible." "Haha, don''t worry about it. My mortal enemy, paperwork, can wait a bit longer. It''s rare that I get to converse with such a unique person. Anyway, no, we''re not quite done yet. I need to confirm if Sofia here contributed during your fight with the queen," Gilbert replied with a friendly chuckle. ''Ah, I can''t lie about this unless I want him to poke holes in my story, which could potentially lead to a shitshow... Hmm...'' Lone chose his next words very carefully. "Sofia is very skilled at running away and at swordsmanship, but she has no standard magic and has a weaker body than I do, so we quickly decided that she should hide when the queen showed up." After pausing for a moment, Lone added, "The plan was for her to grab me and flee if I was losing, and to help heal me if I won but got mortally wounded. Thankfully, I won, so she helped me remove the queen''s legs from my guts and then carried me to a safe spot where I could heal up via a secret method of mine." ''That should be vague but accurate enough to satisfy him as well as hide her Teleportation and my Summoning Room, right? It''s normal for people to be secretive with their skills, isn''t it? The books seemed to indicate that that was true...'' Lone sincerely hoped. The last thing he wanted to do right now, was to draw even more attention to him and Sofia by revealing their unique skills. "I see..." Guildmaster Gilbert stroked his goatee in thought for a moment before he nodded his head. "Lone, I''ll be raising your plate rank by one, and Sofia shall be awarded five gold coins for saving your life."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
''Cool. He bought that,'' Lone mentally sighed in relief before he replied, "Sure. Thank you very much, you didn''t need to upgrade my rank or give us more gold." "It''s the least you two deserve for killing such a colossal problem before it got to the point that it could threaten all of northern Milindo,¡± Gilbert happily stated. Lone smiled. ¡°Even if it nearly killed me, it was an enlightening fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was. Anyway, I should get back to my paperwork now. I''ll inform someone to change your plate from copper to bronze, so please give me your plate now, and you can collect it from the front desk in about 20 minutes," Gilbert said very professionally. Lone nodded and unclipped the piece of copper from the basic steel chain he had made for it. "It was good meeting you, Guildmaster Elksworth." Grinning, the horned man with one scaly tail replied, "Likewise."
Lone held his new bronze plate up to his face and smiled a bit stupidly as he flopped down onto his and his lover¡¯s bed. Sophie stared at him as she was carefully taking her armour off. "It''s just a lump of smelted bronze. Why are you infatuated with it? Soph would be jealous were she in our shoes right now watching you look at that thing like... that." Lone turned his head and smirked at her. "You mean to say that you''re not jealous? I''ll do any one thing that you want me to if you admit that you''re jealous as well." "W-We are not!" Sophie protested as she failed to hide the rising blush on her face. ''So easy to read, and so cute...'' Lone thought. "Haha, well, anyway, to answer you, it may just be a ''lump of smelted bronze'', sure, but it''s also a sign of my progression as an adventurer. Remember, before we came to this world, I was just your average everyday teacher with a gaming addiction and a shitty childhood, but now I''m a badassed foxkin who can kill a car-sized spider with his tails and a fuckin'' fireball. So yeah, forgive me if I''m a little bit giddy at seeing my adventurer rank rise." "How childish..." Sophie grumbled. A few seconds later, she was done changing out of her armour, so she swapped personalities with Soph who immediately jumped on Lone''s fluffy tails and cuddled them tightly. "Like night and day, you two. So different, yet so intricately linked and similar," Lone muttered as he began running his fingers through Soph''s long golden-blonde hair.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blacksmithing] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
A day had passed and Lone was now slaving away in Grimsley''s forge. He shoved the sword blade that he''d just hammered into shape straight in a trough of water and wiped away the sweat from his brow as he turned his attention to the rest of the system¡¯s notifications.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 15% [+10%] faster and 15% [+10%] more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Weaponsmithing] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Weaponsmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft weapons 15% [+10%] faster and 15% [+10%] more skilfully. Additionally, the weapons crafted by the host will do 15% [+10%] more damage.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''Ah, both busts on the new effect front... Well, they ain''t horrible, but there''s certainly something lacking when there isn''t a new effect... I want my dopamine,'' Lone thought as he cracked his neck and slowly stood up. Grimsley raised his head and said, "Sick ah it fae the day awready, laddie?" Lone shook his head. "It''s already getting pretty late, and I just ranked up Blacksmithing and Weaponsmithing to intermediate, so I think it''s time to call it quits for today regardless of if I''m fed-up or not." Grimsley reached into one of his pockets and pulled out something that Lone had a lot of interest in - a watch. It was needlessly bulky, and it was covered in gears, but much like the dwarf''s steamforged glasses, this little gizmo sent Lone''s heart wild. "Ah, ya fookin'' cunt! Aye, ye''r right! Okay, wake up the little missy an'' get tae fook. Ah''ve shite tae dae, ya ken? If ye''r nae gone by the time ah count tae five, then my boot''ll be introducing itself tae yer fookin'' arse cheeks!" the short and bearded man shouted. ¡®Not gonna comment on my fast speed of levelling skills?¡¯ Lone smiled wryly and picked up Soph in a princess carry, startling her awake. "I''ll see you tomorrow, Grimsley." "One! Two! Three! Foor! F-" Seeing the foxkin flee the smithy as he laughed faintly, Grimsley poked his head out of the door and yelled, "Aye, the morrow, laddie!"
Certain of his apprentice now being long gone, Grimsley slunk back into his smithy - his home - and sighed deeply as he made his way to the back room. He pulled the sole bed that hugged the north-facing wall with one heavy tug, revealing a very intricate and well-reinforced trapdoor. An incredibly sad and sorry look covered the man''s expression. "I''m sorry, Shana." He muttered as he unlocked the hatch and began descending a ladder that was concealed beneath it. "If only ''at cunt''s fookin'' contract magic wasnae keepin'' ya asleep, if ¡®at werenae there, then we could leave this Stone forsak''n land..." Sighing again, he continued with his daily afternoon routine, albeit slightly later than usual today. The foxkin boy was growing on him like fungus on his feet. He could be irritating at the best of times with all of his questions and strange fascination with steamforged tools, but he was a nice lad with a good heart. It was probably a mistake to take the risk of signing him on despite all of his talents. For all he knew, it could be a trap to reclaim Shana. Only time would tell if his whimsical fancy would come back to bite him in the arse or not, however. Lone Immortus Artwork I had a lot of trouble getting this art tbh. Had to go through two artists. There''s a whole story and outrage over how unprofessional and deceptive the first artist was but I quite like this version. I''m not a huge fan of the background and will likely use a different artist in the future who is great at backgrounds but this is still pretty awesome, huh? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lone Immortus [On the goblin/Elf Island upon arriving on Altros] Link in case the image breaks (again): https://i.imgur.com/fDBEtih.jpeg B1: Chapter 63: The Heros Rage and Slimes The next day, Lone and Sophie were heading to The Adventurer''s Guild after Lone¡¯s blacksmithing lesson with Grimsley for the day was finished. They had also briefly returned to the Amberbark Inn for lunch. Lone had yet to meet the cook, Lefakern¡¯s wife, but there was almost no doubt in his mind that she was at least as good as him if not better with the Cooking Mastery skill. ¡®I need to swipe some of the meals offered at the inn and keep them safe in my Dimensional Storage. Could always use some of that cooking for when we¡¯re on the road and can¡¯t afford to cook ourselves or don¡¯t want to bother with rations,¡¯ Lone thought. Then again, he could just create gold and buy a massive amount of meals from a famous restaurant or something, even if his species meant he¡¯d have to use Sophie as a proxy to do it. It was something to think on. Speaking of which, Lone couldn¡¯t help but think about his blacksmithing master. Grimsley had seemed to be a little bit distracted during today''s lesson, but Lone had managed to level up his Blacksmithing and Weaponsmithing skills to intermediate-level-two, so he was happy and thankful regardless of Grimsley''s mood. "None of these quests seems to be very dangerous..." Lone grumbled as he held his chin and continued to pour over all of the posted quests. A burly human to his left chuckled. "Did ya nut ''ere ''bout the ''ero?" Lone was surprised by the man''s friendly tone since, well, he was a human, and most humans were very discriminatory against him for being a foxkin. His massive accent despite the translation magic was a bit off-putting too. Understanding a dwarf¡¯s very Scottish accent was easy enough given his own heritage. This adventurer, however, sounded like he was from rural England or somewhere akin to that. After getting past his shock, Lone smiled and rocked his head from side to side. "The hero? No, why, did he do something?" Nodding, the muscular man replied, "''At''s right. The pompous arsehole came in ''ere first thing in a mornin'' an¡¯ was screamin'' an'' a hollerin'' ''bout ¡®ow the spider queen was stolen from ''im. The immature little cunt went an'' snatched all of the E-ranked an'' up subjugation requests." "You''re allowed to do that?" Lone asked with a frown. Shaking his head and sighing, the human adventurer said, "Well, s¡¯not really against the rules, so ta speak. S¡¯common etiquette though ta only take one or two quests at a time. Foreign bastard ¡®ardly cares ¡®bout us locals. Ah, no offence." "None taken. But still, he even took the quests that are outside of his capabilities? He''s a hero, yeah, but he can''t be an S-ranker, can he? Some of those quests were restricted by rank or plate. Like the Hydra one," Lone asked. "Hahaha, that waste ah sperm? Nah. ''E''s a C-ranker ''e is. ¡®Is Wood Elf slave though? She''s a B-ranker, so, long as ''e''s with ''er, ''e can take all the quests ''at she can as well. Dunno ''bout ''at Hydra quest through. Maybe a travellin'' S-ranker took it." After saying that, the adventurer grabbed a quest asking for some hired help for an escort to a nearby merchant kingdom. He then patted Lone''s shoulder and said one final thing before he left. "I''d be careful was I wearin'' your shoes, pal. The ''ero mentioned seein'' a nine-tail''d foxkin an'' an armoured girly when he was huntin'' the queen. The bastard seems immature an'' sick enough ta try somethin'' funny. Keep yer guard up, ya hear?" "I''ll keep that in mind. Thanks," Lone replied with a smile. Grinning, the man left Lone''s side and approached a reception desk to officially sign up for the quest he''d chosen. Lone held his elbow in one hand and his chin in the other. "Daisuke, huh? This could be troublesome..." "We found an acceptable quest," the cold yet calming voice of Sophie announced as she held out her arms and showed Lone a sheet of paper, snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking down at the quest she''d selected, Lone smirked. "Trust you and your absurd luck to find a subjugation request despite all of them being supposedly claimed already." Sophie shrugged, making her armour clink about. "Just as we were about to give up, a minister¡¯s page came and put up this request. It seems the minister in question is tired of the smell." "Smell?" Lone actually took a moment to read the request. "Ah. Slimes in the sewers? Boy, is that as cliche as can be. Well, it''s something, at least." "Indeed. It was either this, or a quest to assist the Church of The Primals in building the new wing of the cathedral, and while we are sure you would adore the chance to learn some more mundane construction skills, we had a feeling that you''d rather gain some resistance to death by corrosion or acid. Perhaps even both," Sophie suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. Lone nodded. "I haven''t researched slimes much. There¡¯s a bit of info on them here or there in the library¡¯s bestiaries, but they seem to be heavily overlooked due to how weak they are. So yeah, that sounds interesting. Let''s accept the quest then drop by the library real quick, ''kay? I wanna learn everything that I can about slimes before we enter a sewer system full of ''em. There¡¯s gotta be a book or short essay or something with more detailed descriptions of them laying around somewhere in there." "Whatever pleases you, Lone," Sophie replied in an uncaring manner.
A slack-jawed guard charged with protecting the city''s southern sewer entrance noticed Lone and Sophie¡¯s arrival. "Ah. Yous is the adventurers who''re gunna kill those little slimy fuck''rs?" The sun was still high in the sky, but two hours had passed since they had accepted the quest earlier that afternoon. Rather unsurprisingly, the library had a lot of information on slimes, in particular, on the two races of slimes known as Corrosion Slimes and Acidic Slimes. Why Lone hadn¡¯t found much on the monsters during his prior research of the local fauna and flora was because they were almost exclusively the focus of papers dedicated to the infrastructure of a city. According to the book he¡¯d read on the matter, where there was enough infrastructure, and thus, enough waste, there would be slimes. Apparently, it was a very common occurrence for Corrosion Slimes to be born from the filth that built up over roughly a month in the sewers, and if a noble didn''t issue a quest themselves with a decent reward, then the guild would offer the quest as an exclusive one for the iron-plates or lower to give them a chance to gain some experience. As for Acidic Slimes, they were a rarer race of slimes, supposedly. They were only born from the extreme concentration of, well, acid. As it would so happen, one of Ranton''s staple foods was the lemon, so while Acidic Slimes were normally uncommon, in Ranton, they were as ordinary as could be. Lone smiled. "Yes, we are." The guard scratched his head. "Yous don''t got no torches or lanterns? It''s dark down there. I can let yous borrow mine, but make sure yous give it back later, ya hear?" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ''Why is it only the simple people that aren''t guild staff who don''t seem to be racists? It''s like speciesism and racism are only taught to the well-to-do,'' Lone thought with a mental sigh. "Thank you, but we''ll be fine." "''S''at so? Well then, may the Primals be with ya, an'' be careful ah gettin'' covered in slime. Damn stuff''ll eat through steel like a beggar''ll eat through bread," the guard warned. "We''ll keep that in mind, thanks again. See you soon," Lone said in farewell. "Mmm," the guard replied. Lone and Sophie then walked down the set of stairs behind the guard and entered the sewers. Once they had reached the bottom, Lone pulled out a shabby looking lantern from his Dimensional Storage and passed it to Sophie. He then grabbed a matchbook and a thick candle. As he was slotting the candle into the lantern and lighting it, Sophie asked, "Did you really have to use this horrendous lantern? Could you not have simply created one that wasn''t littered with imperfections? We feel like it will fall apart the moment we drop it." Lone grinned. "Shut up. I put my heart and soul into that, and it''s one of the few things that I''ve successfully forged besides daggers while under Grimsley¡¯s tutelage, so treat it carefully." Sophie groaned in frustration. "We doubt we will ever understand how you value things. This wouldn¡¯t sell for more than perhaps three or four coppers." Lone shrugged. "So long as you know that I value you and Soph, what does it matter if you know how I value anything else?" "... Sneak attacks are unfair," Sophie grumbled as she closed the lantern''s glass casing now that Lone was finished lighting the candle. "Heh, that so? Well, anyway, keep a good hold of that for me, ''kay? Since you can''t fight any of the slimes for fear of melting alive, and since I can''t see mana like you can, I''ll be counting on you to be my source of light," Lone said as he failed to hide a smirk. ''I wonder what kind of expression is on her face? She''s definitely embarrassed, isn''t she?'' Sophie sulked beneath her helmet. "We shall do our best, but you should really dedicate some time to teaching us Crude Fireball. We have so much mana, but only a single skill to use it on." "Teleportation is one hell of a skill though, and sure, though I only learned it because of my Growth Accelerator. Apparently, you need a good affinity and a lot of training to learn a magic skill usually," Lone replied as he and Sophie began walking through the sewers of Ranton. "There is no harm in trying, at least," she said. "By the way, Lone, is there anything important about slimes that we should be aware of? We shall not be fighting them since they will corrode our swords and our armour, but we would like to know if you found out anything else of note during your research." Lone shrugged. "Slimes are pretty interesting. Apparently, they have almost 100 races. As you already know, the ones we''re meant to be hunting are the Acid Slimes and the Corrosion Slimes. They''re immune to a lot of magic types but are very weak to fire magic, so we''re good on that front. They can be killed with physical force, but yeah, you''ll ruin your weapon, so it''s not advised to use weapons that you care about on them.¡± Lone squinted a bit to better his vision as he continued, ¡°The guild actually provides swords and spears and bows that are on their last legs to newbie adventurers when they are forced to issue the quest themselves. Anyway, we need to collect their cores if we want to officially claim our reward. We need 25 at the minimum if I recall correctly." "Yes, it was 25, but is that all? Their immunity to several magic types is somewhat intriguing, but are there no queen variations like the Manasilk Spiders?" Sophie asked as they went further into the sewers. Lone scratched his head. "Maybe? Chief Slimes are kinda common, but they aren''t nearly as powerful as the Manasilk Spider Queen was. There''s also King Slimes, which are super rare. We''d be lucky to find one today, to be honest. The books also said that there''s supposedly an emperor variation, but yeah, that one''s just a legend." "A legend? That reminds us, Lone, considering how much time you have been dedicating to studying this world, do you know what the legends about Golden Foxkin are yet? We would be lying if we said that we were not interested," Sophie asked. Lone nodded. "Yeah, I looked into it, but most of it is garbage. Like, there are the legends about hardening parts of our bodies, which I now know means our tails, but outside of that? Supposedly Golden Foxkin can fly, can use almost every type of magic, can force people to submit with just a glare, and a bunch of other ridiculously blown out of proportion things." "Hah. Well, as far as using every type of magic is concerned, that one is not strictly wrong in your case, now is it?" Sophie teased. Lone smiled wryly. "That has nothing to do with my species." "Indeed, it does not... But regardless, chiefs, yes? Well, perhaps our luck will assist you and result in a few appearing, hmm? We are sure that you would love the stats killing such creatures would offer," Sophie said a bit sarcastically. "Hey, don''t jinx us. I''m perfectly happy burning my body to get acid and corrosion resistance, but I''d rather not have a life-threatening battle so soon after the spider queen, thanks," Lone replied with a sigh. Sophie just smiled underneath her helmet and continued walking through the dank and dirty sewers with Lone at her side.
"Y''know, it''s not nearly as painful as I was expecting," Lone commented as he poked the tiny opaque-green slime and the little lime-green slime that were both attached to his left arm. "You are healing as much as you''re burning and corroding. We expect it would be far more painful if you focused on blocking your Basic Regeneration and allowed them to get down to your bones," Sophie commented with a shrug. "True, but yeah, I ain''t gonna test that. As much as I enjoy seeing Basic Regen level up, fuck torturing myself. But yeah, Basic Regen and PPR are fantastic skills. Ah, looks like we''re done here," Lone announced. "Fireball. Fireball." After blowing the two slimes to smithereens and pocketing their cores, Lone checked his two new skills as he waited for his now-burnt arm to heal.
The host has developed the passive skill: Acid Resistance.
Passive Skill: Acid Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist most types of acid. Most acid that the host comes in contact with shall be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Corrosion Resistance.
Passive Skill: Corrosion Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist corrosion. Any corrosion to the skin that the host suffers shall be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
"So most acid and all corrosion, but only my skin can resist the corrosion? That''s interesting... I guess more parts of my body will gain the ability to fight off corrosion as the skill ranks up. Kinda like how Bone Armour unlocked more armour pieces as it ranked up, right?" Lone muttered to himself. Sophie jabbed one of her armoured fingers into Lone''s side, resulting in him frowning in annoyance. While he had a high level of Physical Pain Resistance, all that skill did was make any pain he suffered more tolerable, not lessen the actual pain. "What?" "Stop. Talking. To. Yourself. Idiot," Sophie said, jabbing her finger further and further in with each word. "Sure, but only if you give me a big kiss and a cuddle- actually, make that two big kisses and a cuddle. I want one now and one later," Lone replied with a grin strewn across his lips. Sophie whispered something that Lone couldn''t hear before she took her helmet off and then suddenly attached her lips to his passionately. Only after a few seconds had elapsed did she move back from him. "You''ll get your other kiss and your cuddle tonight. Happy now?" "Very, but also very surprised. I was kinda expecting you to go all soft at the knees like you usually do," Lone admitted as he failed to hide his flushed cheeks. Sophie smirked as she put her helmet back on. "You shall not defeat us forever with your dastardly sneak attacks. Now, let us continue, shall we? We can sense three more slimes around that corner." "Haha, sure, let''s," Lone replied. B1: Chapter 64: Beggars and Displeasure It didn¡¯t take very long for Lone to get to work immediately on raising his acid and corrosion resistances. To him, that was more important than even the quest which had brought them down here. Of course, they were slowly killing the little slimy monsters, just at a rate far slower than they were actually capable of. Up to this point, Lone had gotten both skills to beginner-level-five. Right now though, some far larger variants had shown up and attached themselves to Lone, much to his pleasure since they were even better for his skill level-ups.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
"This is probably enough for the day. I have a feeling that if we continued, we''d run into a chief or maybe even a king slime. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯d rather not do that when my mana''s so low from blowing these things up and supplying my Basic Regeneration with enough mana to stop me from melting," Lone said as he used two final Fireballs on the baby slimes that were trying their best to eat through his flesh.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
They hadn¡¯t been down here for all that long, but Lone¡¯s Fireball had already levelled a total of four times, which was encouraging. Sophie nodded. "Very well. We have not gained any levels from this ''adventure¡¯, and we were also hoping you would rank up, but we are sure you are happy with your skill progress regardless, yes?" Lone smiled back at her through the dimly lit sewer pipe that they were in. "You bet your ass I''m happy. It''s a shame the slimes didn''t hurt me enough to warrant a Basic Regeneration level-up though." Sophie just shook her head upon seeing Lone''s goofy smile, she then spun around on her heels and began walking towards the exit that they''d entered from. "Hey, gimme a sec to collect their cores, would you?" Lone requested in complaint before he quickly harvested the slimes'' cores then caught up to the armoured girl. Lone squinted his eyes through the darkness and as soon as he had caught up with Sophie, he sighed and said, "Ah, fuck. I got shit water on my tails. I really needed that light of yours to avoid that-" "We have company," Sophie said in a quiet voice. Lone immediately shut up and wore a serious expression. "Slimes?" Shaking her head, she replied in a whisper, "Worse, Humans. There are 24 of them within 150 metres of us. Right at the end of this tunnel, there is one looking right at us. I think he has a skill to see in the dark. What do we do? You do not wish us to expose our Teleportation to the public, correct? If we kill them all we assume that would not be an issue." Lone frowned in worry. "No, I don''t and yeah, I guess that¡¯s right but murdering two dozen people hardly sounds ideal... Are they hostile? Can you tell that?" "Well, the looks on their faces do not particularly evoke feelings of friendliness, and they are not dressed like adventurers... more like... well-to-do beggars," Sophie explained as she handed the lantern over to Lone and then requested, "Our swords, now. We suspect we shall require them." Lone immediately pretended to reach into his ¡®Adventurer¡¯s Pouch¡¯ and pulled out Sophie''s swords from his Dimensional Storage. Taking them, Sophie wore a concerned expression under her helmet. "We do not think that we can murder over 20 humans in such a tight tunnel. Having shortswords will help, but we do not doubt that we will be overwhelmed very quickly. We trust you are fully prepared to end another sapient life, Lone? Four Mental Destructions - all on the ranged attackers - will be incredibly helpful. Luckily, there are only three men wielding bows and a single one holding a crossbow." "I''ll keep that in mind," Lone said in a tone that wasn''t at all pleased. "Stand behind me. We''ll see if this is a misunderstanding first or if I can talk us out of this. If it goes tits up, I''ll kill four as you said, then harden my tails and impale as many as I can. That should ease your burden, right? I''m low on MP, and my swordspear is far too long for this tunnel, so I doubt I''ll be of much help after that." "Oi, oi, oi, seriously?" A big burly man said mockingly as he held a hatchet over his shoulder and grinned while he approached Lone and Sophie. "Even though we were bein'' so sneaky like, you still detected us and got all cautious? Man, what they say about you Golden Foxkin must be at least partially true. You''ve got ears that can hear for miles around, and if ya focus, you can even hear an ant breathin'', huh?" ''Another stupid legend... Really, who started these legends and caused them to be widely spread? I wanna ask them some very pointed questions. These ''legends'' have caused me nothing but trouble thus far,'' Lone complained internally before he forced a smile onto his face. "Forgive us for being so jumpy, but it''s hardly normal to run into a group of over 20 men in these slime-infested sewers, isn¡¯t it?" "Ahaha, rightcha are, pal," the burly man replied as he flashed a toothy and dangerous grin. Lone''s smile cracked slightly. "I don''t suppose that you guys simply need to go through this tunnel, do you? We don''t mind squeezing up against the wall and letting you lot through if so. We were actually just leaving after having completed a quest from The Adventurer¡¯s Guild." The man slowly shook his head. "While I''d love the chance to surround yous, that could backfire and you could kill a handful of us while we play nice, so no." He then took out two slave collars from a pouch on his waist. "Now, here''s what''s gunna go down. You two''re gunna slap these bad boys around yer necks, then you''re gunna come with me and my boys back to the boss, ''kay?" Another man snickered. ¡°Look at the confusion on his face! Fox doesn¡¯t even know how much money¡¯s being offered fer ¡®im! The girl ain¡¯t got a bounty on her but plenty o¡¯ folk out there looking for an attractive blonde woman to warm ¡®er beds.¡± ''Fuck. There¡¯s a bounty out on me? I guess that makes some sense given I¡¯m a rare breed of foxkin, but fuck does it leave a bad taste in my mouth. A taste almost as foul as the one left by this cunt objectifying the woman I love,¡¯ Lone thought in both anger and disgust. He glanced at his side to Sophie who was already poised and ready to start severing heads from spines. ¡®Is the only option here to murder them all? I don''t want to shove a slave collar on myself... I''ll have to use up one of my three remaining unique skills slots just to override the contract magic... Fuck... what do-'' Interrupting Lone''s thoughts, the leading man of the group grinned and said, "I''ll take yer silence as a ''yessir''. It''s always good when demis know their place." Lone felt his anger rising even further at that remark. Stepping slightly closer, the muscular man stroked his chin with his free hand and he eyed the armoured Sophie from top-to-bottom. "I bet she''s a real beaut'' under all of that steel... There are rumours, but nothing confirmed. Well, either way, her body looks good enough even if she¡¯s as ugly as a horse. Me and the boys were just needin'' a way to relieve our stress, so this is perfect since the employer only wants you, Fox." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Another of the men grinned with lust oozing out of his expression. ¡°We¡¯re gonna keep ¡®er instead of sellin¡¯ ¡®er? Yer too good to us, boss.¡± Any scraps of hesitation that were still remaining in Lone¡¯s mind died right then and there. "Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction." Like dominos, four of the men in the back who were holding ranged weapons all toppled over as blood spilt out of every one of their facial orifices. Before any of the other rotten beggar-lookalikes could react, Lone leapt forward and cast another skill. "Tail Spear!" Two of his tails went right through the burly man''s torso and head like they were made of paper. The other seven tails skewered three more men, only leaving a little under 20 alive. Sophie wasted no time and used her Teleportation to get behind their attackers. She immediately began shredding the men to pieces. Many of them tried to fight back, but either she was too agile, she teleported away just in time to avoid a blow, or she moved her body perfectly so the attacks would harmlessly bounce off her armour. Naturally, Lone was far less skilled at dodging every attack coming his way, but with the few dregs of Mana Points he still had left, he was able to boost Basic Regeneration to heal himself as quickly as he was being hurt. If that wasn''t bad enough, he had also picked up the now-dead burly man''s hatchet as well as another man''s shortsword, and he was using them along with his tails to kill anyone that he could get close enough to. It was a bloodbath. Not a single person was spared. Lone was breathing raggedly and his eyes were bloodshot. A powerful throbbing was coming from the pocket in which he kept the mysterious black orb, but his entire body was pumped full of adrenaline, so he could hardly notice what was going on with the thing right now. It took him over two minutes to calm down, and once he had, the throbbing from his pocket had also stopped, leaving Lone none-the-wiser. "I feel sick," Lone said. Sophie shrugged. "You get used to it. We should collect the bodies and find a well-lit space to inspect them. They may have some clues on them in regard to who this ''employer'' of theirs was." Lone frowned. "I never want to get used to this, but you''re right. Keep watch and feel free to use up these guys'' weapons on any slimes that show up while I store the corpses." Sophie nodded before picking up two iron shortswords and then returning her two steel ones to Lone.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
The host has developed the passive skill: Hand Axe Mastery.
The host has developed the passive skill: Hatchet Mastery.
The host has developed the passive skill: Shortsword Mastery.
The host has developed the passive skill: Dual-wielding Mastery.
"A bunch of useless skills since I''m best suited for swordspears..." Lone mumbled as he continued to look through his notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Lone was a bit regretful that he hadn''t been hit just a little bit more so he could rank this skill up, but on the flip side, he was happier that he and Sophie had killed those men as quickly as they possibly could given the gruesome nature of the attack. He sighed faintly and then looked at his newly updated status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 99
Species: Foxkin Rank: F
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 17,950/17,950 [+6,040] SP: 4,113/24,970 [+5,070]
MP: 4,322/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 1,603 [+475] Vigour: 2,497 [+507]
Dexterity: 1,592 [+360] Agility: 1,842 [+402]
Vitality: 1,795 [+604] Luck: 106 [+8]
Bonus Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 49 [+3]
Magic Power: 3,846
Lone frowned as he lay there on his and Sofia¡¯s bed in their room at the Amberbark Inn. "So murdering people really is the best way to gain stats, huh?" Sophie who was in the middle of taking her blood-soaked armour off nodded. "We told you so, did we not?" Lone frowned. "Yeah... you did... Well, I doubt I''ll ever gain enlightenment from a large group of weak people, and I didn''t get a single point of Charm nor Magic Power, but every other stat got a boost, most of which were massive." Sophie smirked. "Have a taste for blood, now do we?" Lone glared at her. "No. I''d much rather kill a mindless monster any day over people... even shitty people. I wish I could have talked us out of that..." Sophie shrugged. "Unless Persuasion can reach a point that it allows you to literally bend people''s minds, you will never be certain that things shall not descend into a senseless bloodbath." Lone nodded at that and put his hands behind his head. "I really wish I could learn that skill the foxkin kids used to disguise themselves as humans... It''s such a fuckin'' shame that that was a racial skill..." "Ah? Is that what that was? We just assumed you did not want to ask children for a skill and reveal that you could learn anything after experiencing it only once," Sophie said nonchalantly as she stripped off her underwear and wandered over to a dressing cabinet to grab a new pair. Lone kept his eyes glued to her lithe hour-glass body as he replied, "Well, yeah, that''s also true. But thinking about how useful the skill looked since we only found out thanks to Soph seeing their actual shapes via your Mana Sensing, I thought I''d research it a bit and ask the matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan to teach it to me. That''s when I found out it was a racial skill and can only be learned by the Crimson Foxkin Clan, so I''m pretty confident I can''t obtain it. Just like how no matter how much you trained, you¡¯ll never earn Tail Spear." Sophie glanced over and noticed him unashamedly staring at her nude body. Grinning mischievously, she asked, ¡°Like what you see?¡± Lone nodded. ¡°Always have, always will. By the way, do you know the most commonly documented racial skill for humans?¡± ¡°Bold of you to assume we bother reading when you do more than enough of that as it is for the both of us,¡± Sophie replied as she turned away, seemingly upset at not being able to successfully tease him. Smiling, Lone replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know its name, but apparently, it makes a human far, far, far more virile. It¡¯s why humans are one of the more prolific species on Altros and why they can have kids with a handful of non-human species.¡± "Of course. A skill to make oneself horny? As if we need that considering the current state of our relationship. Regardless, getting back on topic,¡± Sophie said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°But I love being off topic,¡± Lone fake complained. Sophie ignored him as she continued, ¡°It may be worth looking into more illusion magic. Surely there is a skill you can earn that achieves the same thing as their racial skill.¡± She then walked to the foot of the bed and slapped Lone''s foot gently. "Anyway, shall we have a bath now? We wish to rid ourselves of the foul smell covering our body." "Sure," Lone answered as he sat up and collected his thoughts. It had been a long day, so some rest didn''t sound all that bad before they had to return to the guild and hand in the slime cores. B1: Chapter 65: Communication Orb and Rotten Country "I beg your pardon?" a man toiling away over an accounting book of some sort asked sharply towards the woman who was standing on the opposite side his desk. She adjusted her glasses and frowned. "It''s as I said. I ordered Growol and his merry little band of rapists to capture the foxkin. That was six hours ago. They should have been done two hours ago at most even if they molested the woman with him. I sent a small group of five down into the sewers to see what was taking so long, and oddly enough, in one of the tunnels, there were signs of fighting, though not a single body or even a drop of blood could be found." "And the foxkin and his ''master'' are merrily walking through the streets of Ranton as well?" the man asked as he brushed his hair back with his hand in frustration. The woman nodded. "That''s correct, Sir. It seems that we''ve underestimated him." "Where is he heading?" The man had an impatient look on his middle-aged and handsome face. Frowning once more, the well-dressed lady replied, "The Adventurer''s Guild." "Fuck." The man hung his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "How were 20 men who were all at least D-rankers unable to subdue two F-rankers? I smell bullshit... Ha-ah... Anyway, there''s no doubt that he''ll squeal to that damned dragonkin... Keep an eye on him, and if he''s ever secluded, let me know. I''ll capture him myself." "But sir, there''s no way the grand guildmaster will overlook that considering how rare Golden Foxkin are. Thugs in a sewer is one thing, you, a nobleman, acting personally, is another. I think our window of opportunity has passed..." the woman advised regretfully. The man stood up and shook his head. "I know, but we don''t have a choice. He''s easily worth his weight in ruby-gold coins. You know as well as I do how many lunatics of the underground scene are dying to get their hands on a nine-traited beastkin. If we can just get him and sell him off... You and I, we can leave this festering cesspool.¡± ¡°But your title-¡± The man clicked his tongue and interrupted her. ¡°A noble title means nothing in a kingdom like Milindo. I can buy a better title in a better place with the money that fox will earn me.¡± The woman looked hesitant but nodded. In a soothing tone, the man said, ¡°We''ll go to the Taslo Empire. With their upcoming war, there''ll be plenty of opportunities to slip in there and set up a standing for us in their local underground. It¡¯ll be simple as well to buy a large estate and perhaps a title if needed. It''ll be our retirement." The woman adjusted her glasses again in an effort to hide her rapidly reddening cheeks. "I hope it turns out that way..." "It will, I promise. We just need to make no more mistakes or experience any more hiccups. We can do this, you hear me, Jess? We can, and we will. We have to. Duke Malik has been sniffing around all Milindo a lot more recently, and he''s already caught wind of a few of our less important branches. It''s only a matter of time before he finds the trunk... before he finds us. We¡¯re lucky he¡¯s shifted his focus to illegal mages as of late. We have no choice but to take this chance, so trust me, okay?" the man requested in a charming and almost pleading tone as he approached the woman and gently caressed her cheek. Her expression hardened upon being reminded of Henry Malik and his efforts to purge not only Ranton but all Milindo of what he deemed to be ''filth''. "I trust you, sir. I always have and always will." "Good," the man replied as a devilish smile wormed its way onto his face.
Now all cleaned up and refreshed, Lone and Sophie returned to The Adventurer''s Guild. Lone purposefully waited until their usual receptionist, Charles, was free, and he then approached the man''s desk with the fully armoured Sophie by his side. "It''s good to see you two again," Charles greeted with a warm smile on his face. Lone nodded. "Likewise," he said and then slid a silver coin across the desk. "I have the slime cores from the quest we accepted, but I also have something that I''d like to report in private again if you have the time." Accepting the payment, Charles nodded. "Follow me. We can deal with your request reward in the private room at the same time as your report." Lone smiled in relief. "Perfect. Please, lead the way." Charles nodded, and Lone and Sophie were soon led to the same room that they''d been in when they had informed the guild of the Manasilk Spider Queen. After seeing that Lone and Sophie were comfortable - and making sure the sound-sealing enchantment was properly in place, Charles gave Lone and Sophie their reward for killing 25 slimes after he had collected the cores from them. With that out of the way, Charles wore a worried frown. "Has a Slime King appeared? I don''t doubt that with your talents that you two wouldn¡¯t struggle subduing a Slime Chief, so for you to request a meeting, a king must have appeared, no?" Lone shook his head. "It has nothing to do with slimes." Charles seemed confused. "Then what, Mister Immortus?" ''I''m taking a risk here by relying on the guild, but they seem uncorrupted, so here''s hoping I''m not setting myself up for betrayal...'' Lone sincerely prayed to himself. "When we were down in the sewers, a bunch of men who we think were from the slums attacked us." Charles frowned. "Would it not be wiser for you to give that information to the city guard?" Lone smiled mockingly. "Like I can trust them. Practically every human of status that I''ve met outside of the guild has been a speciesist piece of shit. If I told them, I''d likely get arrested for lying or something. Hell, I''m half expecting the guys who attacked us to be somehow in league with the authorities. They were too well-organised and had a clear purpose when attacking us. Even if Sofia spoke in my stead and I played the submissive slave, she''d just get brushed off and given the cold shoulder, I bet." Charles looked a little bit hurt by that. "I''m sorry for my people''s actions against you, Lone. For it to be so bad that you have no trust in them... You have some level of protection as an adventurer. This is common knowledge across the entire continent. There was once a time that a guildmaster was secretly murdered in his sleep by a kingdom''s soldiers under the orders of their king. Not a month later, Grand Guildmaster Sarah showed up and removed that king from his position with her own two hands." Sophie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Removed how?¡± ¡°Violently,¡± Charles chuckled. Lone nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s protective or adventurers, especially those above silver-plate or those working in the guild branches.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Charles laughed a little bit and said, "Of course, she wouldn''t go so far for a normal adventurer, but every single adventurer on the whole continent is free to use her name to protect themselves. You don''t have anything to fear from Milindo''s guards." Lone shrugged. "Can I just entrust this to the guild, please? I''d feel more comfortable doing that. You''re one of the few humans that I have faith in, and Guildmaster Elksworth seems to be a man with plenty of justice in him, and he''s a fellow demi. If you won''t take my request seriously, then can I please talk to him? I''ll pay any fee you want to make up for taking some of his time." The men who had attacked them didn''t have any incriminating evidence on them in regard to their employer, and Lone most certainly did not want to waste time and effort on finding whoever was behind this attack. He had more important things to do ¨C namely, getting stronger. He and Sofia couldn''t flee the country until the tournament was over, and that wouldn''t happen for another three weeks unless they wanted to potentially be chased down by a powerful mage, so until then, Lone wanted to rely on The Adventurer''s Guild if he could. Charles furrowed his brow and sighed softly. "I understand. I can''t afford to bother the guildmaster since he''s so busy, but I''ll certainly try my best to deal with your req-" "Ah, so it was you, Lone," a chuffed voice said as the door that led to the staff-only section of the building behind Charles opened up. Spinning around, the receptionist questioned in surprise, "Guildmaster... Should you not be handling the daily noble complaints?" Gilbert stroked his goatee and flashed a charming smile. "You''re the only employee with the balls to call me out, you know that, right? Don''t worry. I''ll deal with those arrogant stuck-up pricks later. For now, Lone, something''s troubling you, yes?" the White Dragonkin asked. "Tell me about your problems. I''ll see what I can do to help, hmm?" Relief and a certain sense of elation could be seen on Lone''s face upon hearing those words. "Sure, and thanks."
Gilbert frowned as he stroked his goatee after hearing Lone''s explanation regarding the men he had encountered with Sophie in the sewers. "Troubling. Very troubling." Lone smiled wryly. "Um, we won''t be arrested for this, will we? I just don''t want to be attacked again, which is why I''m risking our necks by telling you all of this." Gilbert chuckled softly. "Don''t worry, my boy. Killing those men was, yes, technically illegal, but is The Adventurer''s Guild an institution of the law and local rules? No. It is an institution of peace and exploration. I have no obligation to reveal what you said to anyone. Of course, we try to follow local laws and customs when possible, but we¡¯re not under oath to do so." Lone sighed in relief upon hearing that, and some of his tension left him. "That''s reassuring to hear. I figured as much, which is partially why I felt comfortable reporting this, but yeah, hearing it directly from you, the guildmaster, certainly helps put me at ease." Gilbert nodded. "I know you don''t want this information to be public, so I won''t contact Milindo''s city guard, as useless as those fools are. Here, take this," he said as he reached into his pocket and then placed a partially cracked orb that was about the same size as an average person''s fist. Both Lone and Sophie looked at the object curiously. Sophie cocked her head to the side as she inspected the orb. "That thing has a lot of magical power in it. Is it a weapon? We feel that if we forced some of our mana points into it then it would create a massive explosion." Both Gilbert and Charles were scared by such a morbid idea. "Thankfully it''s impossible to apply mana points directly into this, so no, it is not a weapon. You¡¯re very perceptive, however." That was likely true normally, but Lone had witnessed Soph forcefully extend the life of his Illusionary Dome by injecting her mana into it ¨C an impossible task conventionally. He had a feeling that if she or Sophie tried to, they could make this magical sphere detonate like an atom bomb. ¡®Scary thought.¡¯ "Then what is it?" Sophie asked. "It''s a fairly rare and very valuable communication orb. It only has thirty or forty more uses in it before it shatters, but it''ll work well enough," Guildmaster Gilbert explained before saying, "Lone, I know you have lightning magic so you have MP, and Sofia, if you can detect magic ¨C I¡¯m very jealous by the way, I don¡¯t have a skill for that quite yet ¨C then you too, can use this artefact. If either of you ever get into a bit of a pinch, contact me immediately with this. You just need to let some of your mana flow out of you while holding the orb and it¡¯ll activate, linking it to the sister orb I hold, allowing for long-distance communication." ¡®He can¡¯t detect magic? Is that a rare power? To be fair, Mana Sensing is unique¡­¡¯ Lone was initially in awe at such a wondrous item, but he quickly came to his senses and shook his head. "This''ll be very useful, but there''s no way that I can just take this from you. How much would it go for on the market? I''ll pay you what it''s worth. I''m not swimming in gold, but I have some wealth." Gilbert chuckled. He picked up the orb and walked over to Lone and Sophie''s side of the table. Once there, he grabbed one of Lone''s hands and placed the sphere into it. "Take it. That thing is worth way more than you could ever pay me, and I don''t need it anymore. I used to use it to talk to my uncle, but he''s been nagging me to return to our clan for far too long, so I don''t need it now." The dragonkin laughed a bit more strongly. ¡°The old bastard. He got so upset I stopped answering him, he sent me his orb saying it was collecting dust due to my negligence, hence why I have both. And tell me, what¡¯s the point of that? Two different people need to possess one each for them to have any worth.¡± "But... I really can''t accept this in exchange for just nothing. It could save mine and Sofia''s lives," Lone''s sense of personal honour was stopping him from simply taking Gilbert''s kindness at face value. Gilbert laughed again. "You can and you will. You''re an honest kid, but seriously, if you want to give me something, then simply don''t die. I never had the chance to meet the reclusive Golden Foxkin before their clan mysteriously disappeared a hundred years ago, so I feel it''d be a great show of disrespect to them as well as to Altros herself if I irresponsibly let one of the only two known Golden Foxkin in the world die to some criminal thugs. More seriously, I¡¯d be the biggest disgrace of all beastkin if I didn¡¯t do everything in my power to protect the only known nine-traited one to currently exist." ''Two known Golden Foxkin? Huh.'' Lone didn''t know what to say. "Uh... Well, thanks. I guess I can''t really refuse you at this point, huh? I swear, I''ll pay you back for this somehow." Gilbert slapped Lone''s shoulder with care and closed his eyes as his handsome face grinned. "Just keep adventuring. Also, don''t let the fact that you killed some people wear you down too much, okay?" Lone''s eyes shook. "Wha-" Gilbert''s grin only grew. "Despite how young I look, I''m still over 400 years old, you know? You? You''re actually young, anyone with a bit of wisdom could see that with but a glance. So, don''t let it eat away at your heart, okay, Lone? It was a you or them situation. Try not to lose too much sleep over them dying, will you? If it helps, no one will miss them. Not you, not I, not the people they knew, and most certainly not history itself." Lone genuinely had no words for that. He stood there silently as he tried to find the proper way to respond. Seeing her lover clamming up, Sophie took the initiative. She grabbed Lone''s hand and bowed her head. "Thank you for the advice. We are sure he will take it to heart." "The same applies to you, young lady," Gilbert claimed with a wise tone in his voice. Sophie sneered a little. "If we are young, then what does that make you? Nothing more than seminal fluid? Regardless, thank you again. We shall not forget this favour of yours. We will not keep you for any longer than this." With that having been said, she led Lone out of the room. Just before they left, however, Lone snapped out of his trance-like state and thanked both Gilbert and Charles before leaving a small sack filled to the brim with gold coins.
Gilbert had his hands clasped behind his back as he made his way back up to his office. He was humming happily as his mind wandered. ''What a good child. Wealthier beyond his means, too. What Sofia said bothers me somewhat. While insulting words, there was meaning there. She truly thinks herself to be older than me. How? She¡¯s a human at a low rank and while short, she looks no older than twenty or so.¡¯ His racial skill truly could be a massive annoyance at times. ¡®For all I know, she could be a demigod in disguise. Hah! Wouldn¡¯t that be something? Regardless, she seems to genuinely care for him, and she serves as a good anchor to teach him not to hate humans... The auction is being held just after the tournament, isn''t it?'' Gilbert thought. Auctions were commonplace all over the continent¡¯s many kingdoms, empires, and ruling factions. Milindo was no exception to that despite how primitive the kingdom seemed to many. The upcoming auction, however, was particularly special for a few reasons, only one of which Gilbert cared about. His eyes narrowed as he used one of his hands to stroke his goatee. ''Yeah. Let''s do that. They should be perfect. The unexplained wealth could go a long way¡­ I can''t let that bastard Malik get his hands on the baby, or worse, the royal line. The sooner it and Lone can leave Milindo, the better. Neither are safe here in this rotten country.'' B1: Chapter 66: A meeting of Tails and Bastions Arrival A few days passed by peacefully for Lone and Sofia which was a welcome thing to the both of them. Sadly, they weren''t quite so lucky in regard to adventurer quests, and that was wholly a result of the aggressiveness of the hero, Daisuke Tamiko. The Japanese man had been taking each and every single quest that needed something killed. Lone couldn¡¯t help but worry about the young girls this kingdom had allowed him to legally own. He was a C-ranker, and while his elven slave was a B-ranker, apparently, the foxkin girl was much weaker than them both. ¡®Fingers crossed he isn¡¯t working them to death.¡¯ In regard to Sophie, seeing no reason to be in control due to the distinct absence of fighting, she went dormant while Soph become the main personality for Sofia once again. Lone was tempted to contribute most of his days¡¯ time to doing menial fetch or manual labour quests to boost his plate ranking but decided against that. Instead, he spent his mornings fully taking in Grimsley''s teachings while he left the city in the afternoon to practice his offensive magic on himself to train both his magic and his resistances to it. When he returned in the evenings, he''d spend time chatting with Soph as he read a book or two before finishing out the day by practising his Creation Magic. As a result of this new routine, a good chunk of Lone''s skills had levelled up a great deal.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 15% faster and 15% more skilfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8 [+6 levels]
Passive Skill: Weaponsmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft weapons 15% faster and 15% more skilfully. Additionally, the weapons crafted by the host will do 15% more damage.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8 [+6 levels]
Lone was rather proud of how much these skills had grown as of late. He could clearly feel himself getting better at forging in general and weapons specifically as he soaked in all of the information about metals and the craft that Grimsley was willing to lecture him on. Though Lone had noticed that his Stone Dwarven mentor had seemed... distracted recently. And not as a result of his copious alcohol consumption. ¡®I do wonder what that¡¯s really about. He¡¯s pretty young for a dwarf from my understanding, so it¡¯s not old age biting at him. Then again, it would be rude to pry. We all have our own worries and stresses, don¡¯t we?¡¯ Lone thought as he moved on with his skill reviewal.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Lightning Bolt
A standard application of the lightning magic school where the caster focuses the element of lightning into a condensed bolt of pure lightning.
Cost: 2,000 MP
Mastery: Intermediate Level 5 [+2 levels]
Active Fire Magic Skill: Fireball
A standard application of the fire magic school where the caster focuses the element of fire into a condensed ball of pure fire.
Cost: 2,000 MP [-500 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+6 levels]
Active Water Magic Skill: Crude Waterball
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Waterball] Water Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 25 [-50] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. [New!] The ball passively contains 25% more of the normal force which will explode upon impact. The MP cost to invoke this skill is slightly [down from greatly] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 1,250 MP [-2,500 MP]
Mastery: Expert Level 7 [+23 levels]
Active Air Magic Skill: Crude Wind Blade
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Wind blade] Air Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 25 [-50] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. [New!] The blade is now 25% sharper. The MP cost to invoke this skill is slightly [down from greatly] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 1,250 MP [-2,500 MP]
Mastery: Expert Level 7 [+23 levels]
Active Earth Magic Skill: Crude Boulder
An incredibly rudimentary application of the common [Boulder] Earth Magic skill. Due to its crudeness, 25 [-50] lines of Ancient Magic Speech must be chanted either verbally or mentally to invoke this skill. These lines will automatically be spoken or thought by the host when the host intends to use this skill. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. [New!] The earth magically created during the skill''s usage is passively 25% harder than regular earth. The MP cost to invoke this skill is slightly [down from greatly] increased due to its inherent flaws.
Cost: 1,250 MP [-2,500 MP]
Mastery: Expert Level 7 [+23 levels]
¡®It¡¯s so interesting that just because I practised them all equally, they all levelled the exact same amount,¡¯ Lone thought. For any other person, their talent and natural affinity for the different magics would dictate if they could learn the skills at all, needless to say how quickly they would gain mastery in said skills. ¡®Growth Accelerator is definitely my most powerful unique skill,¡¯ Lone noted. Of course, his resistance skills for these different magic schools had naturally grown as well since he used the skills on his own body to multitask.
Passive Skill: Lightning Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Lightning Magic. Lightning Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+3 levels]
Passive Skill: Fire Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Fire Magic. Fire Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1 [+4 levels]
Unfortunately, those two were the only resistances to rank up. Even if he continued to hit himself with Crude Boulders, Crude Waterballs, or Crude Wind Blades, his resistances to their respective schools of magic wouldn''t grow past Intermediate-Level-one. Of course, this could be due to the strength of the crude spells, so Lone was still hopeful that his Lightning Bolt and his Fireball would be able to assist him in raising their respective resistances beyond Intermediate-Level-one and perhaps even into advanced rank. Lone cracked his somewhat stiff neck as he returned to the Amberbark Inn from the library with Soph, however, unexpectedly, the receptionist Phil looked rather relieved to see him instead of slightly happy and mildly bored like usual. It was rare for the man to have a day off from his herbalist''s apprenticeship, so he was always immersed in a book as he absentmindedly handled guests during the few times a week that he was given the night shift in place of his sister. "Lone, you''ve got a guest. She''s in the backroom playing chess with dad, but she seems to have come here specifically just to see you, and she wouldn''t take no for an answer, so, uh, yeah. You don''t have any enemies, do you? Or a secret lover maybe? She''s gorgeous - if not a little bit on the mature side," the young man commented a bit nonchalantly. Lone''s eyebrow arched up in interest. "Unless she''s secretly the hero or maybe a crime lord, then no, I don''t think she''s my enemy. Well, I guess I''ll go meet her, huh?" Phil''s face cracked. "I hope that was a joke..." Regardless of Phil''s reaction, Lone glanced down at Soph and asked, "Wanna come with? I think we both know who my visitor is, right?" Whispering, he added, "I don''t know how she''ll feel about you since you''re a human." Soph slowly shook her head and answered in a soft tone with, "Um, you''re right... I, hmm¡­ I''ll just return to our room. If anything happens, don¡¯t blame me if Sophie does something violent." Lone smiled and nodded. "Phil, can you help Soph back up to our room? My tails usually act as her walking canes, after all," he lied. "Right, she''s blind. It''s hard to remember that at times if I don''t look right at her." Phil sighed and cracked his neck before he got up, walked around his desk, and then lightly grabbed Soph''s hand. "Well, let''s go then. I was just at the good part of my book too. Do you need me to carry you up the stairs as well, or are you fine with just me leading you by the hand?" Soph smiled softly as the air around her changed. "We shall be fine. Your hand is enough, young man." "''Young man'' she says,¡± Phil chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re what, one, maybe two years older than me? I¡¯ll give you three since you¡¯re so short,¡± Phil said mostly in jest as he shoved his free hand into his pocket and began helping Sophie up the flight of stairs that led to her and Lone''s room. Lone smiled wryly as he walked past the reception counter and pushed open the door to the backroom. ''Soph''s such a wallflower... As much as I love her, I don''t want to be the only person she can talk to besides herself... Well, she''s halfway there with Grimsley, so there''s that, I suppose. Her defaulting to switching out with Sophie when she feels awkward is a bit of a problem though.'' He shelved his thoughts when he saw Kerny. "Ah, Ninetails. It''s a pleasure to see you again," Lefakern said as his barky face smiled. He was sat at his usual chess table while an unbelievably gorgeous middle-aged woman was sitting on the other side of the board across from him. Lone nodded and replied, "You too, Kerny." The lady raised her ponderous face and smiled warmly towards Lone before she moved her queen. "Checkmate, Mister Lefakern." Stroking his leafy beard, the Lesher laughed. "I was wondering when you would put me out of my misery. I suppose it only made sense that you were waiting for the ninetails. Well then, I shall take my leave. I trust you both to not make a mess in here, yes?" Lone looked confused but nodded regardless. The lady closed her eyes and bowed her head respectfully. "Good. Well, Ninetails, I''ll be retiring early, so we''ll have to postpone our usual match until tomorrow evening," Lefakern said with a friendly grin strewn across his bark-encrusted skin. "Uh, sure," Lone replied. After that, the Lesher exited the room, leaving only Lone and the mysterious woman inside. Glancing at her, Lone asked, "Is it safe to assume that you''re the matriarch the kids spoke of?" The woman smiled and waved her hand, dispelling the illusion covering her body. What was revealed was a woman with the exact same body shape, size, and face, but her hair had turned bright red, her human ears had been replaced by two fluffy ones similar to Lone''s, and she had seven luscious and gorgeous tails swishing calmly behind her. Also, oddly enough, the tips of her tails, ears, hair, and even the centre of her eyes were all a striking yellow. She stood up and approached Lone. "I am Lossa Redtail, the current matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan. It is a pleasure to meet you." Lone would be lying if he said that he wasn''t rather nervous right now. ''She''s meant to be really strong, right? I wish I was a B-ranker so I could tell how strong, exactly... Well, here''s hoping this doesn''t go tits up. She came here to help me after all, right?'' Trying his best to ignore his rising paranoia, Lone stuck out his right hand for a handshake and replied, "Lone Immortus, bronze-plate adventurer and Golden Foxkin, I suppose?" Matriarch Lossa chuckled faintly as she looked at Lone''s outstretched hand. She batted it away softly and wrapped her arms around his back instead. "You have no idea how good it is to meet you." "Uhh..." Lone wasn''t exactly used to being embraced by beautiful women besides Soph and Sophie, so he wasn''t specifically sure what to do in this kind of situation. ''Is this a foxkin tradition or something? For some cultures on Earth, hugging new acquaintances upon greeting was pretty standard, so it isn''t that weird... right?'' Sensing his mild discomfort, Matriarch Lossa pulled back. "My apologies. It''s been a long time since I last saw a Golden Foxkin... I had a... friend amongst your race and he meant a lot to me. To see his kin still lingers on Altros... That gives me hope. I almost didn''t believe Trella when he informed me of a second Golden Foxkin''s existence who also happened to be in Milindo." "Also in Milindo? I''m not the only one?" Lone asked in confusion. He''d heard about another Golden Foxkin from Gilbert only recently, but the comment was so off handed it had caught him by surprise. He had assumed the other Golden Foxkin was, well, nowhere near him. Especially not in the same country as him. A brief look of disappointment flashed across the woman''s face before she sighed. "Of course things would be more complicated than I''d initially hoped... Come, sit. Why don''t we have a chat? It seems that we have much to discuss." Nodding, Lone replied, "Sure."
"Ahhhh, finally!" a young man with dashing good looks and curly blonde hair exclaimed as he stepped out of his carriage. "I''m finally completely free from the damned fishy smell of Ros!" Following him out of the horse-drawn vehicle, Ceela - Lord Griffset''s ''hired'' adventurer rogue - wore her frown under her skin. "Young lord, shall we find some lodging first, or should we make contact with the Golden Foxkin''s owner?" The young man, Bastion, waved his hand dismissively. "My friend George lives here. We often send letters to each other, but now that I''m actually in Ranton, I''m sure his father wouldn''t mind lending us a set of guestrooms. He may be a duke while my father is only a margrave, but I doubt he''d refuse us imposing on him." Ceela did not like the sound of that. She did not like the sound of that at all. "Perhaps some more subtlety would be more beneficial for us and our goal, young lord? Your father and Duke Leston are not on the best of terms, so when Lord Griffset discover-" Bastion slapped her across the face. "Don''t ever talk back to me again, okay? I''ll leave contacting the filthy demi to you while I and George catch up and have some fun." Ceela held her throbbing cheek and bit down on her tongue. ''Rotten nobles. Like father like son... Damn it... If only... If only I was stronger, then maybe I could protect you, Mum, Izzy, Al... One day, I swear on the Primals, I''ll kill them both...'' The thought of slitting the throat of the young man in front of her and imagining Lord Griffset choking to death on his own blood as his fat body turned into a cold corpse calmed her down greatly. She bowed her head politely and replied, "Of course, young lord." B1: Chapter 67: Talk With Lossa and Resolve "Where to really start, that¡¯s the issue, huh?¡± Lone chuckled. Lossa smiled at him kindly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your upbringing in the Golden Foxkin Clan?¡± ¡®Ah, fuck. She thinks I¡¯m over a hundred years old and related to a clan she likely had some ties to,¡¯ Lone groaned internally. He wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with this, really. If he lied, he ran the risk of her having some sort of lie detection skill like Guildmaster Elksworth¡¯s Eyes of the White Dragon. As unlikely as that was, it still wasn¡¯t something Lone wished to risk when he wanted this woman to trust him. ¡°In truth? I just kinda woke up on an abandoned island less than a year ago. I have no memory of anything related to the clan or much else to do with Teresta, really. Sofia was with me. She¡¯s, uh, a young human woman just as clueless as I was about our circumstances," Lone said with a sigh. Lossa - who had returned to her human appearance just in case they were interrupted - frowned. "Your case is similar to the infant Golden Foxkin that suddenly appeared in this very country.¡± A look of concern entered her eyes. ¡°How did you manage to leave that island with little-to-no memories? It was uninhabited, no?¡± ¡°Abandoned, not uninhabited. Lots of goblins called it their home, haha,¡± Lone laughed. ¡°We just struggled to survive. We eventually found a wrecked ship on the island. Somehow, we repaired it and then we sailed away.¡± He rapped the table, ¡°And here is where we landed.¡± ¡°Heheh, an unfortunate place for our kind to find ourselves unprepared in. Luck works in mysterious ways,¡± Lossa commented before a sad look of hope overcame her expression. ¡°You¡­ really don¡¯t know anything about your clan?¡± Lone wore a strained smile. ¡°Sadly not. I am curious about my kin though. What¡¯s the deal with all the legends about Golden Foxkin? Why do I have nine tails while you only have seven? What this about an infant Goldin Foxkin? Is she or he related to me somehow? My mind¡¯s a bit of a mess.¡± Lossa reached over and gently squeezed his hand. ¡°I understand. This must all be so overwhelming for you. I¡¯ll try my best to answer all of your concerns. Let¡¯s start from the top, shall we?¡± Lone nodded eagerly. ¡®Finally some answers.¡¯ ¡°Legends, yes? I wouldn¡¯t put any stock in them. Your clan was always known for being secretive. So much so that only a handful of people even knew where their clan was located. And when I say a handful, I mean less than ten people ¨C myself included... It¡¯s only because of us few that we were even aware of your clan¡¯s disappearance 107 years ago,¡± Lossa explained wistfully. ¡°I think people just like to fantasise about that which they know nought of. Unless the legends are talking about how your race was one of the most powerful with its Tail Spear skill, take no stock in them,¡± she finished. ¡°Huh... That... makes a lot of sense. Fear of the unknown is a normal thing,¡± Lone mumbled in response. ¡°Hehe, right you are. Sadly. Tails, now, yes? You, my distant cousin, have more than me and that pains me greatly. You asked because I assume you have forgotten how it is that we beastkin grow our additional racial traits,¡± Lossa stated in a slightly questioning way. Lone nodded again, happy to receive some closure on this matter. ¡°Trauma is the simplest way I can answer you. How you have yet to awaken despite going through eight soul-harrowing events, all worse than the last, is a miracle,¡± the woman said. Lone noticed that she¡¯d started to tear up a bit. As she wiped her eyes delicately with a handkerchief, he asked, ¡°Awakening? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You truly are clueless,¡± Lossa said in shock. ¡°To not even know that much... What happened to you to lose so many memories?¡± ¡®Beats me,¡¯ Lone remarked internally. ¡°Awakening is both a blessing and a curse to all beastkin. We are those that are closest to the gods ¨C the Primals. Some believe us to be direct descendants of the Primals. Others think we forced a connection through heinous rituals aeons ago. Regardless, when we experience intense emotions, we are very susceptible to having a trickle of the Primals power become a part of our being. It grants us some of their strength in the form of a Primal skill but is also removes our immunity to ageing,¡± Lossa said with an accepting smile on her face. Lone raised a surprised eyebrow. ¡°The yellow in your hair and eyes...?¡± ¡°Life has blessed me with its boon,¡± she answered a bit cryptically. ¡°Enough about me though.¡± ¡®Life. That¡¯s one of the eight Primals, right? The antithesis of Death,¡¯ Lone wondered as he listened. ¡°From what I have learned of your potential relative, the owner of a large chain of continent-spanning auction halls suddenly announced that he had found the child and that he was going to sell her off to the highest bidder. Though that''s only a rumour. Some claim he never said it was a Golden Foxkin and merely a very intelligent Golden Fox thought to be a spiritual creature." ''Her? so it''s a baby girl... Poor thing... I do know what a spiritual beast is though. Milindo¡¯s library isn¡¯t entirely useless. It¡¯s just an animal with close to human-level intelligence, right? There may be more to it that the library didn¡¯t explain, right?'' Lone asked himself before saying, "Can''t you find out for sure and stop him if it is true? Or I dunno, make a private deal." While aware that slavery was legal in this country, Lone didn''t like the idea of a baby being sold to the person who was willing to pay the most for it, regardless of the infant''s species, race, or gender. As a former citizen of modern-day Earth, the very concept of slavery made him sick, let alone child slavery. "You think I haven''t tried?¡± Lossa laughed slightly. ¡°Lord Deposit is one of the most powerful people on the continent.¡± ¡°Strong enough to ignore the leader of the Crimson Foxkin Clan?¡± Lone asked. ¡°No, not strong, powerful. Of course, he¡¯s not weak by any means. Lord Deposit is a renowned master of the enchanting, space, gravity, and only the Primals know what other schools of magic. I suspect he has created or found a dimensional pocket and is keeping the infant in it while he waits for the auction to begin. He deals with emperors and Divines. A lowly person such as myself can¡¯t enter his eyes, especially when I¡¯m only interested in one potential item he wishes to sell," Lossa lamented. "I see..." Lone was just given a plethora of information to mull over, so he wasn''t sure how to aptly respond to all of that right now. What was common knowledge and what was not? Sometimes, the best way to not make a fool out of yourself was to simply say nothing at all. Lossa smiled faintly. "Let''s stop discussing such a saddening thing, shall we? While she may be your kin, she may not even be real. Let¡¯s get back to what is real - you." "Sure," Lone agreed. "Tell me, Lone. Why are you still in Milindo? From my reports, you''ve been in this country for roughly a little over a month now. I don''t understand why you would stay in such a horrible place all things considered," Lossa asked with nothing but concern lacing her words. Lone smiled awkwardly. "It wasn''t by choice, trust me. We want to leave, but I stupidly signed up for the tournament that''s scheduled to take place in three weeks. We also have temp citizenship that forbids us from leaving until it expires. I figured the tournament would be a great chance to, uh, test myself properly against other people before leaving. Also, regardless of the dangers of skipping town and ignoring the tournament, I have a blacksmithing apprenticeship here under a local dwarf. I didn''t want to cut that too short. Pun unintended." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lossa chuckled softly. "I see. You have an interest in blacksmithing? It''s good to have hobbies, but yes... The tournament, hmm? I have researched it and its rules. I assume you''re worried that Duke Henry Malik will hunt you down and kill you should you leave before the contest begins, yes?" Lone nodded. "Exactly. He''s never let anyone live who didn''t show up in the past, something I sorely wish I knew before signing up for it. I think it''d just be wiser to grit my teeth and endure any more discrimination that comes my way before the tournament begins. I''ll just lose during the first round, then leave Milindo. The duke doesn¡¯t chase those who leave before temp citizenship expires, after all. You... You''ll take us then, right? I''d personally rather not live in the wilderness again." "Heh, life on that isolated island must have been hard on you. Of course, the Crimson Foxkin Clan will welcome you with open arms. I''ll also make sure that your friend isn''t subjected to any bullying due to her being a human. I understand that you may think coming to live with us will merely reverse who out of the two of you is enduring hardships, but I swear on the Primals, I''ll ensure both of you are comfortable and cared for," Lossa said in a very understanding tone. Lone breathed out a sigh of relief. "That''s good to know. I was actually worried about that. So, uh, how should I contact you? Will you be staying here until the tournament ends, or will you return to, I dunno, escort us?" "It will be impossible to come in person again nor can I stay for much longer. As a matriarch, I''m very busy, you see. It could also be deemed an act of provocation for me to be found here given my strength and political position. Don''t worry, however, I''ll be leaving you with this," she replied as she reached into her robes and passed a bright red orb to Lone. "It''s a-" "Communication orb?" Lone interrupted. "Ah, I see you''re already familiar with such items despite your missing memories. As expected of a Golden Foxkin. Very resourceful," Lossa said with a pleasantly surprised expression on her face. "This particular orb is rather special. It can be used to contact the Crimson Foxkin Clan by injecting some MP into it, yes, but it also acts as a compass to our clan as well." She placed the ball on the now-empty chess table, and, amazingly, it slowly began rolling towards Lone, or more accurately, it began rolling eastward. Before it could fall from the table, Lossa grabbed it. "It will always roll in the direction of its sister orb. Please, don''t lose it. It was rather... difficult to convince the clan elders that you needed it. The metal magic enchantment on it granting it that magnetic effect was very expensive." Lone smiled wryly. ''Another orb that I can''t pay for. I guess I owe her a favour. There''s no way that she''ll just let me say no, will she? I kinda feel a bit iffy about it since if it can track the other orb, then the other orb can track it, and by proxy, track me... Oh well. Not like I''ve got much of a choice.'' He accepted the orb and put it in his trouser pocket for now. It bounced against the pitch-black orb that had made that very same pocket its home. ''Ah, right... this thing... Should I bring it up? Maybe Lossa knows more about it?'' Lone wondered. He gently caressed the ball as he thought a bit more on the matter. ''No. She might want it, and I''m too weak to stop her if she gets forceful...'' "Lone?" Lossa called with a worried expression on her face. "Ah, sorry. My, uh, my mind was elsewhere," Lone replied before he chose to move the communication orb to his other pocket, and he then smiled. "So, uh, is there anything else you''re curious about?" Lossa shook her head. "No, I just wanted to make sure that you were safe and well. Trella is a reliable boy, but his sister, Tiera... She can be quite... imaginative. Speaking of which, I need to thank you for teaching her a lesson in regard to her illusion magic. She''s very immature, so you seeing through her prank and letting her know the dangers of doing something like that again were very helpful. Unlike the usual four or five pranks a day, she''s settled for one or two, and always of a lesser scale, and also never involving her racial skill." "Hah, is that so? I''m glad I could help. I was only teasing her since she was trying to do the same to me," Lone replied nonchalantly. "Regardless, were you a more guarded demi, you may have killed both Tiera and Trella before realising that they were, in fact, disguised foxkin children," Lossa claimed. "Huh." Lone wore a ponderous expression. "I guess discrimination is a two-way street. One-sided racis- uh, speciesism may be even rarer than both sides mutually hating each other for the other''s words and actions." Lossa nodded. "Indeed. Very wise. Many cannot see that they are in the wrong with their unconditional hatred of humans. Pray that you don''t meet the patriarch of the Iron Ravenkin Clan with your companion. He is a great man, but he turns into a cruel monster when he meets those that are not beastkin, and when he meets humans... He turns into a murdering psychopath. It''s something I wish never to witness in my life ever again." "Sounds like a cunt," Lone accidentally spoke his mind. Lossa hid her mouth with her hand as she giggled softly. "That he is. Well, I suppose I should be going now." She stood up and brushed her knees before she fixed her robes and smiled warmly towards Lone. Quickly following suit, Lone got out of his chair and offered his hand, she, once again, pushed it aside and gave him an affectionate hug instead. "Don''t die. Were it my choice, I''d bring you back to the clan with or without your consent right now, but I respect your freedom, so please, whatever you do, don''t needlessly end your life. The Crimson Foxkin Clan shall always be your friend." "Uh... Sure, I''ll try. I mean, who in their right mind wants to die? I''m not gonna jump on a sword or anything," Lone responded, and this time, he returned the woman''s hug confidently.
"Well?" Sophie asked as she raised her body and yawned. Clearly, Soph had fallen asleep while waiting for Lone to finish his conversation with Lossa. "Like we thought, it was the matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan," Lone casually replied as he kicked his shoes off and then withdrew a custom-made chair from his Dimensional Storage and sat on it. Sophie stretched her back and nodded. "Soph could have told you that. I don''t understand why she didn''t. Perhaps because she was tired. That woman... her Magic Power capacity slightly exceeds our own, an uncommon occurrence in our experiences thus far. Only the guildmaster has surpassed us in that regard thus far. We do not doubt that if she wished to, she could have easily ended your life before you could have even considered using Mental Destruction on her." "That suffocating, huh? I guess I''m glad I can''t sense it like you can," Lone commented before taking a book out of his Dimensional Storage and then flipped it open to where his bookmarker was. "We would happily trade Mana Sensing for working eyes. She won''t admit it herself, but Soph desperately wishes to gaze upon your face with her own two eyes. To us, mana is shown in several strange and unique colours when it is coming from a sentient being. Yours is a brilliant gold. Ours is a bright light green. That woman and the children foxkin, theirs was an almost entirely see-through red. Buildings here are a light grey or an almost white hue if they are more expensive in design, and the ground is a deep-sea blue. While a beautiful sight, Soph still wishes to know what you actually look like in the flesh, what the world looks like in the flesh," Sophie explained offhandedly before she put her hands behind her head and laid back down with her head pressed against a pillow. "Right. You''ve mentioned that colour-vision before, not in so much detail, granted. It sounds amazing," Lone replied. Sophie shrugged even if she knew Lone wasn''t looking at her right now. "The wonder of anything is lost if you fully understand it and are accustomed to it." "That''s certainly true," Lone responded a bit robotically. "Well, someone''s absorbed in their book. We shan''t disturb you anymore. If you get in the mood later, let us know. We shall merely be lying here like the defenceless maiden we are," Sophie teased. "Haha, sure. Don''t stay awake on my account though. I wanna finish this before the night''s over," Lone claimed as he shook his book a bit to indicate that it was what he was referring to. "I see." Sophie didn''t say anything more after that point. Aware that the conversation was over, Lone gave his entire attention to the book. ''... The centre of this circular area is the fovea. The fovea and a small area surrounding it are not supplied by the central retinal artery or its branches, but instead by the choroid. The central retinal artery is approximately 160 micrometres in diameter... Approximately? What the fuck am I meant to do with approximately?'' Lone sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair. ''It took me over a week to make this stupid book, but why the fuck does an eyeball have so many God-damned parts? It''s gonna take me forever to fully understand how eyes work...'' His hand unconsciously reached for the orb in his pocket. Rubbing it calmed him and helped focus his mind, after all. A few minutes passed before a thought crossed his mind. ''I have this extremely detailed book... If I read it while studying actual human eyeballs... hmm... I do have the corpses of those criminals. Granted, none are women or even close to being similar to Sofia, but it''d certainly help me learn more and faster than I do and am right now...'' He glanced over at Sophie, who had picked up one of her swords and was now carelessly twirling it around in her hand as she lay there on the bed. Sensing his gaze, she stopped and raised her head. She smiled coyly at him then licked her lips. "Hungry, are we? We admit, we do look like quite the tasty treat in these revealing pyjamas, don''t we?" Lone chuckled. "I may be a bit peckish, but you¡¯re certainly thirsty, aren¡¯t you?¡± "Heh," Sophie simply chuckled back at him in response and then resumed playing with her sword. ''Yeah, I''ll do it. If it''s to help her, I... I''ll mutilate a body or two. It''s not like I could feel any more guilt for killing them already, so what''s the harm beyond compromising my morals a little bit?'' Lone decided with resolve in his heart. Of course, there was no way that he''d be able to, essentially, experiment on corpses and allow Soph or Sophie to find out. ''Hmm... She''s hardly ever more than a few metres away from me... What to do...'' The orb in his pocket simply hummed and pulsed slightly in response to his internal musings. B1: Chapter 68: Nausea and The Woes of a Noble "If you think that this is wise, Lone, then so be it," Sophie said as she tied her hair up into a ponytail and then began performing some basic warm-up exercises. He smiled and nodded his head as he watched the tall human woman on the other side of the private training field mimic Sophie with some simple movements to get her blood flowing. The person Lone had hired to help train Sophie said, "It¡¯s always wise to fight other people when possible. While adventurers tend to fight monsters, people can be pretty monstrous too when they try.¡± ¡°As if we need to know how to fight people more than we already do,¡± Sophie scoffed faintly. Lone smiled wryly. ¡°You don''t really know a good and solid sword technique that you can experiment with, let alone one that works well with your dual-wielding style. It was tough getting a trainer for you, so take advantage of this opportunity while you can. Less complaining." ¡°We can do as required and complain at the same time,¡± Sophie shrugged. "We do not have an issue with expanding our knowledge of swordsmanship, we are more worried about if you will be okay on your own without our... special abilities to rely on. Speaking of this, where shall you go while we train?" ¡®She thinks I¡¯ll get myself in trouble that requires Teleportation?¡¯ Lone didn¡¯t know if he should be pleased by her concern or insulted by her lack of faith in him. "You''re worried about me? That''s cute. I''ll just be at the library." "Very well. We suppose we shall see you in a couple of hours then?" Sophie asked with a hint of loneliness in her voice. Lone grimaced internally. ''I¡¯m not going off to war or something. Don¡¯t look so pitiful, especially when I¡¯m lying to you for your benefit.'' He suppressed the urge to tease her a bit since that would be inappropriate with another person present, instead, Lone smiled charmingly and then replied, "Sure, seeya in a couple hours."
Now wearing a trench coat to hide his tails as best as he could by wrapping them around his body, making him look exceedingly overweight, Lone entered an official government-run building that he knew was a real estate agency. ''This feels so uncomfortable,'' he thought. He was even wearing a scarf to hide his thin and handsome face. Why was he doing this? Well, he figured it''d be easier to pass off as a suspicious human rather than a stupidly rare race of foxkin that was acting independently of his ¡®master¡¯. If a bit of discomfort and sweating was all he needed to do to avoid being discriminated against, so be it. Thankfully, there wasn''t a line, and though the staff looked at him oddly initially, when he explained that he had a skin condition and began flashing his money around, he was very quickly treated like a king. At the cost of a large portion of his saved-up gold, Lone was able to purchase a secluded wooden house that bordered the residential district and the river that ran through the city separating the slums from the rest of the districts. As it turned out, owning land was an incredibly difficult thing to do. The crown owned over 70% of the buildings in the capital while the nobles owned another 25%. Only a rough 5% was privately owned, making each purchase of property an exchange of several gold coins or more. Without any hesitation, Lone went to his new property and immediately discarded his disguise once he was inside. "Fuck me, that was uncomfortable... I''m literally drenched in sweat..." His clothes stuck to his body, and he felt as gross as he did whenever he used to sit at his computer for 12 hours at a time or longer. He sighed heavily and then spent the next couple of minutes locating the basement. It only took so long because the hatch leading down was covered by a rug which had some wooden boxes stacked atop it. Once down in the cellar, Lone set up some lamps and two wooden autopsy tables. He would have made steel ones if doing so wouldn''t risk knocking himself unconscious and depriving him of his MP for several hours or perhaps even longer. "I guess I need to fill the room with ice, right? It''ll suck if the bodies up and rot before I know what I need to know. Well, here goes nothing..." With that, Lone took out his self-created book on eyes and then his first experimental subject. He then created several massive slabs of ice and immediately got to work experimenting with the eyeballs of the corpse that lay before him while he referenced his book.
The host has developed the passive skill: Cold Resistance.
Passive Skill: Cold Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from the cold. Reduces the negative effects of cold temperatures that the host experiences by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Nausea Resistance.
Passive Skill: Nausea Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from nausea. Reduces the chances that the host will experience nausea in a nauseous situation by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Lone sighed deeply in disappointment at himself. It had only been 30 minutes before he felt forced to stop. Luckily, he''d gained two skills that would make it easier in the future, but for now, just cutting the eyeballs without damaging them and without wanting to throw up all over the place was a difficult enough task as it was, let alone actually trying to learn anything. The fear in the eyes of the men that he and Sophie had killed... it chilled Lone to his very core and made him think things that were perhaps better left unthought. He quickly stored the ice and what of it that had melted along with the corpse that he had been working with, though he left the now-burnt-out lamps as well as the slightly bloodied autopsy table. Following that, Lone went back upstairs and then threw his suspicious disguise back on before leaving the house. Every few steps that he took on his way back to where Sophie was training left Lone reflecting unintentionally. Lone had never been a religious man, but he had no doubts in his mind that what he had just done was incomprehensibly sinful. ''I thought I was stronger than this... It''s for her sake so I just need to move past this... regret. The ends justify the means, right?'' To help distract himself, he thought about his two newly acquired skills, Cold Resistance and Nausea Resistance. ''You''d think that I''d have gotten that nausea skill from hearing my body repair itself or from smelling my own burning body or from being covered in my own blood and goblin blood, right? Maybe mindset matters more than I first assumed when it comes to skill acquisition and levelling,'' he wondered, all the while with a frown hidden under his scarf. Lone then silently walked through the streets of Ranton with a gloomy aura surrounding him.
Sophie panted as she felt the steel pressing against her throat. "You''re too stiff. With such a petite frame, I''d have assumed you''d be faster than that. Or nimbler, at least. How do you ever expect to hit your opponent with even one of your swords when you move like that?" Sophie''s instructor asked before she removed the blade that was pressed up against the girl''s neck. Sophie stared at the woman''s two strangely designed swords that resembled the wings of a butterfly before she got up and dusted herself off. "We apologise. We have never been formally trained before and have simply had to learn as we fought." "I can tell," her instructor replied. "My school of swordsmanship also doubles as a martial arts school that''s centred around self-defence, I told you that, didn''t I? Yet I''m still able to easily overpower you on an offensive front. Most if not all people you fight will beat you in pure strength, both physically and stat-wise. You need to overcome that with skill." The woman picked up a towel that was on a bench in the courtyard and then tossed it to Sophie. "Wipe yourself down. We''re done here for today. You need far stronger leg strength and a lot more flexibility in your arms if you wish to learn from me. Starting tomorrow, I will exclusively be helping you build up those things. We''ll discuss swordsmanship when you''ve got a basic understanding of the martial arts front first." Sophie nodded. "We understand." She was a snappy and strong-willed person, but she knew that her instructor was absolutely correct. Sophie had already learned a great deal and even gained a single level-up in her Dual-wielding Mastery just from the two hours that they''d been sparring, so arguing now would only be counterintuitive since she had all of the evidence she needed to know that her instructor knew exactly what she was talking about. ¡®We suppose that fool did not waste his money. Centuries of experience mean little in the face of actual training,¡¯ Sophie reflected. "Pardon our rudeness for asking, but what is the name of this martial arts style of yours?" Sophie asked as she began wiping her sweat away. "Hmm?" Surprised by this, the instructor replied, "Most students only want to get stronger. It''s rare to find someone actually interested in the art''s name. Not that we get many students anyway since dual-wielding is rare. It''s called ''Wing Chun''. It actually originated from a summoned hero who hailed from a place known as ''China''." Sophie was shocked by this. She¡¯d heard of this ¡®China¡¯ place from Lone before in passing when he spoke of their shared home world. She kept her face stoic as she replied, "From a hero? That''s incredible. Why do more people not learn this martial art then? We are surprised that you accepted so little money to teach it to us." The woman shrugged. "It''s less than 200-years-old. People don''t have much faith in such a young school of fighting. Anyway, it looks like your slave has returned. Be here tomorrow at the same time. If you feel up for it, tonight, find a set of stairs and try to run up and down them at least 20 times without stopping. That''ll be a good start to building up your leg muscles." Sophie nodded politely as she watched her instructor leave. Once the woman was gone, she turned to Lone and asked, "Have fun at the library, did you?" Lone didn''t answer. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the girl and hugged her tightly. He pressed his face against her neck and closed his eyes. Sophie was, needless to say, both embarrassed and confused. "Are you okay, Lone?" "I''m fine," he muttered in response. Pulling away briefly to kiss her and then return to smothering his face with her shoulder, he added, "I just missed you." ¡®And here we were thinking we were the clingy one...¡¯ Sophie''s face turned bright red. "Is that so...? We missed you as well." "Let''s go home," Lone said flatly. "I''m exhausted." "From reading books?" Sophie questioned teasingly as she finally responded to Lone''s hug by wrapping her arms around his back in kind. She suspected that his claims of reading were perhaps not entirely true, but she couldn¡¯t smell another woman on him nor were there any suspicious magical traces lingering upon his golden sheen. That being the case, she didn¡¯t really care what it was he was really doing. If he wanted to keep his activities secret, then pry she would not. "Haha... Yeah, something like that," Lone replied with a weak laugh.
"George, I''m telling you, I have contacts here. Even if I rarely get to leave Ros thanks to my father, I still get to meet some very interesting people. After this whole demi nonsense is behind me, please, come with me to experience the... finer aspects of Ranton, free from the eyes of the church or the crown," Bastion requested of the lanky boy that was walking alongside him. George Leston the Third, son of Duke George Leston the Second, smiled wryly. "Um, you know I''m not comfortable doing... shady things." "Please, we''re nobility, George, nobility. You? You''re even the son of a duke! Only His Royal Majesty or the crown prince are above you in authority. What''s a little bit of fun every now and then? I even hear that Duke Malik''s daughter is interested in a less... standard nightlife experience. You wouldn''t want to see her being taken advantage of if she explored such a thing on her own, now would you? With your power, you could easily invite her out to show her how to properly enjoy herself without risk of unwanted dangers," Bastion temptingly offered. "E-Emma is interested in such things? In that case... I... I''ll consider it," George tentatively replied. At that moment, Bastion''s guard, the C-ranked steel-plate adventurer Ceela, opened her mouth. "Young lord, we have arrived." "This place?" Bastion asked in disgust as he glanced at the wooden structure in front of him that only had three floors and a simple sign hanging above its door that read ''Amberbark Inn''. "What on Altros is a fellow noble doing staying in a place like this?" "I think it''s kind of quaint," George said as he scratched his cheek with his index finger. Bastion scoffed. "I suppose it could be viewed like that. Anyway, let''s get this over with. The sooner, the better." He shoved open the door and confidently strode right through the reception, only stopping in front of the desk that had a commoner girl sitting behind it. "Hi! Can I help you?" she excitedly asked. Bastion scowled in displeasure. "We seek the girl who owns the Golden Foxkin. We have come to talk to her. Bring us to them or have them presented to us." He usually didn''t like using the formal speech of the nobility, but he could hardly allow himself to speak casually towards a peasant that he didn''t directly own, now could he? He could at least do this much to uphold the dignity of the Griffset family name. "Ah, Lone and Sofia?" Grella asked. "I''ll go tell them you¡¯re looking for them now. They sure are popular, huh?" With that casual remark, she quickly got to her feet and then clambered up the stairs at the side of the room. "What a rude commoner. I should have her tongue cut out for not speaking to me like the nobleman that I am," Bastion complained. George laughed awkwardly. "That''s a bit archaic, isn''t it? The ¡®we¡¯ too. Isn¡¯t it? Only royals should do that, really¡­" Bastion tilted his head. "No? Father does it all the time. The punishment of course, isn¡¯t done to fellow noblemen or, of course, adventurers, since the guild protects them." "I-I see..." George scratched his head and smiled as best as he could. The boy was too soft for Bastion¡¯s liking, but his power was nothing to be scoffed at so put up with his naivety he would. B1: Chapter 69: When The Bottle Bursts and Consequences "Two well-dressed men and an adventurer woman?" Lone asked in confusion as he held the door to his and Sofia''s room open while he looked down at Grella. Nodding her head, the young woman replied, "Yup! They''re probably nobles, so I wouldn''t keep them waiting for too long. Bye!" With that said, Grella scamped down the hall and then out of sight, presumably using the stairs to head to the ground floor of the inn. Lone sighed. "As energetic as ever, that one. Still, nobles?" He frowned before he closed the door and looked at Soph who was relaxing on the bed. "Sounds like we might have trouble. I''ll need you to change into Sophie, please. It seems like her noble act is required." Soph nodded. "Mmm. Um, be careful..." Her countenance turned frosty as a sharp look entered the short woman''s eyes. "Do we act mute and blind, or just blind?" "For now, act both. I won''t say that you''re mute though. It depends if they''re related to the Malik household. The duke''s daughter is the only one that thinks that you can''t speak, after all," Lone suggested. Sophie was silent for moment before she said, "The mana signatures do not match. Although one of them has mana that we do recognise. We know not of where, however. Our memory is not perfect.¡± Lone winced. ¡°Small world. Fingers crossed this goes well. Ha-ah, well, let¡¯s get this over with. We¡¯ve acted our way through a noble run-in once before, we can do it again.¡±
Ten minutes later, both Lone and Sophie were ready. Once they had come down to the entry-hall of the inn, an unfamiliar woman with short blonde hair and a pointed expression on her face called out to them. ¡°Follow me, please,¡± she said stoically. Lone guessed this woman was the adventurer who had accompanied the two presumed nobles though he couldn¡¯t see a visible adventurer plate on her. Call it intuition. She did carry herself like an adventurer, after all. He followed her into the inn''s backroom when prompted. Waiting for his and Sophie¡¯s arrival were two young boys no older than 15 or 16, of which, Lone recognised one of them while the other was a stranger to him. The one he knew was the very same teenager that had stopped to speak to him when Sophie had gone shopping for silks and the like. Immediately, Lone bowed his head. "I offer my and my master''s greetings to Young Lord Leston." He then looked at the other boy and smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, young lord. I know not of whom you are." "You remember me?" George said in surprise while Bastion simply snorted arrogantly. "I could never forget such a prestigious man as yourself," Lone replied. ¡°I still think fondly on the kindness you offered me on our first meeting.¡± George Leston blushed slightly upon receiving the praise while the other boy was looking at Lone with a judgemental eye. "I am Bastion Griffset, son of Margrave Griffset: the lord and ruler of Ros. You would do well to remember my name, slave," Bastion said as his eyes landed on Sophie. "Well, at least you look the part. What on Altros is such a beautiful and wealthy noble doing in such a run-down shack of an establishment? That dress alone is likely worth a countryside estate." Sophie ignored him and elegantly sat down without showing any care nor consideration for Bastion and George. Neither spoke up since, while a short woman, she was still clearly older than the two and neither knew her actual noble rank nor which kingdom or empire she and Lone hailed from. Just how Lone liked it. George didn''t seem to mind her rudeness at all really, but Bastion¡¯s silence was soon broken when a few moments passed without Sophie offering her greetings. "I am the son of a margrave. Did you not hear me? Foreign noble you may be but respect me you shall!" the petulant boy demanded. Lone smiled wryly. "I speak on my lady''s behalf. Please forgive her actions. If possible, would it be okay for your esteemed selves to explain what it is you wish to discuss with her? I shall answer in her place." "A slave talking for his master?" Bastion snorted. "What fanciful nonsense." George slowly nodded. "No, I''ve heard of such things before in foreign kingdoms. The Principality of Raod is known for such customs. It¡¯s a sign of wealth and prestige if a servant or slave can eloquently speak their master¡¯s mind for them." "Is that so?" Bastion seemed sceptical and unwilling to talk to a demi, but if that was what the customs of the noble girl in front of himself demanded, then so be it. "We are here to purchase you, slave. I do not see your slave collar, however." "I wear it on my ankle," Lone interrupted coldly. ''I''m sick of these jackasses. If they aren''t picking on me, they''re picking on Soph, if they aren''t picking on Soph, they''re lusting after Sophie, if they aren''t lusting after Sophie, they''re lusting after me. I. Am. Fucking. Sick. Of. It.'' The orb in his pocket responded to his feelings and happily throbbed in response. "I see," Bastion said before he looked at Sophie. "Five golden coins. That''s quite a fair price, no?" George Leston seemed shocked at the offer and Lone noticed that the adventurer woman had scowled for a split-second before retaining her stoic expression. Lone didn''t even give Sophie the chance to shake or nod her head. "Five gold coins?" he asked before reaching into his pocket and he then grabbed exactly five golden coins. He rudely and roughly threw them at Bastion, resulting in them tumbling to the floor. "Yes, it''s a very fair price to be given the pleasure of never seeing your face ever again." Lone honestly didn¡¯t intend to treat the arrogant young lord like a wishing well, but something had just snapped in him. It was very satisfying chucking his coins at the boy, but he also immediately started bricking it. Bastion seemed stunned. Stunned, then very quickly enraged. "Ceela! Cut his hand off and sever his tongue! How dare a worthless animal look down on me like I''m some simple commoner!" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lone had no idea how powerful the adventurer woman was nor how loyal she was to Bastion, so without any hesitation, he willed his tails to snake through the air until they were pointing at Ceela, Bastion, and George, three each, of course. He was a man of equality, after all. "If you even so much as try to hurt me, I''ll kill you all." There was an eeriness to Lone''s voice as the orb in his pocket was practically vibrating in glee. "I''m sure you''ve heard the rumours about my kind, yes? Tails tougher than steel." The adventurer who Lone now knew was called Ceela very quickly assessed the situation as best as she could. She seemed hesitant and a bit scared by Lone¡¯s reckoning. "What a mess," an unamused voice called. Its owner was Guildmaster Elksworth who had entered the room with Lefakern at his side. The Lesher sighed softly and wore a disheartened look. Lone snapped out of his sudden thirst for blood and smiled a bit wryly. "Uh, I know this looks bad, like, really bad, but I swear, there''s a good reason." "I know you, demi," Bastion spat out. "Guildmaster Elksworth, correct? Execute this beast! He is one of your adventurers, is he not? If you shan''t do it, then by the Primals, someone else will." Gilbert''s expression hardened. "Is that so? On my authority as the guildmaster of Milindo''s head branch of The Adventurer''s Guild, I hereby grant protective sanction to the adventurers Lone Immortus and Sofia Vladimirovich. Pack your things, you live in the guild''s residential floor now." Bastion¡¯s face was painted with fury. Seeing that, George quickly stood in front of him and said, "Bastion, don''t. He''s a double-S-ranker. Not even my father can beat him in a one-on-one fight for sure. Let''s just back off, okay?" Running his fingers through his hair, the young lord of Ros nodded. "You''re right. I expect a public apology by the end of the week as well as some sort of tribute. Farewell." George smiled apologetically and awkwardly at Lone, Sophie, Gilbert, and Lefakern, before he followed Bastion who''d marched out of the room. Ceela avoided making eye-contact with Gilbert as she trailed after the two teens. Gilbert gave Lone a look that made him feel more ashamed than he''d ever felt in his entire life. "Come with me, both of you."
"Mister Lefakern''s inn now has to be placed under the direct protection of the guild just in case those noble children try to use their influence to ruin it. We''ve also been forced to compensate Mister Lefakern for this with cold hard coin. Not only that, but when Margrave Griffset learns about this through the skewed account of his son''s retelling, no doubt, special and racial tensions will only further spiral out of control. It may even affect the elves and dwarves living somewhat peaceful lives here, not to mention the rarer species like our mutual Lesher friend," Gilbert said in a tone bereft of any amusement. "Thank the Primals I had adventurers keeping tabs on your inn in case something like this ever happened, otherwise, I don''t like to think about what would have happened had I not been notified of those boys approaching you two." "I, uh, I can pay for any damages..." Lone offered. Gilbert shook his head. "I don''t want your money, Lone, I want an explanation. Why did you threaten the life of a fellow adventurer as well as the lives of two noble children? I thought you were smarter than that." Sophie nodded her head. "We also wish for an explanation. Had you not acted so rash, we would have sent them off after a firm refusal. We are a princess, so no doubt, they would have backed off. We only need to buy enough time for the tournament to come and go. All else after that shan''t matter as we will leave this country. What brought on this sudden spell of hasty impulse?" Gilbert wore a surprised expression after hearing and no doubt getting confirmation from his racial skill that Sophie was, indeed, of royal descent. "I... I don''t know..." Lone hung his head. "I guess the stress of being looked at like an animal every time we walk down the street was bottled up so much that it exploded? The same thing almost happened with the hero when we met him, so maybe I was just at a tipping point? I don''t really know..." Gilbert nodded. "That makes sense, even if it''s still unreasonable. I understand that being treated like a trade good rather than as a person is very insulting for a proud Golden Foxkin, and no doubt, had you wished to, you could have killed all three of them even though that adventurer was a C-ranker, however, doing so would have been beyond foolish." "I understand that now. My mouth and my body moved on their own," Lone said. Gilbert sighed. "It''s okay. What''s done is done. As I said, you''ll be living here in the guild until the tournament. George Leston is a very reasonable young man despite being a duke''s son, but Bastion is the culmination of everything that is wrong with a nobility-supporting governmental system. If you need anything, just find a member of staff. You can use one of the guild''s training grounds free of cost, but you''re banned from taking quests." Sophie frowned. "Why?" "I can''t have you both dying to some hired assassins. While very illegal almost continent-wide, assassin guilds are still very, very real," Gilbert answered. "Not only is Lone a Golden Foxkin but now I''m learning that you''re a princess. I''d rather not deal with the fallout of a foreign princess dying, thank you very much." Sophie¡¯s face wore a regretful expression. She clearly hadn¡¯t meant to let that slip since while it was technically true that she was the daughter of the mighty Grand Prince of Kiev, Kievan Rus¡¯ ruler Vladimir I Sviatoslavich, Keivan Rus didn¡¯t exist anymore. Lone frowned. "I realise and understand the seriousness of my mistake, but please, allow us to take on quests. At least ones that are based outside of Ranton. I don¡¯t doubt trouble will be made for us within the capital¡¯s walls, but without? Surely we¡¯d be fine, right?" "No. Never will a day come that I stop regretting the death of a Golden Foxkin should such a thing happen due to my actions. If I allow you two to leave this building, then you will almost certainly be either arrested and executed before I can arrange for the Grand Guildmaster to do something, or you will be assassinated. End of story," Gilbert said in a no-nonsense manner. Sophie lowered her gaze to the floor before she sighed deeply and then stared up at the guildmaster. "We can teleport freely and instantaneously. Lone also has an ability that allows him to kill anything in less than a moment. Should he so desire, he could end your life right now." "Sophie!" Lone was very against revealing anything to do with their unique skills or the fact that they were technically heroes and he had made that very clear to both Soph and Sophie, which was why he felt so betrayed right now by her revealing this to a man who could passively detect lies. They didn''t even know if Lone''s Mental Destruction could kill someone as strong as Gilbert. It could instantly end the life of anyone that was up to three ranks stronger than Lone, yes, but above that? It also didn¡¯t work on those with strong soul or magical defences. Given Gilbert was a renowned gravity mage, it was likely he could resist the skill to some degree. Their current running theory was that if he spammed the skill he could kill stronger entities, sure, but that was a theory, nothing more. Lone had hardly had the chance to use all daily attempts of the skill on one being. "Shut up. If we can trust anyone, it is the guildmaster. You got us into this mess, and we only have two ways to fix it. One would cripple us for a whole month, which we will not allow unless there is no other choice. You will close your mouth and let us reveal what needs to be revealed. Either do that, or we shall agree with Gilbert, and we shall personally work around the clock to enforce your house arrest." She turned and sharply looked at Lone''s face with those dead eyes of hers. "Do you understand?" Lone flinched. ''That... that would be an issue. I can still probably sneak out of here to work on fixing her eyes, but not if she''s watching me with her Mana Sensing like a hawk...'' he thought. "Uh... Yeah, sorry." Gilbert chuckled. "It must be nice to have a strong-willed woman to help ground you, hmm? You are very frightening when you wish to be, now aren''t you, Sofia?" The girl just smiled sweetly in response. "Well, unfortunately, I know that you''re not lying, which either means that you''re insane or that you are both a far bigger deal than I first imagined. Very well, I''ll make some exceptions, but I shall choose what quests you go on personally and I am coming with you when you take them. It''ll eat into my paperwork and result in some backlog building up, but that doesn''t matter since it''ll only be for a month," Gilbert said. Sophie nodded. "We agree, don''t we, Lone?" "Yeah, uh, thanks. Really, I know I fucked up, and you didn''t have to help us, but here you are, offering us an olive branch. I don''t know how I could ever repay you," Lone said with sincerity. Gilbert grinned. "I''ll ask for the same thing I asked of you when I gave you that communication orb. Live," he said. "Now, is there anyone you need to be informed of your new living arrangements?¡± B1: Chapter 70: Mounting Worries and Daisukes Pettiness "If you wish to continue your master-apprentice relationship with Lone Immortus, you must do so at the guild from now on. This is for his own safety," said the man who had knocked upon the door of Grimsley¡¯s smithy a little after eighth bell. Grimsley furrowed his brow. ¡°What¡¯d ¡®e do?¡± The guild employee hesitated for a moment before sighing and saying, ¡°He threatened the child of a margrave while in the presence of the child of a duke. Can¡¯t say I blame him since they were trying to forcefully buy him.¡± "''S''at so?" Grimsley asked more rhetorically than seriously. Regardless, the employee nodded. "Yes. It¡¯s rather¡­ ridiculous. He¡¯ll be living on the residential floor of the guild building now. " "Hahaha, fookin'' helluva cunt, aye?" Grimsley remarked. "Leave it tae Lone tae go an'' fookin'' put some snobby-arsed pricks barely ootta the womb in their places." The guild staff member smiled wryly. "Indeed, well, my job¡¯s done here. I have other messages to deliver." "Aye, off wae ya," Grimsley rudely said as he waved his hand dismissively. "Cheers fae fillin'' ma in." The employee bowed his head politely and then promptly left. Immediately following, the happy look on Grimsley''s face vanished and was replaced with one of raw depression. He closed the door and made his way over to his new casket of dwarven ale. "Things arnae goin'' well wae Shana, an'' now Lone''s gone an'' got ''imself on hoose arrest?... If ah cannae find ah contract mage in the next fortnight, ah may have tae just pack up shop an'' flee... ''At damn''d sack ah shite of an ''ero... ''Ow the fuck''d ''e get the bright idea tae start sniffin¡¯ around the slums?"
"I still don''t know nearly enough," Lone complained as he lay there on his bed in his and Sofia''s new room on the residential floor of The Adventurer''s Guild. According to Gilbert, all guilds contained a first floor, a second floor, and a residential floor. The first floor was where most actual operations of the guild commenced. The second floor was mainly a pub on the front end while the backrooms were where the offices of the more important members were, including the guildmaster¡¯s study. The residential floor was on the same level as both the first and second floor, so Lone didn¡¯t understand why it had a unique name. Regardless, it usually cost a gold coin a month for accommodations which he and Sofia were now privy to free of charge. Lone was currently staring blankly at the ceiling as he went over his knowledge regarding eyeballs since he had nothing else better to do. "Don''t know enough about what?" the short woman curled up on his chest asked as she rubbed her eyes wearily. Lone smiled and kissed the top of her head. "About you, you adorable blob of cuteness." Soph pouted. "I''m not a blob... I''m not getting f-fatter, am I?" Lone grinned. "So what if you are or ever did? I''d love you all the same, but no, you''re not. Sophie is still getting lessons from her swordsmanship instructor, so, if anything, I think you''re starting to get some real muscles. The barely visible but slightly toned kind." "I-Is that bad?" Soph worried. Lone laughed. "No. It¡¯s nice. I¡¯d love you no matter your shape or size." "O-Oh..." Her face became a blanket of embarrassment. Seeing that the conversation had ended, Lone returned to his thoughts but kept them private this time as he stroked Soph''s golden-blonde locks. ''I can barely recreate the dead eye of a corpse, let alone a perfect one that works. This is going to take me months to do... Either months or I risk it and let the system or whatever the fuck controls my Creation Magic to take full control and fix Soph''s eyes for me, but I have no idea if that''ll even work... Can it change something''s very nature?'' Lone had no answer to that question, and, honestly, if he wanted one, he feared what he''d have to do to obtain it. A few minutes of pondering passed before they both heard someone start rapping their knuckles against the door. "Yes?" Lone asked. "Guildmaster Elksworth has selected a quest for you to go on with him. Meet him in the main lobby as soon as you possibly can, please." "Oh, okay, we''ll be right out," Lone answered.
"It only took you ten minutes to get ready?" Gilbert asked as he glanced at Lone''s loose and comfortable adventurer gear and then at Sophie''s bulky equipment. "That''s rather fast for such complex armour." Lone smiled. "I''ve gotten good at dressing her." "He''s better at undressing us, though," Sophie teased. "That, I did not need to know," Gilbert said with a short laugh. "Anyway, we''ll be on our way then if you''re both prepared?" Lone nodded. "Yeah, we''re good to go. Um, will you be fine in those loose robes?" Guildmaster Elksworth was draped in a pair of white robes that matched the colour of his horns and his dragon tail. On those robes could be seen many golden runes that certainly looked magical, though Lone had no idea if they were just decorative or if they had any actual effects. "Ah, these? I''m what the world calls a master mage. In simple terms, that means I have over five skills in a certain school of magic which are all at the master rank. Are you curious as to what schools?" the handsome man asked with a grin spread across his lips. Lone, a fanatic of all things magical as evidenced by the fact that he still kept the strange black orb with him wherever he went, quickly nodded. "Absolutely." "Haha, well, you''ll have to wait and see, now won''t you? Where''s the fun in simply telling you?" Gilbert asked rhetorically. "Anyway, the hope is that I won''t have to use any magic during our adventure. On that topic, I chose a quest aimed at C-rankers with no plate restrictions. I''ve seen you both training and while Sofia is probably more suited to quests for E-ranked adventurers, if you can really teleport as freely as you stated, then you should be just fine," he said as he whispered that last part. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Awesome," Lone replied excitedly. "So, uh, what''s the quest, exactly?" "We''re hunting some Blue Orcs," Gilbert happily answered. "With a bunch more adventurers too."
"Why is he here?" Lone asked as he tried his best to not subconsciously glare at Daisuke Tamiko, Milindo''s summoned hero. Lone, Sophie, and Gilbert, had just arrived at the designated area for the adventurer coalition, which had gathered to wipe out the main camp of the Blue Orcs who had been terrorising the local countryside. "Because he found the orc''s fortress, and because he wants to personally one-up you two. He still thinks that you are responsible for ''stealing'' the Manasilk Spider Queen from him. The foolish boy," Gilbert explained.
Daisuke narrowed his eyes upon seeing the guildmaster appear with the foxkin slave and gorgeous light-skinned woman roughly his age, by his estimations. She was short, but she had the refined features of someone in their late teens or early twenties. He idly wondered how she would taste as he listened in on the crowd of adventurers commenting on the group of three. "By the Primals, is that the guildmaster? What''s he doing here?" "He''s even in his battle robes... I''ve never seen him in action before... Will we get to see him fight today?" "Man, I hope not. That''d be... problematic." "R-Right. Wouldn''t want to get outdone by a demi, of all things..." "Why''s he with that other demi and the girl in heavy armour though?" "They¡¯re under a protective sanction after offending some noble kids." "Huh. I did hear the guildmaster was biased towards demis, but I try to ignore rumours... Guess even as a guildmaster, he can''t help but look out for his own kind." "I still don''t get why our guildmaster is a damned demi... Any human could run the place better than him." "Right? I got told I was too cruel when I asked for a silver plate promotion exam. What a load of horseshit. He''s just being hard on humans." ''Retards,'' Daisuke thought. ''It''s obvious that he''s the guildmaster to uplift the image of demis in Milindo. The grand guildmaster is trying to spread that equality BS that the guild is so proud of.'' Daisuke wasn''t really a racist in any regard, no, he just didn''t believe in equality. He felt it was a pointless ideal that was impossible to realise so long as people existed. Back in Japan? Sure. Maybe he was a bit of a xenophobe. Foreigners got all the attention while he was treated as if he didn¡¯t exist. Here though he was the foreigner. Here he was the hero with a slave harem. Why be racist when every species and race had its fair share of beauties for him to conquer? "Can you all shut the fuck up? I''d like to get this quest over and done with, personally," Daisuke rudely shouted with an arrogant tone to his voice. ''The sooner we''re done killing these oversized pigs, the sooner I can get back to Ranton and raid that idiot dwarf''s home. I swear to God, if he does have Harem Member Three hidden in that smithy of his, then he''d wish he was dead by the time I''m through with him.'' Gilbert nodded, though a bit unwillingly. "Indeed. I am merely here to observe and keep you all alive or to step in if the chieftain is far stronger than our initial estimates." He then glanced at Daisuke. "I''m also present to make sure no... unfortunate accidents happen." The Japanese hero shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s not an accident if it¡¯s intended.¡¯
Lone looked at the supposed hero¡¯s slaves who seemed to be even more lifeless than when they had last met. The young foxkin girl''s tail was clearly missing a lot of its fur, and the elf girl''s silky-smooth skin had become a bit drier and she seemed... thin. Unnaturally so. ''Is he starving them?'' Lone wondered in anger. ''Bastard. They''re only kids, for fuck''s sake... What a scumbag... I''m really curious what kind of a person he was before he came here... Was he always a sick fuck, or did he become one as he lived here? Sadly, both seem probable.'' Regardless of Lone''s upset and revulsion at Daisuke, the quest proceeded. There were exactly 20 adventurers not including Gilbert, so they decided to split up into groups of five. Daisuke insisted on being grouped up with Lone and Sophie, and, of course, no one refused him. In fact, some even thanked him for taking the hit of working with a demi, though, to Lone''s eyes, these appreciations all seemed a bit... false. ''I''ve got a bad feeling... Did he group up with us to stealthily betray us or something? But with Gilbert here, that''ll never work... What are you up to, you sick fuck?'' Lone asked in thought. Daisuke ignored Lone''s inquisitive gaze as he said, "Don''t hold me back. These useless meat shields are more than enough already as it is," while pointing at the teenagers in rags following him. Not waiting for a reply, he led his slaves over the rear wooden barricade of the Blue Orcs fort. Lone furrowed his brow. Their goal was to flank the chieftain along with another group while the other groups distracted and slowly wiped out the regular Blue Orcs. "Damn it. I kinda want to just stay here, but I''d feel like fuckin'' shit if we let those girls die..." Lone muttered. Sophie shrugged. "We do not know, perhaps death would be a kinder fate for them." "Tell that to the you that was chained up in a cave for over a century," Lone retorted. "Point taken," Sophie replied. "Anyway, let''s move quickly. The frontal group is almost upon the largest mana signature." Lone nodded and then crouched to allow Sophie to step on his cupped hands. With tensed arms and a deep breath, Lone launched Sophie over the wall. Not a moment later, he had jumped over himself very nimbly. "I was worried you weren''t coming," Daisuke said. "I''d have been pissed off if we actually had to fight that thing. Especially since it''s enraged." Lone was confused by the hero''s words. He quickly tried to scan his surroundings only to see Daisuke''s slaves very hastily slitting the throats of the children and the stomachs of the females who were all cowering submissively in fear. The pair of girls were also filling wooden buckets with the blood and guts that spilt out. ''What''s that for? Some sort of blood magic or something? But then why did Daisuke say something so clearly traitorous?'' Lone''s mind was spinning, and he wasn''t sure what to do. The other group of five adventurers were putting their all into dodging or blocking the crazed movements of the nine-foot-tall chieftain who was trying his hardest to make it to his struggling family - to the future of his clan. Daisuke smirked and then said, "I''ve been meaning to find a good spot to get rid of those useless sacks of shit. They hardly put out anymore since they''re so lifeless, making them deadweight. Well, this is also perfect to get my payback for stealing that spider from me." The hero''s hands moved faster than Lone could react, and before he knew it, both he and Sophie were covered head to toe in Blue Orc guts and blood. Daisuke had swiftly taken the buckets from his slaves and poured their contents over them. "I think I''m gonna be sick. What a stench. Well, just so you know, I paid off the other groups to intentionally struggle so that retarded goat will have to help them if he doesn''t want them to die. See you in the afterlife, well, if demis go there." Daisuke cast a wistful glance in Sophie''s direction before he shook his head and disappeared over the wall. ''... What the fuck just happened?'' Lone asked himself as he struggled to keep his lunch in his stomach. He quickly moved to clear his face of the blood and internal organs that were now smeared all over it. Seeing the hero flee, the five adventurers enduring the chieftain''s attacks immediately threw a smoke bomb of sorts to the ground and then vanished just as quickly as Daisuke had. Sophie hastily wiped the gory mess from her helmet''s visor, and she wore a frown on her face. "Fight or flight? We can catch that slimy bastard if we so desire." At that exact moment, the chieftain whipped his head around and saw the brutal mess that was his wives and his children. He had been too late. He then saw the blood-soaked daggers in the hands of the two slaves and he very soon found himself glaring at the gut-covered Lone and Sophie. "Graaaaaaaahhhh!" he yelled in fury before he put some strength in his hind legs and began charging towards the four of them. Lone unstrapped the swordspear from his back as he tried his best to stop his hands from violently trembling. "I''ll kill that motherfucker. I fucking swear to God, he''s fuckin'' dead. Dead." Sophie unsheathed her shortswords and got ready for what was bound to be a difficult battle. B1: Chapter 71: Axe and Compression Lone tightly held the grip of his swordspear and he glanced over at the two slaves ¨C perhaps former slaves now ¨C before looking at Sophie and saying, "Keep them safe." "What about keeping you safe?" she asked in return. Lone smirked through his rage-filled expression. "I''m not the one who''ll need saving between me and him." Sophie wore a worried look on her face but nodded, nonetheless. "Very well. Do not let your anger at the hero distract you. The time to deal with him will come." "I know... Trust me, I know." And with that, Lone kicked his feet off the ground and lunged toward the Blue Orc Chieftain that was no more than a few dozen metres away from the four of them. The monster, while as enraged as him, perhaps even more so, clearly saw him as no threat. Lone guessed it saw him to be akin to a bug that now needed squashed. Lifting its six-foot-long axe, the chieftain made a casual swipe at Lone with no skill nor finesse at all, although, for all of its inelegance, that single swing had every last ounce of the Blue Orc Chieftain¡¯s strength behind it. These people had invaded his land, set fire to his homes, butchered his people, and mercilessly killed his men, his lovers, and his children. Just like they had done to its people, it would offer no less savage brutality back to them. Lone raised his swordspear to block the attack but he was too late to realise his crucial mistake. While full of power, the swing was slow enough for him to have dodged and only lose a tail or two. Sadly, his inexperience was on full display here. Even an A-ranker might struggle to effectively block such a weighty strike. The steel axe head that was easily the same size as Lone''s entire torso met the blade of his swordspear with more than enough force to topple a single-story building. Lone''s muscles bulged, and his face morphed in pain as he tried to keep his footing, but less than a second later, the top half of his swordspear shattered. He quickly and instinctually created his bone armour around the area the axe was mere inches away from hitting. It was his hope to not lose his arms in the exchange. Better they be broken and useless than severed and gone. The less Basic Regeneration had to work here, the better. The weapon smashed into Lone¡¯s guarded right wrist and instantly shattered every bone in the limb. It went so far it almost cut the arm clean off before the sheer momentum and force of the swing drove the crushed, nearly severed arm, and the massive weapon itself, into Lone''s side, breaking his ribs and crushing his organs. He was lifted off his feet and flew like a rocket into a burning hovel. "Ha!" the Blue Orc Chieftain laughed disdainfully. "Puny. Weak. Unsatisfying. Dead already." Its bloodshot eyes then focused on the fully armoured Sophie who was standing in front of the two motionless slaves with her swords drawn.
Sophie was panicking. Soph, meanwhile, was wailing and sobbing her soul out within their shared mind. They had both just watched the man they loved so dearly be overwhelmingly outclassed by this brutish freak of a monster. If it had, indeed, killed her lover as it claimed, Sophie swore to herself that she would perform genocide on all orcs, blue or not, and then¡­ and then she didn¡¯t know. Both she and Soph were far too reliant on the foolish man now for any other course of action, both physically and emotionally. ''We will die if we are hit with that much force...¡¯ Sophie surmised as she carefully watched the wrath-consumed beast stalk its way towards her. ¡®Lone can¡¯t be dead! He can¡¯t!¡¯ Soph screamed. Sophie frowned but ignored her softer side. ¡®Will it die if we grab it somewhere and teleport as high as we can then let go? It worked with the goblins easily enough, but this thing is far stronger and far taller¡­ Even if it only cripples its legs, we can then teleport it into the fire and watch in glee at it is bathed in the flames that now consume the corpses of its disgusting ilk¡­¡¯ Several more similar and just as brutal forms of death-by-torture popped up in her mind, and the moment she was about to enact upon these thoughts, a voice roared through the destroyed camp. "Who the fuck do you think you''re looking at, you ugly cunt?!" Lone yelled as he burst through the hovel''s wall fully clad in his white bone plate armour. As a result, the burning building collapsed in on itself. Sophie¡¯s heart unclenched but she kept her eyes trained on the orc very carefully. ¡®We will let you finish this fight, prideful fool. One more scare like that, however, and we are going to make what the templars did to us seem like a blessing when compared to what we¡¯ll put that lumbering freak through.¡¯
Lone¡¯s arm was fully healed, and every crushed organ and shattered bone had been completely restored, the sound of it happening was only masked by the sounds of the roaring inferno surrounding them. Of course, this had left no small dent in Lone''s MP reserves. The Blue Orc Chieftain looked over at Lone in confusion. "Not dead? How? No matter. These females. They matter to you? Me kills them then. Revenge." A vicious snarl escaped the monster¡¯s tusked mouth before it raised its axe once more. "Like fuckin'' hell you will!" Lone shouted then began running towards the chieftain. He raised his palm and cast his tried-and-true spell, "Lightning Bolt!" With a powerful-sounding crack, a thick beam of blue energy arched out of Lone''s hand and hit the Blue Orc Chieftain''s right arm, resulting in its muscles tensing up and a few blood vessels bursting. Annoyance surfaced on the orc''s face. "Fine. You want die first? You die first then!" You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. It yelled a bellowing war cry and used its uninjured arm to throw the massive axe right at Lone. ''He fucking threw it?!'' Of course, that had shocked Lone immensely. He barely avoided the weapon by putting every fibre of his being into focusing his eyes to follow the spinning of the weapon. Being hit by its shaft could knock him out while being hit by its blade would undoubtedly cut him clean in half. He was already moving too fast to realistically evade to the side and dodge the axe, so his only option was to time the weapon''s movements and rely on his Evasion Mastery and his Agility to either powerfully jump over the thing or slide under it. ''Fuck! It''s so hard to track... Slide it is!'' Lone made his choice. The axe''s blade came within mere millimetres of Lone¡¯s nose as his entire body scraped along the dirt underneath him. It was as if time had come to a crawl when Lone heard the sound of the metal cutting through the air and he felt the wind pressure blasting onto his face as a result of the axe tearing the space where he, himself, once was mere milliseconds ago. Before long, Lone¡¯s perception of time returned to normal when sweat immediately flooded his entire body. His muscles and tails contracted and tensed up, and he used them to push himself back up onto his feet and resume his running. All of this had happened in a little over three seconds. "You swift, Fox. You swift, but you swift enough to dodge this?" the chieftain asked mockingly as he clenched his fingers together and seemingly made to punch Lone''s entire chest with his hulking fist. "Lightning B-" "Dodge!" Sophie yelled. "Huh?" Lone had no idea what Sophie was going on about. Why had she suddenly yelled at him to dodge? Why had she distracted him and stopped him from casting his spell? Now, he was almost certainly going to be hit by this behemoth''s attack. Whether through his own or Sophie''s Luck, or by pure chance, his body moved by itself and ever so slightly inclined itself to the left. The next moment, his right arm, leg, and three of his tails were severed as the chieftain''s axe soared through the air until it returned to the orc''s hand. "You like magic, Fox, yes? Then you like my axe, yes?" the monster taunted. "You die soon. Me leave you to die slow. Watch me kill your females." Lone tried to push himself up but he couldn''t muster any strength at all. Blood was gushing out of the entire right side of his body, and he didn''t have even close to enough MP to forcefully seal his wounds after having already healed his previous injuries. Coughing up even more of the sticky red liquid that was vital to his survival, Lone fought through the pain and said, "Like hell you will, you overgrown fuck! Mental Destruction!" The Blue Orc Chieftain''s raised arm stopped mid-swing towards Sophie who was preparing to teleport out of the way and undoubtedly fight the creature herself. Blood leaked from the monster¡¯s eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth, before its massive frame toppled to the ground. "Sophie..." Lone called. After quickly confirming that the monster was dead, the girl sheathed her swords and rushed to Lone''s side. "Are you okay? Can you heal before you bleed to death?" Worry and fear painted the cold beauty''s usually stoic expression but Lone saw the emotions lingering beneath. Dark, evil thoughts were hidden just under the surface of her obvious feelings. He ignored that and instead chuckled. "Maybe. I really didn''t expect the axe to fuckin'' fly... Didn''t you- Keh! Didn''t you sense the magic in it?" Sophie shook her head. "Everything has magic in it, the question is just the quantity. We have never encountered a magic weapon before, so we had no idea... We... We are sorry." Lone smiled weakly. "It''s fine. What''s done is done. Keh!" Another mouthful of blood escaped his lips. He turned his head to look at the Blue Orc Chieftain¡¯s corpse. ¡°Bring me its axe. I... keh¡­ I want it before someone else nabs it.¡± Sophie scowled but instantly disappeared then reappeared. She then, upon feeling the sheer weight of the weapon, teleported again to a position that left the tool in Lone¡¯s only remaining hand. ¡°Thanks, Love,¡± Lone managed with a disturbing smile as he directly stored the magical weapon. "Now, what I need you to do may sound stupid- keh!¡± Another mouthful of blood was ejected from his lungs before he continued, ¡°but I will probably be fine, so just do it, ''kay?" "We shall do whatever you require," Sophie answered immediately and without hesitation as she cradled Lone''s head in her arms. "I remember that you can overcharge things with MP, right?" Lone asked. He could already feel his consciousness slipping away, and if he allowed it to, he wasn''t certain if his Basic Regeneration would keep him alive or not. This was his first experience of losing this much blood so quickly, after all. "Of course. It was how Soph maintained your illusion around the fort when you were almost burnt to death by that Goblin Mage''s Crude Fireball." Sophie had just realised Lone''s plan. "You cannot be serious, can you? That is not a technique that we have a skill for nor have we practised it. We could make your entire body explode. We believe your chances are far greater if you simply sit still. We will find something to clot your bleedi-" "As if anything can clot the entirety of the right side of my body!¡± Him raising his voice triggered another fit of bloody coughing. When that settled down a few painful moments later, he said, ¡°Hell, for a start, would you- Keh! Would you teleport us out of here? Those two''ll die if they inhale much more of this smoke," Lone said with a smile on his face. Sophie felt her eyes tearing up out of frustration. "Why are you worrying about some useless slaves when you are mere moments away from death yourself?!" Lone closed his eyes and chuckled through his coughing. "They''re only kids." Just as he was certain she would complain once more, what was left of his body suddenly felt weightless. Lone struggled to force his eyes open only to see that he, Sophie, and the pair of abandoned slaves, began floating in the air. Lone''s eyes followed the movements of Sophie¡¯s head and he saw Guildmaster Gilbert looking down at the burning orc fortress with a down-right furious scowl on his face as he stood in the air above them. Lone watched in silence as the powerful dragonkin mage used his magic to move them all a few hundred metres away from the fort, and he then walked right up to Lone''s body. "Please, save him!¡± Sophie begged. ¡°Whatever the cost, we shall repay you 50-fold. If you can just stop his bleeding, that will be enough!" Gilbert didn''t respond and simply used one of his hands to rip off the breastplate section of Lone''s Bone Armour before he placed a palm on his chest. "Root of Life." Tree roots suddenly sprung up out of the ground and encapsulated Lone. They glowed with a bright green hue. The last thing Lone saw before he was wholly encapsulated was Sophie closing her eyes with a wince of pain on her face. ¡®Magic was too bright, I¡¯d bet,¡¯ he chuckled mentally. A few moments passed before the roots retreated into the grass beneath them and Lone''s body was revealed. All his injuries had been miraculously healed. He was half-naked, of course, but his three missing tails, his severed arm and leg, well¡­ they had all simply returned to normal as if they hadn¡¯t been separated from his body only a minute or two ago. Lone slowly sat up and cancelled the rest of his Bone Armour, making the white bones recede back into his flesh before he suspiciously touched his newly regrown limbs. "How...?" That frown of Gilbert''s never left his lips as he held his hands behind his back and stared at the raging fires that threatened to raze the entire surrounding grasslands and nearby forest to ashes. "I am a master of both gravity magic and nature magic with some middling success in enchantment magic. What I just used on you is a spell called ''Root of Life'' of the nature school of magic. So long as you are not dead, I can use the energy of the land, Altros its very self, and have it stimulate your natural healing powers. It can only be used once every three months, and it should have taken you over a month to completely heal from such grave injuries," the centuries old dragonkin explained dryly. "... I see..." Lone said, feeling a bit shell-shocked. Gilbert sighed as he raised his hand and pointed his open palm towards the ever-burning fortress. "Gravital Compression." The entire orc stronghold as well as everything within 50 metres of it began violently shaking. Not a second later, it all slowly pooled together into a single spot no larger than a single foot wide. The earth, the wood, the bodies, the fire, everything. It all just... compressed into a little cube. Gilbert nodded then brought his hand down to his side. With a thunderous boom, the cube plummeted right through the soft ground beneath it and disappeared. "Now, we have some talking to do, you and I, Lone. Specifically, about a certain ''hero''." B1: Chapter 72: Conversation and Plans For The Slaves "Where is he, that traitorous scumbag?" Lone asked as he sat up properly. He rested his arm on his bent knee as he examined his body¡¯s condition to distract himself from his seething rage. Lone was surprised to notice that he felt not only good but better than ever. It was as if he had just awoken from a century-long slumber and had stretched just right to crack every bone in his body in the most satisfying way possible. Gilbert sighed. "I assume you mean the hero, Daisuke Tamiko? On his way back to Ranton, I presume." "And everyone else?" Lone asked a bit more hesitantly than he had intended. The fight had shaken him up a lot more than he had thought possible. ¡®I would have died if not for Gilbert¡­¡¯ The guildmaster replied, "I''d imagine they all did the same as the hero; escaped my anger by returning to the holy capital. As soon as I figured out what was going on, my only focus became you and Sofia, no one else. And considering their actions, I hardly care how they are doing or where they are going. I remember their names and faces, so they''ll be punished all the same." Lone slowly nodded as his mind began to wander. ''If Gilbert hadn''t used that nature magic on me... we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation like this. Sophie would have been forced to use her Minor Time Control to save me, wouldn''t she? Would she have done that? Would she have accepted true blindness for a whole month just to save me?'' Lone looked up at the girl that was standing by his side as she tried to hide her face desperately. With his acute senses as a foxkin, he could hear her sniffling lightly. ''Is... Is she crying? I was such an idiot. Why didn''t I just fight smarter? I¡¯m no battle prodigy but it doesn¡¯t take a genius to know there was no way I could realistically block that axe with my flimsy swordspear or with my Strength... I should have fought more defensively and taken advantage of any openings afforded to me... That, or just killed him immediately instead of stupidly venting my wrath at the monster that was as much a victim as me if not more so.'' He sighed mentally. ¡®The worst part, or perhaps the best part, is that I can feel I ranked up¡­ I wonder if Sophie has noticed she¡¯s an E-ranker now?¡¯ Lone thought with a self-mocking laugh. "Lone," Gilbert called as he snapped his fingers. "I know a lot just happened, but I need you to focus for me, okay?" "S-Sorry. Uh, I guess you want me to explain what happened?" Lone asked. Gilbert nodded. "The other adventurers wore unreadable expressions when I questioned them about the fire, claiming all the while the orcs had started it. Indignant bastards. Brutes they may be, suicidal pyromaniacs they are not. They''ll be flagged to never reach silver plate for this, I''ll tell you that much. I, thankfully, know a lie when I hear one." "Uh, well, Daisuke, that piece of shit," Lone said as he wobbled up to his feet and got a helping hand from Sophie to stand. She had stopped crying, it would seem, which comforted him, "he said that it was revenge for me stealing the spider queen from him. You know, the Mana Silk one. He ordered his slaves to kill the Blue Orc women and children, then he got them to soak Sophie and me in their blood, making us a target for the chieftain." ¡°Sophie?¡± the guildmaster asked. ¡°Not Sofia?¡± Lone shook his head dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname.¡± Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Fair enough. The slaves. You just let them do that? The Wood Elven girl is a B-ranker, yes, but she''s beyond malnourished even ignoring her lacking motivations. The Crimson Foxkin girl is only an I-ranker, so I doubt the pair of you couldn''t have dodged buckets of blood being tossed on you, no?" "In all honesty, I was in shock. I knew the hero was a real piece of garbage when I heard how he¡¯d named his slaves, but to try to murder us just because he was done using the girls as sex toys and because he was bitter over me killing the Mana Silk Spider Queen - of which, he had no evidence I was the one that did it? Well, that was a bit of a wake-up call for me, personally," Lone said with a self-deprecating laugh. Sophie''s cheeks burned like fire in embarrassment before she said, "We were too focused on the chieftain. We did not want to suddenly become his centre of attention, and thus, gained tunnel vision. Ironically, that was exactly why we became its target. Had we lain our attention on the slaves and the hero, we could have stopped them from killing the chieftain''s kin and potentially tried to bargain with the beast." "Bargain with a monster?" Gilbert asked as he held back a laugh at the thought. "That''s awfully naive of you, Sofia. Being able to speak does not mean that monsters are reasonable. The more violence-oriented they are, the more the likelihood of a peaceful dialogue failing entirely. Especially for dragons... Everyone with a sane head on their shoulders should hate dragons..." A distant look of ugly reminiscence entered the White Dragonkin¡¯s slitted eyes. Regardless of the guildmaster''s apparent disgust for the being of which he was in part kin to, Lone protested his statement. "I''ve read about an entire city to the far east run entirely by High Goblins. Trust me when I say that I''m no goblin-lover, but from what I''ve read, they do business with anyone that has money. They''ve never once killed or even so much as harmed a visitor to their home." "Not for lack of wanting. Their existence is tolerated because they do not break the laws and sanctions placed on them by their neighbours, and they do not break them because they are intelligent enough to know the guild and many others would crush them like the worthless bugs they try so hard to pretend they are not,¡± Gilbert spat out. ¡®Wow, old man. Which goblin pissed in your cereal? Maybe he just hates all monsters? Seems like a dangerous mindset¡­¡¯ Lone pondered. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Regardless, it''s a silly idea to try to reason with monsters. The smarter and stronger they are, the more likely they are to be scheming to kill you... especially dragons," Gilbert expressed very seriously. Sophie frowned. "Then what would you have us do? Act like cowards like this kingdom''s supposed ''hero''? Sacrifice someone to save our own skin as we wait for you to come and clean up the mess? Lone did not fight perfectly, yes. He nearly died, yes. However, he did defeat the Blue Orc Chieftain, did he or did he not?" Lone''s heart felt warm when he heard her stand up for him... though he could have done without her bluntly mentioning his recent mistakes. "I would have had you flee. You are meant to be good at that, no, Sofia? That or use that ability of yours to instantly kill someone before you almost die, Lone, not after." Gilbert saw the awkward look on the foxkin''s face, so he sighed. "Well, what''s done is done." "What... What will happen to Daisuke?" Lone asked. "What would you like to happen to him?" the guildmaster asked. Lone wore a vicious look on his face which was uncommon for him. "I''d like my hands to be wrapped around his neck as he choked to death, begging to be spared, personally. Oxygen is wasted on the weasel." "I wish I could agree, but, unfortunately, the best I can offer is the chance for you to beat him up," Gilbert said. "What?" Lone was genuinely surprised. "Uh, is that okay? Not to disrespect you or anything, but shouldn''t you be telling me off for having violent thoughts about this country''s hero?" Gilbert shrugged. "Being a hero doesn''t exempt you from being a decent person. You''ll have a chance to kick his lights out during the tournament in a few weeks. He''s representing Princess Aileen so he''s almost certainly going to make it to the finals. He is a C-ranker though, so that makes him two ranks higher than you. Will that be an issue? There will also be B-rankers in the tournament." Lone shook his head. "I''ll make do." Sophie frowned. "Are you not both forgetting something? He conspired to kill us. Will he not be punished for that?" Gilbert chuckled. "No, he will. He, like the others, will never be allowed a chance to be promoted to silver plate, missing out on all the benefits that would bring. Losing potential access to the sla-¡° The dragonkin winced. ¡°Said too much.¡± Lone raised an interested eyebrow. ¡®Access to the sla? Slave? Slack? Slab? Slam dunk tournament?¡¯ Collecting himself, Gilbert continued, ¡°I''ll be suspending his permissions to take on quests for three years, and he''ll have to pay a fine of five gold coins. Two for each of you and one for the guild." Sophie nodded. "200 silver each would not be unwelcome, even if we are not desperate for money. We suppose it will have to suffice for now. We are warning you, however, if we ever see him again outside of Ranton''s city walls, we shall not leave his head attached to his shoulders." "Scary," Gilbert laughed like an uncle. "He''ll get what''s coming to him sooner or later, I''m sure. All heroes like that do. Typically, they offend another country''s hero who is more skilled than them, then they die in a duel, creating a political mess, but it happens all the time. You have to wonder if it''s not orchestrated by the powers that stand behind them considering how common such a scenario is." ''Well, I guess that''s all I can ask for,'' Lone thought as he calmed down a bit. ''If I kill him, it''ll be even worse than just running away from the tournament. Logically, I should just lose in round one and scram, but I need to at least punch that cunt in the face once. That means I need to gain as much strength as I can to ensure that I can reach him in the tournament...'' He''d think on this some more later, but now that he had properly cooled his head off, he noticed the duo of lifeless slave girls just standing there like dolls unsure of what to do. "Uh, Gilbert, what do we do with them?" Lone asked, gesturing with his chin to the pair of rag-draped teens. "Hmm? Ah, I actually know who the elf girl is. Her father has been in contact with me, below the board, of course. I''ve been wracking my brain thinking over how to acquire her so he can safely return to the eastern world tree, daughter in tow. The poor man even... did some things only a strong-willed person ever could to completely avoid any and all suspicion of him being an elf," Gilbert claimed. A small mote of light returned to the elven girl''s eyes as she trembled lightly. "F-Father was l-looking for me?" Gilbert nodded. "And he''ll be over the moon to see that you''re now free. Well, free in a figurative sense. We still need to do something about that collar of yours. By all legal intents and purposes, you still belong to Daisuke Tamiko. Same goes for you, young miss Breena Redtail." "Redtail?" Lone''s ears perked up. "Any relation to Lossa, Tiera, or Trella Redtail?" The girl ¨C Breena - flinched but didn''t open her mouth. Gilbert exchanged glances between Lone and the maybe 13 or 14-year-old girl before he said, "It sounds like you have some connections with the Crimson Foxkin Clan, Lone, so how about I take custody of our elven friend here while you take custody of young miss Breena? I''ll try to do something about their collars. Such devices are dangerous. If Daisuke sees them again, he could order them to kill themselves and they''d be forced to do it by the contract magic." ''That''d make him happy, wouldn''t it?'' Lone walked over to the two girls and placed one hand on each of their collars. A few moments later, Lone''s face was cramping up in pain and he wobbled to the side. Gilbert quickly caught him. "Are you okay? Root of Life may have healed you and stopped you from dying, but the healing came partially from yourself as well, so it¡¯s natural for you to feel faint. Don''t worry my old heart by overexerting yourself like that." Lone smiled. "Sorry. But now, that bastard can''t order them ever again." "Hmm?" Gilbert wore a curious expression as he carefully put Lone on his back and started carrying him. "Gilbert, I can walk, you know," Lone protested. "And I can fly with magic, but it doesn''t mean I''m going to. Just sit there like a good boy and let me carry you. If you pass out, then not only will I have to carry you, but I won''t be able to talk to you either, and, my boy, that would be a downright tragedy," Gilbert joked with a warm smile on his face that only the former slaves and Sophie could see. ''''My boy'', huh? Well, I''m sure that''s just the way he talks, but I wouldn''t mind having someone like Gilbert as my dad. He seems to actually care¡­'' Lone wistfully thought. "Okay, I get it. As for the collars, I... uh, how to put it... I altered them. There''s no magic in them anymore. They''re basically tacky accessories." "I''m telling you, Lone, this racial power of mine is more trouble than it''s worth. Since I know you''re being honest, I have about a thousand questions as to the how and the why you can do something like that," Gilbert admitted as he started walking. "Sofia, I''ll trust you to keep those girls safe. My hands are a bit tied right now." Sophie nodded as she motioned for the girls to follow behind Gilbert. The elf immediately moved but Breena hesitated. However, with no other choice, she did as she was instructed. "Stop touching my hands with your tails. They''re awfully soft even though they''re covered in dirt and blood," Gilbert complained. Lone rested his chin on the head of the man who had over 350 years on him as he said, "Nope. Either I wipe the filth on you, or I get them dirtier by trailing them along the ground, and a certain someone would kill me if I did that." A blood vessel almost burst in the guildmaster''s forehead as he shook his face about wildly. "Don''t rest your chin on my head! It feels creepy when you talk." "Then don''t carry me, you old goat," Lone retorted playfully. "Hah, even you''re calling me a goat now? Well, better be careful, ''cause this goat has horns and they''ll poke your eyes out if you keep talking with your jaw resting on my scalp!" Gilbert shouted. Lone laughed. ''This is fun, but yeah, I should really take this opportunity to go over my skills level-ups and system notifications. My status too. I wonder how many stat points the chieftain gave me?'' B1: Chapter 73: Many Gains and Smoke Lone pulled up his notification log with no small amount of excitement gripping his mind.
The host has developed the active skill: Weapon Block.
''Huh. That¡¯s unexpected. Got it for trying to block the attack that broke my swordspear and sent me flying, I suppose?'' Lone wondered as the skill¡¯s information was displayed to him.
Active Skill: Weapon Block
A common skill for warriors unafraid of damaging their weapons and who are not particularly partial to a shield. Allows the host to nullify 5% of the force of an incoming attack if blocking it with a weapon.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Hmm... Sounds like a decent passive skill but as an active it''s kind of... What can I really do with only five percent?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®Silver-lining. While I¡¯d much rather get tonnes upon tonnes of passive skills, at least I now have one more use for my rather dormant supply of SP, though that does drain pretty fast naturally when I''m fighting.'' Lone was a bit let-down, though he was perfectly aware that this skill could potentially save his life. One twentieth of an attack¡¯s force wasn¡¯t much, but sometimes, not much was all that was needed to tip the scales in one¡¯s favour.
Congratulations! the host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
''Oh, A rank up! This damned skill stopped levellin¡¯ and wouldn''t so much as react even if I was almost killing myself with my magic every day, so this is handy. Is intent what matters? Training on its own can only go so far? Food for thought. Anyway, fingers crossed for a new effect,'' Lone thought as he unconsciously tightened his grip around Gilbert''s neck, choking the dragonkin slightly and earning him an elbow to the ribs.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a fast rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana.
Cost: 20 MP [-10 MP] (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Expert Level 5
''Damn... Better luck at master rank, I guess. Still, it''s a lot cheaper again, so I can''t rightly bitch and whine about it since it''s such a stupidly useful skill,'' Lone convinced himself even though he was very disappointed deep down. ''Also, level five? Not one? Ah, right, the skill levelled up when I almost died before Gilbert saved my life... Guess I just haven''t seen the notifs for that yet,'' he assumed. Considering that, Lone continued looking through his system notifications.
Congratulations! the host''s active lightning magic skill [Lightning Bolt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
''Woah, that''s a lot of levels. What did I dodge to get all of them?'' It took him a second, but he quickly remembered avoiding the chieftain''s axe when the monster had thrown it at him. Lone had flung his body to the ground in a powerful slide, narrowly saving himself from being split straight down the middle. Not long after that, his body had moved on its own, resulting in half of his limbs being chopped off instead of him being sliced clean down the middle by the return of the chieftain''s magical axe. "Would you stop shivering?!" Gilbert yelled. "You''re not cold, are you?" Lone chuckled. "Sorry, I''m just going over my gains from the fight. I remembered almost dying, hence the shivering." "Ah." Gilbert''s playfulness came to a grinding halt. "Fair enough." Lone smiled. He really did appreciate how understanding the old man who looked roughly 35 was being, all things considered. He took a deep breath and put the dodging incident behind him as he resumed the reading of his notifications.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
''Yup. Makes sense it levelled beyond just the rank up. Almost dying hurt like a motherfucker. I guess that means Physical Pain Resistance is next?'' Lone wondered.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ''Damn, only two levels shy of a rank-up... I kinda wish Gilbert had waited a minute or two before saving me...'' Lone quickly shook his head after imagining that. ''Stop thinking like that, you idiot. A few more minutes and you''d have bled out, meaning that Sophie would have been forced to reverse time,'' he concluded. With all of that out of the way, only five notifications yet remained to be checked.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
The host has gained immunity to [Carbon Monoxide Poisoning].
''Oh, sweet. I half expected to get a smoke-based resistance skill or something, but this works too. I guess it makes sense, and now I have the qualifications to be the perfect firefighter, right?'' Lone thought as he looked at the next set of system messages.
The host has developed the active nature magic skill: Root of Life.
Active Nature Magic Skill: Root of Life
A very rare application of the nature magic school where the caster focuses the element of nature into summoning a root of Altros which is capable of fully healing a being dying of physical injuries. Can only be used once every 12 months. Beings this skill is used on will take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to recover.
Cost: 150,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Nature Magic.
''Well, that''s fuckin¡¯ useless, isn¡¯t it? I didn''t expect such a huge MP cost, but it does make sense since it''s such a powerful skill. Maybe if it was unique, it''d be more reasonable to use, but, if it was unique, I''d have not learned it like Soph''s Mana Sensing or Teleportation,'' Lone thought a bit regretfully. ''Still, Gilbert said he could only use it once every six months, not once a year, so his must be, what, intermediate or advanced, right? He must have been using this skill for, like, a century or longer assuming his growth rate is normal. This skill is so situational,'' Lone concluded. ''So, I didn''t get the gravity magic skill Gilbert used to get us out of the camp? Why not? Did he not use it directly on us, but around us? Like, did he alter the gravity near us to make us float and not us specifically?'' Lone couldn''t think of a better explanation since he generally learned a skill the moment it was used on him. He could always ask, but he wasn''t quite sure how the guildmaster would feel knowing that Lone had, in essence, stolen one of his extremely powerful nature magic spells without putting any effort into learning it whatsoever. That just sounded like a recipe for bitter-fuelled disaster. That being the case, Lone moved on to his final system notification.
Congratulations! The host has successfully gained enlightenment and ranked up. The host is now an E-ranker.
Lone was already aware of his rank-up since he could feel the new sense of strength flowing through him. It was odd. A rank-up didn¡¯t come with any extra levels of skills or anything of that ilk, it just made a person¡­ more. Lone couldn¡¯t accurately describe it. He immediately pulled up his status to see how many levels and stats he''d gained from the Blue Orc Chieftain since he had nothing else better to do right now.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 99
Species: Foxkin Rank: E [Up from F]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 18,209/34,820 [+16,870] SP: 29,950/29,950 [+4,750]
MP: 2,410/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,163 [+560] Vigour: 2,995 [+498]
Dexterity: 1,782 [+190] Agility: 2,044 [+202]
Vitality: 3,482 [+1,687] Luck: 116 [+10]
Secret Stats
Charm: 77 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
''No level ups? Did I not rank up when or before I killed him?'' Lone was struggling to understand why he had reached E-rank but hadn¡¯t advanced in level at all. He thought about the matter for a few minutes before realising what had transpired. ''I ranked up when I was dying, huh? Did I, what, gain enlightenment on my deathbed? That would mean I got no levels because I was at the cap and then gained enlightenment, entirely wasting any levels I should have gotten from the chieftain. That''s so dumb. I guess it makes sense, but boy is it frustration since killing is literally my only way to level up.'' He kept himself busy with similar thoughts, and, before long, he, Sophie, the two ex-slaves, and Gilbert, had all returned to the city of Ranton without any further incidents. As soon as they had reached the city gates, Lone jumped off Gilbert''s back. "Thanks for the ride." "You really shouldn''t be walking just yet," Gilbert protested like a worried father. "I''m fine. I heal quickly. My HP''s already full and my SP and MP are getting there, MP a bit slower than SP though," Lone claimed as he did some stretches and started popping his joints. Gilbert frowned. "Okay but stay close to me. We''re returning straight to the guild." Lone and Sophie both nodded.
The five of them got some funny looks. Partially because the guildmaster of the local branch of The Adventurer''s Guild was with them, a little bit because two slaves were a part of the group, but mostly because Lone and Sophie were covered in blood and reeked even worse than the sewers. Something about orc guts was particularly... foul. "Is that smoke?" Lone asked as his eyes looked up into the air. Gilbert''s gaze followed the foxkin''s. "Seems like it." "That looks like it''s right above... the slums?" Lone said questioningly. Sophie sulked. "We cannot see it." "Well, yeah. You''re blind, ya silly girl," Gilbert laughed as playfully as he could to help lighten her up. Clearly, it was his opinion that Sophie was far too uptight. She rolled her grey eyes and didn''t bother contesting the man''s statement. It was then that the elven slave timidly opened her mouth. "U-Um, Daisuki-sa-, I mean, uh, the hero said that he was g-going to retrieve Harem Member Three after today''s quest." "Oh? What does that have to do with that smoke?" Gilbert asked. "Well, uh, he did some snooping and found out that there''s only four free dwarves in this city, and he was going to, uh, investigate them? Um¡­ Harem Member Three was a dwarf, so he f-figured one of the free dwarves somehow kidnapped her. She went missing about, uh, two months ago?" the elven girl admitted. Lone''s face fell. "Grimsley''s smithy is in that direction." Without waiting for any more explanation to be given, he bolted away at his top speed towards the border between the residential district and the slum district where Grimsley''s home was. Gilbert''s eyes opened wide. "What on Altros... That isn''t the speed of an E-ranker! He''s got at least as much Agility as a high C-ranker! He isn¡¯t applying it, is he?" Sophie looked at the White Dragonkin and asked, "Can you catch him? We fear he will do something foolish if he runs into that ''hero'' right now." "No way. I''m a mage, not a warrior or a runner. I''ve never trained my body more than enough to avoid getting blisters on long walks," the SS-ranked man admitted a bit shamelessly. Sophie sighed. "We are in a similar boat, unfortunately. Let us return to the guild. Lone is a smart man if a bit impulsive at times. He will come and find us once he is done. Hopefully, best-case-scenario, the smoke isn''t from a building burning down or is from a different building." Gilbert looked worried. "You''re right, unfortunately. We need to deal with these poor girls first."
A crowd had gathered around the smithy which had smoke pouring out of its chimney. The building had no windows and the door to the place had been broken so as to prevent entry, though a bit of smoke was escaping from underneath it. Lone arrived on the scene like a hurricane. His face had some sweat dripping down it, but no anger could be seen on his expression, only worry. He pushed past the crowd a bit roughly, earning him some foul-worded shouts. "Oi, demi, what the fuck de ya think yer doin''?!" "Don''t get me covered in your germs, you animal!" "Ow! That hurt, ya fuckin'' mongrol!" He didn''t care. He reached the door and jammed his fingers into the broken parts to get a hold of it. With all his strength, he ripped the thing from its hinges and tossed it aside, scaring the life out of the spectators. Lone immediately ran into the building. He couldn''t see much on account of the smoke, but he wasn''t affected by it health-wise thanks to his new carbon monoxide immunity, so he decided that he''d empty his MP once again to stop the fire. "Waterball! Waterball! Waterball!" Very quickly, his mind began throbbing in pain, but he hardly cared. "Waterball! Waterball! Waterball!" It was possible to overtax mana organs which he was more than aware of thanks to his Creation Magic experiments, so overtax them he would if the life of his blacksmithing master and friend was in danger. B1: Chapter 74: Tranquillity and Numerous Level-ups "Grimsley!" Lone''s shout reverberated through the smouldering wreck that was once a proud smithy. He was met with no response, so he rushed through the main forge and couldn¡¯t see any immediate signs of his friend. Wasting no time, Lone rushed into the backroom that - thus far - he''d never been allowed to enter. The room only contained a bed, a bookshelf that was empty, and a rug, all of which were going up in flames. "Waterball! Waterball! Waterball!" Lone put out the furniture, resulting in steam and smoke clouding his vision. "Wind Blade!" Lone was thankful that he''d recently trained all his crude magic spells to the point that they''d evolved into their regular versions. Not needing to chant lines of ancient magical text was beyond amazing. His air magic spell cut through the smog, clearing a good portion of it as the wall to the bedroom was sliced open, giving the carbon monoxide-filled gas another escape route besides the door. Now with the ability to see a few paces past his own nose, Lone quickly noticed that he couldn''t see Grimsley anywhere. Panic spread across Lone''s face. ''Where the fuck is he?! Did that cunt kidnap him?! I don''t see why he would... He''s a petty little weasel, but not a devious one. What reason would he have to kidn-... Is that a trapdoor?'' Lone could see some smoke trickling out from underneath the bed, and in lieu of that, his eyes homed in on the suspicious-looking floor. With nary a scrap of hesitation, he stored the still-smouldering bed frame, removing it from the room. "There is a hidden door... You sneaky fuckin'' dwarf." Hope filled Lone''s mind. He quickly noticed the lock on the hatch. There was no way that he was going to open that quickly, well, so long as he used... conventional means, which he wasn''t obligated to do. "Tail Spear." He cut the metal and wooden contraption to ribbons. The next moment he jumped down into the unknown. ''Fuck. I can''t see a damned thing.'' Lone quickly tried something that he honestly had no idea if it would work or not. Putting his hand out, he attempted to store the black smoke that filled the room he was in. ''I can''t use Wind Blade in here. I could aim at the wall upstairs, but here? I might fuckin'' kill Grimsley if he''s in here... I need the air in here to be clear... Even a flashlight wouldn''t be much help. Every second counts if he''s been ingesting this shit... Wait, will that work?'' Lone closed his eyes and focused his mind. He imagined the air in the room being clean and pure, free of smoke entirely and perfectly filled with that lovely gas that almost everything relied on, oxygen. Well, oxygen and nitrogen, specifically.
Item does exist on Altros. The host has a great level of understanding of the item. 25,000 base MP cost. 12,500 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. The host has insufficient MP. All of the host''s MP has been consumed and the host''s MP will be sealed for [10-hours] to create the item: [Clean Air In [This Room]].
No fanfare. No flashy magical light show. Nothing. The smoke just... disappeared. Lone''s head was throbbing and several notifications for skill level-ups were trying to impair his already blurry vision. Setting them aside like the earlier ones for his magic usage was a struggle, but he managed to do it after a second or two of concentrating. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Lone tried his best to focus his eyes. Thankfully, it seemed that there were no fires in this room. Daisuke clearly hadn''t found it, the incompetent fool. The room only contained a bed, and, on it, was a young girl who had slightly sharpened ears and a stone-ish look to her skin, leading Lone to believe that she was a Stone Dwarf like Grimsley. Collapsed over the girl''s chest was the grizzled man that Lone knew as his blacksmithing master, a close friend, and - similar to Gilbert - something of a father-figure. Head pounding loudly like a pneumatic drill, Lone rushed over to the two and slung one over each shoulder. It was hard to see since he kept squinting his eyes to aid with his migraine, but he was certain that he''d seen a slave collar on the girl''s neck before her head had gone out of his line of sight due to being pressed against his back. ''Did Grimsley kidnap her from underneath that fuckhead''s nose? Fuckin'' solid job, pal. Serves the cunt right. He''ll pay for this.'' Surprisingly, Lone''s thoughts were crystal clear when they were filled with anger towards the current summoned hero of Milindo. The room was quickly filling up with smoke again since the building above was still a blazing inferno, and Lone could feel his consciousness slipping. He was already exhausted from the earlier near-death experience at the Blue Orc camp, but with his mana organs now overtaxed and in need of dire healing - which he could not perform due to his MP being sealed - he felt like he could faint any second. Thankfully, it hadn''t been five minutes yet since he had invoked his Tail Spear skill, so he used the hardened and incredibly sharp limbs to cut a tunnel through the basement''s wall directly to the street above. Luckily, the secret room was at the rear-end of the smithy, so Lone could avoid the attention of the crowd out at the building''s front. Once he was out of the smithy, he wasted no time in running down an alleyway. ''Thank God... Thank God I wasn''t... wasn¡¯t too late,'' Lone thought in relief as he weaved his way through the slums as best as he could to both avoid people and head towards The Adventurer''s Guild. ''If I was even a moment lat-'' Suddenly, Lone''s eyes were heavier than they should be. He also felt like something had... pricked him. "Wha..." The next moment, he toppled over, completely unconscious. Grimsley and the dwarven girl, likewise, fell on top of him. "Ah, thank the Primals. What a stroke of good fortune that this... incident happened. I''ll have to thank the hero when I have the chance," a well-built man dressed from head-to-toe in black said as he lowered a silver pipe of some sort that seemed to be designed to blow darts. "Finally, with this, my future is guaranteed. It was a bit touch and go for a minute there, Mister Golden Ticket," the man said as he crouched down and lifted Lone''s head up by his hair. He slapped Lone''s face a few times, and fairly hard at that. Not even so much as a groan escaped his lips. "Yup. A Golden Foxkin you may be, but clearly, you''re not immune to dragon tranquillizer. I''ve heard about how hardy you are, my friend, so I''m thankful I took extra measures... Now, about these dwarves... What to do..."
Lone''s eyelids slowly flickered open and they were met with darkness. He tried to move his hands to wipe his eyes, but, oddly enough, all his limbs felt loose and overly relaxed. He could barely move his fingers, let alone his hands. ''Am I... chained up?'' As the seconds passed, Lone''s vision slowly adjusted to the darkness. There was a tiny bit of light trickling out of the frame of what looked like a door. From what he could make out, he was in a barred cell with his arms chained to the walls. He wasn''t able to see if there were other cells or if he was alone, but he needed to know if Grimsley was still with him or not. "Grimsley?" he whispered. "Keh... I''m here, laddie... Keh..." a haggard and pained voice answered. ''Shit. His lungs must be in tatters from all the smoke... Still, it''s a relief that he''s alive at least...'' Lone thought. "And the girl?" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Aye... Keh keh keh keh!" Grimsley wheezed something fierce. "Shit... We need to get out of here. I need to heal you two," Lone said. He had noticed that he no longer had a headache, so that meant that he''d been here for over ten hours already, which wasn''t good. Only God knew what Sophie would do to find him... She was unhinged at the best of times. Lone could still vividly recall the time that Soph had told him her other personality had tried to coax her into murdering him, and now that she clearly cared about him too... well, suffice to say that he was worried about what she would do with her Teleportation if pushed. "Some ''uman cocksuck''r- Keh! Comes an'' checks up on ya every hoor or so, Lone- Keh!" After saying that, Grimsley entered a wild frenzy of painful-sounding coughs. ''Every hour or so? I''ve got time then... I can''t move at all, so, my best bet is that I''m drugged up with, what, muscle relaxants or something? Boy, what I wouldn''t give for Sofia''s luck. I''d have probably gained immunity to whatever''s in my system with that,'' Lone thought before he said, "Don''t speak anymore, Grimsley. Agitating your throat isn''t a good idea. I''ll get us out of this... somehow." Worst-case scenario, he still had three daily uses for Mental Destruction. Since there was nothing else for him to do immediately, Lone decided to check his notifications. If nothing else, that would help him pass the time.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s active water magic skill [Waterball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s active air magic skill [Wind Blade] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
''As expected. Man, I was an idiot. Next should be the mental and physical pain resistances, right? I was able to ignore most of it due to the rush of saving Grimsley, but if I hadn''t gotten knocked out, then wouldn''t I be in, like, excruciating pain?'' Lone thought as the next set of blue screens filled his sight.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Mental Pain Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host''s mind. Reduces the effects suffered from overusing MP by 15% [+10%]. All mental pains will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''And round about here should be where my mana organs were on the brink of exploding,'' Lone commented internally.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
''Thought so,'' he smugly noted as his droopy face formed what could loosely be called a grin of sorts.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
''So, was I tranqed or something? I was damn-near unconscious already when it happened, so who knows? I''m glad I got a level out of it at least,'' Lone thought happily, seeing the silver-lining. The next notification removed all of his newfound joy.
Warning! The host has been [Enslaved] to [Gregor Milatod] via a [Slave Collar].
''Huh. I get a warning for that? Warnings are fuckin'' rare... I remember getting one back on the goblin island when I first overused my mana and when that first boar gutted me, but aside from that... Hmm... Something to think on.'' Lone wasn''t concerned by his slave collar even if it displeased him immensely. He had already proven that he could destroy such things with his Creation Magic''s ability to alter things, so it was a non-issue in his mind.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Mental Pain Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host''s mind. Reduces the effects suffered from overusing MP by 30% [+15%]. All mental pains will be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''No new effects? Oh well. At least overexerting myself while creating shit won''t feel like I''m having fuckin'' cardiac arrest anymore... just a regular ol¡¯ heart attack,'' he mused. Lone waited for a moment but no new notifications popped up to continue distracting him. ''And that''s it. No Basic Regen, huh? Guess the pain wasn''t enough to spark another level up since I was out like a light and BR didn''t level-up since it''s already expert rank, and I didn''t boost it with any mana,'' he concluded. Lone closed his eyes and simply waited. He''d make his next move when his, Grimsley, and the girl''s, kidnapper stepped through the room''s door. B1: Chapter 75: Breathing Amnesia and Sophies Impatience With a slow and heavy creak, the door to the dungeon-like room swung open. A man clad head-to-toe in black clothing slowly walked in as he held a lantern in one hand and a set of keys in the other. His face was covered save for his eyes, both of which turned to glance at Lone in surprise. "Oh, you''re finally awake." "Good morning," Lone sarcastically said. "You can even talk clearly. That''s good. I was really worried you''d be all messed up and start having coughing fits like the dwarves," the man said. "I assume you plan to sell me into slavery, Gregory?" Lone asked with a harsh and somewhat vicious tone. "Ah, right. I haven''t given you any orders yet, what with you being out like a dragon in winter and all. Never speak my name to anyone else ever again. That''s an order," Gregory Milatod commanded as he skilfully moved his fingers through the keychain in his hand then unlocked Lone''s cell. "Dragons don''t hibernate in winter, you retard. Haven''t you ever read a book?" Lone mocked before spitting on the man''s face with precise accuracy. A sense of shock could be felt through Gregory''s facemask, but he quickly suppressed it, which Lone naturally didn''t let go. "Pussy." "Pardon?" There was anger in Gregory''s voice. He clearly had a very high opinion of himself, that much was obvious. Lone scoffed. "If you''re too scared to hit me since you''ll damage your precious merch, then what are you if not a pussy? Fucking degenerate. Got the balls to kidnap me, an innocent blacksmith, and a teenaged girl, but no spine when it comes to putting me in line? You must be new to this whole criminal business, huh? Go get your boss before you somehow forget how to breathe." Gregory raised his hand and brought it down on Lone like thunder to metal. A few teeth rolled out of his mouth along with a glob of blood. Lone just smirked in response. "My dad hits harder than you and he''s fuckin'' dead. Just order me to be a good little foxkin already and take me to meet my new master, for Christ''s sake." Lone could see the rage seething out of the man in front of him, and he promptly jumped on those emotions. "Oh, wait, don''t tell me you''re so bloody useless you couldn''t even find a buyer for a one-of-a-kind nine-tailed Golden Foxkin, could you? I thought incompetence had limits. You sure showed me." Gregory inhaled sharply to calm himself, and then he grabbed Lone by the collar and pulled him in so that their faces were mere inches away from one another. "You won''t live long with a tongue like that, but that''s not my problem, it''s Margrave Griffset''s. That girl you were with though... now her, well, I might just make her my problem. I wouldn''t mind inserting myself in her life and... a few other places." "You''re welcome to try from down in hell," Lone whispered. He gritted his teeth and headbutted Gregory as hard as he physically could, then suddenly, the hinges holding his arm chains to the wall disappeared as if by magic. Lone then instantly whipped his arms, resulting in the loose chains coiling around Gregory''s neck as if they had a life of their own. "Keh! W-What the?! But the drugs... How?!" Gregory began choking violently as he struggled to get any air whatsoever into his lungs. The shackles attached to Lone''s legs snapped off and he took a step towards the masked man as he tightened the chains and then cracked his neck. "What can I say, I recover quickly." He slowly started pulling the chains closer and closer to his wrist, forcing them to crush down onto Gregory''s oesophagus. The man clawed and struggled with the metal links, but as each second passed, his resistance grew weaker and weaker. "Would you look at that," Lone said maliciously. "I guess I''m a fuckin'' prophet or something, ''cause feel free to right me if I''m wrong, but it seems to me, Gregory Milatod, that you''ve forgotten how to breathe. What. A. Fucking. Shame. Die, you scum." Not a few moments later, the life had escaped the man¡¯s eyes as his body sagged to the floor. Lone scoffed and then used his Creation Magic to destroy his slave collar as well as remove the bonds linking him to the chains. "Chillin'' stuff, laddie," Grimsley said through a few coughs. Lone smiled wryly. "I had to antagonise him somehow," he said before he crouched down. "Or else how could I get him to lose his cool? I was half expecting him to jab me in the gut with more drugs any second there." "Aye, an'' the whole spiel when ye ''ad ''is neck strung up like a fookin'' ''oliday turk''y?" Grimsley asked, again, through a fit of gags and coughs. Lone scratched his own neck as he placed a palm on the corpse'' chest. "Well, the cunt suggested he was going to rape my Sofia. Fuck him. We''ve all got a bit of evil in us. Ain''t nothing wrong with letting it out when it''s justified." Grimsley watched in the darkness as the lantern''s fire showed Lone somehow stashing the man''s body in its entirety except for a single strange-looking black orb. "''At so? First murder, laddie?" "... No, not the last either, I suspect," Lone said as he stared at the orb in his hand and whispered. "I was wondering where you''d gotten to..." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He shoved the thing in his front pocket and then quickly picked up the keychain and the lantern. With swift movements, he opened Grimsley and the girl''s cell. "Sit still. I''ll heal you both and we''ll escape this place real quick, ''kay?"
"Gilbert, we are leaving," Sophie said mere seconds after strolling into his office as she was decked head-to-toe in her armour. The White Dragonkin sighed. "I feared this would happen... It''s not even been a day yet, Sofia. Can''t you wait a bit longer? I''m far too busy with my paperwork. It''s been building-up ever since I started helping you and Lone." Sophie''s eyebrows creased in annoyance under her helmet. "Help us or fail to, we care not. Lone would not have taken so long normally. He should be back by now. We shall find him." "Okay," Gilbert said a bit reluctantly. "You know him better than I do, so if you can find him, I''d be grateful to learn why he''s so late in returning. I really can''t leave to help you without putting the guild at risk. Every second I don''t act as its guildmaster only gives the speciesist nobles more ammunition to demand that I resign. No offense." "We need not your gratitude nor are we offended, we may, however, need your aid. If harm has come to Lone... We hope you can help us clean up the mess we shall make as a result," Sophie coldly said before she left the room. Gilbert sighed deeply and then held his head in his hands. "Damn it... two hours. If she doesn''t find him in two hours, then I''ll search too. Fuck. If this costs me my job, Lone, then I''ll have to rely on the grand guildmaster to help smooth everything over. Please, Primals, do me a favour and ensure that Lone wasn''t kidnapped, would you...? Haha, though, I suppose whatever''s made him so late has already happened, now, hasn''t it?" He got up out of his seat and looked through his office''s window at the dark sky above. "I wish alcohol didn''t taste like swill to me... I could go for something to help me through yet another sleepless night..."
Sophie''s expression of anger and upset was quickly morphing into one of impatience and worry. "Where is he?" she mumbled. "Ah... we are even speaking to ourself like he does... how foolish..." Sophie mocked herself as she continued to lightly jog, only teleporting when she was sure that no one was looking directly at her. Thankfully, it was quite dark at this late hour, but still, people lingered in the streets as liquor coursed through their veins from a good night of drinking away their daily troubles. ''We''ve just about searched this entire city. All that''s left is the red-light district, the noble district, and the royal district. Did that ignorant pompous child kidnap Lone? We find that doubtful, but perhaps another noble did when he was weak? We can picture Lone expending all his Mana Points to save Grimsley.'' Sophie had few other leads, and Soph was crying her soul out as she whispered Lone''s name repeatedly in Sophie''s mind, so she would be of no help, leaving her with little option in where to continue her search. ''The red-light district it is. We would rather avoid the noble district if possible and the royal district is just asking for trouble. We swear if he''s been wasting the night away in some strumpet¡¯s arms... We will slit her throat and then beat him within an inch of his life...¡¯ Sophie promised herself. ¡®Hic... Hic... L-Lone wouldn''t... Hic... Do that...'' Soph defended him. Sophie rolled her eyes under her helmet as she did several consecutive teleports. ''We know, we are simply distracting ourselves. If you wish to continue to be useless, then cry silently. No matter what, Lone shall be punished for making you worry so much, Soph.'' Her tone was sharp, and her words were harsh, but each one was filled with love. To Sophie, nothing was more important than her other self.
"Wow! It''s so lively here! Everyone''s all dressed up," Emma Malik said as she, George Leston, and Bastion Griffset - the bastard, entered what could conventionally be called a nightclub though of the medieval variant. Ceela followed behind them and paid the front door''s guard for their entry - out of her own pocket. ''This little entitled shitstain and his friends... I can''t afford to be picking up your tab for everything. I hope he doesn''t expect me to buy him and them drinks as well.'' The adventurer kept a close watch on everyone as Bastion, George, and Emma, were led to a booth to use as their own for the evening. ''I should be in my bed right now, not wasting my time looking after some snobby kids... Damn it, why couldn''t you have been a bit more sneaky, Mister Golden Foxkin?'' Ceela complained as she found a good wall to lean against. Bastion grinned to Emma and said, "I always make a point of coming here at least once or twice whenever I''m in the capital. It''s the perfect place to get drunk and enjoy yourself after a hard day''s work, or to celebrate like we''re doing." Emma smiled and asked, "Right, right, by the way, what are we even celebrating? I didn''t expect George, of all people, to give an invitation to go out. I thought it was a date, of all things, hahaha." "Ah... So that''s why you look prettier than usual..." George muttered. "Hmm? It''s hard to hear you over the band," Emma said as she basically pushed her face up against George''s. He turned beet-red and then shook his head. "Uh, um, I d-didn''t say anything..." "Oh." Emma seemed disappointed. ¡®So obvious. One¡¯s a flirt, the other probably has negative Charm,¡¯ Ceela commented internally. Bastion smirked arrogantly. "I''ll tell you what the special occasion is after we''ve had something to drink. You there, slave! Get us some drinks and something to eat!" The attractive girl with rabbit ears atop her head and a slave collar around her neck, smiled politely and took their orders. Not long after they had been served, Bastion revealed why they were there. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. "This is why we''re celebrating," he said with a big grin on his face as he laid the parchment out over the table, displaying what was written on it. "A contract of ownership over... the nine-tailed Golden Foxkin Lone Immortus? Did his master decide to sell him?" George asked dubiously. Emma looked at the contract a bit more thoroughly than George did. "Gregory Milatod? As in, the current head of the Milatod barony? How''d he get his hands on Lone?" "You know this demi?" Bastion asked as he took a nice long swig of his wine. Ceela raised an eyebrow at this too. ¡®He¡¯s more connected than I thought, but she is a flirt so¡­ No¡­ That would never happen. He¡¯d be dead by that bastard duke¡¯s hand instead of simply being sold.¡¯ Emma nodded excitedly. "Yeah! By the Primals, he was to die for. I''ve never seen anyone more handsome. I wonder how the baron managed to get Lone from that foreign noble? Won''t that, like, really cripple her since she''s blind and needs his help?" ¡®Or maybe it did happen,¡¯ Ceela amended her prior thought as she saw George stroking his jawline sheepishly. ¡®Definitely negative Charm.¡¯ "Indeed, that would bother us," a high-pitched and very angered voice said as the sound of armour moving rang throughout the booth. The foreign noblewoman Sofia Vladimirovich unsheathed her swords and pointed one at Bastion''s neck while the other she kept close at her side. "Where is Lone? Tell us if you wish to continue living." Her bloodlust was so thick it could almost be seen. ¡®O-Oh fuck. This woman¡­ She¡¯s killed so many people. I can- It¡¯s- How?!¡¯ Ceela panicked internally. "W-What''s going on?" George was beyond perplexed and was starting to panic. Emma, on the other hand, appeared perfectly calm and even perhaps a bit excited. "C-Ceela!" Bastion yelled while he broke out into a cold sweat. "Convince this woman to stand down! I shan''t be treated like this, even if she is a fellow noble!" Needless to say, things were getting rather intense in the nightclub, and not in the usual sense. Ceela hated this job. She really fucking hated it. B1: Chapter 76: Threats and Confinement "Esteemed miss," the female adventurer said through gritted teeth, "please, do not point your blade at my young master," she requested. "We do not take orders from you. Bark elsewhere, mutt," Sophie replied and then stepped closer to the table the three young nobles were sat behind. Her shortsword was now only a foot or so away from Bastion''s neck and oh did it look so very, very, sliceable to Sophie¡¯s Mana Sensing. The roguish adventurer frowned as she unsheathed her own weapon - a delicate-looking dagger. "You may be of noble birth, and you may be wearing armour, esteemed miss, but trust me when I say that my aim is true. Please, stand down. I am sure that we can discuss this like reasonable adults." ¡®She lies. Does she think the tremble in her very bones to be so easily hidden? Her fear of us will make her an easy kill,¡¯ Sophie observed. ¡®If¡­ If it will help find L-Lone, do whatever you need to!¡¯ her meeker self said, having stopped her incessant weeping. "We shall discuss nothing, you fool!" The bastard leading noble child yelled through his own more than obvious terror. "Kill her! Cut off her head! The boat has already sailed! The time to talk has long since passed!" The errant adventurer raised her dagger, but she hesitated to move. Sophie could see it. It was hard to get a perfectly accurate estimation of a person¡¯s strength, but people of different ranks had differing amounts of mana in them, and the density varied too. Observing both herself and Lone as they had ranked up made this theory all but certain. With that in mind, Sophie could feel this adventurer was no stronger than a B-ranker but likely weaker, meaning all it would take was one well-placed Teleportation to finish her off. She could see the cogs turning in her head. She was being paid to be here Sophie assumed, but she saw her death in this room and didn¡¯t wish to meet it. ¡®A coward then, but a wise one.¡¯ She supressed the rampant urge to paint the walls of the room red and instead did something that, hopefully, would not lead to further trouble for Lone and both of her selves later down the line. She stabbed the contract and the table it was on with her sword and then lifted the parchment from the wood. "Whom did you get this from, and where is Lone? Tell me this and we will leave peacefully. He is not yours. He belongs to us. Do not think it beneath us to take Guildmaster Gilbert''s offer to contact Grand Guildmaster Sarah in order to right the wrong that has been done unto ourself and to our foxkin." It was uncommon for Sophie to lie or stretch the truth, but for Lone and Soph''s sake, she''d do it without hesitation. If acting like Lone¡¯s owner would get him found sooner, she would play her part without fault. George Leston was shaking like a leaf under the pressure of her barely contained bloodlust, but he somehow managed to muster up the courage to stand. "M-Miss...?" ''Oh? This chicken has a spine, does it?'' Under all her impatience and anger, Sophie felt some amusement leaking out of herself at this prospect. The most useless of the bunch turned out to be the one to try and speak cordially with her. How very, very, entertaining. "Vladimirovich. Don''t bite your tongue when saying it, boy." "Miss Vladimirovich," George struggled his way through the surname she wasn¡¯t born with but did consider her own, "Bastion''s had a bit too much to drink. I-I understand why you are upset, really, I do. My friend will t-tell you everything he knows, won''t you, Bastion?" The girl Sophie knew to be called Emma Malik nodded. "Bastion''s hot-headed, but he isn''t stupid. Right, Bastion?" Sophie could feel the intense emotion of hatred and disgust rolling off the boy who was a single decision away from dying. Perhaps it was her bloodlust, or perhaps it was the blade pressed up against his flesh, regardless, he spoke. "... A man approached me. I don''t know who he is. He hid his face and never gave me his name. I thought he was being quite rude, honestly, but he claimed to have possession of the Golden Foxkin. I didn''t start any trouble with him because, to my surprise, he owns an estate in the noble district. I''ll give you the address if you want it so badly," Bastion said as he averted his eyes and furrowed his brow in displeasure. "Now we are getting somewhere, are we not?" Sophie asked as she smiled sarcastically under her helmet. The female adventurer sighed in relief as she put her weapon away and resumed leaning against the wall. Bastion listed the seller''s address and then offered a warning. "I wasn''t the only person he contacted regarding the foxkin, no doubt. Many eyes have been drawn to Milindo after the baby Golden Foxkin appeared a year ago. With an adult possessing nine tails suddenly showing up too... well, I''m sure that those eyes would have shifted focus since the baby is set to be sold at that stupid restricted access auction soon anyway." Sophie snorted. "We need not your false concern. Do as your kind always do and scurry back to your family and attempt to use their influence to get revenge on us." "Why you-" "We have no time for fools. Farewell." Sophie offered no more words as she quickly left the nightclub.
Silence and the sound of the establishment''s music filled the booth. Emma suddenly stood up and arched her back, resulting in it popping. "Wow. That was amazing!" George scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I-I guess?" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "You too, George! You were so cool when you faced her! I could barely move let alone talk until you mustered up the willpower to face that bloodlust head-on! We should hang out more, y''know," Emma Malik said as she offered her fellow duke''s child a cheeky wink. "Uh, um, I-I''d like that," George answered sheepishly. Bastion, however, bit at his fingernails in both anger and anxiety. ''I''ve already sent a letter back to Father of my success in obtaining the foxkin... How do I deal with this now?'' Ceela leaned over and passed her young master a note. Bastion was about to toss it on the floor since it had come from a peasant, but he had accidentally read some of its contents and his interest was caught. ''Yes, yes, yes! This might just work! If he''s participating in the tournament and has a grudge with the hero... Yes, Father will believe this!'' Bastion was elated. ''Ceela, you may be a worthless whore, but even worthless whores have some intellect it would seem!''
Lone carefully made his way out of the basement with Grimsley and Shana in tow. Shana, that was the girl''s name. Apparently, she was Grimsley''s niece. The dwarf hadn''t mentioned any further details given their situation, and Lone didn''t care either. Not now at least. Getting to The Adventurer''s Guild where they would be safe was his current number one priority. "A storeroom?" It would seem that the dungeon-like cellar was connected to a room primarily used for keeping crates and miscellaneous items. There weren''t any windows, but the room looked like it belonged to a large and nice house even despite the few cobwebs that decorated the room''s corners. "Are we in the noble district, maybe?" Grimsley shrugged. "Ah''ll be fooked if ah ken, Laddie." He was still in shock at how perfectly Lone had healed him and his niece. Lone frowned. "Try to stay as silent as possible. I''d rather avoid killing even more people. Best-case scenario, we escape this house then fuckin'' leg it through the city." "An'' worse-case, laddie?" Grimsley asked despite already knowing the answer. "I cut us a path out of here and we pray that we don''t meet a powerful ranker. I''m really banking on this guy being a one-man operation. The drug he used on me isn''t easy to get though, and this house suggests nobility, so we may already be up shit creek," Lone explained softly. Grimsley scowled with that rugged and grizzled face of his. "An'' ah dinnae see a paddle in fookin'' sight." "Exactly." Lone took in a sharp breath and then steeled himself for potentially having to end even more human lives today. "Well, no time like the present. If we wait too long his accomplices will get suspicious. We still don''t know if he was a lackey or the boss." "Ah''m right behind ya, laddie." Shana was still unconscious, but to a burly Stone Dwarf like Grimsley, her weight on his back was inconsequential. At that exact moment, a fully armoured figure roughly a little under a metre and a half tall appeared in the middle of the room. Grimsley''s eyes almost popped out of his skull, but he managed to not make a loud exclamation from the shock he was currently feeling. "Did ''at fella jus'' fookin'' appear ootta thin air?" A smile wormed its way onto Lone''s face. "''Girl'' not ''fella'', and yes, yes she did." Sophie took off her helmet and stormed over to Lone while somehow keeping her footsteps soft and silent. Quite an amazing feat, really. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a deep, long, and sloppy, kiss. A few moments later she pulled back and glared at him. "Useless. Why did you not escape sooner? If we knew that you were capable of such on your own, perhaps we wouldn''t have had to spend the effort to find you ourself." ¡°That¡¯s Sofia? Fook me up the arse an¡¯ call me Sally if ye¡¯re naw actin¡¯ entirely different fae normal,¡± Grimsley commented in confusion. Lone smiled wryly. "Will explain later, to both of you. Can you get us out of here first?" Sophie scowled fiercely before she roughly grabbed both Lone and Grimsley''s arms. Not a second later they had disappeared.
Gilbert peeked over his shoulder and glanced at the two moons hanging in the sky over Altros through his office''s window. It was rare to see them both in one night. People usually only referred to Altros as having one moon since the second only made itself known one night every four years. Of course, on this most special of evenings, Gilbert was too stressed to fully appreciate with rice wine as he liked to. "Another 20 or so minutes," he grumbled. He turned his head back and then almost had a heart attack. "Lone?" Much to the guildmaster''s surprise, Sofia had appeared in the middle of his office along with Lone and two unfamiliar dwarves. "Hey, Gilbert. So, uh, I may or may not have murdered a nobleman..." Lone sheepishly said as he scratched his neck. Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "Well, now the second moon¡¯s entirely ruined. Explain. Now."
"Ha-ah... Gregory Milatod, huh? He''s the son of the late Count Feston Milatod. From what I know he''s been under the watchful eye of Duke Henry Malik for some time under suspicion of treason and leading a criminal gang. These are only rumours though," Gilbert explained. Not a moment later he reached under his desk and pulled out a smoking pipe. He stuffed some sort of substance into it and then snapped his fingers and said, "Spark." Whatever he had put in the device lit up and began producing smoke. He walked over to the office''s window and opened it. He then took a big puff of his pipe and blew the resulting smoke out into the open air. "I''m glad that you and your blacksmithing master are safe, Lone, really, I am, but henceforth you are banned from leaving this building until the annual fighter''s tournament begins. I know none of it is your fault, but you''ve really stumbled from one mess to another, and that''s only from today," Gilbert expressed wryly but in a serious tone. Lone nodded. "It''s regrettable since I kind of need to get stronger, but yeah, the danger is too great," he said. ''If I can''t level-up for now, then I''ll just have to perfect my skills as much as possible to kick Daisuke''s teeth out. One way or another, he''s getting the shit beat out of him for all that he''s done.'' Gilbert''s eyes drifted over to Sophie. "And you. You are also forbidden from leaving this building. I suspect that Duke Leston and Duke Malik won''t take your actions lying down. Margrave Griffset is situated in Ros, so I doubt he''ll cause any direct trouble for you, but I can''t say the same for the dukes. They may employ some adventurers under silver-plate to harass you, but I doubt you''re unable to handle that." Sophie held her head up proudly. "Indeed. We do not regret our actions even slightly, however. Were we not aware of the consequences, then we would have no doubt murdered all of those noble wastrels." Grimsley mumbled under his breath, ¡°¡¯Er¡¯s ¡®at weird fancy talk again¡­¡± "Mister Ironsbane, I also suggest that you, too, do not leave this building. The hero clearly wishes to kill you for stealing his slave from him," Gilbert said. Grimsley''s face turned sour. "Shana''s nae a slave, ya big scaly cunt! She''s Shana. Nutin'' mere nutin'' less." "I meant no offence," Gilbert said with an apologetic smile. Lone held his chin curiously as he gazed at the unconscious dwarven teenager. "Shouldn''t she have woken up by now?" "I suspect her slave collar is preventing her from awakening," Guildmaster Gilbert said. "Perhaps a clause in her slave contract stated that should she escape her master''s servitude that she would be put to sleep? Contract magic is very strange. Poor quality contracts always have hundreds of tiny clauses to make up for the massive expense not being applied known as ''external subservience''. Only high-level contracts include that. Usually, running away in that case results in immediate death." Lone frowned. "Well, we can''t be having her asleep for the rest of her days, now, can we?" "Whaddya mean, laddie?" Grimsley asked sceptically. Anything concerning his niece was of the utmost importance to the man, so of course he was wary. Lone grinned. "I have enough MP now. Lemme get that collar off of her." B1: Chapter 77: The Trick to Unsealing and Jade Stars "Hmm..." Lone was currently busy gazing at his status while lying down on his and Sofia''s bed in their room at The Adventurer''s Guild.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 139 [40]
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 37,620/37,620 [+2,800] SP: 32,350/32,350 [+2,400]
MP: 38,460/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,413 [+250] Vigour: 3,235 [+240]
Dexterity: 2,082 [+300] Agility: 2,399 [+355]
Vitality: 3,762 [+280] Luck: 121 [+5]
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 [+3] Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
"He really didn''t give me many stats but he did gift a fuckton of levels... Was he also an E-ranker or what? He did die pretty quickly and didn''t put up much of a fight when I was strangling him with the chains... Do people give more levels as opposed to monsters on a one-to-one scale, or did he have shit stats for his higher rank of D or C?" Lone really didn''t have a clue how his Growth Accelerator took levels and stats from others. Was Gregory Milatod a very powerful man caught off-guard, or was he just your above average man that was no stronger than your top-class labourers or low-class adventurers? Soph yawned adorably as she ambled out of the room''s private bathroom and back into bed. She crawled under the covers and snuggled up to Lone. "What''re you doing?" "Huh? Uh, just going over my level-ups. I had to kill a guy to escape that noble''s mansion..." Lone explained. "Ah, okay," Soph lazily replied as a happy smile wormed its way onto her face. She was clearly overjoyed that he was okay, so even though she had apparently spent most of the day crying like a hot mess while Sophie was in control, right now, was happier than she had even been in recent memory. Lone dismissed his status and got under the covers with her. He wrapped a few tails around her slender figure and asked, "So, get another unique skill unsealed?" The girl shook her head. "Nope. S-Sorry... I want to be more useful, but nothing changed after we ranked up..." Lone frowned, though not at Soph. "I mean, it has to be every two ranks, right? Surely you¡¯ll get a new one next rank up. The question is why the fuck is that the case for you and not for me?" Soph smiled sadly. "I have no idea either¡­ What power do you think Sophie and I will get next? Do you... Do you think it¡¯ll be a useful one?" Lone smiled and kissed the silly woman''s nose. "All of your powers are useful even if you don''t think they are." He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling as he detailed his theory on her powers. "When we first came here you already had your Mana Sensing, Teleportation, and Body Manipulation. You told me when we went from I to H-rank that the system told you you''d unseal more of your unique skills at further rank ups, right?" Soph scrunched up her face then slowly nodded. "That sounds right..." "Okay, then at G-rank you got fuckin'' diddly-squat," Lone said. "Potty mouth..." Soph muttered in response with flushed cheeks. Lone just chuckled faintly at that. "Then at F-rank you got minor Time Control, and finally, now at E-rank, again, you got fuck all. Do you see a pattern here? ''Cause I do. Like I said, has to be every two ranks." Soph ignored his foul language as she knitted her brow in concentration. She thought long and hard but eventually gave up with a sorry expression. "I really hope so¡­ I can¡¯t see the pattern though. It could be every three ranks or more, right? Sorry if that¡¯s a stupid question¡­¡± Lone leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Back where I''m from people''s intelligence is tested by how well they can determine patterns, but honestly that''s dumb. That''s only one facet to one''s intelligence. You''re plenty smart, Soph. Don''t sell yourself short. There¡¯s no such thing as a stupid question. I would hate for it to be more than every two ranks. That¡¯s already too infrequent as is." Soph crawled up Lone a bit more and rested her head on his shoulder. "T-Thanks, and I agree." Long were the days that she apologised for every little thing. Now she would occasionally thank Lone instead of saying sorry to him at any and all available opportunities. "You''re welcome," Lone answered with a grin. "Anyway, I think your unique skills work like this: First, you were given three powers as a freebie when we were brought here, after that you''ll gained one every second rank starting from F-rank. So, it stands to reason that you''ll unlock another at D-rank, B-rank, S-rank, so on and so forth until you get the last one upon reaching Divinity - the rank the Grand Guildmaster is at." Soph wore a confused expression. "Again though, why? You got all your skills immediately and still have three more chances to make new unique skills whenever you want to... Why do I have to wait for you to rank up? I, uh, I''m not mad at you... Just, why did the gods make it like this?" Lone shook his head. "I have no idea, Soph. I really don''t, but all we can do is try to rank me up as fast as possible so you can get your more evidently useful skills sooner rather than later. Like Immortality or Negative Immunity." Soph weakly nodded. "Mmm..." "Ah, Soph, could you do me a favour tomorrow?" Lone asked in a low and slightly dismissive tone, which spoke of how trivial this ''favour'' was to him. "What?" Soph asked curiously. "I know Gilbert''s just looking out for us, and I agree with him keeping us locked up in here until the tournament, but I''ve just about run out of books," Lone admitted with a wry smile. "Do you mind helping me by teleporting me out of the guild tomorrow? I just want to go to the library for a few hours." Soph''s brows were knitted in worry. "I-Is that okay? W-What if you get kidnapped again?... I don''t want to lose you..." Lone chuckled softly. "Valid, but I have a solution to that. I''ll wear a disguise. I have the Acting and Persuasion skills, remember? I''ll be fine. I just need you to help me out then teleport me back in when you detect my mana again." She seemed hesitant but ultimately smiled faintly. "Okay. J-Just don''t get lost or fight anyone... A-Also, what do I do if Gilbert comes and asks for you?" If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Lone puckered his lips in thought. "Just tell him I''m busy and to give me an hour or two. He''s busy too though, so I doubt he has the time to check up on us. At least not until the evening and I''ll be home by then." Soph''s aura changed before she asked, "And what will you do, Lone, if the man asks you if you have left the guild? He is a walking lie detector, as you like to call him." "Nice to see you too, Sophie," Lone replied with a grin before kissing her. "Why would he ask me that? He isn''t a paranoid goat, just an old one. If he gets no reports about me then he has no reason to ask. Even if he does, I never left, you - or Soph - teleported me out. The truth is easy to manipulate so long as you believe what you''re saying." "... Should you make Soph cry like that again, whether through your own intention or not, we will punch you hard enough to dislocate your jaw, regardless of our feelings for you," Sophie declared menacingly as she lay on top of the foxkin. Lone beamed a smile from ear-to-ear. "You have feelings for me, huh? I''m glad. I love the both of you too." "Why you!" Sophie''s face was blanketed in a sheet of crimson embarrassment. "You are insufferable." ''I know I made a promise to you, Gilbert, but I''m sorry. I need to get them their eyes back... I have no idea if I''ll have a safe and secluded basement to work in wherever we go after the tournament''s over... As soon as she has her vision back, I swear, I won''t leave this building,'' Lone thought as he continued to tease Sophie.
As promised, Lone had snuck out of the guild with Soph''s help the next morning. Of course, he was nowhere near the library but was instead in the new home that he used for his experiments. He hated lying to Sofia, Soph in particular, but he still felt that he was without a choice when it came to reconstructing her eyes due to how gruesome and immoral the research of the subject was. "Damn it, another failure... Just what the fuck am I doing wrong?" Lone asked himself as he stared at the blood-covered head of the dead criminal that lay in front of him. He sighed deeply and muttered, "I''m running out of bodies here and I''m not exactly going to run around looking for criminals to replenish my stocks... Maybe I should just overtax my MP and imagine completely different eyes? Will that work? I can try at least..." Lone brought out the next corpse that was still magnificently preserved thanks to the effects of his Dimensional Storage. As usual, he wiped down the blood that had gushed out of the man''s eyes, ears, and nose due to Mental Destruction. "Maybe I should take all the bodies out and clean ''em all? Half of them were cut up pretty fuckin'' badly by Sophie, so that could take up an entire day..." He kept himself occupied with similar idle thoughts as he got to work. Soon, he was done making the dead man presentable, so he closed his eyes and focused. A few moments later a splitting headache greeted him along with a blue screen.
Item does not exist on Altros, however, there are many like it. 50,000 MP has been consumed to compensate for the difference. The host has a good understanding of the item. 50,000 base MP cost. 50,000 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. 150,000 MP has been consumed to recreate and restructure the item: [Human [Unknown]''s eyes].
Warning! The host has consumed more MP than they possess. Bracket of extra consumption: 50,000-500,000 MP. MP has been sealed for 100-hours.
Lone immediately blacked out from what - to him - felt like a lightning bolt to the brain. He toppled over and lay there unconscious over his dead test subject.
"Urh... Jesus Christ... Why''d I wake up when my head''s pounding so badly?" Lone asked as he stumbled up to his feet. He almost retched upon smelling the corpse that he had been using as a pillow until now. Lone quickly backed away from the body and slumped down the basement''s wall. "I should probably head home... Only God knows how long I''ve been unconscious for..." Lone steadied himself as he got to his feet and then approached the decaying corpse once more. "Well, it worked at least..." he muttered as he stared at the brand new set of eyes in the man''s skull which were nothing like his old ones. "That''s good news at least..."
It was tough convincing Sophie that he had only lost track of time while immersed in the books held within the library, but he managed to convince her somehow. Thankfully, she hadn''t stormed out of the guild in search of him again. That would have been less than ideal had she stumbled across his ''research lab''. Since Lone''s MP was sealed for a little over four consecutive days, and due to the fact that he was in constant pain from his headache, he simply chose to watch Sophie training her swordsmanship or he chose to read books to the best of his ability until his MP was unsealed. ''Back when I had overused my MP, it was only in the 0-5,000 MP bracket and only came with a one hour-long seal... 100 hours felt like a lifetime, plus, I definitely skipped a bracket, right? If it follows a pattern, then it stands to reason that using more than 5,001-50,000 MP will result in a then hour-long seal...'' Lone thought as he stretched and clambered out of bed. ''What''s the limit? How many brackets are there? What happens if I use too much MP? Do I just, like, die? Maybe nothing happens... Still, thank fuck for Basic Regen. Without that, I doubt Creation Magic would be nearly as useful as it is. Knowing that I can push myself to half a million extra MP when creating something is useful info to have,'' he concluded. Of course, he had advanced his Mental Pain Resistance skill quite a lot during the past four days. Lone pulled up the skill one more time to see just how much it had advanced during the harrowing experience.
Passive Skill: Mental Pain Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host''s mind. Reduces the effects suffered from overusing MP by 60% [+30%]. All mental pains will be weakened by 60% [+30%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 3 [+12 levels]
"Tch," Lone turned up his face in disappointment. "Still no new effect? Does it have to be master rank or do resistances just not gain new effects?" Soph crawled out of their bed with messy hair and closed eyes as she pushed her way through Lone''s tails to hug him from behind. "Not sick anymore?" Lone couldn''t help but smile at how adorable she was being. "Not sick anymore." Soph grinned a bit foolishly. "Yay..." As was made painfully obvious, she wasn''t fully awake yet. Lone carefully unwrapped her hands from his waist, confusing her a little. He then spun around and picked the girl up, hugging her close to himself. He kissed her on the tip of her nose and asked, "You wanna see again, right? Like, actually see, not just with Mana Sensing." Her face was instantly flushed red at Lone''s physical flirting, but she still took his question seriously. "Y-Yeah... I... I want to see what you look like..." "And you don''t have any issues looking after me for a few hours, right?" Lone asked. Soph¡¯s expression showed she didn''t understand why he was asking such a strange question, but she still nodded regardless. "O-Of course not." Lone grinned and pecked her softly. "Good. Well then, one last time, you definitely want your eyesight back, right?" "Y-Yeah..." Soph replied timidly. "Wish granted," Lone said in a low and charming tone as he kissed her one last time and pressed his forehead against hers before closing his eyes.
Item does not exist on Altros, however, there are a few like it. 500,000 MP has been consumed to compensate for the difference. The host has no understanding of the item. 1,000,000 base MP cost. 4,000,000 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. 5,500,000 MP has been consumed to recreate and restructure the item: [Human [Sofia Vladimirovich]''s [Jade Stars of The North]].
"You fuckin'' what?!" Lone''s eyes snapped open in shock. ¡®What in the actual fuck is a ¡®Jade Star of The North¡¯? Her eyes aren¡¯t normal?!¡¯ Not a second later he received a message that he was honestly hoping would just kind of... not appear. It was a foolish dream to pray for the system to ignore what he had just done, but it was one his subconscious had been clinging onto.
Warning! The host has consumed more MP than they possess. Bracket of extra consumption: 5,000,001-50,000,000 MP. MP has been sealed for 10,000-hours.
"Remember how I said you might have to look after me for a few hours?" Lone asked, feeling the throbbing assault on his mind already beginning. Soph wasn''t even listening, however. Tears were pouring out of her eyes as she brought her hands up to her face and very gingerly brought her fingers towards them. "I... I can see you..." Her voice was all choked up, and she was barely intelligible. Lone smiled. He put the woman down and pecked the top of her head. "Green¡­ Almost shining¡­ just like the frog lady said¡­ Your eyes are so beautiful¡­ I might be out for a few days. A fuckin'' year-long seal... It kind of feels like a bomb just went off in my head. I''m glad you''ve got your vision back again, Soph... I¡¯ll say it again. Your eyes are... really beyond words..." Lone slumped over like a sack of potatoes. "L-Lone?!" Worry filled Soph''s voice as she quickly realised that Lone had passed out. His entire body was hot, his head especially, and sweat covered him from head-to-toe. "Lone!" B1: Chapter 78: Irreparable Mana Organs and It Hurts "Ha-ah..." Gilbert cracked his neck as he slumped deeply into his chair. "Finally... That''s the brunt of the paperwork out of the way..." He hung his head over the back of his seat as he sighed once more. "I swear, immunity to ageing or not, this damned paperwork will kill me one day..." The next moment, he sensed what felt like an explosion of mana coming from the housing floor of The Adventurer''s Guild which he was in. That was odd considering he couldn¡¯t detect mana like some could. "What on Altros was that? To be so powerful that even I could feel it¡­¡± There were a countless number of skills that could let a person feel, see, it generally known magic was happening. As most mages did, Gilbert had been working on acquiring one such skill with no luck. That only went to show how absurdly powerful this outburst had been. "Anyone with even a lick of magical training under their belt is going to sense that massive... whatever that was. Lone, I swear to the Primals, if you''ve only gone and made more paperwork for me again... I''ll wring your bloody neck for it!" Immediately following that declaration, Sofia appeared in his office with a tear and snot covered face. She slapped her hands against his desk and screamed, "Lo-Lone is- I- Lone- Help!" "In the name of the Primals!" The several-century-years-old White Dragonkin almost jumped out of his skin. It wasn''t every day that a beautiful woman crying her heart out while trying to form a cohesive sentence amidst sobs teleported into his office, after all. "Slow down, Sofia. What''s the fool gone and done this time?" Gilbert took a moment to straighten his posture and it was only then that he noticed the dazzling splendour that was the set of otherworldly green eyes staring at him as they produced tears en masse. The atmosphere around the girl shifted, though Gilbert hardly noticed considering the circumstances. Sofia wiped her face and said, "The idiot overused his mana organs. He''s unconscious and his body keeps spasming non-stop. We need your help." A serious look overtook the guildmaster''s expression. "He did what? That fucking idiot!" Sofia¡¯s no-longer lifeless eyes widened in surprise at the emotion-filled outburst. "Can you help him?" Gilbert shook his head. "I haven''t a clue. As far as I know, damage to mana organs is permanent. We have soul oracles who can help heal souls, but mana organs? I doubt even the Primals could fix those. Maybe some demigods¡­ They are too dangerous though. Quickly, take me to him. We''re wasting time. I might not be able to save his mana organs, but his life? Well, we''ll see." Sofia nodded and grabbed the man. The next moment, the two of them were gone from the office and appeared next to the unconscious Lone. "By the Primals..." Gilbert''s jaw just about hit the floor. "He''s like a well. A bottomless and empty well... Just what did he do?" the man asked as he quickly began checking Lone''s pulse and some of his other vitals. Sofia frowned in hesitation but ultimately chose to tell him what she knew. "He cured our blindness..." she admitted. "He did what? How? He''s no master nature or healing mage! The church would be all over him trying to brainwash or enslave him if he were," the guildmaster said. Sofia looked down at her suffering lover and answered, "He has a unique skill called Creation Magic. He has used it before to create items that drained him of all his mana, but never to a degree like this. According to him, he can also use the skill to repair things. Seemingly, he can also change the nature of things too, as evidenced by the fact that we are no longer blind." Gilbert wished he''d never asked. "Of course it''s a unique skill... And your Teleportation is the same I assume?" Sofia nodded. "Ha-ah... So he isn''t a Golden Foxkin from Altros then... Only summoned heroes have unique skills..." "Does that matter right now?" Sofia asked a bit impatiently. Lone was still shaking violently and he refused to stop moaning in pain. Gilbert chuckled sadly. "No, I suppose not." He put his hand on Lone''s head and then a confused look overtook his expression. "What? How on Altros is there no damage to his brain?" "Should there be?" Sofia asked. "Should there be? Hah! His brain should be a puddle by now! I''m assuming he had about 20,000 MP, maybe 30 or 40,000 tops. What I felt him use? Easily ten times that. His mana organs most-definitely exploded. Usually, in extreme accidents like this, the physical brain and heart suffer backlash - the former more so than the latter. Best-case scenario, you''ve just depleted all your MP, not overused your mana organs. In that case, you may be lucky enough to learn Mental Pain Resistance from the physical and magical backlash." Gilbert slowly rubbed Lone''s head like a concerned father might. "This idiot... I once overused my mana organs myself, y''know?" he claimed. "I wanted to show my parents and my uncles and aunts that I was ready to leave the clan. I was bedridden for three months and I permanently lost over a third of my Magic Power. Now when I level up, if I would have originally gained 30 Magic Power, now I only gain 20. I am crippled, in a sense." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Calming Chime," he cast. A small green astral bell appeared and hovered over Lone before it began ringing lightly. Lone''s spasms seemed to calm a bit and he groaned slightly less frequently as well. "What Lone has done is beyond comprehension. Not only is his physical body fine, but I can actually sense his mana organs slowly being rebuilt. If I''m not crazy and they''re actually healing by some Primal-given miracle, then I believe he''ll be fine. When, however, I do not know. Sofia, how on Altros is he doing this?" Gilbert asked with genuine concern in his tone. She creased her brows. "You already know enough to be a serious cause for concern, so we see no reason to hide more from you. Lone possesses another unique skill. It allows him to passively heal any injuries he sustains." Gilbert just about passed out on top of the unconscious Lone right then and there. "Just who have I gotten myself involved with?" ¡°I am Sophie, and my lovelier self is Soph. We have two personalities,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°Of course you do. I was being rhetorical, by the way,¡± Gilbert sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time today.
"What the fook''ll ah do from ''ere?" Grimsley asked himself as he sat next to his niece, Shana, who still had yet to wake despite being perfectly healed and freed of her slave collar and its contract - according to Lone at least. His smithy was nothing but smouldering ruins. Chances were that the industrious slummers had looted it for anything that still remained and had then rebuilt it into more slums. "Ah''ve nae money, nae contacts, nae strength, nae any''ing." The man sighed into his beard deeply as he looked down at his niece. "Well, at least ah''ve still got ye, ay, wee Shana?" He smiled faintly as he muttered, "We owe the daft laddie the world we do. Fookin'' eejit almost died an'' ended up as ah slave tae save us, an'' what does he ask fae in return? Fookin'' naught. Ah''d rather the cunt wae ah wee bit greedy. Ah tangible debt''s ah hell o¡¯ ah lot easier tae face than one ''at ya never ken when it''ll rear its ugly head..." "... Uncle Grim?" a soft voice called out in confusion. Grimsley''s eyes opened wide in alarm. "Shana? Shana! Ye''r conscious! Fookin'' thank the Stone... Ma old heart was damn-near sure ya''d never wake again..." A very quiet laugh escaped the girl''s throat. "You''re still young by dwarf standards... What... What happened with the hero? Where are we, Uncle?" "Yer accents all but gone, Lass. Just another thing the fookin'' hero stole fae ya, ah suppose..." Grimsley scratched his head and tried his best to not appear angry. "It''s ah wee bit o¡¯ ah long story...." Shana slowly raised her hands to her neck and was surprised to find that her slave collar was gone. All logic would dictate that Daisuke had either released her or that he had died, resulting in her consequential freedom. "We have time, don''t we?" "Aye, lass, ''at we do. We''ve got it in spades," Grimsley replied. "Christ this is gonna take mer than ah minute or two..." "Christ?" That was a word she''d never heard of before. "Ah, mannerism ah picked up fae Lone. Strange lad, ''at one. Ah can see ''at look in yer eye. Curious as ah goblin, though ah million times prettier, ya are," Grimsley teased. "Uncle..." Shana didn''t seem best impressed. Grimsley laughed heartily. "Aye, aye. Ah''ll explain in due time. First though, kidnappin'' ya back fae that cunt wae ah face like an arse wasnae ah small task, lemme tell ya..."
"Come on, is this really all you have? ¡ê3.50?" "Isn''t your dad the owner of that PC factory on the other side of town?" "What a fuckin'' loser. We can''t even afford a decent lunch with this." A boy who had quite clearly been punched in the face and tripped to the ground wiped his cheeks as he cried his eyes out. "I''m sorry... Please, leave me alone. I never did anything to you guys..." "Did I say you could speak? Fuck me, you''re pathetic." "Hey, let''s finish this up and head to Gary''s. I''m dying for a fag and some Jack. Can hardly light one out here or get sloshed." "Right, right. A few more hits and we should be good." Not long after that, the boy walked home with bruises all along his arms and across his face. He stood outside of the door to his family home and then took a deep breath. "Halfway done..." he muttered as pushed open the door. "I-I''m home..." he said as quietly as a mouse. No one answered, as expected. His little sister was likely playing with her friends at the park and his mother could be anywhere from a friend''s house to the salon, really. Not wanting to take any risks, the boy quickly kicked off his shoes and made a break for the stairs. He''d be safe in his room. He could hide there and escape his inevitable fate, surely. Alas, the boy wasn''t as lucky as he wished he might have been. "Darren? That you?" a rough voiced called as some crashing noises came from the living room. A chill went up the boy''s spine. He closed his eyes and sprinted as fast as his beaten body would take him. He only got four steps up the stairs before a large hand had placed itself on his shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Oi, is that any way to greet your father, you ungrateful little shit?!" his father screamed into his ear. "I-I''m sorry, I-I didn''t- I- I need to d-do my homework... I-I-" "''I-I-I-I,'' grow a fucking backbone, you coward!" A thunderous slap rang across the boy''s cheek. Were it not for the fact that he was still being held by his father''s other hand, then the force alone might have sent him flying into the stairwell''s wall. "Back in my day, you''d have said ''No, sir. Sorry, sir. You''re right, sir. Not this fucking chicken-shit, boy!" The young teen could feel himself losing consciousness. If not from the pain, then from the smell of alcohol coming from his father mouth. "I''d have half a mind to beat some sense into ya right here right now. No son of mine should be a spineless idiot, after all," he said and then slapped the boy yet again, followed by a punch to the ribs. "Look! You''re already crying! This was normal in my day, boy. You''re fucking lucky I ain''t unbuckling my belt and whipping your hands with it!" "I-I''m sorry! It hurts. Dad, I''m sorry. Please, stop! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" "It''s supposed to hurt, you noisy little bastard! How else are you meant to learn if it doesn''t hurt?!" his father yelled back. "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!... It hurts... It... hurts... It..."
"It hurts!" Lone hollered at the top of his lungs, his torso sprung up, and he began panting heavily. Sophie - who was calmly sitting at his bedside looked over at him in surprise- jumped in surprise. "Lone¡­ We are glad you''re finally awake. It has been four days, you fool. We recall promising to punch you hard enough to dislocate your jaw should you make Soph cry ever again. Not a moment has passed where tears weren''t gushing out of her eyes like a waterfal- Wait, why are you crying?" "Huh?" Lone hurriedly wiped his eyes. "I, uh, had a bad dream." "Those are called nightmares. We see you''re still a bit frazzled. As expected, we suppose." Sophie sighed. "Your punch shall have to wait until later." She got up and then briskly grabbed the collar of Lone¡¯s shirt before pulling him in for a deep kiss. "We were worried for you, Lone." "Than-" "Also, never do that again. Or, if you must, do not fall unconscious again. We swear, this is the last time we take care of cleaning you due to you stupidly getting yourself into a coma," Sophie threatened menacingly. "We have changed your underwear enough times for several lifetimes. You are no baby, stop making me treat you like one." "Ahaha... Uh, sure. I''ll try," Lone laughed as he scratched his head awkwardly. He was glad to be back to reality. B1: Chapter 79: How Lone Appears and Confession "Gilbert''s going to be annoyed," Lone muttered before he chuckled. Sophie nodded. "No doubt. Duke Henry Malik - the one we''re concerned about - he''s been hounding the guild day-in, day-out. According to the guildmaster that man also detected your outburst of MP when you... when you restored our eyes." A concerned look spread across Lone''s expression. "That''s not ideal..." He looked around the room for a moment and couldn''t see the black sphere he used to relax himself. "Sophie, where''s my orb?" The girl frowned. "That thing is evil." "No, it''s magical. It''s also calming for me. It helps me relax and think more clearly when I touch it," Lone protested. Sophie furrowed her brows. "We do not like it. We regret even picking it up." "Please, Sophie?" Lone had a pleading tone to his voice. "It hasn''t hurt me, has it?" Sophie got up and briskly walked over to a set of drawers. She reached into the topmost one and pulled out the black sphere after unwrapping it from one of Lone''s shirts. "It hasn''t hurt you yet." She threw the thing at him as if disgusted by it. "It cannot enter your Dimensional Storage, and according to you and your experiments, only the living cannot do that. Something is sealed inside of that... thing." "Okay, sure, valid theory, but what if it''s a nice ''thing''?" Lone suggested with a challenging eyebrow. "Then we shall give you the blowjobs you so dearly adore every single morning and evening without question for the rest of our life, regardless of our mood," Sophie said, deeply surprising and embarrassing Lone. "Sound like a hell of a deal to me," he said after quickly collecting himself. ''Trust Sophie to be the one to mention something like that... She''s definitely the lewder of the two even if she denies it...'' Sophie rolled her eyes. "We do not think it will kill you and we do not wish to argue on this much more. But remember this, we do not trust it even remotely. Soph is dying to take control. Just keep our warning in mind. It is a dangerous thing that we should not be meddling with." "... I love you, Sophie, and I trust you... I just think you''re wrong here," Lone admitted. Sophie sighed. "We shall see. Perhaps it shall render you unconscious once more even despite your latest promise, hmm?" She stood up and stretched her arms behind her back and said one final thing before she would give control to her other self. "The more promises you break, Lone, the less any following ones mean, regardless of your sincerity." The look in her bright emerald eyes went from cold and disappointed to warm and vibrant. "Lone!" Soph pounced onto his bed and flung her arms around his neck before she deeply pressed her face into his nape. "I was so worried..." ''... Sophie... She''s right. I can''t continue breaking my word... If I just keep making false promises and lying, then how am I any different to that piece of shit dad of mine?'' He knew that being a liar and a child abuser were two very different things, but that didn''t stop him from drawing comparisons. He shook his head then placed the black orb on the bedside table. He wrapped his arms around Soph and smiled kindly. "I told you, didn''t I? I''d only be out for a few days. True, that was a guess, but it was right, wasn''t it?" Soph smiled as she lowered her hands to grab at Lone''s fluffy limbs. "I know, but I can''t help but worry about you when you look like you''re in so much pain... Just to fix my eyes... I''m sorry for always causing trouble for you, Lone..." That stung. Lone knew that Soph was being sincere and that she genuinely felt that way but knowing that he was the one who kept letting her down and worrying her by falling unconscious so often made him feel a pang of immense guilt in his heart. He smiled wryly then said, "You''re never a burden, Soph. I keep telling you that... and to stop saying sorry when you don''t need to." Soph peeled herself off him for a moment and smiled softly. "Sor- Um... Habit?" "Haha." Lone slowly and gently held Soph''s cheek in his hand as he stared into her eyes. "Jade Stars of The North... You''re beautiful, Soph. Considering how much MP they cost, I think you might have special eyes or something. Well, beyond how pretty they are." Soph was embarrassed but it made her happy to be so directly praised by the man whom she loved. "I... I don''t know if they''re special or not... Um... Y-You''re very handsome... I think? I, uh, haven¡¯t seen too many people but your face makes me feel warm inside when I look at it¡­" Lone was briefly stunned before he recalled that until now, while she could technically see, all Mana Sensing gave her were outlines of things and people shaped blobs of differently coloured mana. "You''re damn-right I am. Becoming a foxkin made me incredibly sexy, I''ll have you know." Soph giggled. "Your hair is pretty. Your tails look soft and fluffy. Your skin is so pale yet so full of life. Your eyes are as bright as the sun... You look just how I imagined you would and even more... I... I know it''s wrong since you were in so much pain, but, um, I-I''m really thankful that you gave me back my vision... I finally got to truly look at you..." "All of the time I spent working on it was kind of wasted since your eyes ain¡¯t normal, but hey, I''m super glad it all worked out," Lone laughed. "Well, besides me having a mini-coma and getting my MP sealed for a bit over a year." Soph''s face dropped. "W-What? T-That long? But before it''s only ever been a few days..." She felt horrible. "Magic means so much to you... And Basic Regeneration gets boosted with your MP." Lone smiled wryly. "I love magic, true, but I love you more. I can get around BR becoming less useful by just not throwing myself into danger, right? You being happy makes it all worth it. I needed to work on my physical combat skills and battle prowess anyway, now I have the perfect excuse to stop letting myself get hit by fuckin¡¯ everything." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Soph still wasn''t feeling better. "M-Maybe there''s a way to lower the seal time?" Lone scratched his head and chuckled. "I hope so, but don''t stress over it. It''s not the end of the world. Now I know a bit more about how my Creation Magic works, you have your eyes back, and I gained a bunch of skill level-ups." "Lone, uh, how are my eyes special?" she asked. "Sophie wanted me to ask you about them since you called them ''Jade Stars of The North''." "Huh?" Lone was a bit surprised. "Uh, I thought you''d know. That''s what the system called them, not me. I was just copying it. They aren''t sharingan, are they? I''d rather not have to die for them to awaken, haha." "What''s a sharingan?" Soph asked as she tilted her head. Lone laughed softly. "The hallmark of a brooding bitch. Nothing special. Treat it as a joke," he said. ''Though I certainly wouldn''t mind a pair... I still have three more chances to select a unique skill. Something to think over, at least.'' Soph frowned in confusion. "Okay... Um, I don''t know anything about my eyes. Maybe Sophie would know more? Oh, she just said she doesn''t know anything..." "Weird." Lone held his chin then said, "Well, we have a lifetime to figure it out." Soph''s cheeks turned pink upon noticing the deeper meaning to what Lone had said. "Oh, you''re finally awake," a voice belonging to Gilbert said as the White Dragon walked into the room and closed the door behind himself. Lone immediately avoided meeting his gaze with that of the guildmaster''s. "Hi..." Gilbert nodded. "So, the troublemaker does know how to feel remorse. What a lucky day it is." The good-looking man with more than three centuries of life experience pulled up a chair and stared rather piercingly at Lone. "We have a lot to talk about, Mister Multiple Unique Skills." Lone smiled awkwardly. "Sophie told you about that, huh?" "Yes, Sophie did," Gilbert answered while the girl herself remained quiet. Sophie took control of Soph for a moment then said, "We are going to go prepare some soup for you now that you are awake. Since you cannot use MP, creating food is no longer an option. We shall be back in an hour or two." "Sure," Lone answered, though in truth, he''d rather she stayed to act as a shield against the grumpy old dragonkin. ¡°Two personalities, huh?¡± Gilbert asked Lone. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°Yup. Twice the handful, but twice the love.¡± Gilbert smiled kindly at that before a profound silence reigned between the two men, one less that 30 years old, the other nearly 400. Finally, after what felt an eternity, Lone said, "So, what do you want to know, exactly?" "Are you really a Golden Foxkin?" was Gilbert''s first real and most critical question. "... Yes?" Lone answered in a very unsure manner. "I mean, I think so? You already know that Sofia and I are ''summoned heroes'', right?" Gilbert nodded. "Indeed. That''s the only way you''d have a unique skill, after all." Lone smiled wryly. "Well, we''re both humans from Earth. When we were brought here, I was changed into a Golden Foxkin by some mysterious god." "Earth?" Gilbert looked perplexed. "But only Milindo has the summoning ritual which pulls heroes from that planet... You weren''t summoned by Milindo''s royal family, correct?" "Yeah, we weren''t. It was some god or something. The whole process was fast and confusing. Before I knew it, I was on Altros with golden hair and nine tails," Lone said as he laughed in a self-deprecating manner. Gilbert stroked his goatee carefully. "God... Hmm... Is there a reason you aren''t specifically saying it was the Primals, the Stone, a True Elemental, or any of the other various gods? I know of no other beings that could be referred to as gods but those of that sort of calibre." Lone shook his head. "I''ve never met a Primal, hell, I don''t even know if they''re real or not. I know the Stone is a religious thing for Grimsley, but nothing else. Never heard of True Elementals before. The god sent me a message wishing me luck before we were sent to Altros, not when we were actually here." "Haha, it would be a miracle to meet a Primal in this day and age. The Stone is more than religious, it is very real and one of the few things stopping the dwarven kingdoms from collapsing. True Elementals being news to you doesn¡¯t surprise me. They are very magical, and this backwater country isn¡¯t the fondest of magic outside of their direct control." Gilbert claimed. "Still... I don''t know if you''ve just been misled or if you genuinely were summoned to Altros by a being of equal standing to that of our more local deities who originates from¡­ elsewhere. From my limited knowledge, Earth is a planet lacking in magic, is it not? I doubt such a world could support a god." Lone nodded. "I really don''t know anything. You know as much as I do." A short pause followed his words before he said, "Uh, is there anything else you want to know?" Gilbert thought over the question for a bit before ultimately shaking his head. "No. I know enough. I''d rather not learn of any more world-shaking secrets, thank you very much. I''m a simple man who wishes to lead a simple life as a guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild." Lone laughed as he scratched his head. ''I should tell him about breaking my promise... He''s been so kind to me, and he isn''t getting angry even though I wasn''t born as a Golden Foxkin yet I''m still causing him so much trouble... He deserves to know that I broke his trust in me...'' "Hmm?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind, son?" "... Before I fell unconscious I, uh, I was sneaking out of the building with Sofia''s help every now and then. She thinks I was going to the library, but I was actually using a small house I''d purchased to experiment on the corpses of those criminals that attacked us in the sewers. Uh, one of my unique powers lets me store non-living things in a separated space. I... I wanted to learn how to heal Sofia''s eyes." Gilbert didn''t say a word and just stared at Lone. The foxkin gulped nervously before he continued. "Uh, I''m pretty sure she already told you about my Creation Magic, right? Well, it costs less MP the more I understand what I''m trying to create. I wanted to understand how eyes worked completely before I tried to restore her blindness." Still, Gilbert didn''t make a sound, only amplifying Lone''s nervousness. "I was never caught or found out when I was doing this, but I uh... I''d made you a promise, a promise which I broke... I''m sorry, Gilbert. I really truly am. I don''t deserve your respect nor your kindness." The White Dragonkin slowly stood up and reached his hand over. Lone instinctively closed his eyes, expecting a palm to strike his face like he was used to with his father. The strike never came, however. "Uh..." Lone was surprised to feel Gilbert''s hand on his head just... laying there. Following a heavy sigh, Gilbert smiled. "You may think that you are an adult, but you are still a baby in my eyes. Would it be right of me to punish such a child when he has admitted his mistakes? You had good intentions, son, and that goes a long way." "... But I mutilated bodies. They may have been scum, but they were still people with fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, maybe even children of their own..." There was nothing but sadness and regret in Lone''s tone. Gilbert shook his head. "A body is a body. What is the difference if it is buried six feet under, burnt to ashes, or used to better a living person''s life? Son, you did nothing wrong. Well, apart from breaking your promise to me." The White Dragonkin rolled his palm into a fist and very lightly tapped Lone on the head with it. "Don''t betray my trust again. Do that and I might actually get angry." Lone held his head down. He didn''t know how to feel, what to say, what to think. He just went blank. "Haha, anyway," Gilbert stretched his back and said, "That asshole Malik wants to see both you and Sofia. Particularly the Sophie side of Sofia since he caught wind of her threatening his daughter last week. I''ll be there with you when you meet him, so let''s get this over with, okay?" Lone slowly pulled himself together and forced a smile. "Uh, sure..."
On the other side of the door, Sophie had her back leaned against the wall with her lips pursed. "What an idiot." She then strolled down the hall. The two would be expecting to see her in the kitchen making soup, after all, not eavesdropping on them, so to the kitchen she went. B1: Chapter 80: Lots of Bite and Not a Lot of Bark "So, uh, Duke Malik. What''s he like?" Lone asked. "I''ve only read about him and know that he''s incredibly nationalistic." "He''s a speciesist to the core, a bigot, an egotistical maniac, oh, and a bloodthirsty demon when it comes to mages not affiliated with Milindo''s nobility or royalty," Gilbert answered with a frown before he turned and smiled. "So, a pretty nice guy, in all honesty." His sarcasm wasn''t lost on Lone. "Surely that can''t be allowed, right? Killing mages indiscriminately? Especially ones from The Adventurer''s Guild." Gilbert sighed. "Look, son. Nothing''s black and white. I can''t protect every mage with a plate if they just disappear in the dead of night. I have power, but not enough to start breathing down the neck of one of the kingdom''s four dukes. Need I remind you that all of the dukes are, like me, SS-rankers?" That upset Lone more than he thought it would have, surprising him. "I see... If he tries anything with me or Sophie, I''m going to try my best to melt his brains out of his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth." Gilbert''s feet stopped moving as he turned to stare at Lone. A massive sigh escaped his lips. "I swear on the Primals, this racial ability to detect all lies? Worthless piece of junk I wish I was never born with." He put a hand on Lone''s shoulder and said, "Son, if that grumpy old git tries to pressure either of you, I''ll stake my job on stopping him. Gravity magic isn''t as directly powerful as lightning magic - what he has mastery over - but I can just as easily use it from here to flatten his entire estate. He won''t try anything, not with me around. He doesn''t have a lie detector either, so feel free to talk circles around him if you can. I don''t want to help him with his investigation into the magical disturbance you caused just as much as you." Lone smiled softly. "Haha, thanks. It''s, uh, it''s good to know you have my back." Gilbert chuckled. "That''s what old people who have reached the apex of their potential are meant for, right? Guiding the young and helping them stumble onto their own paths?" Lone squinted his eyes. ''But... you''re a beastkin. Beastkin are immune to ageing, aren''t they? In the face of an eternity, a few hundred years old is pretty young... I mean, look at Sofia...'' The two quickly found the kitchen and Sophie who had just started making some soup for Lone. She wasn''t best pleased about having to meet a powerful noble, but she agreed, nonetheless. Not a few minutes later they were all sat behind a table in one of the guild''s soundproof inspection rooms, simply waiting for Duke Malik to enter. "Is there anything we should expect?" Lone asked Gilbert. The White Dragonkin stroked his goatee in thought. "I''ve only met Duke Malik a handful of times. I suppose expect extreme prejudice, anger, demands, and maybe even death threats. Don''t worry, I will protect you both. Don''t give in to his pressure." Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. "As if a petty man with little-to-no justification can frighten us." Lone nodded. "I agree with you, but let''s try to stay civil, yeah? This guy is specifically the reason we aren''t skipping town right this second. I''d rather play the game by his rules and get him out of our hair for good." Sophie shrugged. "You are the one with Persuasion, not us. However, if he presses us for anything, we will not lie down and accept it like a coward." Gilbert smiled wryly. "Sophie, do you mind pretending to be blind again? It isn''t public knowledge that you can see now, and honestly, I''d rather not leave any clues for Duke Malik to piece together Lone''s excessive usage of MP from a few days ago." "We do not mind, no. If it will help, fine. We shall keep our eyes closed," Sophie answered. "Great. He''s here, by the way. I can feel him walking over the wood of the guild''s front lobby," Gilbert casually announced. "You can... feel him?" Lone asked in awe. Gilbert nodded a bit smugly. "Yes, I can. It''s a nature magic thing. A passive skill that took me four decades to master." Sophie frowned. "We can sense him too. His mana is very... chaotic and crackly. It''s a deep and dark shade of blue, though there are currents of green hidden deep within him." "Lightning magic, maybe?" Lone theorised. Gilbert sighed. "Of course. She can see magic and determine what kind, exactly, a person can use by what she sees. Why am I not surprised?" Lone looked a bit sheepish at that comment but Sophie was exuding a sense of pride more than anything else. Gilbert shook his head and rubbed his glabella. "Well, let me start things off. He''s brought two of his retainers. A shame, neither seems to be his daughter. She''s a reasonable girl. I''d have liked to have her here for this unofficial hearing." Another sigh escaped the dragonkin''s lips as the door to the room was opened and three ornately dressed men entered. Each one exuded a certain magnificence that made one want to bow their head and act humbly in front of them. The centremost figure cast his cold eyes over Lone briefly, only stopping to note his usually large amount of tails before settling his sight on Sophie. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Ah, the criminal is present to answer for her crimes. Very good," the duke stated as the ends of his lips curled up in both mirth and anger. Suddenly, an explosive aura burst forth from Gilbert. It didn''t directly touch nor affect Lone and Sophie but the two of them felt it and it - combined with Duke Malik and his retainers'' domineering auras - made them pale and break out into a light sweat. "Henry, I would appreciate it if you showed me some respect. This is my home, and it is official property of The Adventurer''s Guild, not the Kingdom of Milindo. Rescind your aura. You''re an SS-ranker, for Primal''s sake. It''s childish to use your power to suppress two E-rankers," Gilbert said in a very professional yet threatening tone. Henry Malik didn''t back off, in fact if anything, he made his aura even more volatile. Lone knew that auras of strength couldn''t actually hurt people, even mortals that had yet to advance past I-rank, but what they did do was a damn good job of scaring the shit out of someone or making all of their skin crawl and cover them in a bath of their own sweat. They could be wielded offensively with the help of skills or high ranks, but just being blasted with the aura on its own? Extreme suppression could be expected, but there was no actual risk of injury. ''Crackly and fierce, unrelenting, even. Gilbert''s is soft and stern, durable and unbreaking... This is crazy! Is this what Sofia feels with her Mana Sensing 24-7?'' Lone was beyond curious about such a mystical occurrence. He knew it wasn¡¯t quite the perfect comparison since everyone had an aura and learned how to use it in different ways based on their personal rank, still, he liked to think what he felt right now was what Sofia felt every waking moment with her unique skill. Unlike Lone who was awestruck with fascination or Sophie who looked peeved but unsurprised, Gilbert was furious. "I didn''t know that the king openly allowed traitors to the crown to masquerade as dukes," Gilbert said in a very unimpressed tone. "To so openly show hostility to the leader and representative of the local branch of The Adventurer''s Guild is akin to spitting in Divine Persistence''s face. Now, of course, since you represent His Majesty, he surely knows about your attitude today. I assume you''re fine with me issuing an official complaint to the crown as well as giving a full report of this to Divine Persistence herself, no?" ''Divine Persistence?'' Lone thought questioningly. ''Is that Grand Guildmaster Sarah''s title? Divines have titles? That''s news to me... Wonder who gives them and what they mean?'' Duke Malik narrowed his eyes dangerously, but Gilbert didn''t back down for even a second. Sighing deeply, the large and intimidating man rescinded his aura. "Very well. Consider your false threat successful." Gilbert grinned smugly. It was rare to get a leg up over the dukes since they were, like him, all SS-rankers. "Lovely. With that out of the way," he said as he reined in his own aura, "feel free to start your interview." He made sure to note that it was, indeed, an interview, not an interrogation. Not wasting any time since it was clear to Lone that the man abhorred being in the presence of a free demi who he likely suspected as being also a free mage to boot, Duke Malik cast his gaze on Sophie. "You have some gall to threaten my daughter''s life. What country are you from? I''ve heard of your claim to nobility and let the Primals be damned if I won''t get an official apology from your family," Duke Malik said in a very powerful and unamused tone. Gilbert raised an eyebrow, seemingly shocked and interested in this approach. Sophie, still with her eyes closed, moved her head to have it directly facing Duke Malik''s. "Inform a lowly duke from a backwater kingdom of our origin while performing the traditional coming of age ceremony where relying on one''s family bar our slave is forbidden? You think highly of yourself, fool." Rage was visibly surfacing on the duke and his attendants'' faces, but Sophie didn''t give him pause to speak. "No, we think we shall not tell you anything. Your daughter was associating with the dregs of your little noble society, an arrogant boy by the name of Bastion Griffset. He had so rudely participated in an illegal dealing involving our slave who had been kidnapped. Must you seek someone out for justice, seek out that ingrate or perhaps his failure of a parent, Margrave Griffset, not us." Lone could see that Gilbert wanted to clap, but on the other hand, he also clearly wished to exhale the biggest sigh of his life. He had to agree. ''What''s Sophie playing at?'' Lone wondered. ''Making this prick our enemy ruins the whole point of me not running away early, doesn''t it? For all we know he could put us on some hitlist and kill us the second we leave the city when the tournament''s over...'' Lone knew Sophie, and if she was one thing, it wasn''t stupid. He figured that she must have some sort of reasoning behind antagonising the duke, so he didn''t bother stepping in, letting her handle the mess she had so willingly created herself. "How dare you speak to me like th-" "No, how dare you speak to us like that!" Sophie stood up and scowled at the man while keeping her eyes closed. "A measly SS-ranker thinks he has the weight of a Primal, does he? Temper yourself before you get yourself killed. If you have nothing constructive to say, then leave us. I feel tainted just by being near your presence." Duke Malik wore an expression that made it clear he had never been so insulted in all of his life before. He appeared to calm his seething anger as the cogs turned in his head, fascinating Lone how such a biased man could even stop to consider his options instead of acting of emotion-fuelled thoughts. He took another deep breath then put a hand on his neck to hold himself back. "An apology will suffice given that you''re but a child. It is beneath me to lash out to a noble who is likely a tenth of my age." Sophie scoffed. "We apologise for not being a hypocrite like yourself." "I beg your pardon?" The duke had just tried his best to smooth things over which was beyond rare for him only for the girl to proverbially spit in his face. "Begging? An apt action for one such as yourself." Sophie sat down again and folded her arms over her lacking chest very gracefully then said, "Swear an oath to the Primals right now that had your daughter been kidnapped and about to be purchased by a foolish nobody noble, that you would not kill him where he stood." Swearing by the Primals wasn''t something to be done lightly. Many people used the Primals lightly as an expression, of course, but an official declaration in their name would immediately be detected by the church and punishment would be meted out to those lying in the name of their gods. Sophie saw Henry Malik''s silence and laughed in his face. "Hypocrisy, as we said. Admonish us for our behaviour when, and only when, you truly stand on the high ground of justice." Lone noticed Gilbert¡¯s cheek dimples twitching as if he was holding back a raging cackle. He smiled internally. ''Ah, I get it now. Sophie, you''re a lot more vicious than you look, which is fuckin'' tougher than it sounds. At least we have important information now...'' Whatever that ''important information'' may be, Lone would surely discuss it with Sophie after this interview was over. After all, it could be critical to ensuring their safe departure from Milindo after the tourney''s end. B1: Chapter 81: Meeting Concludes and Pillow Talk One of Duke Malik''s two retainers stood and slammed his fist against the table, denting it severely. "How dare you speak to the duke like that! You''re nothing but an insignificant foreign noble! If you refuse to speak of your peerage and of where you came from then you have no right to berate our lord as you have!" Lone could see Sophie sneering as he thought, ''What an idiot.'' He was easily the youngest person present for this retainer to have been so easily manipulated and to have such an immature outburst spoke volumes of the duke himself. Suddenly, Duke Malik released his SS-ranker aura in its entirety and forced it onto the man that had spoken up for him in his defence. "My apologies, Guildmaster Gilbert." Anger was seeping out of every bone in Duke Malik''s body, but he didn''t express it verbally. "I trust you will overlook my retainer''s inappropriate words and actions." Gilbert nodded. "I am not above doing so. Sofia, you don''t mind either, do you?" She scoffed. "It is beneath us to berate a dog for barking how his master has taught him to." That remark had struck a nerve of Duke Malik¡¯s considering how furiously he was tapping the end of his chair¡¯s armrest, threatening to break it. "Lady Vladimirovich. Vladimirovich¡­ An odd, name for sure. I trust I have permission to question you and your slave along with the guildmaster regarding the recent explosive and quick usage of MP that happened here a few days ago?" Duke Malik asked surprisingly politely. ''This guy has been a politician for a while. I guess the books might not have been full of shit when they said he''s been serving as the duke of the Malik family for over a century,'' Lone thought. ''He got angry at first, but the more Sophie pushes him the more he pulls back and the better he''s handling her abrasive responses.'' Sophie nodded. "We are fine with this, yes." Duke Malik nodded then held one of his hands out in front of the retainer on his left. The man happily reached into his overcoat and then gave a document to the duke. Casually but elegantly scanning his eyes over it, Duke Malik said, "''Lone Immortus. Golden Foxkin. Approximate age 25, however, based on his displayed prowess and resourcefulness despite his lacking strength, his true age is estimated to be roughly 240 years old.''". There were clearly more in-depth details in the file, but Duke Malik didn''t recite those. Instead, he stared piercingly at Lone. "Tell me, slave. What happened to the Shimmering Foxkin Clan? Why are you and the rumoured baby in the custody of Sir Deposit the only reported Golden Foxkin to have appeared in the last century?" the duke asked firmly. ''Shimmering Foxkin Clan? I guess that''s what the Golden Foxkin were called, huh...'' Lone raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, that has nothing to do with you. Ask a more relevant question, please." The few remaining traces of evident anger in Duke Malik body language were visibly slipping away as they were replaced by a feeling of logic, reason, and a keen shrewdness. "Right you are, slave. What does have something to do with me, however, was the magical anomaly that happened four days ago in this very building," Duke Malik claimed. Lone kept a friendly expression on his face as he said, "And how does that relate to me or my master?" "I was able to track the magical signature to the very floor you and your master are being housed on. From my investigations, the only adventurers on that floor with awakened mana organs are yourself and your master." A bolt of lightning seemed to linger in the back of the duke''s irises as he smiled darkly. He glanced at Sophie and then said, "Your master has magic, yes, but it has been made clear by her recent actions that she neglects it and is more focused on a warrior path to strength, so it likely was not her doing." Lone unconsciously straightened in his chair and he could feel some sweat trickle down his back as the powerful noble''s eyes locked onto him. The man was clearly making a biased evaluation of Sophie¡¯s magical capabilities, but why? She had been nothing but rude to him thus far no even factoring in what she did when Lone was kidnapped. ¡®Is it because she¡¯s a human and a noble? Plausible deniability is fine for her, but the demi slave, oh, well he doesn¡¯t deserve any lacking scrutiny, huh?¡¯ Lone concluded mentally. "And you, slave. What is truly odd about you is that currently, you don''t have even a single point of MP, at least, not a single point that my senses can detect. Admittedly, my ability to detect magic is limited but it is good enough. How curious that seem to have none now that it is beneficial, no?" Duke Malik asked with a confident smile spread across his lips. Gilbert frowned deeply. He couldn''t help but glance over at Lone. Lone, meanwhile, gave Duke Malik a funny look. "Are you stupid?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Massive amounts of raw and unrepressed anger flooded the room, all of it coming from the two retainers. For a demi, and a slave demi at that, to so casually insult their grand and glorious master, Duke Malik, the strongest and most loyal of the four dukes of Milindo in their minds¡­ Well, Lone could only assume it had infuriated the two retainers to their very cores. Were it not for the prior instant of rage followed by Duke Malik''s reprimand, then no doubt they would have instantly killed him for being so rude towards their lord while only being a supposed slave himself. Duke Malik scowled unpleasantly. "I hope you have a deeper meaning behind your words, slave. You may think you can act arrogantly in the wake of your unrelenting master, but I will have you re-evaluate that line of thought if you speak out of turn again." Lone knitted his brows in confusion. "Are you serious? I thought it was common knowledge that if you overexert your mana organs they become useless - either wholly or partially. I fall into the former category, sadly. I mean, come on, are you even a mage?... Oh, right. Polite. Are you even a mage... milord?" "Good... good... good!" Duke Malik spat out venomously. "I hope you don''t regret your words today, slave!" He got out of his chair and then turned towards the door. "I would be wary of stepping outside of this building in the future. After all, the guild is known for having its little adventurers disappear in the middle of the night." Duke Malik''s retainers followed him and just as he opened the door to leave, he shot a dangerous glare in Lone''s direction one last time. "I look forward to your performance in the annual fighting tournament, slave." Without wasting even another moment, he stormed out of the soundproof room along with his two men. "Well, that was fun," Gilbert said, his voice oozing with sarcasm. Lone got out of his chair and stretched lightly. "Informative is what it was." Sophie nodded. "Indeed. He''s more dangerous than I first expected." Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "How so?" Sophie wore a pensive expression. "He knows how to control his rage. Him having lived for over a century is clearly no farce. I suspect he was a very quick-to-anger young man in his youth." Gilbert nodded. "I''ve been in Milindo for a little over a century myself, what with helping establish the guild here and really put down its roots. He used to try to kill adventurer mages in the open. I could barely stop him with the help of the other dukes." "The other dukes helped you?" Sophie asked sceptically. Lone answered in the guildmaster''s place. "No one wants Grand Guildmaster Sarah wiping them out for one fool''s actions. That''s why it''s illegal to even hurt an adventurer, let alone kill one, without a damned good reason." "Thankfully, injuring one only comes with a fine. If it didn''t, Grand Guildmaster Sarah would have a far higher body-count than she already does," Gilbert laughed. "Anyways, let''s get going. I''m not a huge fan of these cramped rooms. You were both a bit more snarky than I''m comfortable with, but overall, you two did a fantastic job." He got up and cracked his back. "Ah, that''s the spot... I''ve got paperwork that needs doing now that he''s out of my hair. I trust you two can behave and not leave this building?" Gilbert asked mostly towards Lone than to Sophie. "Yeah, no problem," Lone replied with a genuine smile. Sophie simply nodded and sighed as she, too, got up.
Back in their private room, Lone was laying down on their bed with his tails sprawled out every which way. One of his hands was on his forehead while the other was gently resting on his fluffy safe haven. Sophie was laying by his side in only her socks and panties. She was playing with her fingers as her mind spun in the background, presumably while she spoke with Soph. Lone glanced over at her and asked, "Is it hot in here?" clearly questioning her choice of attire. They were merely laying on the bed, not in it. It was still the middle of the afternoon, after all, and Sophie had a swordsmanship lesson later today. She scoffed. "No. We are simply de-stressing. Clothes are very confining." Lone shrugged. "If you say so." "We do say so," Sophie bit back. Despite her somewhat abrasive tone, after a few seconds of silence, she shuffled over and snuggled up to Lone''s chest. "We are glad," Sophie said softly, a rare tone for her. Lone glanced down at her. "Glad about what? I think I''d have preferred it if Duke Malik was impulsive. Him being able to manage his offence at our attitudes is kinda scary." "We are glad that we did not have to use Minor Time Control. Depending on how he acted, we were willing to endure one month of magical deprivation to redo the whole meeting," Sophie claimed. Lone nodded. "I figured as much." He stroked her hair and her back in thought for a while, being gentle with every movement. "I think it''s best if we just stay here even after the tournament. We just need to wait long enough for something to distract the dukes and the royals. Considering how crazy this world is, that could happen at any moment." He closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds before opening them again. "Even if you teleport us out of here at full blast until you run out of MP, I don''t want to risk him finding us. If his attention is on us, that becomes more and more likely." Some traces of awe and fear lingered on his expression. "That guy was incredibly powerful. Gilbert too. We''re just ants before them." A look of frustration emerged on Lone''s face. ''They''re only SS-rankers but can squash us like mere bugs. What about triple-S-rankers? What of the X, double-X, and triple-X rankers? What about the Divine rank? Will I ever be able to reach a state of power that can rival the gods that tossed Sofia and me into this world?'' While Lone''s mind was stooped in worry, Sophie nodded. "He is a patient man. He will no doubt hope and wait for us to try to flee now that we know he does not see us in a good light... Where shall we go when we are done waiting?" "... I have a few ideas," Lone said, trying his best to shake off his sense of hopelessness. "I really want to learn magic, if I''m being honest. Real magic, not these weak spells I''ve stolen from goblins." "And do you have any ideas where you can do such a thing?" Sophie asked as she closed her eyes and fully let herself fall into Lone''s embrace. "You should read more. There are a little over 100 magical schools and academies on Teresta - this continent. Most of them are private and exclusive for nobles, but the most prestigious - and apparently the best - academy in the world is on the eastern edge of the continent," Lone explained. "What is it called?" Sophie asked, her interest slightly piqued. Lone knew she didn¡¯t care for magic nearly as much as he did, but still, both she and Soph knew that they were far more talented than him when it came to the subject. Her MP was far higher than his and most of her unique skills revolved around the use of magic, so the idea of getting some genuine training in this field of expertise held some merit to her, surely. Lone grinned. "It''s got a fuckin'' stupid name." "Oh? The best magical school on the continent has a laugh-worthy name?" Sophie questioned with a raised eyebrow, though her eyes were closed as she enjoyed Lone''s warmth. Lone nodded. "Yup. It''s called ''The Academy''. No bullshit, the ''The'' is a part of its name. Just like with the guild." ¡°Ah, yes, very stupid,¡± Sophie chuckled. ¡°The perfect place for you.¡± B1: Chapter 82: Instructors Name and Most Valuable Item Shaking her head, Sophie''s swordsmanship and martial arts instructor said, "You are improving a lot, that is clear to see, but only with the Baat Jaam Dou form. You will never truly master the art if you cannot also wholly understand the hand-to-hand portion of the technique. You have yet to even master only the first form of this aspect, Siu Nim Tau." Sophie frowned as her face glistened under the sunlight from the sweat slowly dripping down forehead and cheeks. "Wing Chun may not be a perfect fit for us. We are trying our best, but standard martial arts not involving our dual shortswords are simply very difficult to grasp in so little time." Lone was sitting in the lotus position not far from the two. He figured that being postured like a monk would help centre his chi and whatnot. With no more mana for a year and with no proper tutor skilled in fighting with a swordspear or polearm in the city - at least not one who wasn''t wildly racist, Lone felt it was wise to just... relax. Calm his mind and such. ''Sofia and I are pretty unlucky, huh?'' Lone thought. Clearing his mind entirely was pretty hard, as it turned out. This was doubly so when he could hear Sophie''s soft panting from her constant training, and now he was being further distracted by her and her instructor holding a conversation. ''Her dual shortswords and my double-ended swordspear. Such an uncommon fighting style and such a stupidly unconventional weapon type,'' Lone commented internally. He chuckled to himself. ''I''ll never find a teacher, will I? Anyone who uses the same weapon-type as me must be a total bumble-fuck, after all.'' Sophie''s instructor paid no mind to the creepily laughing foxkin sitting at the side of the training courtyard. She crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Attack me with everything that you have. I will tell you now that I am a G-ranker." Sophie''s eyes opened wide. "What? You''re that weak? We are an E-ranker. It would be unfair for us to attack you with the intent to kill." The instructor scoffed. "I am far stronger than you, of that, I can guarantee. Come at me. I will display to you what it is that you are failing to grasp." Sophie frowned but she reluctantly nodded. She was no foolish child, after all. Inside of her youthful body was an almost 1,000-year-old woman with the experience of fighting against several crusades, and the memories of killing faithful servants for over a century. She took several quick steps in the direction of her dark-skinned instructor and slashed at her with her left shortsword before quickly pivoting and swinging down with the other. The instructor spun her left foot slightly and then slammed her open palm against the flat side of Sophie''s incoming lateral strike. The moment her hand made contact with the cool steel of Sophie''s shortsword, something strange happened. Almost like magic, her hand snaked around the blade''s sharp edge and then redirected the sword. The next second it slammed into the incoming vertical strike, sending Sophie off balance, resulting in both of her attacks missing and she ended up losing her footing. Falling flat on her ass, a look of bewilderment filled Sophie¡¯s expression. "... How?" "Technique. Plain and simple. The skill for Wing Chun amplifies my own talent as well. Now, stop complaining and return to practising. You will get nowhere with such a stupefied expression on your face," the instructor said as she smiled a bit proudly. "I will not accept your money if I cannot even do my job and properly train you." "Hey," Lone interrupted. "Do you mind if I ask you what your name is? Sophie''s such a smug little diva most of the time. I''d like to personally thank the person who''s schooled her so perfectly." Sophie pouted as she scrunched up her brow in anger. "We are not a diva; you are just overly foolish as well as too keen to tease us..." The instructor gave Lone an appraising look. "Those''re some rude words for a slave to say about his master." "Slave, friend, lover, it''s all the same after spending enough time alone with each other," Lone shrugged. In his mind, it was only the nobles he had to be careful with when speaking of his relationship to Sophie and what, exactly, he was to her. "You were not alone if you were together," the instructor stated. She then crossed her arms over her voluminous chest before she pursed her lips. "First she turns out not to be blind, next you are both being sheltered by the guild, third you do not act like a slave should..." She sighed. "Well, it matters not. I have already decided to earnestly pass on my techniques to Sofia. My name is Demda of the Blowing Wind, Daughter of Taslo." "That''s a name?" Lone asked. "Sounds like a name and a title to me." "Is it a name, yes. At least it is where I come from," Demda answered plainly. "Regardless, we have wasted enough time talking. Resume your silence, and you," she said as she gestured to Sophie with her chin, "Get up. There is yet energy in your body, we must use it wisely." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A few hours later, back in their assigned room, Lone was idly reading a book on the culture of the few archipelagos that littered the continent''s eastern coast. Meanwhile, Sophie was still in control of her and Soph''s body, and she was busy drying her hair after a hot bath. Lone had offered to dry it for her, but she claimed that she wanted to braid it while drying it to help build her Dexterity potential, so she had refused the well-intentioned offer. After all, if one didn''t possess Lone''s Growth Accelerator, then stat points were earned individually or granted based on the host¡¯s performance and efforts when a level-up occurred. Hence why Soph and Sophie had such a ludicrous amount of Magic Power. They were just that exceptionally gifted with the arcane arts. A trait Lone wished he could share in. In light of that, Lone didn''t mind her reply, though he''d be lying if he wasn''t enticed by the sight of her sitting on the edge of their bed in nothing but a towel as she fiddled about with her hair and a warming stone. Warming stones were nice little things invented by some long-lost clan of dwarfs, supposedly. They were ordinary rocks until one put a bit of MP in them. Once powered up, they could become as hot as 100 degrees Celsius if need be. "Hey, Sophie. Do you need to do that naked?" Lone asked. Sophie shrugged. "It is not our fault that you are so physically attracted to us." Lone frowned. "You''re intentionally trying to rile me up, aren''t you?" "Tease, tempt, rile, seduce. Perhaps all. Perhaps we are simply bored. Who knows?" Sophie wore a devilish grin on her lips as she stared at Lone in a way that rocked his very soul. Letting out a deep sigh, Lone replied, "It''s still the middle of the afternoon. I can control myself until the evening." Sophie turned her head away as she focused on her braiding. "That would be for the best. It is Soph''s turn to have you tonight anyway. She would be most jealous were you to fool around with me early." "Figured as much," Lone said as he returned to reading his book, however, the next moment a knock came from the door. "One second," Lone answered as he raised his voice. He glanced over to Sophie before he said, "Go back in the bathroom and get dressed, would you?" Sophie nodded. "Sure." Tease him she might, expose herself to others she wouldn¡¯t. It was an obvious point in a relationship, but it still made Lone happy to see her drop the temptress act when it was smarter to do so. She walked into the bathroom but not before having grabbed some clothes. Getting up and opening the door, Lone was met with the smiling face of Gilbert. "Hey." "Hey yourself, son," Gilbert answered. "Busy?" Lone shook his head. "Nah. I was just reading. Wanna come in?" "No, that''s okay. I came to tell you that Sir Deposit''s auction has been pushed forward. It was initially meant to have been held shortly after the tourney had ended, but for whatever reason, Sir Deposit has decided to hold it tonight. At the tenth bell, to be precise," Gilbert said as he stroked his goatee in interest. "Ah. Uh, I assume you''re inviting me?" Lone asked. Gilbert nodded and flashed a sagely smile. "Yup. I''ve got a private booth as the local representative of The Adventurer''s Guild. It¡¯s a very rare opportunity. Normally I¡¯d never get to attend such an auction, even using my family¡¯s connections. I just so happen to have a few plus ones and figured it was a bit stuffy in here for you and Sofia, no?" ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Yeah, sounds fun,¡± Lone replied. Gilbert smiled then rubbed his jaw in thought for a bit before he shook his head. "I can''t understand that Sir Deposit. He has access to a pocket dimension and can link it almost anywhere he wants to with his masterful understanding of enchanting and space magic, yet he chooses to host this particular auction here, in the middle of nowhere?" Lone furrowed his brow. "Is that suspicious?" "Well, yes. It''s very rare for Sir Deposit''s world-famous auctions to be made exclusive by him, even more so considering the most precious ''item'' up for sale tonight," Gilbert casually explained. ¡°Normally, seats are publicly auctioned off before the actual auction even begins. This is an invite-only event. Very unusual, indeed.¡± "I see¡­ This... rare item? Is it a powerful weapon or something?" Lone asked. "Maybe an ego one? I''ve read so much about those. I really want one, to be honest." Gilbert laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Even owning an item with an ego - or a holy artefact, as the church would have them be called - is enough to get you hunted down by the Seekers. Only the Primals can imagine what selling one would incur." ''The church restricts and covets ego items? Why? That wasn''t in the books... Man, why do religions always suck no matter where you go?'' Lone complained internally. "Well, what''s the item then to be so precious? I can think of a few things, but honestly, I only know as much as the books I''ve read..." Lone asked. Gilbert''s joyful expression soon darkened. "Right. It''s a child. A baby, no less." "... A slave?" Lone asked, his tone more angered than he had intended it to be. ¡®Is this the Golden Foxkin Matriarch Lossa mentioned? It has to be, right?¡¯ Gilbert smiled wryly. "No, though if anyone bar a handful of people buy her, then yes, she''ll be a slave with time, no doubt." "What makes her special then?" The only thing Lone could think of was his shared race with the supposed child, is the leader of the Crimson Foxkin Clan was one to be believed. "She''s a Golden Foxkin," Gilbert explained. "... The one that appeared before me... The one from the rumours, right?" Lone asked in concern. ''She was right. Fuck. I¡­ want to help her. She¡¯s just a baby. She might be connected to the Shimmering Foxkin Clan that disappeared a century ago too.'' Gilbert nodded. "Indeed. The very same." ''... Is her situation similar to mine? The Golden Foxkin all disappeared a century ago so she can''t actually be a legitimate descendant of the clan, can she? I need to meet her. Maybe she can talk even though she''s a baby? Some babies are quick learners and this is a world of magic and wonders...'' Lone thought with hopes of learning more about why he and Sofia had been brought to this world. Gilbert sighed softly. "Anyway, I assume you and Sofia are fine coming with me tonight, yes? We''ll be going with that blacksmith and his niece you saved along with the other former slaves of Daisuke." Lone raised an eyebrow. "Why? Grimsley''s broke now since his smithy was burned to the ground." "Ah, right. I never told you. He''s been properly compensated by the guild since it was technically an adventurer''s doing, that damned Daisuke... Apparently, the dwarf''s keen on attending one of Sir Deposit''s famous auctions before he and his niece flee to the closest dwarven stronghold," Gilbert said a bit hatefully. No doubt, the negativity was pointed at Milindo''s summoned hero. He smiled lightly, showing off the handsomeness of his middle-aged face. "As for the other girls, I''ll be handing over official custody of Breena Redtail to you during the auction and the elf is going to meet with her father in my private booth before the two of them immediately leave Milindo." "Huh... Okay. Well, can you give us, like, five minutes?" Lone asked. "Sophie''s still drying her hair, I think. That or she somehow failed to get dressed." "Right. Two personalities¡­ That will take some getting used to. And sure. Take your time, son. Like I said, the auction doesn''t start until the tenth bell," Gilbert responded with a warm chuckle. B1: Chapter 83: Platinum Pass and About This Much "Soph isn''t interested in the auction?" Lone asked Sophie who was getting into her armour. Why she was wearing armour and not a fancy dress instead was easily explained. In her own words, she did not wish to be left unprepared for a battle should such a thing happen during tonight''s event. "She is asleep in here," Sophie answered as she pointed to her head. "You know as well as I do that she was training our Teleportation skill from the moment we returned to our room until we took over for her and had a bath." Lone puckered his lips in thought. "Still, she seems the type to enjoy watching mystical and valuable items being sold off." "Items like an infant?" Sophie asked pointedly. "No, we think not. She is far too innocent for such a thing. You intend to purchase it, do you not?" Lone nodded. "I''ve got 15 ruby-gold coins, or better yet, 150,000 gold. So yeah, I intend to buy it. There''s no way I''ll let some creep of a noble get her, especially since she''s the same race of foxkin as myself." After Lone had discovered what ruby-gold coins were from the library after his first-ever conversation with his usual guild receptionist Charles, he''d decided to shift his focus from making golden coins to the ruby-gold ones. Ruby-gold coins were the highest denomination of money on the continent and they - along with the other metal coin currencies - had been created by The Adventurer''s Guild. As it turned out, they were fairly new in Milindo and not standardised all across the entire continent, much to Lone''s shock, but not to his surprise. He had assumed they were a standard since, well, this was a fantasy world. His logical and historical mind quickly saw such thinking as foolish when he''d learned the truth. Diversity in currency only made sense when more than a single ruling faction existed, after all. 100 copper coins made up the same value as a single silver coin, 100 silver coins were equal to one gold coin, 100 gold coins were worth the same as a white-gold - or platinum - coin, then finally, 100 white-gold coins were worth a single ruby-gold coin. The ruby-gold coin itself was a large five-centimetre-wide golden coin with a small ruby in its centre. They were extremely rare and usually only used in massive purchases like those of an empire purchasing a kingdom from a struggling ruler or for hiring the services of only the most powerful of adventurers. At least, that was what Lone had read. Luckily, the book on currencies also included very detailed pictures of the coins, so making one was very possible. Sadly, however, Lone knew nothing of rubies, especially the ones inlaid into the ruby-gold coins. They were magically bound to the guild apparently, and such a thing was proven true when Lone had created the first one. A single coin alone had drained his MP in its entirety. Since then, he had increased his Magical Power, and thus, his Mana Points had gone up accordingly. He had also gained a better understanding of the coins through the first one, leaving him where he was today, with a veritable fortune. It was a shame that he couldn''t create any more money until a year had passed thanks to Sofia¡¯s eyes, so, if possible, he''d like to spend as few of them as possible this evening. "And if it is not enough?" Sophie asked. "Then we lean on Gilbert again. He seems to not want her to have her life ruined by some sick pervert just as much as we do," Lone said. ¡°He¡¯s old and from a powerful clan. He¡¯s gotta have resources to fall back on.¡± "And if we do acquire her? What then? We become loving parents of someone else''s child?" Sophie followed up. "We bring her to the Crimson Foxkin Clan. That makes the most sense," Lone replied with a shrug. "Matriarch Lossa seemed kind enough. She also gave the impression that she was close to the Shimmering Foxkin Clan before they vanished, or, at least, close to some Golden Foxkin. We have to go there anyway to help the Crimson Foxkin I freed from Daisuke. I also plan for us to go there to learn and train before we head to The Academy. Three birds, one stone." Sophie nodded. "Very well. That is a sufficiently good answer. Changing your underwear is burdensome enough, let alone an infant''s." Anger surfaced on Lone''s face. "I already promised I''d stop falling into mini comas." "And we already told you that we do not believe you. We shall tease you until the day you die about this, Lone," Sophie said with a sly grin on her lips. "You tease us romantically, so we have more than the right to tease you as well." "I tease you romantically?" Lone questioned as he approached her. "I can get you out of that armour in less than a minute and start teasing you right now if you''d like." "As much as we would love to steal you from Soph tonight, Gilbert is approaching the room with those former slaves and your blacksmithing master. Best control your manhood before you humiliate yourself even further," Sophie said with a wink as she finished putting on her full plate. Lone shook his head. "This is far from over, you little devil." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He then went to the room''s door and opened it, surprising Gilbert who was in the middle of knocking. "I trust you''re both ready?" the dragonkin asked with a cough as he brought his hand back down to his side. Lone nodded. "Yup. It won''t be an issue if she''s in full plate, will it?" he asked as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Sophie who was covered head-to-toe in armour. Gilbert and Grimsley both raised an eyebrow. "I don''t see why not. Important figures from across the continent will be attending. Not only those from Milindo were invited. Having a knight or two makes absolute sense given the risks," Gilbert said. Grimsley scratched his beard as he eyed Sophie all over. "Ye get tall''r, lassie? Standin¡¯ straight¡¯r? Fookin'' crackin'' armour, by the way. Almost looks tae fine tae be real. ''At shite even proper steel?" Lone grinned. "As real as it comes. Let''s talk and walk, huh? The night isn''t getting any younger. Neither are you and your wrinkles, now that I think about it." "Ye cheeky little gobshite! I''ve nae got ah wrinkle tae be seen! Ye''ve got wrinkles on yer bum, ya fookin'' tosspot!" Grimsley spat out insult after insult as their group made their way down the guild and he didn''t even stop when they were on the street. Shana slowly approached Lone''s side and whispered, "Uncle Grim is, uh, really sensitive about his looks. He''s really young for a dwarf since we live for centuries, but, he, uh, well¡­ working at the forge for as long as he does as a qualified dwarven smith had kind of aged his skin even if he''s healthier than most." "Oh. Thanks for the info. I don''t actually think he looks old. Hell, you can barely see anything bar his nose and eyes past that massive beard," Lone said with a short chuckle. "T-That''s good..." Shana looked down as an awkward aura overcame her. "Um... Thanks for saving me." "Grimsley did that, I just got rid of your collar. Don''t sweat it. More importantly, why do you not have an accent? Is it really unique to Grimsley? I sure as hell hope it isn''t ''cause that''d be one heck of a coincidence if so," Lone said with a wry smile. "Uh, no. All dwarfs tend to talk like him. I was enslaved when I was four... It''s been over ten years since then. My accent kind of faded away..." Shana explained. "Well, hey, there''s a silver lining for you. Now you don''t have to sound like a total idiot. I hate that accent, by the way. I grew up hearing it all the time. People seem to love it, but I can''t see the appeal, personally. It''s hard to understand folk sometimes," Lone joked. Shana wore a complex look on her face. "... You were raised by dwarves?" "Haha, I wish. As annoying as I find the accent, if every dwarf is like Grimsley then I''d love to grow up around short angry people," Lone replied. "Speaking of, you''re 14? 15? You look a good few year younger than that."
"There''s a queue?" Lone asked in surprise as they approached the area of the city in the market district where the entrance to Sir Deposit''s dimensional auction was supposed to be. Lone could barely see the building they were meant to arrive at over the massive crowd of people surrounding the line. The building itself didn''t look too special but something about it made Lone feel... off. "Yup. I''ve only been to two of these auctions before in my almost 400 years. It''s always like this. Maybe this is a bit worse since this is an exclusive entrance for an exclusive auction, but it''s hard to really recall. It was about 150 years ago the last time I was able to attend," Gilbert said as he walked confidently towards the front of the line. Following him, Lone and company looked confused. "Shouldn''t we line up too?" Lone asked. Gilbert just chuckled. "Nope. Son, these folk? They''re lining up to win an entry pass. Last time I attended, five were handed out to a lucky few. Apparently every person picked is somehow able to afford an item they desperately needed. Fate magic is a thing, so some speculate Sir Deposit or someone in his employ can use it and does it to generate legends and excitement for the auctions." "That sounds incredible..." Shana mumbled. Gilbert smiled warmly. "Doesn''t it just? Now, we already have an entry pass since we were invited. It¡¯s platinum grade at that, too. There''s no need to line up with hopes to get something we already own. Let''s hurry up and get inside. I''d like to gauge our opponents for a while before the bidding starts." A few moments later they were gathered at the front of the line. "Pass, please," the guard barring entry asked. Lone felt that the man stopping them was incredibly normal, maybe even weak, but if he was the doorman for such a grand event, then surely, he couldn''t be an ordinary person. ''Man, I wish I was a B-ranker already,'' Lone complained in thought as Gilbert showed his platinum pass, earning quite a reaction from the line. "That demi has a platinum pass! When was the last time one of those was ever given out? Who is that dragonkin for him to hold more importance to Sir Deposit than my master?" "That''s the local representative of The Adventurer''s Guild. He''s been in charge of the guild''s expansion into Milindo for the past century." "How could someone so unimportant have been invited, and with such a high-level pass? The Empress of Taslo only had a silver pass and she was the most notable figure I''ve seen enter thus far!" "You have eyes but cannot see-" ''Mount Tai?'' Lone thought in amusement. "-the true powers. I bet there are people more important than her in there... She¡¯s just a foreign ruler. Still... That Golden Foxkin... I wonder if they''re related?" ''Ah, not Mount Tai. Such a shame,'' Lone sighed internally. He heard Gilbert chuckled. ¡°Ignorance is bliss.¡± ¡®Ignorance about what? The Empress of Taslo?¡¯ Lone wondered. He was rather interested in the few conversations he was hearing, but he couldn''t stay around for long. His group was forced to quickly follow Gilbert through the entrance of the simple-looking building. Once inside they were met with the sight of a massive auditorium of silk and velvet with carved statues of powerful figures lining the walls. These statues had piercing gazes and almost seemed alive. Also of note were the 14 overhanging private suites, each different in design and apparent quality. Gilbert and Lone along with Sophie, the quiet Crimson Foxkin, and, of course, the dwarven uncle-niece duo, were led to the very best suite - the largest one which was a hollowed-out red jewel the size of a house. They were soon told that the auction would begin in a little over an hour and that they needed to only speak of a mortal desire for it to be granted to them. After that, they were left alone. "This place is fookin'' unbelievable!" Grimsley yelled as he keenly inspected the room''s walls. "This''s a fookin'' Emperor Fire Catalyst Gem! These fookin'' things are rarer than a noble cunt who''s nae ah racist wank''r!" "... A fun analogy," Gilbert said. "But yes, it truly is." "Gilbert," Lone called as he found a seat and placed himself in it. "How did you get that invite? This is... Well, not to sound rude but I can''t see someone like you getting something like that pass. I heard people mumbling about the Empress of Taslo being here. She''s a massive bigshot, is she not?" Gilbert, too, sat down before answering. "I was given it directly by the grand guildmaster. What her connection is to Sir Deposit and his auction, I have no idea. It''s best not to question a Divine. Let''s just enjoy ourselves and perhaps strategize, yes? How much money do you have, son? However little, it will help us in saving the child." ''He makes a good point,'' Lone thought as he reached into his pocket to disguise how he was taking things out of his Dimensional Storage. Lone then showed a handful of ruby-gold coins. "I''ve got about this much." B1: Chapter 84: Opposition and Chicken Gilbert''s expression immediately hardened before he slowly closed his eyes and wore a warm smile. He nodded softly twice then said, "I can tell lies from the truth but it''s such a shame that these old eyes of mine have stopped working properly... For a moment there, I thought I saw about a dozen or so ruby-gold coins on your palm, hahaha." "... That''s exactly what you saw," Lone said as he used his fingers to jingle the coins rather skilfully against each other without letting any of them fall out of his hand. Gilbert shook his head. "I''m an injured old man, son. It''s in poor taste to make such bad jokes. Who knows? Maybe my real brain and heart will follow in the footsteps of my magical ones. Hahaha." "But-" "Ha. Ha. Ha." Gilbert''s monotonous laughter was eerie, to say the least. Grimsley sighed. "Ignore ''at ol'' goat. If the bugger claims plausible deniability, then ah say let the cunt." Shana glanced at the still-broken Gilbert and muttered, "Well, actually, he''s young for a dragonkin. Not only is he an unawakened beastkin and thus still immune to ageing, but he''s less than 400-years-old I hear. For dragonkin, that''s really young." ''Unawakened beastkin, huh?'' Lone thought ''Not just, like, normal beastkin? I guess it isn''t my culture so it''s not up to me if we beastkin should be treated like an on/off light switch.'' "''Ow''ed you get ''at much moolah in the first place, laddie?" Grimsley asked. "Ya could buy an island kingdom fae ''at much gold, ah reckon." "I got it fair and square through my own skill and talent," Lone said a bit vaguely. "Fair? Heh," Sophie sniggered. Gilbert raised a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath, a very deep breath. "Why are you not lying? No! Don''t answer that! Any more absurdity and my eyes''ll roll into the back of my head, and I''ll start frothing at the mouth!" Sophie frowned under her helmet. "You are very dramatic and weak-minded for someone leading the largest Milindonian branch of one of the continent''s mega-giant companies." Gilbert shot her a pointed look. "It helps me cope. When you''ve lived for more than a century on a continent like Teresta, you need a bit of flair to work past the shocking news. Why, just 50 years ago, one of the world trees successfully fought off a full-on assault from one of the Eight Ancients. Now that''s impressive. Impressive and utterly mind-boggling." "Eight Ancients?" Lone''s curiosity was immediately piqued. Of course, he was also interested at the mention of a world tree since he had interacted with a former elder of one such tree back on the place Lone referred to as Goblin Island. Gilbert shook his head. "Another time. For now, put that money away. People can see into this booth of ours just as we can see into theirs. We can talk about the Ancients whenever we want. I''ll just say that it''s the realm above Divinity." He stroked his goatee and nodded happily when Lone returned his hand to his pocket, getting the ruby-gold coins out of sight and out of mind. "I suppose I should tell you about the most important people we''ll be facing against. After all, we run the risk of offending them if we win the baby foxkin," Gilbert said with a sigh of resignation. "Risk?" Grimsley scoffed. "Mere like fact, nae ah fookin'' risk. Ah bet ma bloody beard every one ah the cunts ''as ah stick up their arse. Question is, is the bleedin'' thing far up enough to tickle the ol'' ''ah''m superior, ah need the whatevermajig, ah''m ah gettin'' it one way or another'' bone." Gilbert frowned. "What is with dwarves and ''arses''? Every single one I''ve met treats it like the end all and be all of references." Grimsley shrugged. "Every cunt''s got an arse." Lone nodded. "He''s not wrong." "Not you too..." Gilbert sighed. "Anyway, arses aside, our competition?" Lone asked, steering the conversation back on track. "Right." Gilbert cleared his throat then said, "From what and who I can see, we have three main factions to be worried about tonight." He inclined his head towards the fourth-best booth - what seemed to be the skull of some sort of six-eyed beast - where several well-dressed and well-groomed humans could be seen conversing with one another in joy. Most of them were wearing dazzling jewellery while the man sat in the booth''s central seat had a striking crown sat atop his head. Lone recognised a handful of the suite''s occupants, namely, Duke Malik, his daughter, Emma Malik, and the hero, Tamiko Daisuke. Said hero noticed Lone''s glare and returned it in kind. His expression only grew even uglier when he saw his three former slaves standing idly in the best booth of the auction, all well-fed, properly clothed, and free of slave collars. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "... As you can see that particular room is host to Milindo''s royalty, three of its four duke families as well as the first minister, the royal advisor, and, of course, our mutual friend, Daisuke," Gilbert said. His words made the incredibly quiet Breena Redtail and the elven girl shiver in fear while Shana ducked for cover behind her stocky uncle. "Do not fear, children. He can do you no harm anymore. Stand tall and proud, as you are all free and under the protection of The Adventurer''s Guild," Gilbert said very softly and in a reassuring tone. Breena Redtail simply glued herself to a wall and tried to blend in with her surroundings while still expressing her fear. Shana didn''t move from behind Grimsley, and the elf just started slowly crying as she nodded weakly. "... Is her father coming soon?" Lone asked in reference to the elven girl. Gilbert nodded. "After the auction. He wasn''t able to get a pass as he had assured me he would. Problems happen, I suppose. Anyway, the next group to be wary of, yes?" "Yes, please," Lone quickly agreed. The sooner they stopped focusing on the scum of Milindo, the better. Pointing at the third-best booth - a golden chapel of grand magnificence, Gilbert sighed and said, "The Church of the Primals." "Why the sigh?" Lone asked. Apart from being incredibly faithful to a scary degree when it came to the fabled Primals, the church didn''t seem all that bad from what Lone had read, so Gilbert''s reaction confused him somewhat. "The church likes to hide it, but it can be rather... radical. They have a very strong distaste for us beastkin due to our connection to the Primals," Gilbert explained with a sad and slightly bitter tone. ¡°They¡¯re jealous of it since their leadership is made up of humans.¡± "Wait, hold up. Beastkin are connected to the Primals? How?" Lone said. Lone had no idea if this was common knowledge or not, but this was the first time he was ever hearing of this, and his thirst for knowledge demanded an answer from the dragonkin sitting next to him. "How do you not know som- Ah. Right. Your special circumstances..." Gilbert sighed. "It''s... complicated. I have a few books on the subject back in my office. I''ll let you borrow them once we get back. How''s that sound, son?" Lone nodded. "Sounds good. So, do you think the church might buy the baby and do what with her? Kill her or something?" "Primals ''at''s dark, laddie," Grimsley said. "Ah ain''t no believer in nutin'' but the Stone, but isnae ''at ah bit o¡¯ ah gruesome assumption? Topsider religions arnae that fucked." "Unfortunately, they will likely raise her and attempt to forcefully awaken her to gain further insight into the Primals. I know not of your experiences with the church, Mister Ironsbane, but a swift death is certainly a more merciful fate than living as nothing more than what is essentially a walking experiment," Gilbert explained. The Stone Dwarf frowned under his beard. "So even though the church mostly preaches fae equality amongst demis an'' ''umans, they''re cunts tae beastkin?" "Yes, more or less," Gilbert said. Sophie scoffed. "Religion is the same no matter where one hails from. Kind and just to the public; cold, cruel, self-centred, and selfish, behind closed doors. Nothing is worthy of worship." "Soph would argue that fluff is more than worthy," Lone whispered teasingly. "That¡¯s a bleak opinion. Regardless, be a bit wary of them, son. Our biggest contender, however, is the ruler of the Taslo Empire, Empress Okuldia. You can see her there in the booth next to ours. Don''t look for too long though," Gilbert warned. Lone craned his neck and peered out of the balcony carved into the massive gem that was his own booth. Next to their suite could be seen a miniature floating palace made of water and stone. Such a thing had caught Lone''s eye upon entering the auction, but now that he was looking at it, he could see its immaculate beauty in even more detail. In the palace could be seen a resplendent throne of coral and purple streams of water. Sat upon it was a dark-skinned woman wearing little more than a loose set of dancer leggings, a gold-embroidered metal bra and a mysterious veil which covered everything on her face save her eyes. Looking closely, Lone also noticed a very thin but striking tiara sat upon her head. She was alone, excluding the presence of an incredibly hunched over old man. This man was wearing what looked like a rag, and his face was hard to see under this rag''s hood. Held in his hand was an incredible staff with what seemed to be a miniature sun as its head. "Who''s that?" Lone asked, gesturing with his head to the man. Gilbert furrowed his brow. "Who? The empress?" "No, the old man next to her," Lone corrected before he turned his gaze to look back at the water and stone palace, only, strangely enough, the man was gone. "... Weird..." Lone muttered under his breath. At that moment the empress of the Taslo Empire noticed Lone''s prolonged gaze. Her eyes widened for a moment upon seeing him, but she soon returned to her prior stoic aloofness before inclining her head and giving him an alluring nod. ''Does she know me?'' Lone thought in confusion before he nodded back and removed his gaze. "So, how is she dangerous?" he asked. Gilbert scratched his head. "She actually nodded at you... Well, her empire has been at war with several of the beastkin tribes and clans. Practically every single one not a part of the Beastkin Alliance has been locked in a war with her empire for, oh, was it 1,000 years? A short time for one as old and powerful as her, but suffice to say, she is not most fond of free beastkin." "I see..." Lone rubbed his glabella in thought. ''It is certainly weird for her to nod politely at me if she''s the leader of an empire in favour of slavery, especially against my kind.'' Sophie furrowed her brow as she said, "How can a war last for so long?" "Hmm? Well, the Taslo Empire is situated in one of the continent''s largest deserts. It''s a very arid land. The empire isn''t willing to send its powerful warriors in fear of them dying, so they usually just send army after army of C or lower-ranked soldiers across the desert, and they rarely deal significant damage to the clans and tribes they''re at war with. It''s mostly a ceremonial war at this point. Perhaps if the empress got serious things would change, but until then, well, it''s the biggest stalemate of this side of the continent," Gilbert explained. "Mmm... This is fookin'' tasty as all hell." All eyes turned to Grimsley. The dwarf was elbow deep in a chicken the same size as his torso. "What? Ya all ''eard ''at bloke fae ''afore. Free room service, aye? Fookin'' best food ah''ve ever ''ad in ma ''ole life." "Oh, to be simple and free of large worries," Gilbert lamented. Grimsley chuckled before snapping off a chicken leg and tossing it at the dragonkin. Not expecting it, the greasy limb smacked his face, leaving a long trail of sticky oil. "Sorry, ya nae ah fan o¡¯ chicken? Do dragons consider ''em distant cousins? Didnae mean tae ask ya tae partake in cannibalism, hahaha!" Grimsley''s light-hearted jab infuriated Gilbert. "I am a dragonkin, not a stupid lumbering mass of raw power! How dare you call me a dragon!" He moved to stand up but accidentally stepped on the discarded chicken leg, almost resulting in him falling flat on his face. Thankfully, he was an SS-ranker, and, while he was specialised in magic, he clearly had enough points in Agility to not fall over, though Lone was sure the dwarf would have loved to have happened. "Could you two children stop messing around?" Lone asked. "The host is on the stage. Correct me if I''m wrong, but that means the auction''s about to begin, right?" B1: Chapter 85: Dungeon Contract and This Foolish One "Hello, everyone!" the portly human man on-stage said as he beamed a smile and slowly scanned the scant collection of incredibly opulent private booths. "My name is Peter, though some of you may know me as the Undying Teller. Tonight, I am simply Peter or The Host. With our introductions out of the way, why don''t we jump right into tonight''s first lot? If I get too excited, I might end up extending the already planned-to-be lengthy auction by a few more hours, and let''s be honest, none of us really wants that, now do we? Haha," he joked lightly as he gestured to the side of the stage where a gorgeous human woman rolled a trolly to Peter''s side. The cart had a copper metal frame and gears covered the thing - especially its wheels. To Lone, it screamed steampunk. ''Is that the result of steamforging? Like Grimsley''s smithing glasses? Man, I want those glasses... I have perfect vision now since my body changed into a foxkin so I don¡¯t really need ¡®em sight-wise, but they look so fuckin'' cool! Maybe he''ll give them to me if I ask nicely? He did say they were a gift from his uncle so probably not¡­'' Regardless of Lone''s selfish and exciting thoughts, the happenings on stage continued. Peter kindly thanked his assistant and then personally removed the velvety cloth covering the first item of the evening. Murmurs of excitement could be heard from several of the private booths as a piece of very old parchment in a glass container was revealed. What was special about this parchment beyond its apparent age was the still very evident wax seal printed on its bottom right corner. "As many of you have already gleaned from the item''s appearance, this is a dungeon seal!" Peter announced. "The owner will have the exclusive access rights to a newly discovered C-rank dungeon in the Algeri Forest of Milindo''s northern border!" Immediately, interest died down. Most of tonight¡¯s guests were foreigners only here because it was a Deposit auction. People like the Empress of Taslo had no interest whatsoever in the tiny and pitiful kingdom of Milindo, least of all a C-ranked dungeon so far from their own borders. The man went on to explain who had found the seal and it''s starting bid - a tidy sum of five white-gold coins. Lone had no interest in owning this item, but he did have a few questions for the knowledgeable Gilbert. "What''s a dungeon seal?" he asked curiously. Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Not all dungeons have dedicated masters. Those without one have a seal, though only rumours explain why that is the case. You see that line at the bottom with nothing over it?" Lone nodded as he focused on the scroll. "I''m guessing you sign your name there or something?" "Exactly. Whoever signs it gets, like Peter said, full permissions to the dungeon its linked to. They can bar certain people - or even certain group - from entering the dungeon. They essentially become the master but are not confined to its walls. For a C-ranked one to be found in Milindo... This kingdom is going to get a lot richer very quickly," Gilbert said a bit sadly. Grimsley whistled. "''At''s ah real gold mine in ''at case. Ma granpapi owns a D-rank dungeon. Bugger makes easily one ruby-gold coin ah decade. Ah can only imagine ''ow much moolah ah fookin'' C-rank dungeon would bring in per annum, let alone decade." Gilbert nodded. "Exactly. Even the guild only has a little over 100 C-rank dungeons across the continent, and we''re a million-year-old organisation. They''re very rare and very valuable." Lone frowned. "If a D-rank can make a ruby-gold coin each decade, why is this one selling for five white-gold coins?" Gilbert answered, "The higher ranked a dungeon, the harder it is to clear, obviously. Lower ranked ones get cleared far more often. I imagine the owner of this seal wants quick money. Maybe they stumbled onto it and don¡¯t want to killed for it, or maybe Lord Deposit found it himself and setting such a small opening bid entertains him.¡± Lone nodded. ¡®The incredibly powerful and wealthy need to do something to keep life interesting, I guess.¡¯ Gilbert continued, ¡°A C-rank dungeon certainly holds the potential for great wealth, yes, but also the equal potential for death. It''s a bit of a risk to buy it. A gamble, some might say.¡± "Aye, ah''d bet on someone wantin'' ah lot ah money but nae enuff tae gather eyes. Sellin'' the seal''s smart, sellin'' it fae ah reasonable price is askin'' fae an assassination regardless o¡¯ the risks o¡¯ its difficulty," Grimsley added. "Ruby-gold coins tend tae move eyeballs." "Ah, financial politics... Anyway, Gilbert, how old actually is the guild? You''d expect any country or business to, well, disappear over time. One shitty leader and it''s all down the drain, y''know?" Lone wondered questioningly. Gilbert gave him a funny look, as did Sophie from under her helmet. "Lone, Gilbert told us that Grand Guildmaster Sarah is the guild''s founder. That means she''s as old as the guild is," Sophie explained. "Ah..." Lone scratched his head in embarrassment. "That''s right. Still... someone living for that long is kind of crazy... How strong must she be if she''s a million-year-old Divine?" "Very," Gilbert answered with a strange look in his eyes. "If you ever meet her, be sure to be polite. She''s rough at the best of times, even if she doesn''t mean to be. Well, she won''t kill you since she loves all of her employees - wooden plates included." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Grimsley suddenly rushed past everyone and leaned out of the gem booth as he held onto the railings. "''At cunt! ''Ow''d she get the gold tae afford ah dungeon contract?! Better yet, ¡®ow¡¯d she get invited ¡®ere?!" Lone followed his friend''s gaze. Sat down in the regular seats could be seen a blonde High Elf woman possessing long flowing hair decorated with a few interwoven braids. A big grin was on her gorgeous face as she confirmed her final and winning bid for the dungeon contract, a small fortune of 38 white-gold coins. ''An elf who Grimsley doesn''t like... Master Seloph?'' Lone recalled when he and Soph had visited Ranton''s most prestigious blacksmiths to request an apprenticeship only to be rudely turned away by the man working the counter. "Is that Master Seloph, Grimsley?" Lone asked. "Ah already teld ya, ya daft lad! ''At connivin'' bitch isnae ah fookin'' master! Maybe at suckin'' knobs, aye, but forgin'' tools an'' arms? Aye, at''ll be the fookin'' day!" the grumpy dwarf blasted back. Gilbert chuckled faintly. "Not a fan of her work, are you?" "Work? Ye call ''at fookin'' shite work? Mere like fookin'' decorations! Damned things couldnae handle ah good arse-wiping, let alone ah battle! Cannae stand stuck-up arseholes who think they''re all ''at just ''cause ''ey can carve ah fancy line or two in the twigs they call swords an'' the rust-collectors ''ey call armour! She an'' her ilk are ah fookin'' disgrace tae smiths all around the bloody continent!" Grimsley practically shouted. "How... passionate. Well, maybe she''ll close up shop and focus on her new dungeon now?" Gilbert suggested, trying to defuse the four-foot-tall walking bomb. "Bah, like ah''ll be stayin'' in Milindo long ahnuff tae find oot. Shana an'' ah''ll be headin'' tae the nearest dwarven stronghold just as soon as ah''ve gathered enough gold tae buy us safe passage there," Grimsley replied. "Just wanted tae get angry aboot some''ing. ''At cunt was ah perfect target. Mind ye, ah could go fae ah rant or six aboot ''at snivellin'' little ''eap ah shite called an ''ero if ye''d like?" "N-No thank you, I think I''m quite alright," Gilbert responded rather promptly. Thankfully, the host, Peter, was quick to introduce the next lot for sale this evening, drawing in everyone''s attention. "Honoured guests, what we have here tonight is a lovely little item all of you who have stepped into the world of magic will be familiar with! That''s right, it''s a mana orb! And a Perfect-grade one, no less," Peter exclaimed as he revealed the bowling-ball-sized clear crystal orb which lay upon the steamforged trolley. "Unfortunately, its creator limited it so that it can only be charged by those ranked lower than the S-ranks, presumably in an effort to allow someone who is still growing to experiment freely. For any persons unaware, a mana orb can typically allow the storage of Mana Points - or MP. The stored Mana Points will dissipate over time depending on the quality of the orb, and, the limit of stored Mana Points is also, you guessed it, dictated by the quality of the orb. I assume those in the know are already aware of these limits for a Perfect-grade mana orb, so I shan''t rehash them. Just use your very wild and expansive imaginations if your knowledge on these wonderful items is somewhat lacking!" Peter happily explained. "Lone..." Sophie''s hands trembled beneath her gauntlets. "Couldn''t that... help you with your condition?" Lone nodded. "I think it could, maybe. I''d have to test to know for sure," he replied in a low tone. Raising his voice to a more normal volume, Lone asked Gilbert, "How much is that worth?" "Hmm? Oh. I''m not sure. it''s been a while since I contacted anyone from the magical school I once attended. Perhaps... 50 or 60 white-gold coins? Maybe less. The rank restriction renders it fairly useless to anyone that would actually need it. Even if an A-ranker got his hands on it they wouldn''t be able to rely on it too much. Refilling an empty set of mana organs in an unnatural manner has a fairly high risk of injury if not done very carefully, essentially making it nothing more than a very useful item for testing and perfecting one''s mastery over MP-consuming skills," the guildmaster happily explained. Not a moment later Peter started the auction with an opening minimum bid of five white-gold coins. ''I don''t need to worry about fucking up my mana organs. They can heal. If I can somehow get rid of or even just reduce this one-year... curse, yeah, it''s basically a fuckin'' curse. If I can remove it or weaken it then it will be worth every penny,'' Lone thought before he asked, "And the girl? Do you have a guess on how much she''ll cost?" "With our competition taken into consideration... We''re talking several ruby-gold coins at least. Depending on the level of interest, maybe several dozen," Gilbert explained, not hiding his worry of them possibly failing to win her from showing on his face. Lone nodded. ''I can afford one ruby-gold coin here. If there''s a chance that the baby will go for dozens, then I don''t stand a chance regardless. Between the two of us, Gilbert and I only have 17 ruby-gold coins. Hell, that mana orb may even help me in rescuing the girl if it comes down to it.'' With that decided, Lone approached his room''s banister then spoke in a deep and serious voice. "Ten white-gold coins!"
The only princess of Milindo watched as her countries hero, Daisuke Tamiko, shot up from his seat - a carved-out tooth in the massive six-eyed beast''s skull. He stared straight at the handsome foxkin across the hall who had just entered the bidding for the mana orb and a disgusting smile crept up onto the hero¡¯s face. "He wants that ball? Perfect." He immediately made for the king''s throne of bones and kneeled down in front of it. "Your Majesty, this humble servant wishes to implore a favour from your esteemed self." ''Ha-ah... If only he were so sincere all of the time and not only when he wanted something,'' the Royal Princess Aileen thought as she stood at her father''s side. She glanced at her brother and saw only disdain and disgust on the crown prince expression. Meanwhile, her father was utterly impassive. With one arm on the throne''s armrest and the other supporting his chin as its elbow dug into the seat''s bone to support itself, the king nodded. "Speak, Hero." "This foolish one has come to understand that I have not been properly developing my unique skill as you so rightly and politely requested of me. It is only now that this foolish one has realised that I simply lacked the necessary motivation. This foolish one begs for his majesty to grant a humble and selfish request of mine," Daisuke said very eloquently. ¡®It is painfully obvious what you seek. Why we pretend not to notice is beyond me, but father¡¯s word is law,¡¯ Aileen thought as she silently watched this interaction play out. A smile crept onto the king''s otherwise stoic expression. "Indeed. We did not want to put you under undue pressure. We are pleased to see you identify the error in your ways on your own. Speak of your request, Hero, so that we may pass judgement on whether to grant or deny it." "Of course, Your Majesty!" Daisuke responded as loyally as he physically could, which wasn¡¯t very much. "This foolish one requests that His Majesty allows me to bid on and purchase the item currently on display. It is the perfect object to help me develop my unique skill." "... Hmm, yes, we can see the truth in this... Very well. However, we shall set a limit to how much you may bid. We shall not tell you this limit. Use your own intellect to discover it. Should you pass it, the item will belong to Arthur, not you. Is that understood?" the king said, instantly putting a grin on his son''s face. Daisuke hid his distorted expression by pressing his face against the floor. "... Perfectly, Your Majesty." ¡®This is so needlessly petty. His unique skill is passive, it does not need mana. We all know this. Why is this the norm?¡¯ the princess questioned herself with sadness in her heart. B1: Chapter 86: Daisuki, Daisuke and Peters Elation "24 white-gold coins!" Lone bid, knocking out yet another of his competitors. ''This is going well. Only four more people are still bidding. Maybe I can get that orb for under Gilbert''s estimate? That''d be nice,'' Lone thought. With that in mind, he continued to enjoy the thrill of a bidding war. Slowly, time kept ticking on by, and only Lone and one other person were in contention for the mana orb. The current bid was Lone''s at 42 white-gold coins. His opponent did some calculations in his head and then frowned and shook his head, choosing not to bid any further. The orb clearly wasn''t worth any more to him than the 40 white-gold coins he had previously bid. "45 white-gold coins!" a familiarly unpleasant voice shouted. Lone glanced over at the voice''s owner only to be met with a smug grin of contempt. "That motherfucker..." Grimsley frowned. "Why on the Primal''s blast''d Altros would ''at little bawbag wan'' ah fookin'' mana orb? I ''eard the limp-dicked cunt couldnae use magic at all." Gilbert shook his head sadly. "I can think of two reasons and perhaps they are both correct." Lone kept bidding as they spoke, but his attention was firmly placed on Gilbert. Sophie turned to face the dragonkin as well. "Well? What excuse does that pathetic man have for bidding on the item Lone desires?" "Well, the logical answer would be that he actually wants to put the time and effort into developing his unique skill. As you all already know, every summoned hero regardless of race, species, or world of origin, is gifted with a single unique skill upon arrival on Altros," Gilbert explained. Sophie actually didn''t know that since she cared very little for studying unlike Lone, who was more than aware of such a fact. There wasn''t much information regarding this topic available at the local library, but it was, indeed, mentioned in the odd history book here or there. "His particular unique skill is called Persuasive Retreat. It lets him talk his way out of difficult situations and it has no rank restrictions or limitations, meaning in theory, if I tried to kill him, he could convince me to let him go regardless of how much I wanted to end his life. A grim example, but a fitting one," Gilbert explained. He then sighed deeply. "Thankfully, it has a high chance of failure since it uses his MP to fuel the persuasion attempt which scales with the rank of the target and on their desire to kill or harm him. He also has no assisting skills like Acting or Persuasion which makes it even less likely to trigger under extreme circumstances. If he wants the mana orb to train that skill in the hopes of a rank-up or two to lessen the MP burden, then we can''t really fault him." "And the other reason?" Lone asked before yelled, "65 white-gold coins!" "Well, the second reason is a lot more likely and a lot more fitting for his personality. You want it. That''s all. He tried to kill you via proxy of that Blue Orc Chieftain, now you appear before him with all of his former slaves who are freed from their contracts and collars. He''s angry and being petty, but you could use this to whack the hornet''s nest, so to speak," Gilbert suggested as he stroked his goatee and grinned. "Oh?" Lone''s interest was piqued.
The king of Milindo tapped his index finger against the bone throne''s armrest with some anxiety. ''We expected the bid to perhaps reach a single ruby-gold coin in the worst of situations. That would be a fine price to pay to temper the foolish hero somewhat. He''d still be allowed to use the mana orb from time to time and help further establish us as a new member of the Free Nations'' Alliance in that case...'' Ralph of House Heidron, the King of Milindo, thought. He shook his head. ''We cannot afford to spend three ruby-gold coins on what amounts to no more than a useful bauble. Clearly, the beast with nine tails is taking advantage of our foolish hero''s lust for misery. It is time to end this farce.'' "Hero, stop bidding at on-" "Five ruby-gold coins!" the nine-tailed beast yelled at the top of his lungs, effectively drowning out the soft but stern voice of the king. Daisuke''s face boiled over with rage. He slammed his fist down on the massive tooth that he was leaning against as he shouted back, "Ten ruby-gold coins!" The animal with sentience wore a disappointed expression and shook his head sadly. "A shame. I actually wanted that orb. Oh well, it''s yours, oh mighty and wise hero of Milindo, Child Lover." Daisuke could not project any more anger and visceral hatred even were it possible. "My name is Tamiko Daisuke, not Tamiko Daisuki!" The animal who had just effectively scammed the royal family out of four in ten parts of its entire wealth shrugged. "Potato, potahto. If the glove fits..." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Why you-" "Hero." The king''s voice was colder than even the frostiest of ice magics. "Be silent. You have shamed us and our royal kingdom more than enough for one day. There will be consequences for emptying the royal treasury as much as you have deemed to do so on this evening." "What?" Still fuelled by his emotions, Daisuke spun around. "You said I could bid as much as I wanted! If I pass the limit, the stupid thing goes to your idiot son. Give it to him then. What do I care? If it''s so much money to you, then don''t pay for it." Ralph of House Heidron, the King of Milindo, shot out of his chair at a speed Daisuke couldn''t follow with his eyes. The next moment his face was being pressed hard enough into the toothy banister to contort it horrifically. "We and our foolish hero ask forgiveness from the Undying Teller. Our foolish hero is new to this world and still thinks of himself as a godly being thanks to his uniqueness. The royal family of Milindo is more than willing to pay the final bid, assuming no others shall surpass it," the king said confidently while shooting a particular look at the filthy beast who had helped cause this mess. The animal''s golden irises burned with defiance. "I''m good, thanks. Though I am interested in the orb, my pockets don¡¯t quite run deep enough." Peter looked amused at all of this. "Very well, consider yourself and your family forgiven. The summoned hero though, should he live to see another of our auctions happen, will be barred entry. This is a lifetime ban." "We understand. Thank you for your kindness, Undying Teller. We of the royal family of Milindo shall see ourselves out. We have no further business in this establishment tonight." And with that, the king gathered up his son and daughter and then dragged the now unconscious Daisuke out of the booth, leaving his advisors and dukes by themselves.
Grimsley slapped himself to perform a makeshift reality check. "Laddie, ah dinnae ken if ye just did the bravest or stupidest thing ah''ve ever seen." Lone shrugged. "We were going to make enemies tonight no matter what when we win the baby girl. It''s a shame I couldn''t get that mana orb, but what happened to that sack of shit sure was satisfying." Gilbert furrowed his brow and sighed. "I expected you to rile up the hero, not the blasted king... It might be impossible for you to leave Milindo now without the possibility of the royals retaliating. Regardless, if we were uncertain of Duke Malik''s future intentions, now it''s practically impossible for him to not try to murder you the moment he has a chance." Lone frowned. "I... actually didn''t consider that angle. I got caught up in the heat of the moment. Uh, did I just screw myself?" Sophie gave him a look that said that yes, that was likely exactly what he had just done. Gilbert shook his head. "No, no. I can request for help from a powerful adventurer group or perhaps even from the grand guildmaster herself. It just means you might be forced to live in the local guildhall for longer than expected and a cut of any quest earnings will be taken to help pay off whatever aid I''m forced to acquire to help get you out of Milindo. Nothing too serious granted you don''t leave the building without my permission." That stung a bit, but Lone understood the hidden message behind Gilbert''s words. "I promise." "Lovely, now, if you could not antagonise either the church or the empress of the Taslo Empire as well, or, Primals forbid, both of them, then I''d be very thankful," Gilbert requested in a tired manner. "Haha..." Lone laughed wryly. "I''ll do my best."
Several interesting items were put on display and eventually found a variety of new owners. A few supposedly lost texts of the Church of the Primals were immediately bought by the religion''s representatives without challenge. A peculiar salve that was stated to change one''s gender but only if the user suffered from a very specific disease was bought by one of the two individuals that had won a free pass at the entrance. The man seemed very excited upon winning the bid for only five silver coins - his life¡¯s savings. So much so that he burst out crying and had to be removed from the hall because he was making a scene out of thanking Peter repeatedly. Grimsley bid on some enchanted forging tools but lost to his old elven rival, Master Seloph. It took a lot of room service to calm him down after the condescending glare he''d received from the woman had sent him into a rage. To be fair, he barely had a copper to his name, but no one really blamed him. He''d been through a lot lately. Who had the right to chastise him for venting the way that he did? A strange umbrella made of stone that, oddly enough, summoned the rain was bought by a very ecstatic farmer - the second lucky winner of the free entry pass. A rather large collection of jewels - some magical, some not - was purchased by Empress Okuldia of the Taslo Empire. Lone was surprised by how deep and smooth her voice was and there was a certain... profoundness to it. No doubt, she was a very powerful individual. Now more than ever did Lone deeply wish to be a B-ranker so he could effectively see through other people¡¯s power bases. Regardless of his wishes, however, the auction continued. A dozen or so more lots came and went with all of them interesting Lone, but none enough so for him to actively bid on them. Were there not a child to save, perhaps he''d have gone on the spending spree of a lifetime. "Why, dear guests, it seems that we''ve almost come to the conclusion of tonight''s wonderfully successful auction!" Peter exclaimed in joy. "Only one lot remains, and I can assure you all that it''s a very, very special lot indeed." He waved his hand to the backstage, signalling for his assistant to wheel in the aforementioned item. "I''m sure many rumours have been making the rounds regarding our final lot tonight. A baby Golden Foxkin, yes?" Whispers and excited murmurs spread throughout the rows of seats as well as the private overhead booths at his words. Peter''s gorgeous assistant was pushing a slightly larger mechanical cart than the prior ones, and the cloth hiding what lay atop it was magically enchanted to prevent early prying according to Gilbert. "I wonder how many of our guests this evening are convinced that the rumours are not merely just rumours but facts, hmm?" Peter teased as he gingerly held onto a corner of the magical cloth covering the item. "Well, allow me to give you all a little... surprise," he said as he wore the devil''s grin and ripped the covering clean off. Everyone could see a small body no larger than a cat with two large furry ears and single tail the same size as the thing''s own body. It was sleeping in a cage atop a silk pillow. It seemed to be a little cuddly fox whose fur was pure golden save for a patch of white that poked out from its round belly. What was revealed was no Golden Foxkin but a simple Golden Fox. "Indeed, this is nothing more than your regular Golden Fox that you can find two countries over in the Plains of Astur!" A dark chill entered Peter''s voice. "We at the Deposit Conglomerate do not appreciate rumours and attempts at burglary of our goods well before the auction''s date has even been confirmed. You know who you are. You have been placed on one of Master Deposit''s many, many, many lists. Do try not to earn a place on any more, hmm?" The elation and enormous sense of mirth Peter exuded was almost tangible. B1: Chapter 87: The Foxs Winner and Just Peter Gilbert sighed. "It''s one twist after the other. Well, I was ordered to ensure the safety of the final lot, but seeing as how it''s just a fox... What''re you going to do, son?" "... I''ll buy it. I don''t trust for a second that everything is as it seems. If Milindo has taught me anything, it''s to be sceptical of fuckin'' everything. Worst-case scenario I get Soph a nice new cuddly pet," Lone answered. ''Plus, something feels... off about that fox... There¡¯s no way they¡¯d sell an ordinary animal just to just over some rumour mongers and would-be thieves, right?'' Gilbert nodded. "Very well. I do wonder if those rumours about a Golden Foxkin were false or not... Perhaps one did exist once upon a time but was swapped out to make a statement." Grimsley nodded. "Aye. Seems mighty suspicious if ya ask me. Ah can feel ma beard tinglin''. ''At can only mean one ah two things; ah need a shite or ''ere''s bullshit afoot. Either way, this ''ole thing reeks." Gilbert grimaced. "Always the lovely imagery with you, isn''t that right?" Lone ignored the two old men as they started bickering and he instead glanced over at the empress of the Taslo Empire''s booth. ''That old man is back...'' He tried to look around and use his advanced foxkin hearing to see if he could pick up on anyone commenting about the hunched-over rag-wearing figure, but not a word was being spoken regarding him as he whispered into the empress''s ear. For whatever reason, the only person Lone couldn''t hear even when focusing as best as he could was the decrepit old man. Lone''s heart almost stopped when the sun staff-wielding man turned his head in an unnatural manner to stare at him. His face was horrid and grotesque beyond mortal comprehension. Puss-filled spots littered his every wrinkle as the corners of his mouth stretched rigidly into a toothless smile at Lone. He was forced to close his eyes just to avoid expelling his dinner all over the smooth gem flooring he was stood on. When he opened his eyes again, the man was nowhere to be seen. "Odd," Gilbert noted. "Empress Okuldia isn''t bidding on the fox. Surely someone as old and wise as she would have her suspicions as well... Is she avoiding butting heads with the church since they''re actively participating?" Lone shook his head to snap out of his stupor. He didn''t humour Gilbert with a response and instead focused his attention on the fox in question. Whoever or... whatever that old man was, Lone felt it would be wiser to try not to dwell too long on the subject. That''s what his gut told him, anyway. The Golden Fox was a bit on the plump side, which was a good thing. That indicated that it wasn''t being starved, at the very least. Lone couldn''t see a slave collar which was yet another good sign. After staring at the soft-looking creature for about ten seconds, it yawned itself awake and then turned its head to stare right back at Lone. It seemed curious and almost happy to see him. ''Does it recognise me as a fellow fox or something? Is that possible? Is that normal? Gah, it fuckin'' sucks living in a country full of demi-haters. Why can''t there be more info about demis and their relationships with their more animalistic counterparts? Well, Gilbert seems to hate dragons, so maybe this isn''t normal or this particular fox is just weird...'' Lone thought. ''Maybe we¡¯re connected somehow...'' Regardless, Lone joined in with the bidding.
It didn''t take too long for the number of contestants still trying to win the fox to dwindle down to only two. Lone frowned. ''Why the hell does the church want the fox so badly? Is there actually something special about it?'' During the bidding, Grimsley had commented that Golden Foxes usually sold for about a single gold coin as pets and 50 silvers as pelts. Honestly, Lone didn''t really like the idea that such a beautiful creature was actively hunted for its pelt, but such a thing was done with hounds and shot for sport back home in Scotland. There were bans and laws against the practice when dogs were involved, but the traditional old countrymen who had gone through the whole rigamarole of actually obtaining a gun license - something incredibly difficult to get in Scotland - were exceedingly close-minded people. At least, that was how Lone saw them; close-minded, cruel, and most important, abhorrently foolish. Regardless of his thoughts on fox hunting, the bids had reached three gold coins when the third bidder had stepped down, leaving only him and the church''s representative fighting over the animal. As of the most recent bid, however, the current price for the fox was sitting at 15 gold, an absolutely ludicrous price for such an ordinary animal, regardless of how beautiful its fur was or how cute the animal itself presented itself as. In fact, their small bidding war had been going on for so long, slowly raising the price to what it was now, that over half of the auction''s participants had politely said farewell and left the establishment early. Lone couldn''t see a definitive leader in the chapel-like booth amongst the many robe-wearing individuals, so he focused his attention on the woman who was placing the bids against his own. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She didn''t even look his way. He felt that this wasn''t a case of her simply not noticing his gaze but instead her choosing to ignore his existence since it was beneath her. Gilbert sighed upon noticing what was going on. "Like I told you a while ago, son, the church is very for human and demihuman equality but also against, well, Beastkin like you and I being equal to anything, even monsters. Were it not for the support of The Academy and The Adventurer''s Guild among a few other institutions, then our kind would likely be hunted en masse. We''re lucky that only a few nations strongly agree with the church like the Taslo Empire." Lone was aware of The Academy''s policy of total equality and it was one of the reasons he wanted to learn magic there, but right now, he didn''t really care for Gilbert''s knowledge. ''Should I just big dick it? Slam down ten ruby-gold coins or something? Even when we flee the country, Sophia and I can easily survive on a few white-gold coins, let alone a handful of ruby-gold ones. That''s true even if we have a pet fox and are escorting Breena here back to the Crimson Foxkin Clan,'' he thought. As he increased the bid marginally once more, he slowly nodded his head. ''Yeah. It''s probably better to just throw down all of my cards. They''re just a small branch of the church. I doubt they can afford more than a few ruby-gold coins. Ten is a bit much, so let''s go with five.'' "18 gold coins," the church''s representative said monotonously. "Five ruby-gold coins," Lone immediately followed, shocking the whole auction hall into silence. He grinned and said, "I can see a bit of myself in that little creature. My master is very gracious for allowing me to splurge some of her wealth to obtain such a lovely and lazy little pet." Murmurs of how rich Lone''s ''master'' must be to afford such a massive sum for what was nothing more than a slightly uncommon animal spread throughout the remaining participants. The members of the Church of the Primals collectively frowned and then started whispering amongst themselves. A moment later, the representative spoke. "Have it then. It truly is fitting for a feral animal to fall into the custody of yet another feral animal. Undying Teller, we shall be leaving." Without waiting for a response from Peter, she and the other brothers and sisters of the church left their booth. Shaking his head and sighing, Peter mumbled, "Why do they never call me Peter the Host or just Peter even though I''ve asked them to?" He cleared his throat and then smiled widely. "There you have it, folks! Do we have any more bids on this young and plump Golden Fox? No one? Well then, going once, going twice, going thrice, and gone! Congratulations to the nine-tailed Golden Foxkin!" Lone exhaled deeply as he stepped away from the jewelled balcony to sit down on the sofa Gilbert was nestled in. "Thank fuck. I didn''t need another Daisuke incident." Sophie approached his side and nodded. "None of us did." Grimsley stroked his massive beard as he said, "What now? Is there a place we go an'' collect the pup or what, they bring it tae us?" Gilbert answered, "They''ll come and tell us when to go down and receive the fox. We also pay at the same time if memory serves me well." "Sounds good," Grimsley said. And so they waited. It wasn''t long until a member of the auction''s staff knocked on the suite''s door and then escorted the group to what was simply called the transaction room. Surprisingly, Peter was there waiting for them with the baby fox sleeping peacefully on his lap. "First thing''s first, my lovely guests, the five ruby-gold coins, if you would," Peter demanded with a telling smirk. Lone and Gilbert placed themselves on the sofa opposite Peter and the fox while Sophie, Grimsley, and the three former slaves, stood behind or beside it. Lone nodded and reached into his pocket. "Here," he said as he pulled out exactly five ruby-gold coins from his Dimensional Storage and passed them to the man. Peter inspected each one closely and then nodded his head. He stowed the large coins away in the chest pocket of his coattail before smiling widely. "Excellent." He picked up the sleeping fox and passed it to Lone. He''d never had a pet before because his mother was allergic to both dogs and cats. Anything not of those two species wasn''t deemed to be a suitable pet by his father. Lone held the fox a bit awkwardly, but it didn''t seem to mind as it remained asleep even as he handled it. Peter maintained his business smile as he said, "She is a young child, but I trust you shall treat her with care, yes?" Lone nodded mutely, not really paying attention. ''She''s so soft and... light.'' "Now, I have two additional requirements that you must agree to meet if I am to properly transfer ownership of her to you, Mister Immortus," Peter claimed as the look in his eyes deepened. Gilbert frowned. "How do you know his name? He''s far too unimportant for someone of your stature to be aware of who he is... unless... Also, what do you mean there are ''additional requirements''? I have never heard of such a thing happening before in any of the Deposit Conglomerate''s auction halls." Peter turned slowly to face Gilbert. "I fear that you do not have the right to know such things." He waved his hand and all of a sudden everyone bar himself, Lone, Sophie, and the baby Golden Fox, were removed from the room. "Now that we have some privacy, I trust you wish to hear these additional requirements, yes?" Peter asked as his lips curled in a friendly and warm smile. Sophie''s hands hovered over the pommels of her sheathed shortswords. "What is going on here? Where have our companions disappeared to?" Lone was equally confused and on guard. "... They''re fine, aren''t they? And this isn''t just a fox, is it?" "Ah, trust the Primals'' Shackles to have such a keen awareness. You feel a connection with the fox, do you not, Mister Immortus?" Peter asked knowingly. "Primals¡¯ Shackles? Are you somehow referring to me?" Lone asked, not understanding the name or title or whatever that was. "Well, you are a nine-tailed Golden Foxkin, are you not?" Peter asked rhetorically. "Regardless, I do not mind answering questions within my ability to answer... just so long as you first agree to the additional requirements." "Lone, we should leave," Sophie advised. "This man makes us feels uncomfortable, and not in the same way as that slimy hero does." "Oh, of course. How could I forget about Miss Vladimirovich? Perhaps you''d prefer I called you Misses Immortus? Not yet? No matter. All in due time. Sir Deposit offers his condolences for your... condition," Peter said in a very sincere manner. "Condition?" Sophie narrowed her eyes beneath her helmet. "What condition?" "Of course, what condition indeed, as you likely do not have it yet. Well, at least not in an obvious manner. Regardless, I must, for a third time, stress the importance of the additional requirements," Peter stated. "... Fine. Let''s hear them th-" "Lone!" Sophie yelled. "You surely cannot be willing to listen to this man? He speaks in riddles! Let us leave the fox and let him keep the money for the trouble. No good can come from conversing with him." "You wound me," Peter said. "True, I come across as... suspicious, but I have only the best of intentions at heart. She needs care. She needs love. She needs protection. I will not ask a fifth time. Will you listen to the additional requirements?" Lone made a quick decision given Peter''s... imposing demeanour. "We will." He turned to face Sophie and said, "If he can seemingly teleport even a powerful mage like Gilbert at will and have it so he hasn''t broken into this room as we''ve been talking, then he''s got to be pretty fuckin'' powerful. It''s wiser to listen and consider what he says. He hasn''t threatened us or anything. Talking in riddles seems pretty normal for a guy who goes by the title of the Undying Teller." Peter sighed. "Please, I really would appreciate being called Peter the Host, or just Peter." B1: Chapter 88: The Requirements and No One "Sorry. Peter it is," Lone said. "Uh, what are the two requirements?" ''Please don''t be anything weird or creepy. I swear to God, if he asks for something ridiculous like for Sophie to strip or anything like that then I''ll lose it. One Daisuke''s enough, though this guy is actually powerful and he seems mature. Fingers crossed he doesn''t ask for anything strange,'' Lone privately thought. Peter raised one of his digits as he smiled from ear-to-ear, and he then said, "First, you must name her." Lone exhaled in relief mentally. That''s a more than ordinary request. "She doesn''t have a name yet?" he asked as he looked at the pudgy animal curled up in his arms. Peter shook his head. "Not one of this world, no. No one has granted her one. Do you have any names in mind?" Lone furrowed his brow. "I honestly don''t know. My naming sense tends to be too edgy or too on the nose." "When you look at her, what do you immediately think of?" Peter asked as slight hints of excitement wormed their way onto his expression. Lone frowned. "I dunno. Fox? Golden Fox? Fluffy Sausage? On the edgier scale; Inari, Ketchimanet, Kitsune... Then there''re the stupid things that just come to mind like Kurama or Kyubi." "Kyuu..." the fox lazily yawned. "Huh?" Lone focused on the soft creature only to find that it was now partially awake and looking right back at him. "Kyuu?" it grumbled as it rested its chin and neck on Lone''s forearm, seemingly trying to get itself comfortable. "Kyubi with two ''u''s perhaps?" Peter suggested. "What does that word even mean?" "With two ''u''s? Fuckin'' nothing. Whatever. Sure. Let''s go with Kyuubi," Lone said with a sigh. ''Of course it reacts to what my weeby side thought up. Stupid fox. Best not say her name in front of Daisuke if such a situation even comes up in the future. That''d be embarrassing.'' "Tut tut tut, Mister Immortus. Surnames hold just as much importance as forenames, which you should know. In fact, they hold even more import to some particularly entitled individuals, hmm?" Peter asked rhetorically. "Kyuubi Immortus or Kyuubi Vladimirovich?" "Immortus," Sophie immediately answered in Lone''s place. "Our name dies with us, thank you very much." ''She doesn''t like her family name?'' Lone thought in surprise. ''That''s news to me. Well, to be fair, she''s never gone into detail about her past with me before, nor has she explained why she has a male surname. I''m sure she has her reasons though just like how I''m not overly attached to my identity as Darren McCullen.'' "Ah, fantastic. Now, onto the second requirement. This one is a slight bit more important, Mister Immortus, and only you can make it, not fair Miss Vladimirovich here," Peter cryptically claimed. Lone nodded, ready to hear what the man had to say. "Your remaining unique skill slots, well, you will have to use one of them tonight," Peter said, his smile just as wide as it always was.
"True Contract Magic, huh?" Lone muttered as he held the pudgy Golden Fox over his chest by its armpits as he lay on his bed. While initially shocked and greatly alarmed by Peter''s words, he spoke a lot of sense when he had elaborated on his meaning. His idea greatly benefited the safety of the fox and it also added a few perks to an existing skill, so it honestly wasn''t the worst of uses for a unique skill slot since Lone had yet to find a good use for them. ''I wonder if he has a few skills like Persuasion? He must as an auction host of his renown. It''s a damn good skill he got me to make, but I or Sophie should have questioned him more on how he knew about my ability to choose unique skills. I only have two more chances to create a new unique skill now...'' Lone thought. The entire interaction was weird. He could remember all of it but parts of his mind activity stopped him from doing so. Peter, or the Undying Teller, was a very, very dangerous being, that was for sure. Just how dangerous, Lone had no idea just like he didn¡¯t know how the man knew what he did. Kyuubi yawned slightly. She didn''t seem to be too surprised to being held the way that she was. She didn''t even struggle. She just accepted her situation and closed her eyes again. "You sure are docile and lazy, huh?" Lone asked. "Kyuu..." the fox responded sloppily before drifting off again. "Better than being hyper and a biter, I guess..." Lone set the animal on his chest and began gently stroking her head which made her purr like a motorbike engine. Since he had nothing better to do while he waited for Sophie to finish with her bath, he pulled up the information of his new unique skill to review it once more.
Unique Skill: True Contract Magic
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to create magically binding contracts that cannot be broken nor removed by anyone, not even the host, once formed. Contracts must be written with and by the blood of the host and signed using both the host''s and the other party''s (or parties'') blood. Contracts must offer an exchange of two things (or collections of things) that the involved parties truly believe to be equal in value. Depending on the scale of the contract, it will be assigned a level. Each contract level has a cooldown. Level-1: 1-day [Ready]. Level-2: 1-week [Ready]. Level-3: 1-month [Ready]. Level-4: 6-months [Ready]. Level-5: 1-year [364-days, 22-hours, and 17-minutes until ready]. The host may only ever create five Level 5 contracts. 4 remaining. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. This skill is bonded to the unique skill: The Summoning Room.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
"Such a complicated skill..." he mumbled. "I wonder if I can override existing contract magic like the magic put into slave collars using this? If so, I can theoretically free more slaves without needing to use Creation Magic to break the collars, which is handy since I can''t use MP right now..." Lone brought up the information sheet for The Summoning Room. He knew how it was linked to his new skill, but he hadn''t read the specifics on that just yet since he and Sophie had been too busy assuring Gilbert and Grimsley that they were fine before they were escorted back to the guild.
Unique Skill: The Summoning Room
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to summon and unsummon listed beings at will. [New!] This skill is bonded to the unique magic skill True Contracting Magic, as a result, the host can add beings to the ''Listed Beings'' list via a level 5 contract. [New!] Listed beings may now view the host''s actions from within The Summoning Room. [New!] The host and the listed beings may now initiate unhindered telepathic communications with each other. Listed beings: Sophie Vladimirovich, [New!] Kyuubi Immortus.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
"If anything else, getting True Contract Magic was worth it just to get this telepathy..." Lone noted aloud. ''Testing. Testing. One two three. Test-'' ''Shut up, would you?'' Sophie sternly replied. ''Yes, yes, we can talk with our minds now. We do not, however, appreciate you interrupting our bathing with nothing but nonsense.'' Lone chuckled. "As snappy as ever, huh?" He glanced down at the ball of fluff that was occupying his belly. ''What about you? Can you talk mentally, Kyuubi?'' A few seconds passed and all he could hear was the fox''s loud purring. "Guess not. Are you actually just a fox? Did I really use up a unique skill just to get custody of a normal fox?" Kyuubi''s tongue flopped out of her mouth as she snored softly in rhythm with her purring. "Well, at least you''re cute, huh?" Lone said with a smile as he stroked the fox''s head and rubbed her ears gently.
"It''s so floofy!" Soph yelled, waking Lone. Lone groggily opened his eyes only to be met with the glaring sun slamming down onto his poor, unprepared eyeballs. Soph had apparently taken control of her and Sophie''s body and woken up before him, quite the uncommon occurrence indeed. She''d obviously opened the curtains and put on one of her plain dresses, this one, in particular, was a nice shade of purple. The woman was sitting cross-legged on the bed as she cuddled Kyuubi. "Mmmm... Good morning," Lone groaned before stretching. "Ah, uh, morning?" Soph replied a bit sheepishly. "Sorry. Did I wake you?" "No, I''m actually still asleep," Lone joked. "Yeah, you did. What time even is it?" "I''m not sure?" Soph replied. "I, uh, let my body get enough rest, then took control immediately so I could hug this godly creature... Lone... She''s so soft! She''s just as soft as your tails are!" "Well, don''t squeeze her to death. She''s just a baby, big and rotund as she is," Lone said as he pulled his arms across his chest, popping their joints in the process. "They can grow up to be, like, ten metres long if left to live for enough centuries. Back on Earth, her kind would be a mythical species for sure with a lifespan like that despite her being just a fox with golden fur." For once, Soph seemed to be completely absorbed in one of his factual explanations. ''Of course she''d care when it involves her precious floof. Ha-ah. What will I do with you?'' He leaned over and pecked her softly. Her cheeks turned slightly red as she asked, "W-What was that for?" Lone grinned. "I ran out of my coffee yesterday morning and I don''t have the MP to make more. That was my morning pick-me-up. Since I''m up already, I may as well go take a bath. Wanna join me or are you gonna keep cuddling Kyuubi like some sort of plushie?" "Kyuubi!" Soph answered instinctually. "Haha, thought so." Lone clambered off the bed and said, "Well, you''ll still help me dry and manage my tails when I''m done, right?" Soph nodded something fierce. "Of course I will!" "Glad to hear it," Lone said in a relaxed manner.
Daisuke''s eyes shot open violently when he felt his entire head suddenly get splashed with water cold as ice. Standing over him was a big man in full-plate armour holding an empty pail. "Ah, looks like sleepin'' beauty is awake, Your Majesty." Daisuke trembled upon hearing that. His memories of the auction flooding his mind like a tidal wave, and he realised just how badly he''d messed up. At the same time, he recognised where he was and why he couldn''t quite move his arms as well as he''d perhaps like to. He was in the castle dungeon, and his wrists were chained to the wall. ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I actually spoke back to that stupid fucking king! Why the fuck did I do something so stupid?! I got too caught up in the moment and I bet that retarded animal used a skill on me or something! He must have!'' "We see you are having fun amusing yourself, Foolish Hero," the king spoke as he entered the cell. "We wonder what it is that has your mind so preoccupied that you would not immediately humble yourself when in my presence as you usually do?" "I-I meant no disrespect, Your Majesty!" Daisuke pleaded. "I was merely dazed as I reflected on my prior stupidity at the auction. This foolish one sullied Your Majesty''s honourable name by acting so unbecomingly of the country''s hero!" "We trust those words come from your heart, Foolish Hero, for if they are the byproduct of your unique skill, we will notice the moment I leave this dungeon and you will not like how we react to such a thing," the king threatened with a calm and collected voice. Daisuke felt his saliva pooling at the back of his throat. He struggled to swallow it as he nodded slowly. "I-I would never think of such a thing, Your Majesty." "Of course you would not, for to think, one first requires intelligence," the king stated. "You have a task, oh Foolish Hero, and this is not one you have the luxury to ignore or put aside as you so love to do when my generals try to give you missions to help you build your lacking repertoire of skills." "I-I''ll do anything, Your Majesty! I swear, my impulsiveness at the auction was a one-time incident! What must I do to pay for my sins?" Daisuke asked with genuine fear lacing his every word. The look in the king''s eye sharpened. "Simple. Kill the mongrol who so handily led you by the nose during last night''s auction. You shall do it during the annual fighting tourney that is fast approaching. Extinct species or not, he must die for how he spoke to us, needless to say, he must be held responsible for the ten ruby-gold coins we were forced to part with. Thank your gods that killing you is out of the question given your political value. Fail this task and a life worse than death awaits you, of that, I assure you, Foolish Hero." His stare penetrated through Daisuke''s very soul. "Magic is a wondrous thing, a wondrous thing that you have chosen to ignore. Our mages and Duke Malik will show you personally how wondrous it actually is, should the beast still breathe after your match with it during the tourney." The king then turned his back and began walking out of the cell. "You shall stay here, in the dungeon, for three more days, bereft of food. Be thankful this is all we have chosen to punish you with for your abysmal attitude and abhorrent actions last evening." Daisuke hung there in silence as the king exited the dungeon, his mind fuming. ''That motherfucking slave-stealing inbred golden pile of shit! This is all his fault! Why can''t I just live my perfect isekai life in peace?!'' His days of high school in Tokyo then his time at university flashed through his memory. Images of his later years as a shut-in weighed down heavily on his mind. All at once, he felt his former depression flood into his thoughts. Bitterness surfaced on his face. "I''m finally not the loser freak who only exists to be picked on... I finally matter... You can''t take this from me... No one can..." B1: Chapter 89: Slow Progress and Applying Stats "Hah!" Lone yelled as he slammed his wooden swordspear against the practice dummy. Sweat flew from his exposed arms and his face as he jumped back and then closed in again to strike once again. This time Lone spun on his heel to deliver a surprise attack to the dummy''s flank. Both the dummy and the wooden swordspear were heavily dented during the impact, and splinters flew everywhere. The dummy, however, bounced right back as if it were some sort of roly-poly doll.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Two full weeks of almost nonstop training only for Polearm Mastery to increase by five levels and Swordspear Mastery to increase by a measly four. Lone threw down his training weapon in frustration and walked over to the nearby bench to sit down and catch his breath. He took his tank-top off since it was drenched in sweat, revealing his toned body. Reaching into his Dimensional Storage, Lone pulled out a bucket of water. He brought his lips to its rim and chugged a good third of the entire bucket before he tipped the rest of the water over his head. ''It''s not enough,'' he thought. ''I was beyond stupid to fix Soph''s eyes so impulsively. It wasn¡¯t her or my fault that they were apparently special, but still¡­ Unless I use my Tail Spear skill or Mental Destruction and literally kill Daisuke, then I probably can''t win. He''s a C-ranker. That''s a gap I can''t fill unless I kill the little rat, which, in turn, will only get me killed.'' He sighed deeply and decided to pull up Polearm Mastery''s information to distract himself since it had ranked up.
Passive Skill: Polearm Mastery
The parent skill of all polearm-based masteries. All polearms used by the host will pierce and cut their targets 15% [+10%] more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Lone stroked his chin in thought. ''Pretty basic but it¡¯s a parent skill so any rank up is monumental.'' "Ye''ve gotten better, laddie," Grimsley said as he walked around the bench Lone was on and seated himself next to him. "Grimsley?" Lone asked. "What brings you to the training ground?" "Ach, ye know the story, laddie," Grimsley said with a shrug. "Barely ah penny tae ma name. Ah just finished ma shift in the guild''s forge. Fookin'' ''uman craftmanship is shite as can be, but there''s still some stuff ah can learn fae it. Ah came here tae watch ya be ah daft wee cunt. Nothin'' new." "Daft? What''s daft about what I''m doing?" Lone asked as one of his eyebrows wiggled in challenge. "Haha, laddie, did naeone teach ya ''ow tae apply yer stats?" Grimsley asked. The confused look on Lone''s face answered his question for him. "Fae Primals''s sake... Ah thought yer stats were just so low ''at it had nae impact. At least, ''at''s what ah thought when ye were trainin'' under me." "What do you mean? Applying stats? Do you mean they don''t passively make me stronger, faster, smarter, and all of that?" Lone asked. Naturally, his curiosity was going through the roof. Grimsley gave him a mean portion of side-eye. "Laddie, were ya born under ah rock? Who da fook doesnae ken aboot applyin'' stats?" He sighed deeply and got off the bench. "Up ya get, laddie. Ah''ll show ya. Ya should know ah do better teachin'' through doin'' rather than sayin''." Lone nodded and stood to face Grimsley. "So, how does this all work?" "It''s simple, laddie. Even kids can dae it," Grimsley claimed as he twisted his shoulder around a bit and grinned. "Ah''m gonna punch ya right in the belly, awright?" Lone nodded. "Sure. Go ahead." Grimsley didn''t hesitate. His big and meaty fist slammed right into Lone''s solar plexus but other than being a little bit winded, nothing happened. The punch seemed to be just as powerful as it had looked, nothing more, nothing less. "Dinnae gae me ''at look, laddie. Ah''m givin'' ya ah comparison. ''At was me usin'' the normal passive boost ma strength stat gives me. Workin'' ah forge fae decades gives ya ah fookload ah Strength, Vitality, Vigour, and Dexterity, in an¡¯ ootside o¡¯ levellin¡¯, ya see. Now, ah''m gonna apply mah Strength," Grimsley said. He wound up his arm again and a smirk so wide it looked like the damned horizon spread across his lips. "Clench yer teeth, laddie, yer gonna feckin'' feel this one." Like a powerful whip, Grimsley''s arm lashed out and slammed straight into the centre of Lone''s chest. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Guh!" Lone spat out what saliva was in his mouth as his body caved inwards and he shot through the air. His body bounced violently off the back wall of the training area, and he could feel that several of his bones had broken from the punch. Grimsley slowly walked over to Lone and gloated, "''At, laddie, is the full strength o¡¯ ah level 232 Stone Dwarf with over 1,000 Strength." Lone coughed up a mouthful of blood and then pushed himself up from the ground as he let Basic Regeneration work its magic and heal him. Grimsley grimaced at the grotesque sound. "Can ya naw make ''at sound ah wee bit less like a cat screechin'' an'' beggin'' fae death?" "I don''t decide what the skill sounds like," Lone replied as he felt his bones repair and pop back into place. "That was... insane. Can all kids really do that? You''re only a D-ranker! If you can do that then what can a strength-focused Divine do? Rip the whole fuckin'' continent off the planet?" "He exaggerates, son," the voice of Gilbert claimed as the good-looking goatee-sporting dragonkin walked into the training area. "Only one in a hundred people are able to tap into their stats and properly apply them. That number shrinks as you rank up, but it is common knowledge. As a side note, all monsters can fully harness their stats at all times, which is what makes them so dangerous." Grimsley clicked his tongue. "Now why''d ya have to go an'' say ''at? The lad learns quickly. Ah reckon ''e''d ''ave learn''d ''ow tae apply faster if ''e thought everyone could dae it." "When I hear mistruths, I make it my personal mission to correct them," Gilbert answered with a smile. "It is in my blood, after all." "Ha-ah, ''at didnae stop ya fae lyin'' tae ''at duke arsehole ah couple o¡¯ weeks ago," Grimsley grumbled. At the same time, Lone got back up onto his feet. "Can you apply your stats, Gilbert?" "Yes and no," the guildmaster answered. "I can apply my Vitality and my Magic Power but none of my other stats." "Oh. So it isn''t a none or all kind of thing?" Lone asked. "Indeed. However, if you ever run into someone who is an A-ranker or stronger then they likely can apply at least one stat, usually one they specialise in. Tell me, son, what is your highest stat and how high is it, exactly?" Gilbert asked in a scholarly manner, clearly intent on teaching Lone about the subject. Eager to learn of a new way to gain strength, Lone pulled up his status to answer the man''s question accurately.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 139
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 36,843/37,620 SP: 25,456/32,350
MP: 38,460/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,413 Vigour: 3,235
Dexterity: 2,082 Agility: 2,399
Vitality: 3,762 Luck: 121
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
"Magic Power. It''s at 3,846," Lone said. Silence consumed the training area. Gilbert coughed softly and said, "Sorry, son. I misheard you. 846, yes? Well, in that c-" "No. 3,846," Lone corrected blankly. Grimsley laughed loudly. "Laddie, ya really need tae stop teasin'' the old goat. One day ''e''ll ''ave an ''eart attack." ''... They already know about my ability to create things; Gilbert since I just told him, and Grimsley since I used it to heal him and his niece as well as break his niece''s collar... What''s one more secret? I trust them and they can help me get stronger,'' Lone thought as he nodded. "I have a skill that makes it impossible for me to gain stats when I level up based on the life I have lived, nor can I gain stats outside of levels rarely like a normal person, instead, I consume a portion of the stats of whatever I kill, be it monster or person," Lone admitted. Grimsley immediately laughed again. "Ye an'' yer jokes, laddie! As if ah skill like ''at exist- Oi, Gilbert, why ain''t ya sayin'' anythin''?" "I have heard of such a world skill before," Gilbert admitted. "It and what Lone is describing are not one and the same, but it is definitely possible. We could always simply subdue a monster and have him kill it to test. There are other ways to test stats too as some mercenary guilds require concrete numbers before accepting new members. We could use one such method if you don''t believe him." Grimsley stroked his long beard thoughtfully before he shook his head. "It disnae really matt''r. World skill, aye? Let''s go with ''at then." "Uh... What exactly is a world skill?" Lone asked. "Let''s assume I know and I''m asking for a friend." "What friend?" Grimsley laughed. "Like ye ''ave any pals, laddie." ¡°Always with the brutal honestly, huh?¡± Lone remarked to which he got a grin in return. "Hmm. Well, son, to put it simply, world skills, unlike normal skill, only level up when further understanding of the skill comes to the host. Practice will not equate to additional proficiency," Gilbert explained. ¡°They are gifts from the world and can¡¯t be earned via practice.¡± "I see," Lone answered. "So how do I apply stats?" "That isn''t something that can be taught. Everyone has the ability to do it theoretically, but as mentioned earlier, only one in a hundred ever manage when it comes to the low ranks. Some just learn faster than others," Gilbert answered in reference to their dwarven companion. "It took me over 200-years to learn how to apply my Magic Power. Just give it time. If you keep being serious with your training, then it will come to you sooner or later." "If yer stats really are ''at ''igh despite yer rank, laddie, then it should come tae ya pretty quickly. Stat quantity is ah pretty important factor fae applyin''," Grimsley added. Lone nodded, though those answers frustrated him somewhat. ''I could have used an immediate power boost like that. Who''d have thought that my stats weren''t being properly applied to my body? It makes sense in retrospect.'' Lone was certainly stronger now than he was back on Goblin Island, but he couldn''t lift boulders or punch through walls. He couldn''t jump ten metres in the air or flawlessly channel his MP without the help of the associated chants and mental images. ''Well, whatever. I''ve had enough of a break. I at least want to reach advanced rank in a few more of my melee-based skills. It''s doubtlessly better to get stronger in what I can train as opposed to what I cannot train,'' Lone thought. "Thanks, Gilbert, Grimsley. I''ll be getting back to my training now if you don''t need me for anything?" Gilbert smiled. "I just came to check up on you. I''ll be going back to work." Grimsley shrugged. "Ah ain''t busy. Ah think ah''ll just bask in the sun over ''ere on this bench while I watch ye fight ah losin'' battle against ''at there dummy." "Asshole," Lone said with a grin. "Aye, what of it?" Grimsley responded in kind as he got comfy. "Well? Get tae work. The dummy willnae wait all day fae ya." "What, does it have a packed schedule or something?" Lone responded as he picked up his dented wooden dual-ended swordspear. "Aye. The bugg''r''s gotta put up with yer shite all day, hahaha!" Grimsley laughed. B1: Chapter 90: Advice and Here We Go Soph slowly peeled her eyes open as a yawn escaped her lips. "Mmm? Lone?" A bit confused to not find him lying next to her, she looked around the room only to find him sitting at the end of the bed hunched over with his chin resting on his clasped hands. "Lone?" she asked as she crawled over the bedsheets to lean against his side. "Morning," he responded a bit absentmindedly. "Are you okay?" Soph asked in concern. "As okay as I can be considering the tournament starts today," Lone answered. "I''m just going over the skills I''ll be using today. I''m trying to come up with some game plans considering what I''m capable of." "Ah..." Soph''s eyes opened wide in realisation. "T-That''s today?" "Yup," Lone answered plainly. ''He seems so stressed...¡¯ She thought, feeling her heart break as she did. ¡®Of course he is. He wants to defeat that sorry excuse for a living organism called a ''hero'' but he is conflicted since he knows it would be wise to simply lose in the first round, then immediately flee,¡¯ Sophie replied matter-of-factly. ¡®Yeah, but he''s also worried that Duke Malik and the king will try to kill us anyway even if he loses,'' Soph replied to Sophie. ¡®Or at least try to kill him.¡¯ "W-Why don''t we just stay here and ignore the tournament?" Soph asked Lone. "I mean, we could," Lone answered, "but what difference would it make? Gilbert''s already sent for help from the main headquarters of the guild, yeah, but what''s stopping the king from getting so pissed at the disrespect of me not showing up that he brings his dukes and his armies to destroy the guildhall and kill us in the meantime? It was a miracle in the first place that the guildhall was even given permission to establish here in Milindo." "But that seems like a safer bet than showing up and actually trying during the tourney," Soph protested. "I know... Signing up for the stupid tournament without first learning that no-shows get the death sentence was probably my biggest mistake to date," Lone admitted. "How was I supposed to know that the king would be so petty? Even if it''s an outdated tradition it''s so stupid... Then again, people have been killed for less by royalty back on Earth." Soph frowned sadly upon hearing that. "Yeah, they have." There was a story hidden behind those three words. A story she would perhaps tell if probed but Lone didn''t want to bring up her dark memories and she loved him all the more for it. Lone sighed. "... Anyway, I think the best choice is to show up and see what happens. I''m going to keep you unsummoned so you''re safe no matter what happens. I know you don''t like it in there but you''ll have Kyuubi with you and I''d feel better knowing you''re safe and sound. You can see me and talk to me too thank to True Contract Magic." Soph nodded. "Okay. I, uh, I trust you, Lone. Just... don''t do anything stupid, okay?" "I''ll try my best, haha," Lone answered before giving Soph a loving kiss. He then unsummoned her and the sleeping fox that was curled up on the bed. Now alone, his eyes narrowed sharply as his hand reached into his pocket and grabbed the pitch-black ball silently sitting there. "One day, Daisuke, I''ll kill you. Thank whoever you pray to that I''m too weak to pay you back for everything you''ve done or tried to do to me right now. Today, I behave then flee. We''ll see how this goes in a few years though," Lone mumbled as he got up, got dressed, then left the room.
"It''s all rather simple," Gilbert said as he led Lone to the arena where he''d first signed up for the tournament. "The king will open the event with a speech, then all non-seeded participants will fight in four separate battle royales, each hosting around 250 people. The top 16 from each royale move forward. Those 64 will then fight each other until 32 are left, then 16, then eight, then four, then two. At that point, they merge with the seeded individuals and go from there." "Let me guess," Lone said with no amount of pleasantry to his tone. "Daisuke is a seeded individual." "Indeed. Both he and the crown prince are seeded. It''s an event hosted by the royal family, after all," Gilbert answered happily. "Ah, you do have the participation badge you were given when you signed up for the event, right, son?" Lone reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver badge of a kite shield that had two swords crossed over its front. "Yup." "Great, well, I''ll leave you here then. As one of Milindo''s few double-S-rankers, I have other responsibilities to attend to, unfortunately. Someone has to help my staff make sure all insurance forms are filled out and that every necessary legal proceeding is taken care of in case one of our adventurers dies today. It''s all very stressful," Gilbert sighed. Lone nodded quietly. Gilbert frowned at that and put a hand on Lone''s shoulder. "I understand how you feel, I truly do, but you are a smart lad, Lone. You know what not to do today, yes?" Lone gazed right into the dragonkin''s eyes and he spoke no lies. "I know. I value my life more than I do my revenge. He''ll get his one of these days." Gilbert smiled. "That''s my boy. Make sure you win at least the battle royale and maybe one or two following matches, okay? I can''t have Henry breathing down my neck saying that a mythical nine-tailed Golden Foxkin couldn''t advance even slightly in a simple fighting tournament." "Haha, I wasn''t training for nothing," Lone responded with a chuckle. "Good, good. If, Primals forbid, you do somehow end up fighting the hero, go no further than hitting him once or twice. Do not win. Winning is perhaps the worst thing you could do, even worse than killing him," Gilbert warned as his grip on Lone''s shoulder tightened. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''... He really cares about me, doesn''t he? Man, if only my real dad could have been even half the man you are, Gilbert...'' Lone nodded. "I know. I have some levels in the Acting skill. Push comes to shove, I just throw a match in the 32-set or something." "Smart lad. Well, this is really it, son. Fingers crossed it all goes peachy and you and the girl can live a nice cushy life in the guildhall until the reinforcements come to escort you out of Milindo, huh?" Gilbert joked before tapped Lone''s shoulder. He then walked down a staff-only hallway, leaving Lone on his own. Immediately he felt dozens of sets of eyes land on him, none of which held kindness. "That''s him, isn''t it?" "Yeah. The slave who disrespected the king." "I wonder why it showed up? Damned filthy animal. I half expected it to try to run." "Would have been better that way. Then we''d get to see Duke Malik execute the beast for treason." "Haha, yeah. Well, I guess this is a decent enough compromise." ''Fucking speciesist nobles,'' Lone cursed inwardly. He could see how well dressed his mumbling aggressors were. Their chained demi slaves were clear as day, waiting silently behind them. ''In a world where magic and technology like steamforging exists, how can speciesism and racism be so rampant? Then again, Earth was pretty technologically advanced, but racism was pretty healthy there too,'' Lone thought. It wouldn''t be good for his mental wellbeing to dwell on this much longer in case he lashed out either verbally or physically. He was here for a reason, after all. He quickly got in the participants'' line and tried his best to ignore the ridicule coming his way. Thankfully, that was something he was used to doing both due to his father and his life as a ''loser''. It wasn''t too long until he had handed his silver badge in and had been given a number. He was then dismissively directed to a hallway labelled as ''Waiting Room 3''. The waiting room in question had over a 100 people standing or sitting around. Naturally, his appearance drew a lot of attention but most of it seemed to be genuine curiosity. He did get a few mean-spirited glares, but they were rare. Most of the people here were uncaring as to his presence which suited him just fine. Lone found a corner to sit in and sit in it he did. No one approached him to speak to him or to try to rile him up, which, again, suited him just fine. As he waited for his room''s battle royale to start, Lone chose to go over what skills he would be using today once more. He would be primarily using three passive skills and a single active skill. First, he looked at the passive ones.
Passive Skill: Polearm Mastery
The parent skill of all polearm-based masteries. All polearms used by the host will pierce and cut their targets 15% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 9 [up by 8 levels]
''I never managed to reach advanced rank with this... It was only two levels away...'' Lone shook his head in disappointment. ''Well, I suppose it makes sense. Despite how cheaty my Growth Accelerator is, Polearm Mastery is still a very vague and difficult to learn skill. I should be happy with the eight levels I did manage to get.''
Passive Skill: Swordspear Mastery
A child skill of the skills, [Sword Mastery] and [Spear Mastery] which is critical for swordspear-users and passively allows for better handling and control over swordspears. All swordspears used by the host will cut and pierce their targets 30% more easily. Grants the talent [Pierce]. Say the word [Pierce] and the host shall perform a piercing strike with thrice the host''s maximum force on the desired area.
Cost: 800 SP to perform the talent [Pierce].
Mastery: Advanced Level 8 [up by 3 levels]
''A useless three levels. Thankfully, they were a by-product of me levelling Polearm Mastery otherwise I''d have wasted a lot of potential training time only to gain nothing really tangible to show for it,'' Lone thought in reflection.
Passive Skill: Evasion Mastery
A skill that assists the host in their attempts to evade attacks. Improves the host''s subconscious instinct to evade dangerous situations by 30% [+15%]. [New!] Allows the host to use the talent [Momentum Shift] to completely change the trajectory of their moving body instantly.
Cost: [New!] 1,000 SP to perform the talent [Momentum Shift]
Mastery: Advanced Level 2 [up by 6 levels]
''I feel like this will be my most important skill today, although, I don¡¯t see myself using it too much in the future,'' Lone thought. Telling Grimsley and Gilbert was one thing, but letting even more people know about his unique skill, Basic Regeneration, would be downright foolish. The Church of the Primals were huge fans of healing magic, particularly of the holy variety. Lone had no idea how they might react to his unparalleled passive healing, but he''d rather not find out given their distaste of beastkin. Needless to say, displaying the unique skill could also give certain individuals very dark ideas regarding him. Lone wasn''t going to ignore the possibility of some very powerful people having torture fetishes. It was a thing on Earth, it could be a thing on Altros as well. The fewer people targeting him the better. Lone was already intent on forcefully suppressing the passive healing today, as tough as that was, so if he could forcefully change his trajectory to avoid taking damage mid-fight, then all the better. As for active skills, most of the ones he owned consumed MP which ruled them out immediately. Tail Spear was specifically for killing, so again, he couldn''t use that either. All he could rely on was Weapon Block.
Active Skill: Weapon Block
A common skill for non-shield using warriors. Allows the host to nullify 15% [+10%] of the force of an incoming attack if blocking it with a weapon.
Cost: 4,000 SP [ -1,000 SP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 2 [up by 11 levels]
''I only have a bit over 37,000 SP. I''ll use this when I need to but I can''t be frivolous with it. If I''m using my SP on anything it should be Evasion Mastery''s Momentum Shift,'' Lone decided with a nod. He began running simulations with his imagination of various scenarios he may encounter in the tournament. Lone continued to do that in silence until finally all of the room''s occupants were called on to take the stage. "Here we go, I guess," Lone muttered as he got up, grabbed his swordspear and joined the crowd flooding towards the gates that led to the massive colosseum''s open battle stage. B1: Chapter 91: Battle Royale and Tactical Waiting Lone wanted to do nothing but keep his head low and focus on the coming battle, but he couldn''t help getting distracted by how simply magnificent the interior of the colosseum was. Banners with the flag of Milindo and the insignia of the royal family lined the walls and the grandstands as thousands of voices roared and cheered. A man with a magically enhanced voice spoke over them and detailed the few stand-out participants in Lone''s group while the people around him casually and rather happily waved and cheered back at the crowd. The king and his children sat in an elevated platform with the hero standing behind them. Just below that royal platform lay four smaller but just as majestic areas where the families of the four ducal houses watched on. There were numerous even smaller special areas where Lone presumed the lower nobles were seated. ''Holy fucking shit. I mean... This is really fucking cool. Is this what it felt like to be a gladiator of Rome back in the day? Minus the slave part, I mean... If I wasn''t in the situation I am, then this would be such an amazing experience...'' Lone''s inner classical history nut was going wild with joy. He was so engrossed in taking in the architecture and the raw atmosphere that he completely zoned out and missed whatever the announcer had said. Before he knew it, the battle royale had begun. He broke out of his stupor when the smell of iron hit his nose. Blood everywhere. Swords, spears, axes, bows and every other which-weapon was being swung and fired around wildly as screams and roars of victory flooded the arena. Lone quickly shook his head and then used his swordspear to deflect an incoming set of daggers. He then spun on his heels and kicked his aggressor in the face, sending the man sprawling out on the floor. ''No time for appreciation, Lone. I need to find a quiet corner to stand in and fight off whoever guns for me. The easiest way to get in the top 16 of this group will be to conserve my SP and let everyone else do the work for me,'' he reasoned out. He wasn''t here to play around or to get distracted, after all. He could easily die if he let his guard down. Doing a quick scan of the open stage, Lone noticed a few individuals doing exactly what he was also planning to do. With no more time to hesitate, he rushed through the crowd using all of the passive Agility he could to avoid any passing blows. His destination was the western edge of the arena where only a handful of people were fighting as opposed to the chaotic and crowded central ring of fighters. "Die, demi scum!" a human woman shouted as she let loose a nocked arrow. A horrendous screech pierced the air as the arrow flew with a red trail behind it, clearly the effect of some sort of skill. ''I can''t dodge that and I don''t want to use Momentum Shift just yet. I need to reach that clearing first,'' Lone decided in a split second. He raised his swordspear and said, "Weapon Block!" The arrow met the long end of his dual-ended weapon. The sound of metal scrapping off metal invaded Lone''s ears. Without any hesitation he put his Strength into his arms and grunted as he redirected the arrow, sending it flying into the flank of an unfortunate adventurer.
The host has developed the passive skill: Shortbow Mastery.
He dismissed the skill¡¯s information screen as soon as it entered his vision. At a glance, it wasn¡¯t too interesting, and staring at it wasn¡¯t exactly wise given the circumstances.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Weapon Block] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
''And just like that, a tenth of my SP is gone. Motherfucker. Thank fuck that wasn''t a longbow being fired by some 200-kilo mass of muscles or something,'' Lone swore mentally as he kept running, leaving the female archer with the fighters surrounding her. People''s wariness of him increased exponentially after that little exchange. Blocking an arrow by itself was extremely difficult. Needless to say it was even harder to do so with a blade and not a shield or strong enough armour. To add to that it was an arrow that had a skill applied to it. This was good news for Lone. Discriminatory dispositions or not, no one attacked Lone again while he was sprinting, enabling him to reach the relatively empty western section of the arena. He made sure there wasn¡¯t anyone at his back as he stood cautiously in a defensive stance. ''Well, that''s the quick bit out of the way. Now I have to just wait and endure until there are only 16 people remaining.'' He prayed to whoever was listening and to Sofia''s absurdly high luck that things would work out as planned. In just two encounters he''d used up over a tenth of his total SP. He needed to conserve as much of that as he possibly could for the entire day and it only started recharging when the host was in a relaxed state and not moving. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lone had no idea how long the breaks between matches and fights would be after this point, but it made sense to him to not foolishly drain his SP reserves without sufficient reason. For all he knew, his escape with Sofia and the former slave of Daisuke''s, Breena, could involve a lot of running and fighting if it all went pear-shaped. Time slowly ticked on by as dozens and dozens of participants fell, either severely injured or dead. Murder very much so was not allowed during the tournament, but since it usually hyped up the crowd, the city guard only issued warnings and very minor fines to those that broke this rule, on the royal family''s orders, of course. This was something that Lone was thankfully aware of going into this tournament. There was, however, an exception to this leniency. No mercy would be afforded to those who killed a noble or someone of interest to the crown, which meant Daisuke. Lone wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he did a quick count of the remaining participants. ''52- no, 51 now. I can see a few folk eyeballing me. More and more of the remaining people are those like me who chose to wait and watch, huh? I guess the real battle royale will start now... I was hoping there were less smart people in this group. At least not everyone seems to be gunning for me.'' He could see several people flashing hateful looks at one another. Lone assumed they had prior disagreements that lead to such emotions, and he was thankful for it. Gilbert wanted him to do moderately well, and he felt he needed to do so as well in order to avoid angering the royals and Duke Malik more than he already had, so less immediate opponents was definitely a welcome thing. No meaningless words were exchanged between fighters as their weapons clashed. Were it not for the blatant murders and his being a part of the contest, Lone was pretty confident he¡¯d have greatly enjoyed watching the tournament. ¡®Maybe one day I¡¯ll get to watch a friendly tournament. Wouldn¡¯t that be cool?¡¯ he thought with a wry grin. Just then, Lone noted that two men had decided to team up in an attempt to defeat or perhaps kill him. He didn''t know if they were being overly cautious, were wary of how effectively he had dealt with the arrow from earlier, or were just working together as a team from the start, but regardless, he wouldn''t allow his mind to wander. ''He has a shortspear and a kite shield while the other one has a typical sword and board. Short-range then. Their gear looks decent but not like anything special, so they likely aren''t overly strong. Let''s get one of them out of the picture first. I have a longer weapon, so if I can even the numbers, I''ll hold the advantage,'' Lone calculated in less than a split-second. Kicking off with his feet he flew towards the men and then said, "Pierce!" Not expecting such a powerfully decisive move right out of the gate, the man with the sword and wooden buckler reeling back a bit as he raised his arm to deflect the blow. Unfortunately for him, Lone''s spear was of the highest quality steel, and the passive boost to his power he enjoyed from his Strength stat afforded him more than enough force to shred right through the shield and the hand holding it. The man screamed in pain as blood flowed out of both ends of his hand. Lone ignored him as he crouched and swiped down with the front blade of his swordspear, resulting in it cutting right through the rest of the man''s hand and his shield. The back end of his weapon solidly deflected the incoming spear strike, though Lone could feel the impact and recoil on his shoulder from not using Weapon Block. He successfully evaded another two incoming jabs as he quickly retreated to give himself some space. Being near such a fast and sharp weapon was certainly not a good idea.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
The host has developed the passive skill: Shortspear Mastery.
Again, Lone quickly dismissed the new skill¡¯s information. It could be read later, not now. "Trey, are you okay?!" the shortspear-wielding man asked. Having dropped his sword to nurse his lacerated hand, Trey shook his head as he grit his teeth. "I''m fucked. I''ll need healing magic to fix this if I leave it to get worse. I-I''m forfeiting." The man with the kite shield and shortspear nodded as he gazed into Lone''s cold eyes. He then looked around briefly at the remaining participants before he shook his head. "Me too." Lone didn''t stop the men from getting out of the arena, though he watched them very carefully in case they tried anything funny. Thankfully, they genuinely did wish to forfeit, and no one stopped them. ''Two down with only 800 SP consumed. That''s a decent trade. I have a bit over 32,000 left now,'' Lone thought as he eyed the few remaining people that were within 15 metres of himself. ''Fingers crossed they see how willing to cut up that man''s hand I was. Just fight each other until only 16 are left, would you?'' Lone thought sarcastically.
Lone exhaled a sigh of relief as the announcer for the event signalled for everyone to stop fighting. He had successfully made it to the top 16 of his bracket and would now move on to the first real stage of the tournament. No one attacked him directly after his battle with the duo of shield-bearers. A few glancing attacks had been made in the hope of eliminating Lone when his guard was down but to no avail. He just tried his best to dodge and avoid using any more of his SP where possible. He was only willing to consume some when and if anyone directly attacked him, which no one was willing to do. It took a while, but eventually there were only 16 people left, Lone being in the best condition among them, which earned him some dirty looks. He didn''t care. He was fighting with his head not with his heart. Who cared about honour or personally vendettas when this was only the very first stage of today''s event? He had to make sure he got just far enough to not make it obvious he wanted to flee the country. Lone was more than happy to practically win by default at this stage. He and the other 15 remaining people were directed back to their waiting room and were told that they had 30 minutes to rest while the royal magicians reformatted the arena to host several one-on-one fights. Lone was more than okay with that. ''Evasion Mastery reached advanced-level-six. That''s good progress but it isn''t enough to make a difference. I need a rank up... Damn it. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Why does it feel like I''m screwed even if I perform moderately well?... Stick to the plan, Lone. Win the first fight, then lose in the 32-set. As soon as I''m let out of the colosseum, fuckin'' book it out of the city and head west to the nearby dwarven stronghold, relax, then make my way to the Crimson Foxkin Clan to deliver Breena, then head to The Academy.'' Lone nodded with determination. It was unfortunate that he had wound up in a kingdom that despised and enslaved his kind, and it certainly wasn''t great that he and Soph had pissed off the wrong people, but he wouldn''t let that stop him. ''Me and my stupid mouth... It felt good being a dick to the king, but fuck me was that idiotic.'' He rubbed the black crystal ball in his pocket while he cracked his neck. ''Things will work out. Either they go how I want them to, or I''ll fuckin'' make them go how I want them to.'' With that in his mind, he closed his eyes to meditate. He needed to be relaxed to restore his SP, after all. B1: Chapter 91: Clicker and Ignorant Pride "Number 382! Number 47! Number 754! Number 301! You''re all up!" a well-built man wearing the uniform of the colosseum''s workers yelled across the waiting room. Lone slowly opened his eyes. ''301... That''s me. Okay, fingers crossed I get a half-decent opponent so I can put on a good show for the only fight I''m going to win today.'' He quickly peeked at his status to see how much of his SP he''d regenerated during his meditation.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 139
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 32,350/32,350 SP: 32,970/37,620
MP: 38,460/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,413 Vigour: 3,235
Dexterity: 2,082 Agility: 2,399
Vitality: 3,762 Luck: 121
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
''I was at 32,820 when I started relaxing so I gained... 150 SP? That can''t be right... That''s only 5 per minute! Fuckin'' hell that''s such a tiny amount... Is that possible? Did I miscount? I''m always full when I have a good night''s sleep... Maybe the rate of SP regeneration is multiplied when the host is unconscious?'' Lone wondered as he got up and headed for the exit which led to the arena. He slowly shook his head. ''I''ll need to research this more when I have a moment to breathe. At the dwarven stronghold sounds like a good idea. I''d ask Gilbert if I wasn''t planning to leave Milindo the second I return to the guildhall and grab Breena.'' Regardless, he cleared his mind. 150 SP wasn''t much but it was 150 more than 0. It would have to do and, hopefully, he was worrying over his SP for nothing. If all went according to plan he wouldn''t need to use any skills bar Soph''s Teleportation when leaving the kingdom and he wouldn''t be required to fight for his life. With quick steps, Lone followed a man who had come to guide him specifically. Once they and the other called participants had entered the arena with their guides the man leading Lone pointed at one of 8 raised fighting rings. "That''s your stage there. Go stand on it and wait for your fight to be announced. Fail to do that and it''ll be a swift visit to the executioner''s office," the man said a bit threateningly but more so to get the point across rather than out of malice. "Executioners have offices these days?" Lone asked. "Hah, yeah, they call it the dungeon. Now enough with the smart-talk. We''ve got jobs to do, eh? Some less bloody than others," the man answered with a grin. "Right you are," Lone responded with a nod then he did as he was told, leaving the man to step onto the raised circular platform. Not long after Lone had reached the platform did an old man in his 60s or 70s wearing a long baggy robe also step onto the raised area. "Ah, my competitor, hmm?" The man grinned as it spoke and it somehow unsettled Lone. "So it seems," Lone answered cautiously. ''He''s old. That means he''s either very strong or incredibly weak but very, very experienced.'' "It''s lovely to finally meet you, Lone. I''ve heard a lot about you these days," the old man said as he glanced around the colosseum with mirth. "Ah, I''m Clicker by the way. Weird name, I know." ''Clicker? Why does that sound familia- Ah! That frog woman with the rectangular boat. She said her name was Snapper, right? Weird. Well, this is a world with magic and monsters so names based on sounds isn''t too absurd,'' Lone thought. Clicker took a deep breath and a satisfied expression crossed his wrinkled face. "Ahhh... It''s been a while since I last stepped outside. I really should explore the world a bit more after this. I tell ya, Lone, if you ever find yourself running a place that is secluded from the outside world and has a lovely little library you built over the course of several years, don''t let yourself get trapped in the joys of staying home doin'' nothing. Ah, I guess the opposite of that advice applies if something catastrophic happens to the world." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Okay..." Lone was now certain that the man in front of him was just senile. ''Hopefully, he can at least put up a decent fight. I need to show that I''m trying.'' Clicker kept rambling on and on about inane thing after inane thing or a strange piece of life advice before the announcer finally shut him up. "Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Foxkin and number 12, Clicker the Corrector! You may now begin your fight after showing respect to one another with a handshake or a bow. Fatal injuries on either side will be punished severely!" the announcer said before quickly moving on to the next pair. Clicker walked forward so Lone followed suit. The two locked hands and again, Lone got chills when a large smile surfaced on Clicker''s face. "So you already have one of the 9, the 9th one, even. What a shame that it''s being restricted. Let''s fix that, shall we?" Clicker asked seemingly to himself. ''What a creepy dude,'' Lone thought as he quickly took his hand back and then returned to his side of the stage.
"Ah, Margrave Griffset! I thought that was you I saw! You managed to make the trip north this year for the tourney? How delightful," the large portly man who was the father of the young nobleman that had led the bullies against Soph all those weeks ago said. The blonde-haired and even rounder man being addressed nodded happily. "Margrave Algor! What a lovely surprise. I was under the impression that you were busy cultivating those... Oh, what were they again? Blue Grapes? Up in the Frindon Range. Did your efforts... bear fruit?" "Oh, you jester," Margrave Algor laughed. "Indeed. I''ve left some capable slaves and a few trusty servants to manage the business now that my magic is no longer necessary." "That''s grand news, old friend!" Margrave Griffset lifted his glass of wine and said, "A toast to your successful venture!" The nearby lesser nobles who could hear this exchange raised their glasses too and cheered. "Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Foxkin and number 12, Clicker the Corrector! You may now begin your fight after showing respect to one another with a handshake or a bow. Fatal injuries on either side will be punished severely!" "Ah, the Golden Foxkin. Margrave Algor, my friend, did you know that my son recently managed to acquire the legal possession of that demihuman for me?" Margrave Griffset boasted. "Oh? Is that so?" his fellow margrave asked with a raised eyebrow. "I was under the impression that he was the property of that parasitic guild. Beyond that, my own son tells me the demi belongs to a fair-haired foreign noble child." Margrave Griffset''s plump cheeks contorted oddly as he creased his brows. "I would never say your son is dishonest but my boy has never told a lie in his life. He is my son, after all." ''Yes, he is. That''s kind of the problem. You are much too open with your illicit deeds, Evan, you fool. It is people like you that lead to a country moving away from the nobility system. If you must incite hatred amongst the commonfolk and commit crimes, do so with at least some modicum of skill and tact,'' Margrave Algor thought in great disdain. "Well then, Margrave Griffset, since the demi is yours by law, I assume you intend for him to fight the prince, or, perhaps even the hero?" Margrave Algor asked. Having collected himself the rotund lord of Ros nodded. "My son assures me of his skill. In fact, he''s talking with the hero right now to give him pointers on the beast''s strengths and weaknesses to ensure that the fight is as memorable as possible." "I look forward to it then, as I assume we all do." That got a cheer and a toast from the nearby nobles.
"So you''ll kill him?" Bastion Griffset asked for the 5th time as he recounted the coins on the table. "Yeah, I already said I will. You''re fucking pissing me off you little weasel," Daisuke responded as he ran his fingers through his pitch-black hair. He was much thinner now and something in his eyes didn''t quite seem right. Bastion had never met a hero before and honestly, if they were all as unhinged-looking as this one then he fully intended to never cross paths with an otherworlder ever again. "R-Right. Well, as promised, here is exactly 5 white-gold coins'' worth of gold," Bastion said as he gestured to the table simply packed to the brim with piles of various coin denominations. "Good, now get lost. I need to focus," Daisuke demanded. Bastion was used to being the arrogant one but a hero was an existence he could not afford to mess around with. He was lucky to have even been able to meet him and have him agree to his proposition, so pushing his luck was the last thing he wanted to do. Daisuke snorted in disdain when he was finally alone in the room. "Idiot. I was going to kill that fucking fox no matter what anyway. This hardly scratches what I owe that bastard of a king but at least it''s better than nothing." Daisuke looked around his ''private room'' and snickered in self-deprecation. "Did they really have to lock me up in here? I was going to fight in the tournament regardless. Even if that retarded fox wasn''t here I still needed to vent after what I went through in the dungeon." He recalled how after his 3-days of starvation that the king had ordered for him to only be let out of his cell for 2-hours a day simply to not degrade his pitiful combat skills any further than they had already degraded. His meals only consisted of a mostly water-based soup. That was it. Nothing more. Daisuke had considered killing himself but he had vowed to not be defeated by something so pitiful as depression and guilt, rather choosing to give in to his hatred and desire for revenge. "First the fox, second the king. You''ll all get what''s coming to you sooner or later."
Lone was shocked once more as the elderly man easily deflected the incoming blade of his swordspear with only his palm. "Are you a master at martial arts or something?" Lone asked Clicker. "Hmm?" Clicker shook his hand as if it were hot. "I consider myself to be a master of predicting. Knowing time is how one easily corrects. That''s what my CV says at least." ''CV? The fuck? Is this guy a hero or something? He could have always heard that from another hero but still... What a weirdo,'' Lone thought as he took an apt stance to perform yet another attack. At that moment, however, Clicker''s face contorted in pain. "Achachacha! My hip! Damn my old age... I forfeit!" "Number 12, Clicker the Corrector, has conceded victory to number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Foxkin!" "Damn these old bones of mine... Well, I''ll be seeing you soon, Lone," Clicker said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he held his hip and hobbled off stage. "What the hell was that..." Lone tilted his head back and rubbed his neck. "Can I call that a real fight? He didn''t even use any skills on me. He just redirected all of my attacks with raw ability..." He sighed as he walked off stage and returned to his joint-waiting room. ''Whatever. I''ve had my fight. It''s time for me to make like Clicker and forfeit after a few exchanges. This should at least stall the anger of the king and Duke Malik. If all goes according to plan Soph and I will be able to teleport the fuck out of here unimpeded in an hour or so.'' B1: Chapter 92: Forfeit and Cunning Fox Lone glanced around, taking in the remaining challengers in his waiting room. ''9 people, huh? Since that was the 64-set that means only 32 contestants remain. I guess my room did well since we have more than a quarter of the remaining participants.'' Lone found the spot he had meditated in previously and happily crossed his legs and closed his eyes. ''Here''s hoping my next opponent is some strong-looking dude or maybe someone famous. That''ll make losing easier.'' He hadn''t consumed any SP in his fight with Clicker since before they could even get serious the old man''s hip supposedly started giving out. It was a boring fight, sure, but it helped Lone conserve some of his SP. He was still hopeful that he wouldn''t need to use skills when leaving the kingdom but if his life in this world had taught him anything thus far, it was that being overprepared was far more preferable to being underprepared. Well, that and speciesism activity matched of Earth¡®s racism. Not exactly the best of medals to own.
"Number 301! Number 82! Number 665! Number 21! You''re all up!" the guide said with a hand cupped over his mouth to amplify his voice. Lone peeled his eyes open and looked at his status to check how much time had passed via his SP gained.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 139
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 32,350/32,350 SP: 32,970/37,620
MP: 38,460/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,413 Vigour: 3,235
Dexterity: 2,082 Agility: 2,399
Vitality: 3,762 Luck: 121
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
''From 32,820 to 32,970. Exactly 30-minutes. Well, the people directly in charge of rotating fighters sure are efficient. Maybe lucky too. All of the fights ended so quickly... Not unrealistic, granted, but magic and skills kind of fucks with what''s normal in a 1v1 fight,'' Lone thought as he followed the guide. He was soon led up onto a stage and he was surprised when he saw his opponent. "I remember you..." The portly light-skinned man in a magician''s outfit furrowed his brow. "Lone Immortus, the man lost in transit. You had a very sharp tongue if I recall." "I thought he was just a swindler... How did he swindle his way through the battle royale then the 64-set?" Lone said to himself. "How dare you suggest such a thing!" the tophat-wearing man fumed. "I am a most reputable gentleman of the highest regard! I am Muradon the All-mage! Not some backstreet peddler of false illusions and trickery!... Not anymore, at least." That last part was mumbled but Lone didn''t even notice. He smiled awkwardly as he said, "Uh, that was meant to be internal. Thinking out loud is a bad habit of mine that leaks out on occasion. Sorry. I, uh, look forward to seeing your magic?" "Well, I''m glad, but unfortunately you won''t have the chance!" Confidence rolled off of the middle-aged man like a tidal wave and it startled Lone a bit. ''Is he... not a scammer? Is he suggesting that he''ll beat me so fast that I won''t even get to see his magic? I hope so. That sounds great. Well, so long as he doesn''t seriously injure me. I can''t use MP to boost Basic Regeneration right now so taking massive damage should be avoided even if I can probably get away with healing severe wounds enough to still look bad but actually be fine with the passive regen effect,'' Lone thought seriously. "Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Foxkin and number 47, Muradon the All-mage! You may now begin your fight after showing respect to one another with a handshake or a bow. Fatal injuries on either side will be punished severely!" the announced declared. Muradon walked forward, clearly intent on shaking hands. Lone followed suit. After a firm handshake, the two returned to their positions and Lone entered a defensive stance, ready to deal with any incoming magic with a swift use of Momentum Shift. It wouldn''t do to just stand still and get hit, after all. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Muradon extended his hands grandly and bowed to the crowd. "I, Muradon the All-mage refuse to sully my name by mercilessly defeating a demi! Such a thing is below a man of my reputation! I forfeit!" Lone''s eyes opened wide. "... What?" "Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Foxkin advances to the 16-set!" the announcer yelled, much to the surprise of the crowd. Their shock didn''t last long since some of the other fights in the surrounding rings quickly grasped their interest, but Lone was furious. "Some ''All-mage'' you are!" he yelled. "Fight me, you coward! I would sooner die than win by default!" Muradon shook his head sadly. "Some things aren''t always within my ability to control." He whispered this next part but made sure that Lone could hear it. "I don''t know how you pissed them off but you''re in some pretty big shit, pal. I wouldn''t be surprised when your next opponent forfeits too." With that said, the portly man waddled off the stage and left the arena. Lone stood there, fists balled up in rage. ''He was... told to forfeit? By who? The crown? The hero?'' Lone wasn''t an idiot and he could immediately tell what was going on were his thoughts truly the case. He bottled his anger for now and returned to the waiting room. He immediately retreated to his bench and folded his legs to sit in a meditative position. ''I fucked up,'' Lone thought. ''Why didn''t I think they''d try to rig it?'' He held his head in his hands. ''Shit. I should have let myself get knocked out at the battle royale or forfeited against that weird old man, Clicker... Maybe I can forfeit first in my next match?'' Lone shook his head. ''Unlikely. The announcer is clearly employed by the crown so if they want me to advance and, what, die to the prince or that scumbag then they''ll make sure I advance that far, won''t they? Petty fucking cunts... I should have just gotten Soph to teleport us as far away as possible in the middle of the night. Trying to appease them was stupid.'' He hung his head back and laughed self-deprecatingly. ''Mental Destruction only guarantees a kill on anyone up to 3 ranks higher than me meaning up to B-rank. I can''t fight my way out of here with the certainty that I''ll survive, can I?'' Lone stroked his chin in thought. ''Well, let''s try to forfeit first. If that doesn''t work which it likely won''t, then fuck dancing on that shitty king''s palm. If I need to fight the prince or the hero or even both of them, then I''ll fucking make that shitbag of a king regret forcing me to do so.''
Muradon the All-mage couldn''t have left the colosseum any faster even if he wanted to. The moment he''d been paid by the royal guards for giving up the fight, he was out of that building faster than a charged politician out of a courtroom. ''This stupid skill of mine... What was I going to do if it didn''t let me forfeit?!'' he yelled internally. ''Lone, I don''t know specifically who you pissed off or why, but I know for a fact that I don''t wanna be anywhere near that building in the next couple of hours.''
"Number 301! Number 21! You''re both up!" the guide said, stirring Lone out of his plan-oriented mind. He glanced at his status and nodded upon seeing yet another 150 SP returned. He got up, stretched, then left the waiting room. His mind was so focused that he didn''t bother taking in his surroundings at all as he stepped up onto the stage he''d been directed to. His opponent seemed to be a burly human woman in her mid-30s with a large bastard sword loosely slung over her shoulder but he didn''t care. The announcer told then to shake hands or bow once again, to which the woman bowed so Lone mimicked her. The second the fight had started Lone raised his voice and yelled, "I forfeit!" The large woman seemed startled but nothing happened. The announcer didn''t end the fight as Lone had feared he wouldn''t. "I-I forfeit..." the bastard sword-wielding woman declared in confusion, to which the announcer named Lone the victor of the match by default, moving him up to the 8-set. ''I see,'' Lone thought as he walked off of the stage. ''That''s how it''s going to be. Well then, no more trying to be Mister Nice Fox. If you wanna fuck with me expect me to fuck you right in the ass just as hard.''
Once again, Lone had regained 150 SP before he was called up for his next fight. His ''opponent'' this time was a young girl dressed in the garb of a mage. Lone assumed she was a noble from her fancy surname and given the fact that she was looking at him like he was dirt. Naturally, she chose to bow, not shake his hand since the thought of touching him seemed to upset her. That was perfectly fine for Lone. The second the fight began he sat down cross-legged on the stage and smiled. The girl had no idea what was wrong with him but she just did what her parents had ordered her to. "I forfeit. I refu-" "Your Majesty!" Lone yelled, drowning out the girl''s voice. "Thank you for being so kind as to allow me to move up the sets without having to waste my energy on these weaklings! It is truly wise of you to value me as much as you do! As you ordered, I will happily show your son and the hero that there is always someone stronger! Indeed! Very wise of you to recognise the useless state both of them are now in since they have been doing nothing but living a life of languid luxury!" Lone stood up, bowed graciously towards the royal viewing area, then walked off of the stage, leaving the entire arena in a state of confused awe, the other contestants fighting included.
The king felt his blood pressure rising. "How cunning... As expected of a fox that knows nought but to do as its instincts demand..." "Honoured Father!" Crown Prince Auberon called with indignation and wrath in his voice. "We cannot allow such a direct insult! Please, Honoured Father, we demand that beast''s head to be removed from its shoulders at once!" Ralph of House Heidron, King of Milindo, furrowed his brow as he dug his fingers into the arms of the throne he was seated upon. "No. He has realised our plan, he would be a fool to not have. This is just a petty and childish retaliation. As one would expect from a mere demi." The crown prince frowned. "But he directly insulted us, which in turn, directly insults the royal family. He also lied by using your honoured name. We simply cannot let such an atrocious being to continue existing in our wondrous kingdom!" "Patience, child." The king calmed himself as he said, "Nothing has changed. The foolish hero shall redeem himself or you shall put the beast in his place. Were he not a part of that infernal guild, child, then we would have done as you requested without needing to be prompted." He turned and looked at his son with the gaze of a monarch. "Do not do anything foolish, child. Am I understood? That filthy guildmaster cannot best us, however, he can, without a shred of a doubt, cause mayhem untold were we to murder one of his precious adventurers outside of one of the tournament''s fights." "Y-Yes, Honoured Father." With that, the crown prince stepped back to stay near his sister where he felt more comfortable. Ralph of House Heidron, King of Milindo, returned to looking down at the arena. ''Nothing has changed. His first opponent was an oddity but thankfully that ended well... What was his opponent''s name again? Why does such information slip our royal mind only now?... We cannot even recall what he looked like... How odd... Regardless, the beast''s actions now have only further proven that our decision to have him killed was and still remains correct.'' B1: Chapter 93: Apologetic Eko and A Drums Beat ''I ''beat'' Clicker in the 64-set, Muradon forfeited in the 32-set, that burly woman did the same in the 16-set and I just wrapped up the 8-set,'' Lone thought. ''Only a single fight to go before the crown prince and that pedo scumbag are added into the mix.'' Lone exhaled deeply as he considered his plan going forwards. ''Oh god, it''s stupid. Sophie would scream and yell at me and tell me not to do it... but I have to. A man can only get pushed so far before he falls over. I hope Soph''s sleeping so she doesn''t see what''ll happen soon. That screen upgrade to The Summoning Room is a bit annoying now that I think about it.'' He hadn''t even really used the telepathic function of it and honestly, he''d rather not talk to Soph or Sophie right now. He was scared one of them might convince him to change his mind on what he was planning to do from here. Lone''s time meditating came and went. When he checked his status to confirm how much time had passed he''d gained 75 SP meaning the break this time was only 15-minutes long. Regardless, he proceeded out of the waiting room and noticed that there were two moderately-sized stages in the centre of the arena. ''Makes sense. This is the 4-set so there''ll only be two fights,'' Lone commented internally. His ''opponent'' this time was a handsome young bald man who looked like a monk. He had no weapons on him but he was wearing a conflicted expression on his face. Lone paid him no mind. The two shook hands and just as Lone was about to part ways the monk said, "I am sorry, Brother. I have no desire to partake in this farce but I am left without a choice. If you survive through this ordeal and wish to seek me out for justice, find me at the Eastern World Tree. That is my next destination on my journey of self-discovery." Lone gave him a scrutinising look. "I can only blame myself for what''s happening here. Just forfeit and put it out of your mind. I don''t think you or the other contestants are at fault." "... I see. I wish you luck on your path, Brother," the monk said before letting go of Lone''s hand and returning to his side of the stage. As soon as the fight started, as expected, the monk declared the battle his loss. "Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Golden Foxkin advances to the semifinals!" the announcer yelled. At this point, the crowd''s thoughts on Lone were mixed so they didn''t react too strongly to this announcement especially after what he had yelled in his last match. Instead, they focused on the other fighters since the king must have had a good reason for seeding Lone into the tourney''s semifinals in such a strange manner. "Brother, my name is Eko. I hope we meet again and in a less... harmful environment," the monk said before he bowed his head and held his palms together in respect. ''''Hmm... I wonder what they threatened him with? Maybe death if he didn''t forfeit? I wouldn''t put it past them. Not like it matters. They''ll still get what''s coming to them. At this point, even if he hadn''t forfeited I would have fought him just for the chance to fight the prince or that loser of a summoned hero,'' Lone thought in silence as he returned to his waiting room.
"Oi, you. You''re fighting the prince now so put on a good show, yeah?" a man holding a clipboard said to Lone, awakening him from his meditative state. "... The prince, is it? Okay. Lead the way," Lone said as he cracked his neck, grabbed his swordspear then stood up. ''50 SP this time. So 10-minutes. Shame I got the prince first... Oh well, when life gives you turds it''s best to make some fertiliser.'' Unsurprisingly, there was only a single stage now. It was a lot grander than the prior ones and clearly the mages responsible for making it had put the effort in to make it visually appealing as opposed to the rather plain stages from the earlier fights. Lone got onto the platform and stood patiently on his allotted side. Not a minute later the effeminately handsome crown prince entered the arena as the crowd screeching in joy at his appearance. ''He looks like one of those actors that starred in a highschool-based movie but they''re actually 30. I see he has a sword but does he know how to use it?'' Lone wondered. "Welcoming onto the stage His Royal Highness Crown Prince Auberon!" the announcer yelled. "He is one of the kingdom''s most accomplished swordsman for his young age and he has even shown a strong talent for lightning magic!" The crowd went wild as they always did when someone or something that interested them was being described. ''Lightning magic, huh?'' Lone thought. ''I wonder if he''s Duke Malik''s apprentice or something... That cunt practises lightning magic if I recall correctly. Hmm...'' "Fighting his majesty today is the very special challenger Lone immortus, a one of a kind Golden Foxkin which were recently thought to be extinct! Not only that but as you can see he is a 9-traited beastkin and he wields a strange and unique weapon! Surely he will present fitting sport for his highness on this o'' brightest of days!" the announcer practically screamed at the top of his lungs. Lone frowned. ''That''s the route they''re going? I see. Make it appear that me getting pushed up here was just to give this royal brat the excuse to beat the shit out of me or maybe even kill me, the ''rare one of a kind Golden Foxkin with 9 tails!''... Cunts. I''m getting more and more pissed off the longer I stay here...'' "His Highness Crown Prince Auberon and semi-finalist, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Golden Foxkin! You may now begin your fight after showing respect to one another with a handshake or a bow. Fatal injuries on either side will be punished severely!" the announcer said and Lone felt some powerful intent wash over him at the end of the announcer''s words. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ''This intent... It''s coming from... up there?'' Lone asked himself as he looked to the royal overhang. ''Don''t want me to hurt your son, do you? Shame. Maybe if you hadn''t abused your power to get revenge on me for your stupid hero''s idiocy then I might have considered your request.'' He looked back to the prince. ''Well... To be fair, I''ve never met this guy before. For all I know he could be a beastkin rights activist or something but from his grin I doubt it. May as well confirm though.'' Lone stepped forwards and held out his hand. "What? Do not approach us, beast. Touching you would be a disgrace to our family name," the crown prince claimed as disgust rolled across his face. Lone pulled back his hand and sighed softly. "The worst part about being let down is that you always put yourself in the situation that allows you to get let down in the first place," he mumbled. "What? Speak up if you have something to say, beast," the prince demanded. Lone shook his head. "Don''t worry about it," he said clearly then added, "I was just lamenting the fact that I tried." He returned to his original spot then bowed his head. "Shall we start, Your Highness?" "Yes, yes we think we shall. We have had quite enough of your disrespectful words and actions as it is," Crown Prince Auberon spat out as he drew his sword. ''When Sophie talks with the royal we it''s kind of cute... Why is it infuriating me so much though when this assclown uses it?'' Lone thought as he entered a fighting stance. The prince cared not for Lone''s thoughts. No, instead, he chose to unleash his rank''s aura at full blast, showing the world his strength. Lone honestly had no idea how powerful he was but one thing he did know was that the prince''s aura was far, far, far weaker than both Duke Malik and Gilbert''s. ''What an idiot. Wouldn''t it have made more sense to save that and use it on me if I''m about to land a hit at a critical moment to throw me off balance or something? Arrogant prick.'' As far as Lone was aware someone had to be at least a C-ranker to start exuding their rank''s aura with willpower alone. It was only B-rankers and above whose auras had an actual form, so as it was right now the prince was simply shrouded in a light layer of white energy. ''He''s gotta be a C-ranker, right? Lovely. A C-ranker I can deal with. Not without trying my best but at least I don''t need to lie down and get beat like some stray dog by a twisted kid. This''ll be good practice for that pedo,'' Lone thought. He then immediately sprinted towards the prince, dual-ended swordspear in hand. "Charging at me recklessly? You''re more foolish than we had first thought," Crown Prince Auberon scorned as he tightened his grip on his sword''s pommel. While Lone was rapidly closing the gap runes lit up all over the prince''s longsword and not a split-second later he had invoked a skill, "Amplified Current!" A wave of blue lightning arched out of his palm and snaked its way up the longsword, filling each magical rune as it went along with the magical power. As soon as the stream of lightning had reached the peak of the blade all of that stored energy rushed out of the runic symbols and then like a spring unleashed from its coiled form, it all rushed towards Lone faster than the common eye could see. Lone tried to dodge but he could only move so fast and Evasion Mastery could only adjust his movements so much. The thin but powerful current of lightning blasted right into Lone''s right flank exactly where his kidney was.
The host has developed the active lightning magic skill: Amplified Current.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Lightning Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Lightning Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
The magic had burnt a hole right through Lone''s light clothing as if it were paper. That made sense to him, in all honestly. He didn''t wear armour since his most-suited type was his bones and usually, he was eager to get hit to gain skills and let Basic Regeneration grow. His skin was charred black and red blood flowed from a small crater that had formed in his lower torso where he''d been struck. Lone now realised that perhaps he should have better prepared for the off chance of facing against a mage or two. Regardless, he felt his muscles cramp up while he watched the prince''s smirk widen as the man readied himself to attack Lone with the very sharp and very deadly weapon he was holding. ''Good. Underestimate me, you little shit. Unless you can apply your stats then I still have this under control,'' Lone thought as he powered through the pain and numbness in his chest that was slowly spreading throughout his body. ''Truly a current, huh? What a nasty skill.'' "You''re mine, beast!" Crown Prince Auberon yelled as he lunged forward and invoked another skill. "Lacerate!" Lone didn''t know what that skill was but the name alone gave enough context clues for him to know not to let himself just get cut up by it. "Pierce!" he shouted back but his swordspear was, oddly enough, pointed nowhere near the prince. "What a useless fool! Regret your actions in the Realm of the Primals!" the prince declared as his blade came within inches of Lone''s head, ready to cut it in two from the top-down. "Momentum Shift," Lone muttered. A sharp stabbing sound could be heard as metal shredded through metal even over the screaming and hollering of the crowd before silence overcame the colosseum. "You talk too much. We''re fighting, not arguing," Lone said coldly as he slowly pulled his swordspear - now covering in blood - out of Crown Prince Auberon''s gut and ruined chestplate. The man''s eyes shook wildly as he felt his grasp on his magical sword slip, resulting in the weapon clattering to the floor. Lone slowly bent over and picked it up. "A nice blade. I''ve never seen a magical weapon before. I''ll be claiming this," he said as he tossed it into what looked like an adventurer''s pouch but he had actually put it in his Dimensional Storage. "Now, to mete out justice," Lone whispered. "The arms with which you tried to kill me, they are now forfeit." The prince shook with nothing but raw emotion. He was frozen solid despite his sporadic trembling. He''d never been injured like this before. Sure, he''d been hit around a bit by his father and his instructors during training. That much was normal. But the pain of being stabbed so fiercely, and by a skill no less... To add insult to injury the one to deal the blow was a no-name slave beastkin. All he could do was watch as the beastkin in front of him slowly brought his weapon down and cut both of his arms off as his mind was recoiling in shock. It took a few seconds for the pain to catch up with his emotions and frazzled mind. "AHHHHHHH!" His scream filled the crowd with terror but more important a different sensation washed over them - anger. A demihuman slave had just seriously injured their crown prince, crippled their crown prince, humiliated their crown prince. And now? And now the animal was looking at them like they were worth less than dirt. Lone stared at the crowd with a truly harrowing gaze. "I am no freak show and I am no spectacle to be made a mockery of. If you wish for me to dance, then dance I shall, but only to the beat of my own drum!" B1: Chapter 94: Chance and Thanks Screams of horror and yells of fury-fuelled anger filled the arena, all of which were directed at Lone or in response to how he had treated the prince - who, at this point, had lost consciousness. Lone felt both massively satisfied and completely overwhelmed with regret. ''The cunt deserved it but I''m dead now... I''m so fuckin'' dead... I need to tell Soph to teleport away the second I resummon her. Well her g-'' His thoughts were stopped by an overwhelming pressure suddenly enveloping his body. "Gah..." Even grunting was a struggle when he felt the full weight of 5 SS-ranked auras press down onto him quickly followed by dozens of S-ranked auras and innumerable A and B-ranked ones. The king, the 4 dukes, many of the gathered nobles and their knights were locking Lone in place and threatening to tear his body limb from limb with their rank''s aura alone. He collapsed onto his knees and tried his best to simply breathe. His clothes and equipment -swordspear included - were starting to rip and break from the collective pressure.
The host has developed the passive skill: Aura Pressure Resistance.
The massive weight on his body lessened ever so slightly but all Lone could think of was how bloody negligible the endurable percentage was.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Lone felt frustrated. ''So this cunt can try to kill me but if I just stab him and cut his arms off - both things that I know for a fact healing magic can fix - then you try to crush me to death? Motherfucking hypocritical cunts!'' The black orb laying within his pocket hummed joyfully in beat with the rhythm of his rage-fuelled thoughts. Surprisingly, the thing wasn''t affected at all by the massive pressure coiling around it and everything else in close proximity to Lone.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''You know, I''d really like for this shit to rank up, all things aside... Hahaha, what the fuck''s wrong with me? Here I am, being publicly executed by a group of speciesists for standing up for myself and all I can think of past my anger is wanting to rank up a new skill?'' He would have laughed out loud if he wasn''t trying his best to not lose consciousness.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
''Yay!'' Lone thought sarcastically. ''It only took dozens of vastly stronger people trying to kill me with their raw auras alone for that stupid fuckin'' skill to break the expert barrier.'' One thing of note though was that with the pain he was experiencing now being considerably more tolerable Lone found himself able to move a little bit. ''Can I see the king from here? Oh, goodie, I can. May as well go out with a bang, huh? We never did figure out if I could kill a double-S-ranker by spamming Mental Destruction, now did we?'' Lone thought as a grin spread across his lips. Sadly, just as he was about to enact his plan for swift revenge, the pressure on him disappeared as a warm and motherly sensation replaced it. "This is... Gilbert''s aura?" Turning his head he saw the guildmaster stood next to him with sweat dripping down his face and no small amount of emotion showing on his expression. "Should I take this as a declaration of war against The Adventurer''s Guild, King Heidron? Grand Guildmaster Sarah has been informed of your actions today via communication orb and she is not best pleased," the dragonkin declared. He was using gravity magic to only project his voice to Lone, all present adventurers as well as every single nobleman and their knights. The common folk didn''t need to know why he had appeared. Honestly, war was not the option he wanted to pursue if at all possible since it was the worst one. ''You stupid boy... Ha-ah... I can''t fault you though. As soon as they started forfeiting I knew something like this would happen... This is as much my fault as it is yours, Son. I''ve had a whole century to try to erase the systemic speciesism in this cesspool of a kingdom... I''ve really been rather lazy, haven''t I?'' The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The king seemed to speak into the ear of one of his personal royal mages who then projected his voice in a similarly private way as Gilbert had. "That beast has broken the rules of the tournament. Do you expect us to follow the every whim of your guild when our royal son has been hurt so viciously?" Gilbert scoffed. "If you delay any longer he''ll bleed out. His arms can still be reattached if you can find a B-rank healer. How is the guild meant to interpret your son''s clear attempts to end the life of one of our adventurers, hmm? There is a clear difference between an accidental murder and one of intent." A long silence followed before the king made his reply. "Only once. This is in respect to Divine Persistence. Be thankful, beast, that you did not cause permanent harm to our son or, Primal''s forbid, kill him. We warn you now though, Guildmaster Elksworth, there will be consequences if he does anything untoward before the tournament ends. We also expect our son''s weapon to be returned when we come for it." "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty," Gilbert said as he nodded respectfully. The king raised a palm and all of the pressure flooding down into Gilbert receded, giving him room to relax, physically, at least. "''Let''s return to your waiting room, Son. We have a lot to talk about," Gilbert said as he helped Lone get up. Nodding mutely, Lone walked alongside the man. As they made their way to the waiting room he saw no reason to not inspect his recently acquired skills and newly ranked-up Physical Pain Resistance. What else better was there to do when he felt like a child being brought to the headmaster''s office at school for beating the crap out of a bully?
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence at varying levels based on mastery. All physical pain shall be weakened by 60% [+30%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
''This doesn''t confirm anything but the evidence is mounting, isn''t it?'' Lone wondered. ''This is my second resistance to reach expert-rank along with Mental Pain Resistance and that didn''t get a new effect too. I guess resistances just work differently from other skills when it comes to additional features. Well, it''s a solid theory, at least.''
Passive Skill: Aura Pressure Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the pressure of auras generated by a person''s rank at varying levels based on mastery. All aura pressure applied to the host shall be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 3
''Huh... I gained 6 more levels between last reading my notifs and when Gilbert stepped in... Honestly, this skill seems incredibly useful. I wonder why I didn''t gain it when Duke Malik blasted his aura in our meeting a few weeks back or when the prince showed off his C-ranked aura only 5 minutes ago? Maybe I wasn''t put under the pressure long enough with the duke and the prince wasn''t directly applying it to me?'' All good ideas worth giving merit to, Lone felt.
Active Lightning Magic Skill: Amplified Current
A standard application of the lightning magic school where the caster focuses the element of lightning into a condensed stream of pure lightning that persists for 5 seconds in any conductive material it strikes.
Cost: 10,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''A bit on the pricey side MP-wise... Not like that matters when my MP is sealed for a year. Still, 5-seconds, huh? Was that how long the current spread through my body? I can''t really remember but it wasn''t overly long. So the prince has this skill at beginner or intermediate rank... Nice to know, I guess,'' Lone thought in a bit of an uncaring manner as he sat down on his bench of choice in the waiting room. A snapping sound pulled him from his thoughts. Looking up he saw Gilbert standing over him as he clicked his fingers. "Got your attention now have I, Son?" Gilbert asked. Lone smiled awkwardly. "Sorry. I was lost in thought." "Yeah, that was clear." Gilbert brought his hand up to his face and sighed deeply. "Look, as things stand I can only see one way you''ll live through this." Lone chuckled. "Really? ''Cause from what I''ve seen I''m dead no matter what. I meant what I said. If I''m gonna die I may as well do it on my own terms. Preferably bathing in the blood of the ''hero''." "Just because you''re feeling suicidal that doesn''t mean that all of the nobles and royals are. Even if the king wants to kill you, after what I said he physically cannot without further justification. There would be a rebellion if he did," Gilbert said with some anger in his tone. ''What? A rebellion? Even if I''m a very unique race of foxkin, I''m still just one ''slave''... Ah... Politics, right? Damned good thing I joined The Adventurer''s Guild and not some obscure mercenary band, huh?'' Lone thought self-mockingly before nodding. Seeing him nod a bit uncaringly, Gilbert clicked his tongue and added, "That story I told you about the grand guildmaster destroying a kingdom overnight after a single adventurer was unjustly killed? That''s a bloody true story, Son. Against demihuman equality or not these nobles don''t want to die just because their king has a personal issue with you. In a twisted way your life is as safe as it could ever be." "... Okay, so, what now? I go out there, let Daisuke humiliate me, maybe cut me up a bit, then I turtle up at the guild until my and Sophie''s escort arrives to extradite ourselves from this shithole of a kingdom? That''s the plan?" Lone asked as his bright golden eyes stared right into Gilbert''s pure white irises. "Well, yes. More or less. I know it isn''t great forcing you to let that arrogant and lustful boy vent his frustrations on you but he will not be allowed to kill you. If you just put up with it and come back to the guildhall with me today then it''ll all be behind u-" "Okay. Fine. I will tell you now though, Gilbert, when I get powerful enough I will come back here and destroy this kingdom''s government. I''ll kill that scumbag hero and I''ll free all of the slaves," Lone declared with power in his voice. "Make that last one a global effort." Gilbert felt a well of emotions spring forth within him. ''This boy... I swear, being able to see lies is such an annoying racial ability... He and Grand Guildmaster Sarah would get along well, I feel. With views like that, at least.'' He crouched down and hugged Lone. Patting him on the back softly he said, "Oppression is impossible to fight against without a sufficiently loud voice or a fist that holds enough strength. I am deeply sorry for failing you as I have. When the day comes that you do come for your revenge, I will help you, but please, Son, don''t let your anger consume you. You''re better than that." ''This mess is of my own creation, Gilbert. The way this kingdom works only made it easier for me to fuck up. You aren''t at fault... Damn... I don''t deserve this much kindness...'' Lone couldn''t find the strength to voice those thoughts. Instead, he simply returned the hug and said, "Thanks, Gilbert." B1: Chapter 95: Angers Boil and balloons Pop "It''s time," the loud voice of the guide yelled at Lone from the other side of the waiting room. Gilbert had returned to the grandstands after his rather emotional chat with Lone, leaving the foxkin to meditate on his own. Nodding slowly, Lone got up. He stretched lightly and checked his status as he walked towards the room''s exit - the one that led to the colosseum''s arena.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 139
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 32,350/32,350 SP: 31,595/37,620
MP: 38,460/38,460
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,413 Vigour: 3,235
Dexterity: 2,082 Agility: 2,399
Vitality: 3,762 Luck: 121
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 3,846
''Considering what I lost using Pierce and Momentum Shift against the prince, I only gained 50 SP, right? 10-minutes of meditation, huh?'' Lone sighed very faintly. "Who''s my opponent?" he asked the guide. "Huh? Of course it''s the hero," the guide said with disdain in his tone. "You''re lucky to have a chance to fight him. Right now you should be feeding worms for what you did to the crown prince, not wondering who you''re gonna be fighting." "Right, of course," Lone answered very unenthusiastically. ''He just had to win his fight, didn''t he? Well, now I need to lose to him without dying if that''s possible. I don''t even know if the king will keep up his end of the bargain. Will he really stop the match once it''s clear that the scumbag pedo has won?'' Lone wasn''t sure but he could only hope. Before long he was stood on the magnificent stage once more and across the way was the well-dressed and armed but decisively less healthy-looking Daisuke Tamiko. Lone couldn''t help a grin from surfacing on his face. ''Haha, look at him. Fuckin'' king must''ve been way more pissed off than he seemed when the fuckin'' idiot used so many ruby-gold coins. Seeing him like this makes it all worth it... Well, not really considering my situation, but it sure is satisfying.'' Daisuke frowned as he juggled an ornate dagger from one hand to the other. "What are you laughing at?" ''I''m grinning, not laughing,'' Lone retorted privately. "Nothing. I''m just taking in the atmosphere. We''re in a grand tournament being watched by all of the influential persons of Milindo and even a few foreign nobles. What''s there not to smile about?" Daisuke narrowed his eyes, practically closing them given his Asian heritage. "Whatever. I may not be technically allowed to kill you today but I sure as hell can cripple you. However, you''d best watch yourself the second this tournament is over." Lone took a double-take in shock. ''Is this guy serious? How dumb can you get? What sort of idiot just tells their target that they''re going to try to kill them once the important eyes aren''t watching anymore? Well, not that it matters since I''m out of this shithole the second I can sneak into an alley and teleport away with Soph, Kyuubi and Breena after this farce ends, but really... Does he have a low IQ or something?'' "Fighting in the finals today we have the royal hero, Daisuke Tamiko of Earth himself! He is hailed far and wide as magnanimous, sharp, charming and above all else, talented!" the announced proclaimed. ''Hah! I bet Gilbert''s lie detector is going wild right now,'' Lone chuckled. "Without any further ado, you may begin the final battle of this years fighting tourney!" the announcer yelled as the crowd made noise alongside him. ''What? I don''t get an intro? I know I fucked up the prince but you could at least pretend that I exist... Sheesh,'' Lone thought as he readied his new swordspear. His other one had been too badly damaged by all of the auras at the end of his fight with the crown prince. Thankfully, he had plenty of spares in his Dimensional Storage even if he couldn''t use his MP to create a new one right now. ''Okay, so the plan here is to dodge a bunch, maybe hit him once or twice then let him stab me a lot. So long as I stop suppressing my passive healing when appropriate, I won''t die. I can''t boost it right now but it''s a high enough level to fix up some simple stab wounds, I should think,'' Lone thought. He focused and looked at where Daisuke was stood only to see him instantly move like lightning. Lone then felt a stinging from his abdomen. Grinning as he twisted the dagger into Lone''s gut, Daisuke said, "What''s with the shock? Didn''t you know that I can apply my Agility? Good luck keeping up with me, little fox. And try not to bleed out, hmm? As much as I want to kill you, I don''t want to get slaughtered by that scary guildmaster of yours, or even worse, by the king." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''... Okay, a lot of simple stab wounds then,'' Lone corrected himself as he quickly pushed himself away from Daisuke, resulting in a long trail of blood pouring out of him and staining the arena floor. The crowd yelled and cheered as a result of seeing Lone get injured so viciously on just the first exchange. Lone let Basic Regeneration do its thing and he made sure not to stay still for too long before he once again suppressed the skill, leaving his belly with only a long red scar that looked deep, but actually wasn''t that serious anymore. ''This is gonna be a fuckin'' pain of a battle,'' Lone thought to himself.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
''One level up in a single skill in exchange for getting stabbed about 40 times?'' Lone would have laughed if he wasn''t in the middle of dodging Daisuke''s 3rd attempt to stab one of his eyes out. ''Christ, I know you''re getting pissed off that I haven''t collapsed yet but it''s hardly my fault. I still have over half of my HP left. Honestly, Daisuke, you''re at fault here for being so weak even if you can apply your Agility,'' Lone teased mentally to help distract himself from the pain. Granted, all of his injuries had been sealed up just enough to stop him from bleeding out but having so many small wounds hurt like something fierce. ''Such a shame it''s not enough to level up Physical Pain Resistance. It''s like having all of your teeth ache but not quite like being hit by a train and not instantly dying,'' Lone thought. "Stop moving so much! Are you a fox or a fucking rabbit?!" Daisuke yelled, all care for appearances in front of the crowd long since gone at this point. Lone gave him a short smile as he narrowly avoided being skewered but still had some of the skin from his arm sliced off. "I don''t really care what you call me, ''Mister Hero''. Well, just so long as you don''t call me a child-rapist. That title belongs to you. It''d be rude of me to steal from you, now wouldn''t it?" That didn''t exactly please Daisuke. "Haste!" ''Ah, shit. He actually knows some skills? I thought he could only run quick- Fuck me he''s driving that dagger in deep!'' Lone exclaimed internally as he coughed up a bit of blood, staining Daisuke''s face. The Japanese hero smirked as he withdrew the blade and plunged it into Lone''s body once again. "Y''know, once I''ve killed you I have some plans..." "Oh yeah?" Lone responded as he leaned back and then punched Daisuke right in the face, breaking his nose and forcing him to let him go. "Do tell."
The host has developed the passive skill: Unarmed Combat Mastery.
''Shocking that I don''t have that already after almost a year of being on this planet,'' Lone thought as he once again stopped blocking his Basic Regeneration around his new wounds to allow it heal to a sufficient degree. "You''re not gonna like my plans, Slave," Daisuke said softly so that only Lone could hear him. "Speaking of slaves, that''s what I''ll make her. That noble girl who owns you? I wonder how a collar would look wrapped around her thin little neck..." All sense of amusement left Lone. His face took on a serious expression as he replied, "You''d need to do that, wouldn''t you? Enslave her. That''s the only chance you have of ever getting with anyone even moderately attractive. I mean, your face is just as hideous as your personality. Sorry about the nose. I think I made your... issue worse." The black orb in his pocket thrummed in pleasure to the beat of Lone''s anger. Also unbeknownst to him, the sphere was starting to gain a few small cracks, more of which were being created as his emotions grew more heated. Daisuke slowly began walking towards the prepared Lone as he said, "If you think I''m ugly just wait until you see what I''ll do to that little whore. Well, you won''t be able to since you''ll, y''know, not exactly be around..." "You''re starting to really annoy me," Lone said in a very low tone. More and more cracks spread along the surface of the orb hidden in his pocket. "Oh, really?" Daisuke asked, sarcasm overflowing from his voice. "Funny thing is you call me a child rapist but I''ve never once done it without consent, y''know? Well, not that slaves can willingly deny any advances from their master, hah. As for that noble bitch of yours... I have other plans." "Are you going to attack me or just keep talking?" Lone asked, irritation clear in his body language. ''If he keeps talking I''m gonna skewer him on my tails and rip his fuckin'' tongue out, the disgusting bastard.'' "Y''know, those 3 girls had a lot of life in them when I first bought them... What did they use to say again? ''No, Daisuke-sama, it hurts! Slower! I miss my family! Please don''t hit me, I''ll do whatever you want!'' Hahaha! I''m looking forward to seeing how that blonde midget will beg as well..." He licked his lips as his body shivered slightly. "Fuck, just thinking about it is making me hard. I''m going to hurt her so much that the only thing she''ll be able to even dream of is sexually pleasing me so that I leave her alone..." Lone felt his entire soul shake in fury. Even imagining the picture Daisuke was painting made him sick to his core. Even if he knew it was impossible for Daisuke to do the things he was saying Lone couldn''t help but feel the force of an erupting volcano consume him as a single thought overtook his mind. ''He needs to die! He needs to die! He needs to die!'' And in response, like a balloon meeting a needle, the abyss-like orb in his pocket... popped. Shattering into a million pieces it changed form into a fog of deep black that quickly wrapped around Lone''s entire body. "W-What the..." Daisuke jumped back. "Magic?" was his only thought. Almost no one had any idea what was going on. Almost no one. Gilbert''s face paled as he stood up, wide-eyed and stared at Lone. "He''s awakening but... something''s wrong. What Primal does that essence belong to? I''ve never seen anything like it before and why is there simply so much of it? What caused such a strong emotional reaction for the boy to awaken? What the hero said? Damn it! Why is the announcer so loud and why was the hero talking so quietly?! If I knew what he said I could make some guesses!" Without warning the black fog surrounding Lone receded deeply into his body and there were some very clear physical changes to it. All of his hair and fur had turned pitch black and his skin seemed slightly paler than normal. With his eyes closed, he leaned his head back and took a deep breath in. "Ahhh... Freedom feels sooooo good after such a loooong time... ''He needs to die'', was it?" Lone opened his eyes to show a pair of pitch-black irises and his mouth opened into a wide grin when he lowered his head to stare at Daisuke. "Easily done, my friend, easily done." Lone extended his hands and bones as black as sin grew out of them until his body was covered in his Bone Armour, only on top of its very pronounced colour change, its shape had seemingly morphed to better suit the nature of the black fog. It was now laden in spikes and sharp edges, as opposed to the usual smoothness and suit-of-armour look it normally held. Lone jumped up and down lightly, seemingly to get a feel for his body. "I wonder what you did to piss him off so much... I wasn''t expecting to break free for another 1 or 200,000-years. Oh well, not that I''m really complaining. An order''s an order, right?" The sound of stone being crushed filled the stadium as Lone kicked off the ground, completely destroying the section of the stage he was previously stood on. The next thing everyone saw and heard was Daisuke being slammed into the wall of the colosseum''s arena face first as one of Lone''s heavily armoured hands could be seen holding the back of his head. "Might as well have a bit of fun while we''re here, eh?" B1: Chapter 96: Blue Orb and Losing Ones Mind Far, far away from the small and mildly isolated kingdom of Milindo, in a desolate abandoned ruin that somewhat resembled a temple nestled away in the depths of a forgotten forest of 300-meter tall trees, energy stirred. In this forgotten recess of Altros something was happening, something both extremely unique and something incredibly odd. Cloud-resembling runes which covered the temple''s crumbling walls were spurred to life as a sky-blue essence seeped out of them and began coalescing towards the centre of the ruined temple''s central shrine. Several minutes passed before it seemed like whatever power the runic clouds contained had all been drained. Atop the central shrine of the temple now floated a bright ball of light sky-blue energy. This ball expanded and contracted a few times before a voice as old as time spoke. "The moment to perform my duty has finally come... The wait was as long as you proclaimed it would be, My Lord..." The ball of energy seemed eager to do as it had seemingly been instructed to so many, many years ago. Without any further delay, faster than any mortal eyes would have ever been able to perceive, the sphere of power rushed out of the temple and began flying across the continent. Its destination was unknown to it but it knew only that it must go west. Far, far west...
"What do you think you are doing?!" Duke Malik yelled down at the arena, specifically at Lone. "You are reported as not being able to use magic! Illegal use of magic of any kind is a capital offence without first having a permit from the crown, adventurer or not!" Lone - still holding the back of Daisuke''s head - turned to look at the furious SS-ranker. "A weakling dares speak to me like that? My avatar may only be an E-ranker, but that''s more than enough strength to deal with such an insignificant pebble as yourself. Be silent before I remove your mouth from your face, yes?" Up in the grandstands Gilbert''s face paled. "Avatar? No... That can''t be possible... The compatibility needed for that is simply impossible for him needless to say his rank is too low... But all of his hair and fur changing colour... Can he really have been chosen to become the avatar of a Primal? But which Primal is that? Black isn''t a colour of one of the 8!" Lone whipped his head around to smile at the distant Gilbert. "8, huh? Can''t control me so you choose to write me out of history? Foolish Ancient wench." "If you do not stop what you are doing this very instant, Beast," Duke Malik yelled as he pulled out his wand resulting in green lightning coiling around both it and the arm holding it, "then I shall kill you where you stand for high treason!" he finished. Lone rolled his eyes. "Like to be theatrical, do you? Well then, how''s this for high treason?" Lone moved his free hand to point at Duke Malik. With his armoured index finger fully extended, he drew a circle in the air where the duke''s mouth was in his line of sight. "Perfect," Lone cackled upon noticing he''d been successful. Duke Malik tried to shout out once more only to realise in horror that he couldn''t voice any of his thoughts. ''Some sort of magic to silence someone?! I certainly have no resistance to such a thing since it''s so rare. This is crippling to a mage like me! I can''t quick-cast anymore!'' "D-Daddy..." Emma Malik who was sat at his side nervously watching the going-ons of the arena was now trembling in fear as she pointed at her father''s mouth. ''What? Is there something wrong with my face?'' He brought a hand up to his mouth and nose just to check but he instantly recoiled when he felt his fingers go through his own face. Suddenly, his hand stung. Bringing it up to eye-level he paled upon seeing that all of his fingers had been cleanly cut as if something had simply sent then to another dimension. "Hahahaha!" Lone belted from below. "Never gets old. C''mon, is the Void really that scary? Sure, you don''t have the prettiest of mouths now but at least it''s unique! Hahaha! I thought I''d need a few more seconds to do that to you given the rank difference but I guess even several hundred-thousand years can''t put me out of practice, eh?" Lone turned away from the panicking duke who now had a black and lifeless hole for a set of lips and he instead returned his attention to Daisuke who was struggling his best to free his head from the vice-like grip holding him in place. "Well, unlike some of my ''family members'' I''m actually not that gruesome, though they''d have you believe otherwise," Lone said with a short cackle as he tightened his grip on Daisuke''s scalp, forcing his bone armour gauntlet''s fingertips to pierce his skin and start scraping against his skull. "I''m so much more methodical than them. It''s what led to me being the black sheep, so to speak, haha. Oh, listen to me bleating on and on. You don''t care. Well, to work then, yes?" Lone asked as a wicked grin consumed his face under his helmet of black bones. "M-Mercy... P-Please let me g-go..." Daisuke stuttered to the best of his ability. Lone shook his head softly. "Sorry, buddy. A shitty unique skill like that won''t work on me. You really didn''t win the lottery on that one, did you? I mean, people can do waaaay better with just a few well-levelled social skills, haha." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. All hope escaped Daisuke''s body upon hearing that. If even his trump card of a unique skill didn''t work then all he could rely on was the king at this point. Lone, on the other hand, couldn''t care less about Daisuke''s thoughts or worries. "A little Void essence right into the cerebrum, a splash of evil into the cerebellum... And just for good measure, a bit of accumulated rage right into the entire systema nervosum. Ah, lovely. I do excellent work if I do say so myself, hahaha!" Lone laughed as he let go of the now lifeless yet still breathing husk of a man that was trying to kill him only minutes ago. The king could watch no more of this farce. He was wary, of course, especially after seeing what had happened to his kingdom''s strongest mage, Henry of House Malik, but he would not allow a mere beastkin to act so arrogantly and so blatantly disrespectfully towards his kingdom''s hero! A fool Tamiko Daisuke may be, but the king''s fool he was. "Foul beast, whatever you have done to that boy, undo it. Do not test us. You and your guildmaster may think us afraid of Divine Persistence but there are worse fates than death, and watching this insult to our glorious name during such a festive event while simply doing nothing is one such fate!" "Undo it?" Lone looked down at Daisuke and then held the bottom of his black bone helmet with his hand ponderously. "I''m a generous being, so sure." With a wave of his hand, Daisuke exploded into innumerable chunks of flesh and blood that scattered to all of the corners of the colosseum. "Ah!" Lone exclaimed in realisation. "I forgot that removing Void Essence from, well, anything, destroys it. Oh well, I did do as you asked, hahaha!" He took in a deep breath and said ecstatically, "Well, with this little order fulfilled, I think I''ve earned a little reward, no? I mean just look at all of these materials waiting to be turned into juicy Void essence! So many fleshy... warm... living materials..." Gilbert''s face was almost as white as his hair and dragon tail at this point. ''This is bad. I need to stop him! I don''t know what''s going on but it''s clear as day that his awakening has somehow warped his mind! He may even be possessed for all I know! No matter how strong he is right now his body can''t endure such tremendous power, surely. It''s only a matter of time before he self-destructs!'' Gilbert had made up his mind. Even at the risk of his own life he''d try his best to save Lone from both himself and the nobles and royals he''d antagonised beyond redemption. He felt he owed the boy at least that much after what he had been through. ''He''s a moronic foxkin but Primals damn it, he''s my moronic foxkin! He''s basically my son at this point! I''ll be bloody damned before I let him kill himself or get murdered by these foolish aristocrats!'' However, just as Gilbert was about to jump down into the arena, a blindingly bright blue ball of light slammed down into the centre of the colosseum. Gilbert was barely able to see this ball of light enter Lone''s body before his vision was filled with nothing but sky-blue and void-black rays of light that seemed to be fighting each other. ''Forget about seeing anything, I can barely move... This energy is so thick... I''ve never felt anything like it before... Could it be... But that Primal hasn''t blessed any beastkin with its awakening in a million years if the myths are to be believed!'' Gilbert was annoyed to no end that he couldn''t do anything for Lone right now. Whatever battle was being fought, it was one that no one could interfere with.
Slowly opening his eyes Lone was confused to be greeted with the sight of a sea of black waves clashing harshly against a torrent of blue rays of light. "What the hell?" he mumbled. He moved his arms to stretch since he felt extremely lethargic and it was only then that he noticed that he was entirely naked and floating in the middle of what seemed to be space. "Okaaaay...." He, quite frankly, had no idea what was going on. "You cannot best me, Void! Behave or risk annihilation!" a powerful voice boomed from the side of the blue light rays. The black waves rolled as if they were laughing. "Combined you 8 couldn''t erase me! Trapping me with you all in this pitiful form was the best you could do! You''ve never interfered when I''ve chosen other avatars, so why now, Sky?! Why now?!" ''... What the fuck?'' Lone never thought he''d see some water and some light arguing with one another but here he was. ''What the hell happened? Just a second ago I was getting pissed off at that scumbag pedo rapist and now I''m, what, in limbo with some weird shit going on?'' "Your mistake, Void, was choosing this very soul to inhabit! Here you have no power! I am your equal in this place! As time flows onward more of my brothers and sisters will join and your end will only be but an eventuality!" the being whom the black waves had called ''Sky'' claimed with confident elation. "''Choosing''? You think I had a choice in this?! After I was trapped in a fucking ball for over 400,000-years I was happy to make a fucking goblin my avatar! This guy was kind enough to release me from that fate and to not deny my consumption of his anger and rage! I was doing him a favour. Ask him yourself. The kid has no love for the ant I squashed and he wouldn''t have cared if I had some more fun either!" the one seemingly known as ''Void'' yelled back. Lone held his chin as he worked over the information he''d been given. ''Okay, so, the black waves are, what, some sort of really old being that was trapped in my black sphere? I did wonder why it calmed me down... So it was consuming my anger, huh? Sophie was right. That thing was bad news... I should''ve listened to her... I wonder what it means by ''ant I squashed'' though? Daisuke, maybe? Oh, God, I hope so.'' His eyes shifted to the blue rays of light. ''Sky... Sky... Sky... Isn''t that a Primal''s name? One of the few ones that don''t hand out awakenings to beastkin anymore? Who were the others that didn''t do that too? Radiance and... was it Life? Though those two are recent if my information is correct, Sky hasn''t awakened a beastkin in ages...'' Lone didn''t really know much about the Primals beyond what the Church of the Primals publicly taught. The local library didn''t seem to like the topic much since the Primals had deep ties to beastkin but still, he knew enough. To his knowledge there were 8 Primals in total; Land, Sky, Darkness, Radiance, Death, Life, Illusionary and lastly, Reality. ''... Are those blue rays of light legitimately a Primal? So, like, a god? In the flesh? If so then what the fuck is Void? Have I stumbled across a religion-shaking discovery or am I just going nuts or something?'' Lone thought. "I care not for your complaints! You will not control this mortal!" Sky proclaimed. The brightness of the light rays that made up the apparent Primal''s body grew and expanded seemingly infinitely, wrapping around the pitch-black waves which struggled to no end. "Exchanging one prison for another, am I?!" Void screamed in defiance but there was a layer of resignation in its tone. "You had best be a fitting warden, Sky! If not I fear for the safety of your precious mortal!" Lone watched in awe as both forces of energy shrunk until they were no larger than a bean. They then flew straight into Lone''s chest and disappeared, leaving him in this peculiar space. ''Yup. Definitely going nuts...'' he concluded as he felt his consciousness drift off. B1: Chapter 97: Tongue and Cheek "Wakey-wakey," was all Lone heard before he felt an intense stinging coming from his left cheek. Slowly peeling his eyes open he looked around in confusion. ''Dark... Damp... This guy in front me looks like... a soldier? No, not a soldier... a guard, knight? Jailor, maybe? This is the second time I''ve woken up with my limbs chained to a wall. Well, could be worse. I could be dead. I could also be in a sex dungeon...'' It took a second or two but some pain from his 9 fluffy limbs informed him that they''d been staked into the floor. From what he could feel, Lone guessed each tail had 4 metal rods or nails or whatever else in them, keeping them affixed to the disgusting ground. Lone winced slightly. ''No way those don''t get infected. Well, finger''s crossed I get Infection Resistance, Disease Resistance or both... Now, to break the ice with my cellmate...'' "Strange question but this isn''t a sex dungeon, is it?" Lone asked his presumed jailor. That only earned him another powerful slap, only this time, on the right cheek. "Speak when ordered. If you talk again without being prompted, I''ll cut out your tongue." "It''ll grow back," Lone said with a smile. ''If what that Void thing said was in relation to Daisuke, then that means the hero''s dead but somehow I''m still alive. That means Milindo can''t kill me. I doubt they literally can''t kill me but I should have some sort of political immunity, right? I bet I have Gilbert to thank for that... I need answers. Answers and skill level-ups.'' "Yes, it will. We know all about your little regenerative ability. Whether that''s something unique to Golden Foxkin or something to do with your awakenings, it doesn''t matter. Who cares if it comes back?" The man said before he uppercut Lone, dislocating his jaw from the force of the impact. He then reached into Lone''s mouth and pulled out his tongue. "I did warn you." With a swift motion, he grabbed the knife at his hip with his free hand and sliced Lone''s tongue off. Lone grunted loudly as he tried to scream. He hadn''t expected such fierce pain. It was almost as if someone had taken a branding iron to his mouth and pushed it down his throat. Lone had been cut, sliced, skewered and electrified more times than he could recall but this was the first time a part of his body had ever been so cleanly removed. Granted, when he''d fought the Blue Orc Chieftain practically half of his body was severed and that had led to Gilbert being forced to use his nature magic skill, Root of Life, just to keep him from dying. This pain, however, it was new and it was strong. It made no sense to Lone. ''Fuck it''s hard to even think! How can having your tongue cut off hurt so much?!'' He was given a swift answer by a blue box.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
''Poison? Fuck me. Must be a strong poison to still be this potent even after my skill has reduced its effectiveness by 60%... Shame the 10% to ignore it didn''t trigger and I''d love it if the 5% chance to gain immunity would pop anytime soon, though I guess I''d have to be given another dose for another roll of the dice...'' Lone thought as he tried his best to endure the pain as his tongue and broken jaw began to slowly heal on their own.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
"Not trying to frantically rip yourself free from your chains, are you? Well, that confirms you have Poison Resistance, even together Physical Pain and Torture Resistance wouldn''t let you stay so silent. I wonder how you got such a skill... When your tongue is back, explain," the guard demanded as he walked over to a chair in the corner of Lone''s cell and placed himself on it. Lone couldn''t see his face due to his helmet but he hoped the guy was frowning and cursing his poor luck for having to listen to the grotesque sounds Lone''s Basic Regeneration produced. It took a good 10-minutes but finally, Lone''s tongue was back to normal. He sniffed powerfully then hacked up a massive globule of mostly-black blood. "Poison Resistance, right?" Lone asked after he was done. The guard nodded. "Yes. Explain. Such a skill is incredibly hard to obtain. Are you a foreign spy? Feel free to lie, by the way. The bureaucratic process of you even getting a trial let alone being freed will take a very, very, very long time, regardless of the wishes of The Adventurer''s Guild. I have all the time in the world to get the truth out of you." Lone smiled. "Well, honestly, I got it from your mother. Just listening to her venomous words was enough for me to develop the resistance. Funny how that works, huh? She did have the tongue of a snake though, so it does make some sen- Arghhh!" He started screaming because the guard had gotten up, kicked him in the face then stabbed him in the chest with that poison-laced dagger of his.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Poison Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 6.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Lone said, "Touch on a nerve did I? I was just bullshitting, in truth, but if she''s actually like that... It would explain why you grew up to be such a piece of work." "Funny," the guard responded as he forced his hand into Lone''s mouth once more. "Again, I must stress that I did warn you," he said before cutting off Lone''s tongue once more. ''... This is gonna be tough... C''mon Lone, look on the bright side. You got the shit beat out of you daily as a kid so this isn''t much worse, right? Well, minus the fatal injuries and poison and the torturous nature of it all... At least I get stronger the more I antagonise him...'' Lone thought. ''With Gilbert on my side then it will only be a matter of time until I''m released or broken out or something. Stay strong, Lone.'' This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Lone had no idea how much time had passed but eventually, the guard left the cell and put out all of the torches, leaving Lone with only the darkness. He could see a very faint amount of light coming from around the corner of the hall his cell was on, but it was too dim to really be called actually light. "Maybe now''s a good time to check my old notifs..." Lone muttered, his voice lacking some of the pep it had only what felt like a few hours ago.
Congratulations! The host has awakened to the Primal, Void. Warning: Awakening nullifies the host''s passive ability to avoid the ageing process.
Congratulations! The host has been chosen by the Primal, Void, to be its avatar! Warning: The host may lose their sense of self and be possessed by the Primal, Void, during the assimilation process of becoming Void''s avatar.
"Lovely... So Void is a Primal then... I wonder why it isn''t recorded in history or religion like the other 8? Also, do I need to worry about ageing now? Probably not. Basic Regen should have me covered," Lone said to himself as he checked the next set of notifications.
Congratulations! The host has awakened to the Primal, Sky. Warning: Awakening twice triples the speed of the ageing process.
Congratulations! The host has been chosen by the Primal, Sky, to be its avatar! Warning: The host may lose their sense of self and be possessed by the Primal, Sky, during the assimilation process of becoming Sky''s avatar.
"Figured as much," Lone said softly as he squinted his eyes. Being surrounded by darkness as he read the bright screens of the system wasn''t great for his vision, he was sure. "Triple ageing speed... I hope Basic Regene can offset that... I''d rather not grow old and see Soph and Sophie stay young. Well, that is if we can get her Immortality unsealed..."
The host has developed the Primal skill: Nothing Vortex.
The host has developed the Primal skill: Ungrounded.
"Oh, joy. Things I likely can''t use." Lone considering stopping there but he decided against it and instead chose to see the full information of these two new Primal skills.
Primal Skill: Nothing Vortex
A skill granted to the avatar of Void. Grants the host the ability to summon vortexes made entirely out of Void essence. Limit of 2 vortexes at once.
Cost: 100,000 MP per vortex per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Ha... Haha... Hahaha! What a fuckin'' useless skill!" Lone laughed with all of his might and he felt his spirits lift as he mocked the power he had been given by one of this world''s supposed gods. "Useless garbage. 100-K every fuckin'' second? It must be the strongest skill in existence then at that cost, hahaha!" Lone was happy. ''I was worried I might lose my mind if torture was what I''d be getting for days - maybe weeks - on end... but thinking about this stupid skill makes me feel nothing except joy.'' Lone wished he could move his arms or even just his tails so he could wipe the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Goes to show that these Primals are fuckin'' weaklings compared to whatever the fuck it was that brought Soph and me here. Primal skills? More like extremely pitiful unique skills, haha," Lone sighed with a smile on his lips. "Well, may as well check to see how the second one will disappoint me."
Primal Skill: Ungrounded
A skill granted to the avatar of Sky. Grants the host the ability to walk on any substance as if it were land.
Cost: 1,000 SP per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Heh, not as pointless but still kinda lame. At least it''s trainable. Maybe it gets better at higher ranks," Lone thought out loud. With that out of the way, he glanced at his final notification with shaky eyes.
The host has developed the passive skill: Torture Resistance.
It was not a skill he had ever wanted to know even existed, let alone earn yet here it was in his possession. "May as well see if it differs from the other resistance skills... I have nothing else better to do right now than check it..."
Passive Skill: Torture Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the mental pressures of being tortured. When tortured, the host''s natural willpower and tenacity are boosted by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 7
"It''s worded a bit differently but it''s basically the same as the others. Torture will be less effective against me. Nice to know. Still doubt I won''t go nuts if I''m in here for too long," Lone muttered to himself. He tried his best to shuffle around but to no avail. "I should have invested in some escape-oriented skills. Oh well. I have a handful of ideas... Last of which is involving Soph. The risk of her getting killed in a single attack is too high... If everything else fails, I need to wait for Gilbert to pull through. I can''t lose Soph or Sophie..." Lone prayed to whoever was listening that Gilbert was working his hardest to help Lone out. Without him, he truly would be bereft of hope.
"It''s getting hard," Sophie muttered as she lay amongst several cushions in The Summoning Room with Kyuubi resting atop her chest. For the past 12-hours, she had been working as hard as she could to suppress Soph, forcing her more docile side to sleep within their shared mind. It was clear to her that the girl would immediately try to contact Lone via The Summoning Room''s telepathy and demand he allowed her to teleport him to safety. Sophie knew better, though. While she couldn''t hear him from the large display screen in The Summoning Room, she could certainly see him. After being tortured for so long and still having not tried to contact her or Soph was telling enough. It was clear to Sophie that Lone had no intentions to potentially put herself or Soph in danger. "He''s such an idiot..." Sophie thought aloud as she ran her fingers through Kyuubi''s soft golden fur. ''If only he had listened to our warnings in regards to that evil orb... Satisfying as it was to see the hero explode, it has helped us none.'' She sighed and reached over to grab a cookie. Eating the delicious treat and then licking her lips, she made a decision. Sophie carefully picked up Kyuubi and placed her on a cushion before she got up and grabbed her shortswords. "All we can do as we keep Soph silent is train, we suppose... Just because Lone is a fool that does not mean that we also need become one," Sophie said to herself before she smiled faintly. "What an idiot... He''s even got us talking to ourself as he does... Really... What an idiot..." B1: Chapter 98: Royal Audience and Heavy "Sir?" the guild receptionist Charles questioned in confusion as he looked up from his hand to Guildmaster Gilbert. Sat atop the SS-rankers palm was a golden seal. Specifically, it was the provisional guildmaster''s seal. Not only was this item rarely seen but it was even less common for it to actually be given to someone. It took a very certain set of circumstances for a guildmaster to see it fit to bequeath this item to one of their employees. "If I do anything stupid in the new few weeks, Charles, or if, Primals forbid, I get assassinated or even killed openly in cold blood, you''re in charge of the guild here. If any of that happens, you''re to recall all Milindonian branches'' employees and adventurers here and then activate the runic protective enchantments, okay?" Charles wore a troubled look. "Sir... Are you planning something in regards to Lone? I know he was like a son to you, but help is on the way. You made sure of that yourself, did you not? We need only wait. This is a bit... extreme." Gilbert smiled wryly. "The king finally agreed to meet me today to discuss the boy''s imprisonment. I have a stinking suspicion that he won''t give a damn about what I have to say. This is just in case I lose my temper and that fool, Ralph, does the same. It never hurts to be overprepared, now does it?" Charles frowned but he ultimately nodded. "Though reluctantly, I will accept this responsibility, Guildmaster." "Haha, attaboy, Charles. Wish me luck in my meeting, would you?" the White Dragonkin requested with a sheepish grin. "Ha-ah... Good luck, Guildmaster Gilbert. Please don''t ruin the future of the guild here. As much as a promotion is tempting to me, I''d rather keep my current position if the better paying one comes with a swift end at the hand of some very upset nobles," Charles sighed. "Haha, I''ll try, my boy, I''ll try," Gilbert laughed.
"Guildmaster Gilbert Elksworth, His Majesty will see you now," a servant of the castle said. Gilbert furrowed his brows. ''He dares to accept my request to talk yet he still makes me wait for 2-full-hours in this cramped room before seeing me? Is that the tone you wish to set for this meeting, Ralph? Really?'' He stood up and stroked his goatee. "Lead the way." "Very well," the servant accented before bowing lightly then he led Gilbert out of the room. It took them over 10-minutes of walking before they had reached the throne room, so far away was the unused waiting room Gilbert had been left in. ''... I remember when I first set foot in this hall... How odd. I recall how tense I felt when I was showing Ralph the offer from the guild so we could establish here... Why does this room seem so much less impressive than it did a century ago?'' Gilbert wondered as he approached the foot of the steps that led to the grand golden throne of Milindo. He got down on one knee and said, "Guildmaster Gilbert Elskworth of the Ranton branch of The Adventurer''s Guild and the leader of all guildhalls in Milindo greets His Royal Majesty, Ralph of house Heidron, King of Milindo." "Manners? From you? One who raises feral animals that strike out violently at our child and our hero? The mentor and guide of a cold-blooded murderer? How amusing," King Heidron remarked in sarcasm. Gilbert slowly stood. "I see. Straight to business, is it? Very well. Your Majesty, you know perfectly well that the adventurer Lone Immortus has done no wrong. Your imprisonment of him is unjust and goes against the treaty both you and I signed so many years ago." The surrounding ministers whispered as they mocked Gilbert for his lack of respect and for his arrogant words. "He crippled our son. The rules of the tournament were clear, Dragonkin," the king coldly stated as he stared down from his raised throne. "Dragonkin? Is this the game we are playing?" Gilbert asked only to met with silence. "Fine. Human, is your spawn capable of being healed with magic?" King Ralph very much so did not like Gilbert''s tone nor words. Not one bit. "That is irrelevant. If you have come here only to petition for the fox''s release, know that it is a foolish and pointless endeavour. Our kingdom''s laws are not so easily bent or broken." "Except when you or your nobles are the ones doing the bending and breaking," Gilbert replied harshly. "The crown prince can be healed! He was not permanently injured. Granted, restoring limbs is no easy feat but you still possess the original ones. It is merely a matter of money." ''I wonder if what Lone said and did yesterday is affecting me? I would never be so defiant before. Ah, but that is why this situation has come about... What a time to learn that being proactive is better than being reactive, even if at the risk of my own well-being...'' Gilbert lamented. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "I acknowledge that Lone was in the wrong. He even stole the crown prince''s sword. I assume you''ve recovered it since but regardless, the guild will compensate you for the damages. We will even pay for the crown prince''s healing." Gilbert wished he didn''t have to do even this much, but he was a sensible man. "However! The hero was killed as a byproduct of his own making! He antagonised Lone to the point where he lost control of his emotions. It would take an incompetent man in your position to not know that when a beastkin awakens they have a chance to lose their sense of self for a differing amount of time depending on the strength of the awakening!" He would not let Lone fall for something that he wasn''t responsible for. King Ralph chuckled. "We know not if you have a skill of the persuasive nature, but that was a very moving speech. Sadly, our mind has been made up. The fox will remain our prisoner until we see fit to release him. It is true that we cannot kill him, however. After all, we do not wish for our Milindo to cease existing." Gilbert resisted the urge to punch something or someone very hard. "Allow me to see him once every day. Five minutes is all I ask." "No. You may see him, yes. Once, and only once. He is a prisoner, not a friendly neighbour you can visit as you see fit." The king waved his wrist to call over a royal guard. "Lead the dragonkin here to the prisoner. Five minutes, no more, no less." "As you will it, it shall be so, Your Majesty!" the well-armoured knight responded as he stood at attention. "We are done. Leave our throne room," King Ralph demanded calmly. "... Very well, but let me give you some advice, Ralph. If you have thoughts of secretly killing him, end such foolish ideas now. High-ranking adventurers far more powerful than I will be coming to take him from Milindo. If he dies by your kingdom''s hands not only will you be declaring war on The Adventurer''s Guild, but on all of the beastkin species as well. You underestimate the significance of a nine-traited beastkin, old friend." With that, Gilbert spun on his heels and left the room with the royal guard quickly following suit. Ralph of house Heidron, King of Milindo, tapped an index finger against the cold metal of his throne''s armrest. "To think he would speak to us so disrespectfully..." "Your majesty!" Milindo''s First Minister called with indignation. "We simply cannot allow such arrogance from what amounts to no more than a clothed beast!" "What would you have us do?" King Ralph questioned with a sarcastic undertone. "Strength rules all. As much as it behoves us, we must admit we - even as a collective - are nothing but a pebble to an organisation of the guild''s scale." Dark and ugly expressions clouded the faces of the gathered ministers and nobles. "We have no choice. We can only hold the fox for as long as possible. At the very least, until we can retrieve our child''s blade and cure Duke Malik of his... affliction." "Hold that thought," an amused voice said as the door to the throne room swung open. Walking in with abundant confidence was an old man wearing nothing more than a simple robe. His hands were lazily held by his side and a toothy grin was spread across his wrinkled face. The old man clicked his fingers and then said, "I have a solution or two for your... problems, haha."
"Uncle Grim," Shana called in concern. She''d just returned to her and her uncle''s room in the guild only to find Grimsley packing up his tools, his clothes and even her things too. The bearded dwarf ignored her as he continued putting her clothes into a spatial pouch. Where he''d gotten such a valuable thing, she had no idea. "Uncle Grim!" Shana yelled this time. Again, she was ignored. Now she was getting irritated. Walking right up to Grimsley Shana grabbed his beard and yanked it. "What are you doing, Uncle Grim?!" "What am ah doin''?! What the fook''re ye doin'', Lassie?! This fookin'' ''urts!" Grimsley yelled as he struggled to remove his niece''s hand from his facial hair without damaging any of it. "Oh, now you talk to me!" Shana let go of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why on Altros are you acting like we''re moving out, Uncle Grim?" Grimsley nursed his beard as he took a seat. "Look, Shana, this place? Milindo? It''s as volatile as a Fire Dragon''s soggy anus. ''At lad did right by ye an'' me by killin'' ''at cocksuck''r of an ''ero, but we cannae stay ''ere. Fae all we ken some indignant cunt could up an'' decide we need tae be dyin'' anaw purely on account of us naw bein'' ''uman." He leaned back into his chair and sighed. "Ah''ve decided we''re returnin'' tae oor mother strong''old, Krieg Scoold sooner rath''r than lat''r." "What?! No! What about Lone?! He''s imprisoned! We can''t just leave when he might be killed at any moment! Not after everything he''s done for us!" Shana''s outburst wasn''t unexpected for Grimsley but it still gnawed at his heart all the same. "Look, Shana, what the fook can ah dae aboot ''at?" Grimsley asked. "Ah owe the lad more than words can describe, ''ere''s no denyin'' ''at, aye, but ah''m just ah D-ranked blacksmith. Would Lone be happy tae ken ''at ah got maself killed tryin'' tae save ''im when chances are Gilbert''ll do ''at on ''is own? Ah ain''t nae politician but 9-traited beastkin are special. You should ken ''at." Shana frowned something fierce. "This kingdom is crazy, uncle, crazy! I wouldn''t put it past some stupid noble or even the king himself to kill Lone in spite for getting rid of Daisuke! He was... a monster but he was also a political tool. I don''t want my saviour to be killed for doing what was right!" "Look, first, the lad wasnae ''imself. Yer still young so ya might nae ken, but beastkin tend tae lose all reason when they awaken. Second, ''e''s a resourceful lad. If anyone can ''elp ''im escape certain death, it''s fookin'' ''imself! Third, again, I need tae point out I dinnae ''ave the means tae ''elp even if I wanted tae," Grimsley grumbled. "You saved me from Daisuke when doing so was certain death if you got caught!" Shana screamed as she started crying. "Lone pulled us out of a burning building, uncle... He even killed a noble to save us when we all got captured... Uncle Grim, he healed your and my lungs from the smoke and even removed my collar..." With tears streaming down her face Shana stared at Grimsley and begged, "Please... What kind of people would we be if we didn''t return all of his kindness?" Grimsley slowly raised one of his hands to cover his face. A long sigh sneaked through the cracks of his fingers before he responded, "The sensible kind, lassie, the sensible kind..." "Uncl-" "Ack! I fookin'' get it!" Grimsley snapped. "Yer a smart lassie an'' this is yer fookin'' idea, so think up ''ow ah can ''elp the daft fox would ya?!" A bright smile clouded Shana''s stained face as she jumped onto her uncle and hugged him. "Uncle Grim! I love you!" "Aye, aye, I love ya too, Shana..." A distant look entered the man''s eyes. "Ye''r ''eavy..." B1: Chapter 99: Eyes and Whys Lone grunted loudly when he felt his left eye being ripped out of its socket just as the right one had been only a few seconds ago. He didn''t scream anymore. He was past that but when his jailor had vicious poison lacing the tip of his gauntlet''s fingers, he found it hard to not give the man some satisfaction via grunts and soft moans of anguish. "Sir Ardus, there''s urgent news!" a voice Lone didn''t recognise yelled down the hallway of the dungeon. ''Sir Ardus? Is that my jailor''s name? Lovely. At least I know he''s a knight, likely a royal one,'' Lone thought as he felt the blood flowing down his face from the two empty eye sockets drying up as a result of the wounds beginning to heal. "What?!" the jailor yelled back. "Can''t you see I''m busy here?!" ''Busy makin'' me stronger, hahaha...'' Lone teased internally. He only spoke out of turn when he had something funny to say. As much as it was entertaining to pick on his jailor''s lacking intelligence, getting his tongue cut out and having the wound burn as if it has been thrown into the depths of hell as his eyes currently felt was a suboptimal choice right now, Lone felt. He''d been here for more days than he''d have liked but he''d yet to gain an immunity to any of the poisons used on him. Honestly, Lone was starting to think that the mixture used each time was different but even then he''d yet to receive a single notification of gaining some sort of immunity to even one of the poisons used on him, so he''d concluded that he was just an unlucky bastard. As if his current situation wasn''t telling enough of that already. "S-Sir Ardus, The guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild is being led here to speak with the prisoner. He''s been allotted 5-minutes by His Majesty to talk with him. I was told to inform you before he arrived," the voice claimed. Lone''s blood-covered and utterly filthy fox ears perked up. ''Gilbert? Well, shit. I don''t really wanna see him right now. Oh. Right. I can''t. Missing eyes and whatnot...'' He''d be lying if he said that he had no hopes of a timely escape but Lone knew that Gilbert was a sensible old man. Living for hundreds of years should do that to a person though he''d been proven wrong by Duke Malik and the king before in that regard. ''I wonder what he''ll say when he sees me... I haven''t exactly had a bath in a while. I doubt I''m presentable, haha...'' Lone chuckled faintly which earned him a slap across the face from the backside of his jailor''s gauntleted hand. Lone clenched his teeth as the lingering poison on the armour dripped across his face and melted his skin. "You be quiet." The jailor leaned back in his seat then sighed. "Fine. It was nearing lunchtime anyway. He can have his 5-minutes." Lone felt the man getting up from his chair and he then left the cell with said chair in hand. Listening to vibrations more so than sounds was quickly becoming one of Lone''s new hobbies since occasionally his ears would be severed or stuffed with liquid - usually hot oil, making hearing a bit of a challenge at times. Feeling vibrations was an easier thing to do consistently as opposed to using his ears when he had no idea if and when they''d be the jailor''s target for the hour. Not like he had many options in regards to developing new hobbies and he certainly wasn''t keen on gaining a penchant for abuse and torture so little distractions like that helped keep his mind in a safer state.
''This is my first time in the castle''s dungeons...'' Gilbert thought as he carefully examined the place. ''Of course, I''ve received reports from staff members sent to retrieve imprisoned adventurers before but it''s far more... damp than I would have expected.'' The smell of mould made his nose itch uncomfortably. ''I understand they don''t wish for their prisoners to exactly have a pleasant stay but couldn''t they at least think of the possible ramifications of a poor hygienic environment?'' Gilbert shook his head sadly. ''This is why humans are such a bother. Their racial skill lets them reproduce at insane speeds but they are too quick to ignore far-reaching consequences. This dungeon is simply a ticking time-bomb. One day, it''ll start a plague if gone untreated.'' "Guildmaster Elksworth, are you okay? Perhaps you don''t wish to use your 5-minutes right now?" the royal knight guiding him asked. "No, that''s quite alright. Don''t concern yourself with me and just bring me to his cell, would you?" Gilbert requested with a smile even though his words were pointed. "Of course, I''d be happy to," the knight replied but Gilbert''s White Dragonkin racial ability informed him that the man very much so was not happy to lead him. Gilbert had counted the cells he''d passed as they walked through the dungeon and his face was gradually getting uglier and uglier as he saw the conditions of the prisoners held here. ''52 cells thus far, of which 35 hold prisoners, 23 have been tortured severely and 12 seem to be no longer alive... What an atrocious kingdom. At least have the decency to remove the corpses. Headquarters needs to know about this. This wasn''t in any of the reports I''ve received about this place. Were my employees bribed? Maybe they were too scared to tell me the truth since we aren''t politically welcome here? Regardless, this cannot continue,'' Gilbert concluded. While he and the guild had no legal say in what kingdoms did with their prisoners, Gilbert and the guild both had certain beliefs regarding the rights of all individuals, criminals or not. Within the guild, torture was outlawed since it simply was not necessary. There were plenty of skills to persuade a person to talk instead of beating a false statement out of them. People would say anything if it meant the pain would go away, after all, lie or not, making torture a uselessly outdated negotiation method. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Of course, executions were still allowed but only in extreme cases. What was going on here was beyond inhumane in Gilbert''s opinion. ''Focus, Gilbert. We''re here for Lone. The guild can clean up this mess in the future, but not now,'' he said to himself mentally as he and the knight leading him rounded a corner. "We''re here," the knight said before he approached a seated guard and greeted him politely. "Sir Ardus, Guildmaster Elksworth is here." The knight nodded before he flipped an hourglass and placed it on the table in front of himself. He pointed at its bottom half then said, "You have until this is a 12th full." Gilbert nodded, not wasting any time speaking to the man. Instead, he entered the dark cell across from the man that was unlocked. Before doing anything else he used a skill. "Sound Trap." It was a simple gravity magic spell that did what it said on the can; trap sound. Sir Ardus was a bit alarmed at the use of a skill but he had heard the chant and quickly put two and two together. Gilbert couldn''t hear the knight''s grumbling but from his displeased looking body language he assumed the knight had muttered something like ''damned mages'' or ''arrogant adventurers'' under that helmet of his. "Did I hear that right?" a familiar voice asked. "Gilbert, eh? Not the best situation to be meeting and celebrating my incredible victory at the tournament, but my hands are kind of tied, or, well, chained to be accurate." "Always the smartass, huh?" Gilbert chuckled as he chanted another skill''s name. "Tree''s Glow." This one was from the nature magic family of skills and it created a small ball of green energy that lit up his immediate surroundings. Gilbert felt his lunch threaten to vacate his body and instead inhabit the cobbled floor when he got a good look at Lone''s visage. There wasn''t a spot on his body nor tail fur that wasn''t covered in a dark red and partially black... sludge. "Just how much blood has hardened on you, Son?" Gilbert didn''t expect his voice to be as strained and choked up as it was. Sure, he''d lived for close to 4-full-centuries and he''d seen his share of horrific scenes but to witness someone he cared for so deeply to be in such a state... More than anger him it simply made him feel despair and deep-rooted concern for Lone''s well-being. Lone shrugged as best as his shackles would allow. "Oh, I dunno. Spitballin'' it? 20-litres, maybe? Honestly feels like a set of clothes at this point. It''s warmer than these rags anyway. At least my face is clean enough. The prick in the helmet probably has a crush on me. Would explain why he wipes down my handsome visage every once in a while." Gilbert tried to calm himself. He only had 5-minutes, after all. "Haha, at least you''ve still got that tongue of yours. I''m surprised how well you can speak, actually." "Super healing, remember? Bastard''s cut out my tongue more times than I can count. By the way, have my eyes regrown? I don''t want to open them until they have. They sting like a motherfucker when I try so I''m guessing no but you haven''t commented on them so you never know," Lone asked with a bit of a chuckle. Gilbert didn''t need his racial skill to tell that Lone''s jovial tone was forced. He reached out and lightly touched the foxkin''s face. "They won''t get away with this, Son." "Ah. Guess my eyes aren''t better yet. Oh well," Lone sighed as he shook lightly. "Y''know, this whole torture shit isn''t all that bad. I''m getting skill level-ups left and right. I''ve even earned a few new skills like Torture Resistance and Insanity Resistance. Funny that, being cut up for most of the day and poisoned like a rat kinda drains on the senses." "... You don''t have to act strong, Son. Only I can hear you right now. I''m covering your body with mine so they can''t see you either," Gilbert said softly with affection. Lone flinched a little. "I''m fine, really. You''re gonna get me out eventually, aren''t you? Political bullshit aside, The Adventurer''s Guild''s dick is pretty fuckin'' big when stacked up against Milindo''s. I know the grand guildmaster cares for adventurers like her own kids, right? Toppled a kingdom over an adventurer getting murdered once, didn''t she? I... I just need to endure for a little longer, don''t I?" Gilbert''s face soured an unimaginably large amount. "You shouldn''t have to endure... this. No one should." He leaned over and hugged Lone, not minding both the dry and the wet blood sticking to his clothes. The smell of faeces and urine, as well as mould, completely drowned out most of Gilbert''s senses but he didn''t care. "Son, you''re a good person. None of this is your fault. I don''t know what life was like for you back in your homeworld but Lone, please don''t let this experience taint your view of Altros. This is not okay. This is not normal." Lone clenched his fists tightly as he felt the warmth of Gilbert''s body permeate through the thick layer of blood covering his body. "Why?" Tears of blood started to spill out of Lone''s grotesquely healing eyeballs as he asked, "Why do they hate me so much, Gilbert?" His voice started choking up. "Just because I have fluffy ears? Because I have a bunch of tails?... Because I''m not a fuckin'' human anymore?! Because the Primals supposedly love beastkin?!" Gilbert felt Lone go limp in his arms. "Why... Why are the real monsters the ones pretending to be civilised?" Gilbert''s emotions began overwhelming him upon hearing the broken tone of Lone''s voice. These were not the words of a man less than 30 years of age that had just started adventuring. No. These were the words of a defeated individual with only a few shreds of hope left to cling onto in an otherwise hopelessly dire situation. ''I''ve failed him. Him and all the other demihumans that are being mistreated in this country...'' Gilbert had made up his mind. If he wasn''t determined before then the only thing that could stop him from acting out to solve this horrid situation now was an early death. "Lone, I will not rest until you are free. Even after that, I will not stop until this kingdom changes. This should have never happened to you and it''s all my fault," Gilbert confessed, guilt filling his every word. "I can kill him, y''know?" Lone said as he both laughed and sobbed. "That cunt who torments me day and night? With just a thought I could make his brains leak out of his face. Y''know why I haven''t yet?" "Why, Son?" Gilbert asked. "Because I believe in you. This is as much my fault as it is yours and this shitty kingdom''s. Nothing forced me to antagonise Daisuke during the auction and I didn''t need to cut off the prince''s arms or gut him like a fish. Don''t blame yourself, Gilbert," Lone requested with all of his heart. He laughed softly and he sniffed in an attempt to stop his crying. "Y''know, my dad was a real piece of shit. I know you calling me son is just because of our age difference but it makes me surprisingly happy every time you do it... I really wish you were the one that raised me. You''d make a good dad, Gilbert." The dragonkin stiffened a bit. He wasn''t expecting a surprise attack like that out of the left field. "Family is who you make it, Son. Blood is thicker than water but the water runs deeper." "Haha... Hahaha..." Lone laughed from the heart. "Yeah, you''re right. Funny how sayings can transcend even worlds when they hold true." Gilbert felt a tugging coming from his Sound Trap which indicated someone was trying to interfere with it. Looking behind him he saw Sir Ardus rapping his knuckles against the cell''s bars impatiently. "Seems our 5-minutes are up." Gilbert pulled back from Lone and then put both of his hands on Lone''s cheeks. "Stay strong, Son. I will get you out." Lone nodded softly. "Mmm, I''ll do my best. I believe in you, Gilbert." Gilbert nodded back then cancelled his Tree''s Glow. As he turned his back to drop his Sound Trap and leave the cell, Lone asked him something. "By the way," Lone said, voice full of curiosity, "Is Daisuke dead?" "... Yes. When you were awakening you... made him explode, is the simplest explanation," Gilbert answered. "Haha, good. Later, Gilbert," Lone said in farewell, all signs of his prior crying now gone save for the crimson tear stain that ran from his slowly filling eye sockets to his chin. Gilbert smiled softly then left. B1: Chapter 100: Sophies Lament and A New Approach To Torture ''Focus on your footwork,'' Sophie thought to herself as she spun on her heel and struck out at the air in front of her. The motion looked smooth and seemed perfect but it felt off to her. ''This isn''t how our instructor did it... Was it more like this?'' Sophie kept practising as best as she could with her entire suit of armour on. After all, what use would the movements be if she had no experience performing them in her normal battle attire? None at all, she assumed. Kyuubi lazily snoozed atop several cushions only a few meters away from her, completely unperturbed by the sound of metal chaffing against metal or the audible tear of wind Sophie''s slashes into the air caused. A few hours slowly meandered on by until Kyuubi''s eyes shot open upon hearing a yell. "Finally! A whole 2-weeks of concentrated effort just to get a martial arts skill! Lone is far too unfair calling us lucky when he has a skill like Growth Accelerator," Sophie complained before ripping her helmet off and slumping down into the fortress of pillows Kyuubi was occupying. She lay there, panting for breath for a good few minutes until she finally raised her torso and began to slowly take off her armour. While she did that she looked over the details of her recently acquired skill.
Passive Skill: Wing Chun Mastery
A skill that allows the host to perform the martial art of Wing Chun with some level of competence. The host''s ability to control the flow of close-combat they are engaged in is increased by 5%. The host''s ability to perform self-defence with one''s upper body is increased by 5%. The host''s ability to weave their footwork into their fighting style is increased by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Sophie couldn''t help but grin despite her usually stoic and serious attitude. "A technique-based skill certainly is a lot more powerful than a vague one. To think a skill could give 3 concurrent passive boosts at the beginner level... Lone would be overcome with jealousy were he to know..." Her smile turned sour upon thinking of her and Soph''s lover. It had been days since she had last looked at the screen in The Summoning Room that displayed Lone purely because even glancing at his current state made her feel sick to her stomach and she always sensed herself being overcome with rage. Worse still was that for each second she saw his condition the more her ability to keep Soph in a state of slumber weakened. Once she was done taking her armour off she laid back down on the pillows, now in nothing but her underwear. She reached over and grabbed Kyuubi before plopping the bright golden baby fox on her chest. "How strange, no?" Sophie asked the sleepy fox. "We are suppressing your other mother so she does not contact Lone needlessly and potentially worsen his situation by endangering ourselves but here we are trying our best to ignore our own growing desire to do the very same thing..." Sophie closed her eyes and chuckled sadly. "We never did tell him how we felt about him... Our shyness when he became flirty now seems foolish, no? We slept with him so much and heard him tell us how much he cared for both Soph and us yet we did not return the favour..." Sophie lamented. She squeezed Kyuubi lightly and muttered, "We are such a fool..."
For whatever reason, Lone''s jailor Sir Ardus had exited the dungeon earlier than usual today, giving Lone some extra time to think before he inevitably fell unconscious from tiredness. He honestly didn''t have much on his mind since his usual thoughts revolved around resisting the urge to murder the guard so he chose to pull up all of the skills he had levelled or gained during his stay in the cell he was in. What else could he do, really? First came perhaps his most important skill that was only slightly more valuable than the other ones he''d been ''training'' while here. At least, it was more critical right now in his opinion. Poison Resistance.
Passive Skill: Poison Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist most types of poison. Most poison that the host is inflicted with shall be weakened by 60%. The host has a 25% chance to ignore the effects of poison used on them. The host has a 10% chance to gain permanent immunity to any poison used on them regardless of if it is a poison weak enough to be resisted. Poisons the host has immunity to: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | [New!] Inflamed Algrator Brew | [New!] Rashvine Coil Venom | [New!] [Magic Infused] Agony Serum.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 9 [+4 levels]
The skill was only 2 levels off from hitting master rank which Lone thought was great. He had no idea if it would gain a new effect then or not but just the percentage chance of the existing effects going up would be a great boon to him. Lone didn''t know how long he''d been down here, exactly. Probably a few weeks at least, maybe months. Thankfully, in that time he had gained immunity to 3 of the many, many poisons Sir Ardus liked to coat his gauntlets and daggers in. He still groaned and acting as though he was in immense pain even if he won the lottery and Sir Ardus chose one of those 3 poisons as the spice of the day though. The foolish knight clearly didn''t know he had gained the immunities even if the man had concluded that he owned Poison Resistance which made Lone''s suffering ease ever so slightly. Of course, every now and then the dice would roll in his favour and he''d get to ignore the effects of the poisons used on him which was also nice, but it wasn''t something to rely on. Sir Ardus only ever used one type of poison per ''session'', so having him choose one Lone was immune to was far more preferable than having one he wasn''t immune to being ignored occasionally. It made it a lot harder to fake pain in those cases when he was actually enduring the poison 75% of the time. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The next skill Lone looked at was his Physical Pain Resistance.
Passive Skill: Physical Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist physical pains while still being aware of their existence at varying levels based on mastery. All physical pain shall be weakened by 60%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 5 [+3 levels]
It wasn''t a lot of levels and it hadn''t ranked up so there were no substantial changes but Lone recognised the sheer amount of raw agony he had endured to gain those 3 levels. Somehow, that made him appreciate each one of those levels more than perhaps he should have. Every level was a step closer to ranking the skill up and gaining an even greater passive ability to weaken pain, after all. Lone had gained 4 new skills during his life as a prisoner, 2 of which he had mentioned to Gilbert, Torture Resistance and Insanity Resistance, however, the other 2 new ones surprised him a bit since he wasn''t aware they even existed.
Passive Skill: Hunger Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist hunger and the negative effects of being hungry to varying degrees based on mastery. The host shall get hungry 5% slower than normal. The pains and urges hunger induces into the host shall be reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 8
Passive Skill: Thirst Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist thirst and the negative effects of lacking hydration to varying degrees based on mastery. The host shall get thirsty 15% slower than normal. The pains and urges thirst induces into the host shall be reduced by 15%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 5
Lone honestly didn''t think he could experience things like hunger or thirst given how utterly broken his Basic Regeneration was but it made some sense when he thought on it. The energy to refill his Stamina and power his passive skills had to come from somewhere, right? He didn''t have a skill to make him immortal. Soph owned that unique skill even if it was currently sealed. Thankfully, it seemed that Basic Regeneration required very little sustenance to work at full power, hence why Lone had never noticed that his body was, indeed, reliant on food and water until just recently. As the new skills ranked-up, the need to eat and drink would slowly lessen which was a nice little addition to Lone''s collection of things that reduced the severity of his on-going waking nightmare. His other 2 new skills were also a part of that collection, both of which he wished he never knew existed.
Passive Skill: Torture Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the mental pressures of being tortured. When tortured, the host''s natural willpower and tenacity are boosted by 30% [+25%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4 [+17 levels]
Passive Skill: Insanity Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the slipping of one''s natural senses and lines of thought. Increases the host''s ability to resist losing one''s sanity by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 9
''Torture Resistance is really skyrocketing as more and more sessions go by, huh? I wonder if it''ll cap eventually like Lightning Resistance did until the prince hit me with that lightning current skill of his? I wonder how talented Sir Ardus is at torturing according to the almighty blue boxes, eh?'' Lone joked internally. ''My money says it''ll stop levelling at about, oh... let''s say Expert Level 3,'' he thought before he started humming. Lone was never very musically gifted but he was confident in his ability to mimic his playlist of about 40 or so songs he listened to when solo grinding the MMO he used to play daily back home on Earth. If Sir Ardus caught him humming he''d get a slap or a backhand for sure, but that was a risk Lone was willing to take if it enabled him to vanquish the deafening silence that plagued him in his private little corner of the dungeons of Ranton''s royal castle.
Lone was jostled awake by the sound of footsteps. He could hear two different sets, one coming from armoured boots and the other belonged to someone who was small and who seemed to be barefooted judging from the noise. He opened his eyes and glanced up to see Sir Ardus holding a torch with a young girl behind him. This girl was draped in a rag and she had long feather-covered wings poking out of her back. Strikingly, she had a collar around her neck and she seemed to be clean. Too clean for a slave. "Ah, good, you''re awake," Sir Ardus said as he brought his torch up to the wall-mounted one, lighting it. "Y''know, you''ve been screaming a lot less lately," Sir Ardus said as he unlocked Lone''s cell. "Your groans are also half-hearted at best. I was thinking, maybe you''re getting a bit cocky? You heal after all and not only that but you know I don''t have permission to kill you." The knight shook his head sadly. "I was in quite a pickle. How can I torture someone that''s clearly set on enduring everything until he''s eventually freed?" A sinking feeling entered Lone''s stomach as he glanced back and forth between his jailor and the beastkin girl. "Yup, I guess you''ve figured it out. Today, I''m not torturing you. Hell, I''m not torturing anyone, not really. You are." Sir Ardus grinned under his helmet. "Choose. A finger, a toe, or a wing. Don''t make a choice in 10-seconds and I''ll break all 3." Tears trickled down the girl''s face but she didn''t cry for help since she was aware of her fate. Today, she would die. There was no avoiding that. ''These humans have treated Lord Ninetails so poorly...'' The girl thought to herself as she clenched her fists. ''I-If my suffering can lessen his... then it''s fine...'' ''... He''s going to... torture a little girl no older than 10 or 11 just to make me suffer? What has she done to deserve that? Was being born with wings enough for her to qualify as nothing more than a tool to worsen my life?'' Rage filled Lone''s expression as he stared at Sir Ardus. "You are evil." "And you are wasting time. 4. 3. 2. 1-" "You plan to kill her, don''t you?" Lone interrupted coldly. ''This man doesn''t have a merciful bone in his body. Besides, there''s no way the royal family can have it leak that they''re torturing beastkin children. My situation is special but to do that to an innocent child... That could start a war. There''s no way he''s going to spare her after he''s done. If that''s the case, why should I let her suffer even slightly?'' "Too bad, you didn''t choose. All 3 is it then," Sir Ardus answered jovially. He heard Lone mutter something under his breath but he didn''t care. He was in a good mood today so slapping the foxkin for speaking out of turn could be left until later. He moved to grab the girl to mete out the punishment, but she surprisingly collapsed. "What the... Get up. I had you fed and bathed specifically for this." "She''s dead," Lone claimed. Sir Ardus, not believing his prisoner, kicked the girl. Her body rolled over flaccidly. What was revealed was a face covered in blood and foam that had seemingly escaped every one of her facial orifices. "What a shame," Lone said mockingly. "It looks like your plan to psychologically torture me failed. Both evil and incompetent." Lone clenched his teeth because the next moment his cheek was greeted by the powerful backhand of Sir Ardus'' gauntlet. "What did you do?" he asked in a low tone that rumbled. The knight lowered himself and grabbed Lone''s head by his ears. "What did you do?! You''re in ardartian shackles! If you have any magic it should be suppressed! How did you kill her?!" ''Huh, so there''s a metal that can suppress mages? Nice to know. Not that it matters since my MP is still sealed, you fuckin'' idiot.'' Lone sniffed hard then spat into the eye holes of Sir Ardus'' helmet. "Go fuck yourself, cunt." Suffice to say that was not received very well. Lone didn''t sleep for the next four days as he was tortured without pause. B1: Chapter 101: Murderous Missive and Eruptive Entrance Gilbert stood violently, knocking his chair off its legs as he gripped the missive an employee had delivered to his desk not 5-minutes ago. He controlled his emotions and made sure to double-check what he had just read in case he had made some sort of mistake in his reading. ''To all fair and noble citizens of the great kingdom of Milindo, on this fair solstice of the moon of the sacred Primal Life does His Royal Majesty Ralph Heidron, king and honourable lord of the lands, do declare that the demihuman foxkin known as Lone Immortus will be publicly executed on the 43rd Sun of the current moon, 2-days from now at dawn. The treacherous fiend shall be beheaded at Arstol Square. Both the royal guard and the Church of the Primals will work in unison to guarantee Lone Immortus'' departure from this realm. He is charged with the crime of the murder of over 40 demihuman children who were brought to him during his incarceration pending an investigation into his murder of the royal hero, Daisuke Tamiko, in an attempt to ease his mind and let him know that we, as a people, did not blame him for what he did during his unfortunately timed awakening. All we sought was his cooperation until the timely arrival of his trial. We now know that trying to speak with him through his own kind was a terrible mistake. We know not why he brutally ended the lives of so many children but he will not be forgiven by us. Only the Primals may take mercy on his soul now. The bodies of the deceased demihuman children have been placed on display in the Holy Mausoleum of Ranton for all those who can stomach seeing how the vicious prisoner killed the children in what was clearly a brutal and merciless attack. This is an official missive from the Royal Palace of His Royal Majesty King Ralph Heidron, ruler and lord of the Kingdom of Milindo.'' Gilbert''s fists shook with rage. He tore up the parchment and yelled, "That bastard! How dare he frame Lone like this! Is his brain not working?! Grand Guildmaster Sarah will never forgive Milindo if Lone''s life is ended! I''ll make fucking sure of that!" He stormed out of his office and made for the Holy Mausoleum of Ranton. First, he would see the bodies of the children. He needed to know if that missive held even a speck of truth in it. ''I bet those bastards killed off a handful of slaves to use as martyrs,'' Gilbert concluded. Unsurprisingly to him, the structure that stood next to the central church of the Holy City of Ranton was full to bursting with outraged citizens. Gilbert didn''t mind them and pushed past the crowd. His stats were heavily magic and intellect focused but he was a dragonkin so he had been born with enough aptitude in Strength to push everyone aside with ease. The sound of sobbing entered Gilbert''s ears as he neared the area of the mausoleum that was being used to display the demihuman children bodies. "I''m sorry, Koo''al... I''m so, so sorry..." a man with a striking set of wings on his back said as he held who seemed to be his crying wife in his arms. The both of them were draped in rags and standing next to them acting like some sort of caring and just individual was a familiar face to Gilbert - Margrave Algor. "It is such a shame," the nobleman said to his slaves. "To think the animal would so grotesquely murder your precious daughter... Thankfully, we can all rest easy knowing that little threat will no longer be present in our kingdom soon, yes?" Gilbert watched as the male Silver Birdkin clenched his fists in rage but his anger didn''t seem to be pointed at Lone, curiously enough. "... Yes, Master." Similar scenes were playing out all around the guildmaster with many nobles expressing their ''heartfelt'' sympathies for their slaves. ''It''s clear to see that not one fellow demihuman here holds Lone accountable... But looking at the corpses...'' Gilbert approached one said corpse and inspected it closely. ''Bloody foaming of the mouth, nostrils, eye sockets and ears... No external injuries and they all seem... healthy. However, assuming from the expression, the children didn''t seem to be in pain before dying... This is the work of Lone''s Mental Destruction, isn''t it? He did describe the unique skill to me and it seems to fit the bill... Hmm...'' Gilbert needed to think more on this. Before he could be stopped by anyone of importance, he fled and returned to his office. Once there, he entered a deep state of contemplation. ''Lone...why did you kill those children? No, better yet, how were you given the chance to kill them?'' Gilbert asked himself as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back over the top of his chair. ''He would never kill them out of malice. I haven''t known him for long but he is above such baseless cruelty. Daisuke angered him so much for being such an individual... No, there must be a reason...'' Only two ideas came to the old dragonkin''s mind. ''He was either coerced into doing it via a skill of one of the guards or the royal mages... or he killed them to spare them from a fate worse than death. Knowing about Lone''s ability to learn and adapt as quickly as he does, I would wager that Sir Ardus fellow noticed his torturing losing effectiveness so he thought outside of the box,'' Gilbert concluded. The guildmaster shook his head as he tried his best to hold back his emotions. "Lone... Son... Just how much are you suffering as you wait for me to save you? And now look what''s happened... That baboon with a crown has decided to commit suicide but not before throwing you under the carriage with all of his strength..." A deep sigh escaped Gilbert''s lips. He slowly pulled out a key from his front pocket and then got up and approached the far side of his office. Pushing away some books he revealed a dusty old chest. "Uncle, to think your arrogance and inability to believe in me would one day help me out... I never thought I''d ever even think about needing to use these, but here I am, aren''t I?" He unlocked the chest, revealing a pair of clear orbs, both of which had a strange grey fog rolling around in them. "The remnants of Grandfather''s deal with Djinn Harsios... Primals damn it..." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Lone had been left to himself after another round of regular torture. It almost felt comfortable being mutilated as opposed to being forced to end the life of an innocent child. The hope Lone held onto was slowly slipping as each day passed and his body-count grew. He stared into nothingness as he pulled up his status for the first time in a long time.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 199 [+60]
Species: Foxkin Rank: E
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 40,350/40,350 [+8,000] SP: 238/44,020 [+6,400]
MP: 40,490/40,490 [+2,030]
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,836 [+423] Vigour: 4,035 [+800]
Dexterity: 2,082 [+230] Agility: 2,969 [+570]
Vitality: 4,402 [+640] Luck: 160 [+39]
Secret Stats
Charm: 80 Charisma: 49
Magic Power: 4,049 [+203]
"Why so many points?... Right..." he mumbled. "Void killed Daisuke in my body... I completely forgot about that... It was all so meaningless..." Upon entering this prison he thought knowing that the paedophilic hero had met a well-deserved end would bring him joy in his bleak situation but honestly it just didn''t matter to him anymore. All of Lone''s thoughts had been replaced with ones of hope to be freed and with the desire to see Soph and Sophie and hold them once more... He couldn''t help but laugh a little as he thought that it was his obsession with Daisuke that had been partially responsible for him landing in this dungeon in the first place, and now here he was only just remembering the man had even existed. ''Daisuke didn''t have any magic, did he? So of those kids, some had magic power...'' Lone held back the desire to berate himself and cry his heart out. ''It was the only sane choice. I had to kill them before he could break them and do it himself...'' Lone took a deep breath. Tonight would be another sleepless one, that was for sure. All he could hope for at this point was to lose consciousness when his SP eventually bottomed-out. "Huh?" Lone frowned as he suddenly heard something approaching but it didn''t seem to be coming from the hallway. He looked around slowly in confusion though to not much avail since he was in pure darkness. "Where''s that sound coming from?" he whispered. A few seconds passed and the noise of a low rhythmic humming grew louder. "That almost sounds like... something being struck repeatedly?" The very next second Lone was blinded by an eruption of stone and dirt from beneath his feet. "Fookin'' teld ya! Ah knew this was the right cell! Stealin'' ah copy ah the dungeon''s blueprint''s really paid oof, eh, Shana?" a voice whose owner Lone felt he had no right to be hearing right now asked triumphantly. "''G-Grimsley?" Lone asked in utter bewilderment as he glanced down as best as his metal collar would allow him to. "... How?" Pulling himself up out of the hole he''d clearly dug himself, Grimsley grinned without answering. He leaned down into the opening and pulled up Shana who was holding a pickaxe that was easily the same size as her. On her back was a torch that helped illuminate the small and now-crowded cell. "Ah was ah min''r afore ah even considered joinin'' the smithin'' caste. Now, less talk, mer escapin'', aye?" Grimsley asked rhetorically before he began to closely inspect Lone''s shackles with those steamforged glasses of his. "B-But I''m going to be released soon... Gilbert promised me..." Lone stuttered out, still trying his best to wrap his head around what was going on. "If I escape now and get caught I''ll be killed." This was all just so much of a break in his normal routine that he was struggling to process it all in just a few simple seconds. "Shana, ye explain. Ah''ve gotta figure oot what kinda metal this is an'' see if it''s enchant''d or naw. Need tae ken if ah can break the chains or if ah need tae pop ''em clean off the walls an'' bring the whole fookin'' thing wae us," Grimsley said dismissively. "Uh, right..." Shana was honestly extremely taken aback by Lone''s current condition. As a former slave, she had been through a lot of horrific stuff that would give most children nightmares but Lone looked like... ''He looks like he''s died a million times over...'' She reached into her trouser''s front-left pocket and pulled out the missive that was being spread across all of Ranton only early this morning. "Here. It''s, uh, dark so it might be hard to read but basically the king, uh, the crown? They accused you of killing over 40 demi kids and they''re going to execute you tomorrow. It''s technically already tomorrow since we just passed the 24th bell of yesterday." Grimsley tapped the side of his glasses as he frowned. "Nae steel, ''at''s fae sure, tae sturdy... Nae the right colour fae alterion... What the fook is this metal?... Shana, keep an eye on the hallway would ya, aye? I get ''at Lone''s in ah right state but e''s got ''at creepy ''ealin'' skill of ''is. ''E''ll be fine. Ye need tae holl''r like a newborn bein'' slapp''d across the arse if ya seeing fookin'' anything." "Yes, Uncle Grim," Shana answered before she smiled awkwardly at Lone then turned around and plastered her face to the cell''s bars so as to best look out of them. Lone felt a strong sense of rage overcome him. "Those... Those bastards..." "Ah ken, aye? Arselick''rs ''ave ye lock''d up tight''r than a nun in Saint Felice''s Sanctuary - nice place that sanctuary - an'' they ''ave the gall tae pretend ye went an'' murder''d dozens an'' dozens of weauns? Fookin'' cheek," Grimsley grumbled as he stroked his beard, still trying to figure out what kind of metal Lone was being imprisoned with. "... I did kill them," Lone admitted. "What?!" Shana turned in surprise. "Y-You did?!" "Eyes on the fookin'' hallway, Shana! And if ye''r gonna yell, yell with ye''r inside voice like ah am," Grimsley ordered. Grimacing at the harsh words Shana did as she was told. "Yes, Uncle Grim." "... Why''d ye dae it, Laddie?" Grimsley asked as he changed the lens of his steamforged glasses. "Ah cannae see ya killin'' weauns withoot ah reason. Ya said ye were ah teach''r once if ah recall. Nae teach''r ah ken would ever kill ah child. Mind ye, all the teach''rs ah''ve ever known we''re dwarves, nae foxkin." "... Sir Ardus... He''s in charge of torturing me. Or maybe just checking my condition but he has a... torturing hobby? Fetish? Anyway, he decided to torture demihuman kids in front of me, all slaves, in an attempt to break me. I ended their lives before he could have his way... It was the best thing I could have done all things considered," Lone said as he tried his best to put on a smile. "I''d rather not see children get cut up, beaten, slaughtered and maybe even raped in front of me if I can avoid it." "Fakest grin ah''ve ever seen in ma life, laddie. Fookin'' ''uman countries are rott''n tae the core, ah tell ya. It''ll take mer than an arm an'' a leg tae get me tae trust one ever again. After Shana and what''s happenin'' tae ye... Fookin'' cunts are lucky ah dinnae just employ a kill on sight ethos," Grimsley grumbled. He leaned back and grabbed his pickaxe before he cracked his back. "Looks like ardartian tae me, nae two ways aboot it. Stuff seals MP like somethin'' fierce but ah few Strength applied swings should snap these chains an'' shackles right oof. Clench yer teeth, Laddie. It''s dark so gae us ah pass if ah end up smashing yer wrists in, aye?" B1: Chapter 102: Duke Leston and Parting Gifts King Heidron laughed and cheered as he walked through his own bedroom using only his hands. He was wearing nothing more than a simple wrapping to cover his royal jewels and he eagerly looked at the elderly man sat on his bed next to his sleeping wife, the queen, his queen, for praise. Not getting what he so deeply desired, what he only desired, the king lowered his left leg and shoved his big toe in his mouth, a true feat of flexibility if ever there was one. Clicker clicked his fingers rather happily as he leaned his head back only for a servant to drop a grape in his mouth. "Not bad, these grapes, not bad. By the way, can''t you do some more... oh, I don''t know, interesting tricks for me? You''re an SS-ranker, for the sake of the Gods. Any old beggar could do what you''re doing. I should know. That''s my part-time job," he explained cheerfully. Suddenly, Clicker''s brow furrowed before a massive smile appeared on his wrinkled face. "Aha! Finally. I thought it''d be the dragon boy but to think it was the children of the stone... Anyway, useless king, He''s escaping. Sound the alarm, would you? That''d be very helpful. Nothing like a bit of panic to help correct things, no?" He jumped up off of the bed and then clicked his fingers. The next thing that happened was that he just... disappeared. It was as if existence itself had stopped accepting him. The servant also vanished as if by magic. King Heidron collapsed, seemingly coming back to his senses and he clearly hadn''t expected to be doing a handstand practically in the nude with a foot in his mouth, that was for sure. The noise of his ungrateful impact with the rugged flooring woke his wife up. The queen looked around in caution before her eyes found her husband. "Y-Your Majesty! What on Altros are you doing?" "What?" King Heidron was still quite weary and a bit out of it but he knew he had something to do. Something important. "The beast is escaping... We must summon the royal guard!" "Your Majesty, perhaps you might wish to don yourself in some garbs first?" the queen said to the man as he started rushing towards the bedroom''s exit. "Ah... Of course. Why by the Primals are we so naked?" he asked himself before doing as was suggested and he then left the room to summon the royal guards and lock down the city so that the prisoner could not flee his royal judgement.
Dancing atop the tallest tower of Ranton''s crowning jewel, Milindo''s royal castle, Clicker clicked his fingers wildly. "It''s all coming together, it''s all coming together... Being a corrector is so much fun! Hahaha!" He looked off into the distance and smiled. "I''ll be seeing you soon, Lone, Soph, Sophie... The other far less significant two as well... Very soon... Such fun, such fun! Friends to be made, minds to be broken, gifts to give and things to take!" He spread his arms and twirled around. "The gods will it and I desire it!" He clicked and clicked like a madman as his smile slowly faded into obscurity. "I wonder why Tapper came to visit... Snapper makes sense, but Tapper? That stupid clump of energy? He should keep adjusting for the twins, sheesh... It''s at least a few years too early for him to mess with my pair..." He shook his head. "Anyhoo! Let''s get back to our library, shall we? As much as dancing atop a castle is fun, the charm certainly does start to wane after you''ve done it a few thousand times..."
"An''... ''at... should... dae... it!" Grimsley yelled with his indoor voice as he brought his pickaxe down onto the final shackle holding Lone in place. The thing snapped as if it had been rusting for hundreds of years, such was the power of Grimsley''s tremendously thick arms. "Noo ah dinnae ''ave the time tea get ''at ''ere coll''r oof. Ah need fin''r tools fae ''at. Fae noo, let''s gae the fook ootta ''ere. If Shana didnae alert anyone earlier with ''er full-voice hollerin'' then mah pickaxe sure as fook did," Grimsley said as he took his steamforged glasses off, shoving them in a pocket and he then tossed his axe to Shana. "I already said sorry for that..." the girl muttered while she nimbly caught the heavy tool. "Aye, yah did an'' ye''ll be gettin'' a scoldin'' when we''re ootta this place, but fae noo, both of ya, in the ''ole," Grimsley ordered. Lone stopped them. "Wait, I can get us out of here faster-" "Oh, can you now?" an unfamiliar voice said as footsteps echoed down the hallway. Shortly a very familiar face was illuminated under the torchlight. "Duke Leston..." Lone had memorised all of the dukes from his experience being blasted with all of their auras on top of the king''s after the incident with the prince. This bear of a man was the Duke of House Leston, George Leston, 2nd of his name. "When the king raised the alarm saying you had started to escape I didn''t believe my ears but seeing you now... Stone Dwarves, huh? Both low-rankers but the male is very skilled... They''d make good slaves." "You can fuckin'' try," Lone snarled. "Mental Destruction." "What the... Wha-What have you done, Beast?!" Duke Leston roared deafeningly as he clasped his head with both hands and fell to his knees. "What infernal skill is that?! I- My... Everything burns!" Lone hardened his expression as his mind sputtered into action. ''I can''t waste any more on him. I''m just an E-ranker so I''ve only got 4 more Mental Destructions in me until it goes on cooldown again. At least I''ve confirmed it''s somewhat effective against people more than 4 ranks stronger than me.'' Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Summon Sophie Vladimirovich," Lone chanted. Fully clad in armour and with one hand holding a shortsword - the other sword being affixed to her hip - she grabbed Lone by the wrist, smothering her gauntlet in sticky and hardened blood. ''Good. She''s been watching and is prepped. I was so worried she''d be asleep or... or that she''d be Soph,'' Lone thought as he put one hand on Grimsley''s shoulder and the other on Shana''s. The dwarven uncle and niece were confused but soon that confusion was replaced by disorientation. Even Lone was disoriented. "Where is this?" Lone looked around in concern at the lavish room they had been teleported into. "Huh?" the voice of a young man mumbled in a sleepy voice. Sophie let go of Lone and rushed up to the fancy bed that lay in the centre of the room. She quickly and swiftly jumped up onto it, straddling its occupant. "What?!" Panic flashed across the face of Crown Prince Auberon. "Y-You! You''re that foreign noble!" Saying nothing, Sophie ran her blade across the prince''s neck cutting it wide open. Blood rushed out like a geyser. "Your father''s time will come soon, but for now, your death will have to do." Life left the young man''s body entirely. Sophie now sat atop nothing but a warm corpse. She quickly got off of the bed and ripped open a drawer only to pull out the mana orb that the prince had won from Sir Deposit''s auction. "Now we leave," Sophie declared as she shoved the dark blue ball to Lone who, while still a bit bewildered, stored it in his Dimensional Storage. Sophie nodded and grabbed Lone again who, in turn, took hold of Grimsley and Shana once more. She then teleported a total of two times before stopping. Their group of 4 were now in The Adventurer''s Guild in their old bedroom. Sophie stared at Grimsley and Shana. "Thank you for trying to rescue him but you will only get in the way now." "What? But the duke saw our faces! We''re dead if we stay here!" Shana protested. "You can, what, move really fast or something, right? B-Bring us to the nearby dwarven stronghold! It''s only a few hundred miles away. Y-You can do that, right?" The reality of heisting the kingdom''s highest priority prisoner and being caught in the act was finally starting to dawn on the young dwarven former-slave. Sophie shook her head firmed. "No. Do you think we are simply made of MP? Even with us teleporting ourself and Lone we will be lucky to make it more than 2-miles before draining the well of all of its content! We are no mage. We are a warrior! We do not wish to suffer the side-effect of overusing our mana when we may need to fight for our life." Sophie knew her words sounded cruel as if she were abandoning her lover''s would-be savers to the wolves and she recognised that. she sighed and added, "The guild will protect you. You need only wait for Lone''s intended escorts to arrive. Never leave this building. Lone and us, however, cannot do the same. We must flee immediately." Lone tugged on Sophie''s arm. "Don''t forget Breena, the foxkin girl. I promised I''d return her to her clan." "All the more reason we cannot bring two additional people with us," Sophie said with a nod. Grimsley stroked his beard in awe. "Soph''s sure got ah backbone when the shite gets thick an'' sticky, eh? Even talks like ah proper stand-up royal." He chuckled a bit then spoke to Shana. "It''ll be fine. Soph''s right. We cannae be actin'' like ah bunch ah fookin'' ball''n''chains weighin'' down their ankles, noo can we?" "But Uncle Grim! I-I don''t want to d-di-" "We willnae die, ya daft lassie. Gilbert''s a good bloke, fookin'' ol'' goat ''at ''e is. Anyway, we''re wastin'' time away talkin'' ''ere. You two should really fook oof right aboot noo. Willnae take ''at arselick''r Malik long tae find us. Ah ''eard the cunt''s really got it in fae ya, Lone after what ya did tae ''is mouth in the tourney. Wouldnae be wise tae hang aboot in Ranton fae ah minute long''r," Grimsley claimed. The door to the bedroom creaked open and Gilbert walked in as he said, "Indeed, but first, I need to give you something, Son." Breena entered behind him with quiet and purposefully-softened footsteps. She didn''t want to draw any attention to herself, clearly. Gilbert glanced down at the fully-armoured Sophie and he smiled warmly, barely managing to mask the deep rage and sadness hidden behind his eyes. "It''s great to see you again, Sophie. I''m glad Lone was able to keep you safe... Is... Is the child also safe?" Sophie nodded. "Safer than us, at least." Gilbert inclined his head lightly in relief. "Good. That''s... good. Lone, here, for you." He reached into his pocket and brought out a deep green orb the size of a tennis ball. He grabbed one of Lone''s bloody hands and placed the ball in it. Lone looked hesitant. "I''ve had a pretty bad experience with mysterious balls recently, Gilbert. Dunno if I want this or not." "Haha, it''s a high-tier communication orb. I carry its twin on me. It will allow you to contact me from across all of Teresta, though I wouldn''t count on it if you, for whatever reason, end up heading away from the continent," Gilbert explained. "It can be used a total of 100 times from either side before it will shatter. Receiving contact through it will count as a fifth of a use, so if you never start a call and only answer them, then you could in theory use it 500 times. Of course, that would require more sister orbs." Grimsley''s eyes almost popped out of his skull. "''At things worth mer gold than ah''ve ever seen in ma whole life an'' ah''ve been in the fookin'' treasury of Krieg Methlonarenth!" "Gilbert..." Lone didn''t know what to say. The dragonkin shook his head dismissively. "It''s a trinket from my family. I''ve had this pair of orbs for decades. What are they really worth if they never get used? Anyway, the gifts don''t stop there." Gilbert reached into his robe once more and quickly tossed an object at Sophie who promptly caught it. "You''re more rational than he is. If everything seems lost, shatter that and demand a perfect escape. Be very careful with your wording. That is the product of a djinn, a very dangerous and powerful species of demigods." Sophie looked down at the clear sphere that contained grey fog within it. She looked to Lone for guidance. "So it''s true, demigods exist?" Lone asked, failing to hide the excitement in his voice as his inner mythology-lover was screaming in joy regardless of the rather grim situation. From the looks on their faces, both Shana and Grimsley seemed unaware while Breena seemed to be feigning disinterest. Lone had heard whispers of such beings in the books he''d read, and the studies he''d performed ever since having access to Ranton''s library indicated that perhaps there was a set of beings close in power to the Primals but they were so rare no one knew if they were real or not. No one in Milindo, anyway, so Lone had dismissed these topics for more factual ones when he was reading up on Teresta and Milindo''s history. "Not all of them but yes, some legends are, in fact, tru- Run. Now. Malik is here," Gilbert warned before he turned to the roof and chanted, "Gravity Enclosure!" The next moment the entire room was destroyed by a massive bolt of green lightning. Grimsley, clearly seeing that he maybe had a second or two before Lone and Sophie would vanish, quickly reached into his pocket and handed something to Lone. "''Ere. Tae remember me by. Good luck oot there, laddie." Sophie didn''t hesitate and grabbed Lone the very next second. She dragged him away from Grimsley and approached Breena. She then grabbed her too. Within a second all 3 of them had vanished. "How dare you attack the guild, Henry Malik! Milindo will burn for this! No one breaks a treaty with the guild!" Gilbert roared. "Grimsley, Shana, do not leave my side. You will die the instant you do." Shana was shaking like a leaf while Grimsley swallowed perhaps the largest gulp of saliva he''d ever swallowed as he looked upon the visage of the mouthless duke, Henry Malik who was floating up in the sky with lightning arching around him like a storm. "Well... Ah''ll tell ya what, ah could sure go fae some ale right noo. Somethin'' tells me ah''m nae gonna enjoy this evenin'' very much," the dwarf grumbled nervously. B1: Chapter 103: Dukes Attack and Kings Chase Duke Henry Malik''s eyes darted around dangerously upon seeing Lone disappearing. The two girls with him didn''t even register in his mind, only the ninetails mattered. Determining that they had somehow escaped, he used a detection-focused lightning magic skill called Current Reading. It had taken him over a decade of effort to learn this skill but it had served him well in the following decades to find unaffiliated mages. Lone himself may not have any magic but the supposed foreign noble girl did. Looking in a certain direction, Duke Henry Malik ignored Gilbert entirely and flashed forward only to be stopped by a heavy feeling covering his entire body. Appearing in front of him quickly, Gilbert gave him a serious look as he protected the two dwarves floating behind him. "You will not give chase to them. You will stay here. Do you not realise how serious of an offence it is to have attacked the guild as you did?" The growing irritation made itself clear in the duke''s eyes. He couldn''t voice what he wished to say thanks to the little ''present'' Lone had left for him on his face - the hole of Void. "If you truly wish to go down this path of self-destruction then you must first go through me, but know that I will not be defeated so easily. You would need more than just one SS-ranker to pose a threat to me, Duke Malik. Especially when I imagine chanting magic is no easy task for you with your mouth in such a state. I would need only destroy your conduit and you would be rendered powerless," Gilbert claimed. "Well then," a new voice said, "it''s a darned good thing we''re all here, isn''t it?" Gilbert''s eyes opened wide in shock. "Duke Leston, Duke Catston and Duke Grindol... Well, on the bright side, at least none of you are trying to pursue Lone and... You don''t seem to be in a great condition, Duke Leston." Duke Leston cracked his neck as he used his feet to check to the structural integrity of the building''s roof which he was stood atop as he said, " Heh, I''m fine. Is it really that bright of a side though? Which of Milindo''s SS-rankers isn''t here to kill you right now, Gilbert?" "What do you..." Concern and a bit of panic entered the dragonkin''s eyes as he came to a realisation. "Ralph." "That''s His Royal Majesty King Heidron to you, beast," Duke Catston hissed as he nocked an arrow on his bow. Duke Grindol shook his head lightly as he drew his longsword. "Speaking further is meaningless. Tonight, you die for your treason against Milindo, Guildmaster Elksworth." Gilbert took a deep breath. "If it''s only the king... He can manage somehow... Grimsley, Shana, don''t move a muscle. If there''s one thing I really don''t need right now, it''s distractions." The dwarves were more than happy to oblige with such a request as they feared for their lives. "Also, it''s not treason. This is not my country and he is not my king," Gilbert boomed powerfully as the air around him began to shake.
Sophie, Breena and Lone reappeared in the middle of a forest 4-miles away from the Holy City of Ranton. It was damn-near pitch-black even with the moons of Altros, Recrion and the far larger Fal illuminating the night. It really helped Lone remember just how utterly dark everything got when there were no street lights anywhere. On Goblin Island he had a campfire and later candles and an actual fireplace in his portable fort to keep the darkness at bay. Both the cities of Ros and Ranton used a mixture of oil and magic crystal-fuelled lamps and lanterns to keep the streets bright for those who needed to traverse in the late hours. Even when in the dungeon there were usually small traces of light he could detect coming from down the hallway. This darkness... it gave Lone a greater appreciation for nature. "Sophie?" Lone asked in concern, noticing that they''d, well, stopped teleporting. Sophie shook her head. "We are spent. We can only afford 2 more Teleportations and that''s only if we are willing to gain an even larger headache than we are already enduring, which we would rather we didn''t. Let''s walk from here on." "Okay. That''s fine. Wanna swap with Soph to lessen the mental burden?" Lone suggested as he grabbed Breena by the hand since he didn''t know how well she could see in the dark and he started walking. Sophie, using Mana Sensing, had no trouble whatsoever matching Lone''s somewhat hurried pace as she answered. "No. She isn''t ready to meet you yet. We have prevented her from waking up and taking control ever since the tournament. You know just as well as we do that she will break if she sees you as you currently are." "Right... Safety and a bath first I guess... Sorry that you have to endure this all because of my stupidity," Lone apologised. "I know it''s more work but tell me the second anything enters your Mana Sensing''s range, okay?" Sophie nodded through the darkness. "Yes, it was your stupidity, and yes, we shall." "Haha... Hurts even though it''s painfully true... Very painfully true..." Lone chuckled. ''I hope Gilbert, Grimsley and Shana are doing alright... I never did see just how powerful Gilbert or that Malik prick were but the nobles and royals did seem hesitant to fight Gilbert when he stood up for me at the arena and he was able to suppress all of their auras at once even if that strained him...'' To distract himself and perhaps lighten the tense mood a bit, Lone asked Sophie, "Now that we''re E-rankers, what''s Mana Sensing''s range? I never did ask, did I?" "Didn''t you? Hmm. Well, it''s 500 metres," Sophie answered plainly. "That''s a massive jump... 15 metres at I-rank, 150 at H-rank, 300 at G-rank and 400 at F-rank if I recall correctly... Is it hard processing all of that information at once? I can only imagine how much data must be getting sent to your brain from using the skill," Lone asked in interest. Breena stayed dead-silent as the two talked, only daring to listen. She was mostly focusing on the fact that she was holding Lone''s hand and she was trying her hardest to not have a panic attack over the physical contact with a male. The only thing stopping her was knowing that they were fleeing for their lives. Sophie shrugged even if Lone couldn''t see her though he heard her armour clinking about a bit. "We have been using the skill for centuries. Either it does the processing for us or our former immortality changed our mind somehow to endure the burden." "Or it''s no real burden at all," Lone added. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Or that. We were going off of your assumption that it was strenuous. Trust us, Lone, we know very little about the science of things," Sophie said with a roll of the eyes. "Far less than a former-history teacher almost 1,000-years our junior." "I''d rather not be reminded of the gap between our age considering our relat-" "The king just entered our Mana Sensing''s range," Sophie said loudly. "Fight or flight?" "Just the king?" Lone asked back in utter seriousness. Sophie nodded. "400-meters." "Teleport away with Breena and wait for me," Lone ordered. Sophie frowned deeply beneath her helmet. "300-meters." "You saw how Duke Leston reacted. I can hurt him and I need to settle this. If he chased us this far he can track us somehow. This ends here, one way or another," Lone declared. "200-meters," Sophie said as she ripped her helmet off and tossed it to the ground. She approached Lone and grabbed the back of his head before proceeding to kiss him deeply. "Lone, we-... I love you. Succeed." Lone smiled faintly. "Naturally, lest you''d kill me yourself, huh?" Sophie''s smile and blush were hidden from Lone and she thanked the darkness of night for that as she stepped away, grabbed Breena, then disappeared after saying, "Teleportation." Lone took a deep breath then reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a premade bonfire. "I really did create a fuckload of shit with my spare time back on Goblin Island, didn''t I?" He found himself a match and lit the oil-covered stack of logs. They set alight immediately and illuminated the surroundings. The animals hiding nearby and a few creeping lesser monsters scattered in terror despite the temptation of Lone''s bloody aroma. Fire was something to be feared to those weak existences. Sitting down next to the bonfire, Lone grabbed a small handmirror from his Dimensional Storage and then he waited.
''He stopped moving,'' the king thought with a frown as he received information from a skill of his. There was a reason the Heidron line was the one to wear the crown despite several powerful families residing in Milindo and it was rather simple, really - they had a bloodline skill. It was this skill that put their family above the 4 ducal families that were their equal in pure rank-based strength. It was also the biggest deterrent to enemy nations and the small chance of the nobles creating a dedicated faction intent on overthrowing his family.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Treason Elimination] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
King Heidron immediately slowed his movements as he saw a fire off in the distance through the woods. ''Our bloodline skill has not levelled up since we routed those spies from the Zenor Federation 7-years ago... Is one measly E-ranked foxkin really such a danger to our kingdom?'' Granted, the skill was far less effective on those who weren''t identified as citizens of Milindo and it was even less helpful against those who weren''t even pretending to be loyal to his kingdom but for him to gain an entire level using it to track and locate one measly foxkin... King Heidron was an arrogant and prideful man but he was not foolish. He had seen how easily the Primal in control of Lone''s body had destroyed Duke Malik''s mouth and then proceeded to crush the foolish hero with no resistance whatsoever. He was also aware of how the man had somehow been able to kill every single slave brought to make him suffer vicariously despite being in ardartian shackles. "I can hear your footsteps, King Heidron," a familiar voice spoke softly. "No need to hide in the bushes like some trenchcoat streaking predator. Do I really seem like a threat to you?" The king was not a fool but his pride demanded he showed himself to the animal speaking to him. Approached with majestic strides, His Royal Majesty King Ralph Heidron of Milindo stood proudly over the sitting Lone. Lone was just staring into a mirror as he slowly worked to peel off the hardened blood that covered his entire body. "A single provocation... That''s all it took for you to decide that I needed to die in your stupid little tournament, huh? None of this would have happened if you were a good ruler." "How dare you, a mere animal, tell us what kind of ruler we are," the king answered. "It is mere curiosity that is sustaining your life, Beast, and do not forget that." "I said good and not effective for a reason," Lone said with a shrug. "You''re a petty and evil little man. It''s insane to me that you''ve lived long enough to become an SS-ranker, not to mention the needed enlightenment, but you''re still such a child on the inside." "How dare yo-" "Oh, come off it. Shut the fuck up, yeah? I''m in a collar that suppresses magic. You can kill me any second you like. Let me talk, or are you too arrogant even for that, huh? Too scared to hear the honest thoughts of a human from Earth that''s been discriminated against just because he turned into a foxkin, eh?" Lone asked with scorn and snark evident in his tone. "You... What?" King Heidron doubted his ears. ''He''s a... summoned hero? No. That is impossible. He is a beastkin! Even were he a summoned hero his origin would not be that of a human''s! Changing one''s species is impossible. Race we could believe, but species... What is his goal in lying to us like this?'' "You don''t believe me, huh? Makes sense given how narrow your mind is," Lone said with a shrug as he slowly stood up. "I have 8 unique skills, y''know? Well, 7 if you don''t count my species. That change used up a slot, go figure, right?" Lone chuckled faintly. "I even have 2 empty slots I can use to create 2 new unique skills whenever I want to." He waved his hand and his mirror disappeared. "That right there? A unique skill called Dimensional Storage. My absurd healing? Another unique skill called Basic Regeneration. I also have this really powerful skill called Growth Accelerator, oh boy, the things it can do... I do wonder what I''d get from an SS-ranker using that skill..." The king frowned deeply. "Are you finished? We have been kind and allowed you to speak so impertinently towards us but we have a limit to our respect for kindness." "Almost," Lone laughed. "By the way, where are the dukes?" he asked as he looked around and squinted his eyes. "Ha, you think we would require the help of the ducal families to subjugate one escaped fox? No. They are busy rooting out that cancerous guild from our kingdom," King Heidron remarked in mirth. "Oh... I see..." Lone sighed and shook his head softly. "Mental Destruction." Suddenly Ralph Heidron felt the force of a volcano erupt in his mind. His legs went weak and he fell to his knees as he immediately started clawing at his head. "W-What is this, Beast?! What magic have you used on me?! How?!" He spoke the words he wanted to speak but his mind was in chaos. ''It burns! It burns! It burns!'' "Mental Destruction," Lone answered coldly, resulting in the feelings of agony the king felt multiplying several times over. He couldn''t even move his limbs anymore, the pain was so great. Lone slowly walked to the king''s side and grabbed him by his head, ripping his crown off. "You won''t need this anymore." He stored the ornamental headpiece in his Dimensional Storage and then gripped the king''s hair firmly. "You know, in the time I spent in your dungeon I came to an epiphany of sorts." Bloody foam was trickling out of Ralph Heidron''s mouth, nostrils, ears and eye sockets as he struggled to stay conscious. "I felt like I deserved a second chance, didn''t I? I, who had only provoked that sick paedophile into spending your money so frivolously was so cruelly condemned to death... Only Gilbert demanding otherwise saved my life but even then you wished to torment me to my very soul as you kept me prisoner." Bitterness and anger flowed forth from Lone''s words. He laughed sadly as he stared into the shaking eyes of the king of Milindo. "I learned in the cold, dark, disgusting cell that everyone deserves a second chance... Well, everyone but you. Mental Destruction." King Heidron grunted loudly as he felt his soul breaking down and his mind collapsing around him. "Still not enough, huh?" Lone murmured. "Well, now''s as good a time as any to tell you that Sophie murdered your son in his bed before we started running. Hahaha, serves the bastard right." Tears of blood mixed in with the foam spewed forth from the king''s eyes. "Oh, come on, crying? Now? I didn''t want to kill your son, that was all Sophie but really, grow the fuck up. How many people have you killed and not thought twice about them? How many sons have you unjustly taken from their fathers?" Lone shook his head. "It doesn''t matter now." "Y''know, I never thought I could hate anyone as much as my dad but you, Daisuke and that motherfucker ''Sir'' Ardus proved me wrong... I also never thought I could kill another person and enjoy it but here you are again proving me wrong," Lone chuckled. "You really should have sent all of the dukes after me, you fuckin'' idiot." And with that, Lone used his final Mental Destruction of the day and killed the monarch of a kingdom. Power flooding into his very veins as he felt the man whose hair he was holding go limp. "I ranked up... D-rank, huh?" Lone didn''t smile or rejoice, no, instead, he stored the corpse, the bonfire and Sophie''s helmet which still lay on the ground. He then contacted Sophie via The Summoning Room''s telepathy. As he waited for her to return with Breena, he mumbled, "All 4 dukes... Gilbert, Grimsley, Shana... Be safe..." Book 1 Milindo & The Holy City: Epilogue: Command and Heavy Impact "It''s annoying how quickly you dragonkin can heal wounds," Duke Catston said as he nocked another arrow then promptly fired it, sending the deadly metal-tipped shaft of wood whizzing past Duke Grindol''s head towards Gilbert''s heart. Gilbert crushed the arrow using some freeform gravity magic with ease. An interesting thing about magic was that with enough practice, you could use it in its raw state though the cost was wholly dependant on the caster''s skill, talent and magical affinity. This was faster than chanting skills though it was far less powerful. It was similar to how you could throw a punch or you could both throw a punch and apply a skill to your fist. This was Duke Malik''s primary way to attack currently due to his oral situation and honestly, he was Gilbert''s biggest nuisance besides the 2 dwarves he was protecting. Freeform magic was weak but hard to predict during a 4v1, after all. Duke Grindol slashed downwards with his longsword and successfully cut his way fairly deeply into Gilbert''s arm. The duke was quickly blasted away not a moment later but the damage had already been done. ''Damn it. I''m losing my limited SP at a rapid rate and my MP isn''t faring very well either... Do I really have to use the Djinn''s power?'' Gilbert thought as he tried to apply some nature magic to heal his arm only to be interrupted by Duke Leston. The man punched Gilbert right in the jaw. Blood and spit flew out from his mouth as he grunted in pain. "Thorny Vines!" Appearing from Gilbert''s sleeve, 4 tendrils of vegetation sprouted and then immediately stabbed into Duke Leston''s side. "Major Poison Enchantment!" Suddenly, the vines turned purple and started pumping like veins. Duke Leston''s face paled as he felt... something entering his body. "You know enchanting magic?!" he yelled as he quickly punched the vines, destroying them completely. Gilbert laughed as he deflected another arrow with freeform gravity magic and then moved himself, Grimsley and Shana out of the way of Duke Malik''s sneak lightning attack. "3% affinity for enchanting magic, wouldn''t ya know it?" he joked. "Took me 43-years to learn that skill and another 52 to evolve it twice. Makes for a good way to knock one particularly annoying close-range duke out of the fight though, now doesn''t it?" "You...!" the muscular duke struggled to voice his anger. Even standing up straight was a challenge currently. Gilbert felt a massive sense of relief when he saw how wobbly Duke Leston''s steps had gotten. ''1 down, 3 to go...'' "Now there''s only one close-ranged idiot to deal with, now isn''t t-" A sharp feeling overcame Gilbert''s body. He couldn''t voice his words anymore and he could only both smell and taste iron, oddly enough. Slowly looking down he saw a blood-covered blade sticking out of his chest. Leaning over Gilbert''s shoulder as he twisted his sword a bit, Duke Grindol smiled. "Finally. You''re very good at running and dodging for a mage, now aren''t you, Guildmaster Elksworth?" "Shite..." Grimsley muttered. Duke Catston closed one eye and grinned as he nocked two arrows on his bow simultaneously. "Now to deal with the baggage..." Panic entered Gilbert''s eyes. A bolt of lightning struck him right in the face and he suddenly couldn''t see out of his right eye anymore but that didn''t matter right now. He was in far too much pain to use freeform magic so he needed to do something or both Grimsley and Shana would die in less than a second. "Front... right... pocket..." Grimsley was a stubborn dwarf, he was a loyal dwarf, and, right now, he was a scared dwarf but most importantly, he was a smart dwarf. He applied his Strength to his legs and jumped straight toward Duke Grindol. He didn''t know how he could jump off the air but he assumed it had something to do with the skill Gilbert was using to keep them suspended up where they were. The stocky man slammed right into the duke''s back, surprising the life out of him. "W-What do you think you''re doing, dwarf?!" Grimsley didn''t answer. He peered around Gilbert''s flank and he saw how the bow-wielding duke was pulling his shoulder back as far as he could as he aimed his bow. There was no time to lose. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. He ignored Duke Grindol and wrapped his arms around both the noble and the guildmaster. He snaked his hand into the pocket Gilbert had mentioned and felt something cold and round enter his grasp. "Split Shot," Duke Catston chanted, activated a skill. Surrounded by a green glow, the two arrows he had drawn flew from the bow and were heading straight for Grimsley and Shana''s heads. "Djinn or whatev''r the fook ya ''re! Get us the fook oota ''ere!" Grimsley yelled at the top of his lungs. The orb in his hand shattered and a grey smoke rolled out of it, covering everything. The cloud expanded and slowly took the shape of a man. His top half was bare and muscular despite him being made out of nothing bar fog. He had no head, only a set of misty eyes and everything below his torso was just an oddly shaped amalgamation of grey smoke. "Your wish is my command," the Djinn known as Harsios proclaimed. It raised a hand to snap its fingers then the next second, it, Gilbert, Grimsley, Shana and Duke Grindol as well, all vanished. Duke Catston ran the hand he usually used to hold his arrows through his hair. "Fuck. I did not expect him to have a Djinn''s wish... I didn''t even know Djinns were real... Well, at least I managed to use Arrow Redirection before it fulfilled the wish... There''s no way that foolish traitor will survive with a sword through his chest, a half-burnt face, a cut arm, a sword-shaped hole in his chest accompanied by my two arrows. Guy''s as good as dead." He looked up to his floating mute fellow noble. Duke Malik looked less than happy, that was for sure. "Let''s go back to the castle. We should wait for His Royal Majesty to return. We need to... shit. Duke Leston''s dead." Duke Catston sighed deeply. "This could have gone sooo much better..."
Grimsley flailed about like a madman as he, Shana, Duke Grindol and the heavily-injured Gilbert fell from the sky. "Cuntin'' Djinn! Where the fook did it toss us?!" He looked around frantically as the 4 of them were plummeted downwards only to discover that the sun was high in the sky and beneath them lay a massive body of water. ''Fae this ''eight, ah can survive ah fall into wat''r an'' the goat prob''ly can anaw solely due tae ''is rank but wee Shana... ''er ''ole body''ll shatter like hittin'' cobblestone fae the top ah ah roof!'' Grimsley thought as the sound of his niece''s frantic screams entered his ear. Luckily, he still had his pickaxe strapped to his back. With a bit of finagling, he unstrapped the tool and then started swinging it with applied Strength to gain some momentum. Using that in conjunction with some good mid-air manoeuvring, he reached his niece as they were roughly 250-metres from the surface of the ocean. He grabbed the girl and held her close to his chest. "Calm down, Lassie. Ah''ll break the fall fae ya. Stop screamin'', aye? Dinnae wan'' ya bitin'' yer tongue off on impact." Shana was shaking in fear and panic but she managed to nod her head and close her mouth without too much difficulty. At this point, Duke Grindol had let go of the sword impaling Gilbert and he was even more terrified than Shana was, as evidenced by his mad thrashing about and yelling. "Oi! Get a grip! Ye''ve got bett''r physical stats than Gilbert, aye? Dae tae ''im what ah''m daein'' fae Shana!" Grimsley ordered as the ocean got ever closer. Duke Grindol was hyperventilating and his face couldn''t get any paler if he wanted it to. "I can''t swim!" "Ah couldn''t gae ah fook less!" Grimsley snapped. "You hug ''at man an'' make sure ''e survives the fall an'' ah promise ah''ll carry all 4 ah us tae land! Ah can apply ma Strength an'' ah''ve got SP fae days, so get ah fookin'' grip!" Nodding quickly in a clearly unstable state, the duke used a skill to attack the air, giving him enough propulsion to return to Gilbert. He held onto the dragonkin as best as he could without further agitating the man''s horrendous wounds. If he was to survive this, it was by doing as the angry dwarf had commanded, pride be damned. Grimsley could hear the sound of waves getting louder and louder as he held his niece. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth as he thought, ''This is gonna fookin'' ''urt.'' An incredible amount of pressure made itself known across his back as he felt his entire body get covered in water. He sank about ten metres before he was able to even try to swim to the surface. His entire body ached but he was alive and so was Shana judging by her squirming. Grimsley breached the water''s surface a few seconds later and he then let go of Shana only to hold her cheeks. "Can ya swim, Lassie?" "Y-Yeah," she answered with a shiver. "Good. Ah''ve two idiots tae dive back doon fae," Grimsley replied before he kissed Shana''s forehead then plunged back under. He thanked the Primals that wherever they were it was daytime and that the seas were clear. Of course, the ocean was still incredibly dark underwater but his Stone Dwarf heritage offered him slightly better eyesight in poor conditions than was normally offered to most species. Likely on account of the generations after generations of living underground. About 20-metres away he could see Duke Grindol frantically trying to ascend the water in any way he could to no success as he tightly held onto the unconscious Gilbert. Grimsley was no master athlete or professional swimmer but with his applied Strength, reaching and pulling the two men back to the surface was simple enough, if not mentally draining. The very second they surfaced Grimsley yelled, "Ma word is law, ya ''ere me, nobleman?! If ya wanna live, hold ontae me an'' do every fookin'' thing ah say!" "Y-Yes, of course," Duke Grindol answered as he tightened his grip around Grimsley''s waist. "Good. Fae now, if any sea monsters come lookin'' fae a fight, fookin'' deal with ''em. Ah can see an island about 7-miles ''at way if ma guess is right. It''ll be close but ah can make it," Grimsley said. Shana swam over to them and took hold of Grimsley''s arm. "S-Sorry for being useless, Uncle Grim..." "Dinnae worry aboot it. Ya can apologise when we''re safe..." Grimsley looked up into the sky and narrowed his eyes. ''This wasn''t ''ow ah saw this day goin'' but we''re alive... Ah hope Lone an'' the wee lassies can say the same...'' Book 2 Stronghold & Secrets: Prologue: The Guilds Response and Summoning High in the middle of the clouds in a strange and resplendent manor that seemed to exist and both not exist at the same time, a boy made of fire raised an eyebrow. "Really? Non-negotiable?" Standing across from him was a 7-foot-tall stoic human man holding a little girl in a set of pyjamas. The man had cold and almost dead-eyes though he was holding the 6 or 7-year-old girl with care. The girl, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her eyes open. She had a set of peculiar fuzzy ears and a long grey-ish brown tail coming out from under her pyjama''s shirt. She was of the slothkin species though her race was unknown. "Yes..." the girl replied slowly. "We... have... to... go..." The boy made of fire shrugged. "Well, go then. Damn. I wonder why I didn''t get asked to go too? It''s not every day you get the chance to dismantle a no-name kingdom." He turned around and walked further into the palace, seemingly uncaring or unwilling to invest any more emotions into this. "I... want... to... rest..." the slothkin complained. "Envy... use... your... power. I... am... already... getting... cold... feet..." Just thinking about what Grand Guildmaster Sarah had asked her to do made the girl feel lethargic considering how many Stamina Points, Mana Points and World Points it would consume to accomplish by herself. Nodding tersely, the tall man known as Envy spoke, "Both Sloth and I appear in the centre of the royal court of Milindo''s castle in the Holy City of Ranton upon the planet of Altros on the mortal plane." He gave the girl he was holding a look as if to say that she shouldn''t make this a habit of hers. She knew the risks of using his power, after all. The very next moment the two disappeared from the manor in the sky and reappeared in the middle of the very same throne room where Gilbert had petitioned to King Heidron for Lone to be released. No one was perched upon the throne but the room was far from empty. A well-moustached and exquisitely-dressed minister scrunched up his eyes as he roared, "Who are you to dare step foot in His Majesty''s royal courtroom during these tumultuous times without first being invited?!" Envy frowned. "The man standing 2.4-meters to the northeast of me will have a deadly heart attack and die in exactly 2-seconds." "What?! What nonsense is this man babbling about?! Royal guards! Rid this place of the-" the man suddenly grasped at his chest and fell to his knees. Foam spilt out of his mouth as his eyes rolled back into his head. He was dead. The room became awash with the sound of silence and a feeling of dread consumed the other nobles and ministers who were gathered in the courtroom. Sloth squeezed Envy''s shirt as a show of thanks for calming things down when he didn''t have to. "We... are... Sloth... and... Envy... of... the... adventurer... group... The... 7... Deadly... Sins. We... have... been... sent... to... punish... this... kingdom... for... its... crimes... against... the... guild''s... members... and... employees..." Sloth then slowly peeled her eyes open so much that even seeing her eyelids anymore was impossible. A pair of pure-black pupils stared at the ministers and nobles before Sloth suddenly blinked. Along with her blink coming and going, so too did everyone in the room bar herself and Envy. They all just... disappeared, to where was unknown. At the same time, thousands and thousands of soldiers and nobles likewise seemed to cease existing. Sloth felt herself losing consciousness. "I... hate... doing... this... Envy... please..." Nodding, Envy spoke. "Both Sloth and I safely return to our untraceable home in the sky, Faust Manor of Altros which resides in the spiritual plane." Immediately, the two disappeared without nary a sign that they had even been there in the first place.
A few moments prior to Sloth and Envy''s departure from Milindo, in the port city of Ros, at the lord''s manor, Margrave Griffset slapped the adventurer Ceela across the face with a gloved hand. "Useless! Absolutely useless!" he screamed in her face as his nervous son, Bastion, stood at his side. "I should have that mother of yours stripped and raped in public to make up for your failures! Maybe even that younger sister of yours too!" The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Ceela bit at her bleeding lip as she mumbled, "I''m very sorry, Lord Griffset. The Young Master didn''t allow me to advise him of an-" Another slap shut her up. "Don''t you dare try to blame my precious boy! You know he only wishes to make me happy!" Ceela closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. ''How was I supposed to know he''d lie to you that he owned the Golden Foxkin after explicitly failing to get him after even almost dying to a fully armoured girl? I wasn''t the one who told him to be a deceitful little piece of shit...'' She wanted to cry, honestly, despite her age. ''So what if the other nobles are mocking you and holding you responsible for the demi somehow escaping Ranton castle''s dungeons? I just... I just wish someone would kill this fat excuse for a person. His useless son too...'' As if to answer her prayers, when she opened her eyes to apologise again, she found herself to be alone in the audience hall of the margrave''s manor. "... What?"
Emma Malik was secretly happy that the handsome foxkin had somehow escaped. She never did agree with his imprisonment since she, too, felt that the hero and the crown prince were abhorrent. She also had the displeasure of learning through her father that the foxkin had been set to get psychologically tortured through witnessing the abuse and murder of demi children. Thankfully he''d somehow managed to kill them before they could be hurt in front of him but Emma still felt sick regardless. ''Being a noble sucks,'' she thought to herself as she answered a summons from her mouthless father, Henry Malik. When she reached his office though, he wasn''t there. "Huh? Why isn''t Dad here? Did he go out on sudden business or something?" It wouldn''t be until another hour that she learned the truth - 90% of the nobility and even the royal army had just up and vanished as if spirited away by some powerful entity.
Several days later, in a rundown wing of the royal castle of Milindo, Queen Heidron rushed down the halls with impatience. The kingdom had been in a state of utter chaos for days now. Only a handful of the more virtuous noble houses still remained somewhat intact but rebellion was just around the corner and The Adventurer''s Guild had stated it would reform the kingdom''s government from the ground up with a heavy hand of assistance. The commonfolk were demanding answers and change at every corner of the kingdom, seeking order, control, explanations and answers. The slaves were rising up and actively hunting those with even a hint of an inclination towards being speciesist, their masters having been a part of the Great Vanishing somehow also correlated to their slave collars no longer possessing any power over them. Still, the queen had a mission, one that needed to be done even at the cost of her own life. She knew not why she had this mission nor how the thought of it had even entered her mind, she knew only that it must be done. Even should the kingdom she spent so long slowly gaining control over from the grasp of her unloved husband fall, even should her only remaining child the princess be lost, this mission must be accomplished. Reaching a dilapidated and more than rundown old ritual room, the queen smiled from ear-to-ear, though her expression seemed almost maddened. She reached into her dress and pulled out a ceremonial dagger. Raised it far above her head she suddenly started chanting in a long lost language that resembled both English and Milindonian but was also nothing like English nor Milindonian. "Those from afar, those from beyond..." "I reach out to you as you reach out to me..." "In the name of your gods and in the name of my gods..." "With the Old One as my witness and the New One as yours..." "Hear my prayer as I listen to yours..." "Bestow upon me a hero as I bestow upon you my life!" With a rapid and fluid motion, she brought her hands down and stabbed herself in the stomach. She then raised her hand and stabbed again... and again... and again... After successfully cutting herself open a total of 4 times, the life in her eyes left her as she collapsed over dead, though just before she left this plane of existence for a better one she could have sworn she heard chuckling and the sound of fingers clicking in her ears. The next moment the entire ruined and abandoned ritual room lit up with a majestic white light. The entire castle and even the city of Ranton shook as the force of the light was so great. Many heads turned towards the old wing of the castle and many people panicked or were greatly concerned by this strange and alien event. Not too long after it started, the rumbling and the white lights faded. Left in their place instead were four young individuals wearing clothes not of this land. Two girls and two boys opened their eyes only to be met with an unfamiliar and dark room that seemed ancient and it was accompanied by the distinct smell of iron. The first of the four to react after the initial confusion was a girl of about a meter and a half in height with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. "Is that... a person?" The girl rushed over to the queen''s corpse in an attempt to help her seeing as how she was covered in blood. "Hey! Are any of you gonna help me or are you just going to stare blankly... like... that..." The girl''s words came to a halt as her eyes opened in shock. Unbelievably, a bright blue screen had appeared in front of her.
Congratulations on successfully transmigrating to the world of Altros, Hazel McCullen! You have been gifted the unique skill [Mind Reading]!
Immediately she heard loud thoughts of fear and dread from her shorter female companion, Alisa. From the taller and more muscular of the boys, Scott, she got nothing but excited and confused thoughts. The last of her companions - and the only one she didn''t like - thought malicious and contemptuous thoughts but his mind also spoke of hints of a deep-rooted fear as well as growing nausea. "What the hell is going on..." Hazel muttered. B2: Chapter 1: Tired and Cauterising
Congratulations! The host has successfully gained enlightenment and ranked up. The host is now a D-ranker.
Lone was peacefully waiting at his campfire for Sophie and Breena to return as that system notification floated in front of his eyes. "I wonder if I ranked up when I killed him like with the Manasilk Spider Queen or after I killed him like with the Blue Orc Chieftain... " Depending on what the answer to that question was it would influence if he had gained any levels or not from the kill. Not seeing any reason to wait to find out, Lone pulled up his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 200 [+1]
Species: Foxkin Rank: D [Up from E]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 59,050/59,050 [+15,030] SP: 131/52,390 [+12,040]
MP: 40,490/40,490
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,900 [+64] Vigour: 5,239 [+1,204]
Dexterity: 2,134 [+52] Agility: 3,061 [+92]
Vitality: 5,905 [+1,503] Luck: 168 [+8]
Secret Stats
Charm: 122 [+42] Charisma: 132 [+83]
Magic Power: 4,049
"No levels beyond the mandatory one and no magic either. A lot of Vit and Vig, also a sizable amount of Charm and Charisma," Lone muttered. "So I ranked up after the kill then. Oh well. Plenty of stuff out there to kill to level me up to the next cap." He wasn''t torn up over the lost opportunity but something about his tone was deeply... troubled. "I guess he was a tank-class? Social tank-class? He''s given me the most secret stats besides Magic Power out of anything I''ve killed so far..." "I wonder what class I''d be categorised as in a game? Maybe a DPS? Could be a tank too even though I have shit defense only great self-healing... More specifically I bet I''d be labelled as an assassin-type DPSer with a spellcasting side-class," Lone said with an unspirited chuckle. "Well, no spellcasting side-class with my mana organs sealed, at least." Suddenly, the air next to him shifted as both Sophie and Breena materialised. "The king?" Sophie asked. Lone gestured to the bloodstains on the ground. "That''s what''s left of him, the rest is in my Dimensional Storage." Sophie nodded. "How many did it take?" "Four," Lone answered before asking, "Did a seal lift?" "Yes, Unique Magic: Barrier Magic," Sophie replied immediately. Lone narrowed his eyes. "That''s twice now a seal has lifted after two rank ups. Maybe it is every second one... Anyway, let''s go. I have no idea if the dukes or maybe even the army itself is coming after us. The king said all four dukes were going after Gilbert but I have no idea if he was just trying to upset me or not." "It does not matter," Sophie said coldly. "We must first care for ourselves. Gilbert is strong and had a Djinn''s wish with him. He will be fine." Lone frowned. "I hope so." Breena had no idea what the two were talking about for most of that conversation. ''Four? Four what? Seals? As in, magic seals? I don''t think they''re talking about fat seadogs...'' Regardless, she stayed quiet and watched as Lone stood up. "You look about as tired as I am, Sophie, and I''ve been awake for many, many days. No more teleporting. Can you run?" "Yes, but can she?" Sophie asked, pointing to Breena. "I''ll carry her," Lone said as he approached the young Foxkin. "Princess, fireman or piggyback?" "Uh... um... sorry?" Breena was rather confused. "Pick one," Lone said, choosing not to elaborate. ''What''s a fireman? A fire wizard? A man made of fire?'' the nervous girl thought as she hesitantly replied, "... Princess?" Lone nodded and immediately scooped the girl up into his arms, resulting in her freezing in shock and squealing a bit in surprise. "Sorry. I know you likely have a phobia of guys after that Daisuke prick but this is necessary. Trust that I''m only touching you to help you," Lone said softly as he began running, matching his pace to Sophie''s who was surprisingly agile despite her armour. Instead of answering, Breena closed her eyes tightly and tried her best to fight off the coming hyperventilation she sensed was creeping upon her. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Many hours later the trio had exited the forest and the sun could be seen slowly rising from the distant east, illuminating the land ahead. A few hours in, Sophie had elected to remove her armour and have Lone store it to help her conserve stamina. After all, not more than an hour ago the three of them had stopped running and started walking. There was no good reason to continue wearing the bulky metal plate. It was only serving to make her sweat. There were no signs of any sorts of pursuers, dukes or otherwise as they fled. Thus, to further conserve stamina and to help with Breena''s comfort levels, they had stopped moving so quickly. Lone looked to the sky as he used his flat palm as a sun guard and said, "This should be the border region between Milindo and the Estoplian Wasteland. Another hour of walking or so and we''ll properly be out of Milindo''s reasonable realm of reach. I think we should find a good spot in the desert and then I''ll set up my fort and we relax and rest for 2-days before moving towards the nearest dwarven stronghold - the one on the other side of the wasteland." Sophie nodded. "We are more than fine with this. We could use some sleep. Some of our MP has recovered while we were passing through that forest, of course. It is not much but it is just enough to get us a mile or two into the wasteland. Should we?" "Please," Lone answered. Nodding, the girl grabbed Lone and Breena''s wrists and then they vanished. A few moments later Sophie was covered in sweat and all three of them could immediately feel the morning sun blasting down onto their pale skin. Lone wasted no time and took out his portable fort. Sadly, he couldn''t use his MP so wasn''t able to cover the place in an Illusionary Dome. "Fingers crossed no monsters, raiders or traders find us. I''d rather not see another person for a while." He turned to Sophie and Breena before saying, "You two head in. Have a bath if you''ve the energy, otherwise find a bed and collapse in it. There should be cold water in the bathroom. Sadly, I can''t heat any of it for the foreseeable future." Sophie sighed and rolled her shoulder with her hand. "We shall have a bath, we think." She approached Lone and whispered into his ear, "We can''t suppress her anymore. She will be in control after we sleep and awaken." Lone nodded. "That''s fine." "W-What will you do?" Breena asked gingerly. He smiled, showing the bags beneath his eyes. "I''ll keep watch. Sophie can''t if she''s asleep." "Oh... Okay..." The teenaged Crimson Foxkin looked around a bit hesitantly before saying, "T-Thank you. For, uh, for saving me... from the h-hero and thank you for agreeing... to, um, bring me home..." "That''s delayed, is it not?" Sophie asked. "Regardless, we are heading in. This heat is insufferable." Breena quickly followed behind her after bowing her head at Lone who simply stood still. He sighed faintly then jumped up onto the fort''s roof with ease. "5-days without sleep... This can''t go on..." Lone muttered. His eyes were heavy but the blissful state of unconsciousness wouldn''t find him for long even if he allowed it. "Those kids..." Youthful faces filled with fear, resignation, acceptance and blood flashed through his mind. Shaking his head, Lone said to himself, "I need a distraction... Right, Gilbert gave me that orb to talk to him, didn''t he? I should see how he''s doing... There''s no way the dukes got him, right?" He rooted through his Dimensional Storage and found the communication orb. "So how do I use this? Do I just... will it?" As soon as those words left his mouth the ball in the palm of his hand lit up with a bright hue of aqua.
Grimsley''s breath was about as ragged as his body considering the state his back was in. He could only sigh in relief, however, when he successfully made it to the small island he''d spied in the distance. Duke Grindol flopping about like a dying fish all the while didn''t make things easier, that was for sure. "Gae us yer sword!" he screamed at the soaking wet and still-panicking duke. Confusion and hesitation flashed across the SS-ranker''s face. "Why?" "Fookin'' gae it ''ere!" Grimsley demanded again. "Ah need tae use it tae cauterise this cunt''s wounds! Ma pick doesnae ''ave the right shape fae it." Hesitation flashed across the duke''s expression. ''We''re finally on land now... I can''t believe I relied on a lowly demi to save my life! He''s not even all that powerful, for the Primals'' sake... If I don''t give him my sword, Guildmaster Elksworth will die, won''t he? Perfect. With him gone, I won''t have anything to worry about as I plot my escape from this island and return to Mil-'' "If ya dinnae ''and over ''at fuckin'' toothpick of ah weapon, then ah''ll nae make us ah ship tae get the fook oof this rock! We''ll all die togeth''r so stop bein'' a fookin'' babby an'' do as a tell ya tae!" Grimsley yelled intimidatingly. "Yes, sir. It''s all yours, sir," the duke gave in. Pride was one thing, his crippling inability to swim nor craft a ship was another. Why give up a perfectly good avenue of escape when cooperating was so easily justified? "Fookin'' finally," Grimsley grumbled as he snatched the weapon from the man. ''Fookin'' idjit. As if a blacksmith kens ''ow tae make ah ship. This sword''s well balanced but honestly, it''s a piece ah piss. Ah can see it snapping in a year or two even with good maintenance. Bet ''at elf skank was the one ''oo forged it.'' Grimsley brought the weapon''s flat side to Gilbert''s profusely bleeding and now charred-black eyeball first. "Reforging Temperature," he invoked. The sword''s blade quickly turned red and seared the skin on Gilbert''s face, forcing a grimace and grunt to emerge before suddenly Gilbert was roused from his unconsciousness and screamed at the top of his lungs. "AHHHHH!" Shana just about collapsed on her behind, such was the force put behind Gilbert''s pained yell. Very quickly both she and her uncle found their surroundings to be suffocating and tense beyond measure. "Bastard''s unleashin'' ''is aura! Gil, can ya ''ear me?! Ya need tae stop! Ah''m tryin'' tae ''elp ya!" Grimsley could see illusionary stones and coiling vines spewing forth from the dragonkin''s body and they weren''t stopping. "Fook! Oi, Duke, ye''r an SS-ranker tae! Stop ''is aura fae leakin'' like a loose arsehole!" "H-He''s a lot stronger than me on a 1-to-1 basis. He likely has far more levels than I and is closer to reaching triple-S-rank so I don''t-" he stopped mid-sentence upon seeing the glare being shot his way by a particularly bearded dwarf, "... so I don''t think that I shouldn''t try to suppress it!" A rack of incorporeal longswords and bucklers appeared over Duke Grindol''s head before they rushed to fight off Gilbert''s spewing aura. Strain and sweat gushed out of the nobleman''s face as he said, "This is as best as I can do!" Grimsley could breathe again so it was better than nothing even if he felt like a mountain was pressing against his already injured back. "Shana, ''old ''im doon! ''E''s thrashin'' about tae much!" The girl did as told and clasped her hands on Gilbert''s shoulder, struggling to keep him from moving as violently as he was trying to. Grimsley then, with much difficulty, cauterised both the entry and exit sword wound on Gilbert''s back and chest respectively. When that was done, he ripped out the three arrows lodged in his gut and cauterised their wounds too. With all of that accomplished, Grimsley ripped his shirt apart and used it to bandage the rest of Gilbert''s shallow wounds. "Almost done..." he grumbled. "Disinfect." He thanked his many years of working as a mining apprentice before finding his love for smithing. Without the time spent in the horrendously filthy miner''s barracks in his mother krieg, he''d never have learned such a useful regular skill like Disinfect. Panting and exhausted, Grimsley sat by Gilbert''s side. "Ah ''ope the cunt''s natural healin'' is strong enuff tae close up ''is internal wounds... ''Ere''s fook all ah can do aboot those..." The White Dragonkin in question had soon lost consciousness again with the pain from his wounds being closed no longer being present, so Shana and Duke Grindol weren''t forced to restrain him either. Shana was instead lying down on his back with her eyes closed, clearly trying to catch her breath. Holding an SS-ranker down, even a magic-focused one who was heavily injured was no small task for someone as weak as her. Duke Grindol was crying over his sword. The weapon''s blade was dripping all over the place as it bent in a weird angle. Grimsley had absolutely ruined the thing. Just as he thought he had a moment to rest, Grimsley noticed a bright blue glow burst out of one of the pockets of Gilbert''s tattered robes. "Ah, fookin'' Primals... What noo?" B2: Chapter 2: Sleep and Travel Lone was surprised to have gotten through to Grimsley and not Gilbert but this was a good sign. The fact that someone had answered the call at all meant that they weren''t all dead, which was the worst-case scenario in Lone''s mind. However, as the conversation went on Lone''s joy quickly turned into a mix of anger and worry. "So you don''t know if Gilbert will live?" Grimsley had detailed how they had been attacked by the four dukes and escaped by using the Djinn''s wish when Gilbert received a near-fatal wound. "Aye, Laddie. Not got ah clue. Ah did what a could, mind, but ''e could ''ave an internal infection or might nae ''eal fast enuff tae save ''imself fae the internal bleedin''. All we can dae noo is ''ope fae the best," the utterly exhausted Grimsely answered. Lone bit onto his finger hard enough to draw blood as he muttered, "Milindo... I''ll wipe you off the map for this, one day." Little did he know Grand Guildmaster Sarah had already ordered the adventurer group, The Seven Deadly Sins, to do something very similar to his thoughts. "Anyway, enuff aboot us, Laddie. ''Ow''re ye an'' the wee lassies? Make it oot awright?" Grimsley asked. "Yes, not before killing the king though. He came after us, I monologued to him how much of a foolish and incompetent man he was then I ended his life. I also reached D-rank. Yay me, right?" he answered with fake enthusiasm. "What?! A mere demi killed His Royal Majesty?! Impossible! He''s lying!" a voice unknown to Lone screamed through the orb. "Grimsley? Who was that?" Lone asked in both confusion and worry. Had they been taken hostage by someone loyal to the crown? All Grimsley had explained was that he and Shana were a bit beat up but alive and he''d detailed Gilbert''s horrific condition, he hadn''t told him about their new ''friend''. "Ah pest, that''s who," Grimsley answered. "Ah wasnae particularly specific when ah made the wish tae the Djinn, so naw only did it teleport us over ah fookin'' ocean, but it also brought one ah the dukes wae us. Thank the Primals the cunt cannae swim, eh?" "Which duke?" Lone inquired. "Ah coudnae gae ah fook les- Duke Grindol, you barbaric dwarf - Oi! Anymere cheek ootta ya an'' ah''ll nae reforge yer sword when ah can, do ya understand me, laddie?!" Grimsley yelled through the communication orb. Lone smiled wryly. ''The duke''s probably older than you are, Grimsley. Calling him ''laddie'' is a bit...'' Regardless, the duke agreed and then politely asked once more if it was actually true Lone had killed the king. Not seeing any reason to explain himself to a speciesist duke, he simply said ''yes'' and nothing more. He and Grimsley then chatted about their plans - Lone''s to go to a dwarven stronghold and Grimsely''s to build a ship - and then they ended the call. Lone reached into a pocket and pulled out what Grimsley had left him before they parted ways in the Holy City of Ranton. It turns out that the grumpy Stone Dwarf had decided to gift him with his pair of steamforged glasses. Lone played with the various lens a bit placidly as he muttered, "Grimsley said that the nearest stronghold of Krieg Moor is disconnected from the Farwinds - the road that connects all kriegs... That means no easy travel from one end of the continent to another..." He sighed. "He also mentioned they''ve been dealing with strange phenomena and are a bit testy towards visitors right now though he doesn''t know much else since he only had a single contact there while staying in Milindo... Perfect... Still, it''s wiser to try and find refuge there for a time. I can only hope we don''t get mixed up in whatever issues they''re facing..."
Lone yawned strongly as the hours slowly ticked on by. He was too tired to train but too restless to relax. He couldn''t even appreciate the fact that the sun was slowly setting and the wasteland was gradually getting cooler. Suddenly, he heard a sound from his left and then a massive impact hit his side. He''d been hugged and was being squeezed rather tightly by an adorable little creature. "Hi, Soph," he greeted. The girl had teleported onto the roof and tears were streaming down her face as she burrowed into Lone''s shirt. "I saw- You- Dungeon- Sophie''s memories- The blood-" Lone stayed quiet as Soph cried her heart out and mumbled words endlessly and a bit incoherently. Eventually, she calmed down a bit. Still crying though no longer sobbing, she grabbed Lone''s hand and said, "Bath and sleep. You need both." Lone smiled wryly. "The first I can do, the latter... I can try. I trust you''re watching our surroundings?" Soph nodded cutely. "Mmm. By the way! I, uh, I don''t forgive you or Sophie yet! I was asleep for so long... It was cruel..." "It was for your own good," Lone protested as he allowed himself to be dragged towards the roof hatch which led down into the fort. "I can decide that on my own. I may be childish and emotional, Lone, but this personality is over 600-years-old. I''m not a kid, regardless of how I act or look most of the time," Soph said with a pained tone. Clearly, it had affected her knowing how little Lone and her other side trusted her in such a serious situation. ''Did you and Lone really think I''d instantly try to save him from the prison? I''m not stupid! Stop thinking I''m stupid! ...'' The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Sophie didn''t answer mentally as she usually did for she couldn''t find the right words to reply while she dealt with her guilt. Soph quickly led Lone to the fort''s bathroom and spent the better part of 2-hours properly getting every last bit of blood out and off of his body. Of course, she gave extra attention to his tails, especially the new tail and ear tips. They used to be pure gold but now after Lone''s awakenings the ends of his fluffy limbs, as well as his ears, looked like they had been dipped in sky-blue paint before then being dipped into void-black paint, only the second dip was shallower. At the same time, Sophie had got Lone to summon Kyuubi and she also bathed the baby fox since the poor thing - much like Lone and Sophie before her - hadn''t been cleaned in a very long time. Not long later the small family of three were sitting on their king-sized mattress in the fort''s master bedroom. "Is Breena doing okay?" Lone asked as he settled into the bed and tried to bask in the sorely-missed sensation of a comfortable place to lie down. Soph nodded. "Mmm. Her breathing is stable and she''s sleeping soundly." "That''s... That''s good," Lone answered. "So... Unique Magic: Barrier Magic? Is it as simple as it sounds?" Soph cocked her head to one side and held her chin as she said, "Well, yeah? Um... It''s like, a branch of magic? like lightning, fire or water. I can freeform create basic barriers at will for a low MP cost but I can''t do anything special. No, uh, skills or anything. I think I need to develop them myself. I never used this when I was alone for all of that time... Well, uh, not alone, but, I never used it. Sophie did before I existed..." Lone smiling wryly, picking up on her tone but he chose to try to brighten the sudden shift in mood. "Of course a unique skill would be special. That sounds amazing. I can think of a lot of applications for barriers assuming it''s as versatile as I think it i- Why are you give me that look?" Soph was pouting fiercely as she started at Lone. "No. No testing, no experiment, you are going to sleep! No arguments either! I refuse to let you hurt yourself anymore by talking about my new skill. You need to rest." "Haha, fine, fine. I''ll try," Lone laughed as he flopped down and pulled the covers over himself. "Care to... keep me company first before I drift off?" Soph''s expression was instantly flushed red upon hearing Lone''s suggestive tone. "Idiot... Kyuubi''s here..." Lone grabbed Soph and grinned as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Kyuubi''s a baby fox, what''s the harm? It''s like keeping a cat in the room, besides, she''s sleeping." He leaned down and gazed into her eyes deeply. "Change into your adult body, please." "Geez..." Soph could feel her entire being heating up. It had been a long time since they''d done it, after all. "At least let me get into something, uh, cuter first... T-To set the mood..."
Faces surrounded Lone. Youthful yet deeply disturbed faces. "Why..." Blood poured out of their mouths like a river as they spoke to him. "We respected you..." A creeping feeling of dread was overwhelming Lone as he stood still in terror and listened to the scratchy, pained and innocent voices. "Lord Ninetails, why..." Their closed eyes peeled open to reveal blood-filled sockets. "I don''t want to die..." Fear and hate consumed the young expressions as crimson began pouring out of their noses. "I don''t deserve this..." The vicious red liquid flowed freely from their ears as they stared with their intent at Lone''s naked mind accusatorily. "Why did you kill us?" They all asked that question in unison and Lone tried to respond only to find his voice missing. "... Why?!" Lone''s torso flung up as his eyes widened. His breath was heavy and he was covered in sweat. "The voices and faces again... Fuck..." He looked around and noticed that only he and Kyuubi were still in the bed. He scooped up the sleeping fox and hugged her to his head, wrapping his face in her softness. "Ha-ah... I wonder if I''ll ever get a good night''s sleep again. What do you think, Kyuubi?" "Kyuu..." was the only response he got from the softly snoring animal. Lone guessed he''d only been out for maybe 3-hours, pathetic as that was. Still, it was the only sleep he''d gotten in days so he was thankful regardless of how unhelpful and unhealthy it was. He busied himself by getting dressed and he then quickly went to check up on Breena. The girl was still sleeping soundly though she was tossing and turning a bit as she did. Clearly, she too suffered from bad dreams though likely not to the level that Lone did, which was relieving. Lone grabbed a snack from the kitchen then found Soph sitting atop the roof, a small transparent green circle appearing and disappearing in front of her outstretched hand. "Unique Magic: Barrier Magic?" Lone asked as he squatted down next to her. The girl nodded. "Indeed. Soph is asleep, by the way. We are practising the usage of the unique skill as we stay on watch. You awoke earlier than we expected." "Ah. You''re not using your 15-year-old body so I couldn''t tell it was you, Sophie," Lone said. "I couldn''t sleep." "That is a lie. It is just that something forced you to awaken," Sophie said plainly. "A nightmare, we assume? We have experienced such hardships before." A distant look entered Sophie''s eyes. "That is why Soph exists." Lone smiled faintly. "Sadly, I''m not really an expert on creating a separate personality that is essentially another person." "... Is it the torture?" Sophie asked. Lone shook his head. "Killing the demi kids." "Ah... In our case, it was being chained to a wall for 200-years," Sophie said, trying her best to sympathise with her lover. "... Lone, Soph and us... we both care for you deeply. If you need to talk, we will listen." "Thanks," Lone answered. "That means a lot to me, really. I don''t think this is something that''ll go away though with just some chatting." "Of course." For once, Sophie wasn''t being rude or snarky in any regard. She truly empathised with Lone''s pain and it, in turn, pained her as well. ''Love... how double-edged. He makes us feel so warm and pleasant just by thinking of his face but also, knowing of his mental scars and the fact that he cannot sleep soundly due to them... it burns our heart... We should remind him of our feelings so he knows we share his burden. P-Perhaps he didn''t fully understand what we meant when we confessed to him in the forest...'' "L-Lone," Sophie called, suddenly straightening her spine seriously as she turned to stare into his now multicoloured-eyes - the colours being gold, blue and black. Staring back curiously, Lone replied, "Hmm? Yes?" ''Curses! Why is he so handsome!'' Sophie twisted her neck and looked the opposite direction as she muttered with a flushed expression, "W-We love you." "Huh?" Lone was a bit shocked at first upon seeing how embarrassed she obviously was before he laughed and grabbed her head before pulling her in and kissing her hair. "I love you too." "F-Fool..." Sophie immediately regretted expressing herself once more. Being kind and loving certainly was a challenge of endurance and perseverance, she felt.
For the next day, Lone, Soph, Kyuubi and Breena relaxed before Lone retrieved the fort. They quickly moved on from the Estoplian Wasteland, teleporting through it and walking when necessary to conserve Soph''s MP. At one point Lone had suggested that Soph should simply use the mana orb Sophie had taken from the now-dead crown prince of Milindo, but she insisted that it would be wasteful since they seemed to be in no immediate danger. Both Soph and Sophie had instead suggested that they tried to experiment with the tool to see if it could help Lone with his MP seal. He agreed and put that on the list of things to do once they were safely settled into Krieg Moor. Speaking of the dwarven stronghold, after a few days of peaceful travel, the group of four had arrived at their destination. Before them lay what was once a valid entrance to the greater Farwinds known as Krieg Moor. B2: Chapter 3: Entrance Inspection and The Rusty Sprocket Lone was in awe upon seeing the entrance to Krieg Moor. A towering set of double-doors that were easily 50-meters tall was the only way into the stronghold. These doors were embedded into the side of a solid cliff-face and they were practically glowing from the sheer power of the enchantments protecting them. "This is like something straight out of a video game..." Lone muttered. "It''s amazing... Look at all of that detail... Soph, these massive doors are telling a story! Can you see those murals carved into them? What an amazing piece of historical artwork." Soph glanced up at Lone''s eyes which were shining with excitement and enthusiasm despite the heavy bags sitting underneath them. "Mmm. It''s gorgeous." Lone stared for a good while longer before he finally collected himself. Reining in his inner history buff, he muttered, "Okay, so Grimsley said they aren''t very fond of humans but they aren''t outlawed so we just need to behave and we shouldn''t get mistreated... Now, where''s the lesser entrance?" Every gateway to a krieg had a smaller set of gates in one of the two ginormous doors to let people and merchants pass through. It was that entrance which Lone was looking for. "Uhm, Mast- em... Lone. There," Breena fumbled as she hesitantly pointed forwards. Following her arm, Lone spotted a small queue in the distance leading towards a point at the base of the door. "Ah, great. Thanks, Breena." The Crimson Foxkin nodded mutely in response. Very quickly, the three of them plus Kyuubi whom Soph was carrying entered the line which was filled mostly with dwarves though he could see a few other species of demihumans and one or two humans in the queue. Immediately, Lone could hear murmurs spreading through the queue when eyes fell upon his group. "A twice-awakened beastkin? How rare. Must be recent awakenings too since I don''t see any wrinkles," a man with rock for skin said. One of his kin nodded. "More importantly, isn''t that the 9-tailed Golden Foxkin from Milindo? I heard he caused a commotion over there." A lady with three arms on either side of her body added, "Indeed. He killed the summoned hero of Milindo in an annual tournament after crippling the crown prince. He was then locked up for months. Do you think it''s really him? How did he get out and end up here? I didn''t catch wind of him being officially released yet..." "Serves the fookin'' ''umans right. Oi, Ninetails, if ya pass the entry inspection an'' ah see ya in ah pub, yer drinks ''re on me!" a short ginger-bearded dwarf yelled. "Aye! Fookin'' too right! Ya did us demis prood," another dwarf chimed in. Lone smiled wryly and nodded kindly to everyone but didn''t answer or respond beyond that. For a start he had no idea what species the rock-skinned men were nor did he recognise the woman''s origin so he didn''t want to accidentally offend them. The dwarves were hardy and stubborn people who usually spoke with grunts and head gestures anyway when it came to strangers, well, that or incessant swearing, so they appreciated Lone''s taciturnity. Perhaps an hour later it was finally Lone and his group''s turn to be inspected and judged if they were worthy of entering the stronghold, something Grimsley had briefed Lone on during their conversation. They were brought into a building that had been situated right outside and to the side of the massive set of doors where everyone hoping to gain entry first went. It was carved into the side of the mountain and actually quite hard to detect without being close to it. "Names an'' occupations," the Stone Dwarf demanded a bit rudely but such was the way of the dwarves. Lone responded, "Lone Immortus. I''m an adventurer by trade, a scholar at heart and apprentice blacksmith by skill." Soph smiled sweetly and answered, "Sofia Vladimirovich. I''m a housewife!" She quickly got a bit of a look from both Lone and the inspector which made her curl up a bit as she held Kyuubi. "And, uh, I''m an adventurer too..." The inspector nodded though his eyes seemed distrustful and a lot of that distrust appeared to come not from Soph''s words but something else. Lone assumed her species. "An'' you, lassie?" the man asked as he stared at the Crimson Foxkin of the group. Breena looked down as she replied, "... Breena Redtail. Adventurer." "Nae much of a loud speak''r, huh?" the dwarf said to himself with a grunt. "An'' the fox? It''s nae a secret Divine beast or somethin'', is it?" Soph shook her head. "She''s called Kyuubi Immortus. Her occupation is... uh, daughter? Sleeper?" Lone smiled wryly. "She''s our pet, Sir." "Okay. An'' yer purpose of visit?" the dwarf asked. "We intend to stay in Krieg Moor for a few months to a year to rest and plan out our future journey. We intend to return this one to her clan, you see," Lone explained as he patted Breena''s head, causing her to jump a little. The inspector raised an eyebrow. "Doesnae seem ''at fond of you, laddie." He removed his hand and sheepishly stated, "She''s a former slave and isn''t the biggest fan of being touched by others." "Fair ''nuff," the inspector said as he looked down at his notes and seemed to write something down. "An'' how exactly will you be fundin'' this extend''d stay here? Assumin'' you pass an'' we let you in." "We''re adventurers. We''re all still pretty low ranked but we''re confident enough in our... unique talents to work hard enough to earn a good supply of money while helping the people of Krieg Moor," Lone answered. ''Best not mention how much gold I have stuffed away in a dimension unaffected by the laws of time and space, huh? Also, this guy is trying to hide his natural accent but he isn''t trying very hard... Is that to make himself easier to understand for foreigners?'' "Fair ''nuff." The inspector wrote a few more things down before he lowered his notes and glanced up at Lone. "Ah think you''ll be fine gettin'' in on Limited Beastkin Adventurer passes. Limited Human Adventurer pass fae the wee human lassie." "That sounds great," Lone answered. Grimsley had mentioned such things during their conversation a few days ago. If they made it through a series of practical tests for safety reasons then the full restrictions of their passes would be explained in detail to them. There were too many variations to count since almost every single one was unique to the individual. A world full of powers and levels made such a thing a requirement in more advanced civilisations according to Grimsley. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Perfect. Now, ah need tae have your ranks confirmed by a B-rank''r an'' if everything checks out then ah''ll just need you tae sign a contract statin'' what you can and cannae do while in our krieg. Ah do also need tae make you aware that if all goes well, you''ll need tae wear ardartian bracelets. Magic ah any kind is illegal tae use in Krieg Moor without a permit," the dwarf explained. Lone, Soph and Breena all agreed. Without delay, they were brought to another room and quickly had their ranks confirmed; Lone and Soph being D-rankers and Breena being an F-ranker. They even confirmed Kyuubi''s strength. To no one''s surprise, the plump fox was only an I-ranker, the lowest possible rank. They then performed a series of simple physical tests to see if they would be of any use to the krieg in the case of an emergency. Lone saw no issue with that, personally. It was their city and their culture, so it wasn''t unreasonable for them to expect visitors to at least be an option for defending that city and culture in the very unlikely case of a dire catastrophe. After all, when would such a thing realistically happen? Lone felt it was more of a formality than anything else. Their group was soon brought into the outskirts of the city to another official office and a few more hours passed before they were handed their entry passes. "Now, some rules I need to state," a tall for his species dwarf said as he looked at Lone. "First, curfew. All non-dwarves are to return to their accommodations before the ninth evenin'' bell." "Second, all humans are banned from partakin'' in any alcoholic beverages. I know she''s a child but we also know how much intelligence humans lose when under the influence. That reproductive racial skill of theirs makes ''em a bit... pushy." ''Did this guy seriously just suggest that Soph would try to rape dwarven men when under the influence because of her racial skill?'' Lone didn''t know if he should be offended or humoured. ''Well, they must have a precedent to base this law on.'' "Third, any usage of a combat-oriented skill is prohibited without a permit. Cannae exactly seal that stuff with ardartian since not all skills use MP and most folks don''t even have Magic Power tae start with." "Fourth, get in any fights whatsoever, and I mean any, and there''ll be consequences. The krieg''s on edge as it is already what with all the strange happenings of late." Lone nodded when he saw that the dwarf was done. "What strange happenings, if you don''t mind me asking?" The dwarf shrugged before dropping his forced accent now that he was done with the official stuff. "Weeuns nae cryin'' fae days on end, folk goin'' missin'' only tae come back... changed, darker an'' more moody. Buildin''s disappearin'' in the middle ah the night. Nothin'' unmanageable but still, be careful. Wouldnae want travell''rs like yerselves gettin'' caught up in whatever mess this Krieg of oors is endurin''." He looked down and pulled out a few stacks of paper from the desk he was sitting at. "Now, time fae yous tae sign a magic contract." The contract was simple enough. It just bound them to follow the laws of the krieg. Upon failing to do so they would be issued with fines or get exiled from the krieg. In extreme cases, death was the punishment but that was only for committing the most serious of crimes. Lone, Soph and Breena carefully read through the paperwork before signing and then Lone found himself being recommended to immediately find a place for some rest since he seemed so tired. Lone thanked the worker and then entered the stronghold proper. He then saw a sight he''d never forget for his entire life. "This is... incredible," Lone gaped in awe as he witnessed the underground city before him and basked in its glory. For a start, the ceiling of the place was easily 500-meters high. Lone knew they''d travelled down quite a bit during the inspection process, however, he didn''t expect the place to be so... roomy. Every building his eyes could see was a beautiful amalgamation of carved stone and steamforged machinery, giving it all a very earthy and rustic vibe. The streets were paved and filled with dwarven murals while they were edged with glowing orange tubes which Lone assumed funnelled a power source of some kind like some sort of exposed piping. Dwarves and species of all kind wandered the streets or rode around on what Lone could only describe as steamforged bicycles. "I need one of those," Lone said in awe as he subconsciously reached into his pocket and began fiddling with the steamforged glasses Grimsley had gifted him. It was at that moment that something unexpected happened; Lone gained a new skill.
The host has developed the passive skill: Historical and Cultural Appreciation.
"What?" Lone was shocked. He immediately pulled up the skill''s information to see what it was about.
Passive Skill: Historical and Cultural Appreciation
A skill that allows the host to gain knowledge and sometimes permanent power from observing or creating history and matters of culture. Ordinary moments and sites of history witnessed or created Exiled elves of the Western World Tree | Ranton''s Grand Colosseum | The death of a human summoned hero | the Estoplian Wasteland. Extraordinary moments and sites of history witnessed or created None. Miraculous moments and site of history witnessed or created: None. Ordinary moments and sites of cultural significance witnessed or created The beauty of the Stone Dwarves underground stronghold city, Krieg Moor. Extraordinary moments and sites of cultural significance witnessed or created None. Miraculous moments and sites of cultural significance witnessed or created None. Permanent bonuses granted: 20 Luck | 5 Charm.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone''s eyes widened as he felt knowledge of the listed historical and cultural moments which he didn''t know enter his mind. "That is a lot of info and I''ve never seen a skill like this one before..." "Hmm?" Soph glanced up at Lone curiously. "Uh, it''s nothing. Just a skill with a big description and lots of details," Lone said dismissively as he took her hand in his and started walking with Breena not far behind the two of them. ''So skills like this exist which give you stat bonuses and extra information on things... I wonder how rare they are?'' Regardless, Lone was happy to have been rewarded for his enthusiasm towards architecture, steampunk-esqe technology and history. As they walked Lone waved at a cycling female dwarf to get her to stop. "Whacha wan'', sonnie?" she asked with a sweet voice despite her thick accent and grumbling tone. ''I''m so glad female dwarves don''t have beards, still, their faces are quite angular, aren''t they?'' Lone thought in passing as he said, "Sorry for stopping you. We just gained entry to the krieg. Would you be so kind as to possibly point us in the direction of a good inn or home up for rent?" "Oh. Sure." She raised one of her stubby arms and pointed down the street before saying, "Down at'' road, turn right, third left down an'' ye''ll find the Rusty Sprocket. Expensive place despite the name but it''s a good place tae rest. Ya look like ye need it, sonnie." "Haha, thank you," Lone laughed half-heartedly. "You wouldn''t also be able to tell me where I could buy one of those, could you?" he asked as he gestured to her bike. "It seems like a fantastic invention." "A steam-wheeler? Aye, ''at ah can do." She then described which direction to go in to buy the intriguing mode of transportation. "Ye look after yerself, sonnie. Krieg''s nae as peaceful as it used tae be. Ye''r a good lad. Rare tae find people as kind an'' respectful as ye amongst travellers." Lone thanked the lady and they then parted ways. Soph glanced up at him and asked, "... Rival?" with a troubled expression on her face as she squeezed little Kyuubi. Lone smiled wryly and patted her head. "No, you dummy. That was a middle-aged woman." "She was shorter than me," Soph said with a pout. "You like short girls." "What? No I don''t," Lone protested as they walked towards the mentioned inn, the Rusty Sprocket. Soph stared at him in disbelief. "I''m short." "Yeah, and you''re also Russian. Doesn''t mean I like all Russians," Lone responded with a sigh. The two bickered for a while about this meaningless subject until, finally, they and Breena had arrived at the Rusty Sprocket. Lone booked two rooms with a double-sized bed, one for him and Soph and the other for Breena. With that done, they immediately retreated to their new accommodations. Lone was now sitting at the end of his and Soph''s new bed with the mana orb Sophie had taken from the dead crown prince of Milindo. "I wonder if you''ll help me remove my MP seal..." he whispered to the orb before chuckling, "I''ve not had great luck with orbs thus far but I can still hope for the best." B2: Chapter 4: Limited MP and Dwarven Adventuring Rules Lone held the blue mana orb curiously as he asked himself, "So, do I just will it like with the communication orb?" Filling his mind with thoughts of triggering the sphere and funnelling its stored power into himself, Lone was pleasantly surprised to see that he was right. He was then immediately regretful of his very vague thoughts. Energy flowed into him like a flood. His veins turned bright blue and glowed under his skin as they bulged, threatening to burst. His entire body cramped up and it took all of his strength to uncoil his fingers from the ball in his palm, saving himself from pulling even more MP into his body. The mana orb clattered to the floor, startling Soph who was napping at his side on their bed. "What''s happening?!" She jumped up in fear and looked around before noticing Lone''s condition. "Lone! Are you okay?! I, uh, don''t think veins are meant to be th-that blue! Why is there mana in them?!" "I tried to use the mana orb," Lone explained briefly as his eyes unfocused. A blue screen had appeared before them.
Warning! The host has tried to force MP into their mana organs while their MP has been sealed by the Unique skill [Creation Magic]. The host is now able to use MP temporarily (for 4-minutes and 58-seconds) but doing so will greatly lengthen the seal duration. (Extension on seal duration will vary depending on how much MP the host uses and depending on what tier of spells the host casts.)
Lone scratched his head in mild frustration. "I guess bypassing unique skill restrictions isn''t as easy of a thing to do as I''d hoped." "Hmm?" Soph tilted her head to the side in confusion as she snuggled up to a few of Lone''s black and blue-tipped tails. Hearing him speaking so calmly worked wonders on reducing her panic. He smiled wryly and explained, "I can forcefully use MP but it''ll lengthen the seal. Pretty pointless, really. I mean, I could use that to heal myself if I''m on death''s doorstep but otherwise, waiting for the timer to expire would make more sense than forcing the issue." Speaking of the seal duration timer, Lone summoned it since he wasn''t quite sure how much longer he needed to wait until he could use magic once more.
Remaining duration of MP seal: 7,105 hours, 42-minutes and 29-seconds.
"So it''s been almost 4-months already..." Lone muttered. He leaned down, resting his back on the bed and he then pulled Soph in for a hug. "I was in that castle''s dungeons for quite a while, huh?" Soph nodded as she buried her face in his chest and wrapped herself up in his fluffy limbs. "Mmm. I was asleep for just as long..." "... We''ve both been through a lot," Lone mumbled. "Well, here''s to a peaceful break to help unwind, huh?" Soph smiled as she looked up into Lone''s eyes. "Mmm! I''m happy. Hopefully, people here are kinder than in Milindo... I, uh, I know they don''t respect humans much here but I''ll behave as best as I can so I don''t get mistreated like you did in that stupid kingdom!" Lone had enough to worry about as it was already, Soph felt. Getting concerned over her wellbeing would just be one more problem to add to the list. If she could avoid that then she would. His lack of sleep greatly weighed on her mind. If she was able to help him in any way whatsoever then doing so would be her top priority. Lone raised an eyebrow as he felt the weight on his stomach increase by a decent amount. "Your adult form?" Soph blushed as she felt her clothes tighten thanks to her bigger body size. "Let''s, em, have some fun?" "Haha, sure, let''s," Lone answered as his friendly smile slowly turned carnal.
The following morning Lone sighed as he got up. "3-hours and a light nightmare..." He glanced down at Soph who lay at his side in her 20-year-old adult form, fully nude. Leaning down he kissed her head softly. "With you by my side at least I can get a bit of sleep, huh? Better than trying and failing repeatedly like in the dungeons... Love truly is wondrous..." He gave Kyuubi a quick belly rub since she was snoozing in Soph''s arm. He then went to have a bath. Unexpectedly, the bathtubs in the Rusty Sprocket were steamforged tools. Not only did they have temperature regulating faucets like modern-Earth bathtubs but they also massaged the user while they relaxed in them. Truly innovative, Lone thought. After drying himself and getting dressed he left his and Soph''s room and knocked on the door to Breena''s. "Breena? Are you awake?" He wasn''t so rude nor inconsiderate that he''d barge in with his spare key if he got no response. The teen could still be asleep or washing herself up, after all. "Y-Yes," a muffled voice said from the other side of the copper door. With a series of clicks and clangs, it unlocked and swung open to reveal Breena in her adventurer gear - something she wasn''t wholly comfortable wearing yet as evidenced by her fidgeting. "Morning. Sleep well?" Lone asked with a smile. ''This girl needs affection. I''ve got no idea what it''s like to be the sex slave of some perverted and twisted man like Daisuke, but it must have left its fair share of mental scars. My own experiences with torture has taught me that much. I have Soph but Breena thinks she has no one to confide in. She needs to learn that Soph and I are here for her.'' The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Breena smiled awkwardly, clearly not used to expressing herself much. "Uh, y-yes? As well as anyone else, I think..." "That''s great. I was about to go and wake up Soph and have breakfast. I was wondering if you''d like to join... us... wait... Didn''t you only have a single tail?" Lone asked as he noticed a second fluffy limb swinging behind the girl''s hips. "U-Um, it grew in last night..." Breena explained. Lone smiled in pride. "Well, this is something to celebrate, no? A beastkin gaining an extra trait will strengthen their racial skill, after all. At least, that''s what the books say." Breena looked confused. "Um... wouldn''t you, uh, know? G-Given that you have nine..." "Huh? Oh, I was born like this. Yeah, that works. I was born this way," Lone said a bit half-heartedly. It felt freeing not needing to be too overly protective of his private information anymore now that he wasn''t in immediate danger, that was for sure. "Anyway, your ability to freeform create illusions should be stronger now, right? You have unlocked your racial skill, haven''t you?" "Yes? I, uh, have a-and I suppose so," Breena answered meekly. Lone sighed faintly. ''Poor thing. Beastkin traits only multiply after extremely harrowing or life-changing experiences according to my limited research and from my talks with Gilbert. I guess her time with Daisuke and then the escape here to Krieg Moor culminated in the change...'' "We''ve stood here for long enough; me in this hallway, you in that doorway. Let''s go get Soph then some grub, huh?" Lone suggested. "After that, I plan to go to the local branch of The Adventurer''s Guild and see what''s happening. Maybe take on a quest or two." "Yes, Mas-... Lone," Breena answered. ''That''s the second time she''s almost called me master. Once I could ignore as a mistake, but twice is the sign of a deep-rooted habit. Man, why is everyone fucked up in some way? I was never very good at dealing with troubled kids as a teacher... Fingers crossed I''m better at it now,'' Lone thought optimistically as the two of them set off.
Soph glanced away from Breena''s new tail as she reined in her desire to snuggle with the thing, instead focusing on Lone as she cuddled the snoozing Kyuubi. "So uh... why are we going to the guild?" she asked. Pouting her lips she added, "I thought we were coming here to relax and plan... Adventuring is dangerous..." Scenes of Lone almost dying to both the Mana Silk Spider and the Blue Orc Chieftain filled her mind. "I like adventuring, besides, not all quests are dangerous. A lot of normal people uninterested in power or uninvolved with monsters just need an extra hand to help lay bricks or whatever other menial tasks they need doing," Lone answered before a serious look entered his eyes. "Also, I don''t ever want to repeat what happened in Milindo. More strength is needed for that." He reached down and rubbed Soph''s head as he smiled. "Don''t forget that you have a new skill to test out and train as well," he said in reference to her newly unsealed unique skill, Unique Magic: Barrier Magic. Soph frowned. "I hate it when you make sense but the end result is still you being in danger..." "Haha, sorry about that, but yeah, for the first few weeks nothing dangerous or even related to monsters, ''kay?" Lone answered to which he got a hesitant nod of acknowledgement. Before long, the three of them plus Kyuubi found themselves at the local guildhall and the building itself simply blew Lone away. Much like the rest of the city, it was absolutely covered in mechanical bits and bobs which surely worked to do something useful but to Lone, it looked like nothing but a large piece of artwork. "I fuckin'' love this city..." He reinforced his backseat goal of learning what he could about the art of steamforging while they were here before he entered the building. Once inside, he headed for one of the reception desks. ''This place is a lot busier than Ranton''s guildhall, that''s for sure,'' Lone thought as he noticed a lot of dwarves and a few other people of other species talking to employees or going through quest boards, most of whom had pickaxes on their backs, grime on their faces and a hardened look in their eyes. ''Miners? Makes sense. I imagine the Stone Dwarven culture requires a fuckton of metal and stone...'' Once the dwarf in front of Lone''s group had successfully registered his quest and barged past them to presumably fulfil whatever it was he was now tasked with doing, the receptionist stared right into Lone''s pupils. It was a female dwarf but she had unnaturally icy eyes. "Ach. A fookin'' non-dwarf... Gae us a second tae switch tae ma neutral accent an'' vocabul''ry, aye?" ''Oh? They do that here? That''s relieving. I thought she was upset that I''m not a dwarf for a petty and racist reason but it just turns out its the local policy in this guildhall to try to be more legible for those not used to the dwarven accent,'' Lone thought. ''An understandable frustration to have to flip that mental switch. Trust only a dwarf though to voice it so frankly though, haha. I guess I won''t mention how I can understand them perfectly as it does grate on the ears a bit.'' A few moments passed before the receptionist spoke again and said, "How can I help you today? I can see your plates but I don''t see a quest form. Do you have a question for me, perhaps?" "Yes, thank you. I''d just like to ask if there''s any local etiquette that we should follow while we accept quests here," Lone explained. "This is our first time in a dwarven stronghold and we really like the place, so while we''re here we don''t want to step on any toes unnecessarily." "That''s a rare question," the receptionist said in surprise. "I''m sure. A very near and dear friend of mine is a dwarf, you see. He''s a real piece of work but he''s a good man, so I want to respect his mother culture while I''m visiting his people," Lone said. "Oh? Someone from the krieg?" she asked. Lone shook his head. "I''m afraid not. I don''t know where he''s from exactly just that he isn''t from Krieg Moor. He is a Stone Dwarf though." "Shame. I know most everyone in this city thanks to my job. It would be nice to meet a top-sider dwarf. Rarely do they come back home after leaving unless they had a damned good reason to leave. Local... customs and whatnot," the lady sighed. "Anyway, adventurer etiquette, yeah?" She pointed a thumb at the men with mining picks on their backs as she said, "Most jobs here are about that; mining. Don''t take them. It''s not viewed very well when an outsider ''steals'' a job that a krieg-born should be doing. Apart from that, don''t be too much of a pushover and you''ll do fine." "It''s that simple?" Lone asked. The woman shrugged. "We''re not complicated people most of the time. People post quests to get shit done, do it and you''re already a better adventurer than most other lazy idiots. Like I said, no mining and keep your back straight. That''s all, sonny." "Huh... Thank you," Lone replied with a smile. "I was also wondering what the minimum requirements were for forming an adventurer group?" "Simple, that. You need at least five members and the leader has to be a silver plate at a minimum. All groups represent the guild, after all. Can''t have some useless rabble relying on our organisation''s power. Groups tend to get privileges in countries where the guild is widely accepted and welcomed on account of them usually being a bunch of reliable ''problem solvers'', you see," the employee explained. "Ah, that makes things a lot clearer, thank you." Lone nodded politely towards the woman then led Soph and Breena to the quest boards. "Uh, I''ll swap to Sophie. She''s good at finding useful quests," Soph said before her attitude became cold. "What are we looking for, exactly? Stray cats stuck on pipes we assume since you wish for a relaxed experience," she teased. "Heh, sure, that would work. Anything normal with at least a half-decent reward. Maybe something that would help us develop skills like building or hands-on assistance," Lone answered with a chuckle. Sophie nodded curtly and then left his side to investigate the other boards. Lone looked down at Breena and asked, "You don''t seem comfortable." He''d noticed her gaze flickered from the floor to the many adventurers in the hall with an anxious expression thus he raised the topic. "... There are a lot of people here..." Breena mumbled back. "You can return to the inn if you''d prefer. I''ll happily escort you back once Sophie and I have chosen out a quest," Lone suggested. Breena was tempted but she steeled herself and shook her head. "I... I need to get stronger too. Developing skills takes effort." Lone smiled. "Well then, welcome to the team. Let''s find a quest, shall we?" B2: Chapter 5: Quest Choices and An Old Dwarf "Hmm..." Lone stroked his jaw as he looked at a few of the requests which had drawn his interest. ''Quest details: Need help reroofing my new home at 21 Grinfer Avenue. Quest issuer: Falga Orsigar. Requirements: Enough stamina to not get tired roofing a building and a good sense of humour. Reward: 15 copper coins and a free lunch.'' He could gain some constructive skills which would be very helpful in situations where the fort in his Dimensional Storage wasn''t usable or if it needed repairs when his MP was sealed like right now. Or, assuming his MP was unsealed, being able to fix the structure with his hands would be better in his opinion as opposed to wasting valuable MP on such a trivial task. ''Quest details: I require immediate muscle. I just need some people to look tough and keep my shop free of cunts for the open hours today. The location is Rider Smithy at Alba Square. Quest issuer: Hoof the Blacksmith. Requirements: A naturally intimidating look or strong-looking armour, whatever gets the job done. At least a G-ranker. Reward: 1 silver coin per day and a 1% discount at my shop that lasts for 7-days.'' Lone''s thinking for this one was that he''d be able to work on his Persuasion skill but that would require people to actually seek trouble with the store which wasn''t a guarantee. It could end up being a boring day of standing around doing nothing, which would be a waste of his time. ''Quest details: I''m returning my old buddy Olim''s corpse to the Stone near where he was born. The place is in the Farwinds and it''s a bit blocked up by monsters. More details upon acceptance of the quest. Quest issuer: Four-twelve. Requirements: Non-dwarves only. At minimum a D-ranker. The monsters ain''t too tough but there''s a lot of them, so a weak-kneed grass-huffer ain''t what I''m looking for. The trip''ll take about 4 days there and back, so I need someone who''s fine camping out in the Farwinds. Reward: 2 gold coins total regardless of if you''re solo or come as a group. I''ll tell you old war stories too if that interests you.'' Lone didn''t see much potential for gaining new useful skills in this one but honestly, it sounded interesting. Something about it felt... mysterious and fascinating. He wouldn''t accept it now since he''d promised to stay away from fights to Soph for a while but he intended to keep it in the back of his mind and perhaps accept it if it was still available in a few weeks or so. "I guess it has to be this one then..." Lone mumbled as he looked at the final quest which had drawn him in. ''Quest details: My good-for-nothing assistant got done in by the Darkness spawn in the Farwinds. I need a competent steamforger to help replace him until I find a more permanent solution to his absence. I know steamforgers don''t grow on trees so I''ll take a blacksmith who''s willing to learn. Location is my shop and forge at 7 Copper Lane. Quest issuer: Master Steamforger Wilbur. Requirements: At a minimum 1 skill related to blacksmithing and a can-do attitude. Reward: 10 copper coins per day and 5 copper coins per order you help fulfil. Free training too.'' "Only issue is that this is a solo quest..." Lone said to himself as he puckered his lips in thought. "That''s fine," Sophie said as she approached his side. "We found a quest looking for a guard. The owner of a tailor shop keeps getting robbed so he wants a bodyguard or two. We can handle that on our own. He also posted a quest looking for a short-term apprentice to help with the busy season on account of a new fashion trend popping up. Breena, you can do that. Perhaps you''ll gain skills for fine-handling or how to wield a needle; both potentially useful for combat." "Um, okay," Breena answered softly. She didn''t really have a preference and the quest sounded like it involved minimal contact with people which suited her just fine. With that decided, the three of them officially accepted their respective quests and went their separate ways. Lone felt somewhat lonely as he went to the shop the lady from yesterday had pointed out to him, the one that sold the fantastical bicycles - steam-wheelers. Almost immediately upon entering the building, his heart was filled with disappointment and a sour feeling. ''Fuck. How was I supposed to know steamforged shit is illegal to own if you''re not a dwarf or a long-term resident with a licence?'' The only saving grace was that the employees had been very understanding and offered Lone a small discount on their ordinary goods as an apology and as thanks for being polite and so enthusiastic. Little good that it did him since he only had one goal in going there. Regardless, Lone didn''t dwell on the matter for too long. He was above that. He knew such devices existed. In the future when his mana wasn''t sealed, he''d just make his own. So, instead of moping, he headed to the smithy where he was hoping to gain some employment. He would have brought Kyuubi along with him but he was pretty confident that the environment of a smithy wouldn''t exactly be healthy for a baby fox. Instead, he had elected to have Breena care for her today under Sophie and Soph''s supervision. The girl could use some physical interaction and Lone was aware that many people back on Earth were able to heal themselves mentally by playing with and just spending time with cute animals like cats, dogs and goats. It worked tremendously well on the most heinous of prisoners so why not on a little girl who had suffered the life of a sex slave? Lone chuckled a bit dryly. ''Maybe I could use some animal-assisted therapy myself? Then again, Soph works wonders in helping me sleep and Kyuubi''s great too for reducing my anxiety, so perhaps I''m actually already receiving it...'' Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. It wasn''t long before Lone found himself at the entrance of the steamforgery belonging to the Master Steamforger Wilbur. Again, he was simply blown away by how... artistic the building looked. It was clearly designed to be efficient and a lot of the outer structure was obviously used during the process of steamforging and perhaps even blacksmithing but it also had a certain... flair to it. It looked appealing to the eye. Well, to Lone''s eye at least. After admiring the place for a little longer, Lone knocked twice on the entrance then stepped through the door. The place was a shop after all, not just a workshop. Knocking seemed polite but standing outside would only make him look like a pushover, now wouldn''t it? Avoiding such a scene seemed like a good idea to him. "... A tourist?" a dwarf with a long grey - almost white - beard sitting behind the storefront''s counter asked. Two things were of particular note when observing this Stone Dwarf; first, he was exceedingly old. He had more wrinkles than hairs, which said a lot. Second, he had little-to-no dwarven accent whatsoever. Lone smiled and answered. "I suppose? I''m planning to stay in Krieg Moor for at least a few months to a year so maybe short-term resident would be a more apt description." "I see," the dwarf said with a distinct lack of interest. "Well, if ye''re here for steamforged toys and/or gadgets, I''m afraid I can''t serve ye. Only full-on residents are allowed to purchase them, ye see. Ye need a licence even if ye are a full-on resident if the Stone doesn''t flow through yer veins. Even then, it''s no easy feat to get one." He pointed to a poster that stated as such before his aged but still meaty finger drifted towards a set of walls littered with tools, weapons and armours. "Those, however, don''t have a lick of steamforging in them. Feel free to peruse them at yer leisure. If any particular item catches yer fancy, give me a shout and I''ll tell ye all about it." He dropped his hand and coughed softly. "If ye''ve got a specific need in mind, let me know and I''ll point ye to the right section of the shop. If ye have a special order ye want made, my prices and available services are listed over there," the dwarf said after pointing out another poster. "I''m actually not here for any of that, sadly," Lone expressed as he pulled out the quest notice and showed his adventurer plate. "I''m here to accept the temporary apprenticeship." The dwarf raised a sceptical eyebrow. "A beastkin as dainty as ye wants to help an old steamforger like me? Forgive me if I don''t immediately think that makes sense." "No, that''s quite fair. I''m sure you were expecting a fellow dwarf, haha," Lone chuckled. "I was actually the apprentice of a dwarf in Milindo for several months. Of course, he was only a blacksmith so steamforging is new to me but I''m rather talented in regular blacksmithing and I am more than willing to learn." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the steamforged glasses Grimsley had gifted him. "I want to be able to make stuff like this one day. I can''t use these on account of me not having humanoid ears, you see." "Steamforger smithing lenses, huh? Been a while since I''ve seen some of Frodley Goldsbane''s work," Steamforger Wilbur muttered. "Ye shouldn''t really be showing me that unless ye''ve got a licence." Lone grinned. "Steamforging is very interesting to me. I''ll risk a fine if I can convey that importance. Also, I had these before I entered the krieg. Is that illegal too?" ''If I can''t buy more steamforged gizmos, just make ''em. If I can''t use MP, let''s use my hands,'' Lone thought. ''Wait... is it illegal to make them too if you''re not a dwarf? Uh... that''s actually pretty likely...'' Steamforger Wilbur gave Lone an appraising look then said, "Okay, well, what blacksmithing skills do ye have? Tell me the name, level and any sub-skills or unique mutations if ye''ve got ''em." ''Ah, no outright refusal. Likely not illegal then. Awesome,'' Lone thought in relief. "Sure, I can do that." Lone pulled up the relevant skills and then said, "Blacksmithing, Intermediate Level 8. Logging, Beginner Level 7. Woodworking, Beginner Level 5." "Hmm..." Steamforger Wilbur stroked his long beard carefully. "And yer rank?" "D," Lone answered. Nodding lightly, the dwarf asked, "Any resistances to fire and smoke?" "Fire? No. Smoke created from a fire? Complete immunity. A perk of Poison Resistance," Lone explained. "Poison Resistance? That''s a nasty skill," Steamforger Wilbur remarked. "I guess ye didn''t awaken twice for no reason. Which Primal does that black belong to anyway?" Lone smiled. "None. It''s actually an obscure curse that prevents me from using magic," Lone lied. "There are only eight Primals, after all, and none are represented by the colour black. Everyone knows that." It seemed wiser in his mind to mix truths and falsehoods on this matter than exposing Void as a Primal. One, people likely wouldn''t believe him. Two, he''d be up shit''s creek without a paddle in regards to the Church of the Primals if they did. "A curse, eh?" The dwarf nodded softly. "It''s a big world, ain''t it? Okay, consider yerself hired. It wouldn''t do me any good to keep grilling little Grimsley''s apprentice, now would it?" "You know Grimsley?" Lone asked in shock. "Actually, how do you even know I have anything to do with him in the first place?" Steamforger Wilbur shrugged. "Not many dwarves living in Milindo, fewer still holding steamforged artefacts built by the great Frodley Goldsbane himself. Didn''t little Grimsley tell ye that he had a contact here? I assumed he sent you out to get trained by someone who actually knows something about smithing. Was I wrong?" "Yes, you were," Lone answered with a bit of a wry smile. "What a coincidence this is, huh? Of all the quests to accept, I accepted the one posted by Grimsley''s contact." Steamforger Wilbur snorted. "Ain''t no coincidence, boy. Do you think that luck stat''s a joke?" "Huh? What do you mean?" Lone asked. "Do ye really think any other dwarf in this city would take ye on as an apprentice but me, even if only temporarily? Our methods are a tightly guarded secret. There''s a reason the only place ye can get steamforged artefacts first hand is in a krieg. I''m breaking so many laws by even just agreeing to teach ye," Steamforger Wilbur said with a shrug. He threw his head back and sighed deeply. "Old Lady Luck clearly knew I just needed an assistant badly enough to accept anyone. She also knew I don''t care much for tradition ignoring the fact my knowledge isn''t bound to secrecy via contract magic like most." He chuckled faintly. "Ye must have a lot of luck, boy. Well, maybe not considering the fact you''ve awakened. Anyway, shop''s not very busy right now as you can see. Come in back and tell me how little Grimsley''s been doing in that cesspool of a human kingdom." ''Ah... Okay, incredibly illegal. Good to know. There goes my squeaky clean record,'' Lone thought sarcastically. "Uh... sure," he answered with a warm smile. ''Is it really okay to leave the storefront empty though? Isn''t he worried about thieves?'' Lone thought as he followed the dwarf into the back of the building. Surprisingly, unlike Grimsley''s now burnt to the ground smithy which held its forge in the backroom, Steamforger Wilbur instead has a cosy living room. It was spacious and the furniture seemed imported and not of dwarven design, especially the central figure of a featureless stone woman. "Interesting statue." Steamforger Wilbur furrowed his brow as he took a seat. "I''ll let that slide since ye''re likely ignorant but that''s no statue, it''s a corpse." Lone''s mind blanked for a moment before he recalled the men made of stone who were ahead of him in the line to enter the krieg. "Ah, uh, yeah, I wasn''t aware. So... her kind solidifies upon death or something?" "More or less, yes. Well, most species do just Ickold''s people aren''t made of flesh thus don''t rot," the dwarf explained with a shrug. "... Was she your wife?" Lone asked. Raising an eyebrow, Steamforger Wilbur chuckled. "Perceptive. Yeah, she was. She passed away about 40-years ago if my addled mind serves me well. Surprising ye guessed right." Lone smiled as he took a seat. "My lover is a human. Interspecial relationships aren''t a foreign concept to me. Besides, love doesn''t need to be restricted by physical boundaries. I can''t imagine you had an overly steamy relationship, after all." "Hahaha, cheeky git!" Steamforger Wilbur laughed heartily. "Well, ye''re not wrong. Anyway, tell me about Grimsley, boy. Last I heard from him he''d found traces of his niece in Milindo and decided to set up a smithy there to act like a hardworking citizen while he investigated her whereabouts." "Where to even start..." Lone scratched his cheek and said, "Well, I should probably tell you that he''s not in Milindo anymore..." B2: Chapter 6: Learning Smithing and Manning the Counter Steamforger Wilbur nodded lightly once Lone had finished detailing exactly what had happened to Grimsley. "Trust a boy like him to mess up a Djinn''s wish. He was even warned to be precise with the wording beforehand. Ha, well at least he survived." "... You don''t seem as concerned as I''d have expected," Lone noted. Steamforger Wilbur shrugged. "Death''s inevitable, boy. Ye don''t live to be my age at my rank without accepting that sooner or later. Everyone returns to the Stone eventually only to be forgotten as time flows ever forward. Well, most of us, anyway." The old dwarf stared at the corpse of his wife with a happy and content expression on his face. "If he''d have died, he''d have died fulfilled. Always a restless lad that Grimsley doing one thing after another, never letting himself grow lazy. No dwarf becomes a topsider if they aren''t ready to die." ''It''d probably be rude of me to point out that Soph has a unique skill that literally makes her immune to death, huh?'' Lone chuckled internally. ''I do wonder how old he is though. Dwarves can live until they''re 500-years-old or so at I-rank if I recall correctly, can''t they?'' Regardless of his thoughts, Lone asked, "So... how will the apprenticeship work?" Steamforger Wilbur slowly stood up then headed for a side door. "Come with me. I need to see how good ye actually are at smithing first. Skills can only do so much to help, after all. Creativity is very important when steamforging so if ye''re solely relying on yer Blacksmithing skill then I''ll be sorely disappointed in Grimsley''s ability to teach." "Ah, sure," Lone answered a little bit nervously. Immediately upon entering the forging room Lone was blown away by how... magnificently bronze it all was. "Is this a steamforged artefact?" he asked, gesturing to the forge itself. Steamforger Wilbur nodded. "Everything in this room is. The forge, the anvil, the tools. Even the walls. All of it. Ye''ll be expected to use steamforged equipment to do ordinary blacksmithing, by the way. If ye break anything, and I mean anything, ye''re paying double the cost-price to replace it. Ye understand?" ''For the chance to use these awesome gadgets and gizmos? You can bet your fuckin'' left bollock I understand,'' Lone thought in excitement. "Yes, Sir." "None of that ''Sir'' nonsense. I ain''t no knight. Call me Will or Gramps, either will do," the old dwarf claimed as he started searching through a box at the side of the room. "Gramps then. You''re certainly old enough," Lone joked with a laugh. "Old enough? Boy, I''m old enough to be yer grandad''s grandad''s grandad. Well, maybe not since ye''re a beastkin but ye get my point," he answered as he pulled out a pair of mechanical gloves, a hammer, a set of tongs and some iron ore. "Now, boy, show me what ye can do with a forge made by yers truly."
Steamforger Wilbur used the glasses Lone had been gifted by Grimsley as he appraised the longsword Lone had just spent the last hour making. "Fast work but overall shabby quality. Ye sure ye''re at the intermediate rank for Blacksmithing? Hell, the wooden haft is of better quality than the metal, boy. That says a lot since I only buy iron ore of a purity of at least 60%. How did ye fuck this up?" Lone scratched his head as he wore a helpless expression. "I learn very quickly but you''re right. I spent a lot more time carving every item I made from wood since it''s a lot more... relaxed? Smithing needs a lot of focus. I guess I just rely on the skill heavily and leave it on autopilot?" "Well, it''s time to beat that habit out of ye. I don''t care if it takes you two-minutes or two-days if a blade''s good it''ll sell. If it''s shit, it needs to be melted down and reforged to not waste the metal. This is gonna be tough... I''ve never met anyone who got past beginner rank yet didn''t know a thing about smithing," Steamforger Wilbur remarked. He inspected the blade a bit more before snapping the metal from the wooden haft with his bare hands. He then threw it into the still-roaring fire of the forge. "Again. I want to see some improvement. I don''t care how skilled ye are at learning the skills themselves, I want to see some real quality not coming from the Blacksmithing skill before the day''s over." He cracked his neck then approached the forge. "I''ll guide ye verbally this time. Let''s see if I can still teach, eh? It''s been over a century since I last had an apprentice who wasn''t already well-learned." Lone smiled wryly but joy could be seen hidden under his eyes. "Thank you, I''ll try my best to do as you instruct."
Lone lay flat on his and Soph''s bed in the Rusty Sprocket after having just had a deep and lengthy bath. In front of his eyes lay a series of skills.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 15% faster and 15% more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 10 [Up by 2 levels]
Passive Skill: Woodworking
A skill that allows the host to craft with wood 5% faster and 5% more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 8 [Up by 3 levels]
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Both of these skills had levelled up, much to Lone''s surprise. He''d only forged and reforged the same sword over and over again. He''d done similar things in Grimsley''s smithy but the skill took days and days to gain a new level back then. Of course, even that was far faster than a normal person who took months upon months to level a crafting skill, even in the early stages. "Gramps must have taught a lot of people in his life..." Lone mumbled. "I actually feel like I understand smithing better... Still, I''m nothing compared to Grimsley or him but I''m glad. Progress is good..." The final skill Lone was looking was new and he''d picked it up about halfway through the day''s lesson.
Passive Skill: Steamforged Tool Mastery
A skill that allows the host to use steamforged artefacts 5% more skillfully. Gives the host a 1% chance to immediately understand the method to use a steamforged artefact the first time the host holds it.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 2
Lone loved this skill. Granted, it wasn''t the skill Steamforging, which was just the more tech-focused version of Blacksmithing according to Steamforger Wilbur, but it was related and it scratched that itch he had for all things steamforged. "I wonder if Gramps will let me touch all of the steamforged artefacts he has on display in his shop... Maybe I can train the skill if I do..." "Who''s ''Gramps''?" a sweet voice asked as Soph appeared in the middle of the room, fully clad in Sophie''s armour. Lone glanced up from the bed at her and answered, "My boss. He''s this super old dwarf. How did your and Breena''s day go?" Soph started taking off her armour as she replied, "Mmm... boring? Nobody wanted to bother Sophie since, well, you know. Full armour is intimidating for a town mostly filled with miners. Hardened miners, but miners all the same. And we''re the same height or taller than most of them in our 15-year-old body. She swapped out with me and I secretly practised Unique Magic: Barrier Magic. The shopkeeper''s a little... odd but he''s a nice man." "That''s good," Lone said before he suddenly winced. "Unique Magic: Barrier Magic... That just sounds wrong. Call it Barrier Magic from now on, would you? That''s a far better name for the skill than its full one." "Mmm, ''kay. I don''t mind," Soph answered as she finishing slipping out of her armour. "Well, anyway, I didn''t gain any levels in it but I''m slowly starting to understand the skill... I think." "That''s great. And, Breena? How''d she do?" Lone asked. Soph crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to a tail or two as she shifted her body into its child form. "She was quiet as usual but the tailor didn''t seem to mind. He showed Breena to a corner of the store that had some books and practise materials in it. She''s to get to at least a beginner level of proficiency in sewing by the end of the week. She doesn''t need to earn a skill though so she''ll be fine... I, uh, I think." "That''s good," Lone said as he closed his eyes and softly stroked her head. "Hey, Soph." "Hmm?" The girl peered up at him with those big emerald green eyes of her''s inquisitively. Lone smiled warmly. "I love this city. Ignoring the strange things going on in the background, this place is a million times better than Milindo and Ranton." Soph shook her head. "No, it''s not." "Huh?" Lone was confused. There was no way Soph preferred the speciesist and hateful country of humans so he patiently waited for her to explain. Soph pouted before grinning. "It''s a billion times better!" "... Haha, right. It sure is," Lone answered with a surprised chuckle. "I love you, Soph. Sophie too if you''re awake and listening." "I love you too!" Soph replied enthusiastically. "And, um, she is awake... She''s mumbling about you being an idiot." "Nothing new," Lone said with a smirk.
As soon as Lone walked into Steamforger Wilbur''s storefront the dwarf immediately asked him, "Boy, ye got any skills that help ye with sales?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "That''s vague. I assume you mean something that would help convince customers to buy stuff? Or do you mean something to attract customers in the first place?" "The former," Steamforger Wilbur said. Lone sighed in relief. "Good. I, unfortunately, don''t have an Attractive Neon Sign skill," he joked. "I''ve got Persuasion at intermediate-level-two and Acting at advanced-level-two." "Advanced?" Steamforger Wilbur was surprised. "Did ye use to be a thespian or something?" Lone shrugged. "Acted like a slave to keep eyes off of me for quite some time." "Ah, I''ve been there. Got the skill myself though it''s only beginner-level-four. Anyway, yer Persuasion is higher than mine. Today''s payday for most of the city''s residents so I''m expecting a lot of customers unlike yesterday," the old dwarf explained. He pulled up a stack of forms and handed them to Lone. "And this is all of the order commissions due to be collected and paid for today. I want ye to man the shop today. You''ve got no talent for smithing. Not yet, at least. If ye can get through these with no more than one complaint and sell three items off the shelves then I''ll consider hiring ye worth it. After all, Ye''re doing nothing but costing me money when it comes to smithing. Can''t teach ye on kindness alone." Lone frowned. "I don''t really mind but that was only one day. I''m confident I''ll be useful given a few more." "And you''ll have the time to prove it, but today, ye sit behind this counter and ye sell shit while I work in the forge. Got it?" Steamforger Wilbur asked with a no-nonsense attitude. Lone smiled. "Got it, Gramps." "Good lad," Steamforger Wilbur answered as he slapped Lone''s wrist supportively.
"Absolutely riveting work today, darling," a very well-dressed elf with short ears and slightly darkened skin said to Soph. "Uh, thanks. It wasn''t hard..." she answered timidly. "Only two people got angry so it was, uh, pretty simple to scare them off, Mister Fits''war." The elf before her smiled kindly. "Oh, no, please, don''t sell yourself short. These brutes don''t know how to repair their own clothes let alone make anything even moderately fashionable. Male or female, a dwarf is always the same. I''m so thankful you and little Breena are in the krieg. I had to turn away over 10 other adventurers who signed up for the job before you, you know? All Stone Dwarves and all of whom simply refused to take a bath more than once a week." Soph stood awkwardly. She liked her employer but he was very... effeminate. She wasn''t used to such a personality coming from a man so it put her on edge a little. "Um, I''m happy I could help. I-Is Breena also ready?" "Oh, I almost forgot! Poor thing. She almost blends in with the shadows. I left her to reorganise the stockroom and come out when it was closing time. The silly girl must have lost track of time. I''ll go get her now. Thank you for reminding me. She''s very quiet but what a diligent worker that girl is. I can see the makings of a simply fabulous tailor within her!" And with that enthusiasm supporting Mister Fits''war, he went into the back room of the store. Soph sighed, "He''s hard to deal with..." ''Compared to Lone? The man''s a little strange but when stacked up against our complicated lover, well, it''s like comparing a sword to a trebuchet,'' Sophie replied mentally. Soph cocked her head in confusion. "What?" Sophie would have rolled her eyes were she in control. ''One''s complex, the other is not.'' Soph frowned. "Lone''s not complicated he''s just... special." ''If you say so,'' Sophie replied. ''Anyway, we assume you are excited to return to the inn and show off your progress with Barrier Magic to Lone, no?'' Soph nodded quickly. "Mmm, I am! He''s going to be so proud of me!" Not long later Mister Fits''war returned with Breena and both she and Soph left, returning to the Rusty Sprocket after having completed their second day of work as adventurers who weren''t adventuring. B2: Chapter 7: Death and Teens Gilbert groaned as he felt himself regaining consciousness. He had no idea what had happened between getting stabbed through the back by Duke Grindol and telling Grimsley to use the Djinn''s wish subtly up to this point in time. He tried to wiggle his toes. That was always a good sign to see the condition of the body but he got no response which was not good, not good at all. Gilbert then attempted to pry his eyes open which also failed. Now he was starting to worry. ''Did I survive the attack but in some sort of vegetative state?'' "Oh, heavens no. By all accounts, you''re dead," a cold and simply chilling voice stated without any emotion. "Here, let me give you a bit of sight. I''d rather talk face-to-face for this as I''m sure you would as well." Gilbert was shocked to find that when he was granted vision again by whoever was speaking that he wasn''t in Milindo anymore. Well, that much was expected on account of the Djinn''s wish, but, more accurately, he was surprised at the fact that he seemed to be... underwater. Everywhere Gilbert looked he could only see a never-ending ocean of grey and lifeless liquid. Bones and bodies drifted through this sea of the dead, all of which were devoid of any semblance of life. Standing not far from him was a featureless figure, a grey mass which appeared to be looking at him though had no eyes with which to look from. "I''ve heard of this place before..." Gilbert muttered. "Death''s domain in the Land of the Primals?" The grey being nodded. "As expected of a child of the White Dragonkin. I am Death. I''ve brought your soul here to give you an offer, one which might save your mortal life, if only for a short time." "... So I survived?" Gilbert asked. "I''m still with Grimsley and Shana?" "Yes, the human who stabbed you is also present with your physical body. A mistake caused by the Stone Dwarf whom you entrusted the Djinn''s wish. Regardless, you will die if I stop interfering with the natural forces," Death claimed. Gilbert furrowed his brow. "I''ll be honest, I don''t know much about you. Not many people do, in fact. I thought this place was a legend, hell, it still could be. Who''s to say I''m not hallucinating?" "Me," Death replied. "Still, I can see your viewpoint. I rarely awaken beastkin, rarer still do I even approach the mortal plane of Altros to speak to my chosen few. My interests there are limited. I will be frank though, one such interest has crossed paths with you. I tend to ignore strong emotions linked to me unlike my brethren, however, saving you holds merit." "... I don''t suppose you''ll tell me what this ''interest'' was, would you?" Gilbert asked. The being shook its head. "I do not mind. The one known as ''Lone Immortus''. He contains both Sky and Void within his soul yet he still lives. That mortal has evaded certain death. I wish to know why." Gilbert frowned. "Void? Is Void a Primal?" "Of course. Why would Void not be?" Death asked in confusion. "We worked very hard to bring that being down to our level. Has history already forgotten about this?" "So there aren''t only eight Primals..." Gilbert was, suffice to say baffled and a bit lost. He was, as a beastkin, a rather religious person. To find out suddenly that he had been worshipping eight gods and all along ignored a secret ninth... well, that disturbed him. Death nodded slowly. "Such is how the flow of time works, I suppose. All things die and are forgotten sooner or later. Regardless, my offer to you is simple, I will awaken you, save your life, and grant you a fraction of my power. As is customary for when us Primals awaken beastkin." ''That''s it? No further comment on ''Void''?'' Is Lone in danger from this ninth Primal? What kind of Primal is it? Is it chaotic like Darkness and Land? Neutral like Death and Sky? Benevolent like Reality and Illusionary? Maybe it''s an unknown like the silent Life and Radiance...'' Gilbert wondered. He took a deep breath then asked, "Am I safe in assuming that this isn''t a one-sided arrangement? This... ''deal'' of yours. I can''t imagine a godly being such as yourself would save me so freely when you don''t interact much with us mortals." "Indeed, I would ask of you a few things, occasional tasks which need doing, perhaps," Death responded. "Most pressing of which would be to reunite with Lone Immortus. I wish to talk directly with him. Should you allow me, I will establish a link in your soul which I may travel through at the right moment." Gilbert chuckled. "I don''t have much of a choice, do I? Can you just answer one question for me and then make a promise? I know it''s a bit presumptuous of me to question a Primal, but some things matter more to me than my religion." Death''s figure nodded. "I am not above granting such freedoms. Speak." "Will I... will I start ageing?" Gilbert asked with a bit of fear in his tone. "Lying on death''s very doorstep yet still concerned about entering the natural ageing cycle like all other beings. How curious. Yes, you will. I estimate that you''ll have 40 to 50 years remaining after I awaken you," Death answered. "I see... Okay. Oh... That''s... that''s going to be hard to come to terms with but I''m sure I''ll manage," Gilbert said with a short laugh. "Well, please promise me this then; you will not cause any harm to Lone. I''m perfectly happy dying now if it can keep him safe in the future." Death was momentarily taken aback by the resolve and courage which was radiating out of Gilbert''s soul. "So curious, mortals are. One moment you are lamenting over death becoming a natural end, the next, you''re willing to toss your life away to save another''s." Gilbert felt no shame in being called out like this. He had principles which he would adhere to, even if doing so cost him his life. So what if he was scared of dying one day in his sleep from old age? His fear of harm befalling Lone far exceeded such a petty and natural worry which all other living beings besides the unawakened beastkin already dealt with. For what he had let the boy endure this much was a small price to pay. "Hahaha... I do not deal with you mortals much. I never cared for your kind, only for Altros itself. However, when I do rarely make contact it is always... enlightening," Death chuckled. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Then next moment, Death separated a small portion of its own body and then sent it towards Gilbert. It fused with the lingering soul almost immediately. Gilbert could feel himself being sucked out of the grey and lifeless ocean and, just before he left, he heard Death utter a few more words, "I promise to do as you requested."
"Heeeh!" Gilbert sucked in a deep breath of air as his torso flung up. He tried to open his eyes only to find that his right one wouldn''t budge. Raising a hand to his face he felt the leathery texture of his skin going all the way from his cheek to his forehead, covering his entire right eye. "Ye made it... Ah, fook. Thank the Stone. ''At''s one less thing tae worry aboot," Grimsley sighed in relief as he approached the confused and disoriented White Dragonkin. He inspected the man a bit before frowning. "Grey-tipped horns an'' the centre ah yer eye''s turned grey anaw... Ye awakened tae Death?" Grimsley wasn''t a beastkin and he was young for a dwarf, but he knew of every Primal and how they exhibited their traits in the ones they awakened. Death''s marks were clear as day to him in Gilbert. "Yes, I did. It was the only way to avoid, well, dying," Gilbert explained. He looked around and saw that they seemed to be in a primitive hut of some sort. "Where are we?" he asked as he took stock of his body''s condition. His body was scarred badly and he seemed to be missing his right eye. Gilbert also noticed that he''d grown a second set of horns. Not unexpected considering what he''d been through. All in all, Death seemed to have kept up its end of the bargain thus far. He felt groggy and hungry, but his body seemed perfectly healthy outside of the scarring and missing eyeball. Grimsley shrugged. "Ah''ll be fook''d if ah ken. Djinn toss''d us ov''r an ocean an'' left us fae deed. Ah had tae carry ye, Shana, an'' ''at pisspot of ah duke who gutted ye like a fish on ma back as ah swam tae shore. We''re on an undiscover''d, unin''abit''d island as far as ah can tell. Ah''m nae build''r but ah tried tae gae us some shelter." "I''m sure I can make a home for us once I''ve got my bearings back. I think I know a nature magic spell or two about turning trees into houses," Gilbert remarked off-handedly. "Duke Grindol... He hasn''t hurt you, has he? Or Shana?" Grimsley laughed. "Nah, fook''r''s been ah good little shit, doin'' what ah tell ''im tae. ''E cannae swim, see. Ah also melted ''is sword down after I ''eat''d it up tae cauterise yer wounds. Ah''m sorry aboot that, by the way. It was messy but it was all ah could think ah doin'' tae buy ya some meer time." Gilbert smiled wryly. "Don''t worry about it. I''m checking my system notifications right now. While my Dexterity and Agility have both fallen by a few hundred - presumably due to the whole eyeball situation, I''ve gained several new resistance skills as well as an endurance-based one." "Silv''r linin'' an'' all ''at, ah suppose. Well, wanna talk tae Lone then? ''E''s safe, by the way. Fook''r killed the king an'' fled tae Krieg Moor. ''E''s apprenticed to an old mentor ah mine noo," Grimsley claimed as he pulled out the orb of communication. "Haha, sounds like him. I''d love to. I hope he''s doing okay mentally. What he went through..." Gilbert shook his head sadly. Grimsley nodded. "Aye. We''ve all got oor demons, eh? Lad''s probably got meer than most. Bugg''r seems tae be recoverin'' well though. I can ''ear it in his voice. There''s sadness there but also ''ope." "That''s, good- no... that''s great... Well, give me the orb then, would you?" Gilbert asked as he extended a hand. "Aye, ''ave it, ya ol'' goat," Grimsley laughed.
A group of four teenagers were walking through the streets of Milindo''s capital, Ranton. They looked a little bit out of place but after what the city- no, the entire country had just been through no one really paid them any mind. Before long they had come across a simple-looking two-story lodge of sorts called the Amberbark Inn. The tallest of the four teens, a boy called Scott, asked, "You''re sure this is a good place, Hazel?" The girl nodded. "Yeah. I''ve been using my skill and got a vague picture of this place being friendly to all comers since it''s run by a demi." As far as her fellow companions from Scotland were concerned, her unique skill could only detect emotions and very vague mental images. Letting them know she could read minds at all times and that it wasn''t optional didn''t seem very wise to her. Ben, probably the most excited of the four, smiled. "I''m just happy to stop having to scurry around that broken-down wing of the castle for once." Alisa, the short blonde-haired girl, frowned but said nothing. Neither did Hazel. Ben was a touchy subject. No one really liked him since he was, well, a bit of a douche. They couldn''t just leave him though since he was one of them, even if they weren''t exactly his biggest fans. "Anything else special about this place?" Alisa asked Hazel, trying her best to avoid meeting Ben''s... odd gaze. "I''ve heard whispers that a pretty famous beastkin stayed here for a while. The one who got The Adventurer''s Guild to crack down on this country. I''m thinking we can learn more about him there too," Hazel answered. Alisa looked up at Hazel. "The one who, um, looks like Mister McCullen?" Hazel nodded. "Yup." Ben scoffed. "I don''t see why we should even bother. I say we go to a not so broken down kingdom, show off our unique skills then reap the rewards. Records say the old hero of this kingdom was doing pretty well until that beastkin poked his nose into things." "And exploded the cunt in front of thousands of people," Scott chuckled as he supported the back of his head with his hands. "Ain''t no one stoppin'' ya, Ben. If that''s what you wanna do, mate, go do it. Just leave us out of it, yeah? Hazel''s got brains. I''d rather listen to her since we''re kinda, y''know, up shit creek without even a boat, let alone a paddle." "Speak for yourself," Ben muttered. "This is great. There''s so much... potential here." Before long the four of them had entered the Amberbark Inn and were greeted by a rather lazy-looking young man a few years their senior. "Can I help you?" "We''d like a few rooms, if possible," Hazel answered. She narrowed her eyes briefly as her unique power read the man''s emotions without neither her nor his consent as it always did, converting it into words in her mind. ''More humans... Always with the bloody humans...'' ''He really doesn''t like us just because we''re humans? He''s a human too though...'' she thought. The languid receptionist - Philip, sighed faintly. "A room''s five silver coins per night. Prices have gone up while we wait for the guild to restructure the kingdom. We only have two rooms left, by the way. Some unlucky noble kids whose parents got killed and estates seized by the guild are staying here in the meantime, so we''re a bit short on space." "Two rooms are fine," Hazel answered as she slid ten silver coins across the counter. ''I know it was immoral of us but taking the dead queen''s jewels and selling them was certainly helpful, if not risky. Ben''s a risk but his idea paid off there, for sure. Now, nobles? Ah, Emma Malik and... George Leston, huh? I wonder if they could help us...'' "Here," Philip said, passing over a set of brass keys to the girl. "We don''t serve breakfast but we can supply you with hot water for three copper coins a night." "Thank you, uh, this may sound strange but do you know anything about a man named ''Lone Immortus''?" Hazel asked. Philip''s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "He stayed here a while ago. Almost half a year ago now. Why?" Hazel laughed. "He looks a lot like my big brother. I''ve seen his, uh, wanted posters. You know, the decommissioned ones. I kind of was hoping I''d be able to meet him." ''A mysterious nine-tailed Golden Foxkin appears out of nowhere and he looks just like Darren?'' Hazel asked herself rhetorically. ''I don''t have an accurate timeline since he showed up in Milindo a few months after Darren went missing, but this is a clue I have to chase.'' Phillip shrugged. "Tough luck then." Alisa peered up over the counter and asked, "Why?" "Lone''s missing," Philip stated. "The local guild has been looking for him for a while now, both him and the guildmaster. If they can''t find them then I doubt anyone in Milindo can. I question if he''s even in the country anymore after what those bastards did to him." Hazel grimaced. "I... I''ve read the announcements from the guild. I wouldn''t stay here either if they did... that to me." Philip''s gaze softened a bit when he heard the genuine tone of grief in her tone. "Look, Lone was a friend to me. The guy was a good, genuine honest bloke, right? The kind you can just get along with even if you ain''t very sociable. If you really want to meet him I actually cannot help you but maybe the noble kids here can." He leaned back in his chair and added, "They''re good, innocent kids, hence why Sloth''s magic didn''t kill them. That''s one scary adventurer that Sloth... But yeah, they''re both kids of former dukes of the kingdom. The very same dukes who supposedly attacked the guildmaster before he and Lone vanished." Hazel bowed her head. "Thank you. I appreciate this." Ben clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''This is stupid. Who cares if some random local looks like your dead loser teacher of a brother? I need to get out of this place and away from these idiots as soon as I have enough money to make a trip anywhere else.'' Hazel contained her wrath. Smacking Ben would do neither of them very much good, she felt. For now, at least. B2: Chapter 8: Common Sword and Bitter Pout Lone was surprised to find himself crying upon hearing Gilbert''s voice again. Honestly, he thought he was stronger than that. Of course, he wasn''t bawling and wailing but a few tears certainly escaped his eyes. ''After all I''ve been through... for me to tear up hearing his voice again... Man, I really am a kid inside.'' "It''s great that you''re okay, Gilbert," Lone said as he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. The communication orb in his hands shined a little bit as Gilbert responded, "Likewise. I''m happy you''re doing well, Son." "How did you pull through?" Lone asked. "Grimsley was telling me that you''d need a miracle to survive." "Well, in a way, I got one," Gilbert answered. "I awakened to Death, ironically enough." Lone frowned. "I''m not a big fan of these Primals after what I''ve seen but at least that one saved you. So you''ll start ageing now?" "Mhmm. Death actually spoke to me about that before awakening me. It told me I would have about 40 to 50-years left," Gilbert said with a disheartened tone. Lone smiled. "That''s not bad. I was expecting a few years to a decade. I mean, even with your rank extending your lifespan, you were kissing death from what Grimsley described. I really don''t know much about the Primals and awakenings though. I keep thinking that maybe I should have tried my luck at the church in Ranton to learn more, haha." "... You aren''t concerned I''ll die of old age in less than a century?" Gilbert asked with a bit of surprise in his tone. Lone shook his head even if Gilbert couldn''t see him doing so. "Where I''m from just reaching 70-years-old is quite the accomplishment. Besides, so long as you rank up, that deadline will get pushed back, won''t it?" Gilbert was speechless. A few seconds passed before a low chuckle came through the communication orb. "Right you are, Son, right you are. We can''t all be geniuses like yourself with that unique skill of yours but I should certainly try to reach triple-S-rank, now shouldn''t I?" Lone grinned. "Exactly. By the way, what skill did you get from awakening to Death?" "Ah, a simple skill, really. I can detect the souls and corpses of the dead. It''s passive and has quite the distance. I''ve been able to use it to locate an underground dungeon on this island we now call home," Gilbert explained. "I intend to explore said dungeon once we''re settled here and have a plan of action." "Right, those are a thing on this planet..." Lone commented. "They seem rare." "Yes and no," Gilbert said. "There are tens of thousands of them scattered across the continent but Teresta is a big continent, Son. Most discovered dungeons are controlled by factions like the guild or by kingdoms and empires. They tend to be closely guarded. Milindo was unfortunate enough to not own more than a handful of very low ranking ones." "Huh. Good to know. How do you plan to survive on that island you''re on, by the way? You don''t exactly have my Creation Magic," Lone asked. "There''s plenty of wild game as far as food is a concern. As for shelter, I can build that easily enough myself. Speaking of which, I should go. I need to have a word with Duke Grindol and then I have to construct a proper house for us with my magic. I''m actually looking rather forward to it. It''s been some time since I last made use of my more utility-focused nature magic. It''s a shame I don''t have any actual utility magic. That stuff is great for creating buildings," Gilbert said. "Keeping them clean too." "Right. I need to be getting back to work anyway. My break''s almost over. It was good to hear from you, Gilbert," Lone replied. "Likewise, Son. Now, remember, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I''m always here. Also, if you get any news about Milindo and Ranton, please let me know. The guild should have made their move by now," Gilbert requested. "Will do." And with that, the communication orb became lifeless and inactive. Lone put the magical device away in his Dimensional Storage and he then rubbed his neck as he leaned into the sofa just opposite the stonified corpse of his teacher''s wife. He smiled faintly as he mumbled, "I''m so glad he made it... I kind of wanted to avoid it since I''d rather forget most of what happened back there but I should make some inquiries at the guild about what its response was since Gilbert''s curious." A few moments after having said that the door leading to the storefront opened. "Rest''s over, boy. Ah hope ye''re ready to learn again. Ye did great selling shit yesterday and this morning, but now that things have calmed down a bit it''s time to see if ye can apply anything ah''m trying to teach ye to yer own forging technique." Lone slowly stood up and nodded. "I''m in your very capable hands, Gramps."
"Yeah, that''s good," Wilbur praised as he carefully watched Lone go through the process of forging yet another sword like two days ago. "Now, make sure ye turn that dial there exactly 17-degrees to the right. Also remind me what doing that does. Can''t have ye learning to do it without learning what turning it actually helps with." Lone remained focused while he did as instructed and answered, "It''s linked to the steamforge''s fire generator and its modulating the heat to be the exact temperature I need by using basic fire-dyed mana crystals." "Very good. Now pull that lever down a fourth of the way. Also, keep a tight but not pressuring grip on the blade. Tell me why that lever needs pulling and why ye''re using yer hands to grip the metal and not tongs," Wilbur demanded of Lone. Lone, again, perfectly performed the requested tasks as he spoke. "This lever dumps the residue of the specially coated and melted down salt coal. It helps to cool the metal just enough to solidify to the point it can be adjusted easily with a hammer. It''s basically a more efficient and precise way to cool instead of using water." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He took a breath then continued, "I''m using these steamforged gloves instead of tongs because I''m not precise enough with the steamforged tongs you have, Gramps. The gloves protect my hands and arms from the heat and allow enough precision to hold and turn the blade regardless of how hot it is." "Good, good. That''ll do from my end for now. Finish the blade, boy. I''ve got high hopes for this one," Wilbur said with a proud tone. Lone truly was a master at remembering everything he was taught. Whether he could put that into practice though was still to be seen. An hour quickly came and went. During that time Lone learned that the forge room had some sort of automated bell system operated by a steamforged device which Wilbur used to learn of new customers. He had left twice to deal with the store''s patrons before Lone had finally finished making the sword.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Blacksmithing] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Woodworking] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Steamforged Tool Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Lone carefully put the longsword down and he then took off the steamforged gloves he was wearing. He leaned back and smiled at his teacher. "Done." "Good job, boy. Give me a minute to see the quality," Steamforger Wilbur said as he picked up the sword and began inspecting it closely. Lone nodded and decided to see the changes to his blacksmithing skill since he''d achieved advanced-rank.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 30% [+15%] faster and 30% [+15%] more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''No new effects, still that 15% boost should be useful for helping me master how to actually smith outside of the skill,'' Lone thoughts. "Hmm... Not bad at all, boy. That last blade was marked as a Failure, this one''s been rated as Common by the system. That fucker''s stingy so for ye to get a Common-grade on yer first real attempt... ah''m surprised," Steamforger Wilbur said. Lone wore a confused expression. "What? You can see the sword''s stats?" The old dwarf gave Lone a funny look before he sighed. "Ye really did crawl out from under a rock, didn''t ye? Stone Dwarves can be born with one of two racial skills; Miner''s Glory or Stone''s Vision. I got the latter. It lets me see what grade a tool, weapon or piece of armour is along with a brief description of it and its stats." He gestured to Lone''s newly-forged sword and said, "Common-grade Longsword, forged by the new foxkin blacksmith Lone Immortus. It has 3 Sharpness and 10 Durability. Good stats for a common blade, to be honest with you." "That''s..." Lone was shocked. "That''s honestly very surprising." "Is it? What can ye do with yer racial skill?" Steamforger Wilbur asked. "I''ve never met a Golden Foxkin before." Lone smiled wryly. "I can harden my tails and basically turn them into spears, is the long and short of it." "And I can tell who made what and if it''s any good," the old dwarf shrugged. "Everything has its uses. Us dwarves with Stone''s Vision are often used as guarantors for sketchy purchases to make sure someone''s not getting scammed. Did it for about a century myself when I went topside." Lone nodded. "That''s true. I wonder what uses my tails have beyond impaling people..." "Who knows? Maybe ye could be the world''s best multi kebab stake. Anyway, it''s getting late. Ye did well but ye spent most of the afternoon on this blade. Go home, get some rest and ah''ll see ye tomorrow," Wilbur said. "Also, ah''ll sell this. It''s a good sword. Ye''ll get yer cut when it''s off the shelf." Lone smiled. "I look forward to it."
Lone had decided to have dinner with both Soph and Breena in the Rusty Sprocket''s built-in restaurant that night. His reasoning? He wanted to socialise with Breena. Usually, he just got a meal out of his Dimensional Storage for the girl and she stayed in her room until the following morning. Today he wanted to get to know her a bit better since they were companions and likely would remain so for quite some time. Taking a sip from his dwarven ale and lightly battling away Soph''s hand which was trying to steal the drink for only God knows what reason, he said to Breena, "Are you enjoying your quest?" The girl looked up from her glass of water hesitantly. "Uh, yeah. It''s, um, fine. It''s quiet." "And the tailor? You''re not having any issues with him, are you?" Lone asked. Shaking her head softly, Breena answered, "No. He''s, um, weird but he keeps his distance which is, uh, nice. I-I''m not trying to avoid him but I just kinda.... do. It helps that he doesn''t mind it so long as I do the work." "And Kyuubi? She doesn''t disturb you, does she?" Lone questioned. A small and caring smile wormed its way onto the deeply-troubled girl''s face. "No, she''s very calm. She just sleeps most of the time... Um, her fur is very soft..." Lone nodded. ''That''s the first smile I''ve seen from her thus far. So the therapeutic treatment through animals is working. Brilliant. A few more months of that and maybe she''ll open up a bit more to those around her... I can only hope.'' "I was talking to Soph earlier and she said both of you have Sixth Sun off this week. I was thinking we should go see what the town has to offer by way of entertainment. Would you like to join us?" Lone requested with a warm and friendly expression on his face. Breena stopped to consider the offer carefully for more than a few seconds before she slowly shook her head. "S-Sorry... I should really focus on my n-needle work. I don''t want to disappoint Mister Fits''war." Lone frowned internally but didn''t show it externally. "That''s fine. Maybe next time." ''She deserves a more normal life, a young girl like her... I wonder what I can do to get her to just have fun again like all kids her age should...'' He would have ground his teeth in frustration were he not in a public space and if he weren''t also sitting across from Breena. ''Why people like Daisuke are allowed to exist when supposed ''gods'' also exist is crazy. No true god would let people become evil like that man was...'' Regardless of his dark thoughts relating to the ''gods'', the evening moved ever onwards and they soon had their dinner. Soph was muttering to herself and when asked what she had said by Lone she giggled it off and instead cuddled one of his tails.
''You truly do not remember what happened the last time you made our body partake in alcohol?'' Sophie asked her other self. Soph pouted. ''But it was tasty. Even since that day at Grimsley''s old forge Lone won''t let me drink any!'' ''And for good reason. You and we alike are not good drunks nor can we even tolerate much before becoming completely intoxicated. How foolish of you to become upset over him denying you his drink,'' Sophie said in a tone that would be accompanied by a roll of the eyes were she in control of their body right now. Soph''s pout widened. ''I bet he''d let me if I say I want an indirect kiss. He loves me after all.'' ''Ha-ah... as we said, foolish,'' Sophie sighed. B2: Chapter 9: Induction to Steamforging and Familiar Quest Lone jolted awake in a cold sweat and frantically looked around before sighing deeply. "Just another nightmare..." He took a moment to collect himself and calm his breathing. He looked over to his side and was happy to see he had neither woken Soph nor Kyuubi. ''Haha, one may be a Russian immortal and the other may be a fox, but they''re both equally as attached to sleep, huh?'' He leaned back into his pillow then chuckled at himself self-deprecatingly when he thought on his recent nightmare. "I never once saw his face under that armour of his but he still haunts me even in my sleep along with those... unfortunate kids..." He pulled himself together again. This wasn''t the first time he''d woken up like this and it certainly wouldn''t be the last. He had to be stronger than this to defeat his internal demons. It was no choice but a requirement in his mind. Lone rested his eyes for a while, trying to get back to bed but ended up failing. Before long he decided to get out of bed, gently woke up Soph and then have a morning bath with her. Once cleaned and clothed, they both collected Breena. Of course, the girl had been awake for hours already despite the steamforged artificial sun of Krieg Moor and its many street lights only having been turned on for less than 30-minutes at this point. Regardless of the Crimson Foxkin''s worrying sleeping hours, the trio had breakfast together then went their separate ways for work.
Wilbur nodded at Lone when he arrived. "Mornin''." "Good morning, Gramps," Lone replied as he made for the backroom. "More mining gloves today?" "Nah. Ye''ve made enough of them over the past few weeks. Today''s the day ah try to teach ye how to steamforge, so ah need ye at your sharpest, got it?" the old man said, surprising Lone. He''d been working here for three weeks now and had renewed the guild quest once already since it was just a temporary gig. During that time he''d just been doing repairs, simple requests and selling the wares on busy days. Most of the time he was forging simple pickaxes and ordinary mining gear like helmets and gloves. Excitement immediately filled Lone''s expression upon hearing his teacher''s words. "Really? You think I''m ready?" "Feck no. Ah wanted to wait a few more months but demand for steamforged weapons is shooting up since more mysterious things are happening in the krieg as each day passes," Wilbur said with a shake of his head as he entered the store backroom with Lone following him. The pair then moved to the building''s steamforgery and the dwarf asked, "What''re the levels of yer smithing related skills now?" "Give me a second to check," Lone requested. Over the past three weeks Lone had tried his best to avoid paying too much attention to his skill level-ups beyond dismissing the system notifications when they appeared. He was trying to learn how to properly perform the craft, after all, and not rely on said skills too much. He was far too much of a skill addict to not incessantly think over any rank-ups so Lone felt it was wiser to just cut that out of his life entirely during his apprenticeship. However, if Wilbur needed this information then he''d happily oblige. He called upon the system to show him his Blacksmithing, Woodworking and Steamforged Tool Mastery skills.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 30% faster and 30% more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4 [+3 levels]
Passive Skill: Woodworking
A skill that allows the host to craft with wood 15% [+10%] faster and 15% [+10%] more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 7 [+8 levels]
Passive Skill: Steamforged Tool Mastery
A skill that allows the host to use steamforged artefacts 15% [+10%] more skillfully. Gives the host a 2% [+1%] chance to immediately understand the method to use a steamforged artefact the first time the host holds it.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 6 [+14 levels]
Lone nodded to himself then said, "Blacksmithing, Advanced Level 4. Woodworking, Intermediate Level 7. Steamforged Tool Mastery, Intermediate Level 6." Wilbur froze. "What? How in the name of the Stone did ye feckin'' manage to get so many levels so fast? Ye ain''t yankin'' my beard, are ya?" Lone smiled wryly and scratched his cheek. "I''m a very quick learner. I did tell you that when I started here, didn''t I?" Wilbur crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "There''s fast then there''s whatever the feck ye''re doing. Ye must be a natural-born smith, boy." "Eh... yeah, probably," Lone replied as he thought, ''Actually you probably are, Gramps. I mean, Growth Accelerator keeps insisting that a forging apron is your ideal armour and a smithing hammer is your ideal weapon...'' The old dwarf shook his head. "Kids these days... Well, whatever. If ye''re being honest then all the better. Hopefully it doesn''t take the better part of a whole month just to train ye how to assist me even slightly like I thought it would." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Is steamforging really that complicated?" Lone asked. "Complicated? Nah. Taxes are complicated, steamforging is simple as can be. Problem is, simple doesn''t mean easy," Wilbur replied. Lone nodded. "Makes sense. It''s simple to rank up, all you need is sufficient levels and enlightenment. Trouble is, killing enough monsters to reach the level thresholds and gaining said enlightenment could be so difficult you never end up getting past I-rank in your entire life." "Like most people don''t. Good example, by the way. That''s exactly it," the old man complimented. "It''s simple in that it''s just normal forging but with the application of steam, it''s difficult in that it''s what people call a magic art without the use of magic. Not really, anyway. It also requires extremely precise control." He reached into a chest at the side of the room and pulled out a small armour plate of some kind no larger than his hand. "Place this next to yer heart, boy. It''ll expand and wrap around yer whole body." Lone nodded and took the steamforged artefact from Wilbur. Immediately details filled his mind of its usage. "Oh, the 2% chance proc''d. This protects from explosions? Dare I ask why?" He put the device in front of his chest and it then expanded and wrapped around his entire body like skin. Glass covered his eyes so he could see and something in the artefact was producing breathable air without breaking the seal that protected the user''s body. It looked strange having gears and copper plates and pipes jutting out of it at the joints, but if it did the job then no one who''s life it saved would be complaining about if it looked silly or not. Wilbur smirked. "Steamforgin''s also tough to master because if ye feck it up even slightly everythin'' goes kaboom. The different types of steam used are all very, very, very volatile. Steamforgin'' is often compared to alchemy in that regard. By the way, ''proc''d'' is a weird way to say ''activated''. Is that a Golden Foxkin thing?" "Ahaha, something like that," Lone answered, his voice sounding far different to his normal one due to the protective suit. ''Honestly, I''d rather not be wearing this. Who knows if I could get a skill like Explosion Resistance without it? Well, I can''t go around showing off my unique skills all willy-nilly so fingers crossed I get a skill even with this suit on.'' "Ah see. Well, keep yer eyes peeled, boy. Ye''re gonna be wearin'' that ghastly thing for a while until ah know ah can rely on ye to help me with the easier parts of steamforgin''. For now, just watch me do it from the sides," Wilbur said. "If a chance shows up ah''ll let ye do some of the easiest parts of the easiest stuff." Lone nodded. "Yes, Gramps."
Lone sighed in relief as he stopped watching Steamforger Wilbur. During the process of the steamforging he''d been given two chances to offer his help. Both times nothing exploded, which was a fantastically lucky result. "All done?" "Yup. ah''m shocked, honestly," the old man answered. "Y''know, ah only chose to make a steamforged dagger that can have its blade''s temperature altered via a toggle on the haft. Really simple stuff by all accounts but still way above a normal smith''s capabilities. Ah was 85% confident it''d explode if ah let ye help. Was willing to take the financial hit since ye seemed so eager but colour me surprised. Ye did great helping me regulate the steam for a complete newbie." "I''m a fast learner," Lone said. Wilbur nodded. "Aye, ah could tell. Ye really are absurd, y''know?" Lone chuckled faintly. "Yeah... I, uh, well it''s not something I can really help." "It''s a good thing, boy. No need to sound so insecure," the dwarf grumbled. "It just means ah have more time to complete my life''s work before ah finally croak." "That''s why you need an apprentice?" Lone questioned. "You''re certainly skilled enough to not require one. So you have one final project lined up before old age defeats you?" "Something like that. We''ve all got our dreams, right? One of mine is to make a particular technological advancement in the field of steamforging. Sadly, ah can''t do it alone," Wilbur confessed. "Though that''s neither here nor there right now. Give me back my Blastproof Full-body Mantle and head on home. I''ll see you tomorrow." "Sure," Lone answered before doing as instructed.
Lone decided to go to the tailor shop where Soph and Breena were working since he''d been let off early. He saw Soph or Sophie in her armour standing outside the front door. He wasn''t quite sure which one of the girls was in control right now though. To find out, he figured he''d have a bit of fun. "Excuse me, young lady," he said to her, "are you this place''s protector? Aren''t you a bit too young and adorable to be wearing such heavy armour and doing such a tough job all by yourself?" An immediate sigh met him as her response. "Ah, Sophie then," Lone said with a short laugh. "... What are you doing here, Lone?" Sophie asked him. He shrugged. "I''m done with work for today. I kind of wanted to go to the guild and pick out a dangerous quest for us to do on our next set of days off. Stretch the bones and whatnot." "Oh. Okay. We do not mind. We assume you came to ask us of our opinion?" Sophie suggested. Lone nodded before reaching over and directly storing Sophie''s helmet. He then leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Well, and to tease my lovely girlfriend." "Oh my," a feminine yet distinctly male voice called out. "How daring." Mister Fits''war stepped out of his store and smiled at Sophie and Lone. "Sophie, dear, you never told me you had a man... and not one so handsome either..." "Our p-private life and our work life are two different things, Mister Fits''war," Sophie stuttered. Rare was it that she got caught off guard, now was one such time it would seem. "I am quite good-looking, aren''t I?" Lone said with a charming smile. "Then again, you elves continue to amaze me with how damned well you lot rolled with the genetics dice. Should I be worried about my lovely little Sophie getting swept away by a dashing elven tailor?" "Oh my, a smooth-talker too. And here I thought envy had limits... May I ask why you''re visiting my lovely little shop, young man?" Mister Fits''war asked with a coy grin on his lips. "I just came by to ask something from Sophie. Maybe I''ll pop in another day as a customer but for now I''m sorry to have to disappoint you. I have business at The Adventurer''s Guild, you see," Lone said with an apologetic smile. "Oh, no. Please, don''t let me hold you up. That would be... unethical," Mister Fits''war teased. "Besides, who doesn''t love to see a man hard at work, hmm?" Lone didn''t seem bothered by the flirtatious man as he nodded, smiled, then kissed Sophie again and said, "See you tonight." After getting her helmet back from Lone and seeing him off, Sophie glanced at Mister Fits''war only for the elf to mutter, "For a straight man to play along with my antics... Oh, bother. I need to control myself better. I''ve had centuries of experience but here I am getting flustered by a D-ranker..." He sighed longingly then reentered his store. ''See! He''s dangerous! Rivals around every corner, I swear it!'' Soph yelled internally at her other self. Sophie pursed her lips a bit. "No. Lone is loyal to us but he enjoys flustering us far too much... Lone can be such an idiot at the best of times..."
Lone frowned as he stared at one of the guild''s many quest boards. "There really isn''t much to choose from that isn''t ''explore this newly discovered area in the Farwinds'', ''help the efforts to clear this collapsed main Farwinds tunnels,'' or a bunch of requests to help guard top-sider traders. There''s also a handful of quests to investigate the strange going-ons around the krieg." He had no real interest in any of these requests. The exploration ones had many issues. To name a few, it could be either extremely dangerous or so safe it wouldn''t be worth the time spent on it. Things could go wrong, leading to a long stay in the Farwinds. His worst worry, however, would be Soph getting discriminated against since all of those quests were expedition types and humans were the least liked of the non-locals amongst the dwarves. The assisting quests in regards to reopening closed pathways in the Farwinds were one of the ones the receptionist had warned Lone not to take a few weeks ago since it was very construction and mining-based, meaning it was something the mining caste of the dwarves usually handled on their own. Doing an escort mission above ground wasn''t a horrible idea but Lone didn''t want to spend weeks, maybe months, away from his new teacher if possible. "Huh. This quest is still here," Lone mumbled to himself upon spotting a familiar notice. ''Quest details: I''m returning my old buddy Olim''s corpse to the stone near where he was born. The place is in the Farwinds and it''s a bit blocked up by monsters. More details upon acceptance of the quest. Quest issuer: Four-twelve. Requirements: Non-dwarves only. At minimum a D-ranker. The monsters ain''t too tough but there''s a lot of them, so a weak-kneed grass-huffer ain''t what I''m looking for. The trip''ll take about 4 days there and back, so I need someone who''s fine camping out in the Farwinds. Reward: 2 gold coins total regardless of if you''re solo or come as a group. I''ll tell you old war stories too if that interests you.'' "I guess finding non-dwarf adventurers is a bit tough in a krieg... four days is totally doable. Soph and I will have to ask for more days off than a normal weekend affords, yeah, but it''s not much of an ask," Lone said to himself as he scratched his chin in thought. "We''re both D-rankers so that box is ticked, although Breena''s inclusion may need some negotiations for that to happen. The quest-giver seems to know where he''s going and there''s the promise of monsters... Yeah, this can work," Lone thought as he grabbed the notice then took it to a reception counter. B2: Chapter 10: Quest Accepted and Meatball Lone accepted the quest and was given strict directions to the quest poster''s residence. He quickly left the guild and started walking through the city. ''I sure do wish I could legally own a Steam-wheeler. How cool would it be to ride a steampunk bike through a dwarven city of stone, steel and copper?'' he thought with a light chuckle. Soon, however, a frown formed on his face. "Is this really the area this Four-twelve guy is staying at? Looks almost like a slum... Can a guy offering two gold for a quest really be living here?" The two rooms he was paying for in the Rusty Sprocket only cost him a total of 20 silver a month combined and that was for premium en-suite rooms. That being the case, why would a person offering ten times that amount for a simple quest be living out here? Lone wondered if he''d perhaps taken a wrong turn somewhere but before long he was in front of a residential building that shared the same address as the one he''d been told to go to. Still a bit unsure of the whole situation, Lone scanned the place visually. "Yup, definitely looks like a poorhouse of some sort... I didn''t even realise a manufactured city like a krieg could have something like this in it at all." "''At''s the curse ah the unemployed, Ninetails," a gruff voice called from one of the building''s windows. Lone looked up to see a beardless dwarf staring back down at him. This dwarf''s face was littered with scars and it looked like half of his nose was missing. His eyes were stern and powerful though they also lacking in a certain... liveliness normally found in people. "Hello. Are you-" Lone stopped talking since the dwarf left the window and soon reappeared at the poorhouse''s open front door. He eyed Lone from top to bottom scrutinisingly before saying, "Also, this city isn''t manufactured, Ninetails. Well, not as much as any other topsider city. Darkness an'' filth is ah tough disease for ah city to fix, no matter the wealth or technology." "I... see..." Lone was wary but he had come here for a quest and, well, since he was already here, he figured he should at least say what he was trying to say only a few seconds ago, putting his suspicions aside for the moment. "I''m looking for a person named Four-twelve. You wouldn''t happen to know them, would you?" "Yeah, I know myself. You part ah the guild or somethin''?" the dwarf said, apparently claiming to be Four-twelve. "Yes. I came to accept the quest on behalf of myself and my companions," Lone said, feeling a bit more relieved that while he was talking to an odd stranger, at least that odd stranger was the one he was looking for... or claimed to be. "Companions? Details, if you wouldn''t mind," Four-twelve requested with a bit of a grunt. ''Another dwarf lacking most of his accent... I wonder if he lived up top for a while like Gramps did?'' Lone thought before answering, "There''s myself, a D-ranked swordspear-wielder. A swordspear, by the way, is basically just two swords attached to each other at the hilt. There''s Sophie, A D-ranker dual shortsword wielder who has a little bit of magic. And finally, there''s Breena. Breena''s only an F-ranker but she''s good at avoiding attention and if nothing else, she can carry our luggage during the trip." "Hmm..." Four-twelve scratched his naked chin a bit before he nodded. "Fine. We leave tomorrow morning then. Meet me at entrance 14 to the Farwinds at the sixth bell."
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
While not entirely unexpected since he was planning to use all of his social skills to negotiate Breena''s involvement in the quest regardless, Lone was pleasantly surprised to get a level-up to Persuasion with far less effort than he had initially assumed he''d need to use. "Great. I''ll see you then."
"See you at dinner time," Sophie said curtly to Breena who only nodded in response before entering her room in the Rusty Sprocket. Sophie held Kyuubi softly so as to not dig into her fur with her armoured gauntlets while she thought, ''How... unusual of a girl, that Breena. It took us hundreds of years to break mentally. Granted, we were not sexually assaulted nor enslaved, but surely being locked away in a cave with nothing to keep us company bar our own mind for over 200-years is somewhat comparable to her past, no?'' She opened the door to her and Lone''s room without needing to unlock it, a telltale sign of Lone''s return. ''Why is she such a broken individual when it was such a small portion of her life that was ruined? Lone is trying his best to move past his trauma, both old and new, but why is Breena so keen on... simply giving up and not even trying?'' She shook her head. She was no specialist of the mind. The matter perplexed and interested her but she had no knowledge on such a subject and she felt it beneath herself to ask Lone about it either. Sophie quickly noticed Lone sitting cross-legged on their bed with his eyes closed so she ignored him and instead chose to remove her armour. ''I really don''t understand. Lone is trying so hard to move beyond his mental demons, we only broke after centuries but she... Ha-ah... Why Lone cares for her when she isn''t putting in the same effort baffles us.'' "Welcome back," Lone said without opening his eyes. "Mmm, We are back. What are you doing?" Sophie asked offhandedly as she removed her gauntlets then unclasped her cuirass. "Meditating. I was hoping to get a skill to make dealing with my nightmares better, no luck thus far. I think I''m doing it wrong," Lone answered. "Shame I couldn''t speak more to that monk back in Milindo." "Monk?" Sophie didn''t recall Lone ever interacting with a monk. "One of the guys who forfeited immediately during the tournament. Good guy. He apologised and wished me luck and everything," Lone said as he slowly opened his eyes. "Anyway, the quest is all set up and we leave early tomorrow morning." "Great. We already asked for five days leave just after you departed. How long will the quest take, exactly? We wish to stretch our legs, yes, but we would rather not be away from a comfortable bed and decent hygiene for too long," Sophie asked just as she had finished removing her armour. "Guy we''re escorting said it''d take four days there and back," Lone replied dismissively. "If things go tits-up though, Soph or you can just ''port us out of there." "Fair enough," Sophie said as she cracked her back and wrists. Standing in place all day in full-armour wasn''t hard but boy was it stiff work. "Would you mind showing me how good you are with your Barrier Magic now?" Lone asked. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Is that relevant?" "Sure is. I''m hoping you and Soph can use it to help us during the quest somehow. Deflect an attack here, trip over a far away monster there. That kinda shit," Lone said. "Shouldn''t we be avoiding exposing our unique skills? I thought that was the mindset you possessed, one which we agreed with," Sophie expressed her concerns. She felt the two of them were far too weak to be openly appearing even more unique than they already were. A human travelling with a beastkin was odd enough, let alone a rare race of foxkin that was thought to be extinct. Lone smiled. "You see, that only goes for skills that aren''t obviously magic. I''ve thought about this a lot and I''m very confident that you can pass off your Barrier Magic as a new set of subskills birthed from the enchanting magic tree. I could do the same for my Dimensional Storage with space magic if I''m careful but space magic is notoriously difficult to learn so it''s wiser for me to not even try since I''d garner a similar level of attention if it''s made public that I ''know'' space magic. Enchanting magic is far more common." Sophie rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, wise as we may be, you are the knowledgable one among us, Mister Scholar. That was what you called yourself during the test to enter the krieg, no?" "An adventurer and historian too, and don''t you forget it," Lone laughed back. Sophie frowned. "Why is it so easy for you to tease us but less so for us to tease you?" The matter truly perplexed her. Lone seemed to enjoy it so much when he managed to fluster her but she was never able to revel in the same joy. She... felt jealous. Lone smirked. "It''s a matter of skill." Sophie rolled her eyes. "If you say so. Well, goodbye. We shall swap with Soph so she can demonstrate her abilities for you." "Right, seeya later, Sophie. Love you," Lone said. Sophie''s cheeks flushed red. "We... l-love you too." ''He is far too good at doing that...'' Her expression then lightened and her eyes opened a bit while her body shrunk to its child form. "Hi, Lone!"
"Hey, Soph. I assume you heard all of that?" Lone asked as he opened his arms when Soph jumped at him for a hug. "Yup! I, uh, can''t do anything special with the barriers yet but they''re really tough!" Soph said. ''Why doesn''t he tease me too like he does to Sophie? It looks nice...'' "Here," While still hugging him, Soph used her unique skill and created a shimmering jade-green semi-transparent shield-like plate a short distance away from herself and Lone. She had no idea how useful the skill would be since, honestly, in her opinion, it seemed like nothing more than a party trick. ''If anyone can figure out a use for it though, it''s Lone. He''s smart. He still thinks Body Manipulation is good for things other than... uh... adult stuff...'' The barrier floated in the air without moving as if someone had nailed it to the open space in the middle of their bedroom. It was fully circular but it was also curved, meaning that if it got struck on the correct side the blow would be more efficiently deflected. "Ahh, cool," Lone said in admiration. "Mind unwrapping yourself from me while I test its strength?" ''No! It''s so warm here... Ah! His tails are moving away from me...'' she thought with sadness. A pout formed on her expression before she ultimately nodded. "Okay. But once you''re done I demand more cuddles! And... and maybe more than just cuddles... At least until dinnertime. We don''t get enough time together anymore since I''m always at work now or you''re reading some book or another when we get home. How do you even have books, by the way? I thought they were hard for you to make before your Creation Magic got sealed." Lone smiled wryly. "I may or may not have stolen a good portion of books from Ranton''s library. Before I was, y''know, imprisoned." ''It''s hard to tell you off when you bring that up...'' she looked into his eyes deeply and decided to simply say, "Stealing is bad..." "It is, but I was so frustrated at how difficult it was to make them myself. Plus, those speciesist scum don''t deserve the knowledge books have to offer," Lone said in a harsh tone. ''But knowledge is how people move away from their prejudices... You taught me that,'' Soph said. it made her heart ache seeing how much lasting pain he had from his experiences in Milindo. "... The common people and the nobles are different, Lone," Soph said in worry. "I, uh, I hate them as much as you for what they did but most people in Milindo were ordinary people just living the days as they came." Lone laughed a little. "I know. However, those common people also couldn''t really afford entry into the library and I only stole very specific books, nothing important." He patted her on the head then asked, "Who made you so wise all of a sudden, eh? Where''d my cute little meatball go?" "I''m not a meatball! Hurry up and test the barrier, you big dummy," Soph answered with her pout returning in full force. ''At least he can joke about it... That''s, uh, good, I think...'' "Your cheeks sure look like meatballs when you blush and pout," he laughed before freeing himself from her grip. He then approached the floating barrier she was maintaining. "It''s incredible how you can make it just... ignore gravity like this. Can you move it?" Lone asked. Soph nodded and flicked her wrist left. The barrier followed suit and also moved left. "Fascinating. Does moving it use MP?" Lone asked. Soph shook her head. "Nope." "Unique skills sure are OP, huh? Can you make more than one?" Lone questioned. ''OP means overpowered, right? I''m slowly learning his weird language quirks. It''s hard since not everything translates well... I wanna learn English so this stops being a thing.'' Soph nodded again. "Yup. They cost 5,000 MP to make in the basic form like that so I can create up to 25 at a time if I''m full on MP but, em, yeah, that would give me an immediate migraine. They take mental processing power to move or make bigger or smaller too." "Mental processing power? Your vocabulary has grown," Lone said with pride. "Hehe, I do listen to you when you ramble about boring stuff from time to time," Soph giggled. ''Still don''t know any of your words, though. How do I bring up learning English though without sounding annoying? He''s already so busy...'' "Oi, less sass. I get enough of that from your older personality," Lone said with a roll of the eyes. "Anyway, 25? So you have over 125,000 MP? That''s an insane number." "Um, each time I rank up - so each time you rank up - I get more and more. I guess I''m just really talented with magic? That''s what Sophie says anyway. She''s not a fan since my physical stats don''t grow much," Soph said as she scratched her cheek. "Makes sense since she''s a warrior at heart," Lone commented before returning his focus to the barrier. "Alright, I''m gonna punch it as hard as I can. I don''t know what rank my strength accurately represents but let''s assume it''s one above my own, so C-rank. Let''s see what happens." "Mmm," Soph answered with a cute bob of the head. Lone reeled back his arm and put his everything behind his fist before he sent it flying toward the barrier. A low hum echoed out from her barrier when Lone''s fist made contact with it before it slowly cracked, though it didn''t shatter and successfully rebounded Lone''s attack. Soph watched him pull back his hand again after steadying his feet and he then punched once more. This time, the barrier broke entirely and she winced a bit as a result. "Ouch. The backlash of my magic being destroyed hurts," she claimed. "That''s to be expected somewhat. The same thing happens if a chant is stopped midway through from what I''ve researched. I''ve yet to test that since I don''t need chants really except for crude magic. I should really find a way to experiment with that, shouldn''t I?" Lone said to himself before smiling and approaching her. "Still, that was amazing. It''s still beginner rank, right?" he asked. "Yup. It''s Beginner Level 3 though! I''ve gained two whole levels from my practising," Soph declared proudly. She knew she couldn''t hold a candle to Lone''s speed of levelling but for her, this was a lot of growth and she was more than pleased with it. "So, uh..." Soph looked down and shyness clouded her face as she said, "W-With that done, c-could we maybe do something more... fun now? L-Like cuddling or..." Lone immediately realised what she was implying. "Sure." Soph smiled coyly and was ready to undress and change into her adult form but a proverbial bucket of cold water hit her right in the face not a moment later. "But first, let me try a few more experiments with your Barrier Magic, ''kay? It''s got to have more uses than just a floating shield. You also said you can make it smaller or bigger. I want to play around with that concept," Lone said, his skill addiction showing on full display. Soph''s expression fell. "... No sex?" Lone looked at Soph then closed his eyes and imagined the possibilities of the Barrier Magic. He was about to confirm her question before a thought struck him. He went silent for a while and it genuinely terrified Soph. She had never asked for intimacy so directly before and she was worried doing so had displeased him somehow. "Okay, you win," Lone said. "Sex it is." She exhaled deeply in relief. ''Stop worrying about little things, you dummy,'' she told herself. "Yay! Sex!" Soph exclaimed in joy before stripping and using her Body Manipulation to change into her 20-year-old self. In her mind, a heavy sigh could be heard. Sophie had decided to comment on this interaction after watching it all in silence. ''We cannot believe you. First, you somehow convince him to stop being in his super passionate learning mode, second, you say ''Yay! Sex!''. Who says that?'' Soph ignored her colder self as she eagerly began undressing her lover. Who needed the judging words of their original personality? Not Soph, that''s for sure. Thankfully for the poor and innocent Kyuubi, she had already somehow crawled onto a chair and fallen asleep, Soph noticed. B2: Chapter 11: Epitomes and Dead Mana Signal Sadly enough for Lone, there was no time to study Soph''s Barrier Magic any further that evening. Soph herself kept him busy until the last possible moment prior to dinner with her... techniques. After eating, Sophie took control and had her way with him too until the first bell rang, signifying that it was 1:00 AM. An interesting fact about the bells in Milindo''s cities of Ros, Ranton as well as the dwarven stronghold of Krieg Moor, was that all bells between the twenty-second bell and the sixth bell were dampened by magic to make them barely audible. That made sense to Lone since it''d be ridiculous to be woken up by a massive bell ringing every hour. Of course, as a foxkin, his advanced hearing rendered the dampening effects null and void. He just got used to it in Milindo like the sound of a train passing in the middle of the night or heavy thunder. Regardless of this, however, he cursed his high Stamina Points. Vigour has its benefits, of course, but those benefits had come back to bite him in the ass. The stat being directly linked to Stamina Points gave him an ungodly amount of stamina for his respective rank. Now, of course, Lone was a man like any other and he was truly infatuated by Soph and Sophie''s adult form, but to him, it was like she was a succubus with no end in sight when her lust was put into question. Lone groggily got up at the fifth bell, thankfully without the help of a nightmare today and he mumbled to himself, "Women are scary. I get that I''m ready so quickly and for so long thanks to my stats but Sophie''s stats don''t lean towards the physical ones. Sheesh. Must be tough on guys back on Earth who have sexually demanding partners..." He got out of bed, stretched, then got about to waking Soph up. In the back of his mind, he wished Sophie had remained in control when she finally decided to go to sleep since she was a far better morning person. It took him a good full ten minutes of constant pestering to awaken the little sleep demon. "I swear, Kyuubi''s only so lazy because of your influence," he said as the two of them walked with Breena by their side, all fully equipped for their adventure. "You should be more like Breena. She''s great at getting up on time," Lone added with a small sigh. Soph stuck out her tongue rebelliously. "Blame the bed for being too comfy. Your tails too! If I could cuddle them at all hours I don''t think I''d ever wake up."
Breena tried her best to distance herself from the conversation by slowing down slightly so she was walking a little bit behind her saviours instead of alongside them. ''Mistress Sophie is weird. Why does she act so differently at times? Half the time she''s serious, cool and admirable. The other half she''s very... panda like. Cute, lazy, a bit curious but ultimately kind of... not useless but... in the way?'' She would never voice such thoughts in fears of being reprimanded or, Primals forbid, thrown away. She liked these people, odd as they were. She shifted her thoughts to Kyuubi, to the small fox pet that her new masters adored. It also reminded her of a panda. Pandas were a rare sight on Altros. ''He said they were rare on his homeworld too...'' she thought, recalling a past conversation with the Hero of Milindo. They were scarce due to being very weak and they were treated like a delicacy by quite a few nations. Thankfully, one of their natural habitats happened to be the Crimson Foxkin Clan''s land. They were protected there and reared with love so Breena had plenty of time witnessing the delightfully lazy creatures before she was ripped away from that lifestyle. She didn''t fully understand her new masters, sadly. They would do some amazing things that made her question the origins of their powers. This matter of Mistress Sophie acting differently bothered her a lot though. She had no idea why she acted like that or if it was even intentional at all. Likening one side of her to a panda and the other to an admirable role model seemed to work fine for her though so she''d keep doing that. ''Asking questions is never wise, Breena... never...''
Lone raised an eyebrow when he saw Breena shiver a little. ''Is it cold for her? We are in a massive open cave after all. Feels warm enough for me though and I only have Cold Resistance at Beginner rank...'' "By the way, Soph, you did prepare everything for Kyuubi to stay in the Summoning Room for a few days on her own, right?" Lone asked, trusting Breena would make her discomfort known if it truly bothered her. "I get that she''s a bit slothful and a smart girl, but she''s still a baby fox." Soph nodded. "Mhmm. I made sure that she had enough food, litter and plenty of toys to play with if she feels active." "I doubt that last one will happen but we can always hope I guess," Lone said. "Anyway, looks like we''re here." The group of three had long left the city-proper of Krieg Moor. A very interesting thing regarding the underground mini-kingdom was that, of course, it had no sun but it surprisingly had fields aplenty. Of course, ever the inquisitive mind that he was, Lone had asked Wilbur why and how the fields existed. The answer was simple, really. The why was to cut off any possible reliance on trade agreements with less than selfless foreign nations. Supposedly the united dwarven councils had once relied on kingdoms from the surface for food supplies and that resulted in many wars for their mineral wealth with little to no room for them to argue since they were in a stranglehold food-wise. If they could remove the cause of such wars and the issues that came with them, then why wouldn''t they? That made sense to Lone. Independence economically could raise a country to new heights if handled well. As for the how, the answer was steamforged artefacts. While a fake sun was indeed present in the city, that didn''t actually produce any heat, only light. It also didn''t reach out to the farmlands. The solution was one that Steamforger Wilbur had actually come up with himself in his youth. He''d supposedly led a team that tirelessly worked to create portable fake suns. However, these suns actually worked like the real one and could help sustain vegetative life unlike the one''s used by kriegs as light sources. The fake suns used for light were genuine massive steamforged constructions that used magic to produce the light, so the plants couldn''t consume that light under threat of over 90% of the crop dying, according to Steamforger Wilbur. Lone, Soph and Breena had passed many of the fields supported by their own little eco-systems and they - mostly Lone - marvelled at the sight of the numerous steamforged artefacts that were used to aid in the agricultural efforts, the portable mini suns included. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Finally, they had come across the fourteenth entrance to the Farwinds of Krieg Moor. The entrance itself was an isolated cavern with a 50-metre tall ceiling. A giant and very intricately muraled gate of metal lay at the end of the chamber. On either side of the walls of the room could be seen a pair of massive stone dwarves, one of which had a complex mechanical pickaxe on his back while the other had his right arm outstretched and in his grasp was the handle of a mysteriously designed lantern. "Dwarven architecture sure is beautiful," Lone muttered. "These statues are amazing... Really putting stuff like The Thinker or the Liberty Enlightening the World to shame. I wonder if they represent real people?" "They sure do," a gruff voice answered. They all turned to see a beardless and heavily scarred dwarf staring at them. Lone recognised him. It was Four-twelve. He was leaning against the entrance to the cavern and on the floor next to him was a massive backpack. He kicked himself off the wall and picked up his rucksack before putting it on and saying, "We call ''em Epitomes. Dwarves who''ve mastered something so perfectly that even the blue screens can''t do their ability justice with just a silly skill system." He gestured his head to the statue on the left and said, "Epitome Brugar the Stout. Fuck''r was known as the pioneer of mining. Legend goes he carved out the Farwinds all by himself with his trusty pick. I don''t know if that''s true or not but what''s for certain is that all of the caves he ever excavated provide kriegs continent-wide with ore and rare minerals. Even to this day and he died hundreds of thousands of years ago." "That''s incredible. And the other one?" Lone asked, his inner historian eager to learn more. "I''d wager an... explorer? Maybe a guider of some sort?" "Interested in our culture, eh?" Four-twelve asked with a grin. "That''s Epitome Frumgear the Keen - the world''s best explorer, as you guessed. At least, according to the dwarves he was. Bloke supposedly discovered 95% of all of the ancient ruins the Farwinds connect to. Dedicated his life to it. Hence why his statue is here since like Epitome Brugar, he''s a key part of what make the Farwinds what they are." "There are more Epitomes?" Lone asked. "Oh, aye. Plenty. A few hundred, at least. Small number when you think about how many hundreds of thousands of years have passed since the dwarven races united," Four-twelve said with a shrug. "In fact, little old Krieg Moor might birth a new one soon. Or death one, heh." "Death one? What does that mean?" Lone asked in confusion. "Folk only get epitomized when they die. Every dwarf gets his life reviewed by the local council who then passes on noteworthy life records to the grand council. Boring shit if you ask me," Four-twelve replied. "You know, dwarves may just be my favourite species thus far. This kind of culture is right up my alley," Lone joked as two notifications filled his vision.
The host has witnessed the magnificence of Epitome Brugar the Stout and has listened to a portion of his tale. Moment added to the [Ordinary moments and sites of history witnessed or created] list of the skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation]. Learn more about Epitome Brugar the Stout to upgrade the tier of this moment. Stat bonus from moment: 5 Strength.
The host has witnessed the magnificence of Epitome Frumgear the Keen and has listened to a portion of his tale. Moment added to the [Ordinary moments and sites of history witnessed or created] list of the skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation]. Learn more about Epitome Frumgear the Keen to upgrade the tier of this moment. Stat bonus from moment: 5 Luck.
''Kind of would have preferred new knowledge but can''t complain about free stats,'' Lone thought before he said, "By the way, sorry for being a bit late. I didn''t expect it to be as long of a walk as it was from the city to here." "Don''t worry about it. I''ve been waiting for ages to bury Olim anyway," Four-twelve shrugged. "Thanks. This is Soph and this is Breena," Lone said, introducing his party. Four-twelve nodded and pulled off his backpack before taking a sealed urn out of it. He then passed the urn to Breena. "You''re the weakest, right? Just hold this and make sure it doesn''t break." "Your friend''s ashes?" Lone asked. "Yeah. That''s Olim," Four-twelve answered. Breena wore a slightly concerned look but still accepted the task. "I... I''ll try to be careful." "Can''t ask for more than that. Well, time''s a-wastin''. Let''s go. The branching path Olim was born in is a bit of ah ways in, though like the quest notice said, only danger''s Darkness Spawn. You know what they are and how to fight ''em or you need a briefin''?" Four-twelve asked. Lone smiled in shame slightly and replied, "Unfortunately, I have never heard of Darkness Spawn before coming to this krieg. I''d be pretty glad if you could let my team and I know what to expect." "No worries. Everyone starts somewhere. Better to be ignorant and askin'' than ignorant and arrogant," Four-twelve mumbled before he started to detail everything he knew of the monsters to Lone. As the four of them walked, Lone received a telepathic message from Sophie who was now in control of her and Soph''s body. ''This dwarf, he lacks magic. We did not even know he was in that large cave when we first arrived until he spoke,'' she said. Lone had a small desire to refute that it was just a ''large cave'' but he could hear the urgency in Sophie''s tone so he replied via The Summoning Room''s telepathy with, ''Is that important in some way? I''m splitting my attention from Four-twelve so forgive me if I don''t immediately pick up on what you''re trying to say.'' ''No, we understand. Put simply, all things have magic in them. We believe Soph has told you as much once or twice in passing, but we must emphasize that means everything. Even corpses, grass and the walls surrounding us. This... thing, it has no magic in it at all,'' Sophie claimed once again. She looked at the short beardless man''s back and narrowed her eyes uncomfortably beneath her helmet. ''It unsettles us more than we can accurately convey, Lone. It is like we are blind to him. Never before have we been unable to see our surroundings with our Mana Sensing. Were it that our eyes still did not work, he would be a ghost to us. He is magically invisible and it concerns us greatly.'' "Ah, I see. That certainly explains the bronzy-brown colouration of these bricks. Thank you, Four-twelve," Lone replied verbally to the still chatting dwarf as he nodded slightly to Sophie. ''I see. I understand why that would unsettle you. Honestly though, we know far too little about this world to make a judgement call now.'' Sophie frowned. ''Can we not simply abandon this quest and do another? We are... uncomfortable in his presence.'' ''For all we know, Sophie, he could have a strange disease of something that masks or removes all traces of mana from his body. I don''t think we should jump to conclusions like this. This is a good quest for us to stretch our legs, earn some more points towards our next adventurer promotion, and it''s also a chance for me to grow stronger through killing these Darkness Spawn,'' Lone countered. He glanced down at his fully-armoured lover and sighed faintly. ''If there is any trouble whatsoever, like, at all, I am willing to Mental Destruction him and then you teleport us out, okay? I promise you, I am not doubting your intuition but this is important to me. I took on the quest, I want to finish it. Four-twelve, thus far, seems like an okay guy.'' Lone could sense that she was fuming a little internally but she finally relented and gave him a curt nod. ''Fine, but only because we trust you and value your opinion. We know it means a lot for you to commit yourself to murder again after what happened in Milindo and we truly appreciate it.'' ''Haha, thank you. You don''t need to be so considerate of me though. I''d likely struggle to kill a kid, good or evil, sure, but a fully grown man with malicious intentions towards us? I didn''t hesitate to kill King Heidron and I felt no guilt in doing so. This will be the same if you''re right,'' Lone answered with so little emotion that it kind of surprised him. ''We... we see,'' Sophie replied then stopped communicating via The Summoning Room. "So, Four-twelve, the notice said you''d share war stories. I assume you''ve been topside since you lack most of your accent. Got any interesting tales for a curious foxkin?" Lone asked with a slight grin on his lips. The dwarf chuckled a bit. "Yah know, I like you, Ninetails. I do have ah story or two, in fact. This one time, I was workin'' as a merc for this big fuck-off goblin that rules a kingdom full of the green little fuckers. Crazy, right? A kingdom of goblins... Anyway, we were up against a clan of pissed of Bengol War Trolls..." B2: Chapter 12: Expansive Farwinds and First Encounter Lone had listened to Four-twelve regale his tales of war, battle and adventure for the better part of two hours as they walked through the central road of the Farwinds. About 30-minutes into that journey the large and long dwarven corridor of stone and statues opened up to the largest intersection Lone had ever seen in his entire life. It was like Shibuya Crossing but four or five times larger. Just as many people were using it though. Many miners, explorers and adventurers could be seen flooding each entrance. It was an experience that put Sophie and Breena on edge a bit but it was one that Lone would likely never forget. This intersection of the Farwinds had 21 connecting roads, 20 of which led to Krieg Moor and were tiny when compared to the enormous central road. Four-twelve claimed the central road was nothing but a branch of the true Farwinds. Lone wondered just what Epitome Brugar or whatever had actually made this gargantuan underground road network needed it for. This massive chamber which was only a branching road of the true system could easily fit a small mountain with legs, let alone giants. This far larger pathway was also much more heavily muralled and laden with statues of the various Epitomes, according to Four-twelve. Even though the dwarf explained the Epitomes he knew as they passed their statues, Lone gained no new stat bonuses from new moments. He assumed he''d have to see the statues in places they truly belonged for his skill to trigger like with Epitome Brugar and Epitome Frumgear. Still, Lone had to wonder if it truly was the small dwarves who had made this network of roads or perhaps it was something... grander. If given the chance, he would love to learn the truth. "So... this massive tunnel is blocked off somehow? I definitely heard that the Farwinds was closed off in Krieg Moor," Lone asked Four-twelve. The dwarf nodded. "Aye. About 50-miles down the whole thing''s been caved in." "How?" Lone asked. "I get we''re underground but this thing is so wide you could fit a town in between the walls." Four-twelve shrugged. "I heard a really old dragon woke up. Don''t know what race of dragon but apparently it was too big and too strong for the warriors of the krieg to kill on their own, hence why the Farwinds here collapsed by the time reinforcements could come and end the scaley fucker." ''... I fucking love this world. Of course, ignoring everything that happened in Milindo,'' Lone joked though he did feel saddened for a moment upon recalling his time in the dungeons of Ranton Castle. "I''d love to see a dragon one day," Lone expressed. "Of course, from a distance, haha." "I would too, Ninetails. Been to a lot of places, seen a lot of fucked up shit and scary powerful beings you wouldn''t believe even existed, never seen a dragon though. Fuckers are notoriously rare and even rarer is it that they don''t kill anyone they meet. Ain''t too trustin'' of strangers is my understandin''," Four-twelve said. Lone nodded. "I''ve read as much. They only trust their direct family, but they care for that family so deeply they''d die to save them any day. Fierce and deadly creatures with unrivalled loyalty." He glanced at Sophie and winked before saying telepathically, ''Unrivaled by all but me. I''ll always be loyal to you and Soph.'' ''... Idiot,'' Sophie responded in a tired tone though Lone would put money on her blushing under her helmet. "Ah, here we are," Four-twelve said as he stopped the group to approach a side exit, specifically, the words carved into the wall next to the side exit. Lone focused on the words too and read them aloud. "Huh... ''Farwinding road to Urd Vahir, a town of the Claimed.'' What does that mean, the Claimed?" Four-twelve looked back at Lone in mild surprise. "You can read Sitstomian Dwarven?" "I''m a bit of a scholar, haha," Lone chuckled as he thought, ''Technically, no, but thanks to whatever is translating my words for me I can read and understand every language. And thank God I can. Imagine the knowledge that would be locked away from me behind the barriers of language without this translation ability.'' "Fair enough. You certainly look dainty enough for the job. Fingers crossed that doesn''t apply to how you fight as well," Four-twelve remarked as he entered the side-branching tunnel. "The Claimed is what we call Farwind settlements that have been destroyed, abandoned or otherwise lost." "The Farwinds must be really dangerous if this is common enough for it to have a name," Lone commented. "Aye, that it is. Still happens though. People are dumb, brave, or confident enough to make something of themselves independently. A few hundred years later, it all falls apart or gets ripped away by somethin'' beyond their handlin'' or somethin'' mysterious. It''s always the same," Four-twelve said satirically. "Dwarves are stupid." "I don''t think stupidity is a dwarven-exclusive trait. I''m pretty sure all sentient beings have it in some capacity or another," Lone remarked. "Aye, that''s true enough," Four-twelve replied. "Ours shows itself as stubbornness, sadly enough. Fuckin'' useless trait, if you ask me. Anyway, no more time for idle chatter. This part of the Farwinds isn''t patrolled anymore and this is where we''ll start seein'' specifically Darkness Spawn. Thankfully, only bipedal Darkness Spawn inhabit the areas around Krieg Moor as far as I''m aware." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lone nodded. "Gotcha." The group of four walked with far more caution now, Breena especially, Lone noticed. She seemed scared of tripping over and ruining the vase of ashes. ''She''s got the Agility and Dexterity for that to not be an issue unless she''s jumped. Hopefully she calms down... Maybe she''ll get Fear Resistance?'' He could only trust she''d manage. A few hours passed with them on high-alert when Lone felt the telepathic link between himself and Sophie open. ''Lone. 15 blobs of person-shaped mana are phasing through the walls from all angles both in front and behind us. The mana is dark purple and disgusting, quite frankly. It''s even more horrid than what we can feel from the blackness in your tails. It feels less pure.'' ''Got it. I''ll deal with the front, you get the rea- Wait, what? My black-tipped tails feel horrid? Tell that to Soph who loves them to death,'' Lone grumbled in response. Sophie shrugged as she unsheathed her blades. ''We and she can ignore it, but it does not make it any less of an unpleasant sensation. Soft as the tails may be, evil they also are. Void or whatever you call it is cursed and foul.'' ''Right... I don''t exactly disagree, but let''s focus for now. Remember what Four-twelve told us just a short while ago. Don''t let them touch you directly. I have no mana so I won''t be able to heal you if you get struck, got it?'' Lone asked mentally as he unstrapped his swordspear from his back and stepped forward. ''Yes, we understand,'' Sophie answered. ''Soph shall be fighting, not us, but if we must take control to fight with melee, we shall be very careful.'' "Four-twelve, Breena, stay between Sophie and me," Lone ordered. "I know you''re a war-vet, Four-twelve, but our mission is to keep you and Olim''s ashes safe. I hope you don''t mind being protected." "I''m not the fighter I used to be, otherwise I wouldn''t have hired help. Knock yourselves out," the dwarf answered as he took off his backpack, drew a bow and took up position in the middle of the road. "But if I see a shot, I''ll take one." ''A dwarven archer? That''s a surprise,'' Lone thought. "Got it. Breena, stay next to him and don''t move unless something slips past us." Breena was shaking and her fear was clearly ramping up when she saw the featureless masses of purple energy congeal out of the walls but she somehow managed to squeeze out a, "Y-Yes." Lone quickly went over the battle advice he''d been given from Four-twelve a couple of hours ago regarding the Darkness Spawn. ''If they touch you, you get corrupted. It''s not incurable but it''s super painful and if I can, I should avoid it. Good thing my swordspear has reach. They''re slow out of combat but hyper-agile in it.'' He closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath before opening them again and charging ahead. ''I need to kill as many as I can before they enter their combat state.'' Lone approached the crowd of seven Darkness Spawn that were slowly ambling towards their group from the front of the road. With a single swift motion, he cut off the head region of one before rapidly pivoting on his heel and using the other end of his weapon to impale another. Both Darkness Spawn exploded into fine purple powder, symbolising their destruction. ''I really wish I could use my MP here,'' Lone thought as he lunged at another Darkness Spawn and managed to ram one of the blades of his swordspear through its neck, killing it. The other four seemed to awaken as if from a long sleep and their movements immediately sharpened. ''Yup, that''s why. Now I have to fight four of these things legitimately. If I just had access to Lightning Bolt I could have probably killed at least a couple more before they realised they were dying.'' He cleared his mind and entered a defensive stance, ready to counter-attack and dodge instead of recklessly attacking first. ''According to Four-twelve these fucks passively generate and then feed off of fear, making them stronger. Too bad for them I''ve experienced a lot of shit and it will take more than just weak skills like these to get me shaking in my boots.''
On the other side of the room, Sophie frowned under her helmet. ''Soph, it makes no sense for us to attack them up close. We would only risk being struck and being afflicted with whatever corruption the manaless dwarf claimed they deal out. Do you mind taking control? You are better than us at using our magic.'' ''Okay. I just have to kill them, right?'' Soph asked back as she assumed control of their body. ''No, hold them in place if you can. Ideally Lone should kill them since we gain nothing by doing it ourselves,'' Sophie answered. ''Ah, right. Our level is tied to his. ''Kay. Got it,'' Soph responded with a nod then summoned eight barriers - one for each of the Darkness Spawn approaching their group from behind. The eight barriers were perfectly flat and about the size of a plate. With a thought and a flick of the wrists, Soph sent the barriers barrelling through the air. Her intent was to pin down the Darkness Spawn on the road to wait for Lone as he finished dealing with his own battle before he could come over and leisurely kill these monsters. Sadly, due to Lone''s swift actions on the other side of the road, the eight Darkness Spawn near Soph had already stopped moving slowly and had come to life like the others. Six of the furthest Darkness Spawn avoided the barriers while one of the closer ones attacked the barrier heading its way, knocking it back but not destroying it. The final Darkness Spawn got successfully trapped and pinned to the floor with the barrier on its chest. Soph panicked a little bit since she''d failed to capture even half of her targets. ''W-What do I do?!'' ''Relax. Losing your cool won''t help anyone here. They are fast but ultimately quite weak. Use your barriers as blades and sever their legs,'' Sophie advised. Soph nodded and took in a sharp breath before she controlled the six barriers that had missed to return and she used them to try and, as Sophie had suggested, cut off the legs of the six Darkness Spawn in the back. Surprisingly to Soph, the tactic worked. The shimmering jade-green barriers sliced through the misty purple limbs like a knife through butter despite the monsters rushing at her with incredible speeds. The distance between them was just a bit too much to cross and her control was just good enough to hit her marks every time despite a handful of the Darkness Spawn attempting to jump over the barriers. All six of the rear Darkness Spawn collapsed and squirmed about on the road as they tried to grab their missing limbs. "They''re gonna reattach them and attack again, Lass!" Four-twelve yelled. "Hurry and pin ''em like the others," he added as he let loose an arrow, nailing the last of the eight in the knee, sending it tumbling towards Soph just before it could attack her. She took his advice and quickly scrambled with her barriers to hold down the rest of the Darkness Spawn, including the one he''d shot. She then poured some mana into the damaged barrier to fix it. Sighing in relief, she thought, ''That was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I''ve used up so much MP already...'' ''Don''t lose vigilance. They are scratching at the barriers. Make sure none of them breaks,'' Sophie ordered. Soph did as told and paid very close attention to her barriers and the Darkness Spawn for what felt like hours but was only minutes. Finally, Lone had finished killing the Darkness Spawn in the front, signalling the end of their first encounter with Darkness Spawn. 15 Darkness Spawn defeated, one arrow used up and Soph''s mana half-depleted. While no one was injured, it was hardly a perfect encounter. B2: Chapter 13: Poor Experience and Tales of A Demigod Lone approached Four-twelve and bowed his head a little. "Thank you for not getting upset over Sophie for just pinning them. I know that was a bit dangerous." The dwarf shrugged. "Ain''t the first time I''ve seen someone get boosted. I assume the girl shakin'' like a leaf will be the one doing the killing?" Lone laughed a bit awkwardly. "Aha, em, no. it''ll be me." Four-twelve raised an eyebrow. "... Okay. I guess it''s your business, not mine." Lone smiled appreciatively then moved to the pinned down Darkness Spawn and killed them all one by one, turning them into piles of scattered purple dust. He checked his status to see the changes as he congratulated Soph for a job well done.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 24 Level: 201 [+1]
Species: Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 52,390/52,390 SP: 52,030/59,050
MP: 40,490/40,490
Basic Stats
Strength: 2,905 Vigour: 5,239
Dexterity: 2,134 Agility: 3,061
Vitality: 5,905 Luck: 193
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 Charisma: 132
Magic Power: 4,049
He frowned deeply. ''What? Only one level can be explained by them not giving enough experience but no stats too?'' "Just what are these things..." he mumbled. Soph looked at him in concern, "Is everything okay, Lone?" "... Yeah... everything''s fine. Sorry for the delay, let''s move on before any more show up, shall we?" Lone suggested to which Four-twelve was more than happy to oblige. As they walked Lone spoke to Soph and said, "So, I''ve been thinking about our fight back there. You used a lot of barriers. How draining on your MP was that?" Both Breena and Four-twelve paid attention to the conversation as they walked. Soph shrugged a bit awkwardly. "Um, about half? I''ve regained a bit since then so I''m at about two-thirds now." Four-twelve nodded approvingly. "Good natural recovery rate right there." "T-Thank you," Soph timidly responded. Lone stroked his chin as he said, "I think it''d be smarter for you to just use one blade and decapitate them all from now on. Maybe save one or two for Breena to kill." He smiled kindly at Breena and added, "If you''re up for killing them, of course. Also only if you need levels." "I am... and I do," Breena answered in a soft voice. "Then it''s settled. Also, Soph, don''t dismiss the barrier to save on MP between encounters if it remains undamaged," Lone advised. "Y''know, since moving it uses no MP." Soph nodded enthusiastically. "Mmm, it''s a good plan." Four-twelve smiled oddly. "You sound like a different person from before. You''re bubblier than then. He also started using a nickname on you," the dwarf said, pointing a thumb at Lone. Soph froze in place for a moment. ''Uh... L-Lone? Is it a bad thing he''s noticed I''m not Sophie?'' ''I don''t know. Let''s see what he says next,'' Lone answered, keeping in mind the information that Four-twelve was completely devoid of mana. Four-twelve chuckled and said, "We''ve all got our quirks, eh? Miss Armour there with the two different attitudes, Ninetails with the tail-colouring that makes no sense, Little Miss Goosebumps over here and me with my... condition." "Condition?" Lone asked. ''Is he gonna explain why Sophie can''t see him with Mana Sensing?'' He shrugged. "Bit of a shocker, but I wasn''t born with this messed up mug of mine, haha. Anyway, let''s focus again, aye? I want to reach the midway point of the tunnel to set up camp before I start feelin'' groggy. It''ll take us a good six hours at least just to get there since that attack right there? It was only the first of many to come. Darkness Spawn ain''t too tough to the experienced but boy are they numerous." "... Sounds good," Lone answered. ''Maybe I can ask him about his condition later. I''d best not sleep during this trip though. I want to keep an eye on him if Sophie''s right and he''s bad news, and besides, I don''t want to wake anyone up if I have a nightmare and yell in my sleep or something.''
A small ruin of what was essentially a dwarven village once upon a time was chosen as their resting spot for the night. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. On the way there they had been attacked a total of 14 times and had killed over 100 Darkness Spawn. When Four-twelve said they were numerous, he wasn''t kidding. Soph was on the verge of collapsing due to the mental pain she was enduring so she was the happiest of the four to find a place to, hopefully, relax. Breena had killed her fair share and apparently reached the level cap for F-rank which was certainly helpful. Lone had killed some of them as well and had gained three more levels, putting him at level 204. Four-twelve seemed fine if not a little bit physically tired. He''d used up about a fourth of his arrows helping Soph. He stopped at one point to compliment Lone for not needing assistance defending the rear which Lone took with a smile. He was happy because while draining on his party members, the battle-fraught journey had been very beneficial for Lone beyond the paltry sum of levels he''d been earning. As he took out some simple supplies from his Dimensional Storage and disguised the action as retrieving them from a cheap Adventurer''s Pouch at his waist, he went over his new system notifications.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s active skill [Weapon Block] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
As it turned out, while he was mentally strong enough to not succumb to the fear which Soph and Breena were struggling to combat, Lone still gained levels in Fear Resistance. The passive effects of the Darkness Spawn were strong, it seemed. He felt he didn''t need the skill given everything he had endured during his life but it was passive, so he''d be a fool to dismiss its uses and he wouldn''t be Lone if he didn''t get excited seeing a skill level up. "You have an Adventurer''s Pouch?" Four-twelve asked. "Those aren''t cheap." "Haha, I got it from a kind-hearted friend," Lone lied. ''It''s just a leather sack with no magic to be found on it. I''m still surprised by how well it works as a disguise, honestly.'' Four-twelve inspected the bag closely with narrowed eyes, somewhat alarming Lone. ''Ah, Stone''s Vision... Fuck. I didn''t consider that. Please don''t ask me any questions. He seems to be tactful thus far...'' Lone worried internally for a good few seconds before Four-twelve grinned with that heavily scarred face of his. "Shame I got Miner''s Glory when I popped out of my ma, huh? What grade is it?" "... Common. Kind-hearted that he was, stupidly generous he was not," Lone answered. "Ah, shame. Anyway, gonna help me set up our camp? I got some tools to ward off Darkness Spawn attacks that need some delicate placement. My fingers are a bit messed up. I can swing a pick and draw a bow, but fine control escapes my cut up and arthritis-riddled hands. Another reason I hired you bunch," the dwarf requested. "Sure, I''d be more than happy to offer a hand or two," Lone replied. "Or two? Haha. Dunno if you''d be of any use only using one hand," the dwarf laughed warmly. "Sophie was your name, right?" he said to Soph. "Would you mind setting up a campfire while Mister Fluffy Arse over here and I get to work?" Sophie took control of Soph''s body and nodded. "Of course. Breena, help us." "Oh, uh, sure," the foxkin answered as she scrambled to her feet. She''d been sitting on the floor to rest since blisters had started to form on her soles but she wasn''t great at saying ''no'' just yet, much to Lone''s chagrin. About an hour later, the group was sat around a campfire having a meal and this time, instead of Four-twelve telling the story, it was Lone. "... and after healing me he carried me on his back all the way to Ranton. Sophie, Breena and another girl were there too," Lone said, finishing the recounting of his time fighting the Blue Orcs. "Sounds like a good guy, that Gilbert," Four-twelve remarked. Lone smiled warmly. "He''s like a dad to me." "That''s real sweet. Still, only stories you seem to have, laddie, are tragic ones. Your life''s been a fuckin'' mess, huh?" the dwarf asked. "You''re lucky you don''t have scars like I do." "Nah, I''ve got ''em. They''re just in here," Lone replied as he tapped the side of his skull a few times. A moment of silence befell them before Sophie asked, "Four-twelve. You mentioned you had a condition earlier when commenting on our peculiarity. What condition?" Lone frowned. "We really shouldn''t be asking person-" "It''s fine," Four-twelve interrupted with a dismissive wave of the wrist. "Short answer is that I''m technically not real." Lone narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Sorry, what?" "Haha, I always get that reaction," Four-twelve chuckled. "Ever heard of demigods?" Lone''s mind immediately thought of the grey fog-filled orb sitting in his Dimensional Storage. "Yeah, a bit. Don''t tell me you met a demigod, did you?" "Less ''met'' it, more got slapped around by it and phased in and out of reality," Four-twelve answered with a smirk. "Phantogribsomora. The technical term for a big fuck-off powerful ghost. I encountered one touched by Darkness a long time ago. It pulled me back and forth through several realities and dimensions like a ball being kicked around." He stared into the fire and continued, "I used to be an S-ranker, y''know? Now I''m stuck at C-rank with more limitations and disabilities than one might ever even hear of." "How''d you survive?" Lone asked. "Mercy? I don''t know. I was the only one spat back out onto Altros when the fucker was done. Well, most of me, anyway," Four-twelve confessed. "I''m surprised you believe me. Most don''t on account of; one, demigods being so elusive most don''t believe in ''em, and two, I''m alive to tell the tale. You''re more likely to survive a sword to the brain than an encounter with a pissed off demigod, or so I hear." Lone and Sophie shared a look. How could they not believe him? They had a Djinn''s wish in their possession and they knew Four-twelve was lacking any traces of mana so this was a plausible explanation to them. "H-How did you get your name?" Breena timidly asked, which earned her a curious look from everyone. She shied away a bit as she stammered out, "I-It''s not a name, m-more like a code..." Lone''s expression immediately brightened. ''She''s taking the initiative to ask a question of a stranger... Fuck, why do I feel like a parent witnessing their kid''s first words?'' Four-twelve shrugged. "It''s part of a little ditty my old pals and me used to sing. They said I sang it best so it became my nickname. Felt right to keep it when they... disappeared to that demigod." "T-Thank you," Breena replied before trying her best to fade out of the conversation again. ''Baby steps,'' Lone thought. "I''ll go take watch. It''s getting late, right? I''m used to not sleeping." Everyone agreed. Sophie still didn''t fully trust the dwarf even after his story so she chose to sleep within an arm''s length of Lone. Only feeling comfortable around Sophie, the group''s other girl, Breena chose to rest next to her. Four-twelve wasn''t fussy. He brought out his bedroll and curled up next to the fire. ''Phantogribsomora... This world really is amazing,'' Lone thought before he recalled being tortured daily by Sir Ardus. A shiver went up his spine and anger surfaced on his face. ''Amazing and horrifying.'' B2: Chapter 14: Sorry and Roots The night passed peacefully. Lone was happy to learn that Four-twelve''s steamforged devices worked perfectly. Not a single Darkness Spawn had approached his companions as they slept with him watching over them. Lone was feeling a little bit tired but it wasn''t anything new to him so he soldiered on as the group shared breakfast and a few more stories. Not long after they packed up most of their gear and continued their journey, only leaving behind what they would need for the return trip. Half a day later, they had finally reached their destination. "This is Urd Vahir?" Lone asked. "It looks a lot worse than I''d first imagined it would." Everything in the small town had that dwarven charm Lone had come to love about Krieg Moor but the only apt word to properly describe this place was ''desolate'', unlike the lively and vibrant city that was their current home. Buildings had their roofs caved in, the roads were littered with cracks and shattered murals. The odd small skeleton could be seen on street corners or in windows. Vegetation had sprouted through the ground and covered some of the structures that once were proudly used by the citizens of Urd Vahir. Four-twelve nodded. "Yeah. This is what happens when a place gets left unattended to for dozens and dozens of years." He leaned down and rubbed his fingers against a plant growing out of the road at his feet before he said, "You''d think without sunlight that this shit wouldn''t grow down here, but life always finds a way." Lone nodded slowly. "Just like Goldblum said." "Who?" Four-twelve asked. Sophie sighed. "Probably someone from one of his stories." "Haha, something like that," Lone answered a bit awkwardly. "Anyway, where are we going to scatter Olim''s ashes, exactly? Is here okay or do you have a specific location of the town in mind?" "The graveyard," Four-twelve answered curtly and a little bit awkwardly. Sophie noticed this and grew concerned. ''Why is he like this now? He doesn''t seem worried about scattering the ashes... It''s more like he''s feeling... guilty? Yes, guilty. That describes the impression we are getting from him.'' ''Really? I can''t tell,'' Soph responded. ''I''m really not good at telling what facial expressions mean... I''m used to using mana to tell that kinda stuff.'' ''As are we. We just have a feeling...'' Sophie replied as she made sure to keep an even closer watch over the dwarf for now. "Got it. You lead the way and we''ll keep a close eye out for any Darkness Spawn," Lone said to their dwarven companion. "Aye, sounds good," Four-twelve replied. With cautious steps and attentive eyes, they made their way through the run down Urd. Lone was slowly feeling more and more uneasy at just how successfully they were traversing the long-dead town. ''Sophie, is there nothing here?'' he telepathically asked his fully-armoured companion. Sophie nodded grimly. ''Not a thing. Nothing but the buildings and the plants. Not even rats or other vermin. It is very... unsettling. It feels as if we are being allowed to pass through the place unchallenged.'' ''I don''t know about you, but that doesn''t sound great.'' Lone was never much of a distrustful nor paranoid person like Sophie was. Well, at least he wasn''t until what had happened in Milindo. That experience had changed him in too many ways to count. Now he could see the sense in Sophie''s words and he too shared her feelings of unease. ''We should be fine...'' he thought. ''Even if there''s a horde of Darkness Spawn lying in wait outside of Sophie''s detection range, we can teleport out in a worst-case scenario.'' Lone was committed to completing the quest. He felt he owed Four-twelve at least that much since he was a sincere man who''d been through a lot, not unlike himself. A short while later, the group of four arrived at the Urd''s graveyard. Four-twelve approached Breena and held out his arms. "I''ll take care of Olim now. The sooner I do this, the better." "Oh, um, s-sure," Breena stuttered as she carefully handed the urn of ashes to the dwarf. Hints of sadness and grief could be seen on the heavily disfigured man''s face as he cradled the urn closely. "Thank you." He turned away from them and approached a set of headstones Lone assumed were Olim''s family. He felt it''d be insensitive to ask given Four-twelve''s clearly emotional mood, so he just remained next to Sophie and Breena with his hands clasped and held between his legs respectfully. ''He never did say who Olim was to him. I assume one of his friends he mentioned died. Maybe his ashes were all that remained after the demigod''s attack?'' Lone theorised as he patiently watched Four-twelve. The dwarf knelt down at the graves and opened the urn in his hands. He reached in and pulled out a handful of ash before he lightly tossed it on the graves. He continued to do this for several minutes as he mumbled and shook his head incessantly before he was finished. "I''ve done it, Olim," he said softly as his voice choked up a bit. "All of them. You were the last. Hodar, Vohir, old Grillgret... Haha... Ha-ah... It''s taken so long, even with help it took me so, so long to return you all to where you belong." Lone felt his emotions rise as he watched a grown dwarf who was likely many dozens or hundreds of years older than himself weeping as he hugged a burial urn. ''I see... Olim was the last of his dead friends like I thought. I guess that explains why he was living in a poorhouse... He''s not really from Krieg Moor. He must have been travelling around to bury the remains of his friends.'' Sophie lowered her head shamefully as she said to Lone mentally, ''... We apologise. You were right. We... we should not have been so distrusting of him.'' ''It''s okay. You have nothing to apologise for,'' Lone replied. ''He was suspicious. You were right to be wary of him even if it turned out he had his reasons for his condition.'' This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Four-twelve placed Olim''s urn next to the foremost grave then got up with shaky legs. He returned to Lone, Sophie and Breena and smiled with a tired expression. "You''re good people, you three," Four-twelve said sadly. He put a hand on Lone and Sophie''s shoulder - stretching a bit to reach Lone''s. "I''m so sorry for dragging you into this." Lone smiled. "It''s fine. It was a good experience and I''m happy we could help you get closure." Four-twelve shook his head. "Getting their bodies back, even if only as ashes was not possible without help. I had to pay a price. I was stupid for thinkin'' I wouldn''t care if the price ended up needin'' payin''. I''m, so, so sorry for dragging you all into this." "What do y-" Lone was cut off when a searing pain came from Four-twelve''s hand on his shoulder. Bubbles of purple goop burst out of Four-twelve''s hand and immediately corrupted Lone''s flesh, making his arm useless. Sophie wasn''t faring much better. Her armour had been chewed through by the bubbles and her flesh was even less resilient than Lone''s. She screamed out in pain before jerking back from Four-twelve. Lone stood still in shock. He still wasn''t entirely sure what was happening. It was only when Breena tackled him away from Four-twelve that his brain caught up with the situation. "You... what... You''re a Darkness Spawn or something? But- what-" Tears streamed down Four-twelve''s face. "I''m sorry. It''s set its eyes on you, Lone. It seemed like a price I''d never have to pay since how could he find someone perfect for his needs? Years and years of travelling through the Farwinds and it never once spoke to me again... Not until I met you. Low and beyond, everything finds a way..." "I''m not in control anymore... This is all I can do to thank you for helping me and to make amends for doing as it wills." He slowly reached behind him to his quiver as his face contorted in pain, signs of his internal fight against his own body. He grabbed an arrow before quickly shoving it directly into his own skull, killing him instantly. "That was unexpected," A disembodied voice said with a hint of amusement in its tone. Sophie was panting and sweating as she struggled to stay conscious through the pain that was spreading out from her arm but she still managed to grab both Lone and Breena. "Teleportation." The three of them vanished, leaving the voice on its own. "How spectacular. What a shame the mark was placed. I''ll be seeing you soon, Lone. In fact, sooner than you might like," the voice chuckled before it started humming then faded away.
Sophie consecutively teleported as far as her MP would allow her. They barely made it back to their camp from the prior night before she collapsed. Panic and worry spread through Lone as a few notifications came into his view.
The host has developed the passive skill: Darkness Corruption Resistance.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
The levels just kept coming so Lone stopped giving the blue screens any further attention. "Sophie! Can you talk?!" he yelled as he held her in his arms. He noticed that whatever had been done to him was slowly being undone by his Basic Regeneration but Sophie was still being affected by it. Lone wasted no time and directly stored all of Sophie''s armour into his Dimensional Storage, leaving her in just a simple shirt and pair of tight-fitting trousers. He stored both of these too. With her now only in her underwear, the full extent of the damage could be seen. Purple bulges of corruption covered her entire right arm and it was ever so slowly spreading through her body. It was still only at her shoulder but the progress could be seen with the naked eye, which was not good. Lone wracked his brain, thinking of a solution. ''Maybe I can store the corruption?'' He kept that thought in mind as he tried to use his Dimensional Storage again but, sadly, it failed. "This thing counts as being alive? Or maybe it''s just not tangible... Fuck." "S-She needs an expert, M-Master." Breena was obviously just as panicked as he was if she was openly calling him ''Master'' like that. Unfortunately though, Lone agreed. He did have another idea though. ''It''s a waste if it doesn''t work but I need to do it! I can''t risk losing her!'' Lone pulled out the mana orb from within his Dimensional Storage and grit his teeth. He was going to be punished for this, but he needed to at least try. "Root of Life!" Lone chanted, using the skill he''d learned after having his life saved by Gilbert so many months ago. Energy flooded out of the Mana Orb and brought Lone''s mana organs to life, temporarily lifting the seal on them. As he drained MP from the orb, his organs immediately consumed that MP to fuel his skill usage. Tree roots burst forth from the tiled ground of the campsite. They surrounded Sophie like a cocoon as rays of green light emanated out, lighting up the entire chamber. About 20-seconds of silence passed before a new set of notifications covered Lone''s vision.
Congratulations! the host''s active nature magic skill [Root of Life] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s active nature magic skill [Root of Life] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s active nature magic skill [Root of Life] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Warning! The host has used a skill with a time-restriction. [Root of life] cannot be used again for another 12-months.
Lone looked at the orb in his hand and saw that it was entirely devoid of its usual dark blue colour. It was now mostly white with only the slightest hint of aqua at its core. It also had a big long crack running down it. Sophie, on the other hand, was still in the root cocoon. Unlike Lone who recovered within seconds when Gilbert had used the skill on him, Sophie was a far more of a normal person. According to the skill''s description, it would take her from 4 to 8-weeks to recover. "That fucking bastard..." Lone said through gritted teeth. "I trusted him but he was luring us into a trap..." "H-He didn''t want to do... it... I think he was being controlled b-by that voice... He s-stopped himself in the end..." Breena''s voice grew weaker and weaker the more she spoke. The look Lone was giving her scared her deeply and it made her want to curl up into nothingness. Ignoring the now quiet foxkin, Lone carefully picked up the still-unconscious and root-wrapped Sophie, wincing as he did. ''My arm hurts like a bitch...'' The roots disconnected from the floor and immediately searched for a new anchor to latch onto. They seemingly saw Lone''s body as the perfect fit, so they all connected onto him and he felt a suction force as his strength started to leave him a bit. "This skill takes energy?" Lone asked himself. "I thought the MP was enough on its own... Fuck. I can''t return her to The Summoning Room now. It could drain Kyuubi until she''s nothing more than dried out fur and bones..." He glanced at Breena and said, "I want to return to the Krieg as soon as possible. There''s no telling if my skill is even effective at all. Keep up with me, okay?" Breena didn''t protest. In fact, she didn''t say anything. She just nodded as she averted her eyes from Lone''s. ''Perfect. I''m barely containing my own corruption with Basic Regeneration, my own skill - Root of Life - is trying to suck me dry, I don''t even know if it''s working to fight off Sophie''s corruption and now I''ve only gone and scared the piss out of a child,'' Lone berated himself. Today had gone from a fun, exciting and heartfelt adventure to a real shitshow real fast, Lone felt. Still, nothing could be done right now. Ensuring Sophie''s wellbeing was all that mattered to him. Other matters would need to wait for another day to be tended to. B2: Chapter 15: Dwarven Law and Unusual Keenness Breena was scared. However, as terrified as she was, she has no choice but to suppress her fears as she tried her hardest to match her pace with Master Lone''s. He was running incredibly quickly through the Farwinds and she had to wonder if he was even trying to make his movements matchable. The last thing Breena wanted right now was to be left alone here where she could be attacked by monsters or, Primals forbid, get approached by a group of travelling dwarves. She knew Master Lone was in distress right now and he was incredibly worried about Mistress Sophie but she wondered if it was too much of a hope for him to consider her feelings and condition as well. Breena was a few ranks weaker than him and her stats were really being pushed to their limits as they tried to keep her body moving as she wished it to. The entire trip felt like a dream which left her exhausted by the end of it. She didn''t know how long they''d been running, she only knew that she couldn''t feel her legs anymore and her breathing was beyond ragged but somehow she hadn''t collapsed yet. Breena knew that as much as he scared her right now, Master Lone needed her support. He''d helped her a lot so the least she could do was help him too, even if only by being at his side while he found a way to help Mistress Sophie. She wondered if they''d stopped in the massive intersection of the Farwinds to ask for help there but she couldn''t remember. When she''s started being aware of her surrounding again, she and Master Lone were running through the farmlands at the edge of Krieg Moor. ''I feel sick,'' she thought. ''Still, at least we''re back to safety... I hope Master has calmed down by now...'' Breena didn''t dare to focus on him for too long in case he glared at her again. She didn''t want to feel so weak and helpless like when he''d told her to stop talking with only his eyes when she tried to defend Four-twelve. Instead, she just continued running behind him to the best of her ability. The next time her attention refocused, they were back in the Krieg proper and Lone was furiously pounding on a metal door with one hand as the other cradled the cocooned Sophie a bit precariously considering that she was no toddler and he no giant. "Hello?!" Master Lone yelled at the door. "I know it''s late but is anyone in?! My companion needs immediate medical attention!" Breena watched mutely as Lone banged on the door a few more times. ''This is a... clinic? A healer''s home? H-How can anyone help Mistress when she''s wrapped up in roots like that?'' Of course, she didn''t say that out loud. She just stood behind Master Lone and watched him with caution and care. Something about the pained look on his face as he begged for help triggered memories in the young teenaged girl''s mind. Images of fire and blood consumed her as a tormented face yelled at her to run. She shook her head. It had been a while since she''d had a flashback and as much as she wanted to cry for remembering that time, she needed to be strong right now. If not for herself, then for the man in front of her who was in a very emotionally unstable state. The metal door to the building swung open in a fury as an angry dwarf screamed into Master Lone''s face, "It''s past yer curfew, ya fookin'' noisy fox! Feck off!" "I know and I''m so sorry for bothering you so late, but Sophie is being eaten away by Darkness corruption. I used a skill on her but I need to know if it''s working! Please, money is no issue!" Lone pleaded. "No! Feck off! Come back in the mornin'' an'' ah''ll consider it." With that, the dwarf slammed the door shut before yelled through it, "If ya dinnae go an'' get, ah''ll summon the Nightwatch!" Lone raised his hand to smack the door once again but slowly lowered it to hold Sophie instead. "Come on, Breena. We''ll find another healer or doctor." "Huh? Oh, uh, y-yeah," Breena hastily replied as she trailed after the speed-walking man. At the second medical practice Master Lone located, the interaction with its occupant went just as poorly as the last. "Please help, I need to know she''s okay!" Master Lone requested in a heart-wrenching tone. Breena frowned. ''I''ve never seen him so upset before... He always comes across as strong and confident... Even when he told me how he was treated in the dungeons of Ranton castle, he never looked so... pained...'' A window at the side of the door slid open vertically and a tired-looking female dwarf said, "Piss off, would ya? Ah''m tryin'' tae sleep ''ere." "It''s urgent," Master Lone said in a low and apologetic voice. "I know we''re being a bother and I can compensate you for the inconvenience." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Aye, ah bet ya could but ah couldnae gae ah fook less. I cannae work when ah''m sleep-deprived. Come back later," the dwarf stated before closing the window, leaving Master Lone and Breena at her doorstep. Breena noticed Master Lone seeming more and more anxious over Mistress Sophie''s well-being in the cocoon of roots as they approached the third local healing practice of Krieg Moor they had found. Master Lone took a breath to seemingly ready himself before he then knocked on the door as usual. This time, it opened without him needing to say a word. Breena somewhat hoped they would get apprehended by the Nightwatch at this point. She felt Master Lone''s actions weren''t healthy and that it would be best to wait until their curfew was over before seeking help. Regardless of her thoughts, Master Lone explained everything as quickly and as fluently as he could to the glasses-wearing grey-haired dwarven man leaning against his own doorframe. "Ah see. Well, ah can see ye''r in distress, laddie. Ah can help ye..." the Stone Dwarf said a bit reluctantly, but clearly he held some pity for them after seeing the state they were in. Master Lone beamed a smile. "Oh, thank you. I''ve been looking for a healer or doctor without any luck for so lon-" "What species is the patient?" the dwarf interrupted. Master Lone''s smile faded a bit as he wore a confused look in his eyes. "... What?" "What species is the patient? Ah dinnae treat ''umans. It''s actually city law tae deny all ''umans oor services when it comes tae medical aid an'' or healin''," the old man explained. Master Lone''s expression completely crumbled. "W-Why?" "Too many times we''re lost an ''uman on the table only tae be accused ah murd''r. It''s ah risk we dinnae take anymere in border kriegs like Krieg Moor. Simple as ''at. Ah assume the patient''s an ''uman then judgin'' fae yer reaction?" Master Lone nodded slowly as he tightened his grip around Mistress Sophie''s cocoon in concern. Breena felt a sinking feeling in her gut upon watching this. The healer sighed and shook his head sadly. "Shame. Sorry, Ninetails. Cannae ''elp ya. Best ah luck, eh? Ah ''ope she gets bett''r." Master Lone stood still in shock and Breena saw him clench his fists tightly in anger before he marched off, forcing her to follow him for two more hours around the city and every single person said the same thing. Either they wouldn''t give them the time of day or they refused to give Mistress Sophie a look over when they learned she was a human. Breena feared Master Lone would have continued endlessly and maybe even start knocking door-to-door if they didn''t get detained by the Nightwatch for breaking their non-dwarf curfew, much to her relief. Honestly, Breena was happy they''d been arrested and were now being questioned. It gave her a chance to rest her blistering feet and she hoped it would give Master Lone the opportunity to calm down a bit. The two members of the Nightwatch who had just finished interviewing them glanced at one another before sighing. "You''re both free to go. You''ll be escorted back to your current place of residence and we''ll have to write this up on your files," one of them said with his practised neutral accent. The other one nodded and added, "We understand your circumstances and we''ll send a preliminary copy of what you told us to The Adventurer''s Guild. I hope the girl gets better. Enough strangeness is going on in this city as is. Last thing we need is a visiting human dying due to the actions of a crazy dwarf." Master Lone slowly got up out of his chair and wore a saddened expression as he said, "Don''t call him crazy. He betrayed us but it wasn''t his choice to do so." Breena''s face livened up in surprise as she stared at him in awe. ''He''s being reasonable! I knew getting arrested would help him see that Four-twelve wasn''t a truly evil man.'' Master Lone slowly lowered his head and said in a soft voice, "Thank you for being so understanding and kind to us. I know I wasn''t exactly... uh, cooperative for most of your questions." The dwarves grinned. "We''re used to it." "Good on you for owning up to being a cockhead, most don''t. I''ll walk you two back to the Rusty Sprocket," one of the Nightwatch guards said in a friendly tone. Master Lone smiled as he carefully lifted Mistress Sophie''s cocoon up. "I would appreciate that, thank you."
"W-What now?" Breena stuttered as she and Master Lone entered his and Mistress Sophie''s bedroom at the Rusty Sprocket. Lone carefully laid down Mistress Sophie''s cocoon on their bed before he sat next to it and kept a hand on it. "Now we wait until morning, I suppose. I want to keep looking for someone to see if they can tell that she''s doing okay." "But the laws..." Breena understood Lone''s concerns but if he ended up making a dwarf check on Mistress Sophie with force then they would be at risk of being thrown out of the city. ''We''re better off in here where we can talk to people and ask for advice than out in the wild in that weird fort Master can summon...'' Some of Master Lone''s personal fort had modern designs for wallpapers, flooring and even furniture from a place she didn''t recognise as being from Milindo which scared Breena a bit, in all honesty. Master Lone smiled wryly. "I know it''s stupid but I... I need to know she''s healing." He used his free hand to pull down his shirt at the shoulder to show Breena the purple bulging bubbles under his skin before saying, "Even with my insane recovery speed and my new skill, Darkness Corruption Resistance, levelling up like mad, I''m still not cured. If it''s this bad for me, I think it''s reasonable to think that one healing skill can''t fully restore Sophie. Right?" "... R-Right," Breena answered hesitantly. She still wasn''t wholly convinced though that the risks were warranted. There were surely better ways to help Sophie than what he intended. As much as she wasn''t a fan of social interaction - especially with those of the opposite sex - the people here at least didn''t look at her like she had a price tag above her head. She didn''t want to lose that just yet. Master Lone sighed upon seeing the look of reluctance on her face. He reached over and patted her head. "Go to sleep, okay?" "Okay, Mas-... Lone." She got up to leave since this wasn''t her room but she got stopped by Master Lone. "Here," he said as he summoned Kyuubi. "Take her with you. She must be lonely after spending a couple of days in The Summoning Room all on her own." Breena nodded wordlessly then left the room with the soft ball of fluff in her arms. Once she was back in her room she leapt onto her bed and cuddled Kyuubi to her face. "I''m worried," she mumbled into the fox''s fur. "Kyuu..." Kyuubi purred. "I hope... I hope everything turns out okay. T-They''re nice people. They don''t deserve this," Breena said to herself as she started crying. A good few minutes passed before she finally fell asleep, her exhaustion having won control over her body. Kyuubi wriggled free of her grasp and then stretched. A look of unusually keen awareness entered her eyes before she seemed to sigh and shake her head. She then curled up into a ball and went to sleep herself next to Breena''s head. B2: Chapter 16: Unfortunate Fortune and Backroom Connections When the artificial sun was done rising just so happened to be when Lone noticed he wasn''t gaining any more levels in Darkness Corruption Resistance. He used his hand not feeding energy to Sophie''s cocoon to check his shoulder wound and, lo and behold, it was entirely gone. "That took far, far too long," Lone commented. Considering how utterly broken his Basic Regeneration was, the amount of time it had taken for the wound to heal deeply worried him. He looked out of the open window in their inn room and muttered, "Curfew''s almost over... May as well see what skill improvements I earned over the night. Not much else better to do." His multi-coloured eyes entered a daze as he went over the dozens of system notification that had stacked up in the corner of his vision. Ultimately, three skills had levelled up. Darkness Corruption Resistance and Basic Regeneration were expected but luckily enough it seemed that Root of Life had also benefited from the traumatic experience somehow. As he created theories in his mind, Lone pulled up the new information of the three skills.
Passive Skill: Darkness Corruption Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist Darkness Corruption when afflicted with it at varying levels based on mastery. Darkness Corruption shall be weakened and fought off with 30% [+25%] efficiency.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 3 [+22 levels]
This was to Lone an incredibly insane amount of growth for a resistance skill. It was unprecedented, even. ''How many resistances have I seen level like this before? Maybe only Poison Resistances, but still, I got that so high from being tortured day-in-day-out for weeks on end...'' Lone didn''t understand. The Darkness Corruption didn''t hurt much though it certainly heightened his fears and made him a bit woozy but beyond that, it was more than tolerable. Why then, had it levelled up over 30 times in such a short duration? ''Darkness... Was that disembodied voice controlling Four-twelve an incredibly powerful minion of the Primal, Darkness? If not, then how can I explain the absurd - even for me - levelling speed...'' He wondered to himself as he moved on to the next skill.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at a fast rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana.
Cost: 20 MP (per second per 1% increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Expert Level 6 [+1 level]
"I thought as much," Lone mumbled as some tension escaped his body. ''If this skill levelled up then that means it''s definitely got a physical side to it that can be cured through regular healing. That means Sophie should be affected by Root of Life... The bad news though is that the damage was so extensive that Basic Regeneration still gained a level despite being in the expert rank...'' Lone felt that good news was always paired with its opposite in his experiences but at least with this discovery, he could ease his worries a little bit.
Active Nature Magic Skill: Root of Life
A very rare application of the nature magic school where the caster focuses the element of nature into summoning a root of Altros which is capable of fully healing a being dying of physical injuries. Can only be used once every 12-months (currently cooling down). Beings this skill is used on will take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to recover.
Cost: 150,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 7 [+3 levels]
''This is another good sign for a few reasons. Firstly and most importantly, it levelling up should be a pretty good sign it''s working to heal Sophie of the Darkness Corruption,'' Lone concluded. He then tapped his chin with his free hand a few times and thought, ''In other news, if it keeps levelling at a steady pace, maybe it''ll rank up once or twice before it finishes healing her. If it does, the cooldown will decrease for the next time I can use it.'' This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lone took a deep breath and shook his head. "I guess now''s as good a time as any to see the damage done." He pulled up his cooldown for when his mana organs would be unsealed. He really didn''t want to see how much time using 150,000 MP had cost him but it would be foolish to ignore what he''d done.
Remaining duration of MP seal: 8,031 hours, 19-minutes and 43-seconds [1,500-hours added for temporarily breaking the mana seals to cast a Tier-3 spell requiring 150,000 MP].
Lone winced as his handsome face crumpled up in pain. "Ouch. An hour for every 100 MP used, huh? It doesn''t even care that 110,000 of the MP I consumed came from the fuckin'' mana orb?" He leaned down and sighed heavily. "It was a tall price to pay," he said to himself before he glanced at the cocooned Sophie. "Tall but worth it and I''d pay it doubly over again if it means keeping her alive," he whispered. Lone slowly stood up, still pressing one root-wrapped hand to the cocoon. "I''m gonna unsummon you, okay, Sophie? I know you can''t hear me... hell, you won''t even respond telepathically but that place will keep you safe. I''m gonna do a test quickly first and if everything seems fine, I''m going to keep you in there when I have to, okay?" He smiled weakly. "I need to tell your boss that you can''t show up for work for a while and I also need to start looking into hiring an out-of-town healer to give you a once-over. Maybe a non-dwarf has a clinic set up here in the krieg, who knows?" "Ha-ah... I must sound like a lunatic. Anyway, here goes the test," Lone said before he unsummoned her. The first part of the test was a clear success when Lone saw the cocoon vanish too, meaning it had gone along with her. He let a few minutes pass before he resummoned her. Everything seemed fine. The skill still appeared to be doing its job. Regardless, he repeated the test several more times, extending the duration of her being unsummoned with each iteration. Happy with the results, Lone said some more words of loving support to the cocoon before leaving it in The Summoning Room. Still worried about his lover, he pressed onwards with the day and collected Breena and Kyuubi from their room. After a hearty serving of Underhog sausages and Fire Roost Hen eggs for breakfast, Lone spoke to Breena as they walked down the pipe-lined and cobbled streets of the krieg. "You don''t mind looking after her for me, do you?" Lone asked. "Just while Sophie recovers in The Summoning Room." Breena looked over at Lone then down at the fluffy yet plump cat-sized fox in her arms. Her lips quivered into the tiniest of smiles as she answered, "Uh, n-no. I don''t mind." "Thanks. I just don''t want to risk Root of Life somehow targeting her as an energy source or something if I unsummon her," Lone explained. "I understand," Breena replied softly. "Right." Lone felt a bit awkward. There was a new distance between him and the girl and it bothered him. She wasn''t fearing for her life or anything but he could tell she was more on guard around him now than she was only a couple of days ago. ''I really messed up yesterday... I snapped at an emotionally and physically damaged teenager then forced her to run several marathons back-to-back before ignoring her and then telling her to go to bed...'' He shook his head. ''The only thing making me any better than my own stupid father is that I realise I''m the bad guy. Well, that and I didn''t beat her in my anger, thank God for that.'' "Breena," Lone called as they walked to gain her attention again. He wanted to clearly apologise and make it known that the Lone of last night was not normal and that it would never happen again. "Yes?" Breena replied meekly. "... I, uh, I need to go this way. Stay out of trouble and behave at work, okay? I''ll come and pick you up when you get off and I''ll explain Sophie''s situation to Mister Fits''war myself when I do, okay?" Lone said a bit stiffly. Breena nodded curtly. "Okay." Lone watched as she left with the fluffy fox in her arms. He laughed at himself, drawing a few eyes. ''Fuckin'' idiot. Choking up when you just want to say sorry so you lie instead? I was going to explain things to the tailor first then go see Gramps, not the other way around. Fuck, I''m pathetic.'' What was done was done, however. Lone just resolved himself to apologise another time since he had little other choice.
"You''re back early," Wilbur noted when he watched Lone slink into his shop, expertly keeping his tails from brushing into anything as he always did. "By my countin'' only three days have passed. You took four off and weren''t due to work again until another one after that." Lone smiled. "The adventure ended a little early." "Aye? Wanna talk about it? You''re lookin'' mighty depressed over there. Puttin'' your good lookin'' mug to waste at the same time you are, boy," Wilbur joked. "Long or short story?" Lone asked. Steamforger Wilbur considering the two option for a moment before shrugging. "Short. The finer details would be lost on me anyway. Ah don''t have an adventurous soul." "Well, to put it into a single sentence; turns out the guy employing us set up more than just the quest itself," Lone said. "Ah. Got a knife in the back, did ya?" the old dwarf questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Something along those lines, yeah." Lone didn''t go into more detail since he felt it didn''t really matter right now. "I and another companion of mine got out mostly unharmed but my... my lover... she''s still unconscious." "By the Stone... Didn''t think it was that serious. Ah suppose you''re the guy who went around last night with a massive bundle of roots begging for healing, huh?" Steamforger Wilbur guessed. Lone nodded. "Guilty as charged. No one would give us the time of day or just refused us service when they learned she''s a human." "Huh. Guess ah''m not the only crazy one out of the two of us then," the old man chuckled. "What''dya mean?" Lone wore a quizzical expression on his face. "You wouldn''t believe the flak ah''ve caught for marryin'' Ickold. Stoneborn and dwarves don''t really have great relations. Ironic, eh? Given Ah''m a Stone Dwarf," Steamforger Wilbur explained. "Much like beastkin and humans typically don''t, eh?" He ran a hand through his thick and long white beard before grinning. "Ah''m crazy enough to keep my dead wife''s corpse in my living room and you''re over here screaming at doors in the dead of night begging for help to heal your human girlfriend. It''s just funny, is all." Lone smiled wryly. "If you say so. Maybe I''d be able to laugh if anyone would give her the time of day. Laws preventing the service of humans in regards to medicine and healing are absurd. Contract magic exists. I''d be happy to sign a legal waiver." "As are laws allowing slavery, boy, but damn-near two-thirds of the continent allows the practice," Steamforger Wilbur countered. "Circumstances create laws, not whimsical fancy. And contract magic is flimsy as all hell unless a true master is the one doing it. That''d cost way too much." "That doesn''t make it any less unfair. Anyway, I didn''t mean to argue with you. What are we working on today?" Lone asked in an attempt to change the subject. Wilbur didn''t answer at first and instead seemed to consider something mentally. A few seconds passed before he opened his mouth and said, "Ah know a black market doctor who''s really good at diagnosing patients. Skilled at healin'' magic too. Wanna see them?" "... That sounds incredibly illegal," Lone commented. "Just as illegal as teachin'' a non-dwarf steamforgin'' but you don''t see that stoppin'' me from doing that, now do you?" the old man snapped back. "I wasn''t complaining. I was just pointing out that you''re one shady dude," Lone joked. "Yeah, I''d love to meet them if you don''t mind connecting us." "Follow me then. Work can wait for another time. Ah know what it''s like to stress over a dyin'' loved one. Would be cruel of me to tell you ah might know someone who can help then stick you in the forge all day, haha," Steamforger Wilbur laughed. Lone frowned. "She isn''t dying... At least, I don''t think she is." "Good," was all the old dwarf said in response before he led Lone out of the shop. He locked the place up and then the two of them walked through the city, side by side. B2: Chapter 17: Diagnostics and Smirk "I was sure the next time I''d see you, Wilbur, it''d be at your eulogy," a young woman with small, rounded and grey rabbit ears said sharply before fully opening the door to her home. She pushed up her glasses and glanced at Lone strangely. "Odd company you''re keeping during your final days." Wilbur waved dismissively as he grunted, "He''s my new assistant. Lone, meet Rella the Pygmy Rabbitkin. Rella, meet Lone the Golden Foxkin." "A pleasure," Lone said with a charming smile. "Primals you''re handsome. Why are all Golden Foxkin so good-looking?" Rella grumbled. "Why''re your ears and tails tipped with black? You''ve awakened to Sky but that blackness makes no sense. It''s in your eyes too." Lone''s smile cramped up a bit. "It''s a curse. I''d rather not talk about it." "You''re gonna have to if my job is to cure it," Rella countered. Wilbur shook his head as he walked past the woman who was barely any taller than himself. "We''re not here for him." Lone bowed his head in apology as he followed his smithing tutor into the rabbitkin''s home. "I''m sorry to intrude on you. I hope we aren''t being too much of a bother." Rella rolled her eyes as she closed the door behind him. "Handsome and polite. I swear, it''s a good thing your race disappeared. Altros doesn''t deserve a group of mysterious but incredibly good-looking and nice people on it. You''re welcome in my home but don''t break anything with those massive tails of yours." "I... see. I''m good at controlling them just as if they were an arm or a leg so I''ll make sure not to touch anything with them," Lone replied as he thought, ''This person''s a bit... heavy.'' "So, if you don''t need me for king fluff over here, then who?" Rella asked Wilbur. "Not you, I hope. You''re a lost cause. No amount of healing - magical or otherwise - can rejuvenate the old." "Cheeky bitch. You''re barely any younger than me. We need you for his human lover," the old dwarf answered with an angry expression. "Boy here tells me that she and him got hit with some pretty powerful Darkness Corruption." Rella raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Really?" She stared at Lone and said, "He looks fine to me," she stated, completely ignoring the crude insult of Wilbur''s. Lone smiled awkwardly. "I''m a bit... special." "... Right... Keep your secrets, damned mysterious Golden Foxkin... Meet one, you''ve met them all," she sighed. She trailed after Wilbur to her living room where she gestured for Lone to sit. She then asked, "So?" "So what?" the white-haired dwarf asked back. "Where''s the patient?" Rella asked in a tired tone. "I need to see what I''m working with before I can charge you for my services. I also need you," she said pointing at Lone, "to sign a magic contract to not tell the authorities about me." "I can do that," Lone agreed. "I''d need to read it thoroughly first, of course, but that''s not a problem. As for the patient... I have a, uh, summoning magic-based skill that can bring her to me when needed. Should I?" He really hoped that he could pass this off as some obscure summoning or enchanting magic skill of some sort. Passing off his status as Void''s avatar as a curse was easy enough due to general ignorance, but he was absolutely the novice in the room when it came to matters of the arcane. Rella shrugged. "Do what you gotta do." ''... Well, she''s technically a criminal, right? Gramps too, when I think about it... It should be fine and Sophie and Soph''s well-being matters infinitely more than one secret. Worse comes to worst, I''ll just pass it off as a world skill. Those are a thing, or so I''ve read,'' Lone decided before he said, "Summon Sofia Vladimirovich." He held his arms out and carefully cradled the cocooned girl as she appeared. Quickly, tendrils of nature shot out from the mass of roots and started sucking the life out of Lone. Rella twitched her nose as she gazed at the pair sceptically. "That doesn''t look healthy. Should you really be holding... that thing like that?" She eyed the cocoon a bit more closely before her eyes widened in shock. "Hey, ain''t that the Root of Life skill from the nature magic tree? I never knew someone in Krieg Moor had that skill in their repertoire. Didn''t whoever used that on her tell you everything you needed to know? They''re a master at nature magic so they can probably do what I can, if not even better." "Uh... It was me," Lone professed. "I used the skill on her." Wilbur raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t know you were a mage, boy." "He isn''t," Rella countered. "He doesn''t have a drop of magic in him. Stop lying. It''s fine if you''re protecting someone''s identity but claiming you performed a tier-three spell at your age? Fat fucking chance." ''So even though my MP is full and I can forcefully access it with an orb, to other people it looks like I''m MP-less? Interesting,'' Lone thought before he frowned. "What do you mean ''at my age''? I''m a beastkin just like you. I could be a thousand years old for all you know." "Hah, as if. One, I had a connection at the Golden Foxkin Clan when they were still around and I''ve never heard of them having a nine-tailed brethren, meaning you were likely born after they disappeared. Two, you''re only a D-ranker which implies your age on its own. You wouldn''t have had the time to learn Root of Life. Trust me, kid, I know a young man when I see one," Rella explained as she folded her arms arrogantly. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "... Does any of this matter? Whether I''m lying or not is irrelevant, right? I need you to check her condition if you can, please," Lone said, getting the subject back on track. Rella shrugged. "I guess it doesn''t." She got up and approached Lone before saying, "You can afford my services, right?" Wilber coughed lightly then said, "If he can''t, ah can foot the bill for him." "Has seeing your own tomb being built awakened some hidden kindness in you, old man?" Rella asked as she adjusted her glasses. "Haha, somethin'' like that. Ye know ah was a mess when Ickold was dyin''. Ah brought him here so ah should at least be responsible for him, right?" the old dwarf chuckled with a wink. Lone appreciated the gesture, but it really wasn''t necessary. "I can pay, Gramps. Don''t worry about it." "Gramps? Hah. He really has gone senile to let a beastkin address him so affectionately," Rella teased. "Oh, shut it. Get on with yer job, would ya?" Steamforger Wilbur prompted with a grumpy tone. "Yeah, yeah, I''m doing it now," the rabbitkin replied. She then pressed a palm against Sophie''s cocoon and muttered, "Full Body Diagnostics." ''What kind of skill is that?'' Lone wondered. ''It sounds... mechanical. Is it a magic skill? I somehow doubt it...'' Wilbur saw Lone''s intrigued and confused expression so he said, "It''s a rare world skill. Was created by old Altros when some hero who came from a weird world made entirely of metal impressed her. It''s quite the tool for finding hidden issues with the body." "A world skill..." Lone felt his greed for skills rising. ''With Creation Magic, I can heal pretty much every injury out there, sure, but if I had a diagnostics-based skill for anatomy... well, I would know so much more before committing MP to the healing. I could have replaced Soph''s eyes with far less of a cost with that skill I''d bet. Might not have fucked myself over for a year in that case.'' 20-minutes of idle conversation between Lone and his smithing master came and went before Rella finally removed her hand. "This skill always takes so long to use... Down-side of skills not meant for combat, eh?" Wilbur grinned. "Ye sure it ain''t just because ye haven''t bothered to level it up?" "Shut it, you. It''s not my fault the damned thing had been stuck at the intermediate rank for over a century now," the rabbitkin claimed. Wilbur shook his head. "It''s exactly yer fault. Don''t tell me ye''ve forgotten how world skills work, have ye?" "Yeah, yeah. ''They don''t level with use but with enlightenment like personal ranks''. Spare me the lecture, would you? We''re almost the same age, for Primal''s sake," Rella said as she adjusted her spectacles. "Uh..." Lone was quite interested in this back and forth since this was knowledge concerning skills which Milindo''s library didn''t offer much insight into but he had more pressing concerns. "Is she okay?" he asked, gesturing with his head to Sophie''s root cocoon. Rella held out a palm in Lone''s direction. "Money first." "Ah, of course... how much do I owe you?" Lone asked. "20-gold," Rella said coldly. "Wow... illegal stuff sure is expensive," Lone remarked as he reached into his pocket and, by extension, his Dimensional Storage. He retrieved a pouch that held exactly 40 gold coins. After handing it to Rella, he said, "Can you use the skill on me too?" She juggled the coin-full purse inquisitively. "If this is about your curse, this skill can only tell me about physical ailments." Lone smiled. "I know, and I''m fine with that. Who knows if I have a hidden condition or not though? I''ve lost my immunity to ageing, after all." Sympathy entered the rabbitkin''s eyes before a sigh escaped her lips. "I''ll only take 35. Consider it a fellow beastkin discount, eh?" ''I''d certainly appreciate that. I can''t magic up more coins out of thin air anymore since my mana organs are all sealed up,'' Lone thought. "Thanks." Wilbur nodded proudly. "Ye''re too soft for this black market life of yers, Rella. Good thing too. If it weren''t for nicies out there like ye, then the authorities might actually care about under the table shite like this." "Oh, can it, you. Go think on that tomb they''re building for you again," Rella snorted before getting to work using Full Body Diagnostics on Lone. Lone tilted his head a bit. ''Wait. They''re seriously building a tomb for him? I thought that was a joke... Well, old as he may be, he''s still a dwarf. I bet he has a few years left and he''s just preparing early.'' "Ah, by the way, the girl''s doing fine. Root of Life is doing its job. It''s a nasty wound so the skill may need double the regular time to heal but she will be healed once it''s done," Rella casually claimed. Lone breathed out a sigh of relief. "That''s great to hear... Really, thank you. I was so worried for the longest of times." Getting verbal confirmation from a professional eased the burden on Lone''s mind far more than he had expected it to, in all honesty. He gently caressed Sophie''s cocoon as he smiled from the bottom of his heart. ''I''ll make sure to keep you safe until the roots have finished their job. Don''t you worry. I''ll also try my best to make it up to Breena for snapping at her... Uh, that one may be a bit tougher but I''ll try, haha...''
Lone thanked Rella and Wilbur both as sincerely as he could; the former for the good news and the latter for introducing him to the rabbitkin healer. Apparently, she was skilled in many medicinal-focused skills that didn''t need MP but thankfully she didn''t need to use any of those today. The diagnostics alone were costly enough. Speaking of the diagnostics, once he had successfully picked up Breena and personally explained Sophie''s situation to Mister Fits''war who was a bit stressed to lose a good guard but was ultimately understanding, Lone returned home to check the details of his new skill.
World Skill: Full Body Diagnostics
A world skill of learning and identification. Grants the host the ability to fully diagnose the body of a living being using WF. Limits: 1 time a day. Details granted: minimal.
Cost: 1,000 WF
Mastery: Beginner Level 2
"It took over 15-minutes to ''calculate the host''s compatibility'' with the skill for me to only get beginner-level-2," Lone shook his head and laughed mockingly. "Even with Growth Accelerator, it doesn''t change my talent, huh?" World skills were special in that they weren''t learned traditionally like all other skills. They were much more like unique skills in that they were gifts. However, instead of being a prize for successfully transferring to Altros, they were given by the world itself to those it felt deserved them. At least, that''s what the books said. They were rare, weaker than unique skills, and notoriously hard to level since just using them didn''t result in them growing at all. The host had to actually understand the skill to get a better level of mastery over it. The same went for the energy these skills used; WF, or, as the status screen listed it, World Force. To gain more of that the host had to better understand the world itself, though Lone suspected he may be able to siphon some from killing beings that owned the energy themselves. "Oh well. At least it''s something," Lone said as he slumped down onto his bed with Sophie''s cocoon at his side. He felt he could finally sleep since he knew Sophie was safe from any fatal risks, so he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. Slumber found him quickly but he wasn''t greeted with the empty bliss of unconsciousness nor his usual nightmares. No, he was back in the Farwinds and a figure was stood before him with a mischievous smirk on its lips. B2: Chapter 18: Blown Kiss and Spare No Details No more than a few paces away from Lone was a perfect copy of himself just standing there with his arms crossed grinning away like a Cheshire cat. This other Lone had deep purple hair, eyes, and tails, all that seemed to be darker than even the darkest of blacks, oddly enough. Lone had no idea what was going on. He''d just closed his eyes in hopes to get some rest after a long set of days and now he appeared to be in an unfamiliar set of ruins in the Farwinds with a distorted clone of himself staring him down. "Weird dream," Lone commented calmly as he looked around. "These don''t look like dwarven ruins. I wonder if I''ve seen them in a game or something and that''s where my memories are pulling them from..." The purple Lone seemed quite amused by his speculations as he watched on with glee. Lone ignored his strange counterpart as he stroked his chin. "No, wait. I see some dwarven buildings mixed in... Hmm... I wonder if this is a lucid dream or if I''m just a passenger..." A deep yet smooth rendition of Lone''s voice flowed out from his copy''s mouth. "Haha, if either of us is a passenger, it''s me, I''m afraid. Or at least, I will be." Lone raised an eyebrow as he focused on his incredibly purple other-self. "That''s weird. I''ve never had another person in my dreams talk to me before. Hmm... " "I do hate to burst bubbles but I regret to have to inform you that this is very much so reality. Or, a fragment of it, at the very least," the calm and still-smirking clone of Lone said. Lone frowned. "Okay, Purple Lone. Prove it. Tell me something I don''t know or can''t imagine." "Purple Lone? That''s an interesting if not simple name, haha," the relaxed man said. "Sure. I can acquiesce to your request. Hmm... let''s think... Aha! While I absolutely adore her, Radiance is not exactly my biggest fan. It''s a shame, really. We''re cut from the same cloth, after all." "Radiance? Do you mean the Primal Radiance?" Lone asked suspiciously. Purple Lone nodded happily. "Indeed I d-" "Mental Destruction," Lone coldly stated before immediately chanting the same skill five more times, consuming all six daily uses. Purple Lone crumpled to one knee but his smile never left his face. "Clever little fox. You knew this wasn''t a dream from the start, didn''t you?" "Yeah. And I also know you''re bad news since you''re not dead from that. Later," Lone said before sprinting away at full speed. The being that looked a lot like Lone giggled as it slowly rose to its feet. "What a dangerously delicious unique skill. Well, no harm, no foul. Now, let the gauntlet begin, hmm? I''ll break you yet, Lone."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 7.
"That thing was definitely Darkness itself, right?" Lone mumbled as he sprinted with full power in the opposite direction of the creature that had taken his form. ''First, it was covered in purple, the signature colour of Darkness. Second, it didn''t die or even seemed bothered by a bunch of Mental Destructions beyond light irritation. Third, it didn''t seem fucking bothered by multiple Mental Destructions!'' Lone felt it was imperative to reiterate that second point in his mind. ''No way in fuck am I dealing with another Primal! Void and Sky living inside of me is bad enough as it is,'' Lone yelled internally. He knew he wasn''t dreaming the second his eyes opened. His Darkness Corruption Resistance started levelling, after all. Also, he had never once in his life had a lucid dream. Magic made the most sense, funnily enough. And so, he attacked with his biggest trump card and booked it like an old racehorse desperate to not lose and get a bullet to the head for the trouble. Soon, Lone''s running efforts seemed to have bore fruit. He''d been sprinting full-force down the only tunnel he''d seen and, from the looks of things, it opened up just a bit further down the Farwinds. ''A junction, maybe? Maybe a larger abandoned urd or even a krieg? Whatever it is, maybe it has more exits and I can find my way back to Krieg Moor soon,'' Lone thought hopefully. He entered the newly discovered settlement and it was, sadly, abandoned. It was also littered with the same alien ruins that Lone had seen in the other town where he had that encounter with what he assumed was Darkness. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Weird," Lone muttered as he looked around. "This place is... like, really suspiciously similar to that place from earlier..." "Oh, that''s because it is the same urd," a soft and eerily familiar voice said right into Lone''s ear.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 8.
Spinning around and jumping back defensively, Lone opened his eyes wide in shock. "You can even look like Soph?" Before him was a perfect copy of Soph in one of her noble dresses. Her hair and eyes were a deep shade of shadowy purple and a grin that didn''t belong on her face was ever-present. "What a shame," the being said sadly with a shake of its head. "Such an old soul but her only partner has been you? Really, you got the short end of the deal there, Lone. Imagine the kind of crazy experiences she could have shown you if she was a bit more normal in a romantic respect... Ah, I''m just rambling. Do ignore me if you prefer purity over pleasure. That''s not my cup of tea but I''m not the one brewing the pot." "... What are you?" Lone asked in an angered tone.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 9.
It didn''t bother him seeing his own body being mimicked like that but for some reason, with it being Soph now it really got on his nerves and made him feel... disgusted at whatever the thing in front of him was. "Kind of you to ask," the being answered with a sweet and innocent smile. "I''m just a lonely little thing looking for some company. Care to fill that void?" "You''re Darkness, aren''t you?" Lone asked, ignoring its question. "Just by standing near you, my Darkness Corruption Skill is skyrocketing."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up. It is now Advanced Level 10.
"I suppose that''s what I''m called in a few religions. You can call me whatever you want though," Darkness admitted with a coy smile. "I do hope you can see how kind I''m being, especially when you so viciously attacked me for no good reason." "No good reason?" Lone wore a dubious expression. "What do you call kidnapping a man during his sleep?" "Entertainment?" Darkness asked back with a tilt of the head. Lone scowled deeply. "Void didn''t leave a good impression on me regarding your kind. You''re not doing great either." "Haha ''your kind''? I thought you hated speciesists. Strange language to use if that''s truly the case," Darkness giggled softly with Soph''s bell-like voice. "Anyway, I just wanted to have a chat. Ah, do be a dear and don''t tell anyone about meeting me tonight, please? It''s for your own good. If there''s one thing I care about, it''s your well-being." "What? You''re just letting me go?" Lone was very puzzled. "What the hell is going on? Why''d you drag me here then? Better yet, how? Through my sleep or something?" "That''s a lot of questions. I don''t really feel like answering them. It''s more fun if you''re a bit lost, no?" Darkness winked with Soph''s face then blew a kiss in Lone''s direction which actually materialised into a set of floating deep purple lips. Lone tried to dodge them but they seemed to be magnetised to him or something of that sort since no matter what he tried, he couldn''t avoid them. They made contact with his cheek and then his vision blurred. He felt like he was wading through shadows and murky water before his eyes opened once more. He sprung up and started breathing heavily, sweat covering his whole body. He was back in his bed at the Rusty Sprocket with Sophie''s cocoon by his side but he didn''t feel any sense of comfort. "I need to tell the guild about that. Those scattered dwarven buildings... That fucker could be responsible for the weird going-ons in the krieg..." He sighed deeply and bit his bottom lip in frustration. "I just wanted to come here and relax after what happened in Milindo but now even more shit is happening around me... Fuck..." He shook his head and sincerely hoped the stress wouldn''t kill him one of these days. Being transported to a new world wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows with a pinch of magic, no matter how hard Lone tried for it to be, it would seem.
Lone entered The Adventurer Guild''s branch in Krieg Moor with Breena by his side. Sophie had been returned to The Summoning Room and Kyuubi was sleeping soundly in Breena''s arms. The pair joined the queue to the reception desks and patiently waited their turn to be served. "Hello. How can I help you today?" the dwarf behind the counter asked with that fake neutral accent dwarves used when masking their natural one. Lone smiled at the woman and said, "Hi. We''re here to report what happened during a quest that led us to the Farwinds. From my understanding the guild should have already received a preliminary report from the Nightwatch?" The dwarf nodded. "I see. Can I see your adventurer plate for a moment, please?" Lone reached into his shirt by the neck and pulled out the chained bronze tag necklace he was wearing. He held it steady so the employee could read the details on it with ease. "Thank you," the dwarf said before she gestured to a side door. "If you wouldn''t mind, would you be so kind as to wait in one of our side rooms for someone to handle your case? It would take too long here, sadly, and we''re rather busy right now." Lone understood so he thanked the woman and took Breena with him into the room that had been pointed out. "... We''re not in trouble, are we?" Breena asked timidly. Lone smiled softly at her. "Of course not." "B-But we failed the quest..." Breena was a lot more torn up over this than Lone had expected her to be. ''She cares that much about adventuring?'' he thought as he soothed her verbally. "No. Don''t be silly, Breena. Four-twelve turned on us then killed himself. He appeared to be getting manipulated by a very strong outside force. That''s beyond the difficulty of the posted quest and, also, the circumstances of the quest changed from the poster himself without our consent." Lone reached over and rubbed Breena''s head. He still hadn''t apologised to her and she, naturally, wasn''t over her phobia of men yet but he wanted to show her that he obviously still cared for her. "If we''re being technical, It''d be absurd to punish us for what happened in that urd. Especially considering Sophie''s condition," he reasoned. "... Okay," Breena answered plainly. Lone could see that she was holding back her true thoughts and that only reinforced the idea in his mind that he needed to say sorry sooner rather than later for how he had treated her the other day. Not long later an old dwarven man with droopy eyes and large golden earrings entered the room. He adjusted his steamforged glasses as he held a report in his hand. He took a seat opposite Lone and Breena before saying, "I''m quite confused by this case, Mister Immortus, Miss Redtail. Tell me everything that happened on your quest from the top. Spare no details, if you wouldn''t mind, please." B2: Chapter 19: Recounting Of Events and News From Milindo "To start from the beginning," Lone said, "my group and I felt we should try to do a more adventure-oriented quest for the first time since arriving here in Krieg Moor." The elderly dwarf nodded. "That makes sense and matches our records. You took up a quest as an apprentice to Steamforger Wilbur, aye? And she''s an assistant to that elven tailor on Industrial Street along with the one mentioned in the report that''s in a ''cocoon of roots''." Lone smiled wryly. "That''s correct." "I see," the guild employee said as he narrowed his eyes. "I hope Steamforger Wilbur hasn''t been teaching you how to steamforge, now has he?" Lone shook his head. "Of course not. Do I look like a dwarf to you?" He was more than aware that it was illegal for him to be learning the cultural art of steamforging as a non-dwarf. Why would he ever confess to doing so given that he knew it could risk him and Breena along with Sophie getting tossed out of the krieg? Unless it turned out that this branch of the guild also housed a White Dragonkin as Milindo''s did, then Lone would be lying all day and all night if need be to protect himself and his elderly mentor. "Good. Make sure it stays that way," the dwarf grumbled. "Now, continue with your story, if you would." "Of course," Lone said. "Things went well at first. The Stone Dwarf employing us, Four-twelve, did a great job leading us through the Farwinds to his destination." "He even told us stories about his life as a mercenary and he indulged me in what he knew of the dwarven culture, particularly the legends and tales surrounding the Farwinds and the epitomes." Lone smiled a bit sadly upon recalling the genuine chemistry he had with the man before his betrayal and then suicide. The dwarf taking notes across from him and Breena wore a mildly surprised expression on his face. Lone watched as the look in the man''s eyes became a bit more sympathetic upon hearing how interested in his own culture Lone was.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''Unexpected but welcome,'' Lone thought. "The quest was to help him scatter his old friend''s ashes in his hometown of Urd Vahir." "And how did that go?" the dwarf asked. Lone shrugged and laughed bitterly. "Peachy. Four-twelve scattered the ashes with no issue. It was odd, really. I should have been more suspicious. Not a single Darkness Spawn could be seen in the urd. There were hundreds in total in the connecting Farwind road, but the urd itself? As dead as a graveyard." "So what happened then?" the old man asked as he looked down at the report he''d received yesterday from the Nightwatch. "It says here you said this, eh, ''Four-twelve'' character turned on you and injured you and the human girl badly before killing himself. Is that right?" "More or less, yeah. I have more details though," Lone said before he scratched his cheek. "This might be, um, a little bit unbelievable. Can you bear with me as I try to explain?" The dwarf nodded. "That''s my job." "Great. Well, Four-twelve claimed to be the only survivor of a demigod attack and he said he was going around burying his friends'' remains or scattering their ashes in their places of birth. Simple enough right? The complex part is that he made a deal with a powerful entity just to get access to said remains and ashes," Lone said with a humourless laugh. "And said entity would be?" the employee asked. Lone smiled a bit helplessly. "I know this is gonna sound a bit nuts but I''m pretty confident it was the Primal Darkness." The old dwarf raised a sceptical eyebrow. "I assume you have more of this tale to tell, aye? You can''t expect me to believe such a wild claim with nothing to back it up, whether you''re a credible adventurer or not." Lone nodded in understanding. "When Four-twelve turned on us he afflicted us directly with Darkness Corruption. I know because I gained the skill Darkness Corruption Resistance from the encounter. I have the right mix of skills to ward it off but my partner was less fortunate and is currently in a catatonic state as a nature magic skill, Root of Life, is healing her." "Hmm... That matches the existing reports but it''s still not proof of a Primal''s direct involvement. You also seem to be doing fine. How is it that Adventurer Sophie is comatose while you seem to be right as rock?" the dwarf questioned. ''Right as rock? Is that a dwarven version of ''right as rain''? That''s pretty neat...'' Lone thought before he answered, "Well, I know this doesn''t get any easier to believe but I''m incredibly resistant to most things. Chalk it down to my Golden Foxkin bloodline." "That makes some sense I suppose. There''s a lot of powerful species topside. Yours is listed as pretty up there," the dwarf said with a shrug. "What else happened?"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
''That''s one more hurdle successfully passed, only one big one left; my direct encounter with what I think was Darkness...'' Lone thought with a bit of worry. ''Fingers crossed Persuasion can pull me through that too. The people here need to know about the dangers and the possibility that it''s Darkness who''s behind the strange happenings of the krieg recently.'' Stolen novel; please report.
Breena had been listening in to the conversation as she sat there in utter silence. She was, quite honestly, in awe at how Master Lone was able to easily convince the guild employee that everything he was saying was the truth, or at least that it seemed to be true, regardless of how outlandish his story was. ''I wonder how he can have so much confidence when talking to a stranger?'' she thought. ''It''d be amazing if I could be like that too... especially since this elder is reluctant to believe Master...'' "Well," Master Lone said, "This is going to sound crazy and I wish this branch of the guild had a White Dragonkin to prove that I''m not lying, but when I went to sleep last night I was... pulled into the Farwinds." Breena knitted her eyebrows in confusion. ''What is Master saying? He never said anything about that this morning at breakfast... Is he trying to weave a story to make everything seem more true? But... why?'' She listened with keen curiosity as she waited for a more in-depth explanation. Master Lone wore a serious expression before saying, "I''m pretty sure Darkness itself somehow found me through the Darkness Corruption Four-twelve gave me and, via my dreams, used it to summon me or something. Whatever Four-twelve did to me and Sophie... Darkness has used it to establish a connection with us. I''m certain." ''... Master is being serious?'' Worry immediately filled Breena. ''W-Why didn''t he tell me any of this earlier?'' "That''s a bit farfetched. I''m going to need more to go off of if I''m to believe you," the scary-looking dwarven man said. Master Lone nodded. "I understand that. I have no way to prove it was Darkness but I can describe where it brought me. It was a weird ruined town of an origin I didn''t recognise. What was particularly odd though was that there were random dwarven buildings mixed in with the unfamiliar ones. They seemed... modern." Breena saw the investigative employee arch his brow suspiciously. "What are you trying to say?" Master Lone replied, "People and buildings have been going missing from the krieg, right? I think I may have found a lead." A grave expression took a hold of the old white-bearded dwarf''s face. "If you''re not totally crazy, which I don''t think you are, then this could be huge. This is, quite honestly, above the guild though. I''ll need to bring what you''ve reported to the local council and wait for their judgement. Are you okay with that?" Master Lone nodded slowly. "Yeah. Uh, the quest we took won''t count as failed, right? Given the circumstances and whatnot." "That depends," the dwarf answered, "we''ll need to send out a group of seasoned adventurers to Urd Vahir to find the remains of your employer and see if all of the facts line up. How exactly did he kill himself?" The coldness of how the man had just brought up a fellow kin''s death bothered Breena. She didn''t know why it struck her the wrong way but she felt it was important to treat death with more... sympathy and care. ''Is death a common thing for him? He''s so removed from it...'' she thought as she snuck a few silent glances at the short yet intimidating dwarf. Master Lone grimaced a bit. Breena assumed he was recalling the scene that had left even her a bit rattled. "He... uh... he took one of his own arrows from his quiver and, uh... right through the chin." "Quick and clean. An expert from what I''ve heard of the man. Thanks. You two can go. If everything checks out on the adventure front, you''ll be paid the promised reward for the quest and you''ll be compensated too since it''s our responsibility to ensure all of our quests are as safe as they say they are. It''s unforgivable that we allowed such an unpredictable client to issue a quest," the dwarf said as he lowered his head in apology to Master Lone. ''Oh, thank you,'' Breena sighed in relief mentally. ''I need to excel as an adventurer... I can''t afford to have any stains on my record... I... I just can''t.'' The dwarf seemed to glance at Breena but she shied her gaze away instantly as she tried to become one with her chair. Seeing that, he didn''t let his eyes linger on her for too long. "I can''t make any promises in regards to the council and your claims, but they are desperate for any leads so expect a visit or a summons from someone representing the council of Krieg Moor," the man said in an official and formal tone. Master Lone smiled with that patented charming smile of his as he responded, "Thanks for listening to me. I know it''s all a bit... well, insane." "Insane? Nah, lad, your story is the definition of sane when compared to some of the other going-ons around Teresta," the old man chuckled. "Such as? I''m a bit uninformed, sadly," Master Lone asked in a friendly tone. The employee shrugged. "On the high end? The Eastern World Tree got attacked by a fookin'' Ancient only 50-years ago. What''s nuts is that they survived. On the cataclysmically worrying end? The Great Barrier sealing up the monster continent is showing signs of weakening in recent centuries. On the local and more minute end? The bloody human kingdom just a hop, skip and a jump away from here had most of its ruling class and armies destroyed in a single moment by one of the guild''s strongest adventurer groups." He sighed deeply. "I''m too old for this nonsense. Aye, your tall tale about being abducted by Darkness itself is a bit outlandish but what isn''t these days?" Breena''s eyes opened widely and she stuttered out, "M-Milindo had that happen to i-it? Can you, um, explain more?" The dwarf raised an eyebrow. "Your records do say both of you came from there. Well, it''s no secret or anything. A guild member was wrongly set to be executed by the irrational king of that country. Said adventurer was broken out by a couple of demis and then disappeared. I think he was a foxkin like this fella here but I can''t recall. I didn''t look into the report much. Foreign affairs and whatnot. We''re busy dealing with our own shit here in the krieg." "Anyway, the meat and potatoes come a bit later. So the four dukes of Milindo, right? They ambushed and tried to kill the local guildmaster there. Great kid called Gilbert Elksworth. Met him a few times over the past few decades. Real down to earth guy who doesn''t like abusing that racial trait of his," the employee of the guild detailed. He stroked his beard thoughtfully before continuing, "I heard Gilbert fought off and killed one duke before disappearing entirely with two dwarves and one of the other dukes. Eyewitness reports claim a massive man of smoke appeared and magiced them away." "A Djinn," Breena mumbled softly. "Right. Demigods are no secret to the guild and it was in his file that he owned such a dangerous set of artefacts; the Djinn wishes. I''m glad it saved his life. Well, hopefully. Djinns are right bastards," the old dwarf laughed a bit sadly. "Needless to say, the main branch over in Mystopolis wasn''t best pleased. Sent over Sloth herself from the Seven Deadly Sins. Scary girl, that one. I''m glad I''ve never met her personally. Apparently, she just opened her eyes and everyone who was corrupt, evil, or entirely against the guild were spirited away by her powers. I''m half-convinced she''s a demigod." Breena saw Master Lone frown upon hearing that. Regardless though, he seemed to nod before saying, "Thank you for the news. I suspect we''ve eaten into your work time for a bit too long though, haven''t we?" "A little bit, aye, but with age comes the realisation that it''s not really a bad thing to waste time talking to others, haha," the dwarf chuckled heartily. "I''ll make sure all this paperwork is completed and sent where it needs to be sent as soon as possible." "Thank you. We really appreciate it," Master Lone expressed his feelings in kind. Breena wanted to voice her appreciations as well but found herself unable to speak. Panicking a bit, she instead bowed her head and softly mumbled something inaudible. "Shy girl, huh?" the dwarf remarked in passing. "Enjoy the rest of your day." Breena felt her face heating up in embarrassment. She didn''t even hear Lone say farewell in kind and she barely registered that they''d left the guild already by the time she snapped out of her feelings of shame. B2: Chapter 20: Health Concerns and Lacking Persuasion
The host has developed the passive skill: Steamforging.
"I... I did it," Lone said in awe to Wilbur. "I actually did it." The old wrinkled dwarf stood over Lone and carefully examed the small pipe-covered gear he had just created. "When you said you thought you could do it first try, ah half expect ah''d be pullin'' ye out of a self-made explosion." A grin peeked out from under his lengthy and pure-white beard. "Well, done, boy. Ye''re now officially a steamforger. Well, ye''ll never officially be one since ye''re not a dwarf, but now only a single piece of paper separates ye from real beginners in the field." Straight after giving his report to the guild, Lone had dropped Breena and Kyuubi off at the tailor shop she worked at. He then went to work himself. Some normalcy could do him some good, he felt. "What does this little cog even do?" Lone asked. "Ha, fuck all. It''s a common first-time craft for newbies. Ah suppose it could be forcefully used to power something simple and small like a toy or maybe a very basic watch, but yeah, it''s not meant to be used. It''s a gateway design to earn the skill. Ye did get Steamforging, aye?" Steamforger Wilbur asked. Lone nodded. "Of course. I''m nothing if not talented. You know that, Gramps." "Oh, ah could think of a few things," the old dwarf quipped before he frowned and started coughing violently. Lone offered the man a hand to support himself as he hacked and choked. A few minutes passed before the respected smith moved his hand from his mouth only to reveal it was covered in blood. Resignation and acceptance were clear as day in his eyes as he stared at his palm. Lone smiled awkwardly. "I''m assuming that isn''t a normal thing for a dwarf to do, is it? Where I''m from, leaking blood from pretty much anywhere is a good cause for concern." Wilbur chuckled faintly. "I''m old. They''re not making a tomb for me out of spite. Don''t worry about me, boy. Ma time may be near but it isn''t today. Just focus on yer work, yeah?" Lone felt conflicted. ''He''s right. It''s not my place to butt in, regardless of how I feel. If he''s content, who am I to complain? Surely he wants to see his wife again...'' Lone didn''t know if the afterlife was a real thing in this world or just an unclear concept like back on Earth but he sincerely hoped it existed. He''d grown close to Wilbur but it wasn''t above him to accept that, with time, things were lost. Be it relationships, items, wealth or even family. He focused his mind and returned to smithing though something in the back of his mind itched at him to speak his true thoughts. He ignored it and moved on.
"''Ere''s yer tea, love," a young and pretty dwarven woman said to Lone as she placed a few plates of food in front of him. "Ah gave ya ah few extra bangers wae yer mash, so wipe ''at sorry look oof yer mug, aye? Ye''r puttin'' yer good looks tae waste." Lone smiled kindly. "Thank you. I appreciate it. I''ll make sure to savour them. Everything you cook is incredible." With a pride-filled grin, the woman answered, "It''s ma job. What use would ah be if ah couldnae dae ma job, eh? None at all." She gave Lone a friendly wink then wandered back to the Rusty Sprocket''s ground floor bar. Lone carefully picked up his gravy jar and poured the thick brown liquid on his bangers and mash. ''I like how much this place reminds me of home... Calling ''dinner'' tea... Bangers and mash, gravy, a side of hash browns and even some haggis... You have to wonder if a fellow Scot somehow influenced them in the past or if maybe this is a parallel world of some sort...'' Grand thoughts mixed with his nostalgic ones as he dug into his meal. At the same time, he pulled up the four skills which had levelled up today during his training and regular work at Wilbur''s forge.
Passive Skill: Blacksmithing
A skill that allows the host to craft with metal 30% faster and 30% more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 5 [+1 levels]
Passive Skill: Steamforging
A skill that allows the host to perform the sacred dwarven smithing art of steamforging. Steamforging performed by the host will be 5% faster and 5% more skilful.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 5 [+4 levels]
Passive Skill: Woodworking
A skill that allows the host to craft with wood 30% [+15%] faster and 30% [+15%] more skillfully.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 2 [+5 levels]
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Passive Skill: Steamforged Tool Mastery
A skill that allows the host to use steamforged artefacts 30% [+15%] more skillfully. Gives the host a 3% [+1%] chance to immediately understand the method to use a steamforged artefact the first time the host holds it.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 3 [+7 levels]
"So many improvements just from a few hours of steamforging," Lone mumbled to himself as a forkful of mashed potatoes found its way into his mouth. He thought on Wilbur''s health condition and he frowned a little. ''It''s hard not to wonder if coughing up blood is normal for really old dwarves... I can''t imagine it is.'' He chewed on some of the perfectly spiced haggis as he continued to speculate. ''I don''t have as much medical knowledge as I''d like... That much blood though? He could have anything from tuberculosis, bronchitis, lung cancer, or something even scarier that''s unique to Altros.'' Lone was only a history teacher, so while he knew about some of the serious health concerns from throughout the ages, he was nowhere near the level of a doctor or a medical expert. ''I wonder how badly it would set me back to use the mana orb to heal him...'' Lone was aware such thoughts were unhealthy especially given that Wilbur seemed accepting of his coming death, but the prospect of losing someone he felt close to still hurt him. "Mister? Is the food nae tae yer likin''?" the barmaid asked, surprising Lone. Smiling apologetically, Lone shook his head. "No, it''s incredible. It''s a very nostalgic flavour. I''m quite a big fan of the food here so I''m sorry if I worried you. I''m just brooding a bit, haha." The woman sighed and wore a look that screamed ''what am I to do with this one?'' "Ah''m glad then. By the way, there''s an official lad fae the cooncil askin'' fae ya. Ah teld ''im ye were ''avin'' yer fill so ''e teld me tae let ya know ya ''ave ah summons tae the ''all ah Memories. Said ya could take yer time but dinnae keep ''im waitin'' fae tae long. Got all ''at?" Lone nodded. "Yes, thank you. I''ve been waiting for this. I didn''t expect a response so soon though." The barmaid smiled with pride. "Robust governin'' system we ''ave doon ''ere in the kriegs. Ain''t nutin'' like them slow elves up top, aye?" "I''ve never been to an elven ruled country before so I wouldn''t know," Lone confessed. "Best keep it ''at way. If ya thought ''humans were judgemental an'' stuck up, oh boy. Good thing the only elves in Krieg Moor are the ones with ah lick ah sense in ''em. Well, enjoy the rest ah yer meal, laddie. Gae us ah shout if ya need anything else, aye?" she said with a warm smile. "Haha, of course," Lone replied in kind.
"Remarkable workmanship," Lone muttered. Before him lay the centrepiece of Krieg Moor; the Hall of Memories. It was made almost entirely out of a deep grey stone with only its glazed windows and a few copper pipes being the exceptions. The building was circular in nature though it seemed to actually be hexagonal. It almost looked like a theatre or an auditorium just from its shape. Its domed roof didn''t help detract from that perception either. A set of doors easily twice Lone''s height lay open at the centre of the building''s front-facing wall. All along each of the building''s six faces was a seemingly endless amount of epitome carvings. Each epitome was perfectly sculpted around the windows and pipes to show off its grandeur while not favouring any one epitome over the others. "This is... a masterpiece. Simply a masterpiece," Lone exclaimed in awe as he basked in the brilliance of this clear magnum opus. "It should be criminal to not have to pay tribute to witness this... How many years did such a thing take to complete?"
The host has witnessed the magnificence of Krieg Moor''s Hall of Memories and has truly appreciated its brilliance. Moment added to the [Ordinary moments and sites of cultural significance witnessed or created] list of the skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation]. Witness 4 more dwarven Halls of Memories to upgrade the tier of this moment. Stat bonus from moment: 5 Vitality.
"Only an ordinary moment?" Lone wore a condescending look on his face. "The system has no clue what it''s fuckin'' on about. Ordinary my arse." Uncaring of Lone''s opinion, the system did its job and gave him an appropriate notification.
Congratulations! The host''s skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 2.
''Now I get a level up? After so many moments? Fuck you too,'' Lone thought, still bitter over the most beautiful piece of artwork he''d ever seen getting such a paltry rating from the blue screens. "Ah, you have the Historical and Cultural Appreciation skill, do you?" a well-dressed and groomed dwarf wearing a pair of circular glasses asked as he walked down the steps of the Hall of Memories. "I quite agree with you. For such a monumental piece of history to be labelled as ordinary is an affront to art and culture as a whole." The dwarf stopped just in front of Lone then smiled as he inclined his head and offered a hand. "Felix Morstone. I was the one who summoned you here." "Lone Immortus," Lone replied before shaking the man''s hand. "Sorry for not coming in earlier it''s just a bit difficult to peel my eyes away from these walls." "Quite understandable. Shall we go in now? We have to discuss what you told The Adventurer''s Guild," Felix said as he turned around and gestured to the open double doors. "Of course," Lone replied. The interview with Felix was much like the one with the guild''s employee. Lone just repeated everything he had said earlier that morning until he was asked to describe the place he''d seen in detail, particularly the buildings he thought were dwarven. That took a lot longer than he''d expected. His memory was pretty good but the questions were almost endless and seemed needlessly complicated but Lone complied regardless. Once they were finally done, Lone was asked one final question. "I understand a very famed steamforger by the name of Wilbur is using you as his assistant through The Adventurer''s Guild, yes? Has he taught you any steamforging or suggested doing so?" Lone shook his head. "Of course not. I just help with repairs, sales and the forging of regular tools and gear." "Do you repair or sell any of the steamforged artefacts?" Felix asked. Lone nodded. "No to repairing, of course, but yes, I sell them. I have more social-oriented skills than Wilbur does so more profit is generated if I''m the one behind the counter. And, uh, not to sound arrogant or anything, but my good looks have increased our female customer base as well as our non-dwarf one. I''m a rare foreigner, after all. Must seem exotic to the locals and welcoming to my fellow outsiders." "Haha, must be nice. Thank you for your honesty. We''ve had people in the past deny all involvement with steamforged artefacts even though selling them on behalf of a certified steamforger is perfectly legal. It''s usually a good pitfall trap to help begin identifying the web of lies," Felix explained. ''I thought as much. That''s exactly why I''ve read a handful of books dedicated to the laws of the krieg. Tripping on toes out of ignorance would be beyond foolish,'' Lone thought. "Is it a common thing? Non-dwarves being taught the art, that is." "Less common than it being stolen, thankfully, but yes, it happens more than the local and even the grand council would like. You''re free to go now, Mister Immortus. I''m done with my investigation. You''ve not really given us much to go off of but if you ever happen to experience the same thing again, try to find the missing dwarves. That would be huge," Felix claimed. Lone smiled kindly. "I''m not a fan of being kidnapped by Primals on my off time, but I''ll try my best if the situation repeats itself." He got up, shook the man''s hand once again then left. As he gave the Hall of Memories one final glance, he frowned. ''Persuasion didn''t level up even once when I spoke to him.'' B2: Chapter 21: Casual Conversation and Exploring Lore
Congratulations! The host''s nature magic skill [Root of Life] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Lone smiled softly as he rest a palm atop Sophie''s cocoon. "Only a few more weeks... Goodnight, Soph, Sophie," he whispered before unsummoning her. Lone looked around at their bedroom in the Rusty Sprocket and sighed. "It''s lonely in here without Soph, Sophie or Kyuubi..." He had given the sleepy little fox to Breena for the evening and planned to continue doing so since she seemed to like her. Kyuubi didn''t really care who handled her so long as she was fed and well-groomed while being given just enough attention to feel loved during the rare times she wasn''t sleeping. He grinned to himself as he thought of the chubby little golden fox. ''She acts so much like a person who''s just a little bit too carefree... It''s helpful but it''s also kinda strange. Still, she''s our daughter and I''m just thankful she isn''t a nightmare like a lot of pets would be.'' He rested his weary head on his pillows and closed his eyes, hoping dearly not to have any nightmares or, worse, get abducted again.
With a heavy sigh as he held his neck in disappointment, Lone said, "Well, yay to no nightmares." He looked around at the strange town which lay somewhere in the Farwinds and asked, "Where are you, Darkness? You summoned me again for a reason, didn''t you?" "Need everything have a reason, Lone?" a gruff voice asked with mirth aplenty. Turning slowly, Lone saw Four-twelve rise from his own shadow. "That''s a distasteful set of flesh to wear.," Lone commented. "Would you rather I assumed your lover''s form again? You have reservations regarding intercourse with her younger selves, particularly her youngest and truest body, no? I am older than mortal kind itself, mature as well..." Darkness suggested with a coy eyebrow. "If it means you stop trying to act flirty in a disfigured dwarf''s body, then I''m all for it. I won''t sleep with you though. I''d sooner kill you. Any tips on how to do that, by the way?" Lone asked casually as he took a closer look at some of the dwarven buildings scattered around. "Aha! Humour on only the second night? My, how adaptive of you," Darkness teased as its body became shrouded in a cloak of purple smoke. A moment later, it looked just like Soph but with a far more devilish facial expression. Lone shrugged. "I can''t kill you with Mental Destruction. You seem fine even despite what happened last evening. Not a hint of an injury to be seen on you meaning you''re likely highly resistant to soul or magical damage. Why should I bother getting upset? On the flip side, you probably aren''t killing me or forcefully inhabiting me because you''re shit-scared of Void and or Sky. Correct?" Using Soph''s shoulders, Darkness shrugged, mimicking Lone. "Every litter has a runt. The crafty and wily one who can''t ever quite win the contests of brute strength, no?" "Is that your angle? Trying to, what, figure out a way to make me your avatar without stepping on some very large toes?" Lone asked with a curious eyebrow. "Oh, no, please. What fool swaps one prison for another? I am an honest being, Lone. I fully intend to become the new and improved you," Darkness said in a cheery sing-song voice. "Sadly, there''s nothing you can do about it." "Yeah, we''ll see. You chose the worst appearance to try to intimidate me with," Lone said. Darkness smirked. It arched its back slightly and held its hands out in a pawing motion. A moment later, it closed its eyes tightly and said, "Roar!" Of course, all the while looking like Soph''s child form. "Do I intimidate you now, Mister Fox?" it asked in an impish tone. Lone held his chin in deep contemplation before answering, "That was pretty cute. I''ll make sure to get Soph to do that once or twice to see how much better the authentic thing is." "None may match my prowess, haha!" Darkness giggled. "By the way, why do you keep looking around so much?" "You''ve been frank with me, it seems only fair I return the favour. I''m trying to figure out where we are and what buildings are here which don''t belong. You wouldn''t have any ideas regarding that, would you, oh powerful and ancient Primal Darkness?" Lone asked dramatically with a flat tone. "You also wouldn''t happen to have a bunch of dwarves laying around somewhere, would you? Maybe tucked away in a cupboard?" "Heh, no, I keep my dwarves under the sink next to the detergent," Darkness replied. "Even if I told you where we were, nothing would come of it. I really did mean it yesterday when I said telling people about me would be a little bit self-destructive. You could always return to the council and say you were mistaken. Things won''t end well for you if you don''t..." "Yes, because I''m going to trust the pseudo deity that wants to possess me," Lone said with a roll of the eyes. "Do you mind if I have a look around or are we done here? I''m fine with exploring or being returned to my bed, really." "Oh, Loney-poo, you never left it," Darkness said before covering Lone in a shroud of purple shadows.
Lone held his head as he slowly rose from beneath his bedsheets. "Well, that was informative." He yawned a bit before pulling up the newly updated information of Darkness Corruption Resistance.
Passive Skill: Darkness Corruption Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist Darkness Corruption when afflicted with it at varying levels based on mastery. Darkness Corruption shall be weakened and fought off with 60% [+30%] efficiency. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1 [+1 level]
"Only one level despite such close proximity and a decently lengthy discussion... Expert rank is quite the wall, isn''t it?" he said to himself.
Congratulations! The host''s nature magic skill [Root of Life] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
''Great! At this rate, it might even reach advanced rank before Soph and Sophie are fully cleansed of the corruption. I wonder if the healing will go faster once it ranks up? I hope so. Well, I''ll find out in two levels when it hits intermediate, I suppose. So, a day or two more,'' Lone thought as he got up and looked outside of the window. "The artificial sun''s out... I could have sworn I was only talking to Darkness for five or ten minutes... How did several hours pass? Can Darkness distort time or something? I know basically nothing about the thing... Well, I guess I know where I''m spending my free time today," Lone said with a nod of the head.
"''Ow can ah help ya?" a young dwarven man who was anywhere from 20 to 200-years old asked Lone from behind his counter as he looked up from his book. "Hi. I was just wondering if there was an entry fee or membership scheme or something. Also, what are the rules here?" Lone asked the receptionist of the city''s library. "Ah, fook... Nae ah regular... Uh, Ah''m new ''ere an'' ma neutr''l speech isnae very devel-" Lone interrupted him with a raised palm and said, "It''s fine. Speak however is comfortable for you. I can understand you perfectly fine." The dwarf looked appreciative. "Thanks, pal. Uh, well, there''s nae membership or fees or anythin''. We ain''t ''umans or nutin''. Learnin'' is fae those who seek tae join the learned, nae fae whoever''s willing tae pay fer it." He scratched his head a bit before adding, "As fae rules... Keep it doon an'' dinnae be ah cunt, ah suppose. If ya wannae take ah book ''ome wae ya, ya need tae get paperwork fae it. Ya cannae leave the krieg wae it or ya''ll get fined. Ya can keep ah book if ya can offer two new ones in return. We''re lookin'' tae expand oor library, nae shrink it." Lone nodded his head. "That makes sense. Thank you." "Nae worries, pal. Anythin'' ye''r lookin'' fae in particular or ya just wanna take yer time browsin'' the shelves?" the receptionist asked. "We usually dinnae advise people beyond the genres but ah really am thankful ya dinnae mind ma lackin'' manners. Ah''ll point ya right tae the books ye''r lookin'' fae as thanks." "That would be great. I''m looking for anything related to the Primals, really. Darkness, in particular," Lone said. "Ah pagan, are ya?" the dwarf asked. "Nae ah surprise given ye''r nae ah dwarf, ah suppose." "Pagan? Isn''t the Church of the Primals the primary one of the entire world?" Lone questioned with a bit of confusion showing on his face. The dwarf shrugged. "Maybe up top, aye. Doon in the world beneath yer feet? The Stone is the only thing worth worshippin''. We ken the Primals are real, aye, but gods? Nae ah common belief doon ''ere." "That''s an interesting point of view. I''ve never considered that. Could you also point me to some books regarding the Stone? I''m interested in learning about the faith of you dwarves," Lone requested. The dwarf smirked. "Ah usually dinnae like other demis. Ye''r ah good sort ya ''re. Aye, come follow me. Ah''ve ah few volumes in mind ''at may tickle ye''r ol'' thinkin'' noodle."
A few hours had come and gone since Lone''s arrival at the library. In that time, he had read the two books the receptionist had suggested to him about the Stone and why all dwarves - not just Stone Dwarves - worshipped it. That only took him about an hour and a half and that was mostly due to his Reading skill. The skill had grown a lot since Lone earned it back in Ranton''s library and it was now rather impressive with its passive effects.
Passive Skill: Reading
Naturally makes reading 30% easier for the host and increases the host''s reading speed by 30%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4
Lone was already a quick reader before coming to Altros but with this skill, he could now easily tear through a 500-page volume in maybe 90-minutes while absorbing every single word. The two books on the Stone were 124-pages and 370-pages respectively. One was very flat and informative while the other touched on spiritual matters and the intrinsic connection the soul had to the Stone and how it nurtured its children; the dwarves. Lone was honestly a bit surprised at how open-minded most dwarves seemed to be when compared to the Church of the Primals who completely ostracised beastkin. After all, as depicted, the Stone only granted its favour to its children, excluding all other species and races. ''It''s a testament to their culture and nature that they don''t have a superiority complex,'' Lone thought. He had just finished up reading a book that detailed the Primals. Most of the information inside of it was stuff he already knew from what limited research he had put into the subject in Ranton, still, it offered a few new insights. The novel he had just started reading, however, was exclusively about Darkness. Facts, rumours and legends about the Primal made their home between the pages of the tome in his hands. He purposefully read it more slowly and carefully and something caught his eye about halfway into the book. "''The great trickster. Master of Illusions. Friend to none, unwilling companion to all. Lord of the shadows. Darkness goes by many names in topsider culture and is revered openly by the Church of the Primals despite its clear nature of malevolence. This has been questioned by scholar and king alike. Why worship a being of apparent evil? Would doing so not only strive to hurt the foundation upon which this religion sat upon?''" Lone read aloud in a soft tone. He continued, "''The Church of the Primals claim they worship all Primals equally, regardless of perceived intent as they are merely forces of nature and do only that which nature demands of them, regardless of motivations. Many question the validity of this since, in times past, avatars of Darkness have ruined entire empires with nary a reason to be seen. Did the nature of the world demand Darkness be its champion to expel such empires from the world? Such a scenario seems unlikely given so little is known of Altros''s nature. Even its gifted skills - the world skills - are shrouded in the unknown. It seems foolish to claim insight into the world''s intent without sufficient evidence to substantiate such claims. This, in turn, makes everything else the Church of the Primals claim and preach seem untrustworthy in some regard." "This is interesting stuff..." Lone mumbled before reading on. "''Returning to the pressing topic at hand, what can be made certain, however, is that those touched by Darkness, particularly beings created from the Primal Darkness or beastkin who have unfortunately awakened to it gain a more twisted and cruel element to their personality. This has been documented extensively and is nigh irrefutable.''" "Oh my..." a disembodied voice spoke right next to Lone''s ear. "... How... delicious..." "What the hell?!" he stood up quickly and spun around to find who had done that. The voice felt similar to Darkness''s but something about it was... wrong. It was like an insatiable hunger was its main propelling force as it whispered those words right into his head. "M- Lone?" a soft and timid voice asked with some fear in it. Lone looked in the direction it had come from and saw Breena standing at the end of the long table he had been sitting at for the past few hours. She was cuddling the sleeping Kyuubi and she looked afraid. "What are you doing here?" Lone asked as he sighed and slumped back down into his chair. "I, was... um... I wanted to have d-dinner with you. I-It''s late, so I thought I''d c-come find you... S-Sorry if you think I-I''m being a bother," the two-tailed foxkin stuttered as she stared at her own feet. Lone wore an awkward look on his face. "Sorry, I''m just a bit jumpy. That sounds great. Let''s go back to the inn and have something to eat then, okay?" "Mm," Breena answered. B2: Chapter 22: Handling Breena and Exploratory Teaching "How has Kyuubi been?" Lone asked Breena to cure the growing silence between them as they ate dinner. Carefully nibbling on her food, Breena answered, "Um, good? She''s very soft... and, em, nice? She''s a lot more docile than most pets." ''Good, good, she isn''t stuttering anymore... Man, that''s twice now that I''ve scared her needlessly. I need to apologise today. The longer I let the wound fester, the larger it''ll get and the harder it''ll be to mend.'' He had learned that with his father. The man wasn''t always an abusive sack of shit. He was actually a decent person until his company started collapsing around him. Slowly, blow after blow had worn down his father''s mind to the point of abusing his own son and later killing himself. Of course, this was not apples to apples but Lone could still see the similarities between then and now. Getting the guilt off his chest would help both him and Breena. He needed to move past this hesitation of his. "Is she being easy to care for? Soph always loved how self-sufficient she was," Lone noted with a kind smile. Breena nodded. "Mhm. She eats and drinks exactly when I put her food and water in her bowls. Um, I only do it at the times you specified. I, um, I don''t know why she''s still so round... It''s a bit weird, though she''s very cute and... like I said a moment ago, soft. She also uses the litterbox you gave me by herself with ease and suspiciously quietly. I thought a big fox like her would be a bit noisier." ''That''s the most I''ve ever heard her speak. Period. What a killer opening conversation topic, huh? You''re finally getting the hang of this social stuff, aren''t ya, Lone?'' he praised himself jokingly. "Yeah, it is strange. I can only assume it has something to do with her species... or maybe she''s a magic fox." He reached over and stroked Kyuubi''s head as she slept atop the empty end of their table. "Well, are you a magic fox?" "Kyuu..." she purred in her sleep. "I, uh, don''t think she''ll answer you..." Breena said while a hint of a smile crept up on her face. "Maybe she will one day. Who knows what magic foxes are capable of?" Lone asked cheerily. A few minutes passed with the mood at the table now being much friendlier and warmer. Breena even opened up a little bit and spoke about her job and how she was enjoying it a lot more than she''d expected. Soon though, Lone decided to address the elephant in the room. He needed to do so before he got lost in the fun and casual talks they were having. That was all too convenient of an excuse to fall upon as a way to avoid owning up to being a not so nice person to her of late. "Breena," Lone said in a more sombre tone. "Y-Yes?" caught off-guard a bit by his sudden seriousness, Breena fumbled. Lone put down his fork and knife and stared right into her eyes. "I''m sorry. I lashed out at you in the Farwinds and scared you at the library. The library incident wasn''t intentional but that doesn''t excuse it. As for the Farwinds... I don''t know how I could have ever acted like that to you. It was disgraceful of me and I can''t apologise enough." Breena started to panic a bit. "Uh, um, y-you d-don''t need to say s-sorry at all! It w-wasn''t your fault. And, I, um, I st-startled you in the l-library so it''s okay..." Lone shook his head. "No, it isn''t." He reached over the table and lightly grabbed Breena''s hand. "I''m an adult and you''re just a child. No adult should ever, and I mean ever, raise their voice at a child, whether justified or not." "I, uh, em..." Breena didn''t know what to say. "It''s okay, you don''t need to say anything, just listen, okay?" Lone requested softly. Breena lightly nodded her head. "You were absolutely right when you told me it wasn''t Four-twelve''s fault and you were also right when you tried to convince me to stop... acting like a madman banging on doors in the middle of the night. You''re far more mature than a girl your age should be," Lone chuckled faintly. "I know life hasn''t been kind to you. You were ripped from your home at a young age and were forced to do unspeakable things no child should ever have to do..." A cloud hung over Lone''s expression for a moment before he continued, "but Soph, Sophie, and I, we all see you as an equal. No equal should be shouted out or snapped at. Again, Breena, I was wrong. I apologise and I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me." Breena moved to speak but was immediately interrupted by Lone. "No. Don''t answer me right now. I don''t want you to forgive me out of a feeling of obligation. Think through your emotions. We may just be your escorts back to the Crimson Foxkin Clan, but we truly treasure you, Breena. I don''t want your forgiveness to be an empty one. If you come to a decision and think you don''t want to give any to me, that''s fine too. You have no duties or responsiblities here, okay?" Breena mutely nodded her head with slightly wet eyes. Lone smiled and pulled his hand away from hers. "Good. You''re like a little sister to me so if you can''t ever come to forgive me, at least don''t start hating me, okay? One sister whose feelings I''m lost on is more than enough." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Breena raised a sleeve to wipe her eyes before she quietly asked, "Y-You have a sister?" Lone smirked. "Yeah. An annoying girl, that Hazel. I never could figure out what she was thinking ever since things got... fractured in my old family." "Old family?" Breena''s curiosity was piqued. "Keep eating your dinner. Maybe one day I''ll tell you all about the story of a man named Darren McCullen," Lone said mysteriously.
"Hi, Mister Morstone," Lone said as he shook the dwarf''s hand and took a seat across from him. "I know you''re busy so I''m thankful you could make time to see me tonight." The councilman nodded. "The council has put a great deal of priority on you, Mister Immortus. You''re a valuable lead to solving the odd cases in the krieg, after all. Tea or coffee?" "Ah, tea, please," Lone answered. Felix smiled and got to work making him a cup. "Since you arranged this meeting, Mister Immortus, I can only assume you had another... experience, correct?" Lone nodded. "That''s right, sadly. While I was hoping it''d be a one-time thing, Darkness seems to have other ideas. Silver-lining though is that I got a much better look at the dwarven buildings in that mysterious slice of the Farwinds." "That''s excellent news," Felix said as he finished up brewing Lone some authentic Stone Dwarven tea. "Have you any clues about where to find this... krieg?" "I think it''s an urd if anything. Too small to be a krieg, honestly," Lone replied, "But no, sadly. I am working on that though. I can only assume Darkness intends to summon me more and when it does I''ll keep probing." Felix slid Lone''s cup of tea across the desk and said, "That''s unfortunate. What do you assume the creature wants of you? For full transparency, the council does not believe you that it is a Primal we''re dealing with, though we have no doubts Darkness is involved in some regard." ''That''s fair if not a bit discouraging,'' Lone thought as he sipped on his tea and noted that it was quite to his liking. "I think it wants to make me its avatar and then assume control over my body. I can only theorise as to what summoning me accomplishes. Maybe it''s softening me up somehow? Making it easier for me to receive it?" "Forgive me, but I don''t know much about the topsider gods beyond what is factual and practical. What would a Primal want of you, specifically?" Felix asked. Lone shrugged. "I have no idea. I''m just a simple D-ranker... who admittedly is a member of an extinct-slash-recently missing race of foxkin and I have nine racial traits, which is almost unheard of for a beastkin. Maybe I''m just a perfect avatar? I''m fumbling about in the dark just as much as you and yours are, sadly," he said before thinking, ''Well, Darkness knows for a fact I can host entire Primals free of risk since it can sense Void and Sky. I really need this dealt with as soon as possible... it''s a fucking Primal. Sooner or later, it''ll find a way to do what it wants...'' Lone had an idea or two in mind to fix everything if things went tits up, but if he could rely on the local authorities and powers that be, then he would. While his hunger for knowledge and answers was insatiable, he was still new to this world in relation to everything around him, more or less. "I see. I''ll have to brush up my knowledge on these matters some other time then. Anyway, what can you tell us of the structures you studied, if you don''t mind?" Felix requested. Lone nodded and happily explained everything he saw in as much detail as he was capable of. Once he was done, Felix nodded his head. "That''ll do. I''ll have this investigated to see if anything matches up with the disappearance cases. Have you seen any signs of the missing persons or perhaps learned why the ones who return after leaving seem... changed?" Lone shook his head. "I''m afraid not. I am trying to probe for that information but I doubt you''d find it useful if I told you Darkness stores its dwarves under the kitchen sink, would you? Specifically next to the detergent." Felix gave Lone a funny look. "No, no I wouldn''t. Did it say that to you?" Lone smiled awkwardly. "It''s very.. playful. And not in a good way. More in a ''fuck me this guy is annoying and quite possibly very dangerous'' kind of way." "I see... Well, that''s all for now, Mister Immortus. Thank you for keeping me updated," Felix said as he reached over to shake Lone''s hand. "It was my pleasure, Mister Morstone," Lone replied. When he had returned to the Rusty Sprocket, he sighed deeply upon entering his and Soph''s room. "No Persuasion level up again and, if anything, he believes me even less than yesterday... That''s hardly ideal..." He sat down at the room''s wooden and partially copper desk. He then reached into his Dimensional Storage and withdrew a large leather-bound tome. Opening it, he revealed it was empty. Next, he retrieved a quill and inkpot. "I''ve never written a diary before, but now seems as good a time as any," he mumbled before he started writing.
A few hours passed and Lone had only just finished noting down his first few weeks on Altros in his new diary. The plan was to detail everything he could remember as aptly as he able until he reached the present day where he could slowly note down what happened day-to-day. It seemed like a wise idea in his mind since he was now in a world of magic and myths. Who knew when he might need to rely on his journal to verify his own memories? Regardless, a knock at his door disturbed him. "Come in," Lone answered. "The door''s unlocked." Only one person could be coming to his room so late. Matching his expectations, Lone saw Breena carefully enter the room as she closed the door behind her. She was trying her best to do both that and not drop the fluffball snoozing in her arms. "What brings you here so late?" Lone asked in a friendly, almost fatherly, manner. Breena slowly approached his and Soph''s bed before placing Kyuubi on it. She then said, "Um, I thought it would be smart if I stayed in here tonight. I, uh... I was wondering if your body got taken too when you, y''know..." Lone did nothing but praise her courage internally. ''She''s got a strong fear of men and she clearly is very timid, so making a decision like that without being prompted... Her growth is astounding.'' "I''d love that. I was curious too if my body disappeared as well or not and I obviously had no real way to verify that. I''d be honoured if you''d stay here and watch over me," Lone said with a smile. "Will you be okay though, not sleeping?" Breena nodded. "I''ve, em, done it before. Going days without sleeping. I can handle one or two days without it being to-too much of a problem." Lone nodded then asked, "What do you want to do while you''re in here? Play with Kyuubi?" Breena looked unsure. "I, uh, don''t mind doing nothing..." Lone shook his head then summoned a chair next to him. He patted it then said, "Come. I''ll teach you something interesting. It''s a language not of this world, English. You''re a clever girl and it''ll be interesting to try teaching a subject so foreign to me; language." A hint of cautious excitement entered Breena''s eyes. "I''ve never heard of English before..." "Well, like I said, it''s not of this world. I hear it came from a hero, but no one''s really sure," Lone lied. It most certainly wasn''t the right time to inform the girl of his and Soph''s origins, double so considering her past experience with a hero.
Kyuubi slowly opened her eyes and glanced around. She got up, stretched like a cat and stared at Lone''s back for a moment. Her gaze lingered on Breena''s too for a moment before she seemed to sigh and then slump down again, returning to sleep. She was, after all, a very busy fox. B2: Chapter 23: Third Meeting and Three Weeks Lone sighed when he opened his eyes only to find himself in the mysterious urd again. "You know, you could at least bring me to a room or something when you force me here instead of in the middle of the road." Darkness chuckled as it took the form of Breena. "What would be the point? You hardly stay for long. Besides, guests who don''t take off their shoes when I invite them in my house get the short end of the stick, I''m afraid." "Oh, of course. How rude of me," Lone answered with a roll of the eyes. "Does this ''home'' of yours even have a name?" "Well, it''s not 14 Main Street or anything like that," Darkness replied with a smile as it stretched, seemingly testing the flexibility of Breena''s body. "I could tell you what this place used to be known as though if you really wanted to know. I wouldn''t suggest it, mind you. Knowing won''t do you any good." "Ignorance is bliss, eh?" Lone said. "I''d like to know regardless." Darkness shrugged. "If you say so... This lovely little place used to be known as Urd Grun. Nowadays I just call it the kitchen sink." ''Urd Grun, Urd Grun, Urd Grun... I need to remember that. This could be vital,'' Lone thought before realising something. "The kitchen sink?" He looked down at the mosaiced road beneath his feet and made a face as if to say ''there?'' "Right next to the detergent," Darkness giggled with Breena''s body which was rather... unsettling considering the girl hardly ever smiled, let alone laughed. The next moment it waved its hand and purple smoke surrounded Lone, signalling his return to Krieg Moor. "This girl really does have a durable body. Strange for someone so young. I wonder how that came to be, hmm?" the Primal asked Lone in a seemingly-accusatory way. Lone wanted to refute the insinuation, however, not a second later his eyes were opening to the sight of his room''s ceiling in the Rusty Sprocket. Breena was sitting on the desk chair which was pointed towards the bed instead of the desk itself. She looked a little bit drowsy but the moment she saw Lone her eyes snapped wide open. "Y-You''re awake," she mumbled in a soft yet weak voice. "You, um, you didn''t disappear..." Lone sat up and laid his back against the bed''s headboard. He reached over and picked up the sleeping Kyuubi before placing her on his lap. "So I looked completely normal? I didn''t vanish or turn invisible or anything?" Breena nodded. "Um, yeah. I touched the bed to make sure you weren''t replaced by an i-illusion or something and I couldn''t see or sense anything odd..." ''So either it really is just some sort of soul and dream fuckery or Darkness''s control over illusion magic is so great that even a Crimson Foxkin can''t detect its meddling... Still, this is informative if not inconclusive,'' Lone thought before he smiled at Breena. "Thank you for staying up all night to help me with this. You didn''t have to and I really appreciate it." Breena lowered her head and a bit of redness entered her cheeks. "I-I wanted to do it, so it''s okay." "I''m thankful regardless," Lone said before he stretched a little and then scratched the back of Kyuubi''s ears, eliciting a purr from her. "Do you want to take a bath to get refreshed? I''ll go order breakfast while you do." Breena nodded. "Sure. Um, I''ll have two eggs and some toast, please." "Water or juice?" Lone asked as he gave Kyuubi a kiss on the head before moving her off of him. He got up and started getting dressed. "Water is fine," Breena answered. She also got up and put the desk chair back in its usual position. She then left to go bathe in her own room''s en suite. Lone couldn''t help but smile while he got dressed. He spoke to Kyuubi and said, "She''s a lot more sociable now, isn''t she? She only looks at her feet when talking about 70% of the time as opposed to 99% of the time." "Kyuu..." the lazy fox replied as she rolled around in the bedsheets uncaringly.
Three full weeks passed since that test. Meeting Darkness every night and reporting what he spoke about with the being to Felix every three days was becoming just another part of Lone''s daily routine. Apparently, the council had records of a place called Urd Grun and had been making efforts to locate it. Supposedly, it was a lost urd so it wasn''t as simple of a process as just travelling through the Farwinds until they arrived at it. Breena had been busy helping Mister Fits''war diligently as his tailoring assistant and she''d even doubled her skill repertoire in the time that had passed. Previously, she only had a simple pair of skills to her name. One was her racial one, Flickering Identity which allowed her to change her appearance via illusions just as the Crimson Foxkin twins had done back in Milindo. The other was one she shared with Lone, though it wasn''t a happy one; Hunger Resistance. When she was a slave she was rarely fed and usually only given water and scraps to keep her alive. That didn''t get much better when Daisuke became her master. It was clear to all that she was rather fond of her new skills. The first was Needle Mastery. Its use was obvious. The skill increased her ability to handle needles of all kinds. It was a general skill akin to Sword Mastery or Polearm Mastery. While it aided her in her job it would also be useful in combat. Lone had seen her using needles a handful of times in the past few weeks and was a bit surprised to see that they were her ideal weapon. In light of this, he greatly encouraged her to use them more frequently and to even try practising with them on the dummies in the guild''s training yards. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. As for her second new skill, it was actually Pet Mastery. Her time carefully caring for Kyuubi had blossomed into a skill that made doing so more efficient and easier. Naturally, Lone also put some effort into obtaining this skill when he learned Breena had gained it. As expected, Growth Accelerator made it so only two days of grooming and looking after the self-sufficient fox were necessary to earn Pet Mastery himself. He''d also been helping Steamforger Wilbur more and more with his steamforging, resulting in a lot of his skills gaining rapid levels. Blacksmithing had levelled-up five times, bringing it to Advanced-Level-10. Steamforging had levelled-up a grand total of 13 times, allowing to reach Intermediate-Rank-8, resulting in its bonuses increasing from 5% to 15%. Woodworking had only gained three levels because as he got more and more into steamforging, wood became less and less relevant to the tools, weapons and armour he made or helped create, leaving the skill at Advanced-Level-5. Finally, Steamforged Tool Mastery has gained seven levels, matching its level to Blacksmithing''s at Advanced-Level-10. Of course, Sophie''s condition had slowly been improving as the roots covering her peeled off one at a time, symbolising the skill was almost done healing her. The final root appeared ready to fall off at any second so Lone, Breena and Kyuubi were by her side while Lone held her hand. She was laid on top of their bed and she looked incredibly peaceful. Naturally, Root of Life hadn''t been exempt from levelling-up in the three weeks that had come and gone. Lone pulled up the skill''s information as he waited for it to finish healing his lover.
Active Nature Magic Skill: Root of Life
A very rare application of the nature magic school where the caster focuses the element of nature into summoning a root of Altros which is capable of fully healing a being dying of physical injuries. Can only be used once every 8-months [down from every 12-months]. Beings this skill is used on will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks [down from 4-8 weeks] to recover.
Cost: 125,000 MP [-25,000 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8 [+9 levels]
It was still an abysmally expensive skill and one with plenty of restrictions but seeing those very same restrictions loosening was somewhat cathartic to Lone. He was aware that this was very much so a skill that he should never really want to use just as he was certain Gilbert disliked having to utilise it to save him those many months ago. Using it was akin to admitting that someone you cared about was literally on death''s doorstep. That was never the most pleasant thing to deal with. It was also harsh since if used, it became inert for months on end. That could lead to having to watch someone savable die due to having the skill on cooldown. Lone was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt movement coming from his hand. "Sophie?" he called with hope in his voice. With rapid movements, Sophie flung upwards as the final root snapped free from her body and dissipated into ambient mana. She reached for her swords only to find them missing. Well, them and most of her clothes. She looked around with caution and suspicion until her bright emerald-green eyes focused, revealing Lone, Breena and Kyuubi to her. "The Rusty Sprocket?" She seemed confused for a moment until she asked, "How long were we unconscious for and what happened after Four-twelve betrayed us?" Lone wrapped Sophie in a hug and squeezed her tightly. "Welcome back." Sophie felt her cheeks getting hot. "Years haven''t passed, have they?" "Haha, no, thankfully," Lone chuckled. He pulled himself away from Sophie while he held onto her bare shoulders. He looked into her eyes, smiled, then kissed her. "It felt like it though. It''s been about three and a half weeks. You have quick natural recovery since Root of Life is meant to take four weeks minimum, huh?" Sophie frowned. "We remember... teleporting us away after we both got grabbed by Four-twelve... Then... Then immense pain and darkness followed by a constant light... What the hell happened?" Lone wore a wry smile. "You should have a Darkness Corruption skill, right? It''s probably why your healing took less time than expected." Sophie nodded. "That we do. Beginner-level-4." ''Such a stark difference with my own progress in the skill...'' Lone thought. "I panicked and immediately used Root of Life on you when you lost consciousness - the skill Gilbert saved my life with after my fight with the Blue Orc Chieftain. It''s been slowly healing you and now you''re better... You are better, right? Nothing weird on your status or anything?" Sophie paused to check and shook her head. "We seem fine, if not a bit chilly." "Haha, yeah, sorry about that. I stored your clothes and armour since they seemed counter-intuitive to helping you recover." He looked over at the silent Breena and asked, "Would it be okay if you returned to your room with Kyuubi, Breena? I''d like to spend some time filling Sophie and Soph in on what''s happened since she''s been gone." The teen bobbed her head up and down. "T-That''s fine. Um, I-I''m happy you''re back and that you''re okay... um, Sophie." "Thank you," Sophie replied stoically, though her appreciation wasn''t fake. Once Breena was out of the room, she turned to Lone. "So what is the full story?" "I missed your frankness," Lone confessed with a warm tone. "To simplify things, Four-twelve was being manipulated by the Primal Darkness. He afflicted us both with Darkness Corruption. I healed mine naturally thanks to Basic Regeneration but you... you were dying in my arms. I used Root of Life on you." Sophie frowned as she shuffled around a bit to get under the bed''s covers. She wasn''t a huge fan of that nippy feeling, after all. "Another Primal... This reeks of more trouble than we can handle, Lone. Also, Root of Life... We never expected to be truly unconscious like that. Usually, both Soph and we can maintain a state of mental consciousness at all times if we need to." "I also thought it was odd since you never responded to my telepathy. I guess the skill just shut down your entire body and took control of everything to more accurately heal you, mind and all," Lone said with a helpless look on his face. "Sadly, I''m not the expert in magic I wish I was." "An ignorant idiot we may see, our ignorant idiot you still are and always will be," Sophie teased. Lone smiled. "When''d you become a poet? I really missed you. You were so close yet so far at the same time... Can''t say I enjoyed that very much." "Rhyming is simple if you try to do it." Sophie grinned. "For us, a mere few moments passed. It is nice though to see you acting like a young girl in love. How refreshing." Lone chuckled. "Give me a few days, I''ll have you blushing from ear to ear like usual." Sophie scowled. "We shall see. Tell us more of what happened. We can''t imagine someone as sensitive and dependant on us as you would act rationally with us in such a state." Lone heaved a heavy sigh. "I hate that you''re right... Let Soph take control though. She doesn''t bully me and I''d rather snuggle up with her while I explain." Sophie rolled her eyes. "She will have her turn. Act like the man you are and confess that you enjoy our crassness. Also... you are f-free to snuggle with us if your wish is so strong..." "You, of all people, know I''m not an M," Lone countered as he clambered into the sheets and wrapped an arm around Sophie''s mature adult form. "Anyway, let''s get back on track, yes? I ran through the Farwinds as I carried you in my arms, roots and all..." B2: Chapter 24: The Djinn Problem and Mining Company Sophie gave Lone an incredibly unsatisfied look before she sighed heavily. "Of course it is a Primal behind this and of course it has its eyes set on you..." Lone smiled wryly. "Yeah. That''s twice now we''ve stumbled onto a Primal by coincidence. Well, apparent coincidence." Sophie raised an eyebrow. "''Apparent''?" Lone nodded. "I spent a lot of time researching magic both in Ranton and here. There''s a thing called fate magic. Now, of course, I have no evidence to suggest magic is at play..." "But?" Sophie said in his place. Lone chuckled faintly. "But, we were summoned here by what we can only assume were real, honest to God... well, gods, right? The message left for me by mine specifically said something about playing a game. What if they''re using fate magic or something to force these things upon us in an effort to further this ''game''?" Sophie considered the matter for a few seconds before saying, "That makes some sense. The chances of us just so happening to find a sealed Primal in the first dungeon we just so happen to both find and clear on this new world is astronomically low..." "Right? A secret ninth Primal erased from history or maybe never even documented as having existed just so happens to be in the temple a Goblin King is calling his home on a small island in the middle of nowhere which we just so happened to appear on?" Lone shook his head. "That''s wholly possible, for sure. People do win the lottery, after all. But the very next place we go to after leaving Milindo also leads us to a Primal? I''m not counting Sky since it clearly has beef with Void and came to me on its own to restrict it." Sophie was an extremely paranoid person by nature, she just kept her thoughts to herself usually and avoided voicing her worries half of the time. Now, however, she couldn''t help but agree with Lone here. She already had her suspicions regarding Void and Sky, however, now with Darkness'' involvement... Her mind was all but made up. "We certainly think someone is pulling some very dangerous strings now that you have pointed this out, Lone..." Sophie stroked her jaw in contemplation. "What can we do about it? You are a thinker. Surely you have come up with a plan or two, no?" Lone shrugged. "I don''t know. As far as I''m aware, nothing bad will happen even if Darkness does try to make me its avatar and take over my mind. Surely it knows that too. There''s no way it can''t feel its kin locked away in my body. I wonder why it''s so insistent..." Sophie frowned. "Perhaps... you are not its goal? You described it as maliciously playful and good at manipulation, yes? It could be trying to throw you off." "I''ve considered that," Lone confessed. "I just don''t get what it would want otherwise. Four-twelve said he''d found the perfect vessel, being me, which is absolutely true. I mean, try to find another beastkin who won''t age after awakening and who can host multiple Primals without risk... I dunno. For all we know, it could be hoping to corrupt its fellow Primals by using the prison that is my body. We need more info, really. Info like the relationship between the Primals, what they can do, motives, all of that shit." Sophie nodded. "And probing a master manipulator for anything of worth is a pointless endeavour... Has the local council made any progress in finding the urd you mentioned?" Lone shook his head again. "Not yet. Once they do and we have some answers, I say we leave the krieg and head topside. We can travel west to the Crimson Foxkin Clan directly." "Why not now?" Sophie asked with an inquisitive tilt of the head. ''That''s oddly cute considering how cold she usually is,'' Lone thought as he stared at the exposed nape of the woman he loved. "Uh, well, I still want to learn more steamforging from Gramps and, well... he isn''t looking great health-wise. I kind of want to stick around until he... y''know." "Won''t that take years for a Stone Dwarf?" Sophie asked with a click of the tongue. "We don''t have the time for that." Lone wore a weary smile. "Normally, you''d be right. But I''m pretty sure old age isn''t his only vice. A few months at most is all I want, Sophie. If things get bad with Darkness or the council, we leave early. I''ll take regrets over stupidity, don''t worry." "The council? Why would anything go poorly with them? Are they not on our side?" Sophie asked pointedly. "Well, all they have is what I''ve told them. The rep I talk to every couple of days is getting more and more fed up with my lack of information about their missing persons. I wouldn''t be surprised if eventually, they exiled me for being a nuisance. Fingers crossed they find the urd, right?" Lone asked in a mockingly humorous tone. Sophie sighed deeply. "Darkness was right to tell you to not to reveal your meetings with it. It''s only been detrimental thus far, from the sounds of things." "It was a bit of a gamble. I''m really banking on them finding the urd and some answers along with it," Lone said with a short and slightly nervous laugh. Sophie rolled her eyes. "You''re too easy-going sometimes, Lone. It is honestly annoying. You should think more before you act." Lone winced. "I''d argue I think too hard before acting. To be fair though, I wasn''t exactly sound of mind since the thing I care about the most was stuck in a bunch of roots for several weeks slowly healing." Sophie blushed. "We are not a ''thing''." "Yes. Yes, you are," Lone teased as he pressed his forehead against hers which was rapidly getting hotter. "And you''re my thing, just as I''m yours. Yours and Soph''s." "You may be charming," Sophie admitted, "but you are also a colossal idiot." "You wound me!... Am I really an idiot?" Lone asked with a fake tone of pain in his voice. Sophie kissed him and whispered, "Without a doubt, though you are our idiot."
After an hour of... entertaining one another, Sophie finally gave up the reins of her body, allowing Soph to take control. She immediately demanded a set of her pyjamas from Lone to which, he naturally obliged. Once she had slipped into the PJ onesie which was yellow, had a jagged lightning-esqe tail and sported a blush and some ears on its hood, Soph scrambled under the covers of their bed and cuddled up to Lone''s tails. "I''m sorry you were lonely..." she spoke into his fluffy appendages. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lone was momentarily startled before he broke out into a smile. ''They''re so different, the two of them. Sophie immediately wanted explanations but Soph, on the other hand, wants to comfort me emotionally... There''s no way Sophie didn''t notice how I was feeling. I guess she just thinks Soph''s a better people-person then she is.'' "You don''t need to apologise for anything. I''ve done the exact same to you, but worse. I passed out for weeks practically voluntarily in the name of getting stronger, remember? More than once, too. You had no say in Darkness''s actions nor in my choice to use Root of Life," Lone said. Soph crawled up his body and popped her head out of the sheets only to reveal a pouting expression. "Take the apology." "... But it certainly makes me feel better to hear that you care enough to comment on how I was feeling when you were busy purging all of that Darkness Corruption from your body," Lone relented before hugging Soph. "Good?" The pout didn''t disappear, instead, it only lessened. "It''ll do. If it''s really been weeks and not hours since Four-twelve, uh, killed himself, then I have a lot of floof and Lone energy to recharge on!" "Haha, knock yourself out," Lone laughed though his eyes flashed with some sadness. ''I didn''t know Soph could be so frank when it comes to the death of someone she personally knew...'' A few minutes of silence passed as they just lay there before Lone asked Soph a question. "What do you think we should do? Sophie wants to leave Krieg Moor immediately. I want to trust the council to find a way to help since I have a feeling Darkness doesn''t really need me to be underground to fuck with me. What are your thoughts?" "I think you shouldn''t be such a potty mouth," Soph answered immediately before she scrunched up her eyebrows to actually think over the matter seriously. "Hmm..." A good 30-seconds passed before she said, "If it''s a real problem to you, why don''t you just, uh, use the Djinn''s wish to... solve everything? Is that a dumb idea?" Lone nodded. "Kind of. Djinn are malicious by nature. No wish ever goes right, at least, not perfectly. I''ve had long conversations with Gilbert about this in the past three weeks. He told me how his grandfather tricked the Djinn to serve him until his death. Upon dying, he was then to split himself into ten Djinn''s wishes. Problem is, even though his initial wish that tricked the Djinn contained over 3,000 clauses and was meticulously planned out by the entire White Dragonkin Clan, in the end, it found a nasty loophole to drive the former patriarch of the clan to madness almost immediately. He wasn''t able to make a single wish and he died far sooner than he should have." Lone sighed deeply. "You just can''t beat a Djinn. From what I and Gilbert know, it''s wisest to have as simple of a wish as possible while also being specific. Don''t incite the demigod''s wrath to really screw with you. That kinda thing. Grimsley wished to escape Milindo. The side-effects? A duke got dragged along with them and they got dropped into the ocean from a few hundred metres up in the air. No permanent damage, just immediate inconveniences." Soph lowered her head. "So no wish?" Lone shook his head, "No, I''ll use it if I have to. The wish is a final resort, honestly. Even if I overprepare and use a nearly perfect simple sentence to invoke the wish, it''ll still fuck us in some way. That''s just a demigod for you. It is a good idea though, proven by how much I''ve thought on it already. You really are quite clever, aren''t you, huh, Soph?" She stuck her chest out in pride. "600-years in solitude with a lifetime of repressed memories to trudge through from a spectator''s viewpoint makes for a good mental exercise," Soph giggled. "Yet you still act so immature most of the time, huh?" Lone teased. Soph puffed out her cheeks. "I like being pampered by you. Plus... you know why I''m like this..." ''Yeah, self-defence mechanism... Similar to how Breena tries to be as socially invisible as possible,'' Lone noted. "Do you think you or Sophie will ever explain your life on Earth to me in detail?" Soph froze. "Why?" Lone wore an awkward smile on his face. "I just think it might help if you talk about it to someone you trust. I''ve never said it, but explaining my life story and what happened with my dad to you back on Goblin Island was really... burden relieving? That may not be the best way to describe it, but it helped a lot." Soph hesitated before saying, "Um, m-maybe someday." ''Ouch. Still not there yet... Great job, Lone,'' he admonished himself mentally. "Don''t worry about it. Whenever you''re ready." "Mmm," Soph answered a bit placidly. "It''s still early. Wanna go on a date? It''s been so long since we last did. Before all that shit went down in Ranton, if I recall correctly," Lone suggested. Soph slowly nodded. "That... that sounds nice. I''m hungry..." "I bet you are, haha," Lone chuckled. "Three weeks with nothing but nature magic filling your stomach will get any tummy rumbling, huh?"
"I cannae believe we''re doin'' this," a stout dwarf complained as he raised his pickaxe above his head then slammed it down onto the rubble. He and his crew of contract miners were in the middle of nowhere in the Farwinds searching for some lost urd on the council''s payroll. What had him groaning and moaning though wasn''t the work itself, no. He had skills and passion aplenty when it came to mining. He wouldn''t have been a leading A-ranker in the field otherwise. What he was annoyed about was that he felt he and his team were on a fool''s errand. "It''s beyond fookin'' nuts ''at we''re gettin'' paid tae clear this road just because some beastkin got ah funny feelin'' in ''is bawsack," another dwarf agreed. "Wanna make a bet, boss?" a third dwarf asked. "Ah''m confident Urd Grun exists an'' ''at we''re close tae it. Five silvers says the beastkin wasnae talkin'' ootta ''is arse." "Ye''re fookin'' on, Hamish," the leader of this operation answered with a toothy grin. "Could use some excitement tae livin'' up this borin'' expedition. The Stone coundnae dae us ah solid an'' toss some monsters oor way, eh? Anyone else wants in on the bet?" Not a single dwarf said no and the collective pot grew to three gold and 25 silver coins. Only a handful like Hamish believed they would find the promised urd, mostly on account of Hamish being very good at this kind of stuff with his skillset. Not four hours later and the bet''s group of winners had been determined. "Haha, feckin'' teld ya, boss. Urd Grun in the flesh!" The leading dwarf didn''t reply as he furrowed his brows seriously. "Everyone, ''igh alert." No one missed the gravity of their boss''s tone, not even Hamish, so they did as they were told and prepared their blades, axes, spears, and shields, after quickly putting their tools away. They then, in formation and as a group, entered through the cave in the rubble blocking the Farwinds they''d cleared. "Wasnae this place meant tae be, ah dunno, full ah buildin''s, both dwarven an'' otherwise?" Hamish asked. The mural engraving on the walls and on the floor clearly sung the story of a place called Urd Grun, but all around lay ancient skeletons and ruined structures that couldn''t rightly be called buildings by anyone with more than two licks of sense in them. "This place must be ancient an'' ah''ll bet ma left nut naeone''s been ''ere in millennia... This is older generational construction, all ah this." "Nae one wants yer left nut, Hamish. Bet some''in'' else," one of his companions joked. "Wheesht, would yas?" the leader snapped. "We''re nae alone..." A mere moment later, the sounds of hundreds of collective screeches blasted their eardrums. Panic overtook everyone''s expression. "Balor Demon Bats! Fookin'' run!" the leader yelled at the top of his lungs. If they stayed here for even a second too long, then they''d all be guaranteed death. He was an A-ranker and everyone else on his crew was a B-ranker with only a handful being C-rankers. His team was not weak by any stretch of the imagination but they were specialised in mining, not extermination. Their stats and skills reflected that as well. A small horde of Balor Demon Bats would be manageable, sure, but a massive fuck-off swarm with hundreds of members? Not a chance in hell. The nasty beasts were each as strong as your average B-ranker if not a bit stupid. Their sound magic along with the diseases they spread on contact made them very troublesome to deal with, even for the most skilled of warriors. Only a master mage specialised in wide-spread destruction would have nothing to fear from them. "B-Behind us too!" a dwarf shouted in despair. A horde of humanoid stone figures known as Milor had somehow snuck up on them and sealed off their escape route. The bats were one thing, but Milor as well made the leader feel like the Stone was demanding he and his men return to her side immediately. The leader bit his lip enough to draw blood. "Fine! If we die ''ere, we die as prood children ah the Stone! Fight an'' didnae gae them an easy death, lads!" "Ahhhhh! Ah''ll nae go doon easy!" "May the Stone take me in death as it gave me in life!" "Ah''m gaein'' naewhere until ah''ve kill''d at least 20 ah ye cunts!" Battle cries filled the long-abandoned urd like a cacophony of berserk rage. The final thing that was said before the smell of blood and viscera filled the urd was, "Hamish! Use yer skill! Ye ken the one! Get the fook ootta ''ere an'' warn the krieg!" Hamish nodded gravely upon hearing his bosses words. It pained him, but he knew what must be done. He held back his tears as he muttered, "One With The Stone." Like a miracle had just been enacted, he disappeared, having been swallowed whole by the road beneath his feet. An hour later, all that was left of the famed mining company was fleshless bodies surrounded by just as many if not more Balor Demon Bat and Milor corpses. B2: Chapter 25: Felixs Regrets and Honour Duel Felix Morstone frowned in his office after having just seen Lone Immortus off. He was, quite honestly, getting rather tired of these morning meetings that to him, were entirely pointless. ''Yet again, nothing of substance...'' He reached into one of his desk''s many drawers and pulled out a bronze flask. Uncorking it and letting the fiery content within flow down his throat, he heaved a sigh. "Why does the council think it tae be so wise tae waste ma time with ''at deluded fox?" he grumbled under his breath in his natural accent. It had been weeks since Lone Immortus''s first visit and not a drop of progress had been made into discovering why people and buildings in the krieg were going missing only to come back... hollower. He was half-convinced one of his rivals on the council was putting him up to this to waste his time and make a fool of him. That suspicion only lasted until the grand council involved itself into Krieg Moor''s matters, ordering him personally to note down everything the Golden Foxkin reported and relay it to them. "Golden Foxkin... Golden Foxkin..." Felix chuckled as he felt his head getting lighter along with his mood. "A powerful and rare race... Is ''at why they think ''e ''as anything ah worth in ''at empty ''ead ah ''is? Maybe they want tae entertain the bastard an'' learn the secrets ah ''is people? Scheming cunts, every one of ''um." He scoffed and chugged some more of his personal brew. "Load ah horse piss. Boy''s crazier than Ol'' Grumshoe." Grumshoe was a local dwarven mage. A rare breed, dwarves who practised the arcane arts. Suffice to say, Grumshoe was not the stablest of people and was often used as a deterrent to younger dwarves who had an interest in magic. Felix leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He almost fell asleep before catching himself. ''No matter what way nor ''ow ah''m takin'' ah fall, arenae ah?'' Not a moment later the door to his office cracked open and a grey-bearded old dwarf gave him a funny look. "Stress drinkin'' again, Morstone? Fookin'' ''ell, lad. Get yerself ah wife. Even an ''usband would dae if it stops this pish." "E-Elder Ambergreen... Can ah help ye somehow?" Felix asked in a bit of a panic. Of all the people to see him like this, the leading figure of all of Krieg Moor''s council just had to be the one. This was dreadful for two reasons; one, it meant Elder Ambergreen saw this side of him... again, and two, the elder of Krieg Moor''s council wouldn''t be seeing him for a petty reason. That didn''t bode very well. With an exhale of disappointed air, Elder Ambergreen invoked a skill, "Detoxification." A wave of utility magic and mana flowed from the elder''s extended palm straight into Felix''s body, cleansing him from top-to-bottom. While specific magics and specialised mages were looked down upon by the dwarven people in general, there were exceptions. Utility magic being one, advanced steamforging being another. "''At''s a wee bit bett''r," the old man said as he stroked his beard and nodded. "The company ah miner''s who took on the quest ya posted, they''re back." "The Black Iron Company ''ave returned?" Felix asked with some joy in his tone. "Ah, also, thank ye fae the, uh, ''elp, Elder Ambergreen." The Black Iron Company were a very famous group of dwarven adventurers born and raised in Krieg Moor itself, making them a bit of a home icon. Their tales were legends here and their strength was a goal for all young dwarves. In only a short 154-years, they''d become one of the few thousands of groups on the entire continent out of millions to become gold-ranked in The Adventurer''s Guild - a feat worthy of endless praise. If they had returned, that meant only one thing; success. Felix had been promised personally by Ewan McStuderson himself. As the company''s leader, founder, and strongest A-ranker, Ewan''s word was golden and never once had he lied. At least, that was the myth. It was one of the largest reasons why the group was so respected. Everyone aimed to be like Ewan or wanted to join the company out of respect for him. Elder Ambergreen wore a tired look. "The company''s back but... only one member." Felix''s face completely fell. "Why? What happened?!" "Calm down, lad. What''s done is done. ye gettin'' riled up''ll ''elp naeone. The boy''s name is Hamish. Ah ken, I''m, ye ken ''im. ''E''s refusin'' tae explain why ''e''s alone, demandin'' tae talk only tea ye. Says ''e ''as ah request," the elder answered. "Can ah leave it in yer ''ands, lad?" Felix nodded seriously. "Of course. Ah- the council will get to the bottom of this, ah swear on the Stone." Elder Ambergreen smiled. "Good lad." He turned to leave before stopping, seeming to remember something. "Ah catch ya poundin'' the hooch again outside oh ah pub, lad, an'' ah''ll pound yer feckin'' heed again yer desk. Ah''m ah clear?" "Clear as the Stone, S-Sir," Felix stuttered. "Good," Elder Ambergreen grunted before leaving.
"Hamish, ah take it? Ye look like ye''ve been tae ''ell an'' back," Felix said as he welcomed the renowned B-ranker into his office. Hamish was covered in grime and small bits of stone. He smelled like sin itself and the look in his eyes gave Felix a bit of a chill. While intimidated, he was also deeply in awe of one of his idols being in his presence. The young dwarven adventurer didn''t respond as he remained standing despite the gestures from Felix to take a seat. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Um... Ye mentioned tae ma superior that ye ''ave ah request, aye?" Felix asked with a warm smile, trying to defuse whatever tension there was in the air. At that, Hamish finally seemed to notice Felix past burning holes into his eyes. "The person who got ye''s tae post the request. The foxkin. Tell me ''is name an'' where tae find ''im." Felix''s smile cracked. "''Is name is public information, so o'' course. It''s Lone Immortus. Ah cannae tell ye where ''e is though, nae where ''e lives either. That''s private an'' it would be ah crime fae me tae divulge such ah thing. Ye ken this. Please dinnae put me in an awkward position." Hamish creased his brow in anger. He approached Felix''s desk and very slowly placed a palm atop it. The stone of the piece of furniture cracked beneath his open hand. "Tell. Me. Where. ''At. Fookin''. Fox. Is. Now!" Felix felt his entire skeleton rattle, so fierce was the intent pushed behind each word and that shout at the end of Hamish''s sentence. "W-Why are y-ye doing this? Was the qu-quest nae successful? Did ye nae find the u-urd? The request stated ye an'' The Black Iron Company would be c-compensated if it turn''d oot tae be ah fool''s errand," Felix explained with ragged breath as sweat dripped down his entire body. He''d never been so afraid for his well-being in his entire life. He honestly didn''t even believe the words he had spoken. There was no way it was a fool''s errand. If it was a resounding success and Urd Grun had been safely located and secured, he wouldn''t be talking to Hamish right now. The Black Iron Company would be celebrating and he''d have just gotten a simple report from the guild. If there was nothing to be found, Ewan McStuderson wouldn''t have come back to the krieg for another month or two. Only then would he have come demanding more information or for it to be clear if Lone Immortus had bamboozled them all. Felix knew damn well what it meant for him to be talking to Hamish right now, he just refused to accept it. At least, he did so until Hamish made it painfully clear to him what had happened in no uncertain terms. "Oh, it wasnae any fool''s errand, awright!" Hamish laughed mockingly. "Feckin'' place exists, aye. Right ol'' chipper urd anaw, ale an'' whores tae spread aplenty, eh? Folk in wee Urd Grun werenae expectin'' guests! Welcomed us wae open arms, ''ey did!" A serious aura of grief and rage overcame the adventurer. "A whole feckin'' gaggle of Balor Demon Bat hordes attacked us fae the front an'' we were ambushed by over 40 Milor fae the rear. Ah was the only survivor, ordered tae run like a feckin'' rat by Ewan. Ah''ll have ma justice, one way or anoother." Felix couldn''t breathe. he felt like a claw was clutching at his neck, draining the very life out of him. He was certain he was a sturdy man with unshakable morals but... he broke. "The... Rusty Sprocket on-" "Ah ken the place," Hamish interrupted before dispelling the massive cloud of negative emotions that was pouring out of his B-ranked aura. He then suddenly vanished after muttering a skill''s name Felix didn''t catch. Collapsing into his chair, the councilman held his head in his palms. He had no words to say to justify his actions, even if only to himself. The only thing he had right now was tears to shed for a multitude of reasons.
''He''s getting sicker and sicker every day,'' Lone thought as he walked down the streets of the krieg. His thoughts lingered on his teacher and mentor, Steamforger Wilbur. The man''s health had become so bad that he''d been forced to send Lone home early today since he almost collapsed mid-demonstration of his personal steamforging technique. What bothered Lone the most was that Wilbur seemed perfectly content with dying. He knew that was natural. Fear of death was most typical in the youthful. Older people were usually wise enough to know that when it was time, it was time. The old dwarf had seen a millennium come and go and he was wiser than anyone Lone had ever met before. Hell, he''d been dying for decades, still, it put a great burden on Lone''s heart since he respected the man so much so that he wanted to help in some way, despite knowing such intentions were unwelcome. Lone shook his head as he pushed open the door to the Rusty Sprocket, having just arrived back at the inn. Since Lone couldn''t spend the afternoon learning more steamforging as planned, he intended to retire to his and Soph''s room to add an entry to his diary and then rest a bit before going to the guild. His plan was to get in some swordspear practice once there and maybe take a simple errand quest to fill up his day. Sadly, the second he stepped through the door, those plans seemed to vanish as a voice entered his ears. "There ye ''re. ''Ard tae miss ye wae all those tails, eh?" The voice wasn''t friendly, and powerful energy radiated off its owner, flooding the inn''s lobby, immediately threatened to suffocate Lone. A man strolled up to the foxkin with a powerful aura on full-blast. "Ye ''ave ah lot tae pay fae, Fox." The dwarf cracked his neck and approached Lone before suddenly smashing his fist into Lone''s kneecap, pulverising it and forcing him to the ground. Lone winced in pain and shock, though mostly just shock due to his monstrous Physical Pain Resistance. ''Who the fuck is this and why the fuck is he attacking me?'' He was seriously considering killing the man outright with Mental Destruction but Lone felt context was sorely needed. The last thing he wanted to do was murder a powerful man when, from his understanding, none of this should be happening. ''I need more info,'' Lone thought as he struggled through the man''s overwhelming aura to grasp his profusely bleeding leg. ''I''ve never wronged this man before. I''ve never even seen him before. Clearly, there''s been a misunderstanding of some sort, but of wh-'' Lone''s frantic thoughts were cut short by a powerful punch to the side of his head, knocking him out cold.
Lone was surprised to have not woken up in Urd Grun for once. Instead, he seemed to be in a training arena of the local guildhall. His skull felt bruised, unsurprisingly enough and his vision was a little hazy but he''d been in this training area often enough to instantly recognise it. Glancing around, Lone saw plenty of dwarves and adventurers looking at him with disdain and ill-intent. They surrounded him and his attacker in a large circle. His attacker''s expression was filled with rage and resentment as he spoke, "Finally awake, ah see. Ah officially challenge ye tae ah duel tae the death, foxkin Lone Immortus. On the ''onour o'' ma company, ah''ll nae rest ''til ah see the life leave yer body. Yer lies ''ave claim''d enuff victims." Lone was beyond confused at this point. "Lies? Duel to the death? What the fuck is going on?" "Babble all ya wan''. Get up. Ah''ll nae kill ah defenceless man, scum as ''e may be," Hamish spat out viciously. At this point, Lone''s leg had been completely healed but his mind was still in a state of complete disarray. He had no idea why this dwarf was doing what he was doing, but he wouldn''t just take it lying down. "You won''t fight a defenceless man? Is that so? You''re still being a shameless bastard for two reasons. One, not telling me why you hate me as if I fucked your wife and two, I''m a D-ranker. I may as well be a baby since you''re a B-ranker or above given the fact you can squash me with your aura alone," Lone fired back as he got on his feet and glared at the man easily two feet shorter than himself. Lone had experienced many auras before back in Milindo and there was no way in hell this guy was a C-ranker. His aura oozed confidence and raw power. It was nothing like the pathetic wisps of energy Daisuke had used against him, that was for sure. The dwarf''s body rumbled. "Ye dinnae ken, dae ya?! Need me tae spell it oot fae ye?! Ye''r lies tae the council got all ah ma friends... ma family killed by monsters! Ah''ll nae rest until they''ve ''ad their vengeance!" Realisation immediately swept over Lone. "... Urd Grun..." "Noo ya ken? Draw yer weapon, Fox! It''ll be the last chance ye ''ave tae defend yerself. ''Onour demands ah give ye the chance, but ah''ll break the codes if ye''r ah coward on top o'' ah deceivin'' murderer!" Hamish yelled. B2: Chapter 26: Head Slam and Multiple Applications
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
''Even with a 15% reduction in the force of his aura, it''s still a struggle to stand without my legs threatening to buckle beneath me,'' Lone thought bitterly. "Is this how dwarves do things?" he asked with accusation and scorn in his tone as he fought against the aura''s effects on him. "You ignore reason, respect, and intelligence, in favour of attacking whoever you assume has even a mote of culpability for what has happened to you?" Lone spat on the floor of the guild''s training area. "I don''t know what went down in Urd Grun exactly but I can guess it wasn''t anything great. And you, in all of your great wisdom, have judged me to be responsible without asking any questions, without speaking to me, without even giving me a chance. You don''t only shame all dwarves, you shame all species capable of more than just grunting and fuckin''." A handful of people in the crowd were affected by Lone''s harsh words. Their expressions of hate and anger morphed into ones of shame and realisation.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Lone hadn''t fully spoken his mind yet though so he didn''t stop to admire his skill''s level-up. "You come to the inn I and the people I care for call home, you assault me, kidnap me, then force me to fight you despite being two whole ranks higher than me. And not only that! You even put the weight of your aura down on my shoulders. I don''t know what kind of pushovers you''re used to bullying, you fuckin'' cunt, and I don''t care what reasons you have for doing this but I will not let you walk all over me like some sort of doormat!" A hint of something... humane flashed across Hamish''s face. he withdrew his aura and nodded. "Ye speak some truth, Fox. Ah willnae kill ya. Despite it all, ye''ve backbone. Regardless, the duel will ''appen. Attack me afore ah attack ye."
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
''Hah! This bastard was going to kill me?'' Lone''s opinion of him fell even more. ''I''m glad I don''t have his impressive talent for impeccable first impressions.'' Of course, the last thing Lone really wanted to do was fight a presumed B-ranker, especially when outright killing him with Mental Destruction would be equivalent to suicide. If not mortally, then socially for sure. However... some excitement was building in the foxkin''s chest. ''I''ve never fought a B-ranker before... C-rankers were very difficult to handle but I''m a higher rank now than I was then and I have the stats from killing the king of Milindo... If I''m going to get beaten, not only will I steal your skills but I also won''t be the only one needing a stretcher when we''re done, asshole!'' Lone lowered his stance and withdrew his swordspear from his Dimensional Storage, while, of course, making it look he''d taken it out of an adventurer''s pouch. He carefully examined the unmoving dwarf and asked, "Not gonna draw your weapon?" In fact, Lone didn''t even see a weapon on the man, not at his hip nor on his back. Hamish scowled. "Ah''ve dishonoured ma people enuff. Fist''ll dae fae ah D-rank''r." Upon having said that, a trail of dirt was kicked up behind the short and stocky man as he lunged forward with a kind of speed Lone had never seen before. Lone knew he had stats far exceeding his rank thanks to his unique skill, Growth Accelerator, however, even he wasn''t confident if he had the needed Agility to dodge this incoming blow or not. That was also considering the fact he had Evasion Mastery to help him. Still, he gave it a go. He tilted his body to the side and spun his feet on their heels. with less than an inch of width between his stomach and the incoming punch, Lone had successfully avoided the attack. Hamish''s eyes narrowed slightly and, unbelievably, he stopped all of his tremendous momentum with apparent ease then used his free hand to quickly whip Lone in the gut with it. Lone''s eyes snapped wide open and he felt a nauseous sensation rising from within him. Just as the force of the blow was spreading through his body, the laws of gravity got to work flinging Lone across the training area. Luckily for the punters onlooking, they''d already moved away the moment Lone withdrew his weapon. Speaking of his swordspear, it flew out of Lone''s hand when his back impacted against a stone pillar, leaving cracks in the muraled object.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Thankfully, Lone''s almost 6,000 Vitality made the punch do minimal damage, though that was likely in part due to Hamish holding back, Lone suspected. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Just as he was getting to his feet, a spinning kick entered the corner of his eyes aimed for his head. Lone managed to raise his arms to block the attack and was sent sliding across the dirt like a truck which had just slammed down its handbrake. The strike left his arms numb and in a sizable amount of pain but at least he was still standing this time. "That''s a high level of Unarmed Combat Mastery," he noted as spat out a small mouthful of blood, presumable from the earlier punch. ''I doubt he''ll just let me go and pick up my weapon... Does this need to be a fistfight?'' Hamish lowered his still raised leg as he retorted, "An'' ye''r nae ordinary D-rank''r. There should be an ''ole in yer belly an'' those arms should be as floppy as ah fish ootta wat''r on account ah breakin'', Fox." "My Name''s Lone, not ''Fox'', just as your name likely isn''t ''harmless animal related to dwarves in some way.'' A gnome, perhaps?" Lone replied as he took up a martial arts stance - one Sophie often practised related to her Wing Chun Mastery skill. Lone didn''t have the skill himself since he didn''t want to steal Sophie''s well-earned pride, but it wasn''t beneath him to take parts of it to help him in facing a far stronger opponent. He''d watched her practice the art for hundreds of hours. It''d be weirder if he didn''t know at least the basics by now, at least mentally. "Ah couldnae care less what ye''r call''d or what ya call me," Hamish answered before launching towards Lone once more. "As if I''ll let you hit me again!" Lone snarled before jumping up into the air. Not a single person spectating could make any sense of Lone''s actions, least of all Hamish. Lone watched as power welled up in the dwarf''s shins before he sent himself into the air and stopped just a little bit above him. ''He can apply his Strength like Grimsley? And that level of control is incredible!'' An unjust fight or not, Lone could only admire Hamish''s skill. However, a single thing was on his mind when Hamish moved to dropkick his left shoulder, ''You''re not the only one with tricks up his sleeve!'' "Momentum Shift!" As if strings were attached to his back and a heavenly puppeteer was guiding him, Lone stopped ascending straight into Hamish''s leg and instead moved sideways. "Ungrounded!" Lone evoked, using his Primal skill granted by Sky for the first time. An utterly shocked Hamish watched as Lone sprang up from the air as if it were solid ground to above him. Lone then viciously brought his hands together and slammed them down onto the dwarf''s head like a judge''s gavel. Lone had put every ounce of his Strength into that attack. He may not be able to apply any stats yet as Grimsley or this dwarven man could, but he was certainly able to control what the stat itself afforded him naturally. If he couldn''t, he''d be ripping off door handles and cracking roads as he walked with his almost 3,000 Strength. Maybe if he could apply that stat he''d be capable of lifting carriages and blowing holes into solid concrete, but for now, he was content. After all, he''d heard a pretty loud cracking coming from his opponent''s skull after his downwards strike just then. Lone quickly walked back down to the training ground from the air. Every second spent off the floor was another 1,000 SP consumed by the ridiculously expensive skill. It had only been four seconds since he had jumped up into the air but he''d already used up 4,000 of his 59,100 SP. 1,000 on Momentum Shift and the other three on Ungrounded. Hamish didn''t crash into the ground but instead landed rather steadily after a wobbly backflip. He was holding a now bleeding and slightly dented head in one hand. "''Ow in the Stone''s ''oly feckin'' name are ye ah D-rank''r?! Ye''r as fast as ah new B-rank''r an'' ''it as ''ard as an old C-rank''r! Needless tae mention ye''ve got Evasion Mastery tae advanced-rank!" It was only par for the course that an adventurer from a group as accomplished as the Black Iron Company was aware of the talent Evasion Mastery offered people in its third rank - Momentum Shift. Hamish didn''t ask any questions about the walking on air since he was sharp enough to quickly see the link between it and the sky-blue peeking out from under his black-tipped tails, hair and irises. Awakened beastkin were always tricky to deal with, regardless of rank. It was an unexpected trick but an exposed one now if there were a silver lining to be seen from that exchange. Lone grinned. "You can fuck right off if you think I''ll tell you anything. I hope I rattled your brain around a bit though, it could certainly use the stimulation since you''re as dense as the Stone you worship." "Fine," Hamish growled as he lowered his stance. "Ah only really wanna ken why ya led ma fam''ly tae their deaths when ye''r clearly pretty strong yerself... Nae mere ''oldin'' back on accoont ah ya bein'' ah weaklin''." The next thing Lone saw was the ceiling as he felt his feet being ripped out from underneath him. A massive impact then assaulted his abdomen. Someway, somehow, Hamish had moved so fast that he''d been able to hit Lone with enough force the knock him clean off his feet. Lone rocketed through the air and smashed heavily into the walls, blood poured out of his mouth as he coughed up a storm and his insides were slowly becoming his outside. This time, Hamish had, true to his word, created a hole in Lone''s gut. The dwarf stood over him confidently as he said, "Strength''s nae the only stat ah can apply, ya cunt. Ah said ah wouldnae kill ya, aye, but ''at depends on ''ow ''ardy ya are. Ah''m far fae satisfied."
"I swear, Wilbur, the next time I meet you, you will be a cold hunk of rotting flesh. These house calls need to stop since you''re, like I said the last time and the time before that and even when you brought that good-looking foxkin to me, a lost cause," Rella admonished as her small and round rabbit ears twitched. The old dwarf smiled faintly. "Ah was hoping ye''d find a way to stave the Stone away. Ah don''t really want to be reclaimed just yet." "And here I was thinking you were ready years ago," Rella remarked as she removed her hand from his head, having completed her use of her world skill, Full Body Diagnostics. "It''s that kid, isn''t it?" Wilbur nodded. "He''s like no one ah''ve ever met before... Ah see a lot of myself in him. He''s ma apprentice too and as the sayin'' goes, ''a teacher''s work is never done''." "Sentimental old sop," Rella said as she sat down next to the man and stared at his wife''s statue of a corpse. "Still got that cogogramme prototype?" "Aye. It''s almost done to," Wilbur answered with pride in his tone. "The council breathing down ma neck for it doesn''t help, but it''ll be done before ah keel over, ah reckon." "You and your crazy ideas... If you weren''t suffering from such bad Hemoptysis, you''d easily live another century or two. Only an idiot like you would catch an incurable disease that hasn''t even been officially discovered yet. If that fox knew Hemoptysis wasn''t even your more serious of symptoms, I bet he''d cry. He seemed the sort," Rella said as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. She added, "I do wonder though what kind of other things you''d be able to add to your epitome legacy had you not been born with minus Luck?" "Oi, don''t make fun of my Luck. It isn''t minus, you cheeky cow. You''re right though... the only saving grace is that it''s incredibly hard to spread what ah''ve got... Also, my legacy lives on through ma apprentice, does it not?" the old man laughed. "He''s got a brilliant mind." "More so than yours?" the Pygmy Rabbitkin questioned. "Easily. The speed at which he learns... It''s unheard of. What ah''ve done in ma millennia on Altros? He could do in a few years if he put his mind to it," Steamforger Wilbur answered with a shocking amount of conviction and pride considering he''d only met Lone a couple of months ago. Rella considered his words for a moment and was about to reply before she frowned as a sliver of magic entered her mind from a faraway and automated source. "I wouldn''t be so sure," she said with a heavy sigh. "Can''t do much if he''s a puddle of blood, now can he?" Wilbur raised a curious eyebrow. "A healer summons? To ye? Why in the name of the Stone, the Primals, and all other things holy, would the council request yer help?" Rella got up and rolled her shoulder in disappointment. "Seems your ''brilliant'' apprentice is getting the life beaten out of him as we speak by Hamish Understone of the Black Iron Company. Damn-near every healer in the city has been called on-site." "What? Why?" Too many questions flooded the dwarf''s mind. "He''s only a D-ranker! Why would a B-ranked adventurer do something like that to the boy?!" "Wanna come with me and find out?" Rella asked as he pushed up her glasses inquisitively. The dying man practically jumped off of the sofa and shouted, "Ye fookin'' bet ah do! Ah''ve got some words for that Hamish lad! The boy too!" B2: Chapter 27: Mutual Injuries and Brains Besting Brawns "''Ow can ye still stand?! Tell me!" Hamish demanded. In front of him, Lone was wobbling to his feet despite being covered in blood, holes and bruises. Bones poked out of his skin and a lot of his body was twisted in strange directions. Half of his tails had been ripped clean off and he was missing his left hand - his wrist having been punched so hard the limb just separated itself from the rest of his arm. Lone could only open one eye and he was barely able to see anything at all with it but he still forced a grin to spread across his blood-smeared lips while he studied what little of Hamish his limited vision allowed him to. Hamish was in impeccable condition when stacked up against Lone. Hell, even a corpse would look healthy when compared to him so that wasn''t a fair comparison. The dwarf was panting in exhaustion and while his body seemed mostly fine, upon closer inspection it wasn''t hard to see the swelling of his skin over his left femur, and his right arm was hanging lifelessly from the shoulder. Ever since the dwarf had started applying both his Strength and his Agility, Lone had only managed to hit him twice. The first time was a surprise roundhouse kick to an incoming fist that landed square on Hamish''s wrist, almost breaking it in two. Not really worth the payback his own wrist received, but it still put a smile on Lone''s face. The second successful counterattack came when he was able to toss some dirt into Hamish''s eyes. He''d then low-sweep-kicked him off his legs and successfully performed a multi-hit combo aimed at his neck intent on paralysing the man. Sadly, Hamish had dodged midair, resulting in the heavy blows impacting against his shoulder instead. As a result, his right arm became useless. Lone spat out a massive amount of blood before replying, "I wonder why? Maybe I''m immortal? Why do you care anyway? What happened to promising not to kill me? Forgive me if I''m just ignorant, but were literally any other D-ranker in the world here in my place, they''d have died hundreds of times over." Hamish''s face scrunched up when a sound that was now common assailed his ears. It was grotesque and grating and it was coming from Lone''s body. Basic Regeneration was busy doing its job. "Immortal? Hah! More like ah sentient zombie," Hamish responded, pointedly ignoring Lone''s accusation of dishonour. He watched in disgust as the foxkin casually lifted his broken right hand to grab his left humerus bone that was keeping that arm inert. He didn''t even flinch as he pushed the thing back into his body without a care in the world. He could now freely move his left arm again though he held off on letting Basic Regeneration regrow the hand that was no longer attached to his body. "''An why in the name ah the Stone are yer bones black an'' blue? They should be white, ya freak ah nature!" the dwarf added. "You''re getting tired, Dwarf," Lone remarked as even more unbearable noises came out from his now-healing arm. ''I''d have died dozens of times over by now if not for Basic Regeneration. I wonder if it''s levelled up from this one-sided fight?'' He''d been ignoring his notifications since they only got in his way mid-combat. Still, beat up and close to death''s door as he was, he''d received a lot of skill level-ups thus far from his counting. Hamish cracked his neck and then disappeared. Lone still wasn''t used to the man''s absurd speed so he just lashed out in all directions as best as he could with his fist. It was all he was capable of doing at this point to injure the dwarf while he awaited his own next Injury. His broken body didn''t allow nimble and dextrous movements anymore. He was almost out of SP, so he couldn''t use any of his skills either like Ungrounded. Lone, expectedly, didn''t land a hit and was sent flying into a pile of rubble. The training area had long been vacated by most spectators and had instead turned into barely anything more than a set of ruins. Lone coughed violently upon impact. He felt something in his spine cracking but he didn''t care. It would fix itself given a dozen seconds to half a minute, he figured. "Ah''m tired?! Ah said it once an'' ah''ll say it twice! Ye''r ah walkin'' zombie, ya freaky cunt!" Hamish yelled in anger. He didn''t give Lone a chance to recover this time. He truly was running out of steam. If beating Lone within an inch of his life wasn''t working, well, he''d just go back on his word and snuff out what little life the foxkin kept clinging onto. In his mind, he''d not only already dishonoured his people by starting this fight in the first place, but now he''d suffered such humiliation as to actually almost collapse from a lowly D-ranker. He didn''t even want to put his injuries in his mind. They might heal but the mental scars never would. A non-dwarf two ranks lower than himself had injured him, and pretty severely at that. What honour did he still have left to lose? A person suddenly appeared in his path though as he was just about to rip Lone''s head clean from its shoulders and stared at him with an unbelievable level of disappointment and shame, forcing him to stop in his tracks. This person was an old and very muscled female Stone Dwarf with a long set of braided hair that reached down to her ankles. She stared at Hamish for a few more seconds before she turned to Lone. "Deactivate that skill right now." Lone''s anger tried to get the better of him and retort. He''d just started using his Tail Spear racial skill on his few remaining tails since he felt a subtle change in the air. As if he had an unnatural sense for danger, he truly felt his life was being threatened so he''d activated his only weapon capable of dealing with B-rankers that wouldn''t outright murder them like Mental Destruction would. However, any words he tried to say got stuck in his throat upon meeting the gaze of the aged woman. He felt compelled to do as she had ordered, but he couldn''t. That wasn''t how the skill worked. "It remains active for five minutes after starting it. I can''t ''deactivate'' it." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The women looking into his eyes deeply as if searching for something before nodding lightly. "I trust this will suffice?" she asked while shifting her gaze away from both Lone and Hamish. A furious dwarf whose own age made the woman look young entered the unrecognisable training area of the guild with a rabbitkin and over a dozen healers by his side. He stormed up to Hamish and punched him right in the jaw. It didn''t seem to do any real damage but the look on Hamish''s face was one of absolute despair. "The only thing ye inherited from that father of yers was his overwhelmin''ly endless supply of foolishness! How many times have ah repaired yer weapons an'' armour?! How many times have ah treated ye an'' the other boys from the Black Iron Company as family?! How many times have ah bent my back backwards helping ye kids out when ah returned to the krieg?!" He punched the silent dwarf in the face yet again. "And this is how ye repay me?! One mission goes wrong so ye try to kill my most precious an'' final apprentice?! Ye bring shame to yer family! Ye bring shame to yer fallen brothers! Ye bring shame to all dwarves! Above all else, son, ye bring shame to the very Stone itself!" Hamish hung his head low. He had no words. Who was he to backtalk a future epitome? The very pinnacle of dwarven culture stood before him in the flesh berating him and all he could do was wait in silence and suppress his feelings. Wilbur gave him one final punch before sighing. "Ye''ve royally pissed me off. Ah understand yer pain, son, ah do. We''ve all lost loved ones. This," he said, gestured to the badly beaten Lone, "however, is not the way we do things! If it were up to me, Ah''d strip ye of all yer rights as a dwarf, cut ye off from the Stone an'' then exile ye topside for good measure! Be thankful that isn''t up to me." Hamish wanted to speak out and cry of the injustice done to him. He wanted to denounce everything Wilbur was saying but he couldn''t. What good would it do? He was full of hatred and anger but his mind wasn''t poisoned by stupidity. More than the future epitome before him though, the woman standing over Lone scared him witless, and for good reason. Wilbur left Hamish alone and approached Lone. He stared straight into his eyes. Their heads were almost level despite him being standing and his apprentice being seated squarely on his ass. "Ye''r a lanky bastard, boy." Lone didn''t seem overly amused. "You''re just short, Gramps." The dwarven woman raised an eyebrow upon hearing Lone so casually call someone with so much prestige ''Gramps''. Even more startling to her though was that he didn''t seem to mind. "Will ye live?" Wilbur asked as he eyed Lone''s incredibly damaged body. It was hard to see the full extent of his injuries thanks to all of the blood and viscera covering him from head to toe. "He really did a number on you..." "A few numbers, really," Lone said as he cracked his neck and glared at Hamish. "I''ll be just peachy after a few weeks of rest though." He felt compelled to lie. After all, would anyone here even really believe him if he said that a quarter of all of his injuries had already completely healed and all of his more serious wounds were decisively less serious now than they were mere moments ago? Probably not. At a conservative estimate, he''d need maybe two days for Basic Regeneration to heal him entirely. If he still had access to his MP, he reckoned he could be in tip-top shape in four or five hours. "Need any professional healing? It''ll cost you," Rella the Pygmy Rabbitkin asked. "They say the patient knows their body best, ''specially when they''re above I-rank. That being said, I could count the number of times I''ve seen anyone even close to as injured as you are on one hand. I''m an old rabbit so that says a lot." Quite a few of the healers with her were non-dwarves and they seemed eager to ensure Lone didn''t lose his life as well. How often did one meet a nine-traited beastkin? Never. That''s how often. It was unheard of. A thing of pure legend. Getting in the good graces of such a person could only serve them well. Especially given that he''d managed to fight a B-ranker without dying for close to an hour. He''d even injured his opponent. The dwarven healers, on the other hand, seemed less interested in Lone and more concerned for Hamish. The only thing stopping them from immediately treating such a city-wide hero was the subtle pressure they felt from the old dwarven woman in the centre of the room. ''I wonder if healing-oriented magic is rarer to find in dwarves than other species?'' Lone thought as he shook his head. "I''ll be fine. That shameless cunt might have not held back with his application of stats, but he didn''t use any skills on me nor any weapons. I can heal this myself, and, like I said, I just need a bit of R&R really." Rella squinted sceptically. "If you say so. It''s not our place to force our craft on you. Now, you... You''ll be fine if you let your natural Vitality do the work for you. A month or two and you''ll be right as rain. Want us to heal you anyway? That arm looks a bit nasty." "No," Hamish answered simply, keeping his reasoning for denying to himself. Wilbur ignored his young kinsman and the healers entirely. He offered Lone a hand and the foxkin took it. Looking at the old dwarven woman, Wilbur said, "Ye asked if this will suffice? No, it fuckin'' won''t. Some guildmaster ye are to let an adventurer get damn near beat to death by another one. Ah am fuckin'' furious. A brawl between upset kids ah could have waved off with a few slaps on the wrist, but this? There will be consequences for this." The guildmaster frowned. "It''s not against the rules for a higher-ranked adventurer to challenge a lower-ranked one. Lone did not have to accept the duel. Also, no matter the damage done to his body, he continued to get up. I would have stepped in the moment he fainted or if he was truly going to suffer a killing blow. I was also willing to shoulder any and all healing fees if needed." She wouldn''t say so out loud, but she also allowed the fight to continue because she felt it was absolutely necessary to allow Hamish to vent a bit. She only had a basic understanding of the situation but she was intimately familiar with the Black Iron Company. Every member was headstrong and quick to upset if they felt the line in the sand known as ''justice'' had been crossed. Even their leader Ewan was no exception to this. All Wilbur was hearing, however, were excuses. "If he was a young dwarven lad, ah wonder if ye''d have allowed this to happen." He supported Lone and helped him hobble towards the exit of the training area, not waiting for a response from the guildmaster. Hamish''s fists were clenched so hard that his nails drew blood. ''''At''s it? This fox gets tae walk free just because ''e ''as ah connection wae ah future epitome? This is horseshite! ''E''s why everyone ah care fae is feckin'' deed!'' His anger got the better of him and he ended up speaking through gritted teeth. "Ah''ll get vengeance fae ''em. Ah swear it on the Stone. Be thankful ah held back, Fox. Ah dinnae believe fae ah moment ''at ye arnae at least partially responsible." Wilbur just about dropped Lone to give Hamish yet another left hook but he was stopped by his apprentice who was shaking his head. "You weren''t the only one who held back, Dwarf." Lone controlled his remaining tails to slam into the ground and the nearby pillars, instantly shredding them to dust. They could rip a Rare item to ribbons and easily injure a B-ranker so this much was nothing. "If I wanted you dead, we wouldn''t be talking right now." Lone slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder and he locked eyes with Hamish. "I believe in second chances. I forgive you for today. If anything, I should thank you. Every time I lose, I only grow stronger for it. If you come back for me intent on killing me, don''t hold it against me for wiping out what remains of the Black Iron Company." The healers, Rella, the guildmaster and Hamish all watched in silence as Lone straightened his legs and walked out of the training area with Wilbur by his side. The guildmaster put a palm to her head and then glared at Hamish. "Why the fuck did you go and say that, eh? He''s even more in the right now." The B-ranker shrunk back a bit. "Sorry, Guildmaster Hilda." "Whatever plans you have in that skull of yours, shelf them for the foreseeable future," the guildmaster ordered. Hamish looked confused. "Guildmaster Hilda?" "Why are you so stupid?" She pointed all around here at the devastating damage in the training area. "Someone has to pay to fix all of this. It won''t be a fucking D-ranker who didn''t even start this mess. You''re gonna be in the Farwinds for quite some time making enough money to fund all of the repairs." Rella laughed out loud as she shook her head and made to leave. "Brains are always better than brawns." Her peers couldn''t help but agree with her, even the dwarven ones. B2: Chapter 28: Reflection and Genuine Hate Lone was no stranger to stares. He had been a pretty introverted person for a teacher back on Earth, of course, though that was mostly due to his abusive childhood and not as a result of his inherent personality. Granted, he was nothing like Soph who was socially awkward and Breena who was utterly inept at any and all interpersonal relations. However, during his time in Milindo - before he was imprisoned, he''d slowly grown accustomed to noticing people stealing glances at both his face and his tails. He couldn''t really blame them. He knew he was pretty handsome and even if he wasn''t a Golden Foxkin, nine racial traits for a beastkin was nigh-unheard of. That experience had helped shave off a few layers of his introverted shell. Now, though? Now he felt very uncomfortable walking through the streets of Krieg Moor with Steamforger Wilbur at his side. Every single person had their eyes glued to his bloodied and broken body. A range of horror, disgust, and contempt, covered their faces. The one range of emotions which Lone actually wanted to see in, however, was utterly absent. Not a single person was sparing him even a drop of compassion, worry or understanding. Well, none bar Steamforger Wilbur but he was also giving off a heavy ''disappointed parent'' vibe. All of this made Lone feel uncommonly high-strung. To get away from these newly mounting nerves, he pulled up his notification log and went into auto-pilot while walking with his blacksmithing and steamforging master.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''I should actively train this skill. I can barely use it now since I have a low amount of SP and it costs 1,000 per second, but at the higher ranks, I''m sure it can let me essentially fly for a negligible cost. It not needing to use magic is a huge win,'' Lone thought. From his research into the arcane arts, flying was something quite a few of the magical schools could allow. Namely, it was most common among lightning, air, and water mages, though almost every school of magic could fly one way or another. Also, in light of flight being such an easy feat to achieve for mages, many large settlements and cites had enchantments set up to make flying with magic impossible. Krieg Moor had such a series of enchantments in it. With Ungrounded though, such enchantments would be utterly useless if Lone wished to fly since they only stopped magically-fuelled methods of flight. He''d dismissed the skill for a while on account of lumping it in with the absurd skill Void had given him, Nothing Vortex. Now, however, after seeing this skill''s potential during his fight against a B-ranker, Lone felt he had to reevaluate the skill''s worth.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Lone nodded. He hadn''t successfully dodged all that many attacks, but the few that he did evade were strong enough to cripple him, even if only temporarily. He was glad to be rewarded for that effort with a rank up.
Passive Skill: Evasion Mastery
A skill that assists the host in their attempts to evade attacks. Improves the host''s subconscious instinct to evade dangerous situations by 60% [+30%]. Allows the host to use the talent [Momentum Shift] to completely change the trajectory of their moving body instantly.
Cost: 750 SP [-250 SP] to perform the talent [Momentum Shift]
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Lone was a little bit disappointed to have nothing new be added but he wasn''t ungrateful. As little as it had mattered when Hamish started applying his Agility, the skill was still an amazing one that had only been made even greater. ''At 60% of a boost to my natural dodging ability, I wonder if I now need to actively try to get hit in a fight if I want to, well, get hit? At least against relatively slower enemies, anyway. I should ask Sophie to spar with me to find out at some point after today,'' Lone thought.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Lone winced as a long string of notification for just this skill alone scrolled past his eyes. He shook his head a bit helplessly upon finally reaching the end.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ''From beginner-level-one all the way up to advanced-level-seven. 26 whole levels. That kind of growth reminds me of crude magic, haha,'' Lone laughed in his mind. ''It''s only a few levels short of being on par with Swordspear Mastery. Christ above, fighting beyond your league and actually landing hits works wonders for training, huh? I also think the seriousness of the fight added to the growth. I still haven''t confirmed that theory yet but it seems highly likely considering all of the evidence I have to support it.'' Despite his scholarly thoughts, his mind still dwelled on the fact he didn''t much have a choice when levelling this skill. He''d be lying if he said he wasn''t bitter over Hamish basically forcing him to fight without a weapon. If nothing else, it had made him more versatile he thought as he looked at the skill''s newly updated information.
Passive Skill: Unarmed Combat Mastery
The root skill of all hand-to-hand combat skills and skills related to passive yet damaging styles of fighting. When fighting without a weapon, the host''s control over their body is boosted by 30% [+25%]. [New!] The host''s natural ability to learn martial arts skills that don''t involve a weapon is boosted by 30%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 7
''What a slap in the face, that new effect,'' Lone remarked internally. ''With Growth Accelerator helping me, that boost is less than worthless. I was taught to never look a gift horse in the mouth but c''mon.'' Sophie also had this skill, Lone recalled. She could make use of that expert effect, certainly. It was a new skill of hers and it was only beginner-level-two. Again, if nothing else, he had a new tool at his disposal and perhaps he could help Sophie grow stronger with her Wing Chun Mastery using it.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''I got used to the feeling of being sent across a room at dozens of miles per hour, huh? I kind of expected this one to rank up too. Thinking on it though, I did stop feeling sick pretty quickly. I''m too adaptable,'' he complained with a smile. It was certainly a good problem to have.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
It was a pleasant surprise to see this level up. He would rather fight a near-fatal battle with a pissed-off dwarf than to be tortured for weeks just to see this skill gain a single improvement any day of the week.
Congratulations! the host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Lone sighed and chuckled faintly, eliciting a side glance from Steamforger Wilbur. ''It''s not even master-rank, it says it''s only ''basic'' and it takes dozens and dozens of fist-sized holes being punched into me just to level up once. Needless to point out each one of those holes should have killed me. If this is just basic, then what the fuck is actual Regeneration capable of and how hard is it to make that level up?'' "Something funny, boy?" his mentor asked him. Lone shook his head. "I wasn''t lying when I said to that bastard I grow stronger after every fight. I was just going over my gains and one of my skills tickled my funny bone. So yeah, I guess something is funny." "It''s good you''re in a chipper mood. Savour it. It won''t last once we get back to my shop," the old dwarf said in a less-than-pleased tone. Lone wore a wry expression but didn''t protest. He had no idea if the local guild''s guildmaster would have actually stepped in or not without Wilbur''s presence. Lone was seconds away from turning Hamish into a B-ranked kebab and then using his Bone Armour and Mental Destruction to carve his way out of the city if things grew out of control. He doubted it would have come to that, though. Lone was confident he could hold back from killing the man, even with his tails, but thinking of the worst-case scenario was never unwise in his opinion. Unconsciously, he licked his lips as a feral smile consumed his face. ''I wonder how much Bone Armour would have grown if I''d used it from the start of the ''duel''? How durable would my bones have become? He was snapping them and breaking them left and right, but only barely and that was my skeleton, not my armour...'' Suddenly, Lone''s ears rung as he heard a voice in his mind. ''Found you!'' a furiously worried Sophie yelled at him telepathically. "How, exactly, do I look, Gramps?" Lone asked, seemingly randomly. Wilbur eyed him strangely then said, "Like someone threw ah bucket or two of blood over yer head." "Haha, great. Would you believe me if I told you someone actually did that to me once?" Lone cracked his neck and braced himself. "Really? Ah''m surprised ye didn''t come down with ah disease or two if yer not tellin'' fibs. What kinda sick fuck does that to ah person?" Wilbur asked, stopping in his tracks since Lone had also ceased walking. "The kind that didn''t really have a say in the matter," Lone replied when something fast and armoured rushed into sight. Halting just shy of smashing right into Lone''s chest, Sophie''s heavy helmet creaked as she eyed him top-to-bottom. "Who did this to you?" Her voice was cold and harsh. Her question also came off as more of an order than as a request for knowledge. It was as if she would stop at nothing to learn who the culprit behind Lone''s condition was. ''It''s not just Sophie,'' Lone noticed. It was hard to see her eyes through the slits in her helmet''s visor but see them he could. It was clear to him that Soph was close to wrestling control of their body away from her more rational self. It was also obvious why. ''And here I thought holding back Basic Regen from fixing my ripped off tails was wise... Haha... I can be a real idiot at times...'' Lone slowly shook his head. "Whatever you''re thinking of doing Sophie, now isn''t the time. It was a B-ranker, by the way. It also wasn''t entirely one-sided. I fucked up one of his arms and gave his empty skull a good ol'' smack." Sophie lifted her visor to show her beautiful yet absolutely infuriated face. "No! B-ranker or a fucking god, we do not care! This happens far too often to you and we have had enough! Do you think we enjoy seeing you like this?! Will whoever did this to you survive a fall from a few thousand meters up in the air?! We would like to see them try. Give me a description and they''ll be dead within the hour!" ''I''ve never heard her swear before,'' Lone thought as he processed what she had said. ''"But your range limit is-" "Limits can be broken for a price! You of all people should know that, Lone," Sophie scoffed. "We have limited information right now but if you don''t wish to cooperate, we will do our own investigations. You fought at the guild, no? We will go there now." She tried to storm past him but a firm grip pressed down onto her gauntleted wrist. The metal beneath threatened to bend under the pressure of this iron grip. Lone''s hand began to bleed from the metal he was crushing and Sophie grunted a bit in pain. "I said now isn''t the time. If I wanted him dead, he wouldn''t be living. Cool the fuck down, Sophie. You should still be at work and I need to talk to Gramps. Please, I''m begging you, don''t make this situation any worse. I... I understand how you feel, but really, venting your anger over seeing me like this by murdering someone is not the right thing to do." "Let go of me," Sophie demanded in a quiet and pointed tone. "Can I trust you to not do something stupid?" Lone asked with a serious frown spread across his lips. Sophie looked up to match his gaze and her face was slowly being stained by tears. "Let go of me," she repeated through gritted teeth. Lone looked at her deeply for a short while before sighing and loosening his grip. The steel of the plate had been warped pretty badly around where he was holding her gauntlet and his hand was damaged beyond all conventional repair. It would also be shocking if Sophie''s wrist didn''t come out with severe bruising. She raised her other arm as if to slap Lone but stopped halfway. "We hate you for this. You... Why don''t you value yourself more? Why are we the furious one while you calmly walk down the street as if nothing ever happened?!" Sophie shook her head and didn''t wait for an answer. She spun on her heels and ran off, leaving Lone and Wilbur on their own with a veritable audience of curious bystanders. The elderly dwarf stroked his beard and said, "Sophie, huh? Yer lover''s name if ah recall, no? She''s got fire, Ah''ll give ye that much." Lone smiled weakly. "Perhaps too much fire. She''s lived a very harsh and very long life. That was the first time I''ve seen her act like that though..." "Long life? Girl barely looks two-decades-old if ye push it." Wilbur sighed before saying, "Anyway, domestic spat now over, our business hasn''t even begun, boy." "Of course, Gramps," Lone answered half-heartedly. His mind was filled with nothing but Sophie and how to deal with this... situation. He could hardly care now what kind of words Steamforger Wilbur had waiting for him in his shop. B2: Chapter 29: Shouting Match and Ruined Clothes Wilbur held out an arm, stopping Lone from following him into the backroom and home of his shop. "Ye''re still covered in blood an'' ye''r dripping all over the place. No way in the name of the Stone are ye stepping foot past this door." "Ah," Lone exclaimed. "Right you are. Do I wait here then?" The old dwarf nodded wordlessly before disappearing into the back room. Before long, he returned holding two chairs. He manoeuvred past the counter to the shop''s floor before placing the chairs down with grace. Planting himself into one of them and gesturing to the other, he said, "Sit." Lone did as told and readied himself for the chewing out that was no doubt on its way. ''I''m really not at fault... I did warn the local council we were dealing with a Primal. If anyone is truly to blame, it''s them for not trusting in me accordingly. I feel like the kid getting scolded by the high school''s headmaster for beating the dickhead who punched him first. Just in this case, people are dead.'' Wilbur stared long and hard at Lone, making him more than a little bit uncomfortable. Eventually though, the old dwarf closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Boy, how old do ye think ah am?" ''... Not what I was expecting If I''m being honest... Where is this going?'' Lone thought as he honestly pondered over the question. Even dwarves that never ranked up in their entire lives could make it to the ripe old age of 500 years or so and that was just I-ranked Stone Dwarves. Some other dwarven races could live double, triple, or sometimes half that number. It varied a lot. Wilbur was a very accomplished blacksmith and steamforger so Lone didn''t doubt for a second that he''d ranked up at least a handful of times. Combat wasn''t the only way to gain levels and it wasn''t the only way to gain enlightenment either for the normal folk. Lone''s old and wisened mentor wasn''t only a shoo-in to become an epitome - the pinnacle of dwarven status in death, but he''d also spent a lot of time topside. His accent was barely that of a dwarf anymore, meaning he''d spent a very long time outside of the dwarven lands. "... 3,000-years old-ish?" Lone guessed tentatively. "3,641," Steamforger Wilbur answered. "And ye, boy, how old are ye?" "25, it was my birthday recently," Lone said as he hid a frown. He was really starting to struggle with holding back his Basic Regeneration. It wouldn''t be long before his ripped-off tails grew back in above his lower back all on their own. That would be incredibly grotesque, hard to listen to, and perhaps too absurd to show to his teacher. He trusted the man but they''d barely known one another for that long. Even if he was a friend to Grimsley and was willing to commit crimes for Lone''s benefit, some things were best left unshown to anyone in his opinion. Still, he struggled on, hoping this conversation wouldn''t last for much longer. "Boy, ye''ve lived barely ah fraction of ah fraction as long as ah have yet what did ye do today?" The raw and overwhelming disappointment in Wilbur''s tone affected Lone so much more than he would have assumed possible. Honestly, as much as Lone knew it had been a short amount of time since he''d met Wilbur, he still saw him as another father figure somewhat like Grimsley and Gilbert. He wanted to feel an overwhelming amount of shame for disappointing such a person but, in truth, he felt happy about being sat down like this for a stern talking to. He was elated, even. If this was his real father dealing with this, the one dead and buried, that man would have slapped him around the head and kicked him for good measure just for starting the fight and losing it despite not having been the instigator and regardless of him winning the moral fight since he''d survived at all against a powerful B-ranker intent on murdering him. ''How pathetic. I''m so starved for parental love that all it takes is angry concern and a good telling off to make me feel so... full.'' He wanted to laugh at himself. ''Is this why people with garbage parents tend to seek out people resembling their dad or mum later in life when looking for love? Get someone like them who actually might care for them?'' His mind drifted to the goofy and lovable Soph and then to the stern but easily teased Sophie. ''Well, I guess I just want a real dad, not to date one, hah.'' Jovial mood aside, Lone simply nodded and allowed Wilbur to go on with his speech. "Ye should''ve refused to fight that addle-brained fool, Hamish. If ye''d simple said no, Hilda would''ve stepped in if the lad still attacked ye," Wilbur made clear. ''So the guildmaster here is called Hilda?'' Lone thought in passing. "It wasn''t that simple. The guy was accusing me of being directly responsible for his entire company dying. Also, did you not hear about how he waited for me to return to the inn I, my lover, and a close friend of mine, currently call home to ambush me? He hit me hard enough on the head to knock me out cold." "Then ye''d already won at that point!" Wilbur shouted. "If that''s true, no matter who was responsible for what, Hamish broke several laws by assaulting you in your own home, foreigner or not!" Lone inadvertently ended up scoffing. "Forgive me if I don''t exactly trust the laws. The last time I tried to do that, I ended up losing several months worth of my time. Along with a handful of other things." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The words ''dignity'', ''sanity'', ''trust'', and oddly enough, ''innocence'' floated around inside of his head. He liked Wilbur. Truly, he did. However, Lone didn''t feel ready to talk to anyone about what had happened in Milindo besides those who already knew, hence his vagueness. Even then, Soph and Sophie were the only two he truly felt comfortable confiding in when it came to his experiences in Ranton''s castle dungeons. If he could avoid it, he would never discuss the matter with Breena. Wilbur sighed. He leaned forward and put a heavy hand on Lone''s shoulder. "Ah understand that, ah genuinely do. Ah can''t even really fault ye for defending yer pride. It''s just... ye''re likely my last apprentice. Call me old or daft or whatever ye like, boy, ah don''t want ye dyin'' on me before ah''ve taught ye everything that ah know." He stared deeply into Lone''s gold, blue and black eyes before adding, "Tell no one ah ever said this, especially any of my former apprentices if ye ever meet ''em, but ye''re the most talented person ah''ve ever met in my entire life. The way ye learn how to tame the flames, control the metals... sing to the forge... It''s soul-shakin'', boy. Ah don''t want ye wastin'' that on some petty nonsense with that Hamish lad. He knows ye had no hand in what happened to his company. Adventurers of his calibre are more than aware of the risks that come with exploring the Farwinds, even the closed-off sections out here in the middle of the dwarven frontier we call Krieg Moor." Lone smiled faintly. "You heard my argument with Sophie, didn''t you? I seek no further interaction with that dwarf. If he comes at me, that''s a different matter entirely. I respect your opinion, Gramps. I also deeply admire your craft. If I could peacefully sit back and inherit your skills, I would." "But?" Wilbur asked, testingly. "But I''m not a dwarf and I''m not just a blacksmith. I''m a warrior with plans far beyond the scope of a small dwarven krieg in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. If I told you that, hypothetically speaking, I''d murdered an SS-ranked king in cold blood without even lifting a finger, would you believe me? Hypothetically speaking, of course," Lone said. Wilbur furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. He was no stranger to the news of Milindo''s monarch disappearing into thin air after an unknown beastkin - reportedly a foxkin - had fled that very same kingdom. "Hypothetically speaking, boy, ah''d ask why any of that fuckin'' matters right now. Ah just want my stupid apprentice to know not to endanger himself when his future is so unfathomably bright," Wilbur countered. "Haha... I know, Gramps, I really do... I can promise you I won''t start any trouble with him or anyone out of my own free will. I will not, however, take abuse lying down. I''ve done that before one too many times, and let me tell ya, fuck the consequences of avoiding compliance, I won''t be anyone''s doormat or punching bag to vent unreasonable frustrations," Lone said with a firm resolve deeply embedded in his tone. "He comes at me again, I''m killing him outright." Wilbur shot to his feet and scowled something fierce. "Ye stupid boy! That''s the kind of attitude that leads to people like ye dyin'' young! Ye''r basically tellin'' me ye''r happy throwin'' yer life away to prove a fuckin'' point! Where''s the sense in that?!" Lone, too, got to his feet and yelled right back, "The last time this happened to me, I was forced to murder children! Never a-fucking-gain! I''d rather die than rely on a broken system to help me when I''ve done nothing wrong!" "Then just go and fuckin'' throw yerself off of ah buildin''! It''d have the same bloody effect!" Wilbur hollered, spit and phlegm flying every-which-way. "Cunt!" "Arsehole!" "Lanky prick!" "Wrinkled midget!" "Yer ma was a tosser!" "An'' yers was a whore!" "Yer da dropped ya on yer heed!" "Yer da left tae buy milk but never came home!" "Ye cannae smith fae shite!" "Ye cannae teach fae shite!" The two men stared daggers at each other for a silent moment before a grin spread across Wilbur''s aged lips. "Ye sure yer not a dwarf under there? Ye sure as fuck sound like one when ye act'' like someone pissed in yer ale." Lone was still huffing and puffing, ready to hurl his next insult at the man but was caught off-guard by what he had said. "... Uh... what?" "Hahaha!" the old dwarf chuckled loudly as he slowly placed himself back into his seat. "Ah meant every word of what ah said, boy, but it''d be ah disservice to my years upon Altros if ah couldn''t see how bottled up ye were. Everyone''s cap is easily popped off when ye''ve done it enough times." "... You baited me into getting pissed off enough to hurl insults at each other? Why?" Lone asked, utterly confused. "Do ye feel better now? Less cornered?" Wilbur asked smugly. "I, uh, I suppose?" Lone answered hesitantly before returning to his own seat. Wilbur nodded. "Then all is well... Children, huh? Want to talk about it?" "Yes," Lone answered immediately. He soon realised he''d spoken without thinking and quickly shook his head. "Uh, no. Maybe another time." "Ah see. Well, again, everything ah said, every word, ah meant it. Ah do, however, know ah fully committed man who''s determined his own sense of values and principles when ah see one. Ah won''t force anythin'' upon ye. Ah''m not ah religion. Yer views are yer own. Just... keep what ah said in mind the next time ye''re about to throw yerself into an avoidable certain-death situation, huh?" Wilbur asked sincerely. "I... I can do that," Lone answered, feeling far less wound up now than he had since before he even fled Milindo. ''Was that some sort of skill at work or is therapy via shouting actually pretty effective?'' Wilbur stroked his beard softly then nodded towards the door. "Go on an'' get then. It''s later than ah''d like and ye have ah pissed off and hurt misses waiting for ye back home, don''t ye? Ah''ve said ma piece, so ah''ll take up no more of yer time." "Right, of course. Uh, see you tomorrow?" Lone asked. Wilbur smiled faintly. "Same time as always."
Lone had basically sprinted home. Partly due to not wanting to slowly revel in the displeased glares he was getting but mostly because his tails were killing him. It was like an itch you could never reach. Suppressing a passive skill like Basic Regeneration for so long was not only mentally draining on Lone, but also physically exhausting. He barely exchanged a greeting with the worried and simultaneously cautious receptionist of the Rusty Sprocket when he bolted up the stairs. Once he was through the door of his and Soph''s room, a wave of energy escaped his lower back and the single-most disgusting noise Lone had ever heard filled his ears. Even despite being accustomed to the sound of his unique skill at work, this time, it truly disturbed him. However, a seemingly unexpected benefit was that his tails grew back about twice as quickly as he thought they normally would have. ''Huh. I wonder if that could ever be of us-'' "Bath. Now," Sophie demanded. She was sitting at the end of their bed with a simple tank top and some woollen shorts on. She looked cute however her expression was anything but. Her slim index finger was pointing straight at the bathroom door. Lone wordlessly nodded, unsure of how to really speak with her after their argument on the streets. He directly stored his tattered and pure red clothes, intent on burning them later. They were beyond repair. Now fully nude, he left the bedroom to go have a deep, long bath. His biggest hope right now was that by the time he was done, Sophie would be asleep. He wasn''t an idiot though. She clearly had words for him as Wilbur had. All he could pray for was that the outcome would be just as pleasant. B2: Chapter 30: Bathtub and Pillow Talk The steamforged bath was, quite honestly, a piece of engineering genius. Lone didn''t know all that much about the intricacies of steamforging just yet. He''d barely even begun to learn the basics from Wilbur but with what little knowledge he did have, he could identify this masterpiece for what it was. ''I wonder how much magic there is in steamforging? None at my level but surely it''s required to make mini suns and bathtubs like this, right?'' Lone thought. ''You can only get so far with steam power, after all.'' To describe the bathtub it had a large waterfall-like stream coming out of a thin copper bar at the ceiling, just above the foot end of the tub. Right below that was a small drain that was always open. Somehow, the machinery in the bathtub''s walls perfectly regulated both the volume and temperature of the water like a very fancy fountain of some kind. Lone had no idea if baths like this existed on Earth. He sure as hell didn''t own one in his tiny apartment but he''d make it a mission to introduce them to that planet if he ever returned. Not that he wanted to or even really planned to, but he saw the possibility of it in both his free unique skill slots and in some of Soph and Sophie''s still sealed skills like Void Walking. ''Speaking of returning and of Sophie...'' Lone glanced over his shoulder at the door to the bedroom. ''It''s been about... 35-minutes? Either she''s asleep or she''s been watching me with Mana Sensing and is getting more and more pissed off.'' He groaned lightly and then slowly stood up, perfectly clean as a whistle now. ''Damn this bath for being so perfect. I was sure some of those bloodstains would need some deep-scrubbing to get out of my hair and my tail fur...'' He spent another 10-minutes slowly drying himself off with a couple of towels. When that was done, he grabbed some loose trousers reminiscent of track-suit bottoms from his Dimensional Storage. He slipped them on and then opened the door. ''Mmhmm... Still awake. Well, I can''t exactly blame her nor be upset. It shows how much she cares... also how much she''s upset.'' Lone wordlessly approached the bed and sat down next to Sophie. A few seconds of silence passed before he said, "So... did Breena and Kyuubi make it home okay?"
Not too long ago, in the bedroom part of their suite. "What''s taking him so long?" Sophie whispered to herself while she watched Lone just laze in the bathtub in the other room. ''Maybe he''s being careful? Blood in the floof is never good,'' Soph suggested with what she thought was both a valid and helpful observation. Sophie rolled her eyes. ''You are just as big of an issue as he is, Soph. You enable him to act as he does. Stop being such a doormat and perhaps he would actually act sensibly for once.'' She felt Soph tensing up in her mind. With a small sigh, she thought, ''It is like the fool wishes to die. What brain-addled simpleton accepts a rage-fuelled duel with someone two ranks higher than themselves? A monster we could forgive perhaps. Most lack intelligence but a sapient, thinking, conscious being? People that powerful know of skills and battle habits. They know how to properly engage beyond mere instincts. Lone will die if this continues. You must be on our side in this, Soph.'' ''B-But he''s really h-hard to kill and he likes fighting...'' Soph protested, admittedly, a bit weakly. ''This! This is what we mean! He is not a child but that does not mean we should avoid scolding him for acting like one! He will die and where will that leave us? We are linked to him. More than just by bonds of love, our very being relies on him. When he levels, so, too, do we. When he ranks up, so, too, do we. Beyond mere needs of lust and affection, we cannot let him die foolishly to maintain some semblance of pointless pride!'' Sophie yelled at her meeker self. She immediately felt a tinge of regret when Soph didn''t reply but instead started sobbing softly. ''Ha-ah... We just need him to know it is not only his life he gambles with. And we will not let him off until he understands the value of his own existence, fleeting as he may feel it is.'' Not a moment later she saw with that extra perception of hers that Lone was getting out of the bathtub. She watched keenly and patiently as he hesitantly dried himself then put on a pair of trousers and nothing else. ''W-Why isn''t he wearing a shirt?'' Soph asked from within Sophie''s mind. ''That''s... That''s quite distracting...'' Sophie didn''t dignify herself with an answer. Instead, she focused on not blushing. Truly, idiot or not, Lone''s body was very... pleasing to the eye. He soon exited the bathroom and placed himself next to her on their bed. ''I, uh, I support you, Sophie. I... I do agree but... how are you going to approach this? His teacher definitely spoke to him about this... We, uh, we definitely know more about him than that dwarf but I''m not sure if we can convince him not to be reckless anymore...'' ''We are thinking,'' Sophie answered a bit snappily. Soph kept her mental mouth closed after that, not wanting to antagonise her more rational self any further, instead, choosing to trust her and leave everything to her. Just as Sophie came up with a proper ice-breaker for the coming difficult discussion, Lone spoke. "So... did Breena and Kyuubi make it home okay?" If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Yes. we can feel them. Breena is practising her needleworking in her room and Kyuubi is sleeping atop Breena''s bed," Sophie answered plainly. Lone smiled a bit. "That''s good. Uh... how much does Breena know? About today, I mean." Sophie narrowed her eyes and glanced up at Lone''s face. ''Why is he so handsome? This is very distracting. There''s still a little bit of water on his forehead. Or is it sweat?'' Swallowing lightly, she replied, "She, much as we, learned of you fighting a B-ranker not entirely willingly. That is all. She knows not that you let yourself get injured so badly that death was the more likely outcome than life." Lone nodded. "Good. She''s been through enough trauma as it is. I think she''s starting to open up to me, y''know? She says more than one or two sentences when we have breakfast these days. I''m hopeful she recovers fully." "Lone," Sophie said seriously, "while we can sympathise with your sentiments towards her, this is not a discussion about Breena. At least, we did not intend it to be." She watched as Lone brought his hand up to his head and scratch it before chuckling nervously. "Right, right." He leaned back and scooted up before very skillfully getting under the bedsheets. "Can we cuddle and talk instead of sitting at the foot of the bed?" "Why?" Sophie asked, just stared at him with an incredulous look on her face. "Because they aren''t mutually exclusive?" At this point, Sophie was half-convinced he was testing her patience. "And... your warmth is comforting?" Now she was sure. "We will relent but only because it truly is cold. Do not blame us if you cannot flee us striking your face if we get into an argument," Sophie declared as she also got under the sheets. She didn''t quite snuggle up to him as Soph would have but she didn''t resist as he wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer to his chest. ''How are his muscles more toned than ours when we are the one who trains endlessly in our free time and all he does day-in-day-out is read or work at that forge?'' She knew smithing could be a surprisingly physically intensive activity, but surely not more so than wearing platemail all day and then training in swordsmanship for five to six hours every evening? ''Again, his body distracts us. Control your lust and fascination, woman,'' Sophie ordered herself. "Lone, you need to change how you react in situations like today," Sophie said plainly and with little-to-no room left to wiggle, though wiggle she assumed he would try. "You need to be a little bit more specific," Lone stated while he ran his long, slender fingers through her hair. It felt as amazing as it always did but she didn''t jerk out of his reach. She wasn''t that petty and felt it wouldn''t help. As much as she wanted to punish him by distancing from him physically, the last thing she desired was to hurt him. He was only stroking her head and playing with her golden locks out of habit, not for any other real reason than it felt good for him as well. He turned his head and basically pressed his nose against hers before elaborating, "I get that you hate how I essentially got slapped around like a wet rag for a while and almost died a few times but what other reaction could I have had that would have made things better?" "Refusing the duel," Sophie answered. "It would have been as simple as that. And if your childish pride demanded a fight then all you needed to do was kill him. We will hear no arguments from you until you at least explain the full situation to us." She looked straight into his multicoloured eyes and said, "We love you, Lone. Deeply. As much as we love Soph, even." She brought one of her small hands up to his face and caressed his cheek lightly. "So please tell us why. Why did a B-ranked dwarf want to kill you and why did you let him try?" Sophie watched as a complicated expression crossed Lone''s face. ''He is doing that thing where he thinks too much before speaking. He should just tell us... What is there to hesitate about?'' "Well," Lone finally said, "to put it simply, the guy was the only survivor of the adventurer group that took the council''s request to search for Urd Grun. They found it but it wasn''t anything like how it is when Darkness summons me. It was chock-full of monsters, powerful monsters at that. The entire company of dwarves died except for him." Sophie nodded slowly, inadvertently rubbing her forehead against his. "We see. This dwarf blamed you since the council''s request came from your information." "Right. The cunt bashed me across the head when I got home and knocked me out cold. I woke up in the guild surrounded by pissed-off locals and he was demanding a duel. I tried to refuse, y''know?" Lone claimed. "He refused my refusal so I kind of... well, I thought I''d show that I can''t be bullied quite as easily as your regular D-ranker." Sophie narrowed her eyes. "You should have murdered him." Lone shook his head. "I don''t want to kill thinking talking beings pointlessly. I did more than enough of that in Milindo." "The man attacked you. He is no child about to be tortured before your very own eyes," Sophie protested. ''Lone, you are such an idiot at times. That dwarf did not deserve your mercy.'' "Yes, he did and yes, he isn''t, but I''ve decided to give him a second chance. If I had used Mental Destruction on him who knows how poorly the guild and the council as a whole would have reacted?" Lone questioned. "Poorly is my best bet." Sophie looked confused. "We don''t understand. Why do you care? This is not our home, Lone. We are staying here briefly to relax, are we not? We think it is high time we leave if you are so afraid of political repercussions for killing a man who so blatantly wishes for your own death." He seemed to consider her words seriously, a good sign Sophie felt. "Maybe you''re right. I''m not as jaded as you though. I haven''t exactly been chased across a world for hundreds of years then treated like you were when you were finally caught. I haven''t killed a god either," he said with a charming smile and a short chuckle. "Even if two live inside of me now." "No, you haven''t, so perhaps you should listen to someone who has. All people die at one point or another. Even us. We have no doubts whatsoever that eventually Soph and we shall cease to be, Immortality skill or not," Sophie replied. "Killing that dwarf would have been a mercy in our eyes. He sounds lost already." "Maybe... Y''know, I''m really glad you''re not shouting at me," Lone laughed. "I was pretty worried you''d act as furious as you were on the streets." Sophie blushed a little. "You are no longer covered in blood and we are simply discussing the matter. We are not unreasonable. You must, however, promise to us that should something like this ever happen to us again, you will kill your attacker. If you do not, we will do it for you." "Can we compromise?" Lone suggested. "I''d rather not become an arrogant young master killing everyone who tries to glock me in the face, deserved or not." Sophie raised an eyebrow. "We are listening." "How about I just get so powerful I can afford to actually give everyone I meet a second chance without worrying if doing so would be harmful to me or mine?" Lone asked. Sophie sighed faintly. "Fine. To that, we can agree. Until then though, clean up after yourself where possible. The only lives we value are Soph''s and yours. We will not lose them easily." "Haha," Lone chuckled and then kissed her forehead. "Fair enough."
The host has developed the passive skill [Persuasion].
The host has developed the passive skill [Charm Resistance].
Sophie stared blankly. "Ha-ah... of course we did." B2: Chapter 31: I told You So and A Logical Dwarf "Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my!" Lone slowly opened his eyes only to find himself back in Urd Grun with a smug-looking Hamish staring at him. "Hello to you too, Darkness," Lone said as he sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. "If you''re going to gloat, go ahead and gloat. I don''t care." "Well... I do recall telling you it wouldn''t exactly be the wisest of choices to tell them about our little nightly rendezvouses, now didn''t I?" Darkness chuckled with Hamish''s body. "I told you so and all of that. Not much need for me to reinforce the idea you were wrong when you already think so, in truth." Lone frowned. It was weird hearing a dwarf who had only spoken with his natural accent now talk without even a hint of dwarvish in his tone. ''I wonder what language is even being spoken right now? Stone Dwarvish? Altros Common? Maybe a Primal language? I should put some time into actually learning the local languages. Could be some skills to gain there.'' It was a topic he didn''t put much thought into usually since everything was translated to English in his head. However, since he saw little-to-no value in chatting with Darkness, he was willing to explore ignored subjects while he was here. "You do have some interesting thoughts from time to time, Lone, I will give you that," Darkness said before sinking into the floor. The next moment, he appeared from out of Lone''s shadow and leaned against his shoulder. "Things will only get worse from here, y''know?" "Oh really? It doesn''t matter. I''ll be leaving the krieg soon," Lone replied. "And you can read minds, can you? Then read this," he added before thinking, ''Fuck you.'' "Haha, how cute. But anyway, will you now? Interesting, very interesting. I do wonder if the council will look into that apprenticeship of yours with little old Wilbur. He''s going to be an epitome, after all. Can''t be having such a renowned figure teaching his secrets to a non-dwarf. Why that would be outright scandalous," Darkness laughed in a whisper. "He''s a man far beyond my years. He knows that better than I do. It was his choice to teach me and it was also his choice to protect me from Hamish, unneeded as his protection was," Lone said. "Unless you''re inferring you''ll clipe on me. If so, be my fucking guest. You''ll at least prove I''m not totally crazy to the council." "Ah, still got some pride in you, huh? Good, good, great, even. I do wonder though if your lack of guilt also translates to the group of dead dwarves who now call this place their home," Darkness said as it wrapped an arm around Lone''s neck and then waved in front of them with the other. A group of corpses appearing strewn around Lone in a perfect circle. Each of which was mangled, bloodied, and partially eaten. "They didn''t stand a chance, really. You sent them to their deaths. Not exactly the kind of thing you expect from one preaching his distaste for snuffing out sentient life, hmm?" Darkness questioned with a big smile on Hamish''s face. Lone closed his eyes and chanted to himself, ''Don''t let it get to you, you couldn''t have known about the monsters. Don''t let it get to you, you couldn''t have known about the monsters...'' "Y''know, Lone, some people break under even the slightest of pressures. Others remain unaffected, uncaring about the world around them. The best people though, why, they grow, they flourish, they become better under stress. Which category do you think you belong to?" Darkness skipped away from Lone and assumed the form of Kyuubi. "I''ll give you a hint. It''s the kind I desire the most." Lone furrowed his brow with his eyes still firmly shut. "Is there a point to saying this? Trying to shake me up or something? You fully intend to take over my body at some point, right? There''s no way I''ll make it easy." Darkness snickered softly. "I am just waiting for the perfect moment. It''ll come sooner or later." "I''ll be ready to strike you down when you try, buddy," Lone threatened. "Oh, I''m sure you will. Haha... hahaha... hahahahaha!... Until tomorrow, Lone," the Primal bade farewell after calming itself.
Lone awoke to a shiver. He then immediately felt the warmth of the duvet and Sophie''s back pressed up against his chest. "That fucking... thing." He felt it was impossible to truly know the being''s actual goals but if it wanted to rattle him, it was definitely working to some degree. ''All of those dead dwarves... Am I really responsible for that?'' He bit his bottom lip a little then denied the thought. ''No. Like I said to Hamish, they knew a Primal was involved at the very least. Nothing can compare to Primals in power bar maybe demigods. Maybe these Ancients I''ve heard whispers about too but normal people at B and A-rank? Not a chance in hell. It was partially their own fault for not being prepared enough.'' Lone wasn''t exactly in the business of victim-blaming but he certainly wasn''t going to endure all fault when he did nothing wrong. Sophie stirred in his arms and rolled over to face him. "Good morning..." "Morning, Sophie," Lone answered with a kiss to her forehead. "I''ve made a decision." "Hmm?" Sophie''s dreary eyes blinked as she raised an eyebrow. "Pray tell." "We''re going to go to Urd Grun and clear it out. We''ll kill all of the monsters there and collect the bodies of the Black Iron Company. When we''ve done that, I''ll say my goodbyes to Gramps and we can leave this place. There''s a few kingdoms and empires between us and the Crimson Foxkin Clan. Sounds like a good opportunity to go on some adventures before returning Breena to her people, doesn''t it?" Lone asked with a small grin on his face. Sophie stared into his eyes for a few long seconds before she, too, grinned. "You are sexy when you are so assertive, you know? Provided you have no intentions to hold back against mere monsters, we fully support you. Both Soph and we do." "Of course," Lone replied before planting his lips on hers. "What do you say to a morning quickie though before a bath and breakfast?" Sophie rolled her eyes. "We say no. We''ve hogged you enough as is. Enjoy Soph instead." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "She''s a gentler lover than you anyway," Lone said with a shrug. Sophie leaned into his ear and whispered, "Just try to tell us you do not like it rough." The next moment she had swapped out mentally, leaving Lone holding a very shy but excited Soph. "Damn do I love you two."
Agar Mudborne scowled as he looked through the newly listed quests of the day at The Adventurer''s Guild. ''Bunch ah feckin'' shite,'' he thought. ''''Ow''s ah dwarf meant tae ever get ah silver plate when feckin'' 90% ah the quests ''ere are fae just busy-body work? Where''s the adventure? Where''s the dang''r?'' However, despite his grumbling, he did spot something interesting. ''Body recovery? Ah. The Black Iron Company. Feckin'' right ol'' shame. Well, if nothin'' else, ah got tae see ''at fox get beat tae next week an'' back. Been a bloody while since anythin'' ''at excitin'' ''appened.'' The very next moment, the doors to the guildhall opened and two foxkin and a short human girl entered. Agar grinned. ''Speak ah the Primals an'' they shall cometh. Wonder why ''e''s ''ere though? Ah wouldnae step within ah hoondred meters ah the guild were ah wearin'' ''is boots. Lad does look pretty healthy though considerin'' ''e was just ah few scraps ah talkin'' flesh yesterday. ''Ealing magic sure is somethin'' else.'' Agar found himself a nice spot on the wall and leaned against it, deciding to enjoy himself and watch the foxkin and company, curious as to what they would do. or, more pressingly, what everyone else would do in reaction to their presence here. Predictably to him, a less than sober dwarf stumbled down from the second-floor bar and walked right up to Lone. ''Beld. C-rank''r if ah recall. Nae ''at impressive but one ''ell of an arm on ''im,'' Agar commented internally. "What''re ye doin'' here, fluffy arse?" Beld asked with a chuckle as he pressed his index finger into the Golden Foxkin''s chest. "Yer kind isnae welcome ''ere. Not nae mere. Naw after what ye wen'' an'' gone did." Agar watched in interest as the foxkin smiled slightly. "And what exactly is it that I ''wen'' an'' gone did'', friend?" the foxkin asked. Beld seemed to push his finger in harder and his rosy cheeks flushed in anger instead of intoxication. "Dinnae give me ''at kinda cheek, ya mangy mongrel! Ye murdered the most well-known an'' beloved crew ah miners an'' adventurer''s this city''s ev''r seem! Ev''r... seen!" Agar chuckled softly. ''Fox doesnae like ''at tone, it seems. One helluva ah frown on ''at face.'' One of his friends snuck up to his side and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, Agar. Five coppers says the foxkin gets backhanded across the room. Lad spoke ah lot ah shite an'' preach''d tae Hamish. Dinnae see why he won''t do the same ''ere." Agar grinned. "Ten says Beld''s the one ''oo gets ah whollopin''." "Yer feckin'' on," his friend agreed, already thinking about what he''d spend his winnings on. Agar shook his head faintly. ''Beld''s tough but did ye nae see ''ow quick ''at fox was movin'' when he was fightin'' Hamish? Fecker also ''it the bloody bloke ah few times, ''ard at that. Beld''s gonna get sober pretty feckin'' soon, ah reckon. ''At or unconscious.'' The foxkin slowly raised his hand and pushed away Beld''s finger that was digging into his chest. "I killed no one. Perhaps you''re just thick but being an adventurer can actually come with some dangers. Who would have thunk it? Now piss off and go be a miserable cunt elsewhere." Agar watched the tall man walk past Beld before a lightning-fast fist flew towards the foxkin''s head. He could have sworn he saw the foxkin sigh briefly before he lightly stepped aside, dodging the blow from Beld with ease. He then reeled back his own fist and slammed it straight into the side of Beld''s skull, sending him flying across the room. He smashed through a table before impacting against the stone walls, hard. He was out cold. Agar glanced back at the foxkin only to see him shaking his fist a little. He was wearing an incredibly fed-up expression. "I am not paying for his healing nor for that table. He started that so it''s his responsibility. Any more speciesist dwarves who also think I am why the Black Iron Company got wiped out and who need a fractured skull as well?" A few uncomfortable chuckles filled the hall but no one rose to the challenge. ''Bloody wise not tae,'' Agar thought. ''Bastard''s faster than most everyone fae this guild, even ah few ah the A-ranked solo adventurers lurkin'' aboot. They need to fight seriously tae slap ''at pup around, at''s fae sure. Like Hamish did. ''Ow talented does someone ''ave tae be tae ''ave ''at much Agility at only D-rank? Fecker didnae even apply the stat...'' Agar watched the foxkin and his two companions approach one of the employee counters. "Is there a quest to clear out Urd Grun and to recover the bodies of the fallen?" The worker slowly nodded. "Yes to both but you don''t meet the requirements to do either. Your plates are too low ranked being only copper for yourself and iron for the human and the Crimson Foxkin." "I think I just proved my capabilities, no?" the Golden Foxkin asked. "I just incapacitated a... C-ranker? His aura felt too weak for a B-ranker. Anyway, I incapacitated him with one move. I also fought evenly with Hamish for over an hour. If you don''t give me the quests I''ll still do them anyway. I''m clearly not welcome here anymore. Everyone says I essentially killed the Black iron Company, right?" The employee nodded a bit hesitantly. "Then I''m sure they''ll be ecstatic to know I''m going to go kill myself on the hordes of monsters Hamish claimed were in Urd Grun. Win-win, right?" the foxkin said in a tone that spoke of how little he truly thought he''d be in any danger. ''''E''s either really desperate tae prove everyone wrong or ''e''s ah scary motherfecker who''s way more powerful than ''e''s previously let on. Also, evenly? O''w in the name ah the Stone was ''im getting one-sidedly beat tae near-death by Hamish even in any way shape or form?'' Agar thought. Out of the corner of his eye, Agar saw the guildmaster walk down from the bar floor. "Let ''em, Greg. If the lad an'' his friends say they''re gonna go an'' avenge the Black Iron Company an'' retrieve their corpses, ah say let ''em. Ah do trust ye dinnae plan to just go in magic blarin'' and swords drawn with nae plan at all?" The foxkin nodded. "Of course not. What do I look like to you, a dwarf?" Agar chuckled at that. It was true, his people weren''t the best of planners when it came to anything bar architecture or crafting. "Then ah give ma consent for ye''s tae piss off down the Farwinds. Maybe Hamish''ll cool down too if he ''ears what ye''r doin''," the guildmaster stated. "I couldn''t give a fuck less. If it''s being put on our records that we accepted the quests, then we''re done here," the foxkin shrugged before turning around and heading for the door. He was stopped by his human companion who whispered something in his ear. "Ah, right." The foxkin spun around and asked, "Do you sell pickaxes here? I need, like, 10 or so. Or an enchanted one with extra durability." Agar spoke up. "Ah''ve ah spare." ''Fella seems like ah genuinely good bloke. When was the last time ah saw someone speak to Guildmaster Hilda like an equal? Lad is done with oor prejudices an'' unfair accusations but ''e''s still trying tae make amends. Least ah can dae is gae ''im ah feckin'' pickaxe,'' he thought. Agar then approached the foxkin. He reached into his adventurer''s pouch and pulled out a pure white wooden pickaxe. "Rare piece ah work. It''s nae enchanted but it''s just as durable as ah steel one with second or third level enchantments. Made fae ah rare species ah birch tree, is ma understandin''. It''s fae topside, ye see." The foxkin carefully took the weapon and inspected it closely. "An excellent piece of workmanship. I don''t think I could have shaped the wood so exquisitely myself. How much is it worth?" ''Fella works wae wood? Respectable ''obby.'' Agar shrugged and waved him off. "Ah never use the feckin'' thing. Stone to metal fits ma ''and better than some tree branch does. Treat it as an apology fae ma people actin'' just like those we condemn. If ya dinnae kick the bucket or just run off, return it wae ah story or two. ''At''ll do." The foxkin stared deeply in Agar''s eyes for a few moments before saying, "Thank you. It is people like you who make my principles worth upholding. I''ll be sure to return this when we''re done. What''s your name?" "Agar Mudborne," he answered. The foxkin smiled. "Lone Immortus. Until next time." Agar watched him and his companions leave the guild. His friend approached him and laughed. "What''s gotten into ye? Givin'' away ah Rare-tier item like ''at tae ah non-dwarf? Want me tae start scourin'' the floor? Ah think ye may''ve lost ah marble or two doon there." Agar just held out his hand to his buddy with an expectant look on his face. "Ye owe me ten coppers." "Ah, feck. I thought ye''d forgotten... Can ah open ah bettin'' tab?" his friend asked with a cheeky grin on his bearded face. Agar chuckled. "Feck no ye cannae, it''s only ten bleedin'' copper." B2: Chapter 32: Departing and A Dwarfs Thoughts "Well, Soph?" Lone asked as he walked down the street with her and Breena by his side. Kyuubi was safely tucked away in his skill, The Summoning Dimension. Soph gingerly took the white wooden pickaxe from him and inspected it closely with her Mana Sensing. "Hmmmm... I don''t feel anything wrong with it. I mean, it has magic in it but so does literally everything else. There''s no spells or hidden enchantments as far as I can tell." She handed the tool back to Lone and he immediately put it in his Dimensional Storage. Nodding, he said, "The guy seemed nice but it was a bit random him giving us this. I just needed to check." "That makes sense. Um," Soph scratched her cheek a bit sheepishly. "Do you really, uh, not want to say goodbye to your teacher?" Lone shook his head. "Absolutely not. It''s bad enough that our connection is so openly known. If I go and say goodbye to him it''ll only give people even more of an excuse to investigate him. Becoming an Epitome doesn''t seem to really bother him but it''s a massive thing in all of dwarven culture, not just for Stone Dwarves. I don''t want to fuck him over. If he''s smart, he''ll deny teaching me a thing beyond simple smithing." "Did he teach you anything more?" Soph asked. Lone replied telepathically as he chuckled. "Of course he didn''t, that still won''t stop people from accusing him though. People here are better than in Milindo, sure, but inter-species tensions still exist. Me not being a dwarf will raise alarms in some people''s heads no matter what." "Hmm... Sounds more complicated than it should be..." Soph said as she scrunched up her brow and frowned. He shrugged. "He''s a famous steamforger, enough so to be epitomised. It''s in our nature for some loud voices to hate those of public acclaim." "Even the Black Iron Company?" Soph asked innocently. Lone smiled wryly. "I suppose? Let''s talk about something a little bit less depressing. Breena." "Huh? Um... yes?" the girl asked back in confusion. "We''re gonna be doing combat training every day that we''re out in the Farwinds, you, me and Soph," Lone declared. "We''re all pretty low ranked after all. We need to have as many skills as possible, and I don''t mean system skills." Breena slowly nodded in realisation. "I, uh, I''ll do my best..."
"Or so their conversation went," Silvergus said as he finished his report to Felix Morstone. "I didn''t even need to act or anything to get them to talk. It came up in conversation naturally while I was watching them. They were talking in a kind of hushed tone though." "Why would they whisper if they wernae tryin'' tae hide somethin''?" Felix asked, confusion marring his expression. "Man, hearing the local tongue is kinda nice after so many years workin'' topside," Silvergus commented absentmindedly. "Professional or personal opinion?" Felix waved dismissively. "Personal. Yer professional one can gae in the written report. Ah''ll also try tae get ye ah more local job after this one''s done an'' dusted, old friend." "Aye, I''d appreciate that. Well, I think they just wanted privacy. I wouldn''t exactly shout about my relation to the kingdom''s leading steamforged artefact inventor if I wasn''t a dwarf. They seem to be in a hurry to fuck off and clear their name. Well, the Golden Foxkin''s name. Loyal friends, those girls. Makes a man jealous," Silvergus laughed. Felix rubbed his neck in mild relief. "That''s good. Ah pile ah shite all-round save fae the small flecks ah gold dottin'' the crap ''ere an'' there. The feckin'' bother we''d get fae the great''r council if the next Epitome was teachin'' oor secrets tae ah non-dwarf..." Silvergus shrugged. "Not my business, really. Hell, if it were up to me, we''d be opening up trade in the art of steamforgin'' for other valuable practices asap. We''re a bit lackin'' in the innovation field. Folk like Wilbur only show up once in a few millennia, literally. The high king should be called the Epitome of Stagnation when he kicks the bucket." "Ye could be executed on grounds ah treason fae sayin'' ''at," Felix warned. Silvergus shrugged. "Eh. Only if you clipe on me. Anyhoo, I''ve a pub to get to. That is unless you''ve got another impromptu mission ready for me on my first day back in 14-years?" "Nah, nah I dinnae. Cheers again. Ah owe ya one," Felix said in farewell. "Whatever you say, Felix," Silvergus replied. ''I mean, the girl was 100% lying. She knew the answer to her question before she even asked it. That Lone kid was also lying too. Hard to tell, really. Lad''s a persuasive fuck''r. I was only asked to see what the foxkin''s relationship to Wilbur was though. As far as the council''s concerned, he''s a normal smithing apprentice outsourced from The Adventurer''s Guild. The less people who know he''s Wilbur''s last genuine apprentice and knows steamforgin'', the better.''
''The powerful mana source left,'' Soph informed Lone via their telepathic connection. Lone exhaled in relief. ''Thank fuck. I was worried when you said someone was following us but I''m glad they weren''t planning to follow us into the Farwinds too. I wonder what they wanted...'' ''Em, by the way... did we have to lie?'' Soph asked as she looked down at the ground. ''I mean, uh, I can do it but it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable...'' Lone chuckled mentally at that. ''Says the girl who didn''t tell me about her crazy second personality for weeks. Hell, even Breena doesn''t know about Sophie. I bet she just thinks you have a screw or two loose. Don''t look at me like that. I''m not actually criticizing you. Serious answer? Yeah. We had to lie. I don''t want to cause any trouble for Gramps. Just as I imagine you, Sophie, and Breena, don''t want to bring any potential harm to Mister Fits''war, right?'' Soph nodded softly in response. ''By the way,'' Lone said, ''How were you so convincing then? I really believed you when you seemed confused about if I''d learned steamforging or not.'' ''Hehehe I got a new skill to help with that stuff. Per... Persuasion? Yup. Persuasion. Sophie got it for us when she convinced you to stop hurting yourself for pleasure,'' Soph explained innocently. ''Fuckin'' yikes. I''m not a masochist, thank you very much,'' Lone replied faintly. ''Also, congrats on the new skill. It''s a useful one, for sure. Try to level it off of me. We can do some testing to see if that works at some point. Y''know, being conscious of it affecting you and if that still allows for level-ups.'' ''Potty mouth,'' Soph scolded before smiling sweetly. ''Uh, that sounds a bit boring but I''m happy to help you if you think it''s worthwhile.'' ''You wound the scholar within me,'' Lone cried in indignation. Soph giggled. ''I don''t like the scholar in you. He''s not fun at all. All he ever does is mutter to himself and write in his journal while I watch him from our bed.'' ''The angel sheds her skin only to reveal the true devil lying beneath,'' Lone lamented. ''That was a message from my inner poet, by the way - my inner scholar''s apprentice.'' Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Soph stuck out her tongue playfully. ''Maybe they know what you really want. You love succubi, don''t you?'' ''How did you learn about that? No, better yet, how did you learn about succubi in the first place? You don''t read,'' Lone asked in shock. ''So it''s true! Mister Fits''war is wiser than he lets on...'' Soph replied in shock. ''That damn camp elf. What other ideas has he shoved in her head?'' Lone thought in defeat. ''Well, since it''s out of the bag, I made this outfit for you, right? Made it before I fixed your eyes... Do you, y''know, think you or Sophie could, well...'' ''You''re such a pervert. Of course I''ll wear it for you,'' Soph answered with an adorable smile on her face. ''You sound more and more like Sophie every day. Where did my constantly apologising little bundle of cuteness fly off to?'' Lone asked in jest. Soph laughed a little, drawing a subdued and curious glance from Breena. ''Hehe she''s still there for when she actually makes mistakes... I love you, Lone.'' ''I love you too, Soph,'' Lone replied with a smile of his own. Not long later he and his companions were back at the Rusty Sprocket. Lone explained his group''s circumstances to the inn''s owner before they headed upstairs one final time. Breena was sent to gather up her belongings while Lone helped Soph get into her armour. As he did that, a curious thought struck him. ''It''s gotta be possible to get enchantments that allow the armour to change shape based on the wearer, right? If Soph could weaponise her Body Manipulation to throw opponents off-balance or force strikes to miss her due to becoming smaller, that would be a great boon,'' Lone thought off-handedly as he stored their bed and returned the inn''s original one. Once he was done doing the same to the rest of the furniture and their belongings, he left the room with Soph. He put Breena''s things into his Dimensional Storage, then they left the place they''d called home for well over a month. Half an hour passed as they walked through Krieg Moor and entered the Farwinds. The traffic was as colossal as he remembered it with thousands of people walking around and dozens upon dozens of carts and convoys going and arriving. Even with the majority of the Farwinds being blocked off, it seemed that business between the local kriegs was as busy as it likely ever was. ''I wonder how they''re doing with reopening the paths to the rest of the dwarven kingdom? Hell, for all I know, it could all be fixed by now. Krieg Moor is pretty rural from my understanding, what with it being one of the access points to the surface and thus, is as far from the capital as it could possibly be,'' Lone thought curiously. They slipped out with no problems whatsoever. Lone couldn''t help but wonder if that was down to Soph''s Luck stat or perhaps no one truly wanted to stop them from what could easily be inferred as an attempt to flee responsibility. Regardless, after a day of travel, they soon found themselves straying from the well-travelled Farwinds. Lone held a torch in his hand to help light the way. The Farwinds were massive as if intended to host giants but, while they had lighting enchantments lining the murals on the walls, floor, and roof, many of them had lost their power or had been damaged over the many years since they were created. Maintenence of such enchantments was difficult enough for the hundreds of miles worth of frequently used Farwinds, let alone unvisited roads like the one Lone and his group were trekking down right now. This issue only got worse and worse the further one strayed from the well-travelled Farwinds. Soph held out a hand to stop Lone. "There''s someone in front of us." "What was your current range limit again?" Lone asked. "1,000-metres now that we''re both D-ranked," Soph answered. "A whole kilometre. Well, let''s stay cautious and go say hi, shall we?" Lone asked. Both Breena and Soph nodded in response. It took no time at all for the light of Lone''s torch to illuminate the features of the person waiting for them. It was a stroke of good fortune that they were mostly lit up by the overhead enchantments as well, meaning they didn''t need to get too close to the figure. "Make one wrong move and you''ll be leaking your brains out of your face, pal," Lone warned the man standing in the middle of the Farwinds road he, Soph, and Breena, were walking down.
A few minutes earlier, Hamish sighed. ''Ah cannae believe ah''m doin'' this...'' He leaned back his head and stared up at the ceiling of the Farwinds. The artistry of the murals was lost on him. Maybe that was why he had no issues smashing it to pieces to reclaim lost urds and kriegs. There was a whole political party that petitioned to the high king''s council to have companies like his disbanded to stop ''destroying the cultural heritage of all dwarves''. They were only doing what they were hired to do, finding and reclaiming lost territory. Sure, they occasionally had to locate an abandoned armoury or treasury and ended up half-destroying the places to access them. Before, he''d never really cared. What was the value of unseen history in the face of immediate benefits to the people still around to appreciate them? Hamish chuckled. ''Maybe those historical-lovin'' whack-jobs might actually be onta somethin''. Ewan, Kieran, McShan... All ah the lads... Maybe they''d still be ''ere if we werenae so dedicated tae explorin''. They should really shift their political marketin'' tae the dangers of the trade, nae the cultural heritage it wrecks, heh.'' Sadly, however, his teammates weren''t here to join in his reflection. No, they were all dead and he was here waiting for the group of outsiders who had declared they''d wipe out the monsters responsible and even retrieve the bodies of his friends, of his family. ''A group whose leader ah just aboot murdered.'' Hamish thought about how many lethal attacks the foxkin had not only failed to dodge but had also failed to die from. ''Ah''ve met ah lot ah strange folk in ma days even not havin'' left the Farwinds and ''er strongholds before but ''at fecker was ah freak ah nature. ''Ow ''e''s still only ah D-rank''r is ah mystery beyond minds like ma own.'' At that moment, he heard footsteps coming from down the road from roughly 300-metres away. He was primarily a scout, after all. Detection and being able to evade it were his specialities. He cracked his neck and sighed again. ''Still hurts. Either the fecker smacked ma heed ''arder than it looked or the ''ealer ah ''ired scammed me. Either way, this''ll be ah right feckin'' pain.'' A few dozen seconds passed as the group approached and when the light of their torches made contact with him, revealing his figure, they reacted immediately. Well, two of them did. Hamish watched the human girl clad head-to-toe in armour tense up instantly while the Golden Foxkin frowned deeply. The Crimson Foxkin, on the other hand, looked a little bit lost at the sudden tension. "Make one wrong move and you''ll be leaking your brains out of your face, pal," the Golden Foxkin warned. "He''s the one?" the human asked. The foxkin nodded back in response. Immediately the feeling around the woman barely a foot taller than himself shifted. Hamish watched in confusion as her peaceful and worried aura exploded into one of fury and killing intent. "Calm down, Sophie," the foxkin commanded. "I''ll kill him the moment he moves without me telling him to, don''t you worry." ''Why''s ''e so confident ''e can finish me off so definitively an'' with such certainty?'' Hamish thought. At the best of times, he was brash and a bit quick to act, as proven by what he did just yesterday. Still, even he knew not to underestimate such overwhelming confidence. It usually meant absolutely lunacy, a world-class liar, or someone who could actually do what their confidence claimed. All three of which were things to be extremely cautious about when in such a scenario, much like this one. "Ah''m nae ''ere tae fight," he said as he slowly raised his hands in a show of peace. ''If it comes tae it, ah can easily kill the three ah ''em in ah few seconds. Even if the fox''s hidin'' ah trump card ah sorts, so am ah. Ah doubt whatever means ''e ''as tae kill me can beat ma fleein'' abilities.'' "Then why are you here, Dwarf?" the foxkin asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. ''Feck it''s unsettlin'' ''ow ''ealthy ''e looks. Fecker must be an ''alf-Lich or somethin''. Would explain the regeneration an'' ootright stupid stats when it comes tae ah D-rank''r,'' Hamish thought while he chose his next words very carefully. "Look, ye an'' yers. Ye''r plannin'' tea gae tae Urd Grun, aye? Clear yer name an'' all ''at?" he asked, trying to warm the conversation''s ice-cold temperature up a little. The foxkin narrowed his eyes. "The name which you so helpfully dragged through the mud along with that non-existent honour of yours, yes." ''Fox''s got teeth. Fecker kens ''ow tae bite with ''em tae,'' Hamish thought as he tried to ignore his rising wounded pride. ''There are mere important things right noo, ya daft cunt.'' "Ah deserved ''at, ah suppose. Well, look, naeb''dy wants tae clear oot Urd Grun an'' retrieve the bodies ah my brothers as much as ah do. Simple as ''at. Ah ken ah cannae dae it alone though an'' ''oo in their right mind would take ah quest ''at damn-near wiped oot the whole Black Iron Company?" Hamish reasoned. The human girl scoffed. "You mean to team up with us? Absolutely not. Lone, let us kill him and be done with this thorn in our sides." ''Well, ah expected ''at reaction fae the fox ''imself, nae from the Drundara,'' Hamish thought as he glanced at the fully armoured girl. ''Best nae use ''at slur tae ''er face. Doubt she''ll take kindly tae it an'' ah really dae need some warm bodies tae distract the hordes so ah can slip in, get ma brothers, then slip oot.'' He was a bit unsettled that the only one out of the three who didn''t want to nor think she could kill him was the Crimson Foxkin hiding in the shadow of her kin. ''The Drundara is nuts just like ''e is. She''s got a lot ah magic, ah''ll gae ''er ''at, but she thinks she can kill me? Feckin'' say ''at when ye survive ah proper fight wae me like ''e did.'' The foxkin in question raised a hand to calm his human companion. "Second chances, Sophie. I''m willing to accept your help, Dwarf." "Feckin'' fantastic. Well then let''s set o-" "Ah, ah, ah. Not quite so quickly." The foxkin touched the adventurer''s pouch at his waist. A moment later, a steel bucket with a thick smelling red liquid entered his right hand and a piece of parchment entered his left. "It''s time for some contract magic, I think." B2: Chapter 33: Level-2 Contract and The Tunnel "Contract magic? But ah dinnae sense ah lick ah magic on ya, Fox," the dwarf said, scepticism clouding his expression. Lone shrugged. "I don''t need any mana for my special brand of contract magic. I''ll be writing out the details of our agreement here for a little bit. Don''t move a muscle, okay? If you could, Sophie, deal with him if he doesn''t listen to me." At his side, the armoured girl nodded seriously. Hamish raised an eyebrow. "Ah mean, ah''m happy tae sign ah sheet ah pap''r but ''ow will the ''uman ''deal with him'', exactly?" Lone got to work writing the details of the contract with his bucket of blood and his quill as he replied, "Since you''re either signing this contract of cooperation or dying, I don''t see why I shouldn''t tell you if only to stop any strange thoughts from appearing in your mind." He paused for a moment to consider the wording of the contract before continuing, "Sophie here can teleport at will, no enchantments or chants or anything needed beyond saying the word ''Teleport''. She can just ''port on top of your head, ''port you to the roof, let you smash into the floor, rinse and repeat until you die. If that doesn''t work, she can just keep you out of our way for a second so I can kill you." "Bold claims," Hamish replied. Sophie growled. "Move and see just how bold they really are, you pathetic honourless excuse for a dwarf." The dwarf whispered a word under his breath but even with Lone''s advanced foxen ears, he couldn''t pick up exactly what had been said. ''Probably a curse. That''s dwarves for you.'' A tense silence consumed the road in the Farwinds they occupied while he continued to write. Hamish seemed relaxed, happy even, while Breena was slowly understanding what was going on and why Sophie was as angered as she was. The minutes passed and thankfully Hamish hadn''t made a move while Lone took his time to fill out the contract''s details. His True Contract Magic was unbreakable unlike most contracting magic, even the most advanced. However, in exchange each contract he made needed to be absolutely even and fair to both parties. Or at least both parties needed to feel that what the contract gave them was equal to what they were forced to give the other party. There was also the issue of cooldowns for the higher-tier contracts Lone could make. There was still over half a year remaining before he could create another Level-5 contract, after all. Not like he was planning to add another resident to The Summoning Room any time soon but with his experience regarding cooldowns from his Creation Magic, caution and carefulness seemed wise. ''This can''t be more than a level-2, maybe a level-3 contract at a push. That''s the difference between a week-long cooldown and a month-long one. The former would be better but if the skill thinks Level-3 is needed to bind a B-ranker, so be it. I rarely use this skill anyway. It''s forgotten until needed,'' Lone thought. "I''m done. I''ll read out the contract for you first. If you agree, I''ll walk over there and pass it you. You then sign your name with your blood. If you don''t agree... Well, just agree, okay?" Lone requested earnestly. ''I''d really rather not kill another person if I don''t have to. Please don''t throw away your second chance. It''d be a hell of a slap in the face for my new philosophy to be proven wrong at the first possible opportunity. I can already hear Sophie saying ''we told you so''...'' Hamish nodded. "Ah can dae at least ''at. Ye ah blood mage ah some kind? Few contracts ah ken ah ''at use blood tae seal the deal." "Something like that, sure," Lone replied uncaringly. "Anyways, here are the details. You will join us and help us fight the monsters in Urd Grun. Under no circumstances are you allowed to attack, kill or cause any bodily harm to us unless I allow you to do so, mainly for training purposes. You will, at all times, maintain a distance of 50-meters from us unless I say otherwise. I, on the other hand, will provide you with food, shelter, and conversation should you wish for it. Sound good thus far?" "There''s more?" Hamish asked with a grimace on his face. "A little," Lone nodded. "You will never reveal any skills or information I, Breena, Soph, or Sophie, reveal about ourselves. This will apply to us as well. Information is a powerful weapon, or the lack thereof as you''ve proven." Hamish furrowed his brow as he considered the contract. Breena seemed a bit confused too. Probably from the mention of both Soph and Sophie. That, however, was a conversation for another day. "Just to explain a bit," Lone said, "The contract will also prevent you from writing or trying to communicate the information in anyway shape or form. Also, it includes a gag-order for the intel that I am even able to use this magic. Same goes for her ability to teleport that I mentioned earlier." "''At sounds pretty one-sided fae ah contract enlistin'' the ''elp ah ah B-rank''r, eh?" Hamish argued. Lone frowned. "Then add some stipulations so I can amend it before passing it to you. Don''t forget that you were waiting in the middle of this dark road for us, not vice-versa." "Why don''t ah just kill ye all?" Hamish before flashing a grim smirk. Lone sighed. "Try it. The second you move before signing the contract is the last you''ll ever breathe. Unless you were holding back your speed during our ''duel'', which I highly doubt, then I''ll be able to make you a corpse before you even close half the distance from there to here." "... Aye, fine. The more ''elp gettin'' ma brothers'' revenge, the bett''r," Hamish said with a defeated shrug. Lone slowly got up from the floor and dusted himself off before storing his bucket of blood with one hand. He then grabbed the contract and his quill with the other. ''He is lying,'' Sophie sent. ''He will betray us. Tighten the contract. You are no Djinn. You cannot use loopholes to bind him with the current contract but he can use them to harm us!'' ''No, he cannot. Sophie, I appreciate your caution but it''s too much. He will not harm us. If anything, he will only make me stronger. I added no clause that says we aren''t allowed to hurt him. If he somehow wiggles out of the contract, which is impossible, mind you, then I will use Mental Destruction and kill him in an instant,'' Lone replied. "You had better," she whispered outside of their telepathy in response. ''I understand where she''s coming from but I need to be better than just a baseless murderer. Well, not baseless since he did try to kill me but revenge isn''t the answer. Not immediately, at least. History had proven that more than enough times. Two chances. He fucks up the second one, then and only then will he die. At that point, I can''t be held accountable,'' he reasoned to himself. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Outside of the murder morality debate, Lone also thought it would be such a waste to simply kill such a fantastic provider of new skills, mainly resistances, after all. Once he had crossed the distance between his group and Hamish, Lone passed the contract and quill over to the dwarf who was willing enough to receive them. "Like I said earlier, you need to sign with your own blood. Shall you make the wound or shall I?" Lone asked. "Ah''d be surprised if ye could manage," Hamish answered before he brought his thumb up to his mouth and bit on it with enough jaw strength to crush rocks. ''I''m pretty sure my tails would cut you to ribbons, pal,'' Lone thought in amusement as he watched Hamish jab the quill''s tip right into his punctured flesh. The dwarf then wrote out his full name at the bottom of the parchment, ''Hamish Understone''. The second the quill left the paper, it burst into brilliant red flames. ''Red? It was white flames with Kyuubi''s contract. Maybe the colour of flame signifies the strength of the contract?'' Lone thought as the last part of the contrast disappeared into a puff of smoke along with the crimson fire.
Level-2 contract [Contract of Cooperative Extermination with Hamish Understone] established. Rules of said contract have now been put into place.
Lone nodded. "Try to punch me. I do not give you permission to hurt me, but try nonetheless." "Is this where ah learn ''at ye''re actually ah powerful contract mage ''oo far exceeds the boundaries o'' ah D-rank''r?" Hamish laughed dismissively. "All withoot MP tae boot." "Try to punch me and find out," Lone goaded. Hamish shrugged. He then swung his fist as he applyied his Strength and Agility as much as possible. Wind pressure whipped past Lone''s face but the fist never made contact with his skin, being stopped just short. "Y''know, ah was ''opin'' ye were just deluded... ''Ow in the name ah the Stone did ye manage tae learn contract magic ''at, one, uses nae magic, an'' two, does shite like this without needin'' ah physical restraint like ah collar, ring, bracket or whatever the feck else?" Hamish asked in sheer shock. Lone smirked. "You may be bound to the contract to not tell anyone, but that doesn''t mean I''ll answer you. Ah, by the way, neither of them signed with their blood," he said as he gestured to Sophie and Breena. "Their promise regarding your personal information is one of trust, not one enforceable by my magic." "What? But the contract mentioned ''em," Hamish pointed out. "Yeah, but it doesn''t bind without blood. Not that it''s overly important. You want our help, we don''t want you getting in the way. Anything else is a bit inconsequential," Lone remarked. Hamish nodded slowly. "Aye, ah suppose ye''r nae wrong..." "Well, that''s that. Fuck off about 50-meters that way before the contract thinks you''re breaking its rules and decides to blow your head off or something," Lone said casually though he genuinely was worried about just that happening.
Hamish did as he was told and walked ahead, his mind still thinking about the contract. ''World''s ah big place, huh? Never thought there''d be contract magic oot there ''at uses nae MP tae bind folk together. Never thought there''d be one ''at can stop yer actions like ''at without ah conduit either.'' He was interested in the magic but it didn''t concern him all that much. His primary reason for meeting them here wasn''t to kill them, after all. Not directly, at least. Hamish may have a grudge against Lone but the two girls? He didn''t know them. What would Ewan think if he knew he was going around killing off random women and children? Nothing nice, Hamish suspected. His plans were just to use them as bait, a distraction, if you would, so he could safely collect his brothers'' corpses. Whatever else happened, happened. He wasn''t without morals and not all of his honour was lost, but on the scales, they looked like feathers compared to his family. The fact he had to help with the fighting was a bit annoying, still, he could deal with that. Hamish had a trick or two up his sleeve to not trigger the contract though revealing himself during the doubtless slaughter wasn''t going to happen. ''If they survive, they survive. If they kick the bucket, so be it,'' Hamish thought dismissively. ''Ah wonder if the contract''ll fizzle oot if the fox dies or dae ah ''ave tae hire ah specialist tae get it removed?'' The former would be preferable though the latter wasn''t impossible to handle if it was needed. Hamish knew a good spellbreaker in Krieg Tondoor. Krieg Tondoor was hardly closeby but a journey might just be what he needed when he was finished with his business here. ''If ah finish... By the Stone ah could just as well join ''em as cold piles ah rotten flesh an'' bones. Gettin'' ''em oot willnae be easy...'' Half an hour passed in relative silence. In that time, Hamish could vaguely hear the group behind him whispering among themselves but his skills weren''t geared towards eavesdropping, more to detecting the presence of nearby organisms. He was a scout, after all, not a spy. Similar but also vastly different professions. This area of the Farwinds was pretty peaceful, being so close to a main road. Not a thing had entered his range of detection beyond small endemic critters that posed no harm. Bored, Hamish shrugged and decided to stop walking just to see what the contract would do. It had forcefully stopped his punch. Would it move his legs for him this time instead to enforce the 50-metre distance rule? It did, in fact, do that. Hamish looked down in amazement as his legs walked without his consent, maintaining a distance of exactly 50-metres from the group he was leading. ''Magic is crazy...'' He quickly took back control from the contract and walked ahead of the limit imposed by the foxkin by a few paces. He did glance back though at the Golden Foxkin staring daggers into the back of his skull, apparently not very pleased that he''d tested the contract. ''Can ''e really kill me as quickly as ''e claims?'' It was a scary thought and it was one he felt more and more inclined to believe after witnessing and experiencing such strange contract magic. Several hours of travel passed before Hamish shouted down the road, "There''s ah clearin'' up ahead! Ah say we set up camp an'' turn in fae the night! This part ah the Farwinds are relatively safe, aye, but rest is critical on expeditions!" "You''re the expert! Camp it is! You are now allowed within ten metres of us but no closer!" the foxkin declared. ''Trustin'' idiot, eh? What if ah''d set up an ambush ''ere made up o'' ah bunch ah ''ired ''elp fae Krieg Moor?'' Hamish wondered. Immediately after, he felt the bindings of the contract loosen a little. He stretched his shoulders as he got used to the feeling and he then scouted out the clearing in the road. The foxkin and his two companions were soon by his side, well, 10-metres to his left specifically. "That is a big opening. What do you suppose made such a large hole in the road''s walls?" Hamish shrugged as he followed the fox''s gaze to the massive tunnel that seemed to cut right through the Farwinds. "Basilisk? Dragon? Big feck-off worm? Ah dinnae ken. All ah ken is this ''ole''s been ''ere fae centuries." "Soph," the foxkin said, turned to his human companion, "do you mind scouting out both ends of the tunnel? A few kilometres each way should be fine assuming it stretches so far. I''ll set up camp with Breena in the meantime." The girl nodded tensely. "A-And him?" ''Why the feck''s she nervous now? ''Er disposition''s all fluffy an'' warm. What ''appened tae the unendin'' bloodlust?'' Hamish wondered as he waited for the fox to answer the question. "Him?" the fox asked rhetorically as he waved his hand and a tent set-up kit appeared in it. "Where did ''at come fae?" Hamish asked. "It wasnae yer adventurer''s pouch, ''at''s fae certain." "Magic," the fox answered with a shrug before he tossed the kit towards him. "He''ll set up his tent for the night. Once that''s done and we''ve finished setting up over here for ourselves, he''s going to train with me." "Oh, am ah, noo?" Hamish asked, catching the tossed kit with ease. He instantly felt the contract trying to restrict him. He winced a little and sighed. "Guess ah am." "You heard him. You don''t have to worry, Soph. I''ll be keeping a close eye on him and the contract has him by the balls," the fox said as he smiled at the human. "Fine," she said in a slightly displeased tone before vanishing. "Invisibility?" Hamish muttered. "No, teleportation," the fox so helpfully corrected. "Right... teleportation..." he muttered in response. ''I can''t detect ''er. How feckin'' far can she teleport? An'' she can bring people with ''er from what the fox threatened earlier, aye?'' Something inside of Hamish suddenly saw a great deal of potential in this set of strange D-rankers. The Crimson Foxkin may as well have not existed but the Golden Foxkin and the human? Maybe, just maybe, they were more than just fodder to make his plans go more smoothly. B2: Chapter 34: Training and Coming Clean Lone nodded to himself as he finished setting up his and Soph''s tent. Breena was the first to be done, being even quicker than the experienced adventurer Hamish, Lone noticed. Likely due to the fact that Daisuke made her and her fellow former slaves do all of the chores like that when they went exploring or travelling to spread the man''s ''glorious name''. Initially Lone had thought to use his fort. He''d made it all the way back on Goblin Island, gave it away to the elf victims then remade it on the road between Ros and Ranton. Just recently had used it to house himself, Soph, and Breena, when they crossed the Estoplian Wasteland to reach Krieg Moor. He decided against it, however. He had no way to fix it right now with his mana organs sealed and every time he withdrew the structure from his Dimensional Storage its foundations weakened a little bit more. That wasn''t a huge issue since it would take dozens, maybe hundreds of withdrawals from Dimensional Storage to threaten the building''s integrity. Although, he also didn''t want it to get damaged by a surprise monster attack in the middle of the night. It was his emergency refuge - a home away from home. It would pain him greatly to see it get ruined any further. Besides, he kind of liked camping. As rarely as he had done it in his childhood, he still recalled fond memories of playing with Hazel when she was a toddler while their parents watched on in joy. ''Simpler times,'' he thought, shaking his head. Camping it was. He stretched his back then approached Hamish, lifting the restrictions on how far the dwarf could be to him at the same time. "Ready to train?" The dwarf shrugged. "Sure, but ''ow? Ah''m nae teach''r." "And you needn''t be one. I will allow you to hurt me but not kill me. No crippling either. While I could heal from it, I''d rather this remain as training so I''m in my best form should we get attacked by monsters. No applying your stats either, not for now at least, please. I can''t enforce that last one so please don''t let me know that I''ve misplaced my trust," Lone replied. "Sounds easy ''nuff," Hamish said. "Fists or daggers?" "You use daggers? Those please, if you wouldn''t mind," Lone answered as he withdrew a steel swordspear from his Dimensional Storage. Hamish raised an eyebrow. He reached into the adventurer''s pouch at his waist. The next moment he had a blade in either hand, both of which were curved, about 10-inches long, and they glowed with a dim red hue. "Odd weapon ya''ve get there, Fox," Hamish noted. "It''s best suited for me. Trust me, I tried everything under the sun before realising this was the one for me," Lone replied. ''Daggers aren''t his perfectly fitted weapon according to Growth Accelerator but I bet he knows damn-well how to use them.'' "Fair ''nuff. Fae transparency''s sake, these babies inflict mild burnin'' curses on contact. One ah the reasons ah didnae use ''em when ah dragg''d ye tae the guild. Ah didnae want tae torture ya, after all, just kill ya," Hamish said which earned a concerned frown from the watching Breena. "Ye kinda turned the latter intae the form''r though since ye refused tae kick the bucket." ''That''s cute. He thinks that was torture?'' Lone smiled. "I appreciate the honesty. Feel free to cut me with them. I could use a Curse Resistance skill." "''At ''ow ye''r so strong fae yer rank? Resistance trainin''?" Hamish asked in earnest as he approached Lone. Nodding, he replied, "Kind of. It''s certainly a contributing factor. Do you mind just, I don''t know, stabbing me a few times to get the curse going or whatever else it needs then we can move on to fighting?" "Ah mean, aye, sure, ah can dae ''at but are ya oof yer rock''r or some''in? Got an ''igh Mental Pain Resistance, ''ave ya?" Hamish asked as he casually poked the sharp edge of one of his daggers into Lone''s gut. Lone winced a bit and he heard Breena gasping in shock. "So curses are linked to the mind, not to the body? And yes, I do. It''s expert rank." "Really? Feckin'' colour me impressed. Ye''r one tortured soul, eh?" Hamish commented. "You have no idea," Lone said with a grim smirk. Hamish shrugged. "These curses are pure enchantments, by the by. Willnae ''elp level Mental Pain Resistance if ye''ve got it at expert rank, but fae personal experience, Curse Resistance can go up tae Intermediate-Level-2 fae ''em." "Personal experience?" Lone asked as he saw a blue screen appear before his eyes.
The host has developed the passive skill: Curse Resistance.
Passive Skill: Curse Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist weak curses. Weak curses applied to the host shall have their effects reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The burning sensation really wasn''t all that bad. It was new though. He hadn''t been burned alive during his extended stay in Ranton''s castle dungeons. ''Maybe I should''ve asked that cocksucker to pour oil on me and light it up. I could have used Fire Resistance or the equivalent skill for steamforging, haha.'' "Aye. Ya always run the risk ah yer enemy usin'' yer weapon against ya. Figured it was wise tae get the resistance. Took ah good few weeks tae earn it then over ah year tae cap it out. Ah shoulda bought ah strong''r enchantment, tae be honest," Hamish said in a regretful tone. Lone then saw the dwarf smile a little before he added, "It always made Ewan uncomfortable when ''e caught me stabbin'' the tip ah ma fing''r in the middle ah the night." "Ewan?" Lone asked, unsure of who the referenced person was. Hamish shook his head. "One ah the dead lads we''re off tae avenge. Anyhoo, curse''s applied. What noo? Wannae fight ah bit or just focus on the sensation ah burning alive?" "I can ignore this much," Lone said. ''This is nothing compared to what Sir Ardus put me through, sadly. I pray to whatever gods are listening that he survived what befell Milindo. If only so I can kill him myself.'' "Okay. So, ah attack ye an'' ye try tae block?" Hamish suggested, trying to be actually helpful. ''This guy''s a dick but at least he''s not attempting to make this a miserable experience,'' Lone thought. "I was thinking trying to dodge and deflect your blows. I have Evasion Mastery at expert-level-one. Think you can push it beyond that as a B-ranker? If so, I see no reason not to multitask." "Aye, prob''ly. Noo withoot applyin'' at least ma Agility, but there''s only one way tae find oot, noo isnae there?" Hamish responded with a devious grin. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
"Right you are, Dwarf, right you are," Lone answered with his own smirk.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Lone paused looking over his notifications log from his two-hour-long training session with Hamish for a moment. He was currently sitting at the campfire watching the dwarf train Breena with one eye while the other read the logs. After Lone called for a short break, Breena had somehow worked up the courage to request training from Hamish. Apparently, she wanted to learn how to use her needles like how he used his daggers. Honestly, Lone was incredibly proud. The girl had stepped out of her comfort zone and spoke to a man out of her own initiative. She rarely did that even with him or Mister Fits''war. Hamish had only been permitted to train with her, not to do any harm to her whatsoever. Lone trusted his True Contract Magic but he felt it was wise to pay attention to them while they sparred. Well, less sparred and more Breena getting schooled to last Wednesday and back. If Hamish was one thing, it was a dick. if he was a second thing, it was talented. That''s how Lone felt at least. Not only was he easily dancing around Breena as if it were as simple as breathing, but was also giving decent pointers at every flaw of hers that he noticed. ''Guy says he isn''t a teacher but Breena''s definitely learning a lot.'' Regardless, he had stopped looking at his notification to check Curse Resistance''s skill information a bit more closely.
Passive Skill: Curse Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist weak curses. Weak curses applied to the host shall have their effects reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 5
''Only weak curses... I wonder if the enchantments on the dwarf''s daggers are weak or not? If they''re stronger, it can''t be by much since it will only push the skill barely into the intermediate rank,'' he concluded.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
''Surprising really that simple practice with someone vastly stronger than myself can give me a level when all I used my swordspear for was to trigger Weapon Block,'' Lone thought.
Congratulations! the host''s active skill [Weapon Block] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s active skill [Weapon Block] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
''This''ll be a vital skill when we eventually reach Urd Grun,'' he thought. ''Both this and Evasion Mastery. Sophie''s right. I can''t keep letting shit hit me just for more levels in my resistances. I should train those in controlled environments. Basic Regeneration too. Risking my life is kinda dumb.''
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
''Speaking of vital skills... I should level up Light-footed while we''re waiting on Soph''s return. She''s taking her damn sweet time though if there''s an issue I''m sure she''ll let me know via telepathy,'' Lone thought before nodding to himself. He got up, dusted his backside and approached Breena and Hamish. "Dwarf, can you multitask? I want to practise the skill Light-footed on you while you continue helping Breena. Could be useful for sneaking up on the hordes lying in wait for us at our destination." Hamish shrugged as he easily slapped away an incoming needle with the blade of one of his daggers, causing Breena who was holding it to stumble and fall flat on her face. "Aye, gae fae it. Ah''m ah scout first an'' foremost though, so ya may be piss poor oot ah luck when tryin'' tae level ''at skill. If ah concentrate enuff ah can even hear dust movin'' about." "I''ll just have to try my best," Lone replied as he helped Breena back up onto her feet. "You okay?" She gave him a firm nod and answered, "Y-Yes. I... I''m learning. This much is nothing." "Okay. Let me know if he starts bullying you. He''s far, far stronger than even me, let alone you. Also let me know if you earn a skill okay?" Lone said in a fatherly tone. He was incredibly hopeful for this new drive of hers to grow to get stronger but he was also fearful at the same time. The last thing he wanted was for some bumbling dwarf to ruin the months of progress that he and Soph had barely managed to eke out of the girl. "Mmm, I will," Breena said meekly. "Ye ah little faith," Hamish said dramatically. "Piss oof tae ah corner an'' try tae be quiet then, Fox. We''re trainin'' ''ere." Lone didn''t humour him with a response but he did do as suggested. He walked a decent distance down the gaping tunnel. He was deep enough into the tunnel''s darkness that it would be a struggle to see him but the opposite wasn''t true. The light of the campfire along with the few remaining lighting enchantments on the Farwinds roads made it easy for him to keep an eye on Hamish in case he tried anything funny. He started creeping around without any real purpose beyond trying to level the skill, Light-footed. Almost immediately he heard a yell coming for the campsite. "Ah can ''ear ya clear as day, Fox!" Hamish screamed down the tunnel. "Focus less on being quiet an'' more on noo disturbin'' yer surroundin''s. Ya keep steppin'' on pebbles." ''He''s actually helping me with advice?'' Lone thought in surprise. ''He didn''t bother with our training spar. Maybe because this relates to his profession? Whatever the reason, I''ll take it. Just like Gramps taught me, you can be better at a skill than its rank details imply. Avoid the rocks, right?''
An hour and a half passed before Breena had to call it quits with her own training, her Stamina Points being near-depleted in their entirety. Hamish didn''t seem to care, choosing to dig into some of his prepared rations for dinner. Lone stopped his fumbling about in the dark and rejoined camp, not too pleased with his own gains in that time but it hadn''t been an entirely fruitless endeavour if nothing else.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
''I''m convinced I got these levels from Breena, not the dwarf. If it was from him, I''d have gotten over a dozen at once I bet,'' Lone thought to himself. He approached Hamish and reached into his Dimensional Storage, pulling out a piping hot meal. "Here. As thanks for helping us both improve our abilities." Hamish looked at the meal sceptically before shrugging. He put away his already opened rations, mumbling about saving them for tomorrow''s breakfast before taking the offered plate. "Cheers, Fox. Was just keepin'' ma end ah the bargain," Hamish answered. "So it''s space magic, fae sure. Time tae. Can ya let me ken what it is, exactly? Ah dinnae ken o'' anythin'' ''at can keep ah meal hot like this fae long. Ah bet such spells exists but nae comin'' fae ah manaless foxkin in the D-ranks." ''It also has infinite capacity and no weight or size limits, I''m just not allowed to store living things.'' Lone took a seat next to Hamish and took out a meal for Breena and one for himself. "I can do that, sure. You''ve shown your willingness to follow the terms of the contract. It''s a unique skill." "Unique? As in... an ''ero?" Breena immediately tensed up. Her hand freezing, stopping the forkful of food from reaching her mouth. At that very moment, Soph appeared, clad in her armour though it was stained with blood. "Both ends seem fine. Sophie, uh, thought it would be smart to check deeper than you suggested... We trained with some monsters and uh, um, did something happen?" Lone smiled wryly. "I was just explaining to Breena and our dwarven guest here that you and I aren''t from Altros." "Oh." Soph looked confused before she gasped. "OH!" "Yes, ''oh''," Lone chuckled. B2: Chapter 35: A New Skill and Discrimination ''They... They''re not from Altros? B-Both of them?'' Breena''s mind was a mess. "Y-You''re lying." She saw Master Lone wince a little but more surprisingly, the dwarf who had claimed to have attempted to murder him shot to his feet with a plate full of food still held in his hands. "Ah''m nae good wae weeuns nor drama. Sort this shite oot yerself, Fox. Thanks fae answerin'', though," he said before he turned his back and wandered off to his tent. Breena saw Master Lone smile wryly. "You''re welcome." He turned to face her now and she was honestly pretty scared in regards to what he might say. "Since one thing''s out of the bag now, I suppose I''ll also confirm something else you''ve likely suspected for some time now." "W-What?" Breena never did like surprises and she would much rather they treated it like Master Lone had said nothing. That way, she could ignore his shocking revelation from just mere moments ago and treat it like some sort of illusion or something. Sadly, however, she couldn''t quite find the courage to voice such thoughts. "Well, you''ve probably noticed how I call Soph Sophie sometimes. And when I do, she''s not bubbly anymore but serious and a bit cold, right?" he asked her. Breena glanced at Mistress Soph curiously. More so to move away from the prior topic than for any other reason. She liked these people. Both Mistress Soph and Master Lone. If it turned out they were just like her former master... She was struggling to find a reason to keep going were that truly the case. They were kind to her. They treated her like a sister at times but they gave her plenty of independence at the same time It almost felt like... a family. It was nice. It was warm. If, however, they were exactly the same as her former master... she feared what her own mind would make her do. "She... she has two personalities, right?" Breena asked timidly. Master Lone smiled brightly at her answer and that made her feel a bit better. "Yes, that''s right. You''re really clever, aren''t you? Under all of that shyness, I mean." "T-Thanks. Um, c-can I go to my tent now too? L-Like Mister Hamish?" she asked, eagerness in her voice. Master Lone sighed. "If you really want to, of course. Soph, Sophie, and I, are not Daisuke." She flinched upon hearing that. "We may not call Altros our homeland, hell, the three of us came from the exact same planet as him. At least I think Daisuke''s Earth was the same as ours. There could be parallel ones but let''s not get into that possibility right now." Breena didn''t understand half of what he was saying but what she did pick up frightened her to her core. She tried her best to avoid shaking or crying. It was tough but she''d practised doing that for years now. She could endure. "Um..." She didn''t know what to say. ''I feel so awkward... H-How do I speak to them? Master Lone wants to talk about it b-but I wish he hadn''t said anything. Ma-Maybe he''s lying? Maybe this is a test to see if I''m loyal?'' Mistress Soph took off her helmet and kneeled down to be level with her. "Sorry Lone''s so insensitive. He can be a big dummy at times, can''t he?" "Hey! This kind of thing never had any good timing. Still, we''re nothing like Daisuke. I killed that son of a bitch with my own two hands. Or, well, Void did," Master Lone responded. "Void?" Another topic to get away from the current one! Breena would be a fool to not try to pursue it. "A complicated matter, Void. Not entirely unrelated to why we''re going to Urd Grun. It''s not one for right now though. Anyway, long and short? We''re not from Altros, we''re definitely not heroes, and, lastly, we are most definitely not paedophilic, enslaving, rapist scumbags who are wasting the very air they breathe. Figured it was only fair to let you know that Soph and I are a bit special since, well, we trust you. Hamish can likely hear this too but he''s bound by a contract," Master Lone claimed. Breena then saw him point at her neck. "You aren''t and never will be. You''re a lot like my actual little sister in some aspects. A family doesn''t lie to one another, right? Heh. Well, a temporary family at least. We do plan on returning you to your homeland, after all. If that''s what you want. We never did really ask for your opinion on it but it certainly matters. If you want to stay with us on a more permanent basis, we''d be happy to have you." "Kyuubi loves you," Mistress Soph said with a dazzling smile on her face. "Uh, not, to um, emotionally blackmail you or anything. She''ll be fine even if you decide to go home and stay there! Just, uh, this is also your home. With us, I mean." "And you call me insensitive," Master Lone chuckled. Breena looked down to the floor as she nodded very slowly but not to confirm nor deny anything. She had a lot to think about.
A few days of travel passed and Breena didn''t say a word during that entire time. She was too busy trying to get stronger and too wrapped up in her thinking. She was succeeding on the former front if nothing else. Her training with Mister Hamish stacked atop her weeks of practice had culminated in a new skill.
Needle Mastery
A skill that allows the host to use needles offensively with some proficiency. Stolen novel; please report. When used in combat, needles become 5% sharper and 5% more durable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner level 1
Breena was so proud of herself that she almost gave in to the desire to jump with joy and show off her progress to Master Lone and Mistress Soph. If it weren''t for the revelations of a few days ago perhaps she would have. Regardless, she was still over the moons to have obtained the skill after so much effort. ''I''m not entirely talentless,'' she thought. ''It''s my only skill I''ve ever earned myself... I''ll... I''ll treasure it...'' For almost her entire life of fourteen years, she''d only ever had one skill. It was the Crimson Foxkin''s racial skill, Flickering Identity. Its mastery had only levelled up twice in over a decade, showing how simply lacking in talent she was. This was why gaining a new skill after only the relatively short duration of a little over a month was such a monumental achievement for her. She had only one other skill which was newer that Flickering Identity but she detested it. Her Hunger Resistance. She hadn''t earned that skill, it had been forced upon her so she would rather forget it existed. "Breena?" the sound of Master Lone''s voice calling out startled her. She looked up at him and stayed completely silent. She was terrified of what he might have to say. This was the first time since their talk a few days ago that he''d called out to her and she wasn''t ready yet to speak her mind. She appreciated the space he and Mistress Soph were giving her so now that that seemed to have come to an end, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest and a deep dread was rising in her gut. "Do you mind if I ask you a question? Well, maybe a few, but let''s start with one," he said as he laughed like he usually did. It tended to make her feel comforted when he smiled and laughed. Her old master never smiled or laughed like Master Lone did. He only smiled when he was in full control of everything around him and he only laughed when she or her fellow slaves begged for him to stop hurting them. He never did. The way that monster of a man had expressed joy... it made her terrified and she would likely never forget it. Master Lone and Mistress Soph though? It reminded her of... the clan. That was a distant memory though at this point, one she barely even recalled anymore. "I''ll just ask then. Uh, no need to answer if you don''t want to though. No pressure, okay?" Master Lone said while he scratched his neck awkwardly. Another habit of his she had learned over the last month or so with him and Mistress Soph. He only did it when he was lacking confidence. Master Lone took in a breath of air as if to ready himself before he asked, "Are Daisuke and I the same person?" "What?" Breena asked back in utter confusion, causing a small smile to form on his lips, she saw. "Haha, sounds weird, right?" Master Lone said. Breena slowly nodded. "... You... You''re nothing like him..." "I''m glad you can see that. This would have been such a difficult talk otherwise," he chuckled. "I mean, we''re both not from Altros but we''re just so different on all fronts. I mean, just as a start he was Japanese, I''m Scottish. Couldn''t get more different than that." "You... you''re from the same world?" Breena asked. He had implied something similar the other day but she''d not taken him seriously. ''But... he''s not a human... Mistress Soph is but... Even more lies?'' "Please don''t look at me like that," Master Lone requested. "I''m as Golden Foxkin as they come. Look, aren''t my tails super fluffy?" Breena flinched as a big golden tail brushed against her face. It felt good. "B-But he... he said there was no magic and only humans there, on Earth..." "Ah, he spoke about the place? Well, he wasn''t wrong. I used to be a human," Master Lone revealed with a shrug. "Though I''m not anymore. Dimensional god-fuckery magic and whatnot, right?" ''He... was a human? Species can change when becoming heroes?'' She didn''t understand. Breena didn''t really know what to say. She didn''t even know if she could trust his words, though by the Primals did she want to. Master Lone and Mistress Soph meant so much to her but she was scared. Of what, even she wasn''t quite sure. "Anyway, my overarching point with all of this was that two people can be incredibly similar but be nothing alike. You and I are both foxkin, yet we are vastly different people. Daisuke and Soph, both humans, couldn''t be less alike if they tried. Well, one''s dead, haha. Hamish and Grimsley, both dwarfs, again, vastly different," Master Lone argued. He sighed and leaned back. "The three of us, you, me, Soph and Sophie... we''ve all been discriminated against for the stereotypes and cultural views placed upon our kin. You''re young, Breena, young and incredibly mature. You''ve been through a lot. I just don''t want your experiences to make you see the world and the people in it as either white or black. Both metaphorically and literally. Every person is different. You will meet some people who fill their prejudices to a tee, sadly, but I promise you they are far and few between." He turned and stared right into her eyes, making her feel more than a little bit uncomfortable. "You''re not a worthless animal deserving of a collar, just as I''m not a disgusting pervert of a hero. We''re all unique and deserve to be judged on our own actions and morals," he stated with a warm smile. "I..." Breena held her tongue as she thought carefully about what to say... "I... Can I believe in you, Mistress Soph and Mistress Sophie?" She saw Master Lone beam a delighted grin. "Of course you can. Y''know, if you didn''t have androphobia, I''d hug you right now. I didn''t think this would be such a big deal to you but I''m happy you aren''t super pissed that we kept this from you given your past. There was just never a good moment to bring it up and it never really mattered much to us. I''m happy I was wrong though. It''s good to know this is a subject that''s important to you." "... What''s ''androphobia''?" Breena asked through a small sniffle. "Fuck you English," he profaned. "It means the fear of men." She turned away shyly. ''Ah. Uh, is that the same? Is that, uh, discriminating? I think I can put being heroes out of my mind but this is different...'' Luckily, it seemed Master Lone didn''t intend to change her mind on that matter. Just knowing she didn''t hate or feel a great deal of mistrust for them was enough to please him, judging by how he wasn''t saying anything and was just smiling at her kindly. It surprised Breena how joyful that made her feel. ''He really is right... They... They''re nothing alike. S-So what if they come from the same place? So what if he used to be a human? S-So what if they''re both men? That... That... That scum wasn''t a true master! Master Lone is a true master!'' She didn''t know if her thoughts would be best received by Master Lone since he didn''t seem overly fond of how she addressed him. Still, this was better than avoiding both him and Mistress Soph all day while they travelled, wasn''t it?
''Utterly foolish. We will never understand that girl,'' Sophie thought. She''d been able to hear the entire conversation from the inside of her and Lone''s tent and it bothered her a lot. ''Why is she so foolish and weak-minded? We were hunted for more than a century by the Knights Templar. They caught us, stripped us, bound us, chained us to a wall in a cave and left us there for centuries to come! In spite of this, you do not see us hating all men nor those reliant on faith nor knights!'' She really struggled to understand why Lone and Soph bothered with the girl, let alone liked her. ''Toss her a pouch full of gold and send her on her way, we say,'' she snorted in her mind before closing her eyes and forcing herself to go to sleep. She feared she''d express some of her discontent towards Lone should he enter their tent and she didn''t really want to deal with that. Lone could be a real pain in the ass when he was firm of mind, Sophie felt. B2: Chapter 36: Skill List and Basic Hygiene
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Curse Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Hamish wasn''t wrong. It had only taken six two-hour-long training sessions over the course of four days for the skill to reach the maximum rank and level it could possibly attain with the enchantments on the dwarf''s daggers. Lone stretched long and hard, pausing his meditation briefly. He, Soph, Breena, and Hamish, were camping out for the night once again after a long day of walking through the Farwinds. He was still trying to get a skill to help him with his nightmares. Doubly so now since sleep was scarce while they travelled, what with at least one of them needing to be on watch constantly. Lone was all too happy to fill that role in place of his comrades. It gave him a reason not to sleep and it also allowed him to keep trying new things to earn a meditation skill. Just sitting cross-legged and trying to clear his mind didn''t work so he was currently trying out some new poses to relax while he reviewed his training progress. On the other side of camp, both Soph and Breena were sparring with Hamish. Breena with her needles and Soph with her barriers. Of course, neither came even close to injuring the man. Lone cracked his neck and interrupted his notification log to check up on Curse Resistance''s new information since it had ranked up.
Passive Skill: Curse Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist weak and [New!] mild curses. Weak and [New!] mild curses applied to the host shall have their effects reduced by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 2
''Mild, huh? Is that what the dwarf''s burning curse is? A low-power mild one?'' Lone wondered. It was certainly a lot easier to ignore now that the skill had ranked up, that was for sure. He was just disappointed that the enchantment was so weak. ''Seems like a useful skill to have a lot of levels in, Curse Resistance. A lot of weird monsters out there specialise in curses. If only the enchantment were more powerful... Then again, were it stronger maybe Breena wouldn''t have asked to train with it too.'' That was a surprise, for sure. He had expected Sophie to request such treatment from the dwarf and sure enough, she had indeed done so. Only that aspect of her training ended swiftly when she realised the curse interfered with her Mana Sensing since the pain was so crisp and searing. It also apparently focused too much on the mind, rendered her crippled in the magical sense. Breena on the other hand was a bloody soldier, Lone felt. She hardly winced at the pain of being cut and cursed. The burning only slowed her down by a fraction of her usual speed. Not that that really mattered when it came to Hamish since he was vastly stronger than her anyway. Still, it was worthy of praise. Lone resumed looking through his notification log, taking in the new information regarding his own personal growth.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s active skill [Weapon Block] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Much to Lone''s chagrin, Swordspear Mastery hadn''t crossed through the advanced barrier and become an expert ranked skill quite yet. He suspected he''d have to actually fight seriously for that to happen. Sadly, that wasn''t possible. ''Not without my Creation Magic at least. I can''t heal without it and Hamish, while strong and fast, is not made of steel. I really could use a normal healing skill. Hmm... do any even exist that don''t rely on MP?'' He didn''t know. Information regarding skills and how the system in general worked was sorely lacking in both Milindo and Krieg Moor. He''d learned a vast amount of general information regarding the continent, surrounding kingdoms, empires, and monsters too. Skills though? Damn-near everything he knew was self-taught through his own studies and tests. ''Hell, even the guild is kinda useless in this regard, really. They have a list of skills and reqs for them but you can''t access it until you''re a silver plate. Even then they only tell you about specific skills that apply to what you want to learn and you need a permit to get the info per skill. I mean, it makes sense since that''s the bar between a random adventurer and a trusted adventurer fully sanctioned by the guild itself but damn is it annoying...'' Lone thought as he broke his pose and scratched his head. "Dwarf!" He yelled across the camp, getting Hamish''s attention, "What plate rank are you?" "Silver. Why?" Hamish responded as he off-handedly deflected one of Breena''s throwing needles before he roundhouse-kicked an incoming jade-coloured barrier into smithereens. "Don''t know any useful skills, do you? Like something to calm the mind, as an example," Lone asked. Hamish looked a bit puzzled for a moment before a look of realisation washed over his face. "Ahhh, nah, ah dinnae. Couldnae tell ya if ah did anyway. It''s against the rules tae share info aboot the guild''s skill list." Lone raised an eyebrow. "And assaulting and kidnapping other members isn''t?" The dwarf shrugged while he danced around Soph''s incoming barriers, choosing to pluck Breena''s needles right out of the air and her hands as they approached him. "Different levels ah severity. The latter is handled locally, the former is treated a wee bit more seriously since it''s ah serious breach o'' trust. Just so ya ken, ah would likely tell ya if ah knew any skills ''at could ''elp ya were it nae fae the guild''s restrictions. Ah''m kinda boond by mere than one contract though, Fox." "Fair enough. it was worth an ask though," Lone replied. "By the way, there isn''t some method to see all of your skills in one list like with your status, is there? Thinking ''skill list'' does nothing." Hamish chuckled. "Feck me ye''r an ignorant sod. Those who summoned ye didnae gae ye the rundown?" ''Those shitty inconsiderate gods?'' Lone smiled a little. "Sadly, no, they didn''t." Hamish tapped the side of his head and said, "Think ah some categories then mentally say ''skill list''. It''s ah two-step process. Simple enuff, aye? Ya dinnae even need tae include all skills in the categories." "Really? That''s it? Fuck. Well that''s helpful," Lone exclaimed. "''Ow many skills ya even got, Fox?" Hamish asked, barely dodging an incoming sword. "Feck ye''r one ''ell of ah distraction. That martial arts yer usin'', lass? The flow''s ''ard tae follow. Ah guess ya got sick ah watchin'' the other one toss ''er barriers around all willy-nilly, eh?" Sophie lowered her stance and grunted. "MP was running low." Lone grinned upon seeing Sophie almost get one over on the dwarf. It''d be a real pain in the ass if she actually hurt him but keeping the man on his toes was a joy to witness. "I don''t know. Quite a few. I''ll tell you when I''m done checking." Hamish just shrugged again and refocused all of his efforts on the two girls attacking him. ''So categories then skill list? Hmm... Well... Passive and active? Skill list?'' Lone thought in an unsure manner just to test the waters. It worked but he was disgusted by the disorder that he saw. ''I need to mess with this and see what the limits are... This could be fun...'' Thirty minutes later he had a list that he was happy to look at.
Skill List
Weapon Mastery Skills
Swordspear Mastery Advanced Level 10
Unarmed Combat Mastery Advanced Level 7
Polearm Mastery Intermediate Level 10
Hand Axe Mastery Beginner Level 1
Dual-wielding Mastery Beginner Level 1
Hatchet Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortbow Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortspear Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortsword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Sword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Movement Skills
Evasion Mastery Expert Level 3
Light-footed Beginner Level 6
Social Skills
Acting Advanced Level 2
Persuasion Intermediate Level 8
Crafting Skills
Blacksmithing Advanced Level 10
Steamforged Tool Mastery Advanced Level 10
Woodworking Advanced Level 5
Masonry Advanced Level 1
Steamforging Intermediate Level 8
Weaponsmithing Intermediate Level 8
Logging Intermediate Level 8
Architecture Mastery Beginner Level 1
Armoursmithing Beginner Level 1
Shipbuilding Beginner Level 1
Misc Skills
Reading Mastery Advanced Level 4
Cooking Mastery Intermediate Level 5
Sex Mastery Intermediate Level 5
Cartography Intermediate Level 4
Swimming Mastery Intermediate Level 3
Basic Massage Technique Intermediate Level 1
Laundry Mastery Beginner Level 8
Pet Mastery Beginner Level 6
Teaching Mastery Beginner Level 5
Fishing Mastery Beginner Level 4
Massage Mastery Beginner Level 4
Historical and Cultural Appreciation Beginner Level 2
Illusion Detection Beginner Level 2
Sailing Mastery Beginner Level 2
Chess Mastery Beginner Level 1
Resistance Skills
Mental Pain Resistance Expert Level 3
Physical Pain Resistance Expert Level 3
Darkness Corruption Resistance Expert Level 1
Aura Pressure Resistance Intermediate Level 4
Lightning Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 3
Curse Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Air Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Earth Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Fire Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Water Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Fear Resistance Beginner Level 9
Acid Resistance Beginner Level 8
Corrosion Resistance Beginner Level 8
Panic Resistance Beginner Level 8
Nausea Resistance Beginner Level 7
Cold Resistance Beginner level 1
Active Skills Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Weapon Block Intermediate Level 9
Magic Skills
Root of Life Intermediate Level 8
Lightning Bolt Intermediate Level 6
Illusionary Dome Intermediate Level 3
Fireball Intermediate Level 1
Waterball Beginner Level 8
Wind Blade Beginner Level 2
Amplified Current Beginner Level 1
Boulder Beginner Level 1
Racial Skills
Tail Spear Beginner Level 4
World Skills
Full Body Diagnostics Beginner Level 2
Primal Skills
Ungrounded Beginner Level 4
Nothing Vortex Beginner Level 1
Unique Skills
Basic Regeneration Expert Level 7
Bone Armour Expert Level 5
Dimensional Storage N/A
Creation Magic N/A
Growth Accelerator N/A
Mental Destruction N/A
The Summoning Room N/A
True Contract Magic N/A
Fuck That Cuntbag Sir Ardus Skills
Poison Resistance Expert Level 9
Torture Resistance Advanced Level 4
Thirst Resistance Intermediate Level 5
Insanity Resistance Beginner Level 9
Hunger Resistance Beginner Level 8
''78 skills all arranged in fitting categories by highest rank first then alphabetically for ones in the same category and at the same rank. Man, that''s a satisfying list to look at,'' Lone thought with pride, particularly at his last-minute addition of the final section of skills. ''I have basically no fuckin'' active skills, like, holy shit. With Creation Magic sealing my magic skills, all I have is Weapon Block, Tail Spears, and Ungrounded, the latter of which is incredibly expensive SP-wise,'' Lone noted. Of course, he also had Swordspear Mastery''s Pierce and Evasion Mastery''s Momentum Shift but still.... he had no idea how passive-heavy he really was until now. "I mean, it works since a bunch of them are combat-focused," he muttered. He then poured over the list for a good while longer, long enough for Sophie to stop him to demand he served them dinner. He happily obliged then returned to his musings. ''While we''re travelling to Urd Grun I shouldn''t just be training Evasion Mastery, Light-footed and Weapon Block. I think I can also comfortably squeeze in Full Body Diagnostics, Ungrounded, Tail Spears, Unarmed Combat Mastery, Aura pressure Resistance, maybe Fear Resistance and Nausea Resistance too,'' he thought with a smile. ''I could even work something out for Basic Regen and Bone Armour maybe, though that''s risky.'' "Dwarf," Lone called, interrupting the man from his beans and toast. "Aye? What''s up, Fox?" Hamish responded. "You asked how many skills I had, right? I''ve got 80," Lone answered a little bit proudly. Sophie rolled her eyes at that. Both Breena and Hamish had vastly different reactions though. Breena just stared at her plate of food a bit sadly, as if disappointed with herself. Hamish, on the other hand, laughed. "That many, aye? Just ''ow many resistances ''ave ya got?" "Give me a sec to count," Lone requested before doing just that. "21." "Feckin'' ''ell. ye''r nae pullin'' ma leg, ''re ye?" the dwarf asked as munched on his toast. Lone shook his head. "No, since you can''t reveal this to anyone anyway, what would be the point of lying? I do have a few more skills I''d like to start adding into the training rotation though if you wouldn''t mind." Hamish shrugged. "The strong''r ye lot''re, the better oor chances at gettin'' what needs doin'', done. What skills, by the by?" "I wanna get Unarmed Combat Mastery to advanced-level-ten, Aura Pressure Resistance to as far as your aura can push it, Ungrounded - the skill I used to walk on air when we had our fight - I want to reach intermediate rank. Levelling Full Body Diagnostics could be helpful too though tricky. I''ve got a few more skills I want to level but I can do those alone like Fear Resistance, Nausea Resistance, and Tail Spear," Lone listed off. "''Ow old''re ye again?" Hamish asked. "25, why?" Lone answered with a raised eyebrow. "Motherfeck''r... Ah''m 132 an'' ah only have 27 skills, of which, only 11 are advanced or above. Ah didnae get ma first skill tae the advanced rank ''til ah was well intae ma seventies," Hamish complained. "''Ow the feck''re ye doin'' it?" Lone grinned. "I have a skill that lets me get other skills more easily. Lets me level them quickly too," he confessed. "That''s amazing..." he heard Breena mutter under her breath. "Of feckin'' course ye do. Feckin'' heroes, am ah right?" he asked jokingly to Breena who just froze upon being addressed directly by him. "Ha-ah... Why ye''r tryin'' tae learn new shite when yer such ah social wreck, lassie, makes nae feckin'' sense tae me." "Her motivations are her own," Sophie said. "Do not make fun of them nor of her. That is not your place, Dwarf." ''Sophie standing up for Breena? I thought she didn''t like her... Well, I''m certainly happy to see she''s not all brimstone and fire with the girl, if nothing else,'' Lone thought as he stood up and stretched. He wouldn''t be earning a meditation-based skill tonight, that was for sure. He loosened the restrictions on Hamish''s contract then placed a hand on the man''s shoulder. "Sorry, Fox, ah dinnae swing ''at way," the dwarf said as his face recoiled in disgust. "Oh shut the fuck up. I''m using a skill on you. It can only be used once a day," Lone replied with a roll of the eyes. "Full Body Diagnostics." "Thank the Stone. What does it dae?" Hamish asked. "It diagnoses your entire body," Lone replied with a deadpan tone and expression. "Ah, clear as coal. Ah''d ''ave never figured ''at oot withoot yer masterful description," Hamish responded in kind. Lone pulled back his hand and two blue messages entered his vision.
You have gained a deeper connection with the world and you now understand one of her boons that little bit better. You have gained 100 World Force.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
"Oh! It actually levelled up," Lone exclaimed in joy. ''It''s still a bit weird that stuff to do with World Force is in italics and that it directly addresses me as ''you'' instead of as ''the host''. I wonder if it''s not the same system?'' "Was it nae meant tae?" Hamish asked. "It''s a world skill. Y''know, needs understanding to level, not just repeated use," Lone explained. "By the way, it really does just do what it says on the tin. From what I can tell, you''re a mostly healthy dwarf. I''m a bit surprised how different our anatomies are though." "Well yer ah foxkin, ah''m noo. Simple as ''at. Different species an'' whatnot," Hamish replied dismissively. "What''dya mean ''mostly'', by the by?" "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?" Lone asked in a serious tone. The dwarf''s demeanour turned a bit nervous upon hearing that. "Shite. Is this mere serious than ah thought? Uh... good news?" "You''re pretty damn fit for an old man," Lone answered. "Ah''m still young fae ah dwarf, ya cheeky basterd! An'' the bad news?" Hamish questioned. Lone shook his head. "It''s terminal..." "What is?!" the dwarf yelled. "Your stench. You''re covered damn-near head-to-toe in dead skin and dried-up sweat. You, my vertically challenged friend, need a fuckin'' bath. I''m surprised there aren''t bugs crawling around in your skivvies," Lone said, delivering the bad news. Sophie chuckled. "There are. We can sense them." "Ye can see doon ma pants?!" Hamish hollered. "We can see everything, dwarf," Sophie said ominously. "You are not the only skilled scout amongst us." Lone summoned the bathtub he''d created months ago and placed it behind Hamish''s tent. He then filled it with cold water and brought out a brush and some soap from his Dimensional Storage. "Clean yourself up tonight, yeah? It''s only common courtesy to be hygienic when travelling with others," Lone requested politely though there was little wiggle room in his tone with which to argue. "Ah feck ye." Both Lone and Sophie joined in staring the dwarf down. Even Breena glanced at him reproachfully between turning back towards her plate of food. "... Feck! Fine. Ah''ll ''ave ah feckin'' bath. Feckin'' topsid''r snobs!"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
''Well that was more than worth it,'' Lone thought before he took a place by Sophie''s side and got stuck into his own dinner. B2: Chapter 37: Attachment and Plenty of Growth "This is harder... than I thought it would be, in all... honesty," Lone confessed as sweat poured down his brow. He was currently locked in place by Hamish''s powerful B-ranker aura. As it turned out when someone was using their aura to completely suppress the movements of a singular individual it was actually at least five times more effective than when being used casually or in combat. Such an application of aura control couldn''t be used in high-stress situations or when under attack since it required a great deal of focus. Enough so that standing still with closed eyes tended to be a requirement. Hamish had claimed focus was beyond important for this, more so than the actual rank of the person exuding the aura. Lone was inclined to believe him. ''This reminds me of the tournament... Fuckin'' up the prince''s arms then getting a fuckton of SS, S, A and B-ranked auras slammed down onto me. Ah, the good ol'' days.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Hamish nodded. "Aye, it''s nae easy on me either, Fox." "Why''s... that?" Lone asked. The dwarf shrugged. "It uses ah feckton ah SP tae lock ya in place. It''s nae tae bad when someone submits but ye have intermediate resistance tae it an'' yer actively tryin'' tae move." "That''s fair... Again, thank you for all... of the training these... last few days," Lone struggled to say. Hamish grinned. "It''s fine. Ah made ah promise an'' ah''ll keep it. ''Sides, teachin'' the wee red furball''s mere fun than ah expected." "Since she''s got a similar style to you?" Lone asked, obviously referring to Breena. Hamish stopped projecting his aura onto Lone, clearly nearing his limits. They had been doing it for a while now, after all. "Aye, ah suppose. Ah guess it''s mere akin tae ah greatsword user teachin'' someone ''ow tae use a longsword but aye, there''s ah lot tae teach ''er. Plenty ah parallels between daggers an'' needles. Ah may even get ah new skill fae all ah this. Ah sure as piss willnae get any levels fae the weak monsters ''at inhabit these parts ah the Farwinds, ''at''s fae sure," Hamish lamented. Lone raised an eyebrow as he caught his breath. "Are they really that weak? I know Soph and Sophie can handle them on their own and even Breena isn''t too bad against them if you or I restrain the monsters first but surely some exp is better than none, no?" Lone really didn''t know that much about how the level system of Altros worked beyond the bare basics. Milindo and Krieg Moor''s libraries weren''t very informative when it came to not only skills but the system as a whole. The dwarf nodded. "Usually, aye. Ah B-rank''r like me could gain ah few dozen levels fae D-rank''d monsters like the ones in these parts ah the Farwinds but ah''m close tae the A-rank boundary as is. Ah get ah fraction o'' ah fraction o'' experience per kill ''ere. Nae worth the effort when it''ll serve those lassies better." Lone thought on that for a moment before saying, "That''s fair. Maybe skill training for you then? I''m comfortable now letting you use your combat skill on me if you want to try to level them. I''m durable if nothing else." He saw a hesitant look flash across the dwarf''s face before the man shook his head. "Nah, it''s fine. Cheers though."
"Nah, it''s fine. Cheers though," Hamish answered as he fought down the fleeting desire to actually accept the boy''s proposal. It was a tempting offer; to practice his real skills on the boy. What good would it really do though? Lone was smart and quick to learn but the strength disparity was just too vast between them. The lad had certainly managed to endure it when he was applying his stats and ruthlessly beating him without a care in the world just a few days ago. But actual skills? What if he killed him? What if he almost killed him and got punished by the contract? Even more frightening of a thought, what if the fox could actually learn to keep up with him and he started to enjoy it? ''Dinnae get attached. This lad is partly why everyun''s deed,'' Hamish reminded himself. ''Ah''m only ''elpin'' ''em get strong''r so ''ey dinnae kick the bucket as soon as we reach the urd. They''re nae yer friends, ya daft git. Ye dinnae need tae work on yer own skills since yer nae gonna bother with the monsters yerself.'' He kept that thought rolling about in his head for the rest of the day. It was only in the following morning after breakfast that he loosened his brow a bit and relaxed. He''d certainly have to be careful to not slip up again like that. These folk were okay folk but they weren''t his folk. They were disposable and he needed to remember that. They were just a bunch of dumb children with barely a skirmish or story to their names. ''They''ll die in seconds when we reach the urd... Fox''s way above ''is rank but ''e''s no Ewan... The wee ''uman''s teleportin'' power willnae be much ''elp either since her reaction time is feckin'' shite. Breena''s got me worryin'' the most though.'' He glanced at the girl who was cautiously walking in the annoying fox''s shadow. ''Nae talent, nae skill, nae strength. Just ah lot ah ''eart an'' grit. She''d o'' made ah good dwarf...'' He sighed deeply. "Something troubling you, Dwarf?" the fox asked. Hamish shrugged. "Just depress''d ah still ''ave tae walk doon these feckin'' roads with ye lot fae ah least ah couple mere weeks." "Well, as my old man always used to say, ''if the world''s crumbling around you and you can''t do fuck-all to stop it, don''t complain and just try your best to enjoy what you''ve got left before it''s gone with the rest of everything else,''" the fox said with a shrug. Hamish raised an eyebrow and even the human seemed perplexed by the fox''s statement. "Yer da sounds wiser than ye." The fox scoffed. "That cunt? He was a piece of shit who couldn''t take his own advice." "Nae on the best ah terms with yer da, eh? Been there," Hamish said. His own father was a useless drunkard who was nearing the end of his natural life since he was too lazy to bother ranking up. It honestly bothered Hamish a bit but his story wasn''t uncommon. Not everyone had it in them to kill monsters or other sentients. Gaining levels outside of combat was even harder. Fewer still could find enlightenment like he and his brothers had. "My ''da'' is dead. Has been for almost a decade now. It''s best that way," The fox replied. Hamish nodded. "Some folk dinnae deserve the effort o'' carin''. Never been much o'' ah dwarf tae care fae who ah share ma bloodline wae." "At least that''s one thing you and I can agree on," the fox said with a sharp smile. ''Dinnae get attached. ''E''s all smiles noo but dinnae ye forget ''e''s the one who got the lads killed, Hamish,'' he reminded himself. This journey into the Farwinds was going to be long and tiresome... Not only distance and time-wise from the looks of things.
Lone cracked his neck before settling into his and Soph''s tent for the night. It was Breena and Hamish''s turn on watch this time. Well, mostly Hamish. He was just taking the time to help train Breena with her more-than-lacking scouting abilities. He was also tasked with restraining the creatures that slinked out of the darkness just enough for her to challenge them on even footing. ''He''s not a bad guy under all of that bitterness and resentment,'' Lone thought. ''He''s trying not to but he can''t help put in the extra effort. ''Specially for Breena. Gruff cunt''s got a soft spot for his new apprentice, hah.'' This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The last few weeks of travelling with him had shown that above all else, Hamish did care quite a bit about their well-being. He wouldn''t have been trying so hard to actually teach them how to fight during the training if he didn''t. Lone felt he was pretty good at sussing out a person''s nature after spending enough time with them and he felt that this time his judgement had shone through and proven Sophie''s scepticism wrong. ''We should be reaching Urd Grun tomorrow afternoon so now''s as good a time as any to take stock of my gains. It''s been a lot of hard work to fill the boring void of endless walking,'' Lone thought. He hadn''t killed a thing in ages. The monsters were too weak here to give him substantial stat boosts just as they were for Hamish and levels. He''d been focusing on his skills anyway. He cleared his mind and began imagining the framework of his personal skill list before editing it a bit. He knew for a fact that several of the categories had made no gains whatsoever so he was excluding them. Namely; Social Skill, Crafting Skills, Misc Skills, Magic Skills, World Skills, Unique Skills and Fuck That Cuntbag Sir Ardus Skills. It was a damn shame about his unique skills, he lamented. He had high hopes to further strengthen Basic Regeneration and Bone Armour but with no killing intent nor fatally-aimed attacks, Hamish was helpless to boost such skills it turned out. ''Some skills are easier to cheese than others'', he thought. Full Body Diagnostics not levelling either was a bit saddening if not expected. Regardless, he was done trimming the irrelevant skill categories from the skill list in his mind. He quickly added a note to show him the number of level-ups and to point out if a skill had broken through a rank barrier before mentally invoking, ''Skill List.''
Passive Skills
Weapon Mastery Skills
Swordspear Mastery Expert Level 1 [+1 Level] [Rank-up!]
Unarmed Combat Mastery Advanced Level 9 [+2 Levels]
Polearm Mastery Advanced Level 1 [+1 Level] [Rank-up!]
Hand Axe Mastery Beginner Level 1
Dual-wielding Mastery Beginner Level 1
Hatchet Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortbow Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortspear Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortsword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Sword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Movement Skills
Evasion Mastery Expert Level 5 [+2 Levels]
Light-footed Intermediate Level 8 [+12 Levels] [Rank-up!]
Resistance Skills
Mental Pain Resistance Expert Level 3
Physical Pain Resistance Expert Level 3
Darkness Corruption Resistance Expert Level 1
Aura Pressure Resistance Intermediate Level 8 [+4 Levels]
Nausea Resistance Intermediate Level 8 [+11 Levels] [Rank-up!]
Fear Resistance Intermediate Level 4 [+5 Levels] [Rank-up!]
Lightning Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 3
Curse Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Air Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Earth Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Fire Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Water Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Acid Resistance Beginner Level 8
Corrosion Resistance Beginner Level 8
Panic Resistance Beginner Level 8
Cold Resistance Beginner level 2 [+1 Level]
Active Skills
Weapon Block Advanced Level 6 [+7 Levels] [Rank-up!]
Racial Skills
Tail Spears Intermediate Level 3 [+9 Levels] [Rank-up!]
Primal Skills
Ungrounded Beginner Level 7 [+3 Levels]
Nothing Vortex Beginner Level 1
''Seven rank-ups in total... Not much of note besides that, really,'' Lone thought. He was a bit perturbed that Ungrounded levelled so slowly. This was, however, mostly due to the lack of tension when fighting Hamish along with the incredibly high SP cost. Unarmed Combat Mastery also hadn''t met his expectations of growth but apart from that? Everything else was fantastic in his eyes. Hell, even Cold Resistance had grown. It was a bit nippy down this deep in the Farwinds but it was an unexpected level-up which only made Lone welcome it doubly so. ''So much growth is damn satisfying to see in one place. I could have used this skill-list a year ago, haha,'' he chuckled mentally. At that moment the entry flaps to the tent slipped open. Soph smiled at him sweetly, her helmet held under her arm as she squeezed into the tent and began taking her armour off. "Training all done for the night?" Lone asked. Soph nodded. "Mmm. I got another level in Barrier Magic! It''s at beginner-level-five now!" "That''s tremendously fast for a mere mortal," Lone teased. "Hehe, us ''mere mortals'' do have our moments, Your Lordliness," Soph giggled. "Sophie isn''t happy about it though." "Jealous her own fighting specialities are quickly being outpaced by your magical ones?" Lone asked. Soph nodded again, now completely done removing her armour and in record pace too. Every day she grew better at taking it off. Lone wondered if maybe one day she''d earn a skill for it. ''That''d be pretty funny.'' "Well, uh, yeah. My physical stats kinda suck. Sophie understands magic is our true calling, she''s just bitter about it," Soph explained as she stretched then closed the tent flap up completely. She approached Lone and crawled under the laid out duvet alongside him while shifting into a more comfortable position. Clearly, she was tired and ready to sleep. Lone watched her yawn lightly before she closed her eyes and said, "I still love her though, even if she''s upset..." Lone smiled. "That''s good. Go to sleep, I''ll join you soon. Just doing some skill shit." "Potty... mouth..." Following another big yawn, Soph went limp in his arms. She was out cold. ''Only beginner-level-five... I''m proud but it''s unfair that I see her like a child doing what''s merely an afternoon of focus for me in most cases. She''s a grown woman with above-average talents. I''m just a freak thanks to Growth Accelerator,'' he sighed. And he only had that skill thanks to the gods. He''d be a fool if he couldn''t see that it weighed down on Soph and Sophie. He wouldn''t be surprised if they had an inferiority complex over the matter despite how truly talented the two of them were. ''Just another reason to punch them in the jaw eventually.'' Lone put the matter aside and began going through his newly ranked-up skills one at a time. ''This is gonna be pretty fun I think.'' He was a hopeless addict with a relatively harmless addiction. Well, relative to anything bar his mental health. Who in their right mind would stab themselves with their own spear-like tails while in the pitch-black darkness of the Farwinds just to scare themselves? And, at the same time, focusing all of their senses on their hearing to make themelves feel sick from the sound of their own grotesque rapid healing which they were mostly desensitized to at this point? Probably no one bar Lone. Still, he wouldn''t deny himself his fix. B2: Chapter 38: Hypocrisy and Skill Obtained First was Swordspear Mastery. Lone didn''t really expect to get a new effect at expert rank with this skill since it had developed Pierce at Advanced. That lack of expectation had proven to be correct, sadly.
Passive Skill: Swordspear Mastery
A sub-skill of the skills, [Sword Mastery] and [Spear Mastery] which is critical for swordspear-users and passively allows for better handling and control over swordspears. All swordspears used by the host will cut and pierce their targets 60% [+30%] more easily. Grants the talent [Pierce]. Say the word [Pierce] and the host shall perform a piercing strike with 4 times [up from thrice] the host''s maximum force on the desired area.
Cost: 600 SP [-200 SP] to perform the talent [Pierce].
Mastery: Expert Level 1
While a new effect would have been great Lone wasn''t complaining since one of his most commonly used abilities, Pierce, had become both more deadly and cheaper to use. Polearm Mastery was also a bust on the front of new effects.
Passive Skill: Polearm Mastery
A skill that allows the host to wield polearms with a decent level of competence. All polearms used by the host will pierce and cut their targets 30% [+15%] more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
However, while there was no new ability, his skill with his swordspear had increased massively thanks to this father skill. Lone also had a creeping suspicion that he''d earn a new effect at expert rank which would be far more powerful than Pierce. It was only a hunch and one that wouldn''t be proven for months, maybe years considering how hard to level this skill was. Still, he was looking forward to seeing if he was right or not. ''Would it take decades or centuries for a normal person to advance an overarching skill like that? Fuck, that sounds torturous,'' Lone thought. ''At least I have dozens of other skills I can focus on when I hit roadblocks.'' Regardless, he moved on with the skill summary.
Passive Skill: Light-footed
A skill that allows the host to passively walk while producing 15% [+10%] less sound.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
A basic raw increase in ability. Lone had expected this since it was just beginner becoming intermediate. Hamish could still hear him easily no matter how hard he tried to hide but it was clearly becoming a bit of an issue for Breena who was still trying to learn to be as keen as her new teacher was. Lone''s improvements in Light-footed were only serving the better improve Hamish''s training of Breena''s scouting ability so it was a win-win-win.
Passive Skill: Nausea Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from nausea. Reduces the chances that the host will experience nausea in a nauseous situation by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
Passive Skill: Fear Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from their fear. Reduces all fear the host experiences by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4
''Bog-standard flat-percentage upgrades. Still, better than nothing,'' Lone thought as he ran his fingers through Soph''s hair. He also gently rubbed the belly of Kyuubi, who was peacefully curled up atop his chest. She was frequently let out of The Summoning Room when they went to bed during this trip. She didn''t seem to mind being alone with her food, litter and snacks but it would feel wrong to imprison her there constantly. Regardless, both resistance skills were getting far harder to level up now since Lone was only marginally afraid of the dark and the sounds his Basic Regeneration produced were already pretty easy to ignore for him. He''d need a bigger stimulus to get them to advanced rank and beyond, that was for certain.
Active Skill: Weapon Block
A common skill for non-shield using warriors. Allows the host to nullify 30% [+15%] of the force of an incoming attack if blocking it with a weapon.
Cost: 3,000 SP [ -1,000 SP]
Mastery: Advanced Level 7
This was huge. No new effect was a bit of a bummer, of course, but the massive drop of cost from 4,000 SP to 3,000 SP couldn''t be underestimated. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The sheer amount of leeway this seemingly small improvement gave to Lone was enough to increase his defensive power by a good margin. And on the flip side, Tail Spear''s rank-up had improved his explosively offensive capabilities a massive amount.
Racial Skill: Tail Spears
A skill unique to the race of foxkin known as Golden Foxkin. This skill allows the host to turn their tails into extremely sharp and hard weapons that can easily pierce most Rare-quality items [up from Normal-quality items] or A-ranked beings [up from B-ranked beings]. The skill is usable twice a day [up from once a day], and it lasts for 10-minutes [+5-minutes].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 3
''This really went from being a last-ditch killing move to something way more versatile,'' Lone thought. He had no idea how hard Epic items were but being able to easily injure or even kill A-rankers without needing to rely on Mental Destruction was a great boon in his eyes. Not only had it become more deadly but its usage limits had also doubled across the board. ''Just how powerful can this skill get when it''s at master rank?'' He didn''t have the answer to that question but he was still left completely satisfied. ''potentially 20-minutes of raw killing ability. I can''t imagine this skill was too useful to the former Golden Foxkin Clan if they only had one to two tails apiece, but to me? A foxkin with nine tails? I''m a walking catastrophe just waiting to happen, heh.'' With his spirits lifted and his mood jovial, Lone closed his eyes and held Soph and Kyuubi closely, allowing himself to fall into sleep''s warm embrace.
"Fancy meeting you here..." Lone groaned as soon as he heard the voice of the person Darkness had chosen to assume. "Really?" Looking just like Lone''s late father, Darkness smiled in confusion. "What? Is there a problem here, son?" "Well, for a start, he never called me that," Lone replied as he sat down. ''Y''know, I''m really starting to get used to these night visits. They cancel out my nightmares so that''s a win if nothing else. Shame I don''t get Darkness Corruption Resistance anymore though. I wonder why...'' "What did he call you then?" Darkness asked as it assumed a seated position even though there was no chair beneath it. "I specialise in illusions, not memory delving, sadly. You''re very guarded so surface thoughts are all I can peel away, again, sadly." "Ah, yes, how sad indeed," Lone mocked. "And I''d honestly rather not talk about him. Not a great guy, y''know?" "And you''re a better man than he was, hmm?" Darkness asked teasingly. Lone scoffed before chuckling lightly. "As if the Primal who forces me to meet with them every-fucking-night just to say a load of nonsense against my will has the right to lecture me on hypocrisy." Darkness shook its head and wagged a finger at him as a teacher might to a misbehaving child. "Everything with a mind is a hypocrite in one way or another, my friend." Darkness spun around and assumed the form of Soph. "Secretly frustrated that you''re changing so much just to meet the expectations of the one you love yet you were unable to spend just a few short centuries with that very same prior self that you went so far as to split clean in two! Which is it? A love of oneself that is hesitant to change, or a hatred of oneself who should welcome change?" Another twirl of the heels and the Primal was Breena. "Shocked, horrified, betrayed even that your new masters aren''t who they said they were when you haven''t even bothered to say what your true status is back at the clan for fear of them judging you for it! Judging others based on their social status but not being forthcoming with your own? For shame!" Next, it shifted into Hamish''s form. "Determined enough to get vengeance for your fallen brothers that you''ll willingly kidnap and try to kill a likely innocent man but so weak of heart that you start to question the morality of what it is you intend to do when you arrive at your joint destination. Just a few short weeks of accompanying that very same man to change such a firm mind... One has to question, was it ever even firm in the first place?" Finally, the ancient being of pure Darkness morphed into Lone and grinned from ear to ear. It approached him with arrogance and swagger. "Hurt, broken... disturbed. However, unwilling to become the very evil that raised you, lashing out and becoming a source of suffering for all around you just to tame your own bruised ego. Instead, you push through the pain. ''Two chances''. Everyone gets... two chances... I wonder, did King Heidron get his second chance? Will Sir Ardus get his second chance?" Darkness questioned with a knowing smile on its lips. "Will I? Will... you?" The moans and wails of the children Lone had chosen to spare from a fate worse than death-filled Urd Grun and burrowed deep into his mind. Lone stared firmly into his own copied eyes and replied with a shaky voice, "You will not break me. My actions and thoughts are not yours to judge just as my body is not yours to possess!" "Ha! Ha! Ha!" Darkness merged with the shadows and disappeared. "We shall see, Lone. We. Shall. See."
Lone''s eyelids snapped open violently and his pupils darted around his and Soph''s tent before he sighed deeply. ''I''d rather have had normal PTSD nightmares over that shit...'' He glanced at the almost 1,000-year-old woman laying by his side and frowned in concern. ''Was... was it telling the truth? Soph doesn''t like that I''m getting her to change like by apologising less and trying to be more social? Or did it mean Sophie? Does she dislike that I want her to be nicer?'' It would bother him greatly if that was truly the case. ''Breena too... She''s hiding who she really is? What does that even mean? Is she really important or something? Her matriarch... Lossa, wasn''t it? Is she related to her somehow, maybe? Why would that matter to me?'' He lightly shook his head. ''No, it doesn''t matter. Everyone has secrets and whatever hers are, they aren''t equal to my and Soph''s status as otherworlders. She isn''t a hypocrite,'' Lone decided with confidence. As for Hamish... well, Lone didn''t really care. ''So what if Darkness claimed he''s planning to betray us? He''s hesitating, isn''t he? This is exactly what my second chance policy is for. Besides, he''s bound by my contract.'' The second chance policy. That immediately reminded him of the final person Darkness had focused on, himself. He thought long and hard about the accusation that had been thrown his way. Long enough that Soph had woken up and was now playing lazily with the still sleeping Kyuubi. Hard enough that he didn''t even choose to train in the morning, instead opting to watch Sophie and Breena battling with Hamish. Later that same day while they were covering the final stretch to Urd Grun, Lone had made a conclusion from all of his pondering. ''The king did get his second chance. I said to his face that I didn''t care and that he wouldn''t get one but he already did.'' Lone held his chin as he continued that line of thought. ''He got it before I even had this mentality. He wrongly attacked me with his aura instead of ignoring that I had cut off his son''s arms as he had done when other participants were seriously wounded but not permanently injured. Nothing short of death would have been permanent for a crown prince, of all people. Money for healing is no issue even with the wasted ruby-gold coins from the auction.'' He tapped the side of his cheek as he continued, ''Not only that but he also imprisoned me. While he had a right to do so somewhat since I did kill his pet hero, he had no right to torture me given my status as an adventurer. Two chances, both gone. If anything, he got three chances, though not by choice. I didn''t break my new code on him.'' As for Sir Ardus, Darkness had actually opened Lone''s mind by forcing him to think on the matter seriously. ''That Primal fuck is only kind of right. It''s only right if I view everything that son of a bitch did as one, singular chance. That asshole had dozens, hundreds even, of chances. If he survived The Seven Deadly Sins'' slaughter and we cross paths with him, I''ll hear him out if nothing else but he dies that day if he isn''t already six feet under. Even if he''s become a Primal-worshipping preacher who manages an orphanage. That man will die.'' As if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Lone felt enlightened.
The host has developed the passive skill: Meditation.
"What the actual fuck," Lone exclaimed in sheer disbelief. Everyone stopped and looked at him. Hamish raised an eyebrow. "Somethin'' the matt''r?" Lone chuckled humourlessly. "I just got the Meditation skill." "Oh? Congrats," Hamish replied before immediately returning to what he was doing. His interest clearly didn''t span that far when it came to Lone''s powerful ability to learn from the system. "Good job, Lone! I knew you could do it," Soph said with a beaming smile spread across her lips. Lone was happy she had decided not to wear Sophie''s helmet since he got to see such a brilliant and honest smile from the woman he loved. Breena nodded hesitantly. "Uh, um, y-yeah. I''m happy for you." "Thank you. At least some of us know how to be polite," Lone said loudly and pointedly only to get a grunt in response. Lone shrugged and pulled up the skill to check its details.
Active Skill: Meditation
A skill that allows the host to reach a place of zen mentally. The ability to think rationally when upset or angered is passively 5% easier. Focused thinking while meditating leads to logical conclusions and comprehension of complex matters 5% faster.
Cost: 100 SP per 5-minutes.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Oh? It''s active? Well, right now half of it''s passive. Still, I''m so happy I finally got this. Hopefully it helps with the nightmares... if Darkness will let me experience them again,'' Lone sighed mentally. Not long after Lone had gained his new skill, he and the girls were stopped by Hamish who was now wearing a serious expression on his face. He even looked a bit on edge. "We''re only ah few miles away noo." He gestured to a nearby engraved and muralled wall of the Farwind road they were in. Lone followed him over to it with Soph and Breena at his side. "Look, goin'' in there cocks first willnae lead tae anythin'' but complete destruction. Oor destruction. In light o'' ''at, ah''ve ah plan..." the dwarf claimed. B2: Chapter 39: Dual Plans and Handholding "So what''s the plan and why can''t we just sneak our way through the front door?" Lone asked. "Metaphorically. I don''t actually think there''s a front door. I''d bet on a gate." He wasn''t against the idea of a clever tactic to get the drop on the monsters who lingered in Urd Grun but he felt it was wise to ask why, exactly, this was necessary. Hamish frowned and sighed. "Fair ''nuff. Ah ''avenae really teld ya what kinda powerful fecks live doon ''ere. Tae busy trainin'', ah suppose. We''ll ''ave time tae talk tactics soon but aye, ah''ll explain why going cock first isnae very smart, Fox. Also, ye''d lose ''at bet. There''s just an open cave me an'' ma brothers dug open." "Shame. Well, I''m all ears," Lone replied with a small smile. Hamish looked up and nodded. "Aye, big fluffy ears, at that." The dwarf scratched his beard a bit before asking, "Any o'' ye three ever ''eard ''o Balor Demon Bats? Ah''ve nae clue if ya lot get ''em topside or naw." Soph immediately shook her head. Everything she knew about monsters came from Lone after all and he rarely talked about them to her since he was well aware that it bored her half to death. Breena, likewise, shook her head. That disappointed Lone a little. ''Shame. I was hoping to have at least one of us know something... What did that useless hero even do when he went out on adventures with those girls?'' Lone''s smile turned wry. "I know about a lot of monsters but all of my knowledge is based on novels, stories and bestiaries from the two libraries I''ve visited here on Altros. You''ll have to enlighten us." "Will do. What aboot Milor?" Hamish asked instantly as if he had expected such ignorance. He didn''t appear to be smug though despite his expectation having been met. "It''s also ah type ah monster, by the by, nae ah person''s name or anythin''." All Lone saw on the short man''s expression was a deadly seriousness lacking any traces of mirth. This time, thankfully, Lone could nod. "Yes, that''s a type of warped golem species, is it not? I''ve read quite a few entries about them." "Aye, Fox. Well, ya ken ''ow dangerous they are?" Hamish questioned softly. Lone scrunched up his brow to recall the information he''d read. "Average strength of C-rank, right? Skin as hard as metal though so it''s a tough opponent to deal with. They typically move alone but they''re incredibly sneaky despite their weight." "Aye, good, good. Only difference here is that the last time ah wae ''ere, we were flanked by aboot 50 ah the feckers all workin'' together," Hamish claimed. "Balor Demon Bats have sound magic that''ll rip apart even an A-ranker''s eardrums an'' turn their brains tae paste if they''ve nae resistance tae it. They''re squishier than the Milor but quicker an'' smarter tae. They ''ave very sensitive hearin'' anaw despite the racket they cause ''emselves," Hamish explained. He then pointed at the wall they were stood next to. "Ah''ve got ah handful ah skills ''at help dampen soond, both ways. Ah use ''em on ma tents damn near every night. Ah swear, ye two are animals." Soph blushed from ear-to-ear at the accusation and Breena looked down at the floor awkwardly. Lone just shrugged. "I love her, she loves me. It''s not rocket science. I see no reason to hold back my desire for her when it won''t affect her ability to sense our surroundings. I also don''t really care if you can hear us or not. Now if you could see anything... Well, that''d be a bit of an issue." "Ah, come off it," Hamish scoffed with a dismissive shrug. "As if ah can get ma rocks off fae ah human ah all things. Ma point was that we''re gonna dig ah tunnel an'' ah''m gonna make it so we dinnae get detected." "A tunnel?" Lone''s eyebrows perked up. "Now that''s an interesting idea. Two questions." "Shoot," Hamish responded. "First, where will our point of entry be?" Lone asked. "I assume somewhere of strategical value otherwise the main entrance would work just as well." Hamish nodded. "Aye. Last time ah was ''ere ah saw ah guard tower ''at wasnae in tae bad o'' ah condition. We''ll come oot right on top o'' it. We can avoid the Milor altogether ''at way. Nothing we can dae aboot the Balor Demon Bats an'' we will ''ave tae face the Milor eventually but we''re ''ere tae kill everything, aye? One group at ah time is better than both at once." "Very true. Okay, second question. How will we dig? I have a pickaxe if that will help but surely it''ll take fuckin'' forever," Lone said. "I''m honestly perfectly up for just me going into Urd Grun, killing like a madman then running the fuck for my life. Rinse and repeat until we''re done." "Or I could, uh, teleport us in," Soph suggested. Lone nodded. "That''s an excellent point." Hamish shifted his eyes between the two of them before quietly saying, "Ye''ll get ah skill if we mine oor way there." "Mining is an excellent idea. Why didn''t I think of it sooner?" Lone asked himself as he withdrew the white wooden pickaxe from his Dimensional Storage. "Now, how do I use this thing properly?" "You''re too easy!" Soph protested. "Teleporting is way simpler, faster and quieter!" Hamish sighed. "Look, normally, ah''d agree wae ye but Balor Demon Bats ''re sensitive tae magic as well as soond. We''ll be hounded in feckin'' seconds. If we dig oor way through the ceilin'' tae ''at tower ah mentioned then we can set up ah bit o'' ah defensive line afore we''re swarmed." The dwarf them thumbed towards Lone, "An'' ah wasnae lyin''. Our foxy pal ''ere will get the Minin'' Mastery skill fae sure. It''s ah useful skill tae ''ave an'' it''ll make ''im ''avin'' ''at pickaxe nae the biggest feckin'' waste o'' the century." Lone held up a hand to quiet the dwarf while he thought silently. Hamish folded his arms in front of his chest angrily while Soph stared him down as menacingly as she could manage, which wasn''t very much. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "How about we just do both?" Lone suggested. "Meanin''?" Hamish asked. "Let''s slowly dig our way to the urd''s ceiling like you suggested but once or twice a day Soph teleports me in and I slowly cull the numbers. I gain stats by killing things so each defeated Balor Demon Bat will make me stronger. It''s also a good chance to train the skills you can''t level for me like Basic Regeneration and Bone Armour," Lone suggested. "I don''t have Sound magic Resistance either so I''d love to get and level that." Soph immediately nodded. "I can keep you safe with my barriers. Nothing will get close to me since I can sense things coming from a whole 1,000-metres away and I can just teleport to safety! We can both use it as a chance to grow!" Hamish frowned but ultimately shrugged. "Ye''re the boss here. If ya dinnae die, aye, it''ll be ah boon. Ah''m nae goin'' though an'' neither''s she," he said, pointing at Breena. "Ah''m nae build fae frontal attacks against hordes an'' she''s as weak as ma piss after ah night ah nae ale." Lone saw Breena grit her teeth and clench her fists under the accusation but she didn''t refute what the dwarf said. "Hey, she may be low ranked but Breena isn''t by any means weak. I''d like to see you fight her at the same rank and try calling her that again," Lone said, defending the girl. "Ha! Even if ah were her rank or she was mine, ah''d still win," Hamish taunted. Lone chuckled. "Yeah, sure you could, cowboy. You can''t even beat me unless I hold back a fuckton. Also, in comparison to a Divine, we''re both less than ants. Relative to her rank she isn''t weak at all." He reached over and patted Breena on the head. "You''re plenty strong. You''re also trying your best to learn and get even stronger. That''s better than, like, 99.9% of people." Hamish spat on the floor. "Ah''m holdin'' back tae, an aye, cannae deny ''at last part. Effort''s ''alf the battle even if ye dae ''ave talent." Breena stared at the floor as she softly said, "T-Thanks... Mister Hamish is right though..." "If you really think so," Lone said, "then work even harder to prove him wrong, okay? Wouldn''t it be fucking awesome if when we left here you could land a punch on his ugly mug?" "..." Breena didn''t reply though it was clear she was thinking about it. "Oi! Cheeky cunt! Ah''ll ''ave ye ken ah''m ah fuckin'' stud when it comes tae dwarves!" Hamish yelled in indignation. Lone shrugged. "Yeah, I couldn''t care less. Now, about how to use a pickaxe..."
"Oh, I got it," Lone exclaimed in joy.
The host has developed the passive skill: Mining Mastery
Passive Skill: Mining Mastery
A skill that allows the host to more efficiently mine through materials with a pickaxe. Increases the hosts mining speed by 5% and increases the host''s ability to spot structural weaknesses in stone structures like caves, walls and buildings by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Oh this is pretty nifty," Lone said as he saw certain points in their upwards spiralling tunnel stand out to him more than the rest. Hamish sighed. "Ah ken ah said ye''d get the skill but on the very first day? Feckin'' ''eroes... Ye''r even worse than the dwarven ones." "There are dwarven heroes too?" Lone asked before he answered his own question, "Ah, yeah. I did hear it was only human kingdoms that had rituals for summoning human heroes. Makes sense for other nations and powerful forces to have some for their own species. I''d like to meet a dwarven hero." "Nah, ya wouldnae. If ya think ah''m ah cunt who''s ''appy tae abuse ''is power tae bully the weak then only the Stone kens what ye''d think ah those arselick''rs," Hamish replied with a big shrug. Breena changed which hand of hers was holding the magic crystal lamp the dwarf had provided her. Meanwhile, Soph yawned. "So this will go faster now?" "Five percent faster, yeah, if not more since grumpy guts is teaching me how to use the pick too," Lone answered. "Speaking of which, no Pickaxe Mastery?" "Oh, it exists, ya just needs tae fight wae the thing," Hamish said with a smirk. "Ah''ve got ''at skill anaw though it''s only fae emergencies like if we burst through a monster-infested Farwind road by mistake or somethin'' an'' there''s nae time tae drop it an'' draw ma dagg''rs." "Makes sense. What level is your Mining Mastery at? I know you''ve been holding back to keep pace with me which I appreciate," Lone asked. "I would, however, like to know what my goal is for us to work at the same speed." "Feck off. As if ah''m tellin'' ya ''at. Ye''r nae catchin'' up tae me even if ye reach the same skill level. Ye''ve wounded ma dwarven pride an'' honour mere than enuff, Fox," Hamish grunted. Lone laughed. "You did that by yourself. Nice to see you being honest though. Well, let''s get back to mining then, shall we? We''ve got another hour before we set up camp. Then Soph and I can go hunting." "Aye, let''s," Hamish responded with a confident smirk.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
As always, levelling up skills got the endorphins flowing for Lone. He was more than happy with his progress in the skill. Of course, he was taking his time to try and learn from Hamish as well as he could. Grumpy and petty as the dwarf could be, he had dozens of years of experience with the tool. He was also a pretty diligent teacher, enough so for the actual teacher, Lone, to praise him which meant a lot since he thought of himself as rather skilled in the field. Soph tapped on his shoulder softly to get his attention. Turning to look at her he smiled. "Time to kill some bats?" She smiled back at him sweetly. "Mmm. I''m ready now since camp''s all set up." Hamish truly was a master with his own pickaxe. It had taken him no time at all to clear out enough room in the tunnel to set up a temporary resting area. He even had a steamforged artefact that filtered out the smoke from the fire. He was a useful man and Lone was certainly glad he''d chosen to give the guy a chance. Then again, without Lone''s Dimensional Storage to get rid of all of the rubble, digging this tunnel and camp area would have been twice - if not thrice - as much of a pain and a time-sink. "Hamish, Breena, we''re going now," Lone called. "Hamish, you''re not allowed to touch or get within ten metres of Breena. I don''t doubt your taste in women, abysmal as it is, but her peace of mind matters more than your feelings here." He saw the Crimson Foxkin girl smile ever so slightly in appreciation while she sighed a little in relief. Hamish didn''t seem to care in the slightest. "Ah dinna gae ah feck. Ah''m goin'' tae sleep since we dinnae need tae worry aboot monsters in this tunnel. ''Ave fun killin'' in ma stead, aye?" "We''ll try our best," Lone said before he intertwined one of his exposed hands with one of Soph''s gauntleted ones. Blushing a little, she said, "B-Bye." And with that, the two of them disappeared from the makeshift campsite. B2: Chapter 40: Dozens Of Seconds and Gagging ''I''m not going to hold back. We won''t be here for more than a minute or two at best. Go fuckin'' wild,'' Lone said telepathically when both he and Soph appeared atop the guard tower Hamish had mentioned earlier. Soph nodded before she created a barrier beneath her to stand on and several more to surround her which she pressed against her body to maintain contact with them. She couldn''t teleport with them if she didn''t do that, after all. Lone pointed at his ears. ''Put some small ones there too. I can heal, remember, you cannot.'' ''Already done,'' Soph replied before she teleported away and appeared with her barriers above the centre of the town. ''That''s my girl,'' Lone said before he began walking in the air with Ungrounded. ''We''ve been silent thus far but now''s the time to get their attention. I hope I can get some sound magic from the bats even if I can''t use it just yet. Being able to make my voice louder would be super helpful down the line, I''m sure,'' he thought before he found a spot relatively close to Soph but not too close as to compromise her. He was the intended target, after all. ''What to say, what to say... Hmm... fuck it.'' He cleared his thoughts and willed his Bone Armour to appear, covering himself in the pitch black and sky blue spiked heavy boneplate. "Come an'' ''ave ah go if ya think yer ''ard enuff!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He honestly half expected to immediately get an ''Ultimate Chav Mastery'' skill for his mockery of his southern neighbours back on Earth. Sadly, no luck. He did, however, get blasted from all directions with a soul-piercing harmonized screech that legitimately rocked his entire being. Blood poured out of his eyes and his eardrums immediately exploded, deafening him in the process. The force of the joint sound attack slamming into him even went so far as to crack his armour. That was no easy task considering even Hamish couldn''t chip his bones with his daggers regardless of how he tried. The attacks never stopped as dozens, maybe hundreds, of creatures with wings spanning the size of two men streamed out of every building, even the guard tower they were atop not moments ago. They all flocked towards Lone as quickly as they could, eager to rip him apart and savour his flesh. System notifications and new skills were appearing in front of his eyes, all of which he immediately sidelined to look at later. Instead, he began invoking his most powerful skill in quick succession. He couldn''t hear himself speak but he knew his five Mental Destructions had worked when a small cluster of his incoming attackers fell out of the sky. He only used the skill five times instead of his maximum of six. No matter what, he needed to keep one usage in reserve for an emergency. Strength welled up in him as well. New, permanent strength. ''Stat points. Definitely dead. Good, they aren''t immune. I was worried they might be since they use magic. I''ve yet to come across anyone who that clause in the skill refers to but it''s best to be prepared for when it does happen.'' While Mental Destruction could kill almost anything that was up to three ranks higher than himself, it could be resisted by those hardly affected by magic or attacks of the soul. Thankfully, that wouldn''t be an issue here. Lone quickly got swarmed, the bats clutching and clawing onto every part of his armour. Many of them ripped it apart with their strange hands while others just bit into it, taking chunks with them. A few even managed to get through, tearing into his flesh, ripping out his organs and directly eating his eyes. He could feel his HP being drained at an incredibly rapid pace. He had ten, maybe fifteen seconds before he died. "Tail Spears!" he gurgled out despite having had his throat chewed off. His fluffy and normally soft limbs turned into deadly war machines. Lone cut through a massive swath of the flying beasts, freeing himself from their grasp for a mere fraction of a second. Within that fraction of time, Soph had managed to teleport into the quickly closing gap he had created between him and the beasts. A millisecond passed and they were gone, leaving the Balor Demon Bats confused and enraged.
"Holy feck!" Hamish spat out in a shout when Lone and Soph reappeared. "Is ''e even still alive?" "I... I''m fine," Lone said as he coughed out a large volume of blood and maybe even a portion of his guts. He glanced up despite having no eyes while he let Soph''s shoulder support his limp form. "Soph had my back. She got me out with ease." The girl in question frowned. "it wasn''t easy. I, uh, well, if I had hesitated for even the slightest moment you''d be a goner." "But you didn''t. You kept me alive and oh was it worth it..." Lone said with a bloody cackle accompanying his words. Breena looked pale at the sight of him and Hamish gagged a little. "Ah think ah just threw up a bit. Dinnae smile when yer missing half yer jaw. Ah dinnae even ken ''ow ye arnae goin'' mad fae the pain, Fox. Also, ''at feckin noise! Disgustin'' as always." Lone chuckled, resulting in his entire body shivering in agony. "Expert rank Pain Resistance works wonders, my four-foot-three friend." "''Ow in the name ah the stone dae ye ken ma exact height?" Hamish asked. "Actual, nah, dinnae answer ''at. Lassie, ye fine? Also, ''ow many''d ye two manage tae off?" Soph smiled weakly. "I''m fine... I hate seeing Lone risk himself like this but... we did it perfectly, just as planned. I made sure as few as possible actually made it to him. Though... I... could have done better." Lone shook his head. "And you will. Each time we go, you''ll improve. Maybe by the time this tunnel is finished, you''ll even be able to kill some with your barriers." "M-Maybe..." She didn''t seem even half as optimistic as he was. "It''s hard to watch you get like that... to hear you like this..." Soph smiled weakly. "But... we know this is just how you are, both Sophie and I. If... If we can''t stop you from killing yourself then we just need to get strong enough to stop you ourselves!" Lone chuckled a bit despite the pain it caused him. "I assume Sophie helped you come to that conclusion, huh?" The girl nodded, making his smile. "Sorry for being such a pain." Hamish gagged again. "Ah swear, if ye two''re gonna slam cock tae arse right noo with ye lookin'' like ah walkin'' sack ah organs, then ah''m feckin'' throwing maself at the bats an'' golems." "Haha, I kind of want to see that. Soph?" Lone asked, raising his newly reformed eyebrow suggestively. Her eyes clouded over before becoming stern and unyielding. "Fewer jokes, more recovering, Lone." She moved past Breena and Hamish and was about to enter her and Lone''s tent with the currently crippled foxkin but turned slightly at the last second to say, "He killed eleven of them." Lone let her then carefully drag his sorry ass to their bed. "Strip, heal, clean. In that order, please." "Yes, ma''am," he replied as he used his tails to rip what was left of his clothes to complete shreds. Sophie nodded and took off her armour. It had proven to be unneeded as it turned out though her just wearing it gave Lone some peace of mind. As soon as she was done, she approached him and held out her hand. "Water and cloth." "I thought I was meant to clean," Lone commented as he gave her what she asked for. ''Dimensional Storage is far too useful...'' She got to work very tenderly removing the bits of flesh, guts and innards that painted his entire body. "You shall clean the bed and deal with your shredded clothes, we shall clean the man we love." "You said it without even blushing..." Lone commented in shock. Sophie smirked. "Even a crude old hag like us is not beyond the possibilities of growth." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Lone would have kissed her right there and then were his face not covered in blood, both his and that of the bats. The last thing he wanted to do was give her a disease or an infection of some kind. "... How much does it hurt?" Sophie asked softly. Lone winced. "From a scale of 1 to 10,000? A solid 10,000. You''d think the ability to ignore 65% of it would help but it really doesn''t. Resistance for pain doesn''t make the pain less, just easier to tolerate." Sophie frowned deeply. "Why... Why can you not simply stop doing this? We... We wish to support you knowing your stubbornness with the system and your power but... You are not the only one enduring pain, Lone." "I know," he answered, "but I need to. I cannot allow Milindo to happen again. Not to me, not to you, not to Breena, not to anyone... Sophie, Gilbert lost an eye and his ageing immunity for my sake. For our sake. I slaughtered dozens of children, fucking children, to save them from an even worse fate. This can never be allowed to occur ever again. If I need to bring myself to the brink of death to accomplish that, then I welcome the cold touch of the reaper''s scythe waiting to lop off my head with open arms." Sophie pursed her lips tightly as she carefully wiped down Lone''s exposed form. "These things you fear? They happen everywhere. Not to you or us, perhaps, but to someone, somewhere." She looked straight into his eyes and asked, "Do you wish to stop those atrocities too? To avenge those like you who did not have a Gilbert, a Grimsley, and the power to slay an SS-ranked pursuer?" "Maybe. Who can say? Justice corrupts just as easily as injustice does," Lone answered philosophically. "What if I do decide to crusade against the kingdoms and empires of this world?" "Then we would call you a fool for trying to fix an unfixable system... but we would join you even if you became the very core of that evil cycle. Love is binding. We do not speak of it as easily as you or she might," Sophie said, obviously referring to her other half. "We love you, Lone. That bond shall never break, regardless of what you do or who you become." Lone smiled. "Thanks, though for now, I have no plans to become some holy king killer. Balor Demon Bats and Milor, right?" "Right, indeed." She sighed faintly. "Look at your notifications. We know you desire to do so. We can see you glancing to the corner of your vision repeatedly. You are not sneaky." Lone exhaled in defeat. "If you weren''t such a fuckin'' ten out of ten with those sparkling green eyes of yours I might say I preferred you when you were blind and could only see in abstract colours." "But you won''t, because we are," Sophie grinned with a seductive glint in her eyes. "Down, girl. This old boy needs to recover," Lone joked. "Hah. Very well," Sophie agreed before she stopped looking at him and refocused on her cleaning efforts. Lone immediately pulled up his notification log, his spirit now feeling lighter after such a pleasant yet deep conversation with Sophie. The first thing to pop into his view was a new, skill. Two, in fact. Of course, alongside smaller notification related to said skills.
The host has developed the active skill: Wide Taunt.
Active Skill: Wide Taunt
A skill that allows the host to more easily enrage a group of enemies. Provoking enemies is 5% easier when directly taunting them. Each extra enemy included in the same taunt boosts the ease of provocation by 0.5% up to a limit of 10%. Can only be used once every 12-hours.
Cost: 100 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Holy fuck. My ''hard enough'' yell actually gave me something pretty useful. Not right now since we''re fighting dumb monsters but against people, this could dramatically lower their cognitive level of thinking and decision making. Anger clouds the mind. I know that better than anyone,'' Lone thought, happy at the unexpected benefit. ''I need to do random shit more often...''
The host has developed the passive skill: Sound Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Sound Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Sound Magic. Sound Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 9
''Wait, level nine? Whelp. Here come''s a tide of messages...'' Lone sighed mentally as he willed the skill description one away.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
''Only two levels shy of an immediate rank up... Next time, I''m sure,'' Lone thought as he paused the notifications for a moment to review briefly. ''So I didn''t get whatever magic they actually used on me nor an affinity for sound magic. I guess I need to learn a magic skill to get an affinity then. They must have been using raw sound magic, right? I''d have stolen it were it a skill,'' he concluded before resuming the onslaught of messages.
Congratulations! The host''s primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
A level there was unexpected but greatly welcomed. Perhaps the seriousness of the situation had pushed it further than any amount of training could. Regardless, it was edging ever nearer to a likely SP cost reduction which would make it a much more versatile skill.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''Huh. Didn''t expect that. I certainly embrace it though. I was pretty fuckin'' scared that I might actually die, to be fair,'' he reasoned.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
''Yeah, you had better level up you wonderful skill, you. The sooner you reach master rank, the better,'' Lone thought with a smile. Despite what he had said to Sophie, the skill was the only reason he wasn''t thrashing about on the floor screaming his lungs out right now.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spears] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
He nodded calmly. ''One use, six kills of far higher ranked monsters, one level. I can accept that if the pace keeps up. Maybe advanced rank is possible just from Urd Grun alone,'' he hoped sincerely.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert level 6.
Lone couldn''t help but beam from ear to ear when he saw this. Bone Armour hadn''t levelled up in ages. As for Basic Regeneration, Hamish had only managed to level it when he was actually trying to kill him back in Krieg Moor. Now though he felt he could get these skills to the peak of expert rank at the very least. ''Maybe not master rank. I can''t expect too much but Bone Armour gets stronger every time it gets destroyed. It doesn''t work the same way as any other skill I possess... How hard can it get while here, I wonder?'' That thought excited him to no end. With stronger Bone Armour he became that little bit harder to kill, just that little bit more powerful. Lone finally summoned the roast pig of the feast, the biggest prize of them all. His status and all of his level and stat gains were revealed before him. B2: Chapter 41: Feeling Lost and Sly
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 238 [+34]
Species Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 21,334/60,930 [+8,540] SP: 3,021/62,150 [+3,050]
MP: 52,520/52,520 [+12,030] WF: 1,200/1,200
Basic Stats
Strength: 3,106 [+201] Vigour: 6,093 [+854]
Dexterity: 2,134 [+52] Agility: 3,565 [+504]
Vitality: 6,215 [+305] Luck: 193
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 Charisma: 132
Magic Power: 5,252 [+1,203]
''Of course the stat to gain the most would be the one I can''t use right now, haha,'' Lone laughed self-deprecatingly. It made sense that Magic Power was the stat to gain the most since the Balor Demon Bats used sound magic, primarily. Still, he felt bitter. Lone was, however, very pleased overall. While the numbers looked big, it was definitely hard to really show off their potential when he couldn''t apply the stats themselves. Still, they helped. Vitality and Vigour especially. Each point in those extended how long he could directly fight for, which the most important thing right now when facing the Balor Demon Bats. "Good news, we presume?" Sophie asked as she stretched a bit and put her towel down, apparently finished with cleaning his body. He grinned at her and said, "Yeah. You can see it too, right? 34 whole levels. I can use Ungrounded for a full minute now as well, which is pretty kickass. I also got a lot of MP which I''m sure will be helpful eventually." Sophie gave him a distrusting look. "Only if you stop using that orb to force your way past that silly seal of yours." "Hah, only if the love of my life stops getting corrupted by Darkness," he replied with a chuckle. "How about you? Any gains of particular note from the levelling?" "Give us a moment to check. In the meantime, take a bath, would you? We love you but you do reek of absolute sin," she said as she sat down on the tent''s floor. "Also, change our sheets when you''re done. We do not wish to be on the ground like this. The rocks underneath are bumpy." Lone nodded. "Yes, Ma''am. I was going to regardless, but thank you for the kind reminder." She mimicked his nod. "You are welcome." Lone smiled as he summoned a bathtub and some hot water from his Dimensional Storage. He may have overstocked on the latter before leaving Krieg Moor. He still had easily a thousand litres of the stuff, stolen straight from their steamforged bathtub in the Rusty Sprocket. He carefully got in the tub. It was a bit of a tight fit since while it was large, their tent was not a hotel room. As he began scrubbing himself down, Sophie spoke once more. "We gained a little over 3,000 Magic Power. Not unexpected considering how attuned to magic we and Soph are. That will be helpful in the coming attacks, we are sure," Sophie said. "Man, that''s almost three times what I got. I''ll never beat you in the field of MP capacity, that''s pretty set in stone," Lone commented. "What I wouldn''t give to just get 30,000 MP so instantly like that." "Oh, shush, you whiner," Sophie replied with a roll of the eyes. "It took killing 11 of those B-ranked monsters to gain enough levels for this. Also, I need to work for my stats, natural talents or not. You simply must kill." "Fair," Lone said as he pursed his lips and nodded appreciatively. He closed his eyes as he let the hot water seep into his pores. "Anything physical of note? I know you''ve been trying really hard to improve in that area." "Yes." He could practically hear the grin on her little face from just her tone alone. "We gained 27 points in Strength, 19 in Dexterity, 32 in Vitality and... well, 73 in Vigour." "Hahaha! I bet I know why Vigour is the highest one," Lone said in a teasing tone. He opened one eye to look at Sophie and saw her blushing from the neck all the way up to her forehead. "Be quiet, you lustful demon." "Hey, it takes two to tango," Lone reasoned. "Three, in your case. Soph is just as bad as you are," Sophie muttered. "Pot calling the kettle black," Lone chuckled. Before she could find anything to throw at him though, he added, "I''m really proud of you. To some people, those stat gains may look like nothing but I know for a fact that a lot of folk here on Altros gain nothing bar a single stat or two per level. Granted, those are the worst of the worst. Still, it shows how much effort you''ve been putting in considering your small frame. Even as an adult, you''re pretty little." "... It is unfair to be so sweet after being so rude," Sophie said with a sigh. "There is one other thing of note," she added a bit mysteriously. Lone saw her stand up and approach the tub before she got undressed. "Hmm?" Lone wiggled his eyebrow appreciatively, liking what he was seeing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "We unlocked the Charm stat. We have 11 points in it," she claimed with a seductive smile on her lips - lips which she promptly licked. "I''m not a meal, misses," Lone said as he raised his still wiggling eyebrow. He definitely noticed a tiny trace of additional, almost forced, attraction coming from the woman he loved. ''Wow. Do I give that off too? Just how dangerous would applied Charm be? That''s a frightening thought.'' "If you swap out that icky water for something fresher, you could be," Sophie argued as she leaned over and kissed him. "Is there room for one more in there?" Lone sighed but he did swap out the water. "Of course there is. I built it with two in mind. I''m telling you though, this is exactly why Vigour is your leading physical stat." "So be it. That is a price we can bear to burden in exchange for enjoying the pleasure that is you," Sophie said before she climbed into the bathtub and sat directly on top of him. "Now, let us train the stat a bit more, shall we?" Lone laughed, putting his hands on her hips. "Yeah, let''s."
"They''re feckin'' at it again," Hamish said with nothing but exasperation in his tone. "By the Stone, even when ah was at their age ah wasnae this active." He just sighed before pouring a bit more of his SP into his Sound Ensnarement skill. There was no need for a watch tonight so he''d be damned if he let two lovebirds ruin a perfectly good night of sleep. The next morning he got up nice and early. He gave the fox a bit of a look before just shaking his head and accepting his breakfast. ''Can''t believe the fecker actually killed 11 ah those demons. Ah''d barely be able tae handle one, maybe two if mah life was on the line,'' the dwarf thought. Once he was done with his food, he grabbed his pick and got to work on extending the spiral tunnel. The fox joined him while the girls trained in their skills instead. ''Just ''ow did he kill 11 of ''em in such a quick timeframe? Aye, he came back lookin'' like death itself but right now he looks just feckin'' peachy. That self ''ealin'' is doonright unfair.'' Hamish felt a bit lost, in truth. His entire company, his brothers, his family... they had all died to the monsters that this strange supposed hero had slaughtered with no permanent loss on his side. It made their sacrifices seem... meaningless. ''Just ''ow many mere freaks like this cunt are oot there? Maybe ''es nae full ah shite... The fox could ''ave ah skill ''at can kill almost anythin'' wae but ah thought. It''d explain the bats. Then again, maybe they lied?'' It seemed pretty plausible which made the idea of them fabricating a tale of slaying the bats unlikely. There were no doubts that the human could teleport. He''d seen that with his own eyes, after all. But what if they had gone in, got ambushed, almost died without accomplishing anything and then immediately fled? ''If they can really kill ''em though... Ah can use this... Ah need proof though...'' "Fox," Hamish called while still swinging his pick. "Yeah, Dwarf?" the ninetails replied without taking his eyes off of his own tool - a gorgeous white wooden pickaxe. "Dae ya mind bringin'' back ah corpse or two o'' the Balor Demon Bats tonight? Ah could use their claws fae somethin''," Hamish lied. He saw the fox shrugging. "Sure, I can try. No guarantees but I''ll certainly keep it in mind. My first priority is getting stronger though. I hope you understand that. It''s not a very relaxed battlefield. Can''t really go shopping for bodies when I''m being swarmed by bats from hell." "Aye, aye, ah get ''at," Hamish replied. "Just keepin'' it in mind is enuff."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Lone smiled though worry clouded his mind. ''What are you up to, Darkness?'' He didn''t really care about Hamish''s request or if he actually needed a body or not. He''d try to do as the man had asked but it wasn''t a major concern. The aloof Primal, however, hadn''t sucked away Lone''s mind last night and he, for the life of him, couldn''t figure out why. ''Another trick, maybe? Could be trying to make me feel safe and secure... The fucker could also be pissing its pants after watching me kill 11 of those bats. Well, assuming it could watch me somehow,'' Lone thought, creeping himself out a bit in the process. If nothing else, he had awoken completely undisturbed with Sophie laying in his arms. He wasn''t even assailed by nightmares. A good sign, for certain. Sighing and cracking his neck, he got back to work mining. At the same time, he did his best to mimic how Hamish tackled the wall with his own pick. As Wilbur had taught him, there was a lot more to a skill than just the percentage boosts provided by the system. ''I wonder how he''s getting on. I... I kinda want to be there when he passes away,'' Lone thought. Death was nothing new to him, sadly. He was willing to accept that the old smith was close to the end of his days. Perhaps if his MP wasn''t sealed he would try to help him out as he had done for the elves on Goblin Island. Now though, that was impossible if he ever wanted his seal to lift. The man seemed to have accepted his own coming death too, which made it hard to argue for healing him. Still, a small part of Lone wanted to be by Wilbur''s side to support him when he did finally close his eyes for the last time. ''He''s gonna be epitomized, right? I wonder if that means he has a skill that''s even more refined than master rank. Probably Steamforging... I''m a lucky guy to have been taught by such an amazing man,'' Lone thought to himself with a smile on his face. He made a promise internally to return as quickly as he could and spend time with the man. At least a few weeks before leaving the krieg as was originally planned. The day came and went quickly. Eventually, it was time to set up camp again. Lone grinned as he checked his notification log.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''Won''t be long before you rank up, you lovely little skill, you,'' Lone said as he got to work preparing dinner for the group. Tonight, he had decided to make something from scratch instead of just relying on his precooked meals. He had the Cooking Mastery skill, after all. It would be a waste to not give it some attention every now and then. Doubly so since he had some ingredients just laying about in his Dimensional Storage. ''Speaking of recently unused skills, I haven''t given Soph or Sophie a massage in months. The skill''s still beginner rank, that Massage Mastery. I should work on that tonight provided the bats don''t fuck me up too much,'' he thought. Hamish approached him while he toiled over his cooking pot and said, "By ma estimates, we''ll be done wae the tunnel in about two weeks. Maybe three if we come across any ''ard minerals or metals. Ah''d wanna collect any o'' ''at piss if we do hit ah vein." "Is that common here?" Lone asked. "Och, aye," Hamish nodded fervently. "The Farwinds werenae mined oot just tae connect the kriegs, Fox. It was fae mooney anaw." Lone wore a ponderous expression while he carefully added some spices to the pot''s contents. "I guess that''s why so many dwarven adventurer''s side-gig as miners. Clearing collapsed roads isn''t the only paying job for a miner, eh?" "Exactly. What''re ye cookin'', anyway?" Hamish asked. "Smells feckin'' great, in all honesty." "Cheers. It''s just a simple sheep stew with some herbs and spices. I''m trying to make it taste like home," Lone explained. "Home? Where''s home tae ye?" Hamish asked, taking a seat next to him. Lone smiled. "The romantic in me says by Soph and Sophie''s side. In truth? Scotland. It''s a place where all the people sound and talk just like you. Well, all the older people and those up north, in truth. I''ve got a bit of a soft spot for the dwarves here because of that." He chuckled before looking at Hamish. "Apart from you. You remind me more of the cunts who''d get pissed at one in the morning then sing and scream while walking down the main road, waking every bastard and their dog up while they''re at it." The dwarf wore a complicated expression on his face. "Ah''ve actually done ''at before." Lone cackled at the admission. "If I''m good at anything, it''s reading people." "... So on yer world, yer homeland''s like the kriegs? Are people fae Scotland the dwarves ah yer world?" Hamish asked with interest in his voice. Lone shook his head. "No, no... We don''t have underground cities. Earth doesn''t even have magic. Well, no visible magic anyway," he said, thinking about Soph and Sophie. "As for dwarves... no. On Earth, dwarfism is a medical term for those born too short and slightly deformed. They typically have shorter lifespans but large hearts. I met a dwarf once. On Earth. Nicest guy I think I''ve ever had the pleasure of speaking to," Lone said with a warm smile on his face. "He was American, by the way." "Weird world..." Hamish leaned back on the rock he was using as a chair. "D''ya miss it?" "Yes and no," Lone answered. "Well ''at''s ''ardly tellin''," Hamish grunted. Lone laughed faintly. "I like it here. I''ve experienced some fuckin'' shit, don''t get me wrong. I''ve been discriminated against, cut open, poisoned, drugged, hell, I''ve been tortured, Hamish. Overall though? I''m in a world of magic and mystery. A world of Djinns and Primals. I''m a powerful man who''s killed an SS-ranked monarch. I have a beautiful girlfriend who loves me as much as I love her. Net positive I think. I do miss my sister though." "Ah. Family, huh?" Hamish creased his brows, clearly choosing to ignore the more serious things Lone had brought up. "Good talk. Ah''m gonna gae let the lassies ken ''ow weak they are while ye finish up supper." "Hah, go easy on them. Or, at least on Soph. I''ll need her for later," Lone requested. "Ah''ll try ma best, Lone, ah''ll try ma best," Hamish said before he jumped up onto his feet and wandered away. Lone clicked his tongue. "Sly cunt. That''s the first time he''s called me by my name." B2: Chapter 42: Second Attack and Massage "All ready?" Lone asked Soph. "He went easy on you, right?" She nodded in response. "Yup. My MP is full and I''m good to go!" Her enthusiasm warmed his heart. He smiled and held her gauntleted hand. "Well then, let''s go kill some more bats, shall we?" Soph nodded again and then the two of them disappeared. A moment later and they were back on top of the guard tower. Lone could immediately see the 11 corpses from just yesterday down at the square in the distance. The remaining lighting enchantments of the street lamps made it a bit hard to see since they were lacking and dim, but they sufficed. Honestly, Lone couldn''t help but marvel at such technology. Urd Grun had been abandoned for a couple of centuries according to his research. For the magic to have lasted this long was a true testament to the skills of the dwarven enchanters as well as to the steamforgers who built the lamps housing said enchantments. ''Looks like they don''t eat corpses. I wonder if Hamish already knew that? He came here to get the bodies of his brothers, after all,'' Lone said to Soph. Meanwhile, the girl was busy putting barriers in her ears and around herself. ''I dunno. I''m ready now, by the way. In and out as fast as yesterday?'' Lone narrowed his eyes. ''Probably. I doubt I''ve grown enough to last longer than maybe a second or two more. Depends on how resistant my armour is to them now, really.'' A moment later, he focused on his Bone Armour skill. Very quickly he was wrapped in his heavy plate black bone armour. The telltale blue signs of Sky''s influence on his bones glowed softly in the poorly lit cavern town. Lone took a deep breath then spoke to Soph telepathically once more, ''Let''s go.'' He activated his Ungrounded skill and headed to the square while Soph teleported there instead. ''Time to see how much these demon fucks can learn, if at all. They didn''t seem very intelligent since they didn''t have any concrete spells like the goblins, but I''m ready to be proven wrong,'' he thought. He then drew in a bunch of air to his lungs and used his Wide Taunt skill. "Tasty foxkin right here! Buy one tail, get two free!" He didn''t really put much thought into his shout. If what he had said yesterday worked, then damn-near anything would, surely. Low and behold, the sound of screeches met his eardrums a fraction of a second later, completely ripping them to shreds and making blood leak out of his ears. He didn''t flinch nor react in any way. He was already used to the pain after yesterday. He just waited, swordspear in hand, for the Balor Demon Bats to appear. The massive horde of flying monstrosities soon became visible. Just like last time, they were flooding out of every corner, every window, every possible spot they could have been hidden, all swarming to his location in the middle of the air. Lone quickly used five Mental Destructions in rapid succession once again, resulting in five more bodies being added to the 11 already below him. He then entered a defensive stance and said, "Tail Spears." Lone''s plan was to meet the bats at the front with his Swordspear Mastery''s Pierce while the ones behind him would be assaulted by randomly and quickly moving tails of doom. ''Let''s see how this work out...'' he closed his eyes for a second before snapping them open again. Now, nothing but focus radiated from his entire being.
Lone and Soph appeared in the middle of the camp again, causing a bit of a stir. "Ah, welcome back," Hamish said. "Shoulda expected ye''s but ''onestly, ''at teleportation shite isnae easy tae get accustomed tae." Lone smiled as he willed his barely hanging on armour to recede back into his flesh. "You''ll have to try because we''re only getting stronger as we do it and I''m killing more and more bats." Breena stepped forwards and offered him a towel. "Y-You look better than yesterday... Uh... Y-Yeah, better..." He knew she was just being kind but she wasn''t completely lying. Both of his eyes had been ripped out of his skull again and even a side of his head was missing entirely as it had been bitten out. Three of his tails were nowhere to be seen and chunks of his flesh were missing all over his body. Though, in contrast to yesterday, he didn''t need Soph''s help to stay upright. He shrugged as his body worked as quickly as it could to repair itself. "Armour''s getting stronger so I can kill more of them before they break through it and force us to retreat." Lone turned to his companion and smiled broadly. Thankfully, his jaw was still attached to his face this time. "Speaking of, you were fuckin'' amazing, Soph. It felt cleaner, you getting me out." He saw her smiling shyly when she removed her helmet. She answered his praise by saying, "I''m getting better at using my skills. No rank ups but I did gain a level in Teleportation and Barrier Magic!" Soph was practically oozing joy. "I guess it liked that I double layered the ear protection this time. I don''t even hear any ringing." Hamish winced. "Sometimes ah feel like ah can. Phantom noises an'' whatnot. Ya didnae grab ah corpse, did ya?" Lone didn''t miss the suspicion in the man''s eyes but he ultimately nodded. "Yup. Got two of ''em, even." He summoned the corpses from his Dimensional Storage and they immediately filled up the camp, so large were they. "Fuck. They''re ah lot bigg''r up close. Cheers. Ah''ll take the claws oof ''em when ah''ve ah minute tae spare," the dwarf claimed. Lone grinned. "Nah, I''ll do it. I kinda wanna completely skin ''em and stuff ''em. Maybe there''s a Taxidermy Mastery skill or something." Hamish shrugged. "Aye, if ''at''s what ya wan''. Ah''ve never ''eard ah ''at skill though. Mind ye, ma knowledge is limited." Lone mirrored the dwarf''s body language. "You could be right. I''ve tried lots of stuff to get new skills that you would assume have them, but to no avail." Hamish nodded wistfully. "Every adventurer worth ''is stone ''as tried to earn new undocumented skills. Makes sense since dozens get discovered every year." Lone smiled. "Indeed." Ten minutes later and within the privacy of his and Soph''s tent, Lone got to work reading through his notification log while his lover snuggled up to his tails.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
An expected windfall. He fully believed Wide Taunt would rank up at least once, maybe twice before they were done here. Next came the long string of Sound Magic Resistance level-ups.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
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Passive Skill: Sound Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Sound Magic. Sound Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4
Lone nodded in approval. ''Not quite eight instant levels-ups, instead only five but the rank-up will help tremendously.''
Congratulations! The host''s primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
''Hopefully I keep getting a level per attack. If I do, in two days it''ll rank up and become less of a burden,'' Lone thought about his only viable Primal skill.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spears] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''Good, good. Can''t complain with progress here either,'' he commented internally. That was all, sadly. Fear Resistance, Physical Pain Resistance, Basic Regeneration and Bone Armour hadn''t gained any levels. Lone suspected that was because, for the latter three, the Balor Demon Bats had reached their limits for what their attacks could reward him in those areas - of course, his Bone Armour would continue to get more durable, but that wouldn''t be reflected with skill level-ups. As for Fear Resistance, Lone simply wasn''t afraid anymore since he had successfully done the hit and run on the bats once before, proving his and Soph''s ability to do it and succeed. "Soph, how many did I kill this time?" he asked, curiosity filling his mind. "Hmm?" she pulled her face up from his fluff for a moment to think. "Um... Sophie says you got 17. Sorry. I was kind of paying attention to keeping myself safe and making sure I could get you out, not on anything else." "No worries. I''m glad Sophie was keeping track though. So six more than yesterday... It didn''t feel like there were any fewer of them though. Must be hundreds of the fuckers," Lone said. He then greedily opened his status. While it was true that with each level gained it got harder to reach the next one, however, with 17 more B-rankers dead at his feet, he couldn''t wait to see the gains.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 274 [+36]
Species Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 34,723/72,230 [+11,300] SP: 2,626/66,980 [+4,830]
MP: 70,350/70,350 [+17,830] WF: 1,200/1,200
Basic Stats
Strength: 3,384 [+278] Vigour: 7,223 [+1,130]
Dexterity: 2,198 [+64] Agility: 4,309 [+744]
Vitality: 6,698 [+483] Luck: 194 [+1]
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 Charisma: 132
Magic Power: 7,035 [+1,783]
"So many numbers..." Lone was in awe. He felt damn near ecstatic, even. The growth was insane and while most of the worth of his stats was hidden behind being applied, he had grown so much more durable over a short span of just two days. "Hey, Soph, how much MP do you have right now?" Lone asked. "Uh..." she didn''t answer immediately, presumable since she had to check her status first. "234,395." "Hahaha, yeah. I''m never beating you. You''re a fuckin'' grandmaster wizard is what you are," Lone said before he turned and brought her into a hug. "It was a great idea coming here. Clearing our name is fine and all, but the strength we''re gaining... That means so much more," Lone claimed. Soph smiled. "I''m glad you''re happy. You''ve been, uh... kinda gloomy for a while." "I know, and for good reason but I am sorry for it," Lone apologised. Soph giggled before kissing him lightly. "It''s rare I get to hear you say that. I''m usually the one apologising." "Hey, I know when I''m in the wrong," Lone argued. "You don''t, which is why you say sorry so damned much just to cover all of your bases." Soph pouted in silence for a bit before they both burst out laughing.
Lone yawned as he woke up. He smiled at the sight of Sophie who was laying next to him. Just before they had gone to bed, Soph swapped out for her other personality which was just perfect for Lone''s needs. He gently shook her shoulder and asked, "Hey, mind if I give you a massage?" There was a dreamy look in her eyes as she lay there next to him in her usual adult form, fully nude. She shrugged then closed her eyes as she rolled over to present her back to him. "Thanks, Sophie," he said as he cracked his wrist and then positioned himself atop of her. Within seconds of his hands touching her fair skin, moans began leaking out of her mouth. "You... you are pretty good at this, are you not?" came her muffled voice since her head was buried in a pillow. Lone grinned. "It''s the difference between skill mastery and actual talent."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
His smirk only grew upon seeing that notification. "Your muscles are pretty tensed up. Let''s see how many knots I can undo and how many levels I can gain before I''m done, huh?"
As it turned out, he was able to use Full Body Diagnosis to identify exactly 21 knots in Sophie''s muscles, most of which in her arms and shoulders.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Massage Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Sophie''s face just oozed satisfaction as she ate her breakfast. Lone noticed that her movements were very slow and relaxed. "Honestly, Lone, Soph was a fool for not demanding you do that every morning," she claimed. "Let us add that to the morning routine, shall we?" "I''d love to," Lone responded. "You have way too many knots in your muscles, honestly. It''s a great pleasure to help you by getting rid of them. Plus, I''m always a fan of more skill level-ups." Hamish grabbed his pickaxe and asked, "Is ''at what ye were doin'' in yer tent nae long ago? Massaging? Coulda swore ye were ploughin'' ''er like there wae nae tomorrow in sight. Ah wouldnae be surprised if the folk back in Krieg Moor could ''ear ''er screams. ''Ell o'' ah challenge tae block ''at much ''igh-pitched screeching oot, if nothin'' else." Sophie scoffed. "Good. Perhaps you will gain a level or two in your silly little scouting skills then. What other use do you have at this point when all you do is bring up how much my lovely voice is eating away at your sanity?" "Ouch. Ah was being playful but ''at cut right tae the bone," Hamish said. Sophie rolled her eyes. "Are you stupid? That''s exactly what we do." She gestured to her swords that were resting at her side. "We cut things." Lone glanced at Breena who glanced back at him. They shared a smile of uncertain meaning as they watched their companions bicker. B2: Chapter 43: Old Resistance and Soup
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 10.
''Just one shy... Shame it''s time to wrap up for the day,'' Lone lamented. He was certainly tempted to just forgo the third day of killing bats just to gain a rank up in this skill. He almost felt compelled to, even, but he controlled himself. Lone stood to gain far more by sticking to the plan. He could rank the skill up tomorrow. ''ignore your stupid impulses, idiot.'' He chuckled to himself as he put his pick away and nodded at Hamish. He then wandered down the tunnel back to their camp. The dwarf would clean up the tunnel''s end before returning himself. After a hearty dinner and some preparations, Lone and Soph were once again ready and kitted out to go back into Urd Grun. "Do we have to go today?" she asked him. "Uh, yeah," Lone answered, feeling a bit befuddled. "Why?" "... No reason. Maybe I''m just a bit tired..." She smiled sweetly then put on her helmet. Wasting no more time, Soph teleported the two of them back onto the guard tower''s roof. It was as quiet and inactive as it was during the prior two invasions. Without wasting time, Lone walked through the sky while Soph got herself out of sight and set up her barriers. When he had confirmed that Soph was ready, he activated Wide Taunt and yelled, "If a tree falls in a forest but no one hears it, did it really fall?!" Instantly, notifications blurred past his eyes which he pushed back for now. The buildings once again burst to life as Balor Demons Bats spilled out of them. ''Here we go again. Let''s see how many I can kill today,'' Lone thought with a small grin on his lips. He prepared himself for the inevitable sound magic barrage as he began invoking, "Mental Des-" "Enough of this, Lone. You''ve had more than your fair share of a free meal," a silky smooth voice spoke. Lone recognised this voice but more importantly, his own voice had become stuck as if someone had shoved a tennis ball down his throat. He couldn''t issue a single sound. The next thing he saw was all of the bats froze midair and a frightened Soph appeared in front of them, bound and constrained in rope as she hovered mere metres away from the bats. "Choose. I kill all of the bats for you and your lovely little princess survives. Or... now this is the fun choice, you don''t get me to kill them all. You try your luck but I keep her bound like this and prevent her from using her fascinating Teleportation skill. She''ll die but you can probably get more experience, levels, rank ups... all of that stuff you so dearly love," the disembodied voice tempted. ''This voice... This is... Darkness? It sounds a bit different from inside of the dreams but it''s definitely them... Fuck. This... I should have expected this,'' Lone thought. He had no idea what to do. All he could think of was willing himself to answer the being''s question. He obviously wanted to save Soph. As much as he loved the system and how he grew from it, there were always more monsters. However, there was only one Soph. Letting her die would destroy him. "The second one," his mouth moved on its own, much to his horror. His eyes widened and he furiously tried to break out of whatever was constraining him to speak what his mind truly felt. He would never choose stats and skill levels over the person he loved! "Excellent, her death it is," Darkness cheerfully declared. The next second, the bats all descended upon Soph and ripped her limb from limb, eviscerating her. It took less than a moment for her to lose any signs of life. Her screams in those few short moments though... they etched themselves onto Lone''s very soul. She was just... a lump of flesh with some clothes attached to them at this point. The bats were completely ignoring Lone as he was frozen there, forced to watch. "Stop it! Mental Destruction! Mental Destruction! Mental Destruction! I said stop!" Now his voice did as he commanded it to but it was meaningless. This was Ranton''s dungeon all over but a hundredfold worse. In place of Sir Ardus, his torturer was a Primal itself. Replacing the children he had been forced to kill in order to spare an even worse fate then simple death, he had instead unwillingly consigned Soph and Sophie to an utterly brutal end. Lone felt his mind collapsing as he decided to forgo his remaining unique skill slots. One to kill everything, Darkness included, and one to bring back the two woman he couldn''t live without at this point. Just as he was about to use up the slots though, everything... faded. As if a layer of the world itself had been peeled back, the truth of everything revealed itself. Notifications flared up like a storm in the corner of his eyes again and nothing but madness and confusion filled his mind. ''Lone!'' the sweet siren song that was the sound of his most cherished person yelled into his mind. ''Soph?! You''re... you''re not dead?'' he asked, unsure of himself. Had he gone truly mad? Did he just have the wildest hallucination in perhaps the entire history of hallucinations? Quickly he noticed something wasn''t quite right. Where were the bats? He glanced down and saw hundreds upon hundreds, perhaps even over a thousand, corpses of the B-ranked beasts. "What... What happened..." he whispered to himself. Lone quickly got himself together and shouted telepathically, ''Soph?! You''re okay?! Where are you?!'' The girl appeared right next to him via Teleportation. "I-I''m here! I''m fine. W-What''s going on? You just stood there with glazed over eyes when t-the bats all fell." Lone didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "I thought... you were dead." He was shaking. Lone was afraid that if he let go of her she would just scatter to the wind as if she were some sort of illusion. Lone narrowed his eyes. "Illusion..." Darkness was known for being the god of illusions as far as the Church of the Primals was concerned. It had control over a few other things, of course. No Primal was monogynous in their power. Illusions just so happened to be one of the areas of speciality though for the devious Primal that was known only as Darkness. Lone''s face morphed into one of disgust and anger. "Soph, bring us back to the camp." "O-Okay," she fumbled as she remained in his grasp. "Teleport-" "Be seeing you soon, Lone... Very soon..." "-ation."
"''At was feckin'' fast," Hamish noted. Lone ignored him. His mind was busy processing exactly what had just happened. Breena looked confused. "No wounds? Uh, that''s good but... is everything okay?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lone found a seat at their camp and nodded slowly. "Something, yeah. You could call it that. I think I was shown an illusion. I mean, that''s almost definitely what I saw." Hamish frowned. "An illusion? Fae what? The bats only ken soond magic. The Milor dinnae ken any at all." Lone stared into the fire of their little camp as he interlocked his fingers. "By Darkness." Hamish just looked confused. "As in Darkness spawn? Those things are pretty common in the Farwinds, aye, but they''ve nae intelligence." Soph said, "No, he means the Primal." Hamish glanced back and forth between the two with an incredulous look on his face. "Ye''r feckin'' wae me." Lone looked up and chuckled sadly. "No, I''m not. You do recall the original reason Urd Grun was to be investigated, right?" Hamish scratched his cheek. "Nae really, nah. Ewan was in charge ah all ''at pish. We was tae come ''ere an'' investigate. Dinnae ken why." "It''s because he keeps getting summoned to this place but in a more pristine condition during his dreams. Every night," Soph explained in his place. Lone nodded. "More or less, yeah. Darkness would meet me there and... try to fuck with me. It alluded to the missing dwarves of the krieg being in the urd somewhere. Probably underground. It stopped taking over my dreams recently though." "... Forgive me if ah dinnae just immediately assume ya ate some funky rocks or somethin''," Hamish reasoned. "Ah mean, ye''ve nae reason tae lie but feck me in the arse if this isnae super farfetched." Lone stared at the dwarf. "... Hamish. I''m a fuckin'' nine-tailed Golden Foxkin from another planet who has eight unique skills and two Primals sealed within his own soul. A third Primal wanting to hop aboard and take control of my perfect vessel isn''t that farfetched." Breena''s eyes widened while Hamish laughed in disbelief. Lone didn''t laugh back. A few seconds of silence passed before Hamish''s face stiffened. "Ye''r serious?" "Deadly," Lone said. He then pointed to his eyes. "I didn''t get the blue in here from awakening naturally to Sky. The black isn''t natural either. I once found an orb that had the forgotten ninth Primal, Void, sealed within it-" "Ah! Shut it! Nope! None ah this shite!" Hamish stormed off to his tent. "Ye do whatever ye''ve gotta dae, Lone, but dinnae involve me in matters pertainin'' tae the topsider gods!" Lone smiled wryly. "I kinda actually wanted to tell the full story... Not many chances I get to do that, what with this being the first." Breena approached cautiously. "Um... I-I''d like to hear it." Lone beamed from ear to ear. "Thanks, Breena. Well, as I was saying..." Soph sighed faintly. "I''ll cook us something to eat."
Later, after having told Breena everything regarding Void, Sky, and now Darkness, he was in his and Soph''s tent about to look through his notification log. The young Crimson Foxkin had already known a lot regarding his situation with Darkness but he still found it rewarding to teach her what he knew of the godly beings. Void especially since it had been wiped from the history books of the entire continent, it seemed. He didn''t expect the girl to show an interest in the Primals but he was glad to have something to latch on to. Perhaps it was to be expected though since she, like him, was a beastkin. They were both already far closer to the Primals than most others with that fact alone. If he could perform more research on those beings of great power in the future and somehow use that information to break Breena even further out of her shell... Lone added that to his personal to-do list once this whole situation with Darkness was settled. Right alongside punching the true gods in the face, visiting the Crimson Foxkin Clan, perhaps seeking out the magic academy in the east, and seeing if he couldn''t locate Grimsley, Gilbert, and Shana. For now though, he checked through his notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
"So it wasn''t all an illusion if that is what I experienced," Lone concluded. He was half convinced the entire thing had been false somehow from the moment Soph had teleported him in, up to the second she had teleported him out. This skill levelling though proved that he had, indeed, managed to taunt several beings at once. This meant the bats weren''t already dead or that he was simply seeing things from the very beginning.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
"Rewal''eh''s Illusionary Dome never gave me a level up even after going through it a few times... It only gave me the start of the resistance. Just how powerful was this illusion?" Regardless, Lone was glad to have his theory confirmed. The more he knew about Darkness and its methods, the less he could be thrown off by random things it did to mess with him. Honestly, seeing the woman he cherished so dearly dying in front of his eyes without him being able to do anything to prevent it, even if only an illusion, was a sight he would likely never forget. It made him feel powerless. It wasn''t a pleasant feeling and he''d make the Primal pay for forcing him to go through something like that. Needless to mention the fact that Darkness had effectively removed his current best source of levelling his skills and vastly increasing his stats. ''Whatever that fucker is planning, I''ll make sure it fails for dicking over my own plans here,'' Lone decided. He did still have two more notifications left, however.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Lone frowned deeply. ''Was Soph exposed to this too or was I the only one since she didn''t get trapped in an illusion like I did?'' As if summoned by his thoughts, Soph carefully entered the tent while holding two bowls full of food. "Someone looks proud," Lone commented as he got a whiff of whatever she had prepared. The rich scent of mixed spices and carefully stirred tomatoes soothed his mind. ''No wonder she asked me for a bunch of our few leftover tomatoes. She was making soup. Fuck, it smells amazing.'' "Heheh! I finally got the Cooking Mastery skill!" she exclaimed happily before freezing. "I, uh, know now isn''t a great time after what happened but... um... I''m really relieved though. I thought I''d suck at cooking forever..." Lone smiled warmly. "I knew you had it in you. You''re way more talented than I am." He leaned up and summoned Kyuubi. The sleepy fox looked around in confusion for a bit before seemingly losing interest. She then quickly curled up on Lone''s lap and began purring. "Such a simple creature, you are," Lone whispered as he accepted a bowl of soup from Soph. "You''ve never been bad at cooking. Honestly, it takes real skill to be shit at cooking. It''s such a simple thing. Being great at cooking is what''s difficult." "R-Right..." Soph found a place next to him and began slurping on her own bowl. "Um... what level is your Cooking Mastery?" "Hmm? Well, it''s Intermediate-Level-five. I honestly haven''t dedicated myself to it that much. I think you need to use different recipes and ingredients as well as cook things from different cultures to advance the skill," Lone explained. "Huh..." Soph looked ahead blankly as she enjoyed her own hard work. "It''s so tasty..." "Indeed it is. Everything is better when you do it yourself. Maybe not literally, but there''s something special about it when you were the chef," Lone commented. "All of your meals have been delicious, by the way. Not just this soup." She blushed a bit. "Thanks... That means a lot... Uh... Um... What are we going to do?" "In regards to?" Lone asked. "... Darkness. The tunnel too. Is it needed anymore?" she questioned. Lone nodded. "For Darkness, I have a plan. A risky plan, but a plan nonetheless. The tunnel? I honestly don''t know. It depends on if my dream-kidnappings start up again. I''d kinda like to finish it if only to level up Mining Mastery more." "And if the dream stuff continue?" Soph asked, worry lacing her tone. "Then we abandon the tunnel and enter from the front. I''m confident I can crush the Milor with my tails if Darkness didn''t kill them too. We find wherever Darkness is hiding inside of and proceed with my plan from there," Lone explained. "What do you mean? It''s inside something?" Soph wore a puzzled expression on her face. "Well, Void was sealed away in an orb, right?" Lone pointed out. "And you told me Sky was a bright blue ball. It moved really fast before it entered my body, but you saw it. Surely we can see Darkness then going by the same logic." "Huh... That does make sense," Soph replied. Lone grinned. "Right?" "... Um, one last question," Soph said sheepishly as she reached over and rubbed Kyuubi''s fluffy ears. The fox purred louder and pushed her head into Soph''s palm. Lone saw the girl practically melting from the affection. Pets were scary. Such good manipulators and controllers of the heart, were they. "Shoot," he said. "... What did you see in the illusion?" she asked with a certain tension in her tone. "Ah..." Lone wasn''t quite sure what to say. He didn''t want to lie or just ignore the subject. In light of that, he just said the truth. "I saw you getting eaten alive by the bats while I couldn''t speak or even move." Soph''s expression stiffened. "... I wish I was immortal again. If I was, you''d have known straight away that it wasn''t real..." Lone clenched his fist. Now Soph was getting upset over this. He didn''t want that. "You will. I''ll rank up and keep ranking up, eventually, you''ll get your Immortality skill back. We''ll also make Darkness pay for quite clearly trying to drive me insane," he said as he turned to face her. He flashed her a charming grin and added, "I''ve been through worse though and come out the other end. Whether better for it or not could be debated, but come out I did. We''ll manage." Soph returned his grin with a weak smile of her own. "Mmm." B2: Chapter 44: Already Won and Wont Lose "This shall be our final meeting like this, Lone," Darkness said in a chilling tone as he opened his eyes. The primal had taken the form of Breena this time but apart from that, everything else in the dream version of Urd Grun was exactly the same as it always was. "So the nightmares return..." Lone mumbled. The Darkness version of Breena shook its head. "No, no they do not. This is the final one. The next time we meet, you will become my host. An honour really. The last to bear the weight of my existence on their soul was a dragon of all things. I expect your name to spread all throughout Altros while I do my bidding through your vessel." Lone didn''t care much for the sweet smile the being was displaying as it wore his friend''s flesh. "No more mind games? No more subtly trying to fuck with me? Make me question myself?" Lone asked with a tinge of anger in his tone. "Just gonna repeat yourself like a broken record over and over?" "Haha, look at you! So strong! So brave to question a Primal! The very gods of this plane! Hah..." Darkness shook its head slowly. "A broken record has a certain level of... creepiness to it, no? It can be rather eerie... But no. No more meddling from me. For why should I meddle, when my work is done? Lone, Lone... Lone... you''re already mine." "... Who says I don''t just leave this place when I wake up?" Lone challenged. "I have no obligation to venture into the actual urd, especially since you killed half of my reason for even being here." "Ah, my little guests? The Milor are dead as well, by the way. I enjoy a strong host just as much as the next godly being, trust me, I do, but where''s the fun when you abuse your unique talents in such a crude manner?" With Breena''s tongue, the thing made a clicking noise of disapproval. "No," it said, smiling cruelly. "You won''t leave. Baseless threats are beneath me but the truth isn''t. If my perfect vessel just walks out of my web as if it has any agency of its own, well, I''ll be forced to kill and slaughter more potential victims to find the next being capable of hosting me." It cackled as Lone silently listened to its claims. "Why, I already have a few hundred souls just waiting to be released onto the world as my agents. Four-twelve served me well, perhaps one of them will have his luck also? Perhaps not. You''re the one deciding if that''s necessary." ''The missing dwarves... It''s going to manipulate them like it did to Four-twelve... Did it set up his team in the first place? Was his meeting with the demigod orchestrated? No... maybe just his survival?'' Lone wondered in a hurry before saying, "... Things won''t go your way." "Hahaha, you make it sound like they already haven''t. Lone, from the very moment that dwarf touched your shoulder, my victory had been sealed. None of your plans will work. And yes, I know of them. Do recall that I''ve been pulling faces from your mind all this time," the Primal declared. Lone could see the sense in that but at the same time... he had a feeling the being wasn''t being entirely truthful. Something just felt... off about its claim. Lone wore a stern expression on his face as he replied, "Void and Sky don''t control me, neither will you. You''re a pathetic and evil creature. So desperate for a physical form, are you? You try to act like you know everything but you know nothing. You haven''t won as much as I haven''t. We''ll see who the one laughing is soon though, I can promise you that." "Pathetic and evil? Hmm... I suppose that''s something we have in common then, child-killer," Darkness retorted with a giggle before it faded away into the shadows. "We are simply so compatible..."
Lone''s eyes snapped open and he jolted upright. His entire body was covered in sweat. He clenched his fists but he didn''t allow his mind to be shaken, nor his convictions. Darkness would not claim his body as its own. Kyuubi had been sleeping on his chest but had slid down to his lap due to him suddenly sitting up. She slowly peeled open her eyes and looked around in a daze. When she had regained her bearings, the plump fox nimbly jumped atop his shoulder and wrapped herself around his neck like a big scarf. A heavy big scarf. "Hey, Kyuubi. Must be nice to live as a fox, huh? Free of worry and stress," Lone asked as he reached up and stroked her soft golden fur. Kyuubi purred in response. "Kyuu..." She nuzzled her face into his cheek before licking him affectionately. Lone chuckled a little. Slowly, a look of resolve entered his eyes. "No more innocents die because of me."
"We''re going to the urd now," Lone declared while the whole group was having breakfast. Soph scrunched up her face at him. "What about the mining? I thought you wanted to rank up your Mining Mastery at least before we made any moves." "I can''t. I''m too focused on Darkness. All I can think about is killing that fuckin'' thing," Lone stated as he stared into the campfire. Hamish frowned. "Ah''m nae gettin'' involved in any o'' ''at shite. Ah dinnae even ken if ah god can be killed. If what ya said earlier is right an'' everythin'' in the urd''s already deed, then ah''m collectin'' ma brothers an'' leavin''." Lone nodded. "That''s fair. Breena can help you and you can take her with you. I don''t want her coming with Soph and me in the search for Darkness." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "... Is it because I''m weak?" Breena asked, surprising Lone. Still, despite his shock, he replied, "Yes. I''m also worried about it possibly succeeding in taking me over. I don''t doubt I''ll win in the end as I did with Void, but Sky helped me back then. I''m a lot stronger now than I was in Milindo, but still, I could go out of control for seconds to minutes if it manages to weasel its way into my soul." Hamish''s frown only deepened. "Ah''m leavin'' now. All ah this talk is givin'' me the heebie-jeebies." The dwarf then got up, checked his gear quickly, and stormed out of the camp. Lone put his hands on his knees and reached over to Soph''s lap. He stroked Kyuubi''s head then unsummoned her. "I agree. The sooner this is done, the better." "I''m worried," Soph admitted though she still rose to her feet. "Your plans will work, won''t they?" "I don''t know, but I have no other choice," Lone said. "I can''t have more innocent deaths on my hands. I''ve enough mental burdens as it is." Soph bit her lip but nodded nonetheless. She put on her helmet and then also left the cave. Breena followed her without saying a word. Lone took a deep breath then summoned some water from his Dimensional Storage to put out the campfire. With that done, he, too, left this little spot of respite deep within the Farwinds to willingly face a Primal. An outlandish thing to do, he realised upon thinking on it a bit. Still, do it he must.
"Really? Collecting up the demons despite yer self-decided mission?" Hamish asked with a raised eyebrow. Lone simply nodded as he continued to store all of the bat corpses. "I know nothing of these creatures besides what you''ve told us but surely someone, somewhere, will have a use for them. Time is stopped in my Dimensional Storage. They won''t rot so I can sell them or trade them at a later date if need be." Hamish shrugged. "''At''s fair ''nuff. It''d take ah while fae ''em tae got sour though. Higher ranks dinnae only lengthen yer lifespan, but yer deathspan tae." "Really? Sounds like a necrophiliac''s wet-dream come true," Lone noted in a dry tone. "The feck''s ah necrophiliac?" the dwarf asked. Lone shook his head. "If whatever language you are speaking doesn''t have a term for the act, I shall not explain it. You have a brain though. Maybe you can figure it out." "Ah''ve ah feelin'' ah dinnae want tae," Hamish replied as he looked around, always maintaining his vigilance. Suddenly, Soph stopped in her tracks. "That way," she said as she pointed down a main road of the town. "Fourteen corpses, all your size, Hamish. They''ve all been torn up pretty badly..." The dwarf nodded grimly. "Ah didnae expect ''em tae be lookin'' like roses. Their armour''s likely fecked beyond recognition. Ah already ken but... do they still have faces?" Something in the dwarf''s tone resonated with Lone. He could feel the immense pain it brought the man to ask such a morbid question. The wonder if his brothers, his family... if they still even resembled the people they once were... He was suffering silently. A part of Lone instantly forgave the man a bit more for his uncalled-for aggression back in Krieg Moor. Hamish had known the fate of his company the moment he had fled alone. No, perhaps even before then, when they were ambushed. His suffering ran deep and Lone had gained some more insight into that truth. "N-No," Soph admitted a bit tensely. "Everything their claws could reach... its all gone." Hamish smiled. "Thought so. Well, Breena, let''s go, shall we? Ma brothers await." The girl nodded mutely as she followed the man since he had immediately begun walking off at a brisk pace. ''If my MP wasn''t sealed, I could have restored not only their faces, but their entire bodies... I can''t extend my cooldown further though without a much more compelling reason,'' Lone thought with a bit of regret. He felt sympathy for the man over a hundred years his senior. He was an asshole and a selfish man but he clearly had a deep love for his family. Lone could identify with that now that he had Soph, Sophie, Kyuubi, Grimsley, Gilbert, and Wilbur, in his life. Even Breena reminded him of his younger sister in an odd way. "Let''s get going too, I suppose. We can pick up the pace quicker if I ignore the corpses. They can wait until Darkness has been dealt with," he stated. "Okay," Soph answered as she grabbed his wrist. The two then teleported all throughout the urd until finally, Soph halted her rapid use of her skill. "There''s a massive dark purple blob in there, in the basement. I-It... Lone, it''s look-looking back at me." Lone gripped her hand tightly. "You''re safe with me. A hint of trouble, and I mean a hint, and you''re getting unsummoned." Some tension left the hand he was holding but that was soon rendered moot by the eery sound of a voice trailing into both of their minds. "Lovely. And I can simply resummon her when you are mine," Darkness chuckled. Its voice was clearer now. It wasn''t an imitation of anyone he knew but it sounded powerful, rough - harsh, even. "... That''s my father''s voice," Soph claimed. Lone''s expression shifted to one of surprise. "Your father? As in, the Prince of Novgorod, Vladimir Sviatoslavich, Vladimir the Great?" Soph slowly inclined her head in agreeance. "Huh. Your voice is pretty damned silky compared to his if true," Lone noted casually. She glanced up at him. "You''re not scared?" "I''ve spoken to this fucker for weeks. It''s just messing with you. let''s go," Lone said as he tugged her hand and moved. Darkness chuckled. "Yeah, let us, hmm? Let us all go towards our destinies." "You''re the Primal of Darkness. You have some power over dreams, illusions and memories. Fate and destinies aren''t in your CV, pal," Lone retorted. "Someone''s chipper," the being answered, its voice growing stronger as the two of them got closer to its source. "I''m about to get the prescription that''ll cure a headache I''ve been having for way too long now," Lone said as he entered the building Soph had pointed out - a former opulent residence of some sort. "Forgive me if I''m a bit excited." "Witty," Darkness giggled. "Good, you''ll need wit. Also, I forgive you in all of my magnanimity." Lone didn''t respond after that. He instead kept holding Soph''s hand as they walked through the run-down building''s remains. The Primal was just trying to get to him and answering it was exactly what it wanted. ''You won''t break me, you purple fuck.'' "It''s down there," Soph said as she pointed at a set of stairs that led downwards. "Is it just out in the open?" Lone asked. "That I am, Lone. Come, come and see me for yourself. I''m quite the carnival attraction..." Darkness interjected. He ignored the sultry and tempting voice as he stared at Soph. She hesitated but ultimately nodded. "It''s just in the middle of a room on a pedestal of some sort. It''s hard to get any details. Its magic is just so... overwhelming. It''s almost touching us already." Lone frowned. "I''m going to unsummon you. I don''t want you getting put in a coma again." Soph seemed ready to protest but her aura shifted as Sophie forcefully took control. "Do as you must, Lone. Be careful." "Ah, the wiser of the two. It''s lovely to finally meet you, Sophie," Darkness called from the basement. "Care for a friendly chat? One Lone admirer to another." "Be thankful we do not have our Immunity to all Negative Effects nor Immortality skills unsealed, creature, or we would end your existence as easily as we once did to the god of our own planet. Unsummon us, Lone," Sophie demanded to which Lone immediately complied, leaving only him and the Primal in the house. "What a rude woman. I can see why you love her now. Peas in a pod as they say on Earth, yes?" Darkness teased. Lone ignored it as he steeled himself and moved down to finally confront the demon of his dreams. ''My plan will work. It will lose.'' B2: Chapter 45: Darknesss Plans and Twisted
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Darkness Corruption Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Just as Sophie had described, atop a stone pedestal with dwarven carvings lay a bronze device with a thrumming and oddly dim ball of purple glowing energy within it. The room itself seemed to be an abandoned ale cellar with kegs lining the walls, most of which were damaged beyond repair. "And thus, we meet. Primal to beastkin, god to man, player to pawn. Underwhelming, no?" Darkness chuckled. "You look a lot like Sky did. No clue about Void though since he was sealed in an orb," Lone answered. "You''re just... a ball of energy. Are you sealed somehow?" "Haha, no. This form? The easiest to maintain. The pedestal? Just for decoration. I moved it from another building. I like the air in this little ale cellar. This contraption around me? I consider it a bed of sorts. Very comfortable," Darkness explained. Of course, Lone didn''t trust the thing. For all he knew, it could have been the very reason Urd Grun was abandoned, the people here having sacrificed themselves to contain it. That was unlikely considering it had reached out to Four-twelve to enlist him, still, Lone remained careful. He was approaching the Primal very cautiously, and with good reason. ''The moment it tries to take me over, I''ll use the Djinn''s Wish. I''ve practised. I can get it out of my Dimensional Storage and then crush it in less than a second. Grimsley said it broke when he made his wish but Gilbert promised me I can crush it myself before making the wish. Either will work.'' Lone had put even more time into coming up with the wording for his wish so as to leave as little wiggle room as possible for Djinn Harsios to fuck him over. His planned wish was simple, had no loopholes as far as he could tell, and wouldn''t piss off the demigod''s fragment contained within the orb sitting peacefully in his Dimensional Storage. All it should do is protect him, nothing more, nothing less. "So this is it? You try to take over my soul now, or what?" Lone asked. The sooner this was over and done with, the better. He could feel his nerves building as the seconds passed, in truth.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
"Ah... fear... such a delicious thing. Did you know I can sense it? See it... feel it, almost. It''s such a curiosity. Sky can do the same with hope, pride and ambition... Void though? All that fool can resonate with is rage. You should have seen its avatars back in the day... Sky''s were simple warriors of justice. Void''s though? Consumers of all and harbingers of death. Even my kin, Death itself, was afraid of them. What a sight!" Darkness explained. Lone frowned. He felt his heart pumping in his chest. He could feel it in his ears. Something about the current situation felt... off. That feeling was making him become anxious. It was as if everything could go pear-shaped in a split second. "Mental Destruction," he said, using the skill on the being. It was likely immune to magical attacks or just strong enough to ignore the unique skill. Still, it had seemed to slow it in the dream world. Perhaps that had just been a ruse but Lone wanted to see how it would react. He didn''t like how Darkness was spewing pointless nonsense instead of doing what it had claimed it wanted to do for so long now. The ball of purple energy shrivelled up a bit as Darkness spoke, "Rude. You know, even if that has a very minimal effect on me, it still chips away at my core being. That takes so long to heal. You want to know why I''m not hopping into your prison of a shell, yes? That''s why you''re being rash." "Yeah, that''s ri- Wait. Prison?" Lone was confused. It was aware he had both Sky and Void sealed away within him, one willingly and one not quite so willingly, but Darkness had always made light of that. Its tone right now though suggested it truly saw his body as an inescapable space of confinement. "Of course. You''re a very, very unique Golden Foxkin. I''m pretty confident that even if I did take control of you and used you as my direct avatar, it wouldn''t last for long. You''ll somehow regain control. Annoying really since you genuinely are a perfect vessel," Darkness explained with a sigh. "Then why lead me here? Why the dreams? Why corrupt both Soph and me using Four-Twe-" He stopped mid-sentence. ''It''s not looking to possess me... I... I was just a distraction. No, maybe a conduit? Hmm... If not me, then who? Soph? Possible since it corrupted her too but she''s safe in The Summoning Room and it will never convince me to summon her. If not me or her, then who...'' He frowned deeply as he began to see the answer. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Breena..." Lone whispered. "Ah, someone''s figured it out. You were a lovely gateway that allowed me to loosen up the second choice. She won''t last an eternity like your body likely will, but I can settle. I''m close to gaining full control already. After all, this is just an illusion," Darkness laughed before the ball faded out of existence.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Illusion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
"I didn''t even know I was in an illusion until it was revealed... Fuck! I need to get to Breena! That sneaky fuckin'' Primal! Just you watch, you fuck, I''ll get the Djinn to kill you!" Lone growled under his breath before he dashed out of the building. He sprinted at full power to the area Sophie had pointed both their companion and Hamish in. ''There''s no time! I need to go faster! If I don''t get there in time, Darkness will have full control of Breena and might even kill that daft cunt, Hamish!'' Lone yelled internally as he tried to push himself to his limits. Suddenly, he felt a burst of power in his legs and he almost fell on his face. Buildings zoomed past him and the sheer force of him cutting through the air with his own body was painful to experience. A few notifications popped up but he ignored them. They could wait. Right now, all that mattered was Breena''s safety. He somehow managed to stop himself when he found both Breena and Hamish, though he came very close to flying face-first into the side of an ancient dwarven home. The latter of his companions was holding the former with worry and distress on his face. Breena, meanwhile, was groaning in agony as she convulsed uncontrollably. Glowing clumps of dark purple energy could be seen all over her body, each as big as an apple. "Ah, Lone. Welcome, welcome. Come to watch me step into the world of mortals again? It''s been a while so I''d prefer a larger audience, but it is what it is. Beggars can only be choosers when there are, indeed, options to choose between," Darkness chuckled with Breena''s mouth. She reached up and clawed at her throat while she squirmed about in Hamish''s arms frantically. Clearly, she hadn''t consented to the use of her vocal cords by the Primal. "Lone! What the feck''s goin'' on?!" Hamish yelled. "A bleedin'' beam ah purple shite slammed right intae ''er heed an'' then she toppled over like ah sack ah spuds!" "It''s Darkness. It didn''t want me. It never did. It wanted her," Lone explained as he caught his breath. "Haha, indeed. And you never had a clue. When I said I''d already won, Lone, I did mean it. This process is unstoppable now. Your ''Mental Destruction'' would only kill her which I''m sure you don''t want to happen, do you? Murder yet another child? Root of Life will only slow me as well considering how poor your mastery is. It''s my victory, as it always is with you mortals," Darkness gloated as even more lumps of the purple corruption spread across Breena''s body. Lone wore a furious expression on his face as he pulled out his Djinn''s Wish. "What about this, you motherfucker?!" One of Breena''s eyes was pure purple and it widened in shock. "That''s a... But... how do you have such a thing?!" Lone grinned maniacally. "I fuckin'' knew it! You have no control over memories! At least not all of them. Now, stop what you''re doing or I''ll break this thing and kill you!" "I can''t die, Lone. Don''t be a fool. I''m a Primal- a god. I can''t stop either. What part of ''unstoppable'' don''t you understand?" Darkness asked in a gloating manner. "Go ahead. Use it. Waste a Djinn''s Wish. I have no idea how you are in possession of such a thing, true, but I know it''s useless in your hands. Watch as it kills poor little Breena here in a twisted way to cleanse her body of my influence." Lone grit his teeth. The Primal was either bluffing or speaking the truth. He had no idea which was the right idea. ''I only have one choice, really, don''t I? Well, looks like it''s time to piss off a Djinn.'' He crushed the orb in his hand, resulting in an annoyed expression surfacing on Breena''s controlled face. A powerful grey fog spilled out of the shattered artefact, expanding as it covered the entire area around them. A few seconds passed before the fog all bunched up together in one location, forming a muscled man with his arms crossed. His legs were non-existent, instead, a wispy coil was in their place. He also had no head, just a set of powerful and deep eyes of fog. Eyes which were staring at Lone, demanding him to speak his demand. "Stop Darkness from taking over Breena! Negate any and all negative effects it has caused by being in her body! I don''t want her to lose her immunity to ageing nor to ever be influenceable by Darkness again! Since this is already a complex wish and you''ll likely dick me over, in for a penny, in for a pound. I don''t want any positive effects to leave her either. And don''t let her die. I swear, if she dies, I''ll track you down and kill you, Djinn Harsios," Lone demanded. The being of mist and mysteries didn''t move at first. Eventually though, it spoke. "You would threaten me?" "You bet your wispy fuckin'' ass I would! Now hurry up before that cunt finishes making her its puppet!" Lone yelled in a hurry. "... Your wish is my command," the Djinn said before it bowed lightly. It unfolded its arms then snapped its fingers. A moment later, it disappeared completely, leaving Hamish in a state of shock and Lone worried over how it had twisted his wish. The Darkness consuming Breena was slowly forced out of her body as if plucked out by an omnipotent force. Lone heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what happened now, Breena was safe. He could live with whatever consequences his actions would lead to now. ''Gilbert''s granddad went insane when Djinn Harsios started exploiting the loop in his wish, right? I can deal with insanity. I already have some resistance to that, after all. I could do with training it,'' Lone thought optimistically. Despite that though, he was shaking in unconcealable fear. The adrenaline and panic were wearing off and he was coming to realise that he had not only both insulted and ordered around a demigod, he had gone so far as to threaten such an unthinkably powerful being. And not just any demigod. No, one who had control over the very fabric of existence. Unstoppable and unrestricted wishes were not a thing of insignificance. Sweat covered Lone''s back upon coming to this realisation. "Shouldnae ''at energy be, ah, dunno, feckin'' off somewhere?" Hamish asked as he stared at the mass of purple power that was still hovering above Breena. Just as he said that it moved faster than light and slammed right into Lone''s body, merging with him. He almost fell over from the force and he immediately winced from the pain. "Of fuckin'' course..." Lone didn''t know if he could feel his soul but whatever he was experiencing right now, it was easily the most painful thing he had ever had to endure. Perhaps he had gone through this before with Void and Sky but he wasn''t conscious then. Now, he was clearly strong enough to keep his mind awake... at least for a few moments. He quickly collapsed, succumbing to the intense and sharp agony, immediately losing consciousness. Hamish sighed while he held Breena who was also motionless. "Fer feck''s sake... Stone give me strength." B2: Chapter 46: Primal Skill and Untalented The peculiar space that Lone presumed to be the interior of his soul presented itself to him once more. However, instead of Sky battling against Void, he was met with a smiling version of himself who had deep purple hair, eyes and tails. Lone sighed heavily. "How the fuck am I gonna explain two awakenings on top of Void''s unique colourings now? I could get away with that crazy son of a bitch because its been wiped from the history books. Passing Void''s influence off as a curse was simply enough. You though? Fuckin'' everyone knows about you." "Haha, right you are," Darkness said as it paced back and forth, seemingly upset at something. Lone grinned. "Things didn''t quite go to plan but what can you do when you''re dealing with a Djinn, eh? I''ll be honest, Darkness, I was expecting to get slapped with some insanity or even worse for being so specific. Having you locked up inside of my soul? Yeah, I can deal with that." Darkness stilled as it turned its head to stare at Lone with a menacing smile spread across its lips. "Are you certain you won''t still lose your mind? I am the Primal of Darkness, deity of illusions, memories, and, of course, dreams and their counterpart, nightmares." The being faltered when it saw Lone reply to his words with nothing more than a look that clearly stated ''stop speaking shit''. Lone was quite pleased that the ancient existence that had fooled him was now trying to wrangle some control out of an utterly hopeless situation. "Okay, perhaps not all memories. Well done on that front. I truly had no idea you possessed a Djinn''s Wish," Darkness admitted. "And aren''t I in luck, huh? Who knows what you''d have done if you knew," Lone answered honestly. Darkness giggled with his copy of Lone''s body. "I would have traded Breena''s partial control over her body if you used it on something inane... Then again, perhaps I already have. I did say I''d won, after all..." Lone shook his head. "Nope. Not gonna work. I''d be dead if you''d ''won'' and not here gloating to your pathetic ass. You''ve fucked with me for quite long enough. Now, I''m going to ignore you until I either wake up or get woken up. Maybe make yourself useful and help seal Void? Hell, maybe try to free him. You seem weak for a Primal, what with needing to rely on petty tricks to try to possess a little girl." He grinned when he saw Darkness''s smile turn into a frown. "I doubt you can affect Sky''s efforts in any way whatsoever. I do wonder what skill I got from awakening to your element though. I don''t like relying on trickery but I''ll take what I can get." "As will I, Lone, as will I," Darkness said coldly. "I don''t hold it against you - accidentally imprisoning me here. It was clever even if unintentional. I truly am powerless when held within your soul! One day though, I''ll have my way. I''m an old being and while odd and strange as you are, you''re but a mortal." "Keep talking like that and I''ll dedicate my life to killing you. Neither of us really wants that, now do we? Play nice and maybe I''ll forgive you for trying to forcefully take over the body of a traumatised child. Who knows? I might even find a way to get you out. I''m pleased you can''t hurt anyone from in here but I''m hardly chuffed about having another resident in my lovely little soul," Lone remarked. Darkness turned and began walking away. "It is not lovely nor is it little. I even have doubts if it''s a soul at all..."
Lone rose with a throbbing headache and aching tails, but nothing more. He had notifications, of course, but he wasn''t being tortured in some dank prison cell like the last time he''d regained consciousness after awakening. That was a plus if nothing else. He slowly opened his stinging eyes and met his gaze with Hamish''s. "Not exactly the maiden I was hoping for, but I guess you''ll do as the first sight of the morning." "Piss off, ya cheeky git," Hamish scoffed. "... Ya awright?" Lone properly sat up and kept rubbing his head to try to ease the pain a bit. It seemed to be an ache of magical or strange origin since his Basic Regeneration hadn''t cured it already. "More or less. I feel like I''ve got a hangover after a night of rum and whiskey. I''ll live though. Where''s Breena?" Lone asked. Hamish gestured with his head to her tent. It was only then that Lone realised they were back in the camp in the tunnel he and the dwarf had carved out themselves. "She''s shakin'' like ah demon in ah chapel an'' she keeps sinkin'' intae the ground every 30 minutes or so. Ah ''ave tae keep pullin'' er oot maself. It''s one ''ell o'' ah sight. She awakened an'' is strugglin'' somethin'' fierce tae get ''er new Primal skill under control. Nothin'' serious fae what little ah ken aboot the topic," Hamish explained. "I see. When was her last episode?" Lone asked. Hamish puckered his lips in thought. "five, ten minute ago? There aboots." "Guess I''ve got time to sift through my notification log then before I go talk to her and summon Sophie again. She''s not gonna be happy I have another god living inside of me," Lone chuckled. Hamish joined in. "Aye, ah doubt it. She''s ah tough one, ''at lassie. Ye sure ken ''ow tae pick ''em." "She picked me, really," Lone replied with a wry grin as he pulled up the system log.
The host has partially applied their Agility for the first time. Unlocking the full application of the stat will be significantly easier in the future.
''That was the burst of speed, huh... Damn. I didn''t know you could partially apply. What a bummer,'' Lone sighed mentally. ''Still, it helped me reach Breena in time, so I''m thankful.'' This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Congratulations! The host has awakened to the Primal, Darkness. Warning: Awakening three times increases the rate at which the host ages by six times.
Congratulations! The host has been chosen by the Primal, Darkness, to be its avatar! Warning: The host may lose their sense of self and be possessed by the Primal, Darkness, during the assimilation process of becoming Darkness''s avatar.
''So I did end up its avatar. Glad it didn''t possess me though unlike Void. Smart little fucker likely didn''t even try to take control. It''s upset at its current situation but not enough to lose its cool. It''s aware I wouldn''t forgive it if it harmed Breena or tried to summon Sophie. Hell, even if it had hurt Hamish I''d have tried to do something about it. The dwarf''s a cunt but he''s grown on me like a fungus,'' Lone thought.
Primal Skill: You
A skill granted to the Avatar of Darkness. Shadows, dreams, and all illusions, are an extension of your body. Once a week, the host may enter any shadow, dream, nightmare, barrier, or obscured illusion with ease. Nothing can bar the host''s entry when this skill is used.
Cost: 30,000 SP and 50,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Fuck me," Lone exclaimed. Hamish raised an eyebrow. "Nae thanks. ''Ppreicate the offer but ah''m nae so far gone ''at ah''ll shove ma cock in anything ''at moves." "Oh, fuck off. I was just expressing my shock at the new skill I just got," Lone said with a roll of the eyes. "Ah see. Gonne elaborate?" the dwarf asked. Lone nodded. "Sure. For a start, it has a week-long cooldown on it per use. It also has an insane usage cost. 30,000 SP and 50,000 MP. Not as insane as Void''s skill which needs 100,000 MP, but it''s still the first skill I''ve ever earned that needs both resources." Hamish sighed. "It''s uncommon but nae unheard o''. Now, ah''m gonne regret this but remind me, what the fook is ''Void''?" "Ah, of course. It''s the ninth Primal. You know, the one erased from history," Lone said nonchalantly. "Ah, of course. How daft o'' me nae tae recall," Hamish remarked. "It''s almost like ah''m ah dwarf who''s never left the Farwinds an'' ''er kriegs." "Almost. Good thing we both know how worldly you truly are though, huh?" Lone joked as he got up. "Well, I''m gonna go check on Breena." Hamish nodded. "Aye, ye do ''at afore ye reveal anymere world-shakin'' secrets tae me." Lone laughed at that as he approached the girl''s tent and gingerly opened the fabric door. He entered it and smiled kindly when a set of tired eyes looked up at him. "Howdy," he greeted. "... Uh... howdy?" Breena answered with a rough voice while her body shook as if she was in a blizzard. Lone frowned before he summoned a cup then just enough cold freshwater to fill it. He handed it to her and said, "Drink. You sound like shit. Can I help with that shaking in any way or is that skill-related?" She nodded and took the cup from him, instantly chugging its content in one go. "Thank you. It''s, uh, skill-related. I... I can''t control it yet." "Huh... Well, I''m happy Hamish dragged us both out of there but he could have given you something to drink. It''s not like he doesn''t have provisions in that adventurer''s pouch of his," Lone sighed as he sat down next to the girl. They remained in silence for a bit, Lone just holding his knees and smiling, Breena staring at her cup awkwardly. "So... we both got raw-dogged by that fucker, eh?" Lone noted as he glanced at Breena''s eyes, hair and tails; of which, she now had three. Just like him, the centre of her eyes held a purple glow and the tips of her hair, ears and tails were also a deep shade of Darkness''s signature colour. "Congrats on the new limb. Soph''ll love that," Lone said. Breena jolted in shock a bit. "T-Thanks..." A deep hesitation overcame her as she seemed to try to speak but kept failing to find the right words. Lone didn''t push her. He was happy with waiting for her to collect herself. What he didn''t expect, however, was for her to curl up and started crying. "I... I don''t want to die..." "What?" Lone panicked a bit. He''d never seen her acting so emotionally before. "Why would you die? Is it related to whatever skill you got for awakening?" Breena''s cries soon became sobs. "I''ll start ageing now, won''t I? The system said so... I only have 50 or so years left now." Lone froze. "That... that might be true but... but I did include in my wish to ensure nothing negative happened to you. I even specifically mentioned it in the wish. Ageing certainly sounds negative to me. Does it to you too?" "... Y-Yeah, it does," she slowly answered. Lone smiled again, happy at having regained control of the conversation somewhat. A crying child was never an easy thing to deal with, let alone one as mature and scarred as Breena was. Lone carefully reached over to her and patted her back lightly. "Right? I ignore those notifications myself, having awakened three times. My Basic Regeneration can counter the ageing I''m pretty sure. However, in your case, If you do start ageing I have two solutions for you. Want to hear them?" ''Honestly, I didn''t think she''d care much about ageing. As much as it upset me, she never really seemed the type to care about if she died or not. Maybe there''s more to this than meets the eyes?'' Lone wondered. Breena sniffed loudly and raised her head from her knees to look at him. "Yes, I do! Please! I can''t age!" ''Now she''s even raising her voice. Definitely more to this than just a fear of dying,'' Lone concluded. "Well, first, there''s always the option I gave to Gilbert. Just get stronger. Rank ups extend the lifespan of mere mortals like our dwarven friend outside and Soph, right?" Having calmed significantly, Breena nodded. "T-That''s right. I... I want to do that but... I have no talent..." Lone scoffed. "Talent doesn''t mean shit. If you try, and I mean really try, you can literally do anything. Of course, excluding the impossible like turning into a goose and going on a honking spree, but then again, this world''s a pretty magical place..." He saw that she didn''t seem to believe him from the way she was looking at him. ''Confidence issues fuckin'' suck to work out. It''s so hard to progress and so easy to lose any meaningful changes via one loose-lipped arsehole or something. Ha-ah... well, I''ll work on it. Good to know about her issues regardless. Can''t help fix something if you don''t know it''s broken.'' "As for the second option, well, remember how I removed your slave collar? Painful memories tied to that, I''m sure, but it''s connected," Lone asked. Breena wore a difficult to read expression on her face but she still nodded regardless. "I... I remember." "Well, the skill I used then is also the skill I could maybe use to heal your body if it does start to age. It depends though. What does your body deem as natural when you start ageing? Your current form or the older one from the effects of ageing? I can cure both but one is vastly more expensive than the other. I also can''t do it for quite a few months. That skill and my MP are sealed ''cause I overused it in a sense," Lone explained. "Oh... I, uh, I, see... So... ranking up then?" Breena asked timidly as she wiped her eyes with her wrist. Lone grinned. "For now, yeah. I know you won''t believe me, but you really are quite skilled. I mean, you learned Needle Mastery pretty quickly and you even have a new skill now, right? A Primal one at that." Breena tried to smile back at him but it just looked forced. "R-Right." Lone sighed in his mind. ''I really need to help her out. I mean, I have my own issues but I''m an adult, she''s just a kid. It''d be wrong of me to not at least try before we return her to her clan.'' B2: Chapter 47: Fight and Throwing Lone gave Breena a smile and said, "I''ll be back when you next have an episode, ''kay? You''ll get the skill under your control soon enough. You may claim to have no talent, but you''re super hard working. Anyone with eyes can see that." Breena nodded a little. "T-Thanks..." "Well, I''m gonna summon Soph or Sophie now. I kinda hope for the former, but regardless, if you hear me begging for help, don''t be afraid to come to my rescue," Lone joked. That got a small smile out of the girl so he considered it a win on his part. Lone left her tent and returned to his and Soph''s after giving Hamish a polite nod which was returned in kind. "Summon Kyuubi Immortus," Lone invoked. His adoptive daughter who happened to be a fox appeared atop his outstretched hands, exactly where he had intended to summon her. "Sorry to use you as a defensive measure, but Soph and Sophie both aren''t very fond of Primals so I expect some backlash considering I have a new passenger who fits that bill in my soul," Lone explained. "Kyuu..." the lazy fox answered as she yawned and closed her eyes, curling up a bit more as he held her. "I swear, you''re a magical Golden Fox, aren''t you? There''s no way you''re ordinary. You can definitely understand me, can''t you?" He asked as he squished her plump fur a bit. All he got in response was some purring. He sighed and stopped delaying the inevitable. "Summon Sophie Vladimirovich." Fully dressed in her armour and with crossed arms, the girl stared daggers at him through her helmet. "Reckless!" That one word was enough to inform him of who was currently manning the wheel of the woman''s body. "Hi to you too, Sophie," Lone replied with a wry look on his face. She stormed right up to him and began jabbing him in the cheek with her gauntletted hand, actually going so far as to draw blood. He didn''t react and just waited for her to say her piece, and say her piece she did. "How dare you risk your own life to save that leech! She does nothing but sucks on your teet as you feed, clothe and shelter her! You even help her gain levels and facilitate her training with a powerful dwarven rogue!" Sophie yelled in fury. ''This is the issue of having a girlfriend who has two personalities. Especially when one half couldn''t give a fuck about anything but herself and me,'' Lone thought as he withstood her anger. "That Djinn could have easily killed you! It would have been wiser to allow it to take control of Breena and then simply end her life! A Primal or not, with such a weak host you would have easily been able to deal with her!" Sophie screamed into his face. Lone held up the sleeping Kyuubi to hide from her. Slowly, he peeked around the fluffy creature to ask, "Can we talk about this like mature adults, or are you not quite finished with raising your voice yet?" "Finished?! We have barely begun! Does your simpleton mind not recall what happened when Void possessed you?! His actions were the primary reason you were imprisoned for months on end and forced to murder children while enduring torture. Every! Single! Day! Did you conveniently forget all of that?!" Sophie continued. "What if Darkness had possessed you and managed to use some of its powers to go to any dwarven settlement it so wished and then run rampant, wantonly slaughtering, resulting in history repeating itself?! You would then be captured by the dwarves upon regaining your mind and end up imprisoned once more, or, even worse, executed! We fear for your safety, Lone. Do you not understand this?" Sophie demanded an answer. She then ripped her helmet off and revealed to Lone that she was so upset, she was actually shedding tears of genuine anguish over the matter. Lone lowered Kyuubi and wore a serious expression. "I get where you''re coming from, I really do. But Sophie, regardless of your opinion of her, Breena did nothing wrong and I had a method to help her even if it had risks." "More than dangerous risks, we might add. You may think yourself invincible, but you very much so are not," Sophie countered. "She is but a former slave we should have given some gold and a map to before sending her back to her clan, nothing more." "Should I have given you some food and a map as well when we got off of Goblin Island?" Lone asked. "Just callously leave you to your own devices, a weak girl who has some powerful magic skills and not a drop of common sense inside of her?" Sophie scowled. "That is not the same. We are tied to one another through the reason we were brought here." "And she is tied to me since I saved her and promised to bring her back to her home," Lone countered, matching her scowl. In truth, he wanted to wipe away her tears and embrace her, but he just couldn''t allow her to besmirch his principles like this. Nor would he just let her be so cruel towards Breena, someone he considered to be a companion. "Her corpse would have fulfilled that promise," Sophie said coldly. Lone frowned. "Is compassion really that hard for you to comprehend? Look, I love you. Both you and Soph, but you''re being a cunt. I am alive, I am in control. Breena is alive and not a puppet of a god. Why are we arguing over this?" "We are being a cunt?" Sophie asked in a growl. "You are simply making us wonder why we care for you at all when you clearly do not care for yourself, and we are voicing this concern." "Wow." Lone walked past Sophie and sat down on their laid out bedroll. "We''ve gone over this. I understand you don''t like me gambling with my life so often. I understand this and am trying to take more calculated risks in light of your and Soph''s views. I am trying to change for you. You trying to be less of a heartless bitch wouldn''t kill you in exchange, would it?" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Sophie didn''t respond to him. Instead, she just stripped herself of the rest of her armour and then gave up control of her body, as made evident by the awkward look on her beautiful face. "Um... I-I think what you did was right," Soph said meekly. "S-Saving Breena... I don''t agree with her..." Lone smiled a little. "I knew you wouldn''t." He held up Kyuubi and moved a few of his tails. "Cuddles? I could use some cuddles right now." "Y-Yeah, that sounds nice..." Soph answered before she approached him and then wrapped both Kyuubi and him in a loving embrace.
Since Sophie refused to take control of her and Soph''s body, or even talk through Soph to him for that matter, Lone was stuck when it came to levelling up his Massage Mastery that night. A shame, but he understood that it took time to cool down after a big argument like that. He was willing to talk it out at any moment. It was her he was waiting on. All through the night Lone and Soph took turns checking up on Breena every 30 minutes to ensure she was fine. At some point, Lone told Soph to go to sleep and leave it to him. After all, he wasn''t exactly new to sleepless nights. He felt it was wiser to work on some of his skills while he kept the young foxkin company during the scary process of one, coming to terms with her very possible mortality; and two, learning how to control her new skill. On Breena''s front, her episodes did slow to only happening once every hour or so and she''d even gained a level of mastery in her new skill, Shadow Walker. It was similar to Lone''s own oddly named Darkness Primal skill, You. The only exception being that it allowed access into shadows and nothing more, turning them into murky puddles which Breena could traverse. She could do this an unlimited amount of times per day though it cost her 1,000 SP per second, similar to Lone''s Ungrounded skill. It was also difficult to control due to no fault of her own. According to its skill description, Shadow Walker was 78% unstable due to Darkness''s influence being ripped away from the skill by the Djinn. Apparently, it had started with a rating of 85% unstability, so progress was being made. A good thing, in Lone''s mind. It was something for her to train, not a permanent disability. A price worth paying to be free of such a malicious entity like Darkness. On his own front, a few of Lone''s skills had gained some levels thanks to his concentrated efforts during the long night.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
A happy and welcome outcome from trying his best to teach his meditation method to Breena. Even if she didn''t earn a skill out of it as he had, it was able to calm her down to the point that her trembling all but stopped. Then again, just his presence may have been enough for that. Lone was no psychologist so he could only go off of the system messages.
Congratulations! the host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Nothing unexpected since he had been using the skill during his teaching efforts.
Congratulations! the host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
This was a bit shocking, honestly. He''d used the skill on Breena to see if perhaps there were any lingering or underlying issues, of which, there were none. Lone was under the impression the skill would only level up if used on someone or something entirely new since from them, he could potentially gain some genuinely new understanding. World skills were weird. He could only assume it had improved because Breena had been changed so vastly from how she was only yesterday. She did have a new tail and had awakened but retained no adverse effects besides the possibility of losing her ageing immunity, after all. The last skill he had tried levelling was one of the few he had neglected severely; Throwing Mastery. Lone had thrown rocks across the camp, trying to hit very specific points in the walls or down the tunnel. He hadn''t gained dozens of levels but progress had been made and he felt his aim was slightly better if nothing else.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Lone looked up from the firepit at his tent as the fabric door opened. Soph, holding Kyuubi, stumbled towards him as she yawned. "Morning," she greeted. Lone smiled. "Good morning." She slumped down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "How''s Breena?" "Better. She''s still shaken up over the whole ordeal, but that makes sense. She''s a strong girl, of that, I have no doubts. Still, it''d be weirder to not be freaked out considering what she went through," Lone replied. Soph smiled a bit. "Mmm... Sorry about Sophie. She... She cares about you, which is why she got so mad." Lone nodded. "I understand, I just wish she''d show a bit of compassion for Breena." "Mmm, me too," Soph answered as she closed her eyes and yawned once more. "Plans for today?" "Search for the dwarves Darkness claims to have held captive under the urd. If we can''t find a way down, we''ll make one," Lone explained. "Okay. I can help with my Mana Sensing," Soph offered. "I was counting on it... I guess Sophie won''t be coming out any time soon?" Lone asked with a wry smile. Soph shook her head sadly. "She''s really angry. I can maybe force her into control if I really try. Want me to give it a go?" "No," Lone rejected. "I''m happy giving her time to try to understand my viewpoint. I understand hers, so it''s the least I should do before talking to her again." "... Mmm," Soph answered a bit hesitantly. Lone sighed. ''First big fight with my girlfriend and its with her murderhobo detached-from-her-humanity second personality. Or, well, first personality, technically. I sure know how to choose ''em...'' B2: Chapter 48: Missing Dwarves and Explosive The missing dwarves were easier to find than both Lone and Hamish had first assumed they would have been. Knowing how tricky Darkness could be, Lone had expected some sort of illusion riddled trap to block them or send them around in circles for days. Soph assured him, however, that her Mana Sensing couldn''t detect such a thing. No, instead, she had actually discovered that inside of a chapel dedicated to the Stone, a spiral staircase led thousands of metres deep down to a large and sprawling hall. In this hall statues of great dwarves of old lined its edges while rotted shelves and banners were strewn about everywhere. A broken throne that had been unused for centuries by Lone''s reckoning lay at the end of this hall. In the centre of the chamber could be seen over 200 unconscious dwarves of varying sizes, ages, and even races. Not all dwarves were Stone Dwarves, after all. Hanging from the ceiling like a chandelier could be seen an ominous glowing ball of purple energy contained within a metal contraption. After spending so many months under both Grimsley and Wilbur''s wings, Lone could identify a lot of metals, both mundane and magical. The material of this device escaped him, however. "You don''t have Stone''s Vision, right?" Lone asked his shortest companion. Hamish shook his head. "Miner''s Glory through an'' through, sadly. Trust me, ah''d ''ave been one ''ell o'' a thief otherwise we ma skillset." "No doubts here about that. Bets on if that thing is what''s keeping them asleep?" Lone asked. Hamish shook his head. "We both ken ''at tea be true. Ain''t nae point in me losin'' ma ''ard earned coins." Lone scoffed. "You''re a B-ranker. I bet you''re fuckin'' loaded." He took a few cautious steps forward with Soph at his side and with Breena being distinctively further behind all three of them. The girl was still prone to having her episodes of melding with her own shadow, after all. It made no sense to have her be put on the front lines where she could endanger herself. "Havin'' money doesnae mean ah wannae lose it," Hamish grumbled. "What''s the plan ''ere? Ah say we blow ''at thing up," he offered as he gestured to the mass of Darkness energy suspended in the air. "I''m all for that plan though I don''t have any explosive skills. None that don''t need magic, at least. Do you?" Lone asked. Hamish reached into his adventurer''s pouch with a grin on his lips. "Nah, but ah dae ''ave some sticks ah the good ol'' dy-no-mite." Soph frowned. "An explosion won''t get rid of the energy, just release it. It''s, uh, entirely magic. Like, there''s no physicality to it at all except the purple glow we can see. I have no idea what it''ll do when it''s not in that container but I doubt it''ll be anything good..." Lone stroked his chin. "Soph." "Y-Yes?" she replied hesitantly. "You always think you''re useless and a burden, right?" he asked. Hamish winced. "Harsh words fae the lassie ya claim tae ''old near an'' dear tae yer ''eart." "Oh, shut up. Soph''s always had confidence issues. She knows I disagree with her," Lone countered with a roll of his eyes. Soph, meanwhile, stuttered as she answered, "Y-Yeah but I am trying my best to b-be more helpful!" "And you''re succeeding," Lone replied with a warm look on his face. "I think you can prove how much you''ve grown here. We all have a role here, even you, Breena." "Me?" the teenager looked confused. Lone nodded. "Yup, though your role is more of a learning one and less so an active one, though you''re also plan b." With that said, Lone went over his idea with them.
Hamish shook his head and sighed again. ''This fox is nuts. Ah was just kiddin'' when ah suggested ma dynamite. Not only could it compromise the integrity ah this ol'' ''onourin'' ''all, but we''ve nae clue really what the energy will dae when released. Who''s tae say once Lone''s done these folk''ll just wake up, ''ealthy as the day they were stolen away?'' He was regretting not bringing up the idea of potentially just leaving the people here and reporting them to the guild. The professionals who dealt with these kinds of spooky and mystical situations pertaining to topsider gods would be better suited to this. More so than their ragtag team of freaks, he felt. Still, a part of him felt a rush upon hearing Lone''s very simple but also extremely convincing idea. ''''E''s bold. A lot like Ewan... Ah can almost nae believe ah was plannin'' on fadin'' intae the stone when we encountered the bats and Milor and then sneakin'' off wae ma brothers'' bodies,'' he thought as he watched Lone affix the last of the dynamite he had been given to the hanging contraption. Hamish felt less close-minded after this... ordeal. Yes, ordeal was a good word to describe how he felt about this entire last set of weeks. He was never xenophobic before, so to speak, but he had his reservations when it came to non-dwarves. Lone, a foxkin and a foreign hero to boot, had flipped the script on what Hamish knew about topsiders. Not only was he entirely uncaring about Hamish''s species but was also open-minded enough to forgive him for what could be boiled down to attempted murder via torture during combat. He couldn''t have the heart to do that were their positions flipped. ''It''s like ''e doesn''t see species, only personality. Mind ye, the cunt''s got me in ah contract ''at keeps me fae directly doin'' anythin'' violent. Still, food fae thought.'' If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Lone landed next to him and dusted off his knees. "Dusty fuckin'' thing. Must be hundreds of years old. I wonder why Darkness started abducting people only recently? For that matter, I wonder how long it''s been here? Maybe this isn''t the first place it''s been given what happened to Four-twelve..." Hamish shrugged. "Yer guess is as good as mine, but aye, this place is old. Must be one o'' the fourth or fifth generation urds. Ah''ve seen ah few like it afore durin'' ma travels ah the Farwinds." "Huh. If I recall correctly, Krieg Moor is a part of the 17th generation of construction efforts, right?" Lone asked while the both of them observed Soph. She was busy wrapping the Darkness energy container in a series of barriers, only leaving a tiny hole for the fuse to the explosives that Lone was carelessly handling. Hamish snatched said fuse out of Lone''s hands. "Feckin'' amateur. Never be casual with things ''at go kaboom, are we clear? Last thing we wan'' is ye settin'' off the sticks afore the lassie''s done." Lone grimaced. "Yeah. I should have learned that with Sophie''s explosive personality, honestly. My bad..." "Hah, true enuff." Hamish snorted as he turned his gaze towards Breena. She was hiding in a corner with half of her attention on the contraption containing the Darkness energy and the other half of her focus lay squarely on the seven sticks of dynamite she had nestled within her arms. The lass had been tasked with keeping the rest of the goods safe if one round of explosions wasn''t enough. Well, that and to see if she could learn something from the energy when it was time for Lone to deal with it. Honestly, Hamish had to give it to the Golden Foxkin. He was a creative thinker. He struggled in that area. Usually, Kienan managed that in the Black Iron Company. Keinan was always the one to come up with witty and ingenious ideas that anyone could think of if pointed in the right direction. That''s what made him such a great and invaluable member of their team. Now he was a cold, dead corpse sitting inside Hamish''s adventurer''s pouch. Shaking his head to steer clear of a line of thinking he honestly didn''t want to go down right now, Hamish said, "Looks good enuff, dinnae ya think?" Lone held his chin. "Yup. I''d say so. Soph''s barriers are strong but it''s still a relatively new skill. Here''s hoping the blast can stay contained within them and don''t just rip them to pieces." "T-They''ll hold!" Soph added though Hamish wasn''t the least bit inspired. Lone grinned at her. "I have faith in you." Hamish didn''t. He had no containment skills nor any defensive ones, really, bar his escape focused one. He wasn''t quite sure though if he''d ready himself to fight or flee the moment things went tits up and that scared him more than he would ever be willing to admit. "T-Thanks!" the human girl replied with a warm smile of her own. "That''s the spirit. It''s good to see some confidence coming out of you," Lone encouraged with pride in his voice though he seemed distracted. ''Probably still upset about ''at fight,'' Hamish assumed. It was an uncomfortable thing to listen to, the fox and his missus''s more hardcore self bickering. Especially since he found himself actually agreeing with Lone. Life was dangerous. The fox had a skill that made it so he''d recover from damn near anything bar decapitation. Hell, Hamish wondered if even that would kill him. Sure, fucking with a Djinn''s Wish was never wise but he was trying to save the helpless Breena. It was downright disrespectful to not see the honour in that and just blow up in his face over it. Doubly so considering Sophie''s harsh words regarding the lassie. Breena was the weakest amongst them, sure, but Hamish saw a fire in her like no other. The kind of drive she had to grow was rare beyond measure. Hamish was still young relatively speaking but he''d met thousands if not tens of thousands of people in his over a century of life. Few, if any, came even close to having the same levels of motivation to grow strong as Breena. Needless to mention her grit. Calling her a leech had made Hamish''s respect for the logical and hardened Sophie to plummet. That''s how he saw the matter, at least. It wasn''t his fight though, so he felt it was best for him to act like he didn''t know it had occurred. Let the couple sort out the couple''s problems. "Whelp, ''ere goes aboot four gold coin''s worth o'' explosives. Just ah forewarnin'', but if the roof starts collapsing, ah''m bookin'' it ootta ''ere faster than ah bloke caught porkin'' his neighbour''s beloved," Hamish proclaimed as he lit the fuse in his hands. He only half believed his own words but he felt it was wise to make his intentions known if nothing else. Lone chuckled as he watched the fire travel up the fuse wire. "Must be nice being able to apply Agility. You could likely outrun the explosion if nothing else." "Aye, it''s got its perks. Nae jumpin'' in there tae try tae get Explosion Resistance, eh? ''At''s ah real skill, by the by. Feckin'' daft one too since tae get it, usually ya ''ave tae lose ah limb or two," Hamish said. Lone shook his head when the fire had breached Soph''s barrier and was quickly approaching the sticks of dynamite. Soph immediately sealed up her barriers when Lone replied, "As much as I''d love to, I am trying to respect Sophie''s wishes. If I were to want that skill, I certainly wouldn''t try to get it via something as volatile as nitroglycerin. Maybe fireworks." A soft look entered Soph''s eyes but she was soon straining her expression to contain the massive explosion that rocked the chamber they were in and threatened to shatter her barriers. In fact, Hamish watched as many did buckle under the force, but she had, by his count, hextuple wrapped the container. four of the six barriers were gone instantly but the fifth held. It had numerous cracks along it, but it was otherwise fine. The sixth was in perfect condition. "Feckin'' unique skills... Look. The energy''s fine as suspected but it cannae escape the barriers. By the Stone, ah wish ah was an ''ero," Hamish commented off-handedly. At his side, the tall man, Lone, was grinning from ear to ear. "Calls herself useless but is so incredibly powerful she can contain enough explosives to easily topple a skyscraper. You know I love you, right, Soph? You''re fuckin'' awesome." The woman barely a foot taller than Hamish himself smiled shyly. "T-Thanks... I, uh, love you too." "Can you move the energy over to me? Make more barriers to funnel it straight to me too if you can. We don''t want it escaping," Lone requested. Hamish crossed his arms as he let them do their thing. Lone was planning to absorb the energy, the insane freak. ''Ah ken feck all aboot the topsider gods,'' he thought as he walked away and found a wall to lean on, ''but even ah can feel how much power is in ''at thing. Any normal person would blow up, die, become a slave to the power. Stone, who kens what else. Fuckin'' nuts ''ow ''e''s willin'' tae risk ''imself tae save these strangers.'' Hamish glanced down at the over 200 unconscious fellow members of his species. ''Came ''ere tae betray the fox an'' retrieve ma brothers, ended up watchin'' the fuck''r kill dozens ah Balor Demon Bats at D-rank and then proceed tae seal an entire feckin'' god in ''is soul. Ah''m nae even asham''d tae say ah''m attach''d tae the weirdos.'' He shook his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly. ''Ye''ve fallen so far, ''amish. Still, ah''m glad ah didnae paint the Rusty Sprocket nor the guild wae ''is guts an'' brains. Well, at least not enuff tae kill ''im. Ah need tae come tae terms wae the fact ma brothers'' deaths wae an accident. Lone''s good people. So''re the lassies...'' Hamish had a lot on his mind. He kept thinking as he watched Lone spend several hours subduing and eventually successfully absorbing the Darkness energy.
"Still mopin''?" Hamish asked. Lone groaned. "Yeah. How is it fair I didn''t get a skill for that? It took fuckin'' hours! I mean, I wasn''t asking for a primal skill, just... something..." Soph trotted up to his side and said, "Y-You did get level ups in Darkness Corruption Resistance though." "A useless skill now that Darkness is my bitch, but I guess beggars can''t be choosers," Lone sighed. He and his group of over 200 people had just arrived at the massive intersection which had 14 Farwind roads leading back to Krieg Moor. Lone addressed the group following them that his protection ended here and that they were free to return to the city on their own now. It had been a very long return trip. Still, a lot of Lone''s skills had levelled up on the way back. His relationship with Sophie was still in the ''being ignored, best to keep waiting and see'' phase, sadly. As he, Soph, Breena and Hamish walked down one of the 14 Farwind roads, he pulled up his entire notification log from the journey back. B2: Chapter 49: Level-Ups and Im Keeping This Lone had practised a variety of skills on the trip back from Urd Grun. He''d even sparred with a good number of the rescued dwarves. All of them only used weapons he already had mastery in and not a single one was a mage or anything even remotely unique. Still, they employed different battle tactics and some were even stronger than Lone rank-wise. Hell, three of them could apply stats. Strength, Vitality, and Luck respectively. The Luck one was incredibly hard to hit and somehow always found a way to slip past Lone''s defences when she was applying her Luck. Lone did wonder how much the over 200 dwarves would have been willing to practise with him were it not for Hamish''s presence. Despite his mastery over the Acting and Persuasion skills, his attempts to calm and convince the dwarves that they were safe looked foolish in the wake of Hamish announcing his name and power. Who would they trust? A non-dwarf claiming to have saved them, or a well-known and respected member of the beloved Black Iron Company? It wasn''t even close. ''Having a semi-famous dwarf with us certainly helped make that a less awkward interaction... Oh well, I''m getting off track. Progress, progress...'' he chanted mentally with joy as he went over his notification log.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
One of the liberated dwarves was actually an adventurer whose main weapon was an enchanted hand axe. He was happy to train Lone in the way to offensively wield such a weapon after seeing Lone''s enthusiasm for the subject. He was able to apply his Strength like Hamish or Grimsley could. Lone had possessed Hand Axe Mastery for months now, having received it during the tourney back in Ranton. It never saw any use though, sadly. He aimed to change that. He was trying to level up all of his unused skills and, while his perfect weapon was, of course, a swordspear, he saw the sense in learning how to use other tools of death too. What if he was disarmed midfight and forced to use a weapon of a fallen foe? It wouldn''t do him any good if he couldn''t wield it properly. The same went for if he was required to fight in a space cramped enough to make swinging his swordspear around a burden rather than a benefit. On the topic of the axes, Lone found it fascinating that the mini artificial suns down here in the dwarven Kriegs could support not only plant life, but also trees of all shapes and sizes. It was a rare profession since most dwarves built with stone or metal exclusively, but there was still demand for good oak, birch, mahogany and many other types of wood.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Light-footed] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Light-footed
A skill that allows the host to passively walk while producing 30% [+15%] less sound. [New!] Passively reduces the sound produced by any equipment or clothing worn by the host by 20%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
The skill refused to move past advanced-level-1 even though there were over 200 people for it to work against. Still, Lone wasn''t complaining. The new effect would only help to make him even sneakier without him even trying. ''I wonder if I would make a decent rogue now? Maybe an assassin? Probably not since Hamish doesn''t struggle to see nor hear me at all. He claims a professional assassin can easily kill someone up to three ranks above them without so much as disturbing the air they move through. Scary shit.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cooking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Lone now had far more information in regards to how Cooking Mastery worked as a whole. It wasn''t entirely dependant on cooking new and exotic recipes to level as he had initially suspected. No, it would also grow substantially if the host cooked endlessly. ''I never want to be the chef for over 200 people ever again. Hell, Soph went up to Beginner Level 4 in the skill and even Breena earned it after the second week of travel,'' Lone thought as he sighed wistfully. ''I need to go on another spending spree for fresh ingredients. I had enough to keep us going for years but a few weeks of travel with a veritable army of dwarves has cleaned out my Dimensional Storage.'' He shook his head as he continued.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Teaching Mastery
A skill that makes teaching concepts 15% [+10%] easier to the unlearned. It also boosts the host¡¯s ability to impart their own insights of skills to others by 15% [+10%]. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Thanks to Hamish''s presence, Lone had a group of over 200 people that were willing to listen to his teachings. An enthusiastic group of over 200 people at that when they learned he had Teaching Mastery. It usually cost a small fortune to have a holder of Teaching Mastery impart their knowledge to others. To experience the service free-of-charge was an opportunity damn near every dwarf in the group took. Lone was pretty pleased about that. He could level such an important skill when it came to helping Breena, and some of the dwarves had supposedly gained levels in the skills he explained. So it was a win-win all around.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
He didn''t gain a rank up from charting the tunnels and roads they travelled down but Lone felt a couple of levels were better than none at all.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive skill: Throwing Mastery
A skill that allows the host to throw items with more accuracy and speed. All items thrown by the host will be thrown 15% [+10%] more accurately and with 15% [+10%] more speed.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
The skill refused to level up after hitting intermediate rank. Lone suspected that was because he was just throwing rocks at small targets he''d set up on the walls of the Farwinds and nothing more. To progress in it further, he theorised he''d need to use it in combat or at least in a more serious or complex situation.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Nothing new there, really. It was a difficult skill to earn, even more so to level. Lone had been using it every day to help Breena gain control over her Primal skill. Yet, despite activating Meditation so often, he''d only gained three levels in just about as many weeks. While not earning Meditation herself, Breena was still progressing excellently. She only had an episode once every few days now and she could trigger her Shadow Merging on her own provided she was actively trying to meditate and focus. Lone''s last skill to have benefited from the long trek back to the krieg was his only world skill.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Lone was only able to use the skill once a day but with so many dwarves around, he had plenty of people to test it on. The most interesting of which were the Mineral Dwarves. Unlike Stone Dwarves whose organs were laced in a stone-like substance that helped reinforce their entire body, these short individuals had minerals flowing through their blood. It made them faster movers, quicker thinkers, and it accelerated their natural healing abilities. And that was all on top of still having access to Stone''s Vision or Miner''s Glory. ''Dwarves are a bullshit species. Who needs immortality at I-rank and sharp tails when being a dwarf gives so many passive benefits?'' Lone grumbled in his mind. Before long, the familiar and welcome sight of Krieg Moor''s artificial fields welcomed his and his group''s eyes. "What''re your plans now, Hamish?" Lone asked. The dwarf had fulfilled his end of the contract enforced upon him, even if he had planned to subvert it at one point. Still, as much as Lone could now appreciate the man, he had no interest in having him join their little ragtag team of misfits. Soph and Sophie were hard enough to deal with as it was. Adding a lethargic baby fox and a traumatised teen to the mix more than spiced things up enough for Lone''s liking. In light of that, he wanted to support Hamish in whatever he wished to do from here on out now that their little adventure had ended. The dwarf scratched his mighty beard in thought. "Return ma brother''s tae their families, ah think. They deserve tae be with their lov''d ones. The ones wae nae place tae call ''ome? Ah''ll bury em maself. Think ah''ll settle doon an'' become ah trainer at the guild after ''at. This pish wae gods an'' ''eroes? It''s nae fae me. Withoot the Black Iron Company... Aye, ah think ma talents''re best used preparin'' the youths ah today." Lone raised an eyebrow. "Commendable." "What aboot ye three? Ye gonna up''an leave tae bring Breena back tae ''er clan?" Hamish asked. Breena flinched a bit at the mention of her home but she stayed silent. Lone nodded. "More or less. I have a little bit of unfinished business here in the krieg though before t-" "Are ye Lone immortus?" an armoured dwarf asked as he approached Lone with fifteen other similarly equipped soldiers behind him. Hamish frowned. "The city guard? What would they wan'' wae ye?" "No clue," Lone whispered back before replying to the guards, "Yes. Can I help you somehow?" "Glad ye didnae lie. Not like there''s many nine-tailed Golden Foxkin running aroond. Aye, ye can ''elp me," the guard answered as he reached down to his waist before grabbing a set of shackles. "Ye could put these on waeoot resistin''." Lone frowned deeply, as did Hamish. Meanwhile, Breena looked scared and Soph wore an expression of worry on her face. "Am I being arrested? What for?" Lone inquired. "Aye, ''at ye are. Ye''r under arrest fae illegally learnin'' steamforgin''," the guard announced. Lone''s frown only worsened. "That''s a bold claim. I''ve only ever learned blacksmithing from Wilbur. He was very clear with me regarding the legality of non-dwarves learning the trade of steamforging. Do you really think a future epitome would be so foolish as to teach it to me, a nobody foxkin?" The guard grunted before he tossed an orb at Lone. Catching it, Lone looked at it strangely. "What''s this?" It was then that it started glowing with a slight bronze hue. The guard spat on the floor in disgust. "''At right ''ere is ah device ''at only activates if ''eld by someone wae the Steamforgin'' skill. Now, ye gonna put these cuffs on afore or after me an'' mah unit ''subdue'' ye?" Lone looked down at the glowing orb then back up to the guards. Down at the orb, up at the guards. Orb. Guards. He then suddenly stored the device in his Dimensional Storage and smiled warmly. "If I''m under arrest anyway, then fuck it. I''m keeping this." B2: Chapter 50: Interrogation and Chubby Devil "What the..." the leading guard muttered in shock. He sprinted up to Lone and grabbed him by his collar - a difficult challenge given the height difference. "Oi, ya foxy cunt! Where''d ya put ''at?! It''s worth more than ye could ever make in yer lifetime!" ''Doubtful considering I''ve literally made ruby-gold coins in the past...'' Lone''s smile widened. "I have no idea what you''re talking about." He then held out his hands and gestured to his wrists. "Please, cuff me and whisk me away. I''m more than willing to go through the legal proceedings here. Illegally learning the Steamforging skill is the charge levied against me, yes?" ''I''m pretty excited to learn how the judicial system is managed here if I''m being honest. Anything has to be better than getting tortured for months on end by a deranged knight in a disgusting dungeon cell,'' Lone thought. "Feckin'' lunatic... Whatever. It''s yer ''ead, nae mine," the guard grumbled as he slapped the cuffs around Lone''s wrists. At the same time, Lone sent a telepathic message to Soph. ''Don''t worry about me. If things get bad, you can just teleport me out. I kinda wanna see how things work here in comparison to Milindo.'' She frowned in response. ''I''m not letting you leave my Mana Sensing''s range. But... okay. I''ll look after Breena while you figure this out just... don''t do anything dangerous.'' ''These folk are reasonable. If they really have dirt on me and Wilbur, I''ll get exiled at worst. Not a huge loss since we were leaving anyway,'' Lone replied. ''I do wanna clear Gramps''s name first though. I can act, persuade, and lie, hard enough to ensure my involvement with him doesn''t mess up his ascension as an epitome.'' ''O-Okay. That''s fair. Sophie doesn''t like it, but I... we both understand. Um, I like that you care about him, by the way,'' Soph said as she smiled warmly. At that moment, Hamish stepped up. "Oi, ah dinnae ken what all this shite regardin'' steamforgin'' is all aboot, but this tall cunt just ''elped save over 200 ah oor kin. The missin'' kin, tae be exact. They should be arrivin'' in the next couple ah ''ours." The leading guard grunted uncaringly. "Aye, ''at soonds like good news, but it disnae matter. Ah crime''s ah crime. Even yer famous arse almost got arrested when ye kidnapped this cunt an'' beat ''is brains oot. Be thankful ''e''s nae ah dwarf. An'' be thankful ''e never filed charges against ye." Hamish frowned and knitted his brow. "Fair ''nuff." He turned to Lone and shrugged, "Whelp, cannae say ah didnae try. Ye gonna be awright?" Lone grinned. "I''ve been through worse. You just report our quest to the guild, yeah? I''m actually kinda looking forward to seeing how this is going to pan out." Hamish gave him a funny look before sighing. He spun around and started walking away, further into the city. "Fine. Ah''ll catch ye''s later, ah suppose." Lone nodded before he spoke to the man arresting him. "Just to confirm, but I''m the only one in trouble right now, yes?" "Ye an'' Wilbur Steamson, aye. If ye''r worried aboot yer companions, then dinnae be. As much as Ah''d love tae cuff an ''uman, she ''asnae broken any laws, nor ''as the wee foxkin lassie. Only ye. Two crimes noo, by the way. Theft''s nae exactly somethin'' we allow ''ere either," the guard said as he started dragged Lone through the street. Lone quickly moved his feet to keep up with the surprisingly quick dwarf. "Ah, that''s great news." After learning that, he kept his mouth shut and allowed the men to do their jobs. All the while, Soph and Breena followed them undisturbed.
"He just... turned himself in?" Elric Greydron asked with an arched eyebrow. The guard before him nodded politely. "Aye, sir. ''At ''e did. Didnae even try tae fight us or nuthin''." "Curious..." Elric mumbled. "And Hamish''s claims?" "True, as far as we can tell, sir," the guard answered honestly. "The fella also seems pretty close tae the foxkin. Stood up fae ''im. Weird since ''e was slappin'' ''im aroond only ah month back noo." "Very interesting. Well, go fetch him then. I''ll start the interrogation now," Elric said as he got himself comfortable in his inquisitor''s chair. The guard audibly gulped and saluted before leaving the questioning chamber. It was an expensive piece of equipment, this room. Steamforged to the Stone and back and heavily enchanted on top of that. It was one of the many things an urd was required to have to even be considered for a krieg promotion. It wasn''t a perfect questioning chamber, sadly. Its enchantments could be stronger and the inquisitor''s chair more imposing. However, for a far off border krieg, its quality was of a sufficient level in Elric''s opinion. He shook his head as he took off his magical glasses to clean them. "Why a future epitome did something as foolish as teaching a foxkin steamforging is beyond me. What a fucking mess." He put his glasses back on and sighed deeply. Not a moment later, the door was opened and a very pleased-looking foxkin easily two feet taller than himself stepped into the room. "Yo," the foxkin greeted with a little wave despite having his hands shackled. "Nice room." "I''m glad you like it," Elric said as he motioned for the chair opposite him. "Sit." The foxkin known as Lone Immortus happily did as he was told. ''Good. Compliant. I''d hate to have to dirty my hands. It''s always such a nuisance when they think too much of themselves. Feeling his aura though... D-ranker? Not too bad. It implies his age though. No older than 200 years.'' "Y''know, I gotta say. This is already miles above that shitty dungeon in Ranton. You guys actually fed and watered me. You''re also questioning me. They didn''t bother. Just slapped me in a cell and that was that. I appreciate that. You lot didn''t chain me up either," the foxkin praised before he raised his hands and shook his shackles. "Well, besides this, I guess. Still better though. Bonus points to the dwarves." ''Okay, I can work with this. Break the ice before I start the investigation? Very well,'' Elric thought as he nodded. "We are all living beings, after all, criminals or not. Why, might I ask, have you seen the state of the dungeon in Milindo''s capital?" "Haven''t heard?" Lone Immortus asked with a cock of his head. "Hmm... Well, I chopped off the crown prince''s arms during a tournament. Nothing permanent, just put him in his place. I then accidentally turned their summoned hero into paste so they arrested me." "How does one... accidentally turn a possessor of a unique skill into paste?" Elric asked, more than a little bit intrigued. "For a start, the guy had a garbage unique skill. Super Persuasion or someshit? Well, not garbage per say, but bad for combat. Means jack-all either way when you''re up against a god." Lone Immortus chuckled. He raised one of his tails and pointed to its tip. "Primals, man. They''re pretty nasty. Awakened mid-fight and the fucker possessed me. Anyway, we''re here because of steamforging, right?" "Yes, we are," Elric answered. ''Three colours... The foxkin doesn''t have long left to live regardless. What is that black though? The blue is Sky, the purple is Darkness... Hmm...'' Elric wasn''t ashamed to admit that he knew a lot about the topsider gods. More than most dwarves, in fact. He''d never been topside himself but he was old at over 2,000 years of age. Hence his refined accent and his strength. One didn''t become an S-ranker while avoiding fighting without an incredibly sharp mind. That was one of the reasons he had been sent here from the capital krieg, in fact. Because he had extensive knowledge on beastkin and the gods which favoured them: the Primals. "So, Mister Immortus, would you be so kind as to explain why you know the Steamforging skill? If you could return the device used to determine this too, that would be excellent," Elric requested. ''It won''t get the theft charge dropped, but his sentence will likely get reduced. Considering his crimes and his awakenings, the poor bastard might die behind bars.'' Elric had known a great many beastkin in his time as one of the leading inquisitors of the greater council. One thing was common among them all. If they had more than one tail or had awakened, they were all... unhinged in a way. Not broken just... jaded. For this young foxkin to have not two, not three, but nine tails... On top of that to have awakened three times, one of which to something unknown to Elric... It spoke volumes of the man known as Lone Immortus. Nine tails; eight harrowing, life-changing events. Three awakenings; three times he was consumed by his own emotions. A volatile man, of that, Elric had no doubts. Also one who would not break nor bend easily. ''I don''t know if he''s so calm because he thinks he''ll get exiled or what, but he is most certainly getting locked up until a Taker can come and remove his Steamforging. That or he''ll be shipping to the capital and never see outside of a specialised cell for the rest of his short life. Learning that skill as a non-dwarf is simply too serious of a crime,'' Elric lamented. The foxkin chuckled a bit before abruptly stopping. His eyes then glazed over. ''System notifications? Whatever for?'' Elric wondered in shock. The only reason he''d be getting system notifications right now would be if he had learned a new skill or levelled up an existing one. The most like cause of this would be... "Man, these enchantments are cool. Are they, like, a knock-off attempt to get the benefits of a White Dragonkin? I did think my lips were looser than normal, so that would explain it," Lone Immortus asked curiously. "Ohhh it''s levelling like crazy. Powerful enchantments, for sure. I can already feel the compulsion to speak honestly waning a bit." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "... You just earned Enchantment Magic Resistance?" Elric asked with his jaw hanging open. Enchantment magic was notorious for being one of the hardest magic resistances to train, let alone earn. It was up there with gravity, illusion and many other less direct magic typings. "Man, fuck me. It''s hard as shit to resist spilling the beans on everything. Oh well, not that I''m really trying to hide much. I learned Steamforging the same way as I did this skill just now," Lone Immortus claimed with a shrug of his shoulders. Elric raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "Well, I''ll be honest with you," the foxkin said with a bold smile on his face, "I''m only 25, okay? Pretty young, yeah? Despite that, I have over 80 skills. I just find fuckin'' everything easy to learn. One day, I accidentally saw Gramps- eh, Wilbur, doing some Steamforging. Then what do you know? I have the skill." "... So you''re trying to tell me that you learned it on your own? No teaching required whatsoever? You just... have it after watching him? That''s still a crime, by the way. Illegal witnessing of council secrets without permission," Elric explained with disbelief marring his every word. Lone Immortus shrugged uncaringly. "It is what it is. Charge me as you like, but leave the old man out of it, yeah? I can prove it to you if you want. Use some skills on me and I''ll use ''em right back. Ah, except magic. I can''t use MP." ''He can learn any skill? Any? What about unique skills? What of racial ones? Soul skills or other Primal ones? No, this is too farfetched. He must be resisting the enchantments with all of his willpower,'' Elric assumed. He then frowned deeply. "No, I don''t think I will. I''ll certainly keep this in mind and bring it up to the deciders, but it''s rather unbelievable." Again, the foxkin shrugged his shoulders. "So is a foxkin becoming friends with his former kidnapper and attempted murderer and then helping that very same person rescue over 200 dwarves. The world is a fuckin'' magical place, man. You wouldn''t believe half the shit I''ve seen and been through." "I''m sure. Well, you''re free to return to your cell now. I think I have enough information to go off of for now. Just to confirm, you''re not going to return that Steamforging Checker, are you?" Elric asked. The foxkin grinned as he slowly stood up. "What Steamforging Checker? I have no idea what you''re talking about." "Right..." Elric shook his head. ''Too arrogant for his own good. He can also already resist the enchantments enough to lie somewhat. I knew the quality here was lacking. This is a total failure of an interrogation.'' Lone Immortus slowly ambled towards the door before he stopped and questioned, "Uh, by the way, how long do you think it''ll be before my trial? I am getting a trial, right?" "Of course you are. We aren''t barbarians. I''d estimate anywhere from a few days to a few weeks," Elric answered honestly. Even with his own level of Enchantment Magic Resistance, he too felt the compulsion of the room''s enchantments tug away at his mind. Luckily, he had worked hard to raise the skill to expert rank. It would take a far stronger questioning chamber to make him reveal any truths without his consent. Lone Immortus scrunched up his face before slowly nodding. "''Kay. I''m not gonna eat or drink anything you give me then. I''m going to train my Hunger and Thirst Resistance skills. Gotta be productive, even if I''m locked up behind bars." Elric paled a little. "You claim to only be 25 but you have both Hunger Resistance and Thirst Resistance?" The foxkin flashed him a sorry smile. "A drop in the bucket, my vertically challenged acquaintance. I got a lot of presents during my several month-long stint in Ranton''s dungeon. I''ll tell you what though, it wasn''t half worth it when I made the king''s brains leak out of his ears. Man, hearing him beg for an explanation as I killed his stupid SS-ranked ass... Gratifying stuff." Elric damn near felt his heart stop dead in his chest. The bloodlust in the room was almost palpable. Only when the foxkin had left the chamber entirely did Elric find himself calming down. "Me? Scared of a D-ranker?... If he can lie so much even under the enchantments then how much of this can even be trusted?" He rubbed his glabella and sighed deeply. "I didn''t even gain a level in Interrogation Mastery... What a pain in the fucking ass..."
Lone rubbed the side of his head when he returned to his cell. "Trippy experience. Not a nice feeling, having your mind get fucked with like that. I mean, I got a lot out of it but I also said way more than I normally would have or rightly should have..." He slumped down onto his cot in his cell as he decided to go over his system gains from the strange interview.
The host has developed the passive skill: Enchantment Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Enchantment Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all negative enchantments (depends on the host''s mindset). Enchantment Magic that the host deems harmful that is used on them will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Ah, cool. I was worried good enchantments would be affected too. Not like I have any enchanted gear or tattoos or anything like that but at least it''s a non-issue for if and when I ever do,'' Lone thought in relief.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Enchantment Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all negative enchantments (depends on the host''s mindset). Enchantment Magic that the host deems harmful that is used on them will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''What a fuckin'' shame it stopped there. I have a feeling those enchantments could maybe have pushed it to advanced. I bet I''d need to sit in that room for hours though. Might be worth throwing a fit if I get pulled in for another interview though just to get that rank up...'' Lone considered. ''Lone? Are you okay?'' Soph asked him through their telepathic connection. ''I felt you go into a room filled with magic. I can still feel some of that magic lingering on you now.'' ''Ah, it was an interrogation room. Enchantments covered it. They made me want to be truthful with whatever I said. Kinda weird experience, if I''m being honest. I got another skill out of it though, so I can''t complain,'' Lone replied as he settled into his prisoner''s cot. He then summoned Kyuubi. The fox curled up her nose, clearly not impressed with the smell of the place. She just decided to crawl under Lone''s shirt and then fall asleep. ''Did you just summon Kyuubi? Why? I-Isn''t that dangerous?'' Soph asked. Lone shrugged, knowing she could see that through her Mana Sensing. ''We can escape easily. I''m kinda done with pretending to be weak. I killed an SS-ranker when I was an E-ranker. Now that I''m D-ranked and have another daily use of Mental Destruction, I bet I could kill an SSS-ranker without much trouble. Not to mention I can drop A-rankers with a single use provided they aren''t super kitted out to resist magic or mental attacks.'' ''... So it''s okay to reveal your unique skills?'' Soph asked, uncertainty clear in her voice. ''No, but I already stole that device and they couldn''t find it when they searched me. It makes no difference if I summon a harmless little fox... Okay, she''s not exactly little, the chubby devil... Still, you get the point,'' Lone replied. ''I want us to leave this place. Breena agrees. Even Sophie agrees. Um, she''s the most adamant. If this is just a repeat of Ranton... S-She''s threatening to go on a Teleportation killing spree. She''s saying she thinks she may be able to create barriers inside of people. Inside of people, Lone. D-Do you get how... cruel that is?'' Soph asked. Lone could hear the tears in her voice and it upset him. ''Don''t worry. The dwarves here are fair. I''ll go through their trial. Trust me, I''m not being tortured or anything. I want to protect Gramps. He taught me Steamforging but the man''s almost dead. I don''t want to ruin his path to becoming an epitome of steamforging like this.'' ''S-Sophie doesn''t like it but I-I trust you! I''m not letting you get out of my range though. And if anyone, I mean anyone hurts you, I''m teleporting you away! E-Even if you protest,'' Soph declared powerfully. Lone chuckled a bit. ''Soph Vladimirovich, my knight in shining armour. I''m counting on you. For now though, I''m gonna train up a bunch of my skills. Don''t worry about them not giving me food or water, by the way. That was at my request. Gotta train up my Fuck Sir Ardus skills right?'' ''Ha-ah... You can be hard to deal with at times, Lone. I still love you though,'' Soph replied. ''D-Did Soph just sigh at me? She''s grown so much! Hahaha,'' Lone laughed internally. ''I love you too. Talk later.'' With their conversation over, he refocused his attention to his training. For now, he had a fox buried in his shirt and a perfectly untrained Pet Mastery skill that could use some practice, did he not? B2: Chapter 51: Ungrounded Rank Up and Gilberts Stress
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 2.
"I only just put the brush in your hair... Well, let''s see how many levels a single session will get me, shall we?" Lone asked Kyuubi. The sleepy fox yawned before replying with, "Kyuu..." Lone chuckled then got to work taking care of his adoptive daughter-slash-pet-fox. He carefully brushed every strand of fur, properly fluffed her tail, cleaned her ears, brushed her teeth, clipped her nails, and gave her a treat for not resisting or complaining in the slightest. Foxes were weird. Lone knew they were like a mix between a dog and a cat, sometimes exhibiting the best of both, sometimes the worst of both. Kyuubi, on the other hand, was just a lazy blob of cuteness. ''She''s a lot like Soph in some ways,'' he joked internally.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 6.
Lone smiled as he cuddled the chubby fox snoozing on his belly. "Hard work in this dark cell but I think I did a good job. Another day or two and it''ll be intermediate rank and then you can get even more out of these little pedicures, eh?" He heard some footsteps approaching so he quickly unsummoned Kyuubi and got comfortable in his prisoner''s cot. "Oi, who''re ye talkin'' tae?" the guard asked upon reaching the door of Lone''s cell. Raising his head and noticed the tray of food with a glass of water on it too, Lone smiled. "Myself. I find it easier to work through things if I vocalise them. Is that against the rules here? Sorry if it is." "Nah, cannae say it is." The dwarf shrugged as he placed the tray on the ground just outside of Lone''s room. "Reach oot if ya wan'' tae get some grub or wet yer throat. Ah ken ye asked tae be starved an'' deprived ah water, but we''re nae lookin'' tae torture ya. Eat or dinnae, the choice is yers, nae oors." "It''d be better served going to other prisoners, really. I''m trying to up my resistances," Lone explained. The guard shook his head. "Yers nuts. Well, ye''d ''ave tae be tae try an'' learn steamforgin'' as ah non-dwarf." He then walked off, presumably back to the prison''s entrance or wherever else he was currently posted for his guard duty. Lone sighed as he stood up and stretched. He approached the bars of his cell and crouched down. Sticking his hand through it, he stored the offered food and water while leaving the tray and cup alone. "Even if I don''t consume it, it''d be dumb to just waste it. I am lacking when it comes to my provision supplies after the journey back to the krieg, after all," Lone mumbled before he made his way to the centre of his cell. "Ungrounded," he invoked, using the Primal skill Sky had forced onto him when it made him its Avatar. Here he was, insolated in a small room with nothing to do besides train his skills, think, or sleep. It was obvious which of his options Lone would choose to do.
Congratulations! The host''s primal skill [Ungrounded] Has levelled up! It is now beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s primal skill [Ungrounded] Has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Primal Skill: Ungrounded
A skill granted to the avatar of Sky. Grants the host the ability to walk on any substance as if it were land.
Cost: 800 SP [-200 SP] per second.
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Lone allowed himself to drop to the ground as he wore a disappointed expression on his face. "I know hoping for a new ability at intermediate was a bit much, but it is a Primal skill... While I appreciate the insane cost becoming slightly less insane, this just isn''t what I wanted." He scratched his head before putting his chin in his hand. "I know subskills are a thing. I mean, I have one - Bone Armour. What about learning new abilities for skills before ranking them up?" He flopped onto the floor and assumed a cross-legged position. "I wish I had a higher rank in the guild. I bet such an old, large, and powerful, organisation has this entire system fully figured out top to bottom." Thinking on that, Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage and retrieved the communication orb Gilbert had gifted him. "It''s been a while since we last spoke." Lone then reached out to one of his two telepathic connections. ''Hey, Soph. Do you mind teleporting in here and activating my communication orb? I don''t wanna extend my MP seal, if possible.'' The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ''Sure. I don''t mind. It''s, uh, it''s on you though if someone detects me,'' Soph answered. ''I doubt this prison has someone as skilled as Hamish in scouting just lingering around, but sure, I''ll take responsibility if we get found out,'' Lone answered with a smile.
"The great astral beings from beyond, imbue my spell with your blessing and your power! Know that I do not submit myself to you, but I give my undying admiration and respect to thee in exchange for the power you grant me!" Forces swirled in the air unlike anything Shana had likely ever seen before, Gilbert reckoned with a smug grin plastered across his lips. "I know not your name, you know not mine, yet still, you will allow this spell to come into creation! You know of gravity and its dominance, I know of gravity and its ever-presence! Show this measly mortal plane that which can be dominated by what is ever-present! Gravity Storm!" Gilbert finished his chant. The gathered powers in the air ripped the ocean in two as everything flipped upside down and then compressed into the centre of a violent storm that seemed invisible yet rocked even the air into uncertainty. Gilbert used some freeform gravity magic to move the compressed ball of air and water to lay atop his open palm. "Now, dear Shana, I used two spells there. One, chantlessly, the other, quite clearly, with a chant," Gilbert explained. "Can you tell me what the spells were and how they differed?" Shana scrunched up her brow, something that made her look even more masculine than she already did as a dwarf, the White Dragonkin thought. ''Such a shame to be born as a dwarf when you have such immense magical talents. That foolhardy species doesn''t have the necessary infrastructure to support any magical talents outside of enchanting and scripture magic,'' he thought. It was quite vexing, in truth. The true masters of enchanting magic were all dwarves and almost every single one of them was impossible to gain tutelage from since they were such a secretive and reclusive species, the dwarves. ''I won''t say it was lucky meeting me given both your former circumstances and our current ones, but at least now you can slowly become the grandmaster gravity mage destiny always hoped you would,'' Gilbert thought with both regret and pride. "Well... Uh... I know the chanted one was Gravity Storm. That''s a tier two gravity spell," Shana said in a mildly certain tone. Not perfect, but it was a good sign his teachings hadn''t been completely lost on the dwarven child. "That''s right. Now, what else can you tell me about Gravity Storm? Specifically, about how I used it." "Um... From what you''ve told me, it was about 1.25 times stronger than it should have been. You, uh, you have it at expert mastery, right?" Shana asked. ''So much hesitation even when you are right. Such a difficult attribute to hammer out of a person. Well, I''ll manage somehow,'' Gilbert thought as he nodded. "Right, uh, the chanting did that, didn''t it? It added extra power to the spell. Was that a fixed chant, by the way?" Shana asked curiously. Gilbert''s one remaining eye lit up in joy. "Good! Don''t ever be afraid to ask questions of me. The chant was not fixed, no. It is one I am constantly modifying in the hopes of making the spell even stronger. For the past 50 years I''ve been seeking aid from the astral plane to boost it, but perhaps I''ll move on to the hells. Demons can give tremendous power if treated carefully eno-" At that moment, the communication orb in his robe''s front pocket hummed to life with magic. "Lone is contacting me, it would seem. We''ll discuss the other spell once I''m done. Quickly though, can you tell me its name?" "Um... Gravity Compression?" Shana asked in an unsure manner as with her brow once again, furrowed. Gilbert shook his head as he withdrew the communication orb from his robe and poured some of his MP into it. "It is called Gravital Compression. Close enough though. Go see if you can''t help your foolish uncle and that useless duke with whatever it is they are working on right now." "The seventh attempt at making a proper ship? Sure. I''ll, uh, come back in an hour?" Shana said questioningly. Gilbert just nodded as a voice chuckled through the orb. "Am I interrupting something?" "Yes, but it''s not that big of a deal. I was merely teaching Shana some gravity magic. Well, specifically, about my skills in the magic. She can only take being surrounded by raw gravity magic for so long, what with her being a child at such a low rank," Gilbert answered honestly. "How about you? What are you up to these days, son? If I recall correctly, you were travelling with an untrustworthy dwarf towards a lost urd, yes?" "Haha, yeah, that I was. Got there, levelled up a bunch off of a horde of Balor Demon Bats then used up the Djinn''s Wish you gifted Sophie and me," Lone answered. ''Of course. Never a peaceful day in this boy''s life, is there?'' The old White Dragonkin thought as his racial skill let him know Lone spoke the truth. "I hope the side effects weren''t too bad? I know you''re a clever lad, but if you had to resort to using the wish even despite all of your unique skills, then I''m left worrying you were hardly sound of mind when you summoned the Djinn," Gilbert expressed his concern. "Hit the nail on the head, you did. Turns out the urd was holding Darkness in it. As in, the Primal. I have no clue if the fucker was sealed or just chilling out down there. Either way, it got me good. Bastard tricked me into thinking it wanted to possess me only for it to try to possess Breena," Lone detailed. "Breena? The Crimson Foxkin girl?" Gilbert asked as he sat down on the sandy beach. "Yup. Anyway, I obviously wasn''t going to let that happen. Sophie wanted me to kill her to stop it but I couldn''t do that. I used the wish and kinda... threatened the Djinn," Lone confessed with an awkward chuckle. "Of course you did. Let me guess, it forced Darkness into your soul," Gilbert sighed deeply. "Bang on the money again. I mean, It''s not a huge deal since the ageing means nothing to me and I got another skill out of it - one I can''t use since it needs MP - but yeah, kinda sucks. I also got into a big fight with Sophie over it so she isn''t talking to me anymore," the young Golden Foxkin claimed with regret and some sadness in his tone. Gilbert smiled wryly as he shook his head. ''The struggles of the young. No one wants to deal with suddenly becoming a Primal''s awakened, let alone its Avatar, but the stupid boy seems more concerned about his lover''s spat than about Darkness itself. His priorities baffle me.'' "At least you''re back in the krieg now, yes? More than enough time has passed. I know nothing of love having never possessed an interest in the subject, but treat her with respect and I imagine things will resolve themselves in time," Gilbert offered what little advice he felt he could, given the situation. "Ah, well, I''m pretty confident I can patch things up myself. I do have, uh, more pressing concerns though," Lone stated vaguely. Gilbert narrowed his eye in suspicion. "What does that mean?" "Well... I may or may not be imprisoned for illegally learning the Steamforging skill and for stealing the steamforged artefact used to determine that I have said skill. Apparently, a ''Taker'' is planned to come and deal with me? I was hoping to get your thoughts on the matter. Y''know, be my defacto lawyer or something. Soph and I can teleport out of here whenever, but I''d rather do things legally if possible since I don''t want to implicate Wilbur," Lone explained, much to Gilbert''s horror. ''And here I was thinking my stress levels were only just now starting to decrease... This fucking idiot of a foxkin!'' Gilbert yelled internally as he responded with nothing but a massive sigh. "Haha, yeah, it''s kinda serious. Like I said though, we can bounce whenever. I did already make an enemy out of one kingdom, so, if possible, I''d rather not do the same again but with an entire species this time," Lone expressed. Gilbert sighed again. "You may just have to." "What? Why? There''s no way around this?" Lone asked in confusion. Gilbert put a hand to his heavily scarred face and he spoke through his fingers, "Takers are not to be treated lightly. They need only touch you and then they can strip you of every single skill you possess. It''s not even a skill they use, it''s an inborn talent. Like how we can breathe and talk, they can simply... take. They''re so rare but I have heard the dwarves do use them when outsiders learn Steamforging." "Oh..." was Lone''s only answer. "''Oh'', indeed," Gilbert mimicked with a wry smile. ''This foolish lad. Of course the moment I start seeing some pup as a son of sorts he becomes the most annoying to handle son on the entire face of Altros...'' Still, as the boy''s father figure, he needed to do something, no? "Listen up. I''ll tell you everything I know as well as give you a few options. You don''t necessarily need to flee immediately, but you''ll need to tell me everything about your situation. Down to the last detail. You are definitely in the wrong here but the guild has its own laws. Some of which I may be able to get you to use for your own benefit without making you the most wanted man of all of the dwarven councils. It''s unlikely, but it''s best we at least try." B2: Chapter 52: Daily Journal and Annoyed Guest "Well, that was informative," Lone thought aloud as he put the communication orb back into his Dimensional Storage. In essence, the guild couldn''t really do anything to help except possibly delaying his sentencing if he could contact them and lobby for their aid. One of the main reasons The Adventurer''s Guild was a leading power across the entire continent was because it respected the sovereignty of the kingdoms, empires, and other such ruling bodies it created branches in. As much as the grand guildmaster protected her adventurers, neither she nor her organisation would bend over backwards to help him as Gilbert had. After all, Lone did illegally learn one of the kingdom''s most prized and heavily guarded skills. He could understand and respect that. He was in the wrong here so he wouldn''t hold it against the guild for not spoiling him rotten. "If only Takers used a skill," Lone lamented. "If they did, I could become one and just literally steal skills instead of copying them at beginner-level-1." Sadly, as Gilbert had told him, it was an inborn talent. It wasn''t a racial skill like Stone''s VIsion, Miner''s Glory, Eyes of the White Dragon, or Tail Spear. No, it didn''t relate to the system at all. Well, ignoring the fact it allowed someone to remove skills, that is. According to Gilbert, they could remove all of a person''s skills if given enough time. Worst of all, the people affected would become unable to relearn the taken skill. It was as if their capacity to learn it got taken just as the skill itself did. For this reason, Takers, while unable to level or gain skills themselves, were perhaps the most feared and respected group of individuals on the planet. They even had their own special organisation designed to find, train, and protect all Takers according to Gilbert. "They''re like an empty void since they can''t use what they take... At least it isn''t an instant process. It takes a good while to slowly suck the skills out of a person. That means I can Mental Destruction them if need be. They should be pretty weak, after all. As if I''m losing my hard work, needless to mention I can''t let my unique skills get fucked around with," Lone decided. With that out of the way, he got off of his cot and cracked his neck. He would stay here for now, at least until he got to see the Taker that had been tasked with witnessing his trial and removing his skills should it come to that. Lone wanted to see if he or Soph could identify anything telling about them to avoid Takers in the future. His main thought there being Soph''s Mana Sensing. Perhaps they had something special about them in their magical aura which she could detect. Or maybe they wore an easily recognisable uniform from their organisation. For now though? For now, he was going to start working on his ideas to improve Ungrounded by himself.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Lone got a towel and wiped the sweat from his exposed chest and his head. He then stored the food and water he''d been given today. With that done, he laid down on his cot and took out his journal and an already inked quill. ''Day 2 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. Gained 2 levels in Ungrounded, only 1 in Pet Mastery. Couldn''t really be bothered grooming Kyuubi seriously since I was busy trying my best to improve Ungrounded. No progress yet, but Rome wasn''t built in a day. Going to try reading a book in the dark to improve Reading Mastery then I''ll meditate instead of sleeping. If I go enough nights without rest, I''m hoping I''ll get a Sleep Deprivation Resistance skill.'' With his journal entry for the day completed, he got to work with his Reading Mastery and Meditation practice.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
''Day 3 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. No headway still with Ungrounded, but even with my insane speed of learning, I''m hopeful. At least I''m gaining levels just by using it. I bet that''ll stop when I hit advanced. Probably needs to be used in high-intensity situations then, but I''ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Gave Kyuubi the love she deserves. Even had a long chat with Soph while doing it - telepathically, of course. She and Breena are doing well, which is good. They''re taking guild quests near the prison to help pay for the inn fees while keeping me in the range of Soph''s Mana Sensing. Sucks I''m low on money and can''t help, but it is what it is. Gonna read and meditate again.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Pet Mastery
A skill that increases the host''s ability to properly care for pets by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ''Day 4 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. No level in Meditation yesterday, sadly. Not uncommon though. It''s a bitch of a skill. Made a bit of progress today though with Ungrounded which is nice. I''m trying to see if I can ignore the laws of gravity entirely by walking up the walls. I usually fall flat on my face the second I try to stop standing perpendicular. I can do it in fights though like I did against Hamish when I first met him, so I just need to learn how to do it in a peaceful setting. I only fell today after two steps vertically instead of one, so yeah, progress. Bit disappointed by Pet Mastery, but that skill really is what it says on the tin. Tomorrow I''ll get Soph to sneak in my cell and groom Kyuubi for me. I''m also feeling pent up. 4-days is a long fucking time. Gonna do my night training now.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Active Skill: Meditation
A skill that allows the host to reach a place of zen mentally. The ability to think rationally when upset or angered is passively 15% [+10%] easier. Focused thinking while meditating leads to logical conclusions and comprehension of complex matters 15% [+10%] faster.
Cost: 90 SP [-10 SP] per 10 minutes [+5 minutes].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''Day 5 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. Spent pretty much the entire day with Soph, trying our best to indulge and not get caught. Was exciting, but kinda dumb. Still, call it post-nut clarity or whatever, but I got two levels in Meditation just from using the skill for a couple of hours before writing this. Man, hard-to-get skills sure are in a league of their own. Just from beginner to intermediate four things improved, unlike the usual two. Maybe it''s because it''s active? Unlikely since Weapon Block is pretty basic despite being advanced and also an active skill. Whatever. I''m only now starting to get thirsty and hungry. I think on top of getting an extended lifespan, ranking up makes the need for sleep, hunger, and thirst, decrease. I haven''t gone to bed since being locked up but I feel just fine. Anyway, to reading.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
''Day 6 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. Managed five steps up the wall today. I''m this close to reaching the ceiling. Even if this doesn''t result in a new subskill or a new ability being added to Ungrounded, it''s certainly powerlevelling the fucking thing. I need to consider this more. Reading in the dark is doing the same for Reading Mastery and I already know combat is miles better than training for battle-related skills. So, difficulty, or, maybe pushing yourself? Tension? Something makes skills improve faster. Well, maybe not the skills. Maybe just the person''s actual ability and the system is just reflecting that. After all, it''s not like without the system the people of Altros would just lose all of their skills. All they would lose is the boosts from rank ups. This world facilitates magical and wondrous abilities as well as quantitive changes to one''s very being - personal rank-ups. That was true before the system came according to my research. This world is incredibly good at record keeping. It has such comprehensive knowledge of events that happened millions of years ago. Then again, it also ''forgot'' about Void. Something to think about, I guess. ... I need to not meditate and write at the same time. I mean, I come up with good ideas but fuck me is it scary. This''ll do for today''s journal entry.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Pet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
''Day 7 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. Made it to the roof, fuck yeah I did! Also fell immediately and slammed face-first onto the floor as if the skill was rejecting me walking upside down. I wonder why. Maybe because I''m using the skill to ground myself, just to the roof? Still, progress is progress. Should reach advanced rank tomorrow too so its SP cost will go down and I can experiment more. About the whole ''skills get stronger if you do them under stress'' theory/confirmed fact, yeah, trying my best to get every single hair when brushing Kyuubi, perfectly filing her nails, fluffing her tail just right, doing it all with the utmost attention got me sweating and made the skill level twice despite being a rank higher than before. That all but confirms it. Now, all I need to do is think of a way to make every skill I train more successful.''
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Reading Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hunger Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Thirst Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
"Finally," Lone mumbled as he cracked his neck and readied himself for another day of climbing up the walls. Just then though, he heard footsteps that didn''t match those of the usual guard''s. ''Weird that I can recognise his footsteps, but whatever. Now, the real question is, does this person want to talk to me for any serious reason or is it for something trivial? Could be Hamish for all I know. Then again, I likely wouldn''t hear his footsteps at all, sneaky fucker that he is.'' Regardless, Lone sat silently on the floor of his cell cross-legged and with his eyes closed. He had to look the part, didn''t he? The poor, starving fox who was humbling himself by meditating. Indeed, there was no wall-walking, pet grooming, reading, nor fornicating fox held within this cell. Only a perfectly proper prisoner. "... This is what I have to work with?" a tired woman''s voice asked. "Well, I''ve had worse clients, if nothing else. Definitely a looker, if not filthy as all hells and a beastkin." Lone slowly opened his eyes with a serene expression on his face. Standing in front of him, on the other side of the bars containing him, was a more than well-dressed dwarven woman who was thin and dainty, unlike her peers. She had glasses sitting atop her slightly crooked nose but otherwise, she looked perfectly normal. "Hello," he greeted her with a charming smile. "Hi. Now, here''s how things are going to go down. I''m your personal arbiter, okay? Decided on by the greater council. What I say during your trial may spare you from getting executed. So I need you to tell me the truth, and nothing but the truth to make sure this all turns out as favourably for you as possible. My career record is on the line here. Is that understood?" she asked in an authoritative tone. ''... My first ever time getting a lawyer and it''s a dwarven woman with an attitude problem. What a world I now live in.'' Lone''s smile turned into a grin. "Lady, you haven''t even told me your name yet." B2: Chapter 53: Make Up and Sulky Sonya "Well," the dwarven arbiter started, "it certainly isn''t ''lady''. I suppose knowing my name''s fair enough though. I''m pretty famous in all of the western kriegs, to be honest. What on account of me being one of the only three arbiters that specialise in representing beastkin criminals this side of the Daylight Split. I''m Sonya Forgegulf." ''Ah, the dwarven legal system has lawyers for different species? Interesting. I wish I knew more about Milindo''s legal system so I could compare it to something more local. Shame I only saw the abusive side of it,'' Lone thought as he slowly stood up. He had heard about the Daylight Split before in his research of the dwarven lands. While all dwarven kingdoms, kriegs, and even urds, answered to the greater council, they were split right down the middle by a massive ravine. So big was this ravine that it almost stretched from one end of Teresta to the other - those sides being the northern and southern ends. It was rumoured in myth to have been the result of a battle ages past, but Lone had failed to get any concrete information on it. It was on his ''to visit'' list though since he''d likely benefit from it with his Historical and Cultural Appreciation skill. He approached the bars of his cell and put his hand through for a handshake. "It''s a pleasure. Miss Forgegulf. Or is it Misses? Anyway, as you already know, I''m Lone Immortus." Sonya glanced at his hand then arched her brows in disgust. "By the Stone, you must have very high social stats for me to even consider touching that grubby little paw of yours. I''ll shake your hand once you''ve had a bath and not a second sooner." Lone chuckled as he withdrew the offered palm. He sniffed himself a bit but shrugged. It was hard to tell you smelled bad when you were used to your own smell. Well, unless you were utterly rotten. He felt he was doing just fine in the hygiene department, but he had been rigorously training and smearing himself all over his cell''s wall for a week. And said week came right after having finished a full unwashed day of marching too, no less. Just because he''d stripped down to nothing bar his trousers didn''t mean he wouldn''t be reeking like a landfill when stacked up against the comparatively pristine woman. ''You are talking to a short woman, we see. Soph is asking if she is competition or not,'' he heard mentally, startling him a good bit. ''Sophie''s striking up a conversation with me on her own? I was convinced she''d stay silent until I apologised...'' Not one to pass up a perfectly good opportunity, Lone smirked and replied, ''Maybe. Depends, really. Does this lovely little dwarf who''s going to legally represent me in court have anything against me being a surrogate brother to a teenaged foxkin who I feel responsible for?'' ''Probably. Her mana gives us a feeling of reason and logic, vastly opposed to what we feel from yours. Regardless, we wished to only say we have spent some time thinking on our actions and words. We are willing to reconsider our views on Breena if you are willing to actually listen to us when we ask you to leave an obviously dangerous location,'' Sophie replied in a cool and calm manner. ''I''ll happily agree to that,'' Lone answered. ''Both the shit with King Ralph and with Darkness were a mess and a half we could have avoided if I''d listened to you. Hell, if you want to, I don''t mind leaving right now and booking it to the next country, kingdom, empire, or whatever else. Just come grab me and teleport us away, provided you have Breena with you.'' Sonya stared at him incredulously. "Why in the holy name of the Stone are you smirking and shaking your head?" Lone shrugged. "I have the Insanity Resistance skill, if that answers any of your questions." He quickly lost focus as he listened to Sophie''s response. ''Good. Finally, someone seems to have hit you over the head hard enough to see reason. No, we need not flee immediately. We agree it would be unwise to make enemies of the entire greater dwarven council over such a petty matter. We would like to suggest throwing your blacksmithing master under the bus since he has almost expired naturally anyway, but we know which hills to die upon and which to flee from,'' came Sophie''s answer. Lone''s smirk only grew. She was trying to change to match his views. Well, now he had even more motivation to do the same for her. He made a vow in his mind to skip town the next time Sophie suggested to do so regardless of where they were or how important their task at the time was. Love was a two-way street, after all. ''Well, with Soph and Sophie, maybe a three-way street? No, four-way. To Soph and Sophie, then back to me. Two-way per personality,'' he thought in amusement. ''Thanks for being so considerate. By the way, have you heard of the Taker scheduled to deal with me in the best-case scenario I''m not sentenced to death?'' ''Indeed we have. The whole krieg has been talking about you and your coming trial with a disturbing amount of hatred and glee. They are disgusted an outsider knows one of their most valued secrets but revel in the opportunity to see you punished for it. Don''t worry. I''ve already located this ''Taker''. I now can easily identify their mana,'' Sophie replied. Lone sighed in relief. ''Is it special in some way? Could you identify more Takers if need be? They sound like scary bastards.'' ''The Taker themselves? No. This woman is as average as any I-ranker as far as her mana is concerned. The blindingly massive veritable mana sun that follows her, protecting her at all hours? Hard to miss,'' Sophie snorted sarcastically. ''We suspect her guard is beyond the S-ranks. To compare, what you feel like when next to Gilbert is what Gilbert would feel like next to this man.'' Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ''Shame. Well, I''m hoping I can charm and lie my way out of punishment here. If I can''t, we just skedaddle with your help. Beyond the S-ranks or not, with your control, you can teleport multiples times in less than a second. Anyway, I should get going. Any more time standing still here making faces and I think my arbiter is going to punch me in the face or kick me in the nuts,'' Lone joked. ''You deserve nothing less,'' Sophie laughed. ''Be careful, Lone and... and we-... I love you. We may not always agree with you and we worry for you, but our feelings for you are as firm as they are for Soph. Without you we would be incomplete.'' ''I was just about to say the same thing. We''ll have a proper sit-down to talk about all of this face-to-face once we''re done here, ''kay? In more depth,'' Lone suggested. ''We would like that. Not just us, but Soph too,'' the usually stoic woman said softly before she cut the connection. Lone cracked his neck then smiled at the utterly horrified dwarf in front of him. "Right, so, you were going to ask me stuff to ascertain all of the facts from my side, no?"
Sonya exhaled deeply from her nose as she slumped down into her seat. Seated across from her was Elric Greydron. Just being in the man''s presence put her on edge. This was one of the legendary inquisitors of the capital, after all. A man more than 2,000 years of age as well as a powerful S-ranker. Who cares if he rarely, if ever, fought in battles and had gained most of his levels through non-combative means? Sonya was only a D-ranker herself since she used to be an adventurer before the danger got to her and made her settle down to better use her more social skills as an arbiter. No D-ranker in their right mind would ever think about not fearing everyone at B-rank or above, regardless of how they got that rank. And the man before her was two ranks above B-rank! A scary person indeed. ''His eyes are so dead. This guy''s seen some real shit. Well, no wonder. He''s an old bastard, after all. Regardless of if he gives me the willies or not though, I''ve seen some shit too. The sheer number of atrocities I''ve had to legally defend for some beastkin is... life scarring,'' she thought as she cracked her neck and said, "He''s coming here shortly. I got some guards to go fetch him." Elric raised one of his sharp eyebrows. A terrifying monster he may be, but she couldn''t deny he was a very handsome dwarf as well. The way his cheekbones sunk into his other features... The rise of his eyes as he looked from his papers to her... His powerful, sharp nose... His well-kept beard... Well, she was feeling chills of another kind. ''Stay professional. He''s older than your great-grandma, you stupid girl.'' "Why didn''t you just bring him yourself? He''s a D-ranker like you are," the man said though something about his tone made her think he didn''t quite believe his own statement. "The guy''s nuts. I''ve dealt with plenty of demis in my 130-year-long career, but do you know what happened when I came to meet him earlier today?" Sonya asked. Elric calmly shook his head. "You know the locals have no scrying enchantments set up here. Please, enlighten me." Sonya scoffed. He was right about that. This was a poor krieg. "He was sitting there cross-legged looking kinda malnourished. I half thought he was dead for a moment. He then got up, offered me his hand, and politely greeted me like he was a noble or something. I''ve never met a more well-spoken beastkin in my life. Bastard spoke fluent Western Stone Dwarvish too. Elves can be that polite and learned, sure, beastkin though? They''re wild tribal folk with their pagodas and their polygymy. This guy''s just a kid, isn''t he?" Elric nodded. "25 years of age is what he claimed. I noticed the language too when we last spoke. Apparently, he''s fluent in many dialects. His human lover is too. Their Crimson Foxkin companion only knows four languages though. That isn''t important, not for our investigation at least. Please, continue making your point." "Right, well, 25 year old, 9 tails, 3 awakenings - no clue what that black is all about though - and the fucker speaks to me like he''s a king or something? Okay, not the weirdest thing ever. I can handle that. I''m experienced," Sonya said. "Indeed. I trust there''s more to this though. I only petitioned for you to represent him since you are so experienced in doing so for beastkin, Miss Forgegulf," Elric responded. ''That and because you have the hots for my widowed great-grandma. Another reason I shouldn''t let him turn me on. You should go on a quest or two to impress her since she''s the guildmaster of the greater capital''s Adventurer''s Guild, you creepy old man,'' Sonya privately commented. "Well, what happened next really threw me for a loop. Can you believe this? The guy just started staring at the wall behind me. I thought he got a notification or something. Maybe a rare stat boost outside of levelling. Charisma or Charm since he almost got me to shake his disgusting hand," she said. "I assume that is not what you have concluded to have happened," Elric replied patiently. "And you''d be right. The foxkin then started closing his eyes, opening them, pacing a bit, sighing, making hand gestures. He did all of this for a good 5 minutes. It was... it was like he was talking to someone. I swear by the Stone, he was having a lengthy conversation that he walked away from feeling far, far more jovial than he had going into it," Sonya tried her best to explain. Seeing Elric frown made her want to just go back in time and avoid saying such foolish things if he was just going to up and not believe her. Even if she was an arbiter, she was quite literally magically contracted to never lie. The best she could do was stretch the truth or avoid saying it. Elric should have known that. Sadly, Sonya had no affinity for time magic. Nor space magic. Nor had she spent millions of years studying the field of time travel. Even the best of the best could only go back a few seconds at most, after all. That wasn''t nearly enough time to erase this whole conversation. "I see. Well, you''re most certainly telling the truth since this room has had its enchantments boosted since last week. Expensive, but needed. We''ll question him on this when he arrives if it comes up," Elric said with a sharp nod. Sonya''s eyes widened. "This is a questioning chamber?" Elric nodded once more. "Yes. A tier 3 one. It was only at the first tier when I initially interrogated Mister Immortus a week prior to today." "... Is this legal? I need to be on his side, in case you forgot. I got the basic rundown of his story from him just before coming here, but I can''t rightly agree to the use of such enchantments unless he, too, agrees. This is highly prohibited without his permission as the defendant of the case," Sonya said in a very professional manner. "I know. I have a feeling he''ll appreciate the upgrades, in truth. We''ll ask him immediately upon entry. If he says no, we''ll move to another room for your part in this then I''ll bring him back alone to discuss some things," Elric said calmly though he frowned, clearly not having intended to add that last part. Sonya frowned. "He may be getting accused of a very, very, serious crime against our people, but he has his rights. You won''t be speaking to him alone. The fact you already have is very concerning." Elric smiled. "I''m glad you''re a professional when it comes to your job." He said nothing more, not even trying to address her worries which only made them spiral out of control even more. It was then that a knock at the door came before it opened slightly. A guard saluted at Elric briefly before stepping out of the way so the foxkin following him could enter the questioning chamber. "Hey! You again. Nice to see you... uh... I never got your name," Lone Immortus said as he happily placed himself in the open seat next to Sonya. "Nice to see you too, Sony- Woah! These enchantments got a major upgrade, huh?" ''What the... He knows about that? How? Is he a mage of some sort? But... he has no magic from the reports I was given?'' Sonya groaned in frustration. There was barely anything worse than not knowing everything about your client. ''This case is gonna be draining. I can feel it in my bones.'' B2: Chapter 54: Speaking Ones mind and Lying? Never
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
"Fucking hell. You upgraded the enchantments in here a lot," Lone commented. "Had I the ability to see magic, I''m sure this place would be lit up like a Christmas tree." He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sonya was on the verge of having an aneurysm while the man sitting across from both him and his arbiter seemed bothered by his statements. "I have so much I wish to ask, but I did promise Miss Forgegulf here that I would ask you a very specific question before all others," the man said. "And you''re right. I never did introduce myself, did I? I''m Elric Greydon."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
"Fuck, it was worth not slaughtering the guards or just fleeing and letting myself get jailed just for this," Lone spoke his mind aloud unintentionally. "Oh. They make you more inclined to speak instead of think, too? That''s new. Nasty shit. Bet spies everywhere would sooner die than step foot in one of these rooms." Sonya nodded. "I agree. It is rather crass magic though. It strips away some of your basic rights... Anyway, Mister Greydon... your first question." "Right, of course," the dwarven man nodded kindly. "Mister Immortus, are you opposed to me questioning you in this, well, questioning chamber?" Lone shrugged. "Do I really have a choice? I don''t really mind, to be honest. I''m getting Enchantment Magic Resistance skill level ups like crazy. Thinking on that spy thing, surely Enchantment Magic Resistance is up there on their training itinerary''s priority list. Probably right next to Persuasion, Acting, and Poison Resistance. Maybe Sneaking Mastery too? Is Sneaking Mastery a skill? I don''t have it. Never really needed to sneak before beyond hiding in some bushes to gank a bunch of goblins. Sorry. I''m rambling. Hard to keep my thoughts in my mind." "Try harder," Sonya hissed. "I''m affected by the magic just as much as you are. You don''t see me spewing my guts out, now do you? By the Stone, he has so many tails and they look so soft despite the dirt and grime... I bet they''d make a fantastic rug." The woman snapped her hand up to her jaw and practically clamped it shut before she gave Elric a look that was likely able to wither the most resilient of flowers.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Lone grinned. "A rug, huh? Don''t think Soph would appreciate that. I bet Sophie would see the grim humour in it though. But yeah, I don''t mind spilling a few secrets for access to this kind of hyper training. Go ahead and question me, Elric. It''d be downright daft to ignore such a ripe opportunity for growth." "I thought you''d say that. Now, first, how many skill level ups have you gained thus far, what level was your Enchantment Magic Resistance when you stepped in here, and how are you gaining the levels so quickly? Even a genius at understanding how the magic works would be lucky to gain a single level within 5 minutes of exposure to this room," Elric asked. Sonya nodded at that. "I actually have the skill. Need it to avoid being trapped into a dodgy contract that''s been laced in enchanting magic on top of the contracting magic." "Huh. I do wonder how normal contracting magic works. I have nothing to compare it against, really. The collars it can make are interesting if you can look past the horrific implication of their existence. Anyway, your questions, right, Elric?" Lone asked with a tilt of his head. He tried his best to resist the compulsion to speak his mind any further. He normally had dozens upon dozens of errant thoughts at any one time. A project he wished to complete, a theory he was working on understanding or proving, new facets of the world of Altros and the continent of Teresta he was still digesting, new and inventive ways to use his many skills in combat. So many thoughts, so many secrets, so hard to not spill them all. He focused as best as he could to keep said thoughts and ideas locked away within the confines of his mind instead of spewing them up like some weak-willed mongrol. Surely doing that would boost the level ups even further which was as good a motivator as any.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
''Just one more level until Advanced rank. Oh, hey. Internal thoughts for the win,'' Lone chuckled to himself. ''Fighting this is fuckin'' painful though. Wouldn''t be surprised if I walk out of here with a level in Mental Pain Resistance if this keeps up. Better open my mouth to lessen the mounting compulsion a bit though.'' "I''ve gained 9 levels since I greeted you and Sonya here," Lone admitted. "This skill was intermediate rank 1 when I walked in. As for how I''m improving so fast... let''s call it... magic. That''s not exactly untrue even if I have no usable Mana Points. Technically, we''re all magic, right? Well, most of us. Apparently, everything has magic in it. The walls? Magic. The ceiling? Magic. Your cup? You fuckin'' guessed it baby. Magic. The clothes on your b-" "I get the point, Mister Immortus," Elric said chidingly and with an eyebrow raised in disappointment, "Please, answer the question ho-" Sonya interjected just then. "He did answer. Also, this topic has very little - if anything at all - to do with the charges levied against him. If you press the matter, my client will be forced to leave the questioning chamber and I''ll be lobbying a formal complaint against you. I know you''re powerful and have a lot of connections, but so do I. Don''t forget who my great grandmother is. Are we understood, Mister Greydon?" ''Damn, she''s got fire. Can she not feel how strong this dude is? I can''t detect auras yet but even I can tell this guy''s up there. He feels like a mini King Ralph in his own right,'' Lone thought. "You, on the other hand, fiery little dwarven woman, are far weaker than perhaps even Breena... Maybe. You''ve got bigger balls than this dude though if you''re standing up to him despite the strength gap." Both Elric and Sonya looked at him in a mix of embarrassment, confusion, and disapproval. Lone smiled. "Oops. Wasn''t supposed to say that out loud." Sonya coughed. "I''m sure. Thank you for the very strange praise though. How your mind works, I wish to never learn." Lone nodded. "That''s for the best. Nobody should find out what it feels like to be forced to murder dozens of kids." The air in the room turned frosty. "I beg your pardon?" Elric asked in a demanding tone. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Lone winced as he saw flickers of something burst out of the inquisitor''s aura, though he was clearly suppressing it. "Something I had to do to stop them from being raped and tortured to death in front of me while I was incarcerated in Ranton''s castle dungeon. Look, can we not talk about my past? Thought we were here for my present."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Enchantment Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all negative enchantments (depends on the host''s mindset). Enchantment Magic that the host deems harmful that is used on them will be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''That''s a shame, no new effect. Keeping my thoughts inside my head is way easier now. Still a struggle and a bit painful, but far, far more manageable. Might be able to sneak in a lie or two as well in this interrogation,'' Lone thought absentmindedly. His enthusiasm for the room and its enchantments was starting to wane given what he had accidentally brought up. "I fully agree with my client. Also, rein in your aura. It''s incredibly unprofessional for a man of your age to lose control over something like this, even if only slightly. I could use this against the prosecutors, you know? Coercion under threat of an S-ranker''s aura." Elric shook his head softly as any semblance of his aura faded entirely. "No, you''re absolutely right, Miss Forgegulf. I don''t know what came over me. Shall we continue?" The woman sitting next to Lone frowned something fierce but relented nonetheless. "Yes, but one more derailing like that and he is leaving. His mental health matters to me as much as anything else does, currently. No more dragging up of painful memories that have nothing to do with the case." ''Even though I was the one who brought it up. Damn, I''m starting to like this woman. Looks like the greater council doesn''t skimp on the quality of its state attorneys, huh?'' Lone jested internally.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
"Of course. Now, Mister Immortus," Elric said, changing the target of his conversation, "Let''s get to the meat and potatoes of this situation, yes? Do forgive me if I repeat some of my questions from last week, but it is necessary. Do you have the Steamforging skill?" ''Man, would it be hilarious or what if I said ''no'' right now?'' Lone thought. He didn''t know how much he was expected to resist the enchantments here but however much it was, it wasn''t enough given his vast mental capabilities. While he had his demons from the ordeal in Milindo, it has certainly helped in tempering his mind. Besides, he didn''t really care all that much if he revealed how incredibly quickly he could learn stuff. He, Soph, and Sophie, were done hiding their capabilities. Worst case scenario, Lone just had to brain blast whoever he needed to and Soph could teleport them and Breena far, far away. ''Maybe to a monster-filled forest where I can farm the shit out of stat points. They don''t boost much without being applied, but every little helps.'' "Yup. I do have that skill, as I''ve admitted to already. I''ll give you a freebie too. It''s at intermediate level 8," Lone answered honestly. "That high? Master Steamforger Wilbur must be far more advanced in the Teaching Mastery skill than we were previously aware of. That''s concerning," Elric mumbled but in a way that was done so Lone would intentionally hear him. He wouldn''t rise to the bait. "Why''s that? He never taught me, like I said last week and have continued to say. That is unless Teaching Mastery applies to being spied on. Y''know, I actually have the Teaching Mastery skill myself. It''s at intermediate level 3." Elric creased his brow. "How alarming. So you''re telling me you are rather capable of letting our cultural secrets be spread throughout the lands? Very alarming indeed." Sonya shot Lone a look that could kill kittens. ''Ah, fuck. Not my best brag, I''ll be honest. Don''t glare at me like that. I got it. Shut up unless spoken to. I felt like I had to tell the truth though. The headache from that lie was killing me,'' Lone tried to convey through his eyes to his arbiter.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
"Everyone is capable of teaching to some degree though, no?" Lone replied. "And it depends more on the student than the teacher, really, when it comes to learning, Teaching Mastery skill or not. I''m also an adventurer, so it''s not like I can be fucked sitting down for months on end teaching someone how to steamforge." "I see. Now, could you please tell me why Master Wilbur taught the craft to you?" Elric asked. Lone sighed. "Are you deaf, dumb, stupid, or a mix of all three? I already told you - I learned it myself by watching him when he was unaware of my presence. Hell, despite these things," Lone said, raised his hands to display the ardartian cuffs bindings his wrists, "I have no MP. I''d heard about steamforging before coming to Krieg Moor, y''know? It takes a lot from enchanting magic and uses its own special magic to harness the steam of a forge to, well, forge stuff. I can''t do fuck all with no MP." "Interesting," Elric replied plainly. "While you''ve heard of how steamforging works, I''ve also heard of the Golden Foxkin clans. Before they vanished a hundred years ago, they were renowned across the continent as peerless magical warriors. Their tails were as sharp as steel - sharper even - and magical tattoos covered their bodies, empowering their every step." Lone shrugged. "Do you see any ink on my skin? I''m also 25, so you''re speaking about a time long before I was ever born." That felt good. Telling a full truth after such a massive lie relieved his mind of an incredible amount of pressure. Not that he didn''t get a lot from telling such a lie on top of obscuring the truth, of course.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Sonya''s glare intensified as it locked onto Elric. "You are dangerously close to going off-topic again." "Of course. Only simple, case-related questions from here?" the man asked with a charming smile. The woman didn''t budge, impressing Lone somewhat. She nodded sternly, not giving in to whatever charm-based skills or stats Elric had. "That would be for the best. My client needs to rest shortly and I need to go over some details of the case with him. Our first private meeting was hardly satisfactory since you all but demanded to see him." ''Go over details? More like reprimand me for being an idiot. I know enough about lawyers to know she''s pissed off with me. Rightly so, to be fair. Still, I''d rather not leave this room until it stops giving me level ups...'' Lone thought in passing. "Have you ever employed your Steamforging skill, Mister Immortus?" Elric asked. ''I doubt the enchantments will see it as the truth if I intend my answer to be about employing the skill for a paying job like a milkman or customer service agent. Heh,'' Lone jested as he lied, "Nope, never." Even if all he had made were the introductory gadgets and gizmos to learn the skill, it still counted as steamforging, and that would imply he had been instructed to create them, implicating Wilbur. After all, it likely took thousands of years of experimenting and trials to determine the best entry-level artefacts for beginner steamforgers to create. Letting Elric know he had, in fact, made such items, was something Lone could not allow. Anything about him and his power was fine, but despite Sophie''s underlying thoughts, Lone would never throw Wilbur under the proverbial bus. ''I''ve betrayed enough people as it is,'' he thought as his mind drifted towards the children he had slaughtered to save from a fate worse than death. "Where did the artefact used to determine you have the skill go?" Elric asked. "Away," Lone answered in a distant fashion. "Very amusing. Where is it? That device is worth more money than it''s costing to keep you locked up, keep us on the payroll, and set up your trial a hundred times over. It''s very valuable," Elric said in a slightly threatening tone. Lone only smiled sadly, still trapped in his reminiscence. "So it could be a useful bargaining chip? I mean, I don''t have it. Don''t even know what you''re on about, to be honest, but if I turn out my pockets and it falls out during my trial, well... Let''s just say I''ll certainly make good use of it."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Elric scowled a deeper scowl than Lone had ever seen before. "We''re clearly not getting anywhere. How you can already resist a tier 3 questioning chamber is a miracle that needs a heavy and thorough investigation. Answer one more question for me; how are you not bleeding from your face as a result of the mental strain suffered when lying through such an enchantment''s effects?" Lone slowly stood up and cracked his neck. "No clue what you mean, buddy. I haven''t lied once in my entire life." B2: Chapter 55: Expert Rank and Enhanced Lone heard Elric swear something foul under his breath at his statement''s obvious lack of truth. Smiling to himself, he strolled to the room''s exit but just as he reached the door, Lone stopped dead. ''I''m in a room with a guy specialised in interrogation. Actual interrogation, not Sir Ardus''s kind of interrogation. The dude''s a strong fucker. Weaker than the king I think, but still up there. The ''competition'' is here too. I''m currently trying to farm a resistance skill by standing still in the doorway. Bets of how long it takes for Mr Interrogation Dude to blow a casket?'' Lone asked Sophie as he focused on not blurting out anything in his mind out. That doubled as good training for the resistance. Now that Sophie was talking to him again, he was happy to contact her given how lonely his new lifestyle in jail was. If that also resulted in a hard to level skill levelling... well, he wouldn''t complain. A soft giggle sounded out through the telepathic link. It didn''t really match Lone''s image of the hardass that was Sophie and it almost didn''t sound like her. Something about it was a bit more high-pitched than normal. ''I hope Soph didn''t take over and find some beer or something. She''s so weak to alcohol,'' Lone thought. Still, it was a cute giggle and it made his smile grow even larger. ''A minute, two at best,'' she replied almost monotonously. Clearly, Sophie was in control, not Soph. "Trying to hide your cute laugh by going all stone-cold on me, huh? Sneaky," Lone said, earning him a pair of confused and concerned looks from the room''s other occupants. "Are you okay?" Sonya asked before her face scrunched up. She was clearly trying her best to avoid blurting out the rest of her own thoughts just as he was. "Just talking to the voices in my head," Lone replied with a shrug as he tapped the side of his skull. "Do you mind if I just stand here for a bit? Get my bearings and whatnot." "Yes, I do," Sonya answered immediately.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
"Why though?" Lone asked even if he already knew the answer. "There''s little harm in me just standing here, right?" He wanted to at least buy enough time for the resistance to reach expert rank. Elric, surprisingly, didn''t seem to mind either. Instead of denying his request as Sonya had, the man simply opted to watch Lone with interest. It was now clear that the powerful dwarf was keen to gain any insight whatsoever into Lone''s absurd ability to learn, even at the cost of the questioning chamber getting less and less effective. Sonya marched right up to Lone and said, "Because we have so much to discuss! What do you mean ''the voices in my head''?! What are we going to do during the trial?! What of the device used to determine you have the steamforging skill?! What of the Taker called in to strip you of not only your Steamforging but all of your skills?!" As soon as she realised what she had said, she grimaced as she glanced out of the corner of her eye towards Elric who only smiled kindly back at her. "Yes, you should not have revealed that. He was not aware that all of his skills were at risk. I''ll forgive it though if you find it in your heart to forgive me for my derailments during my discussion with Mister Immortus. Is that agreeable?" the wily old man offered. ''Ah, clever guy. I bet he wants nothing more than for the Taker to steal everything from me. There''s gotta be a way that the Taker learns stuff about the skills they rip from people and it''s that information he wants. Can''t be having points made against him that could result in something happening that doesn''t align with his goals, now can he?'' Lone thought, straining his mind near the end there since his brain was screaming at him to speak aloud.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
''Just one more to go,'' Lone thought with a grin. He could see the internal struggle Sonya was dealing with. Either adhere to her presumed sense of honour and reject the offer or listen to her more logical side and take the deal. "This room is evil," she said as she stepped just past the door''s threshold, leaving the domain of the enchantments lining the walls. "I agree and I seal the pact in the Stone, as is my duty as Arbiter Forgegulf." ''Oh! Fancy,'' Lone thought as his mind throbbed with pain. ''Were those words only tradition, or was there power behind them? God, what I wouldn''t give for Soph and Sophie''s Mana Sensing...'' Elric was smiling cheerfully while Sonya stared at Lone impatiently. "Well? Are you coming?" Lone nodded. "In a moment." He had a feeling he needed to lie one more time to push his resistance across the advanced border and into the land of the experts. Thus, he turned around and put a hand on both his seat and the one Sonya had been using just moments ago. Elric gave him an odd look but Lone ignored the man and directly placed both chairs into his Dimensional Storage. Elric''s eyes damn near popped out of his skull. Sonya''s did the same. Power rumbled out of Elric menacingly as a spectral cabinet covered in brass and bolts that was stuffed full of letters and documents appeared behind him. This was most definitely the full force of his aura on display. It fell onto Lone like a hammer onto a nail, only this nail had been hammered before and was not only resistant to a good blow or two, but even welcomed it. Lone basked in the aura, hopeful for even more resistance level ups - just of a different kind - while he waited for the inevitable demands that were to come with a pissed off dwarf. "Tell me how you just used magic despite being in contact with ardartian. Do so or die," Elric threatened. Sonya stumbled back in fear, falling even further back into the hallway as the man''s aura forced her into a state of panic. Lone, on the other hand, just smiled from ear to ear. "What magic?" Lone asked. "I can''t use MP. Now, your little outburst and threat are very, very concerning, Mister Greydon. I guess we do have something to use against you in the trial after all. What wonderful news."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
''Fuck yeah! Who doesn''t like bonus goodies?'' Lone thought as he chuckled mentally. ''Man, this guy''s aura is weak as balls when compared to King Heidron''s. Then again, I was forced to endure multiple SS-ranked auras on top of dozens of S down to C-ranked ones when I fucked up the prince''s arms. It''ll take so much more than this to get me on my knees and sweating.'' "Where are the chairs, Immortus?!" Elric boomed.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Lone shrugged. "What chairs? I only see one chair - the one you''re currently trying to turn into little more than rubble with your aura alone. Nice cabinet, by the way. It''s very steampunk."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enchantment Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Passive Skill: Enchantment Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all negative enchantments (depends on the host''s mindset). Enchantment Magic that the host deems harmful that is used on them will be weakened by 60% [+30%]. [New!] When encountering a negative enchantment, there is a 1% chance the host will gain permanent immunity to it. This chance is rolled for every 24 hours the host is subjected to the enchantment.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
''Now that, that is what daddy likes to see. It''s like a different version of the additional effect Poison Resistance got. The one that made Ranton''s dungeon''s even possible to survive without having my mind fully broken,'' Lone thought as his brain got to work on making plenty of serotonin for him to enjoy. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was a rush seeing himself improve so greatly. "... Leave. Now," Elric ordered while he struggled to rein in his anger.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Lone understood. It wasn''t every day you saw someone do something that clearly appeared to be a magic of some sort - likely space magic - while wearing ardartian shackles. And while he would love to get some free stat points, he wasn''t going to provoke the S-ranker to the point he''d have to kill him. He did actually want to win the trial, after all. Or, if not win, at least clear Wilbur''s name. Lone nodded and smiled cheerfully. "With pleasure." He then strolled right out of the room, helped Sonya get back up on her feet, then allowed the spooked guards to escort him back to his cell.
Sonya opted to skip out on chiding him on their return to his room, much to Lone''s pleasure. She was clearly too shaken up to bother. Instead, she chose to tell him that she''d be back in a few days after settling a few accounts and getting a few things set up since she had just arrived at the krieg this morning. Lone didn''t much enjoy seeing a grown woman tremble in fear, but not having to suffer through a lecture regarding his action which he already knew were conventionally wrong was certainly nice. Lone rolled his wrists thoughtfully as he stretched, readying himself for some more Ungrounded experimentation. ''It sure is nice that they don''t keep the shackles on while I''m in here,'' he sighed mentally in appreciation. Supposedly, the bars were made of the magic nullifying metal known as ardartian. The stone walls as well had a layer of the stuff buried beneath it, according to the guards. ''It''s so nice that Soph and Sophie''s Teleportation couldn''t care less about that. Her Mana Sensing too. I do wonder what the limits are on those skills. Can she teleport through powerful warding enchantments? Can she see through them? What about through different veils of reality? That demigod Four-twelve spoke of... could Soph just ''port out of the attack it levied against him and his party? Could she understand some of it with Mana Sensing?'' That was an interesting thought. Regardless, he was alone again and he''d finished limbering up so it was time to get back to the new routine of training, writing, and repeating.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation have resulted in their Primal skill [Ungrounded] gaining a new effect upon ranking up when otherwise it would not have gained one!
Primal Skill: Ungrounded
A skill granted to the avatar of Sky. Grants the host the ability to walk on any substance as if it were land. [New!] Grants the host the ability to ignore the laws of gravity, allowing vertical and inverted movement as if they were natural.
Cost: 600 SP [-200 SP] per second.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
The host has created a moment of history unlike most, having altered a Primal skill, improving upon its fundamental ability. Moment added to the [Extraordinary moments and sites of history witnessed or created] list of the skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation]. Alter 4 more Primal skills to upgrade the tier of this moment. Stat bonus from moment: 50 Dexterity | 50 Agility.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''Day 8 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. I was aiming for a new effect on Ungrounded but I didn''t expect me gaining one on my own would trigger my history-based skill. Can''t say I''m disappointed. It sure is a historical moment of significance, ''altering'' a Primal skill, as the notifications put it. I do wonder why me killing King Ralph Heidron wasn''t a moment just as valuable though. Maybe it''s not that amazing for someone as weak as I was to kill someone as strong as he was? I bet plenty of low-ranked assassins can completely destroy high-ranked people when they''re caught off-guard or sleeping or something. Anyway, objective met. Time to focus on something else. I''ll keep practising Ungrounded, but I have a feeling it''ll be capped out now until I use it in battle. We''ll see. For now, I''m gonna use up some of my spare paper in conjunction with my memory to work on Cartography. I wish I had a Night Vision skill or something so I could double-up on skill gains. Maybe if I wrap my eyes in some cloth that''ll work? It''s worth a go. There has to be a skill about seeing better in the dark.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Cartography
A skill that makes map-drawing and copying 15% [+10%] easier. Any maps drawn by the host are 15% [+10%] more easily understood by those who read them.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
The host has developed the passive skill [Enhanced Vision].
Passive Skill: Enhanced Vision
A skill that makes seeing through obfuscation 5% easier.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hunger Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
The host has developed the passive skill [Sleep Deprivation Resistance].
Passive Skill: Sleep Deprivation Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the need to rest and the negative effects of being tired to varying degrees based on mastery. The host shall get tired 5% slower than normal. The failure of certain mental faculties induced by a lack of rest shall be reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Day 9 of my imprisonment in Krieg Moor, awaiting my trial. Skills that didn''t improve today despite me training them: Reading Mastery, Ungrounded, Pet Mastery, Meditation, and I suppose Thirst Resistance too. I''m not that upset since I got two new skills since my last journal entry, both of which are fantastically useful. Sleep Deprivation Resistance took way longer to acquire than I thought it would but I guess my Basic Regeneration and my rank are to blame for that. I''m gonna try to avoid sleeping for as long as I can to level this bad boy up. I doubt Soph or Sophie will appreciate that but at least I''m not fighting gods, right? Surely she can''t complain that much. As for Enhanced Vision, it was not what I expected, but I love it. I can practically taste the potential. Doesn''t it mean I can see through all mistruths and attempts to obscure? The darkness tries to obscure the light, so I can see in it. Conversely, too much light would obscure darkness, so doesn''t it stand to reason I''d be able to see through a flashbang too? Way more useful than something like Night Vision. I think I''m gonna keep the eye wraps that I fashioned on for as long as I can get away with. I didn''t get this skill in Ranton''s dank and dour dungeon, so obscuring my vision is likely the only way to level it. maybe seeing through hidden things too? Needs testing to confirm. I hear footsteps. Light but familiar footsteps. Sonya was quick in getting things settled. Well, until tomorrow, Mister Journal.'' B2: Chapter 56: Records and Trial Begins "Why in the name of the Stone are you wearing eye wraps? No, better yet, where did you even get them?" Sonya asked Lone as soon she could see him. He smiled happily. "I made ''em and I''m wearing them for a skill." She eyed him up and down and scowled deeply. "You didn''t tear your trousers nor your bedsheets. This has something to do with how you messed with the chairs in the questioning chamber, doesn''t it?" "Perhaps, though I''m not entirely sure what you mean by ''messed with''," Lone replied. "Right... Well, you might not be feeling like such a smartarse when you learn that your trial is set to take place today. Some people in pretty high positions paid a lot of gold to get everything set up as soon as possible," Sonya explained. "Like, we''re talking white-gold levels of wealth here." That didn''t mean much to him considering he had once forced a nation''s coffers to be drained of 10 ruby-gold coins. Still, Lone frowned given the implications. "Any names?" "Why?" Sonya asked back instantly. Lone shrugged. "So I know who I''ve pissed off and maybe why. Also so I can keep track. People in high places disagreeing with me doesn''t usually end well. For them, not me." "The king of Milindo, huh? The former king now, I suppose. I hear the former princess now queen is the only one who survived the Seven Deadly Sins. I wonder if she''ll be a decent ruler?" Sonya sighed. "That whole situation could very possibly hurt you in this case. Even if we aren''t exactly friends with the humans on a political scale, regicide or claimed regicide is never looked upon kindly. Anyway, no point not telling you since they''ll have a representative at the trial." She took off her glasses and began cleaning them as she said, "Remember the name Ewan McStuderson?" Lone raised an eyebrow though it was hard to tell given he was wearing eye wraps. "The leader of the Black Iron Company, right? Hamish told me a lot about him. A good man on all accounts, is what I''ve heard." "Yeah, well, his aunt - who is his last living relative - went into a rage when she learned of his death. This aunt, Sheelda McStuderson, supposedly doted on Ewan a lot. She also happens to be a high chancellor of the greater council. You may be nuts, but surely you can see the issue there," Sonya explained. Lone chuckled in response. "I may seem nuts to someone who doesn''t know me, but I do have the Insanity Resistance skill, thank you very much." Sonya gave him a look that implied his words had only proven hers, not put them into doubt. He got out of his meditative position and stretched while he stood up. "Well, can''t say I''m happy about this Sheelda person''s machinations. I assume she''s lobbying pretty heavily for my execution?" Sonya furrowed her brows. "You''re way too calm about all of this for a supposed sane person. Yes, she is. She doesn''t want you killed before having all of your skills stripped though." "Lovely," Lone said as he cracked his neck. "Nothing can be done about that from in here, so when does the trial begin, exactly?" "In 2 hours," Sonya answered with a lot of distaste in her tone. ''Not a fan of corruption and strings being pulled, huh? How''d you get to be an arbiter then? The law was built to be bent,'' Lone commented internally. "Well then, sounds like you have two hours to brief me on everything I need to know before I get told no matter how solid my arguments that my fate is sealed," Lone said with a smile. "I don''t like this whole situation, but your faith in how our trials work bothers me even more. It will be fair. By the Stone, if I have to, I''ll make it fair," Sonya declared resolutely. Lone chuckled. "You''re one of the good ones."
As it turned out, Sonya had done far more than Lone could have ever anticipated. She truly was capable and he wondered if she had a skill or two that helped her work efficiently. As she had told him, in the span of a few short days she had compiled a complete report on all of his recent activities, his interests, his schedules, everything of importance. She''d done the same for Wilbur, Soph, Breena, and even Kyuubi. These reports spanned even beyond their arrival at Krieg Moor, dating all the way back to when Lone and Soph had docked at Milindo''s port city, Ros. Breena''s report also had a lot of information in it regarding Daisuke given that she had spent many years as a slave. On top of that, Sonya had also gathered four character witnesses who were willing to vouch for him in the trial should it be required. Apparently, the fact that the Steamforging Checker which Lone had ''appropriated'' could not be located was incredibly helpful for Lone''s case as well. Sonya even claimed that she could twist it to his favour but didn''t elaborate on how she would do that, exactly. Lone didn''t really care all that much since he was willing to teleport out of this place if needed. However, it was nice to see someone fighting in his corner so fervently. He was the criminal here, after all. Sure, someone was trying to use his charges of illegally learning Steamforging to execute him, but he hadn''t exactly been brought in under false claims unlike in Milindo. It felt good to have someone fighting in your corner when you were used to doing so alone. On the way to the trial hall, Lone decided to contact Sophie. ''Almost at the hearing now. Are you ready for if shit hits the fan?'' Lone asked while he tried to keep his facial expressions to a minimum. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He freaked out Sonya enough as it was already. No need to put her even more on edge at such a critical moment. ''When, not if, and yes. We and Breena are already here. We are a part of the trial too since we are, and I quote; ''associates of the accused'','' Sophie snorted disdainfully. ''Although, we have been told it is unlikely we will be called upon to give a testimony.'' ''Heh, associates? Well, see you shortly then, Miss Associate Number One,'' Lone replied. He got the feeling that Sophie nodded before she cut off her end of the telepathic communication. After that, Lone and Sonya walked in silence since they were being escorted by several guards to the courtroom. It wouldn''t exactly be wise to talk about anything sensitive in their presence, after all. ''I''m glad Krieg Moor is too poor to afford those truth enchantments for their courtroom as well. Sonya did say it''s against the law for them to be anywhere but a questioning chamber, though I somehow doubt many people in super high-up positions really care about that,'' Lone thought as a guard grabbed him by the arm and roughly escorted him into the room where his fate was supposedly going to be decided. Little did they know Lone had full control of his current situation. The second things went pear-shaped, which, as Sophie so astutely noted, was almost a guarantee, they would simply teleport out. Hopefully, he could implicate just himself and exonerate Wilbur before that though. Lone also wanted to get a good read on the Taker to avoid such people in the future. There was also the matter of trying to grind his social skills. "So much to do, so little time," Lone mumbled, earning him a dirty look from the dwarf who was practically dragging him to his seat in the courtroom. His eye wraps and multicoloured 9 tails earned him quite a few looks of interest though he could hardly tell since his vision was obscured.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 4.
Trying his best to keep himself from grinning at the level up, Lone took his seat with Sonya placing herself next to him. "Lad, why in the name of the Stone are ye covering yer eyes with some cloth? They didn''t blind ye, did they?" Wilbur asked. Lone turned only to find that the old dwarven master steamforger, Wilbur, was on his other side. That made some sense since they were both being charged here. He shook his head. "Nah, they''ve been good to me. I''m training a skill is all." Lone felt like he could vaguely see a scowl form on the man''s wrinkled expression through the eye wraps but he wasn''t sure. "Okay. Well, ah just want to tell ye, whatever happens today, let me take the fall for it. Ah''m nearly dead anyway. Ye, on the other hand, are young an'' have yer whole life ahead of ye. Well, so long as ye can rank up an'' outrun yer awakenings," Wilbur said. "Don''t worry, I''m going to be fine," Lone answered with a smile. ''Wilbur clearly doesn''t know anything about Sheelda McStuderson''s plans to get me executed, huh? He''d probably be pretty angry if he did.'' Lone drew his attention away from his blacksmithing master and instead tried his best to get a feel for the courtroom and its inhabitants. A difficult task with his eyes covered, but that was sort of the point. The room was large as far as he could tell. It could fit between 50 to 100 spectators and each one of those seats was occupied. Near the front of the room where he, Wilbur, and Sonya were, he could see some familiar faces. Sophie was in a place that was likely a witness stand along with Breena, the owner of the Rusty Sprocket, a few other dwarves Lone could kind of recognise but couldn''t quite place with his eye wraps on, and quite a few more he was confident he''d never met before.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 5.
Opposite this collection of people were who Lone assumed to be the prosecutors and their witnesses. He didn''t recognise a single one of them. That was a good thing. He was a bit worried Hamish might go turncoat, but thankfully, that wasn''t the case. Either the man wasn''t present or Lone had missed him in the defendant''s witness stand. Finally, there was the judge''s seat. All Lone could tell was that the person in that position wasn''t wearing a splendid grey wig. A disappointment, really. Then again, the courtroom was already pretty different from the local one in Arlith where he''d grown up. Even there the judge didn''t have one of those stupid wigs on. ''Such a crying shame,'' Lone thought in jest as he spent the next 20 minutes simply trying his best to look at people''s faces.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 7.
A low chime knocked Lone out of his intense focus, bringing his attention back to the courtroom. Specifically, onto the judge who had used a steamforged device to create said chime. "As the Stone bears witness, the trial of both Master Steamforger Wilbur Steamson and Adventurer Lone Immortus shall henceforth commence," the judge said loudly and clearly. He then looked down at both Lone and his teacher before adding, "Master Steamforger Wilbur Steamson, you are accused of teaching a non-dwarf the secret and sacred art of steamforging. To start things off, how do you plead?" The old dwarf stole a glance at Lone which he was thankful for. It allowed him to discreetly mouth the words ''Not-guilty. I''ve got this. You''ll fuckin'' regret it if you say otherwise.'' Hopefully, Wilbur was skilled in lipreading. It wasn''t like Lone didn''t have a plan for if the old man foolishly pled guilty, but it would certainly be easier if he did otherwise. Wilbur shook his head and answered the judge truthfully, "Guilty, as witnessed by the Stone." ''The hard way it is then. Stupid old git,'' Lone winced as the judge''s attention shifted to him. "Adventurer Lone Immortus, you are accused of illegally learning our secret and sacred art of steamforging despite not being of dwarven heritage. Additionally, you are being accused of the theft of a Steamforging Checker. How do you plead?" the man asked with a certain coldness in his tone. "Guilty to learning steamforging, innocent to stealing the device you mentioned," Lone answered as he tried his best to infuse his voice with his Charm and Charisma stats. He had no idea how to apply stats, but there was no harm in trying to learn since he was in a stressful situation, now was there? After all, he had recently felt confident that his theory of stress equals higher results in regards to skills and enlightenment was true. If that was the case for them, why not for learning how to apply stats as well? Grimsley and Gilbert had certainly been vague on the matter, after all. If he had to test and try things on his own, test and try things on his own he would. "You don''t wish to beg of the Primals to witness your words as we do to the Stone?" the judge asked with a raised eyebrow. Well, either a raised eyebrow or he suddenly became constipated. It was a bit of a toss-up given Lone''s current visual impediment. "With all due respect, Your Honour - it is Your Honour, right? Sorry if not. Regardless, with all due respect, I owe nothing to the Primals. I''d sooner fight them than beg anything of them. They can go fuck themselves for all I care. I don''t need their blessing for a trial which the outcome I already know," Lone answered in a neutral tone. A few gasps and words of condemnation could be heard coming from the spectator seats, but nothing too loud or disruptive. The judge frowned. "I see. Well then, let us begin this extremely expensive and very important affair. First we shall deal with the matter of Master Steamforger Wilbur Steamson. Primary Accuser, please come to the stand and make your case known to the courtroom." B2: Chapter 57: State of Mind and Informational Lacking Information Lone tried his best to get a good look at the primary prosecutor through his eye wraps. As best as he could tell, the person was a man and obviously a dwarf given his stocky shoulders and short frame. He was wearing some armour - a pauldron and a heart guard - from the looks of things. They appeared to be ceremonial given how there were a lot of squiggles on them. Squiggles Lone was confident were very ornate and beautiful when looked at normally. Apart from the large beard and what appeared to be steamforged glasses of some sort sitting atop the man''s nose bridge, Lone couldn''t make out any other distinctive features.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 8.
"Thank you, Your Honour," the man said gracefully as he took the stand. ''On, nice. It was ''Your Honour''. I wonder what that actually means in the local language though? Maybe ''One Who Presides With The Blessing Of The Stone?'' Despite having little concern for languages back on Earth beyond the history behind them, a new interest was forming within Lone to study the different tongues of this world. "I would like to open Master Wilbur''s case with a few statements and a question or two, if you would permit that of me, Your Honour," the man requested. Lone saw the judge nod slightly before replying, "Very well, you may proceed." "Wilbur Steamson. A Stone Dwarf of Krieg Ooderton. Born in the year SA 12 781," the prosecutor started. ''Twelfth Stone Age, year 781. I know it must be annoying as fuck for each kingdom and culture to have their own date system, but boy if it isn''t awesome as heck,'' Lone thought as he recalled it was currently the fourteenth Stone Age, year 264. "Born to a swordsmith of little renown and a barmaid of a local tavern, you was fortunate enough to become apprenticed to Journeyman Steamforger Gilgar Heimfor at the age of 47. You, Master Wilbur, then proceeded to shake the entire kingdom with your unparalleled talent in the craft and not only surpassed your master in both talent and skill, but you even earned the title of Master Steamforger at age 332. A new record in dwarven history," the man recited.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 9.
Lone dismissed the notification as he paid rapt attention to the dwarf reading out his master''s history. This was all news to him, after all, and it was all very interesting. "Unsatisfied with the level of your craft, after earning the permission of the greater council, you left the united dwarven kingdoms to go topside. This was claimed to be done in an effort to broaden your horizons. A bold goal. A noble goal, I might add. For come back with ever broadened horizons you did," the prosecutor praised. The spectators broke out into hushed whispers. All of which were quietly speaking of how accomplished Wilbur was. Lone couldn''t help but nod at that. It felt good hearing someone he cared about being recognised for his true worth, though the man himself didn''t appear to care as far as Lone could tell. ''Maybe ''cause his wife hasn''t been mentioned? They met topside, didn''t they?'' Lone wondered. "After 438 years on the surface travelling the lands, you returned here to this very krieg. Invention after invention, all just as intuitive or even more so than the last. Powered pickaxes. Mini Steamforged Sun Lamps. Steam-wheelers. This is just to list a handful of your marvellous creations." The man took a break to adjust his glasses. ''Wait a fuckin'' minute, hold the corrupt officials! Gramps invented Steam-wheelers?'' Lone asked himself in surprise. ''That is so fuckin'' awesome.'' "Now, we come to today. Almost 300 years after such a significantly splendid life. Today, we stand here to potentially witness the downfall of a future epitome, though I have faith in the Stone that the truth shall come to light on this day. My first question, Mister Steamson. Did you teach the foxkin here how to steamforge?" the prosecutor asked. Wilbur sighed in that way only the elderly who couldn''t stand pomp and unneeded nonsense did. "Yes, ah did." Lone leaned forward, "He''s lying," he said loudly. The judge frowned. "Mister Immortus, you will not speak until spoken to. We are dealing with his case right now, not yours." Lone shrugged. "Fuck off. I don''t know why, but the old man here wants to take the fall for my foolishness even though he did no wrong. Charge me with contempt or whatever. Wilbur''s just gonna say yes to whatever you accuse him of anyway. He''s not exactly in the right state of mind." "I will charge you with contempt. Do not try to play it off as if it means not-" "Your Honour?" the head prosecutor interrupted politely. "Yes, Mister Chillforge?" the judge asked. "Please allow him to speak. Their cases are intrinsically linked, after all. I do not mind if he interjects with his opinions. So long as he stays civil and on topic, I will allow it if you too shall permit such behaviour," the man Lone now knew to own the surname of Chillforge said. The judge nodded slightly. "Very well. As the leading prosecutor, I will grant you this. Mister Immortus, you are free to speak provided you follow the stated instructions." "Thanks. Honestly didn''t expect that. Also, Chillforge? Fuckin'' badass family name. You won the lottery with that one," Lone commented. The prosecutor smiled, or Lone thought he did. Hard to tell with such a large beard covering his already obscured face. "I appreciate the compliment, Mister Immortus. Now, would you mind elaborating on your earlier words? Mister Steamson is not in his right state of mind?" he asked. Lone nodded, earning him a glare from not only Wilbur, but also from Sonya. "He''s sick. I mean, we all know this, right? Wilbur''s got some incurable disease. The disease itself doesn''t mess with his mind, no, but it does mess with his state of mind. Long story short, he couldn''t give a fuck less about becoming an epitome. He just wants to protect me, and since he''s dying already... even though I went and learned steamforging on my own behind his back, he''s got it stuck in his head that it would make more sense to pin everything on himself in an attempt to get me exiled or something instead of executed." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Lone leaned back into his chair and rolled his shoulders as he coughed and put on an old man''s voice. "''Ah''m gonna die soon anyway, so no need to ruin ah young man''s life as well for ah foolish, youthful mistake'' is what he''s thinking. I mean, I get it, but destroying a centuries-old legacy for the sake of little ol'' me? That''s not fair. It''s not fair to Wilbur nor to dwarven culture as a whole. Honestly, anything he says should be scrutinised very carefully. He''ll say whatever he can to implicate himself even though he knows he never taught me a lick of steamforging." Wilbur stood up abruptly and slammed his fist on the desk in front of them. "The feck ''re ye onna aboot, ya daft little shit?!" Lone grinned. "See? He''s all pissy now that I''ve hung him out to dry like that. ''The special Golden Foxkin is throwin'' his life away for my sake even though ah''m so old!'' fuckin'' boohoo." He wagged his tails a little bit to bring attention to them. "Wilbur, I''ve awakened so many times. You''re not the only dead man walking. Just ''cause I''m young and don''t have some rare disease, that does not mean I''m worth tossing your legacy away for. Can you guys, like, judge his case right now and then just move on to mine? I think we''d all like this incredibly expensive and convoluted mess to be over with as soon as possible." "You ungrateful little bastard! After everthin'' ah''ve done fer ye! Why ah-" Lone shook his head. "This much stress isn''t good for his health. He still hasn''t finished that final project of his too, right? The one that will finalise his transition into an epitome before his death." Wilbur''s face went pale. "How dae ye ken aboot ''at?!" ''Of course I had Soph and Sophie keep track of you as best as they could while I was locked up. Who do you think I am? This ain''t my first rodeo. And of course they found out you''re working on a steamforged version of communication orbs that don''t require mana input to work. Not like I''d tell you that though,'' Lone grinned. Everything was going as planned.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 10.
Everything was going as planned and a rank up was on the horizon. Indeed, there was little for Lone to be upset about right now. A few meaningful looks were shared between the judge, the primary prosecutor, as well as a few key individuals in the spectator seats as far as Lone could make out. ''Don''t tell me...'' He had a sneaking suspicion that him creating a rift between himself and Wilbur might have been without reason. "Your Honour," Mister Chillforge said, "I am willing to do as Mister Immortus stated." The judge nodded. "Very well. Deciders, you may leave the courtroom. You have an hour to come to a consensus regarding the outcome of Mister Steamson''s charges." Lone watched as a group of thirteen individuals got up from a stand he had previously overlooked. They uniformly left the hall through a backdoor as if they had rehearsed the action. ''Deciders? Is that the dwarven version of the jury? Seems like a profession too, not a civil duty. Interesting, if not highly corruptible. I wonder if they are trained to get skills to prevent bribery and the like? Maybe they''re all illusion mages and they hide their appearances? The possibilities are limitless,'' Lone thought in both jest and intrigue. "I will now call for a session of recess. Court is dismissed for the next hour," the judge proclaimed. Lone, Wilbur, and Sonya, were led to a private room by a contingent of guards before being left to their own devices. Of course, both Lone and his master were still bound by ardartian shackles. Wilbur reeling back his fist the second the door to the chamber was closed before he socked Lone clean in the jaw as hard as he could. "What in the name o'' all things spiritual dae ye think ye were doin'' back there, ye ungrateful little bastard?!" he screamed in fury. Lone rolled his jaw and swallowed the small amount of blood that had pooled in his mouth from the hit. ''Strong arm for a dying man.'' Lone ignored Wilbur and chose to sit down instead. After all, the room had not only seats and a table, but snacks and ale as well. Only once his hands were filled with refreshments did he turn his attention to his fuming master. "Don''t be an idiot, Gramps," he said as he got comfy and chugged an entire tankard of strong dwarven ale. "I admit, what I did looks pretty fuckin'' dumb from the perspective of an outsider looking in. However, stop and think about it. You''ve figured it out, right, Sonya? If you hadn''t, I bet you''d have punched me too." Wilbur glanced at the arbiter in confusion. She sighed deeply as she nodded silently in agreeance. "What the feck is he going on about?" Now slightly calmer, Wilbur''s usually hidden accent slowly receded. "I''ll explain," Lone said as he grabbed some jerky and stuffed it into his mouth. "Pork? No... some kind of beef? Tasty regardless." He leaned back into his chair and simply stated, "I didn''t gain a level in any of my conversational skills. Namely, Persuasion or Acting. They aren''t expert rank or anything, so if I had truly convinced them to decide your fate with my little show there, I would have gained a level or several. There were over a hundred people in that room. If anyone gained a level in deception-base skills in there, it would be the judge and Chillforge." Wilbur frowned deeply. "What''re ye saying, lad?" Sonya took off her spectacles and wiped them in anger. "He''s saying your trial is rigged. They''re gonna acquit you of all wrongdoing. Or do something damn near similar to the same effect, regardless of the truth of the matter." "And thank fuck for that. I''m sad about no levels, but part one of operation ride-the-system-don''t-be-ridden-by-it is complete. The name''s a working title," Lone said, earning him a ''you are beyond insane'' look from his arbiter. He just grinned as he looked over at Wilbur and could barely make out the look of complete horror and disbelief on his master''s aged expression. "My money''s on them postponing the trial indefinitely. They''ll wait until you''re dead and buried, they''ll make you an epitome, then they''ll spin it into you having done nothing wrong." "But... no. They wouldn''t... They don''t care about me. They never did-" "This about your wife?" Lone asked only to get a weak nod in response. "Of course they wouldn''t care about her. She wasn''t a dwarf. You probably got a lot of shit for it too. A steamforging master marrying outside of the species? A disgrace and a political danger. They couldn''t care less about Wilbur Steamson. What do they care about though? Master Steamforger Wilbur Steamson, Epitome of Steamforging, creator of so many wonders. As if they would throw away such a fantastic piece of cultural and national pride as an epitome. Over me, a foxkin who they are going to try to kill and have be forgotten as soon as possible?" He swallowed some more of the jerky and washed it down with another tankard of ale. "Are steamforgers even allowed to marry outside of the dwarven species? No need to answer that, no, they aren''t. I''ve looked into it. You weren''t punished because you are literally a walking god at the craft. I would bet my left bollock that they covered it up. Any wagers on how many people even know you ever married in the first place?" "They''re not the nicest of folk, the greater council, but they''ve been good to me, lad. Ah don''t appeciat-" Lone laughed heartily, interrupting the old man. "Don''t be naive. Look into it after this shit blows over. Anyway, I truly do wish my words had changed their opinions, but sadly, their minds were made up from the second this matter was brought to light. You''re gonna walk free today." "I... I never thought..." Wilbur held his face in his hand before he exhaled deeply. "No, it makes sense. It makes perfect sense..." He slowly took a seat next to Lone before adding, "Sorry for punchin'' ye." "Eh, don''t worry about it," Lone chuckled. "I have a very punchable face. Goes hand-in-hand with the incredibly handsome trait." Wilbur smiled a little. "Cocky git." He then stared straight into Sonya''s eyes. "They''re gonna kill him?" She nodded tersely. "After stripping him of his skills. At least, that''s what someone with a lot of power is lobbying for." "... Feck that. As if ah''ll let the person to have the most feckin'' potential for the craft to perhaps have ever lived be snuffed out like that!" Wilbur said in a heated manner before his face paled and he started coughing violently. Lone quickly reached over and patted the man''s back. "Woah there, easy, Gramps. I ain''t gonna die, and I sure as fuck am not gonna lose a single one of my skills. Don''t worry. I have contingencies in place." Lone noticed Sonya scowl deeply upon hearing that, but he hardly cared. He instead focused on calming down his mentor. While he had mentally prepared himself to allow Wilbur to pass on as he wished, Lone sure as hell didn''t want to be present for the affair. He had enough trauma as it was already. B2: Chapter 58: Showing Off and Laughing Thankfully, Wilbur''s coughing fit left just as quickly as it had arrived. He also hadn''t spat up any blood this time, which was a relief to Lone. Sure, he was worried that his mentor could pass away at any second, but what was he supposed to do even if he did? He had no experience with this kind of thing. No one he cared about had ever died of natural causes. His dad hung himself. That was neither natural nor did he care about that monster. Sonya leaned back into her chair as she rubbed her neck. "What''s your plan here, Lone?" "Hmm?" Lone gave her a quizzical look as he broke out of his introspection. She gave him a heavy sigh. "Look, I may be young for a dwarf, not even in my two hundreds yet, but I''m pretty skilled at reading people. Either you''re actually insane which I don''t think is the case, or you genuinely have some way to deal with not only getting sentenced to what will likely be death, but you also have an idea of how to handle a Taker. Need I mention that all Takers have a personal protector who is at least X-ranked?" "That they do. Scary, emotionless bastards, those protectors." Wilbur nodded. "Your plan... it has something to do with yer insane learnin'' speed, doesn''t it?" Lone puckered his lips in thought. "Dunno what I should really say here. I mean, it''s safe to assume we''re being listened to, right?" "A reasonable doubt, but no, Lone," Sonya replied. "As dodgy as this trial seems, we''re not being spied on in here. The five grand chancellors would quickly be deposed if it came to light that the defendants of such a high profile case were having their private conversation with their arbiter monitored during a legal session of recess." ''Hmm... I mean, it doesn''t seem like she''s lying, but I''m also no White Dragonkin so I can''t be sure...'' Lone ended up deciding to simply shrug. "Fuck it. Wilbur''s case has already been decided on, so what I wanted has already come to pass. Sure, I''ll lay some cards on the table," he said, allowing himself to put a bit more faith into the two dwarves. Wilbur had been incredibly good to him during his time in Krieg Moor. Not only had the man given him a job despite his species, but he''d even trained him in his specialization, steamforging - something that Lone had a deep interest in. Sure, the old man was dying. They said that with the final chapter of one''s life comes the realisation that petty things like racism and stubbornly held onto ideals were meaningless in the wake of one''s mortality. Maybe that was why Wilbur cared so much about him now. Would he have acted the same way a hundred years ago? Two hundred years ago? Five hundred years ago? It was a thought that Lone had but one which he ultimately decided he didn''t care for. He also couldn''t forget the effort the old man had gone through to get Sophie looked at by a doctor when she was suffering from Darkness Corruption despite that being a crime due to her being a human. As for Sonya, Lone had only known her for a few days but he could tell she was a serious person who held absolutely no prejudice in her heart for his kind. A rare thing in this world. Well, as far as Lone was aware. For all he knew, literally every other nation of Altros could be fair and just. Still, considering what he''d been through, that trait of hers alone was enough to earn his trust. ''Sophie? Mind teleporting to me if it''s not too big of an issue? Like, ignore me if you think the Taker''s protector will detect you or if you''re around anyone except for just Breena,'' Lone requested telepathically. ''We do not mind. We can do so safely so we hope there is a reason for this. Unlike when you were imprisoned, we aren''t willing to have some ''fun'' with you right now considering you are in the middle of your trial,'' Sophie replied before she appeared at his side. Both Wilbur and Sonya wore speechless expressions while Lone just chuckled. "I never properly introduced you to Gramps, did I, Sophie? Sophie, Gramps, Gramps, Sophie. Sonya, this is, as I''m sure you already know, my beautiful and wonderful lover, Sophie Vladimirovich. She''s my easiest and most viable ticket out of here if my fate truly has already been decided." Wilbur collected himself first. "Space magic? No... Ah''ve seen space mages at work before at Mystopolis when ah was topside... That was... a unique skill?" ''Mystopolis? That''s the city in the Kingdom of Felron which hosts The Academy. I wonder why he ever needed to go to such a magic-rich city?'' Lone pondered. "Perceptive old man," Sophie stated as she narrowed her eyes and slowly turned to stare into Lone''s eyes. "Showing us off, are you?" He chuckled lightly back at her. "In a way, sure, that''s what I''m doing." Sonya stood up abruptly and said, "Limits and ranges. I need to know exactly how that skill works. I respect my job and the legal system but considering Miss McStuderson''s involvement, I need to formulate a proper response to lessen or maybe even outright nullify any attempts to chase you assuming you successfully escape." "That''s surprising," Lone said. "I know lawyers are forbidden from, y''know, just turning coat on their clients and whatnot, but I didn''t expect you to be so readily onboard with breaking the law." Sonya scrunched up her brow. "I respect justice. If the system that propagates it refuses to do so as well, then fuck it. Meet criminal activity with criminal activity. I''ve investigated you more thoroughly than any of them could have. You''re a good person. I''d rather you ran free than got murdered here for such a petty crime where all you''ve hurt is our cultural pride. If they want to break the law to win, then I''ll break it right back too." Sophie smiled brightly. "You were right, Lone. She is one of the good ones."
"We, the Deciders, hereby declare that Master Steamforger Wilbur Steamson shall not be declared innocent nor guilty on this day. Due to his mental state, we shall instead decide to postpone his trial until a time that the greater council deems his mental state to be in a place where he can accurately defend himself without any external influences." Lone grinned. "Called it." Wilbur frowned deeply at his side but he didn''t say anything. Clearly, their conversation in the private recess chamber had cooled him down a bit. Lone didn''t doubt that the man''s stress levels would reach new heights, however, were something bad to actually happen to him - his apprentice. For that reason, he was glad he''d shown off some of his lover''s capabilities. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''Even if ''porting out doesn''t work, Wilbur should be out of the courtroom by then so it won''t be possible for him to freak out to my backup plans. Now I don''t need to worry about anything. Ha-ah, what a feeling, having such a burden removed from my shoulders. Truly, this is bliss,'' Lone thought in glee.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 1.
Passive Skill: Enhanced Vision
A skill that makes seeing through obfuscation 15% [+10%] easier.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''And as my vision clears somewhat, so too, does the bliss within my mind expand slightly,'' Lone pondered, feeling in a somewhat philosophical mood. Wilbur stood up and calmly placed his hands on the desk in from of them. "May ah say a few words, Your Honour?" The judge whom Lone now saw was the proud owner of a handful of scars under his left eye nodded. "Of course, speak freely, Mister Steamson." "Thank you," the old dwarf replied as he glanced at Lone who was now at eye-level with him since he''d gotten up. "If my trial is to be postponed, it is only fair that my apprentice''s trial shares the same fate. If I am guilty, he is guilty. If I am innocent, he is innocent. Is that not true, Your Honour?" ''Wily old man,'' Lone thought, not hating nor loving Wilbur''s suggestion. ''I really doubt they''ll suspend my trial, but if they do, I''ll just have to leave without first engaging in a juicy verbal war.'' A loud murmur spread through the crowd and Lone was able to tell that it mostly consisted of voices that agreed with Wilbur. Not only was he a highly respected steamforger who was the leading inventor of steamforged items, but his words also rang true. Lone''s case was primarily focused on his learning of the Steamforging skill. Since that involved Wilbur, it made little sense to them to postpone only one trial and not the other. The judge frowned as did the leading prosecutor, Mister Chillforge. The latter dryly said, "Your Honour, as linked as the cases are, there is a stark difference between teaching and learning. The hows and whys can differ and the punishments too can differ. There is no discernable reason to postpone Mister Immortus''s trial when his mental state is not being questioned as Mister Steamson''s is." Sonya snickered at Lone''s side faintly. "That''s such horseshit. This guy''s the looniest person I''ve ever met." Lone rolled his eyes underneath his eye wraps. ''Yeah, yeah. Now, judge, what are you gonna choose to do here? I can see a few ways this could play out...'' Stroking his beard softly, the ageing dwarf said, "I cannot accept this request, Mister Steamson. Mister Immortus has already confessed to owning the Steamforging skill and this has been confirmed by the device he stole. His trial will proceed as planned." "Hey!" Lone yelled. "Don''t go stating someone did something you can''t prove! Sure, I have Steamforging, but I didn''t steal anything, you lying sack of shit! Take back those words or I''ll sue your old ugly ass!" ''Never before have we seen a more shameless display,'' Sophie communicated to his mind. Lone ignored her as he put on his best ''I''ve been slighted and it''s an injustice to the world'' expression. He could see the judge''s warring thoughts. On one hand, he could charge Lone with contempt, on the other, this trial was rigged to hell and back so coming across as petty over a few baseless insults wouldn''t do him any favours here since the public wasn''t in on the sham. Lone could see it all in what he could only liken to 320p resolution. ''15% is so much better than 5%. Can''t wait for it to reach Advanced. 30% boost, here we come.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 2.
"Mister Steamson," the judge said, choosing to brush off Lone for the moment, "I would like to respectfully ask that you return home for the day. Do not leave the krieg until you are summoned again for your retrial." "... So they are corrupt," the elderly dwarf at Lone''s side murmured under his breath. "Yes, Your Honour," he said loudly and with a tinge of regret in his tone. He then gave Lone a very meaningful look before he left the courtroom while being escorted by a contingent of guards. "Now," the judge sighed as he leaned back into his chair, "We shall begin the trial of Adventurer Lone Immortus. Mister Chillforge, if you wouldn''t mind." "Of course, Your Honour," the man with the cool surname replied respectfully. "I shall begin by reciting the defendant''s currently known history to the courtroom. Oddly enough, information about him can only be found dating back to a little under a year ago when he entered the port city of Ros, located in the human-run kingdom of Milindo that borders the Estoplian Wasteland just as this krieg''s topsider entrance does," Mister Chillforge announced. "Now, admittedly, collecting topsider information is one our weaker suits as an underground focused people, but for a Golden Foxkin, a race of foxkin thought extinct or missing not so long ago to have his entire life up until just recently be a complete blank... Now that, well, that is very odd," he said as he looked down to his notes. "Regardless, he and his human companion, Sophie Vladimirovich, landed in Ros. They didn''t stay for long, instead choosing to head to Milindo''s capital, the Holy City of Ranton - a city dedicated to serving the Primals. For those unaware, most topsider nations, be they human or not, venerate the Primals," Mister Chillforge explained lightly. "Once he arrived at the Holy City of Ranton, he quickly made a name for himself as an adventurer whose power far outstripped his rank. He even gained the personal attention of the local guildmaster, a White Dragonkin who held the position in an attempt to lessen local distrustful views of non-humans," Mister Chillforge stated. Lone listened as the man then went on to, in great detail, list the quests he and Sophie had gone on as well as their usual routines while in Ranton. He also explained Lone''s rough encounters with the locals like Daisuke and Bastion before detailing his entry into the local annual tournament. ''Looks like Sonya''s not the only one who did her homework. Why hasn''t he mentioned Grimsley yet though? Ah! I see. Don''t want it to be known that I helped a dwarf and was actually apprenticed to him in blacksmithing, do you?'' Lone concluded. It wouldn''t be good for anyone to sympathise with him since they planned to kill him today, after all. Most people present probably expected him to get his Steamforging removed by the Taker before being exiled. Mister Chillforge''s job here was undoubtedly to smear his name as much as possible and to paint him in a poor light. ''It''ll be the kids, won''t it?'' Lone thought. ''He''ll depict me as a ruthless child murderer or something.'' Lone kept quiet for the next 25 minutes while the leading prosecutor did his job. Surprisingly, he brushed over his four-month imprisonment in Ranton''s castle dungeons. Instead, the man chose to skip straight to the fact that Lone had claimed he was responsible for King Ralph Heidron the Third''s death. "... And thus, I think it is reasonable to assume that Mister Immortus here is some sort of spy or assassin raised by the foxkin clans. First, he went to the weak human kingdom of Milindo with the intention to topple it and have The Adventurer''s Guild swoop in to rebuild its government. By doing that, the clans could more easily gain an influence over it since the guild is a very inclusive organisation. Second, he has come here to our lands with his companions in the guise of relaxing and performing easy quests when in actuality he is here to weaken our krieg and shake the very foundation of our society by stealing not only our sacred arts, but also valuable artefacts like the Steamforging Checker that was used on him," Mister Chillforge concluded. Lone wore a blank look on his face for a good long moment.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 3.
Immediately, he burst out laughing like a madman. B2: Chapter 59: Recounting and Demonstration Offer "That''s enough!" the judge yelled not in an angry tone but in a disappointed one. "I have overlooked your rudeness thus far, but laughing at a perfectly well-reasoned argument is simply going too far! One charge of contempt shall be added to your case, Mister Immortus." Sonya stood up and interjected, "Your Honour, as the defendant''s arbiter, I cannot abide by that ruling of yours. Is it wrong for my client to find amusement in such a far fetched and thinly cobbled together excuse of an accusation? I think any one of us would laugh if we were told that we were actually spies of the greater council in a foreign trial, would we not?" Lone barely managed to control himself enough to say, "Y-Yeah... W-What she said... Ha... Hahaha! A fuckin'' spy! Ahaha... Oh, fuck... I pity Milindo''s spies if they need to go through what I did under their ''care'' to earn their badges... Bahahah!" Sonya clearly didn''t appreciate Lone''s lack of care in this situation but she didn''t chastise him beyond looking in his direction. Honestly, he was pretty proud of himself for being able to sus out her expressions despite his eye wraps obscuring his vision, needless to mention the tears of mirth which were streaming across his face. "Your Honour, I would like for you to retract that declaration as I believe it was unjust and premature. It''s unbecoming of us as dwarves of the law to expect the same level of manners from an outsider as we would from a fellow child of the Stone," Sonya said loudly and earnestly. Murmurs of agreeance spread through the public gallery. The judge scowled but slowly nodded and backed down. "Very well. Granted. I rescind the charge of contempt." ''Wow. Didn''t expect that. Sonya''s gotta have Persuasion or something. I wonder if I''m immune to contempt charges now? I think that''s how it worked back on Earth... or was it? Man, I should have watched more drama court case T.V. shows,'' Lone thought in regret. Mister Chillforge coughed softly. "I would now like to ask the defendant my first question. Mister Immortus, if you''ve calmed down, please tell the court why exactly did you come to Krieg Moor with a human, a fellow foxkin, and a pet fox in tow." Lone cocked his head to the side. "For some sweet R and R? Pretty sure I said that to the gate guards who interviewed us when we arrived." "R and R?" Mister Chillforge looked befuddled. "Ah," Lone straightened up a bit. "Just means ''Rest and Recovery''. It''s not spy code or anything. Definitely doesn''t mean reconnaissance and regicide." "I see, of course it doesn''t," Mister Chilforge spoke softly. "Then, my nex-" "Rest and Recovery from what?" Sonya interjected, earning her a very distinct look from both the judge and from leading prosecutor Chillforge. "Mister Immortus, why don''t you speak on the subject that the court seems to wish to gloss over? The very subject that would cast quite some amount of doubt on this whole spy theory." "What are you implying, Miss Forgegulf?" the judge questioned in an authoritative tone. Sonya didn''t give in despite the weight of the entire court bearing down on her shoulders in that moment. It was clear to Lone that everyone here ''in the know'' clearly wanted all mention of his little stint at Ranton''s dungeon to go unmentioned. ''Can''t be having the public feeling that pesky little emotion known as sympathy, right? Honestly, considering how hard they are going in an attempt to make this all seem legit, it makes me wonder if the deciders might actually be neutral,'' Lone thought. ''That or maybe they''re worried the other foxkin clans will retaliate without good enough proof? Hell, maybe The Adventurer''s Guild too? Maybe not that last one. I did admit to having learned Steamforging, so I did break the law and everything...''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 4.
''Is that a hint at me seeing through the truth of the matter or am I reading into this skill too much? Fuck do I hope it works that way. What I wouldn''t give to be a mini Gilbert...'' Lone thought as a grin marred his expression. He could vaguely see Sonya trying her best to resist the pressure bearing down on her. Sighing softly, he stood up and bowed respectfully. ''It bothers me I haven''t gained a single level of Acting or Persuasion thus far. I hate to admit it, but if I appear ''normal'' and well put-together, that''ll probably change.'' It was never easy to accept that one was unhinged but considering what he was about to explain, perhaps it was justifiable in his case. "Your Honour, if I may?" he asked with a decisively different tone from the one he''d been using throughout the entire trial thus far. "You may not-" "If you deny him from speaking then I will have to question the integrity of this whole affair, Lord Whiteshine," a young feminine voice threatened from across the courtroom. Lone looked to its owner but he struggled to make out her shape or features considering the distance between the two of them. ''Interesting. That is the Taker speaking on your behalf, Lone. She is a dwarf though there are patches of jewels on her skin. They seem natural which we find odd,'' Sophie explained, clearly having seen Lone strain himself trying to get a good look at the woman.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 5.
''A subrace of the Mineral Dwarves - the Sparkling Dwarves. Their racial skill lets them find, control, and manipulate jewels of any kind. I read that there''s a 1 in 2,000,000 chance for a dwarf to be born a Sparkling Dwarf among the Mineral Dwarven people,'' Lone said. Meanwhile, the judge frowned deeply. Clearly, he wanted to avoid letting Lone run his mouth but for whatever reason, the Taker wished for the opposite. The fact that he hadn''t dismissed her for contempt as well spoke volumes of how much influence she had here. Perhaps enough to rival Sheelda McStuderston just without the backroom bribes. "With all due respect, Lady Taker, this is my courtroom. If I deem what he wishes to say as useless information in relation to his charges, then that is what it is," the judge declared. ''This man is as fearless as you are, Lone. Her protector is glaring right at the judge. Regardless, it is quite a shame that she is a Sparkling Dwarf then, is it not?'' Sophie asked in a friendly voice. Lone chuckled knowing that she was as worry-free right now as he was. ''Yeah, it sucks. I''d love to see that kind of racial skill in action, but y''know, Takers can''t use skills. That must''ve been a huge blow to the kingdom when they learned she was a Taker on top of being a 1 in 2,000,000 Sparkling Dwarf.'' Sophie sent back feelings of a nod before she dropped the telepathic communication. "Lord Whiteshine, if you don''t wish to respect my opinion here, then I am more than happy to leave. The rotting smell was getting to me anyway," the Taker callously stated. "Xer''rava, let us go, shall we? We have more important things to do right now than this nonsense." The judge almost lost his cool then and there but he managed to rein himself in at the last moment. Lone watched him clench and unclench his calloused hand that was wrapped around his gavel. The bearded dwarf took in a deep breath and said, "Very well. Mister Immortus may speak on what his arbiter mentioned if that is your wish, Lady Taker." Lone could barely make out the smirk on the Taker''s face while the judge''s expression fell. Clearly, the former was pleased while the latter was very much not so. ''Is he a dumbass? I''m gonna get so many sympathy points now. I bet Sheelda McStuderston''s representative is giving him one hell of a Karen glare right now, hence the look of intense constipation. Sonya did say her end goal was for me to die. Having all of my skills taken was just the cherry on top,'' Lone aptly thought. Now with him being given a chance to say his piece on the events that transpired in Milindo, the likelihood of the deciders gaining a more favourable view on him had increased. ''The tightrope of politics, eh? I feel your pain, brother,'' Lone thought as he nodded in a sagely manner. ''That''s why you just gotta do what I''m trying to do - get strong enough to the point that you don''t need to give a flying fuck about what anyone else cares for or wants since you''re so powerful you can say or do whatever you want without consequences.'' Hell, with his Regeneration, Mental Destruction, his growing collection of pocket Primals, and Soph''s Teleportation, Lone felt they were already halfway there. "Thank you for showing me your kindness and grace, Your Honour," Lone said as he bowed respectfully.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced level 3.
''Yeah, yeah, fuck you too. Only time I''m not happy getting a skill level is when doing so confirms my lacking screws. Fuckin'' hell.'' Lone''s sigh came accompanied by a good old eye roll. "Speak, but do try to keep it brief," the judge ordered. "I shall strive to do my best to keep this succinct. When I was in Milindo, I participated in an auction hosted by the very famous Malcolm Deposit. During which, I tricked the local hero into spending 10 of the kingdom''s ruby-gold coins without the crown''s permissiom," Lone explained. "Given it was an auction hosted by Malcolm Deposit, a withdrawal of the bid was impossible." A collective gasp of disgust washed through the room. Not at Lone''s declared action, no, but at the sheer volume of wealth presumably wasted since Lone had specifically said ''tricked'', implying the item won wasn''t worth nearly that much capital. That much money was equal in value to several of the larger kriegs as well as many profitable trade routes combined. The spectators could only applaud Lone''s ability to get a human kingdom to waste such vast resources. "The item in question was a mana orb, a perfect-grade one, no less. Of course, being manaless myself, it was useless to me. The hero though, well, he was a paedophile who was a great supporter of slavery. One of his slaves was even a Stone Dwarf. Of course, it was nothing less than my duty to make a fool of him in front of his ruler," Lone said with a smirk, earning him some cheers of agreeance. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Order! I will have order in this courtroom!" the judge proclaimed, clearly upset at the support Lone was starting to garner from his tale. "Mister Immortus, if I may interject?" Mister Chillforge asked. Lone nodded, so the man continued, "You say you were manaless, correct?" "That''s right, sir," Lone replied candidly. "Then I find it odd that there are quite a few reports of you using lightning magic, a fairly rare type of magic, might I add. Are you truly as manaless as you claim?" the bearded dwarf asked pointedly. Lone raised a finger and shoved it in the man''s direction as he nodded his head vigorously. "You, sir, are a very good lawyer! He''s not wrong. I once was a lightning mage. A strange profession, I might add for a supposed assassin." Sonya said, "My client will explain his circumstances if you would avoid interrupting him, Mister Chillforge." "Of course, Miss Forgegulf," the man answered with a kind smile. Some of the support from the spectators had dimmed a bit with this new irregularity coming to light, but Lone didn''t mind. He had prepared for this, after all. ''Not like I really care. My main goal here is skills, not to be acquitted. On that topic though, I so hope my plan works...'' Lone thought as he continued to weave his story. "Needless to say, the petty human king took it personally that I was the one who had goaded his useless pet into wasting so much money. In the annual tournament, I ended up cutting off the arms of the crown prince who had been ordered by his father to cut me down. Well, I can only assume that was the case since he, a C-ranker, was seriously trying to kill me, an E-ranker at the time. Of course, he was healed immediately after the fight and the limbs were safely reattached, but at that point, His Majesty Ralph Heidron the Third had decided my fate," Lone said in a cold tone. ''Much like some of you are trying to do right now.'' "I was taunted enough during the final fight of the tourney in my battle against the hero for me to snap. I awakened to Void then and there," Lone announced. All that met him was confusion despite the massive gravity of what he was saying. He did barely manage to notice the Taker''s smile and her protector''s narrowed eyes, however.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 6.
"I''m sorry, Void?" Mister Chillforge questioned. "I am no expert on the beastkin and on the topsider gods like Miss Forgegulf is, of course, but I am fairly certain that your kind can only awaken to the eight Primals, no? Darkness, Radiance, Sky, Land, Reality, Illusionary, Death, and of course, Life - who hasn''t awakened anyone in over a century." "An understandable misconception," Lone nodded. "There are actually nine Primals, not eight. It is to my understanding that the eight we all know of worked together to kill the ninth, Void. They failed, instead making it the same as them- a Primal. I really don''t know much more than that. Regardless, it is up to you to believe me or not. I feel like the black in my hair and at the tips of my tails is proof enough." "Please, go on," Sonya said, not giving the leading prosecutor room to question Lone further. Perhaps had this court been held anywhere above the surface where people cared about the Primals and its church, then they would not have let this matter go so easily. However, down here in the Farwinds, only the Stone sang true to the hearts of men and women who called the underground roads and her kriegs and urds home. "Right, well, as I''m sure a lot of you already know, when a beastkin awakens to a Primal, there is a chance they will lose control of themselves. That happened to me with Void. While being controlled by my awakening, I killed the hero and removed the mouth of an SS-ranked duke. I was promptly imprisoned afterwards," Lone explained truthfully. "What do you mean by ''removed the mouth of an SS-ranked duke''?" the Taker asked, much to the ire of the judge and the leading prosecutor. The fewer questions asked, after all, and the fewer answers Lone would have to give. Meaning less clarity of the situation to all listening to him. He smiled warmly at her. "One moment the duke had a mouth, the next, he didn''t. In its place was a void. That isn''t very important for my point here though." "Of course. Apologies for interrupting," she replied with grace.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 7.
''Nice,'' Lone cheered internally. "My imprisonment was contested by the local branch of The Adventurer''s Guild. Rightfully so, I might add, since I was provoked into the killing of Milindo''s hero. We all also know that it isn''t the fault of the beastkin when their mind is not their own. Still, I was tortured day in and day out in the rancid dungeon of Ranton''s castle for four consecutive months," Lone said, earning him a collective gasp from the crowd. "I know, right? Humans. They can be disgusting creatures when they put their minds to it." ''Not you though, Sophie. Or Soph. I love you two to bits,'' Lone added privately. ''My sister and my gaming buddies back home too. I wonder how Hazel is doing anyway? It''s been a while since I went ''missing''. I wonder if I even did? Maybe a copy of me is acting in my place? Maybe I''m the copy? Spooky thought.'' ''We know, silly man,'' Sophie replied followed by a short but melodic giggle. The judge raised his hand to calm the crowd. "Can you prove this in any way, Mister Immortus?" Lone pursed his lips. "I don''t suppose you have any poison lying around, do you? I was forced to ingest poisons every day so my resistance is at expert-level-nine." Mister Chillforge shook his head as he chuckled in disbelief. "We do not have any poison on hand, no. Even had we, we would not allow you to touch it, let alone ingest it. Regardless, even if your outlandish claim is true, such a skill is a perfect fit for a spy, no?" "I''d argue it''s better for a king or a noble, however, I''ll concede. That''s a fair point, but what''s so outlandish about it?" Lone asked. "Surely you jest?" Mister Chillforge asked. "Getting any skill to expert rank takes decades, sometimes even centuries depending on the person. You are only 25 years of age according to your own testimonies." "Hey, I have a master rank skill as well," Lone complained. "If there''s one thing I''ve proud of, it''s my fuckin'' skills." His polite facade was starting to slip. Coughing faintly he said, "Anyway, you doubt me? Fair, that''s your job, kind of. Anyway, after four months of torture at the hands of a man called Sir Ardus, I was liberated from my jail cell by some friends." "Spy friends?" Mister Chillforge probed. Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Sonya, does the dwarven greater council train their own to be spies that infiltrate human kingdoms and directs or allows said spies to liberate beastkin prisoners of those human kingdoms?" She shook her head very slowly. "No, they do not. Not as far as my knowledge extends, at least." "... Are you implying it was a dwarf who helped you escape?" Mister Chillforge asked. Lone nodded. "That''s right. My blacksmithing master at the time, Grimsley Ironsbane, as well as his recently rescued niece, Shana Coppersbane. She was the dwarven girl whom the hero had purchased and abused, by the way." A handful of outraged tongue clicks and appreciative murmurs in favour of Lone reached his ears. ''Almost there. Just a few more sentences and I can get my big chance for some sweet skill level ups,'' Lone thought eagerly. "How exactly did they help you escape, Mister Immortus?" the leading prosecutor inquired. "I don''t believe for a moment that dwarves aided you in such an endeavour, if you even were incarcerated in the first place, but let''s pretend this happened for now, shall we?" "Simple. They just dug a tunnel straight to me." A loud silence met Lone''s answer. "Okay... I, uh, I get that that sound pretty fuckin'' stupid on the surface level, but it is the truth. Once we were out, we split up and I then got chased down by Milindo''s king himself." "The recently declared missing King Ralph Heidron the Third, an SS-ranker who specialised in his ruling skills and social stats but who could also easily kill someone of your power?" Mister Chillforge asked, the doubt clear in his tone. "Yup. That''s the one. I knew he was coming for me, you see, so I taunted him a bit, called him out for his bullshit, then killed him. Doing so gave me the enlightenment I needed for my breakthrough to D-rank. Funny how the world works sometimes," Lone sighed wistfully.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 10.
''Oh, shit! Some of the crowd actually believes me? Damn, that''s honestly heart-warming as fuck,'' Lone thought gleefully. "Of course. Now, how exactly did you, an at the time E-ranker, manage to not only wound an SS-ranker, but kill one? Forgive me if I and the rest of court don''t exactly believe such outlandish words," Mister Chillforge pointed out. Lone smiled. "Forgiven! But it''s simple, really. I''m a foxkin. Specifically, a Golden Foxkin. Surely some of you are old enough to have met my kind before they disappeared, right? Don''t you know our racial skill?" The judge nodded thoughtfully. "Tail Spear. A powerful and very dangerous racial skill. I know it well. You mean to tell the court you killed an SS-ranker with that skill?" "Yup. The guy was so arrogant he let me get close to him while I berated him. Then boom! Tail right through both eyes. I would have been lucky to have scratched his skin since the rank gap was too huge, but the eyes? Squishy weaknesses of us all. He died damn-near instantly since I crushed his brain," Lone casually explained. A few of the spectators gagged while a handful even opted to leave the courtroom, clearly unaccustomed to such gruesome descriptions.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Advanced level 1.
Passive Skill: Persuasion
Naturally makes everything that the host says 30% [+15%] more believable and also entices the host''s listeners to trust the host''s words by 30% [+15%] more.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''Yes! It never hurts to become a better bullshitter,'' Lone commented in thought. ''What are you planning, Lone? This is going off the script,'' Sophie asked him mentally. He grinned. ''There''s a big scary X-ranker in this room. I want to have some fun with them.'' ''... We see. At least it is not a god for once. However, the moment we give you the command, you will create an opportunity for us to teleport you out of here,'' Sophie demanded. ''Should we deem it necessary.'' Lone sent back thoughts of acceptance before he closed the telepathic dialogue. "I get it. That''s really hard to believe even knowing what Tail Spear is supposed to be capable of, right? It''s been a century since my kind was seen, after all." The judge and Mister Chillforge both nodded. "Then why not let me demonstrate the skill?" Lone asked as he turned to face the Taker. "Your protector. Let me demonstrate my Tail Spear on him. I obviously won''t go for his eyes, just his chest. If I can so much as leave a single mark on an X-ranker as a D-ranker, surely that will prove my prowess when I was an E-ranker?" "What''s the point of this?" Mister Chillforge questioned. "This means nothing in regards to our case. You were retelling your story to disprove my theory of you being a spy sent here to steal our secrets and artefacts. Who cares if you killed a human king or not? It holds no merit here!" The Taker stepped forward. "I care. This is highly intriguing. While what you say does hold some truth, Prosecutor Chillforge, surely if he could prove his destructive capabilities, a sentence of militaristic enlistment for our overrun kriegs and urds could be taken into consideration over some... other options of punishment for his crimes, no?" "I''m glad someone was able to see my point here," Lone said in relief. Sonya had mentioned this as a goal for the trial if Lone''s exile couldn''t be arranged. He was happy to go and hunt down some monsters in lost kriegs and urds. Levels and enlightenment wouldn''t earn themselves. Sadly, neither would stats. Not for Lone at least. He would happily do such a job with Soph, Sophie, Breena, and the lazy Kyuubi, for a few months before teleporting top-side. Had no one pointed out the merit of such a demonstration of skill, Lone would have prodded Sonya to point it out instead. Thankfully, that wasn''t necessary since the Taker seemed to have... taken an interest in seeing him using his racial skill. "... Very well. Come forward then and show us your capabilities provided Lady Taker''s protector is willing. Do as you have claimed yourself capable of and the deciders will add militaristic enlistment as a possibility for your sentencing," the judge decreed. ''What? I expected some more back and forth there since he''s clearly been paid to try to get the Deciders to have me executed...'' Lone was confused. That confusion only deepened when he saw the Taker smile mischievously towards him through his eyewraps. The Taker''s protector stepped forward and glanced towards his charge who nodded. Seeing that, the hulking dwarf said, "I am willing." ''Ah! Perfect!'' Lone exclaimed internally. Odd circumstances withstanding, everything was going as planned. ''This will make such a good memory from this whole farce. I wonder if it''ll count as a historical moment or not too? ''The day a D-ranker injured an X-ranker''...'' B2: Chapter 60: Aura and Temporary The main floor of the courtroom was cleared of stands, seats and other such equipment while Lone and the Taker''s protector moved to the centre of the room. All spectators were removed from the hall except for a select handful, namely Sophie, Breena, Hamish - who was present Lone just learned - and a handful of dwarves he didn''t recognise. More wished to stay but anyone at I-rank wasn''t given permission because there were simply too many people for the guards to reasonably protect should something go wrong during the demonstration. "Xer''rava''s your name, right? I heard her say it when she was talkin'' to the big guy in the judge''s seat," Lone said to the stocky dwarf standing passively in front of him. "That is correct," the man answered plainly. "That''s not a dwarven name. Hell, sounds kinda elven. Bet there''s a story there," Lone said with a smile as he unwrapped his eye coverings and shoved them in his pockets then put them straight into his Dimensional Storage. "There is," the dwarf replied as he stretched lightly then removed his chest armour and his shirt. "Smart, don''t want me damaging that shit, right? Anyway, wanna tell me that story?" Lone asked, the hunger for knowledge evident in his tone. "I do not," Xer''rava responded before glancing around. "Everything looks ready. You may attack me now." "Fuckin'' sheesh, you must be a riot at parties. By the way, do me a favour? Blast me with your aura. I have a skill that makes me hit harder when under pressure. Aura pressure is the perfect thing to trigger it," Lone lied. He''d happily tell a fib or two to power level some of his skills, in this case, his Aura Pressure Resistance. How often would he get the chance to meet an X-ranker who wasn''t out to kill him or who just outright ignored him? Not often, Lone suspected. The X-ranker looked at his charge for guidance. The Taker nodded. "You have my permission to do as he requested." Immediately and with no warning the feeling of death consumed Lone.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Aura Pressure Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the pressure of auras generated by a person''s rank at varying levels based on mastery. All aura pressure applied to the host shall be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Lone collapsed to the floor. His lungs compressed and he felt his entire body constrict while it attempted to fold into itself. ''Don''t do anything!'' Lone begged Sophie mentally. ''I''m in no danger.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
''... Tell that to the magic within you being obliterated repeatedly by that terrifying aura. Even if he is singling you out and not exuding it to the entire courtroom, we can still see the magic it is made up of. We can feel it... Don''t provoke this person to seriously fight you. You will die and we do not know if we are fast enough to save you,'' Sophie answered.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
''I didn''t plan to. I''m seriously trying to take your opinion on board. Seriously fighting an X-ranker sounds like assisted suicide to me. Fuck. I can''t even see what his aura looks like since I can''t raise my head,'' Lone complained. ''We will describe it. It is a wall. A wall of skulls, bones, faces both familiar and unfamiliar to him. Death had moulded this man''s spirit. It defines him but he tries to hide it as he performs his duties. That is his aura,'' Sophie replied.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Lone would have grinned were he able. ''That''s pretty fuckin'' metal.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
''No, it is bones. We already told you this. By the way, how long will you be glued to the floor? Your arbiter is yelling her lungs out while the head prosecutor is matching her word for word with his own screaming. The Taker seems amused but the judge is very much not so,'' she explained.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
''Ah, figured out I can''t hear jack right now?'' Lone asked. ''Won''t be long. I could probably get up right now if I really tried but I''m focusing on mentally resisting the aura so the relevant skill levels faster.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
''I can see the magic in sounds and what they touch and do not, as well as what actually hears them. It is annoying and overbearing if I try to do it, passively though it is ignorable except when it is clear someone cannot hear something when they should be able to. Like you. Anyway, We are going to stop this racket right now,'' Sophie claimed.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Lone barely managed to roll his head over in time to witness the fully armoured love of his life take off her helmet before screaming three words so loudly he could almost hear them over his condition.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Passive Skill: Aura Pressure Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the pressure of auras generated by a person''s rank at varying levels based on mastery. All aura pressure applied to the host shall be weakened by 60% [+30%]. [New!] When suffering under the effects of an aura that exceeds the host''s rank, the host''s stats shall temporarily be increased based on the difference of ranks. Multiply stats by [x] where [x] is the number of ranks between the host and the aura owner. This effect does not stack. [x]''s minimum is 2.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
He was able to lipread the words Sophie had boomed and he smirked immediately afterwards as he slowly stood up. ''Shut up, peasants!'' was what she had demanded of both Sonya and Mister Chillforge. Lone chuckled as he pushed against Xer''rava''s aura. The difference in difficulty was shocking. Going from intermediate to advanced had only made a ton feel like 900-kilos, but now that same ton was as bearable as 200 or 300-kilos pressing down on his shoulders. As he cracked his neck and stretched his limbs, Lone quickly opened up his status.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 238
Species Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 60,930/60,930 (Temporary: 426,510/426,510) SP: 62,150/62,150 (Temporary: 435,050/435,050)
MP: 52,520/52,520 (Temporary: 367,640/367,640) WF: 1,200/1,200
Basic Stats
Strength: 3,106 (Temporary: 21,742) Vigour: 6,215 (Temporary: 43,505)
Dexterity: 2,184 (Temporary: 15,288) Agility: 3,615 (Temporary: 25,305)
Vitality: 6,093 (Temporary: 42,651) Luck: 193 (Temporary: 1351)
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 (Temporary: 889) Charisma: 132 (Temporary: 924)
Magic Power: 5,252 (Temporary: 36,764)
"Holy sweet mother of baby Jesus," were the words that rolled out of Lone''s mouth as he gaped in delightful shock. The protector looked confused. "You feel like an SS-ranker now. Why?" Meanwhile, Sophie folded her arms over her chest. "See? He is fine. The man whom our heart belongs to is not such a weakling that something as insignificant as a mere aura could endanger him, regardless of how powerful the being that is projecting it is."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
''It''s still levelling? Awesome,'' Lone thought as he wore an awkward smile before he responded to the X-ranker''s inquiry. "Aura Pressure Resistance expert rank. Thanks for the help power-levelling it. I''m ready to hit you now." ''I was honestly only waiting for it to hit expert rank so I could stand then I''d wriggle out of having you use your aura at all, but this extra effect is something I really wanna test now. If I could apply my Strength, I bet I''d be able to pierce a hole right through him even with Tail Spear''s relatively low rank,'' Lone thought as he licked his lips. Xer''rava looked to the Taker for guidance. She nodded. "Nothing has changed. We are here to witness his combat potential to see if militaristic enlistment is a viable punishment. He seems to have gained a rare and perhaps even undocumented additional effect for reaching expert rank with his Aura Pressure Resistance skill. From the looks of things, he gains temporary strength based on the strength difference between himself and you." ''Wait, bonus effects aren''t fixed? Fuck. The books I''ve read on skills never mentioned that. Does that mean I''ve gotten bad extra effects too? Were there better possibilities? How do I go about guaranteeing they show up on a skill rank up?'' Lone frowned. ''I bet the guild has info on this. Likely locked behind the silver plate. Speaking of the guild, I still need to turn in the quest for clearing out Urd Grun. Oh well. probably won''t get a chance to do that here.'' The head prosecutor scowled then smiled. "A powerful ability if that is so, but useless for reclaiming kriegs and urds as very few beings occupying the kingdom''s lost territories are intelligent enough to use aura." Lone heard Sonya speak up as he kept his focus on the X-ranker. "Collectively very few, yes, but still hundred of urds and dozens of kriegs lay in the hands of the exiled casteless who have powerful leaders. Krieg Stunfurn is a good example of such. Is it not perfectly reasonable to see if he has the power to handle such people?" The Taker nodded. "Exactly so. Continue with your aura, Xer''rava. I assume you are ready, Mister Immortus?" Lone, out of the corner of his eyes, saw the judge give the Taker a look that screamed ''Is this my courtroom or yours?'' Still, the man didn''t speak up to interrupt her.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] Has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
''I doubt they''ll let me sit here and see if an X-ranker can push this skill to master-rank, right?'' Another glance at the judge who was frowning even more deeply upon noticing his gaze gave him his answer. ''To levelling Tail Spear we go, I guess.'' "If you have any defensive skills, please use them. I want this to be as difficult as possible," Lone asked. The X-ranker didn''t respond in any way whatsoever and simply kept his posture, ready to receive Lone''s attack. Lone shrugged, cracked his neck, then said, "Tail Spear." He could feel the difference his temporary stats afforded him immediately. The skill was unchanged, of course. It still gave his usually fluffy limbs the penetrative power to cut through Rare items or A-ranked beings with ease. However, Lone could sense something different. The way his muscles moved, the sharpness of his fur, the elasticity and hardness of his tail bones. It was all so much clearer to him right in this moment. Without hesitation, he used Ungrounded to jump a metre into the air before he manoeuvred himself into a prone position midair. Lone then kicked the space where his torso was only moments ago with enough force to send shockwaves through the room. Luckily for them, a certain barrier mage was present to keep anything tragic from happening. While the guards had protected most people, the few semi-transparent green barriers surrounding Sophie and Breena didn''t escape Lone''s notice. That made him smile. To see her taking advantage of his actions to train one of her skills made him feel oddly proud. Regardless, within a fraction of a second Lone had rocketed straight towards Xer''rava and was now mere inches away from the dwarf. His temporary Dexterity allowed him to perceive time so much more acutely than usual and his boosted Agility made it an easy task to channel his momentum into a frontflip mid-air. During said somersault, Lone repeated stabbed into the dwarf''s exposed chest so quickly and with such ferocity that each of his attacks created a small sonic boom. He had said he would only attack once but Lone would be a fool to not try to get away with a combo since more attacks equated to more skill usage. After all, Tail Spear would be active for another nine minutes and change. He wouldn''t be Lone if he didn''t take up such a perfect opportunity to level up one of his most powerful skills as much as humanely possible. He was stopped, however, after his 576th attack. ''Amazing that I could keep track of that, really. I wonder what stat does that? Dexterity as well? Hmm... Maybe Endurance because, y''know, mental endurance and whatnot...'' "Hey, uh, I have nothing against Australia or anything but could you please stop holding me up by my foot? My head''s almost scraping the floor thanks to the height difference," Lone pleaded with a grin on his face. Why was he smirking? Well, for a start, his vision was almost entirely blocked by system notifications. The other reason was that he could see a small crevice in the X-ranker''s chest that was spewing blood. He, a D-ranker, had managed to injure an X-ranked dwarf who clearly specialised in melee combat without having to rely on his Mental Destruction. If that wouldn''t make him the proudest fox in the world, well, then whatever would? "Ow!" Lone yelped as he was unceremoniously dropped on his head. He rolled over and then jumped up onto his feet. Rubbing his head but still smiling, he said, "Well, with that out of the way, shall we proceed with the rest of the trial?" B2: Chapter 61: Tail Spears Explosive Growth and Gotta Go Fast
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Racial Skill: Tail Spear
A skill unique to the race of foxkin known as Golden Foxkin. This skill allows the host to turn their tail(s) into an extremely sharp and hard weapon that can easily pierce most Epic-quality items [Up from Rare-quality items] or S-ranked beings [up from A-ranked beings]. The skill is usable three times a day [up from twice a day], and it lasts for 15-minutes [+5-minutes].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
It didn''t stop there. The wall of screens before Lone''s eyes kept going and going, but alas, the world around him moved ever onwards and even with his Reading Mastery skill, he could only go so fast. ''Really wish I had a Time Compression skill or something. Would probably need magic for that and that''s something I can''t use for a while still.'' "An incredible display of strength! Truly incredible!" the Taker praised as she clapped softly but with enthusiasm. "We all already know of Mister Immortus''s tenacious body thanks to his prior duel with silver plate adventurer Hamish some time ago, yes? I think this is more than enough to add militaristic enlistment to his list of possible punishments." The judge creased his brow in deep consideration. With a sigh, he nodded. "You are all dismissed. We''ll be having a 20-minute recess for the Deciders to discuss the matter and for us to clean up the courtroom." Lone approached the Taker but before he could get within even five metres of her, Xer''rava got in his way and grabbed his shoulder with enough speed that it almost looked like he had used Soph and Sophie''s Teleportation. "No further, or risk death," the most powerful being Lone had ever met threatened. Well, the most powerful being that wasn''t a god or a Primal, at least. "Why''re you helping me?" Lone asked the Taker as he stood still. He wasn''t going to chance an attack from an X-ranker, regardless of how badly he wanted to level up his resistances and possibly get a new skill or two. The Taker glanced up at him and smiled peculiarly. "I wonder? It''s certainly not your dashing good looks nor your decent social skills. Let''s call it a desire to... hmm... correct your path? You must understand I don''t want to strip you of your skills nor see you be wasted when you could serve a higher purpose." "Uhuh. And clearing out lost kriegs and urds of threats is said purpose?" Lone asked with a raised eyebrow. The Taker''s smile widened. "Let us go, Xer''rava." She turned to the judge and said, "Lord Whiteshine, I shall no longer speak during the trial that follows this recess. I do hope you can forgive my attitude thus far." The aged Stone Dwarf seemed to let out a long-held-onto breath upon hearing that. "It''s quite alright. It would be foolish of me to not listen to the wishes of such an esteemed guest. Consider yourself forgiven and let us treat it as if nothing negative had ever happened between us." "Very wise," the Taker nodded. Lone watched all of this with his brain working in overdrive. ''The Taker is clearly more than what she seems... I feel like I''ve met her before, but that isn''t... impossible. It''s a weird world. Damn-near anything is possible. I mean, I can literally blow up minds and my girlfriend is a thousand-year-old woman who killed God. Who''s to say I haven''t somehow run into a Jewel Dwarf who can just so happen to strip people of their skills before? Whatever. Skills first, weird feelings later.'' "Sonya? To the waiting room?" he asked impatiently. His arbiter nodded nervously. "Uh, yeah. Let''s go there. We should talk."
Lone didn''t say a word upon reaching their private waiting room, he instead unleashed what was left of the torrent of notifications. "I''ll speak in a minute, got system stuff to do first." "Okay," Sonya replied absentmindedly. Clearly, she had to gather her thoughts which worked just fine for Lone.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Congratulations! the host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Racial Skill: Tail Spear
A skill unique to the race of foxkin known as Golden Foxkin. This skill allows the host to turn their tail(s) into an extremely sharp and hard weapon that can easily pierce most Legendary-quality items [Up from Epic-quality Items] or lower SS-ranked beings [up from S-ranked beings]. The skill is usable four times a day [up from three times a day], and it lasts for 20-minutes [+5-minutes]. [New!] When used against a being higher ranked than the skill''s effective range, there is a 0.1% chance that the host will learn how to apply 1-3 of the host''s unapplied stats. The stats chosen as well as the number of stats chosen is based on the Luck stat. If this effect is triggered, it will disappear once it has finished performing its described effect.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ''Wait, what? A one-time use extra effect? And such a good one too?'' Lone thought in both surprise and glee. He briefly considered the mention of lower SS-ranked beings, wondering what that distinction meant exactly before he returned his mental attention to the extra effect. Applying stats was one of the few things he couldn''t learn by brute force or by copying or stealing it from another person like he did with skills and stats. He was on the same playing field as everyone else in this regard, but this effect right here... well, it was perfect for him. ''Hell, all I need to do is not rank up Tail Spear again and just reach a point that triple-S-rankers are no threat to me. Or SS-ranker rankers above lower? Still need to look into what that means. Admittedly, that''s all a ways off, but so is learning to apply stats. Still, I definitely need to murder some super lucky stuff then, don''t I?'' Lone thought, as doing so would surely raise his Luck, meaning his chances of getting everything he could out of the effect would increase. "Quick question. There wouldn''t happen to be a krieg or urd out there full of Sheinlings, would there?" Lone asked, hopeful the rare species of short, feral, and bipedal monsters who happened to hate the sun were lurking around. Sonya scowled. "I have no idea. Maybe? I don''t specialise in information regarding the lost kriegs and urds unless it relates to my clients." "No worries. Still busy. Be done soon," Lone replied. ''Sophie? Mind asking Hamish if Sheinlings happen to be anywhere in the Farwinds that he''s aware of? Thanks, love you,'' Lone communicated telepathically. ''What manner of creature is that? We shall ask. One moment.'' A pause came and went before she continued, ''He claims they''ve been sighted in two urds and a whole clan of them overran a far-off krieg with the help of a few other monster clans. Why is this suddenly relevant?'' ''New skill bonus that relies on Luck. Sadly, I don''t have your insane numbers there. How high even is your Luck now?'' Lone replied. ''Hmm... It has grown a lot. We do doubt it even works though. Then again, nothing bad has really happened to us or Soph, only you. Perhaps it shields us from your idiocy affecting us as well? Regardless, it is sitting at 78,043. It goes up by several hundred each time you, and thus we, level up,'' Sophie explained. ''Hey, is this the return of snarky Sophie? I missed you. But god damn it all if I ain''t jealous. What a number. None of my stats are even close to that...'' Lone sighed. ''Hah. Shall we rub salt in the wound? Yes, yes we shall. Our Magic Power is at 124,546, meaning we have over a million Mana Points with which to use as we see fit,'' Sophie boasted. Lone snorted mentally. ''You mean that Soph has to use as she sees fit, what with her being the magical genius and you being the one trying your best to at least get some physical stats per level up,'' Lone remarked though not in a harsh tone. He was only happy to be getting a bit of lighthearted banter out of his girlfriend''s darker personality for a change. Lately, it has been nothing but serious fights followed by consequential arguments. Now that he was really willing to do as she said in regards to his own safety though, he was happy to be conversing with her old self again. It felt refreshing, warm... natural. ''And yet, our hours of effort seem almost wasted when not a single one of our other stats have reached 200 yet. Vitality is barely over 100. It sits at a pathetic 111. We are too fragile. Were we to act as you do, we would be dead by the day''s end,'' Sophie lamented. ''Hey! That''s... sadly true. But what do you mean ''fragile''? That''s definitely not the case in the bedroom, I can attest to at least that much. Damned succubus. Why am I always the one to get exhausted first, eh? Tell me how to figure that one out when all the science suggests it should be you,'' Lone complained. ''Heheh, numbers aren''t everything, silly man,'' Sophie teased in a sultry tone. ''I''ll show you one of these days, just need to cap out Sex Mastery. But yeah, on a more serious note, fingers crossed you get Immortality on the next skill unseal, right?'' he encouraged. ''We can only hope. By the way, you didn''t answer me. What are Sheinlings?'' Sophie inquired. Lone shrugged both telepathically and physically. ''Little bearded monsters that love shiny things. Apparently, they have a lot of Luck. A lot of Luck I would like to borrow from them. Permanently.'' ''We think you may not understand how borrowing things works. Still, I asked you to describe Sheinlings to me, not the entire dwarven species. Regardless, farewell for now. Have fun with your notification checking. We know you. You got distracted with a thought of efficiency so stopped to address it. Now that you have your thought resolved, your mind is now itching to get back to your addiction. We shan''t hold you any longer. We love you,'' Sophie said proudly and with confidence. ''Caught red-handed. Love you too,'' Lone said as he cut the connection. Immediately he resumed the flow of system notifications with a smile on his face and with a feeling of being adored in his heart.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Lone frowned. ''Two level-ups here is great, making it my second strongest resistance tied with Mental Pain Resistance and being just behind Darkness Corruption Resistance, but... that''s it for Tail Spear?'' He had a stinking suspicion that the Taker''s protector had sensed the quantitative change of his racial skill leaving the advanced rank and entering the expert one. Thus, he had decided to stop Lone from attacking him any further. ''Makes sense. That bleeding dent in his chest was pretty deep... He probably did it to stop me from seriously hurting him but if he did stop me because of the rank-up, then I should thank him. From the way it''s worded, Tail Spear''s new effect count proc per attack on anyone above a lower SS-ranker, whatever the fuck a lower SS-ranker means.'' Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. ''0.1% chance... so 1 in 1,000 odds. No guarantees on a proc in the first 1,000 attacks, but it does mean I could trigger it on the first attack or the millionth depending on my luck and on my Luck, heh. I absolutely don''t want this bad boy getting activated until my Luck is at 5,000 at the very least, preferably five digits if that can be done quickly enough,'' he concluded as he resumed checking his gains.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! the host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Lone nodded appreciatively. ''Even if not a life-and-death battle, combat with something on the line is much more efficient for levelling than simple training is. Then again, simple training with some experimentation is what let me kick off the air horizontally and then from all angles to stay ungrounded while maintaining my momentum so I could even hit Xer''rava with a combo exceeding 500 hits. Pros and cons to both methods.''
The host has developed the active skill: Survivor''s Speed.
Survivor''s Speed
A skill intended to be used when the host''s life is in danger and the only answer is to run or to react with the speed of lightning. Multiplies all speed-related aspects of the host by a factor of 10. Warning: The host may suffer injuries from the activation of the skill, both to their body and to their mind. If the host does not possess sufficient mental or physical strength, then they risk destroying themselves when using this skill.
Cost: 20% of the host''s maximum SP per minute.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone felt his bottom lip twitch. ''What an insanely powerful skill. Why the fuck was the X-ranker using it though? Was he really worried I''d seriously injure him? Ah, was it when he ''teleported'' to protect the Taker? That makes more sense. I absolutely need to test this later. Does it make me perceive time faster? Do I think faster? Can my Basic Regeneration make that warning null and void? So many questions.'' "We have five minutes left," Sonya said, bringing his attention back to reality. "Not nearly enough time to discuss everything we should be going over right now." Nodding weakly, Lone cracked his neck. "Right. Well, here''s the current newly revised plan then. We''re aiming for militaristic enlistment now. I would absolutely accept that. Exile too, but that''s unlikely. If the Deciders choose execution, Soph is teleporting me out instantly. Any conflicts with you there?" Sonya sighed. "I would like to say yes since I want you to be declared innocent, but that isn''t going to happen. Sure. Militaristic enlistment is something I can aim for with some confidence. It''s more attainable than exile status, anyway." "Yeah. That''s a punishment to dwarves due to the topsider stigma, but it''s likely viewed as another way to declare innocence for a native topsider like myself. Indentured servitude sounds a lot better and is a lot more practical," Lone grinned. "It isn''t slavery," Sonya argued. Lone raised an eyebrow. "I never said it was." "I''m not blind to implications," she spat back. Lone shrugged as he reached into his Dimensional Storage and retrieved his eye wraps. "Speaking of blindness... No point in not wearing this again. Always gotta be working on those passives, am I right? I''ll leave everything up to you now, my trusty arbiter. Go earn yourself a level or two in Persuasion, huh?" "As if it''s that easy," Sonya said with a shake of the head. Just then, the door to the recess chamber opened. The guards assigned to escort them back to the courtroom had arrived. Now, the second and final stage of Lone''s trial could commence. B2: Chapter 62: Lones Verdict and Sophies Fear
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Lone kept half of his attention on the courtroom and the verbal skirmish Sonya was engaged in with Head Prosecutor Chillforge as well as the handful of lesser prosecutors. He had no desire to speak up and try to fight his case nor diminish Sonya''s attempts to do so. If he was asked a question, he would answer plainly and as succinctly as he could. No matter the outcome, his goal had already been achieved today. Wilbur was let off practically scot-free while he had gained massively from a showing of power against an X-ranker. All in all, it had been a fantastic day. All he was waiting for now, was the verdict which would determine if he''d walk out of the building or teleport out of it. ''I really do wonder what the Taker''s goal was by standing up for me... It just doesn''t make much sense, even less so the more and more I think about it,'' Lone thought. Regardless, he kept focusing on his vision in an attempt to level one of his newest skills.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Lone rapidly blinked his covered eyes as the sound of a gavel slamming onto stone entered his ears. Glancing up at the judge and squinting, he listened as the old dwarf declared, "We will now enter an hour-long session of recess while the Deciders discuss the verdict of Mister Immortus''s trial." Sonya elbowed Lone softly to get his attention. "Come on, let''s go." He nodded as he got up, stretched to pop his bones, then followed his arbiter out of the courtroom with a unit of guards surrounding them. Once inside their private recess room, Lone got comfortable on a chair and yawned. "So, how are things looking?" "You really spaced out in there, huh?" Sonya asked as she massaged her shoulders with a grimace of pain on her face. "I hate trials that take so many hours... I should rank up to lessen the physical strain of maintaining good posture." "You should, everyone should. And yeah, I did. I said I''d leave it to you, didn''t I? I have decent social skills but I''m not a lawy- an arbiter. You have the know-how. How''s it looking anyway? Execution likely?" Lone asked. Sonya shook her head and ignored his verbal misstep. "I don''t think so. The judge has been bought over or blackmailed or whatever else, but Lord Whiteshine isn''t an idiot. With the Taker having supported you, even Sheelda McStuderston would have to back down." "Ah, so legal murder is out of the picture. I can handle assassination attempts, or so I''d like to think. That''s a win if anything could be considered as such," Lone happily noted. Sonya frowned. "I''m gonna get wrinkles from interacting with you so much. Nobody should be happy about assassination attempts. It is sadly likely though. A dwarf''s stubbornness runs deep, doubly so for the smith and for the noble castes." "I''ll manage. So what is the expected verdict?" Lone questioned. Sonya shrugged. "Expected? No clue. Anything could happen given how weird this whole affair has been from start to now. What do I personally think might happen? I fought hard for you. I even gained three levels across two skills. That shows progress." "Congratulations," Lone nodded with genuine pride. "Thanks. I''m pretty sure you''ll be sentenced to militaristic enlistment for the charge of illegally learning Steamforging. They''ll likely have the skill removed from you too. I don''t see any possibility where that wouldn''t be the case. Your other skills though? Perfectly safe. You''ll need them to serve, after all. Your enlistment won''t be more than a few decades too. I fought hard for it to not be centuries or millennia since you''ve awakened three times. What is Void, by the way?" Sonya asked. Lone stroked his jaw thoughtfully. "Decades is way too much... Hmm... Ah, Void? It''s what I described it as. It''s the ninth Primal. You probably know more about Primal lore than I do given the fact you specialise in being an arbiter for beastkin, right? Maybe make some inquires at the church if they have a presence down here." "I might just do that. As for your charge of stealing the Steamforging Checker artefact, I can''t see anything more than dismissal or the lightest of sentences like a fine since they can''t prove you took it or still have it beyond eyewitness testimonies. No physical evidence is a huge win for us there," Sonya explained. "I did tune in when it was claimed I could summon and unsummon objects. Seems old Elric snitched, though again, no proof and the ardartian shackles work in my favour," Lone said with a grin. Sonya nodded. "Exactly. If all goes as I predict, this''ll be the biggest case of my career. I expect I''ll be the number one person for not only beastkin to want as their arbiter, but all non-dwarves in the Farwinds and her settlements." "High profile cases do that. Fingers crossed it makes you and doesn''t break you, huh?" Lone joked. "Whatever the Stone ordains, we dwarves accept," Sonya replied.
"We, the Deciders, hereby declare that Adventurer Lone Immortus, a Golden Foxkin of the foxkin species, shall be found guilty of the charge of learning the sacred Steamforging skill gifted unto us by the Stone." Lone nodded since this was within expectations. "He shall be sentenced to serve as a member of a prisoner excavation and extermination unit under militaristic enlistment for the duration of 27 years, 11 months, and 16 days. Additionally, the Taker present shall relieve him of his Steamforging skill." Lone winced a bit, but this much was still tolerable. If he could leave this courtroom without becoming enemy number one of the dwarven kingdoms, then that would be preferable. Even if it hurt him on a spiritual level. ''What''s one skill? I still have my knowledge. I can relearn the skill twice as fast as initially. I''ll take this hit for the greater good of the whole situation,'' Lone convinced himself. He had come into the trial unwilling to lose even a single skill, but considering all that he had gained from his demonstration with the X-ranker, he was willing to lose Steamforging now to ensure he didn''t become the enemy of all dwarves. He was aware that when a Taker took a skill, they also supposedly took with it the ability to ever relearn that skill, but Lone had hope. He had too. ''I swear to god, Gramps, if Growth Accelerator doesn''t get around that, then I''ll burn this entire krieg- no, all of the dwarven kingdoms to the ground. Steamforging is too cool for me to lose it forever,'' Lone thought. "We, the Deciders, hereby declare that Adventurer Lone Immortus, a Golden Foxkin of the foxkin species, shall be found innocent of theft in relation to a prized steamforged artefact of the court''s possession under the condition of insufficient evidence to support the prosecution''s claims." "I cannot abide by this! I object to this hearing''s results!" a loud voice boomed across the courtroom. ''I recognise this voice,'' Lone thought as he turned and squinted. "... That''s Elric, isn''t it?" Sonya nodded. "Yeah. I can understand his upset but objecting won''t change anything here. What a fool. He''s about to tarnish the reputation of the High Order of Inquisition." Judge Whiteshine, sighed faintly as he said, "Under what grounds do you object, Inquisitor Greydon?" Lone saw the short dwarf who had helped him farm his Enchantment Magic Resistance point a finger in his direction. ''C''mon man, you helped me out so much, even if I did fuck with you a bit. Don''t ruin yourself over this,'' Lone thought. ''File for a retrial or something which I can later ignore when I''m much more powerful. Objecting like that... is that even legal?'' Lone didn''t know so he kept his mouth shut. "That wily fox can use magic somehow despite having no active mana organs and regardless of the ardartian pressing against his flesh! I witnessed him make two chairs disappear then reappear before my very eyes when interrogating him! Whatever he did then, he did the same to the Steamforging Checker, no doubt!" Elric accused. Lone leaned over to Sonya and asked, "Why''s he making an ass of himself, exactly? I didn''t fuck his wife or anything, so I don''t get it." Sonya pursed her lips. "It was him who approved the usage of the artefact in question in the first place. Likely under a bribe from you know who to give valid reasoning for your arrest. With that being the case, he might lose his job for allowing such a valuable and hard to create artefact officially becoming listed as ''missing''. If he doesn''t take a risk here, his career is over regardless since the investigation into its whereabouts will reveal his connection to it, and I bet you know who will toss him under the carriage without hesitation." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Lone wore a confused expression on his face. "But the guy''s an S-ranker. Is he that attached to being an inquisitor? He could easily make a fortune from being an adventurer. Hell, if I was an S-ranker, I wouldn''t be here right now. I''d have forced your culture to allow others to learn Steamforging." Sonya sighed. "Of course you would have despite the fact the dwarves have several X, XX, XXX-rankers, and even a Divine or two, hmm? But regardless of what you would do, he isn''t a warrior. He gained his rank over the course of 2,000 years through the slow accumulation of levels and enlightenment in peaceful environments. You''ve likely fought more battles than he''s ever even seen." "Huh." Lone turned to face the judge. "Your Honour?" "Yes, Mister Immortus?" Lord Whiteshine answered while he continued to stare at Elric. "Can you please throw this idiot out of the room for contempt? He has no ground to stand on and I don''t know about you, but I''d like to get my Steamforging skill removed and then immediately figure out how I''ll be helping the dwarves reclaim their lost lands. I want to make up for my wrong-doings, not get accused of doing something I''ve already been declared innocent of," Lone proclaimed loudly and with conviction. A murmur of approval and surprise spread through the spectator seats. They likely hadn''t expected Lone to so readily accept his punishments so he had won over quite a lot more of the individuals present. A criminal he was, but he was also exuding a genuine feeling of honour; not something dwarves would ever let go remiss given how they valued that trait so much in their culture. Enough so for Hamish to have become mostly ostracized by his own people after he had smeared his honour by ''duelling'' Lone at a time that felt so long ago to him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Lone watched as Elric''s face contorted in an ugly manner as they both witnessed the court siding with Lone''s ''selfless'' plea to serve the kingdoms. "You have skills and items built to resist skills that affect the mind!" Elric yelled at the judge. "I know you do! Don''t let yourself become swayed by his honeyed words! He''s a liar, a con, a thief, and above all else, a fox! We must have him return that which he stole! If that technology ever gets to the hands of the scholars who reside topside, they can no doubt reverse-engineer it and perhaps even figure out our sacred art of steamforging in its entirety!" Lone was moments from refuting the S-ranker before he noticed Sonya stepped ahead of him. Instead of voicing his reply, he chose to watch his arbiter with interest. "What utter nonsense! I thought you to be a respectable elder of our society, Mister Greydon, but it seems your age may have corroded your mind along with your sensibilities. One artefact ending up topside would lead to us losing that which the Stone gifted us? If that is so then we must petition the greater council to muster our armies and invade all nations not of our own immediately! After all, this is not the first time we''ve lost an artefact before," Sonya mocked. "Besides, many dwarves are allowed topside with artefacts they have bought or created themselves. Not of the same intricacy, but steamforged nonetheless." "What complete and absolute utter nonsense," she repeated with a shake of her head. "Your Honour, my client openly and honestly admitted his guilt of illegally learning the art of steamforging. He was prepared to be executed if that was what would be required of him to appease the Stone and her children." A surprised murmur spread through the spectating dwarves. "It makes no sense whatsoever for him to do that and then deny any guilt when it came to the artefact''s disappearance had he, indeed, stolen it. Witness testimonies can be faked. Motivations can be impure. The bravery to accept death for one''s own wrongdoing? Your honour, that is something that with all of my being I wholeheartedly believe cannot be faked. The more serious of the two crimes was the one he openly admitted to committing. There is no sense in him not doing the same for the other unless he was innocent. This is a pointless debate with a desperate man whose agenda is questionable at best," Sonya stated powerfully. She then turned to face Elric once more. "Stop making a mockery out of our legal system. Your objection to the ruling is without merit and quite frankly, I question its legality. Perhaps an inquiry should be opened into how the artefact was able to go missing in the first place. Such a failure of management is more than worthy of an investigation, no, Inquisitor Greydon?" Lone heard a soft but loud chuckle enter his ears. The Taker was smiling as she said, "I like her. Very impactful words." The judge smacked his hammer down onto his stone desk. "I concur. Very well put, Miss Forgegulf. Inquisitor Greydon, leave this courtroom. This session of court is hereby officially adjourned. Guards, escort Mister Immortus to his new accommodations. Mister Immortus, you''re to be held in captivity until an official date is declared for your Steamforging to be publicly remo-" "No need," the Taker interrupted as she walked towards Lone. "Kneel, Mister Immortus." "Kneel?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She smiled up at him. "You''re almost double my height. So yes, kneel. I can hardly reach your head like this." Lone shrugged. The sooner this was over and done with, the better for him. It was emotionally draining enough just thinking about losing one of his precious skills. Having time to think over his decision to comply may have ended up with him making a choice to flee instead and turn this entire effort to avoid becoming wanted in all of the Farwinds into a pointless endeavour. He got on one knee and requested, "Make it quick, please." "You won''t feel a thing," she replied sweetly as she placed a palm on his head. Lord Whiteshine frowned. "I will approve of this. We can all agree this entire affair has been much too stressful enough for all of us as it is already." ''i don''t think she needs nor wants your approval, pal,'' Lone replied mentally as he closed his eyes and tried his best to not think about what was happening. ''A bright bronze light is being pulled directly out of the top of your head. It is travelling up her arm. The process of watching her rip a skill out of you is rather interesting,'' Sophie observed over their telepathic link. ''Can you not tell I''m expressly trying my best to, y''know, not think about that? Closed eyes, scrunched up face, bleeding soul. The whole package is plain to see,'' Lone complained. A laugh met him in response. ''That is exactly why we are narrating the experience for you. It is a once-in-a-lifetime historical moment that you would be ill-advised to miss out on witnessing.'' ''... I fuckin'' hate you sometimes,'' Lone replied. ''Less so than you love us, we hope. Ah, the bronze is slowly running out. Perhaps she has finally finished removing your precious skill? I wonder if she''d take a few more of your non-combat related ones if we asked politely. The fact you have more hobbies than just getting stronger is very concerning,'' Sophie commented in a deadpan tone. ''Are you trying to comfort me by bullying me? Please stop, it isn''t working,'' Lone sighed across the link. He then felt the Taker slowly remove her hand from his scalp. With bated breath, he slowly peeked his eyes open. He then gathered all of his courage and tried to summon the skill information for Steamforging. ''Of course it wouldn''t show up. She removed the ski-''
Passive Skill: Steamforging
A skill that allows the host to perform the sacred dwarven smithing art of steamforging. Steamforging performed by the host will be 15% faster and 15% more skilful.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
He slowly reached up and removed his eye wraps. With unbelieving confusion leading him, he stared directly into the Taker''s eyes. Those very eyes were filled with mirth. "Not a word, my friend, not a word," she whispered so softly Lone wasn''t even sure he had heard her. He was stunned, confused, befuddled, and quite possibly bamboozled, but he wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Who cares what the motivations of the Jewel Dwarf in front of him were? For whatever reason, she''d decided to let him keep one of the most solid pieces of proof he had spent time with Wilbur, his dying master. He was willing to sacrifice that for the better good and slowly relearn the skill on his own if possible. Now though, that conviction was unneeded, the sacrifice gone unpaid. He entered a sort of daze after that while the world moved around him, his feet leading him along while his mind was elsewhere.
''What the... Sophie, she didn''t take anything from him,'' Soph pointed out to the part of herself that was currently in control of their body. ''Yes, we just noticed. That was nothing but an elaborate light show. Why would she do something so risky for him when they''ve never met before?'' Sophie had no idea. ''More importantly, how? She can''t use skills as a Taker.'' Her mind immediately drifted to the possibility of love at first sight and she considered finding an opportunity to murder the woman. She then considered that perhaps she was a supporter of the idea that dwarves shouldn''t monopolise the Steamforging skill and she had decided to take a risk by letting Lone keep it given his potential for unbridled power. It was then during her pondering that she heard something strange. It almost sounded like a... clicking noise. "Observant little splitter, aren''t we?" Sophie had no idea where that voice was coming from. It was old. Older than anything she could even think to comprehend. It sounded like an amused elderly man who had just told the funniest of jokes and now expected laughter to follow. "Keep your rudeness inside your minds, yes? Tsk, tsk, the pawns of this generation sure are haughty. It makes you wonder what Snapper''s been doing. Not her job, I''d bet, unlike me. Be a dear wouldn''t you, little miss splitter? Keep him from killing himself. That''s twice now I''ve corrected your courses. If only he had your Luck. That would make keeping tabs on the other six so much easier without him consuming so much of my focus." Several seconds followed those words where Sophie stood still like a statue and did nothing but sweat and try her best to keep breathing. "M-Miss Sophie?" Breena cautiously called from her side. Sophie ignored her. She felt her hands shaking. "I couldn''t see his voice but it was all that filled my existence. What did I just talk to? No, what just chose to talk at me?" She had a lot to process and even more to talk about with Lone. ''Pawns... pawns... Sophie... could that person have been...?'' Soph asked cautiously. Sophie nodded slowly. ''I think so. Let us follow Lone. The moment he is alone, we must talk. This cannot be discussed without being near his side. We admit, we are too shaken to do this over telepathy.'' ''Why are you so scared?'' Soph asked. ''Are you stupid? We could not see his voice yet he spoke at us! How did he bypass our Mana Sensing? That was a being of immense power. A being of immense power that might have something to do with the Taker''s odd actions,'' Sophie snapped. ''And did you not notice he said it was not the first time he had interfered?!'' ''Oh. Well... uh... at least whatever he is, he didn''t kill us, so yay?'' Soph said in an attempt to comfort herself. "You are just as insufferable as he can be at times," Sophie spat out through gritted teeth. "H-Huh?" Breena questioned in a hurt voice. Sophie snorted. "Not you, you are just useless, not insufferable. Come, let us go." "... R-Right... Uh, of course, Miss Sophie..." Breena said with a strained smile. B2: Chapter 63: Forgetting and Conjecture Xer''rava dutifully followed behind his charge, the young princess of all Mineral Dwarves, and, dare he think it, mayhaps even all dwarves period. He checked every corner, every street, every window, every alleyway, every passing individual. Nothing would harm the Taker with him putting his all into guaranteeing her safety. He really didn''t have to be so on-guard given that the strongest person in this fringe krieg was the local adventurer guildmaster, a mere higher-stage SS-ranker. It would only take a single punch to kill her. Still, it was good practice in his opinion to never leave even so much as a single opening. Even if he was essentially a god here, his charge was not. "Xer''rava," she spoke, calling his name. Not an uncommon thing. The young lady was a curious soul who wasn''t willing to abandon her personality as all other Takers had before her. It would come in time. Such was her responsibility. The skills she ripped from the souls of others would slowly corrode her own soul and turn it into something hollow and without the charm a normal vessel of existence would exude. She wasn''t mentally strong enough to accept that burden just yet and Xer''rava understood that given she was still barely a century old. Still, the less she conformed to her fate, the more it hurt her when she did her duty. Such was the working of the soul of a Taker. Even a master Soul Oracle couldn''t change this indisputable fact. "What questions have you of me, My Lady?" he answered curtly but with respect in his tone. "How can you so blindly work to protect what amounts to a somewhat special child with nary a complaint?" she asked, her voice sounding... odd. "There are so many vast wonders just begging to be explored and discover on this continent, not even mentioning the planet as a whole. I can get not going further down. Creepy stuff there, but with your powers, you could scour so much of this world and grow so much from such an adventure! Why you don''t baffles me if I''m being honest. X-rank is hardly strong, cosmically speaking." Xer''rava felt this was a very out of character question. The Taker did usually ask about the world outside of the kriegs and urds, about the creatures that dotted the planet they resided on known as Altros, about all things foreign to her, yes. She was a curious being, but never curious about him. She knew he was a tool for her to use and had never questioned that role he filled. Until now. Still, he answered as he felt compelled to do so. "Because it is my duty." "That''s so boring. I do my duty too but I also have fun when I need to. Y''know, between correcting? Well, whatever. Everything''s been corrected here. And as fun as it is to become a young woman who''s slowly turning into a plank of wood - metaphorically, of course. Dwarves are much too literally thick for it to be, well, literal - I think it''s time I visited the spires of Taslo once more," his charge declared, befuddling him. The words made sense to him but they were utter nonsense coming from her mouth. Visit the spires of Taslo? Again? He wondered briefly if someone had somehow cast a spell on his charge, befuddling her mind. He watched the Taker stretch her back as she cracked her fingers above her head. "Loosen up a bit, yeah? He''s an annoying boy, but Lone sure knows how to be himself. You could learn a thing or two from that pawn." The Taker then sighed and clicked her fingers together. The next thing Xer''rava knew, he was travelling down the Farwinds while escorting a much more muted version of his charge. He felt like his memories were fuzzy when he tried to recall his conversation with her back in Krieg Moor''s streets, but then he realised that he must have simply been imagining it. He was an X-ranker. There was no way his memory would be imperfect. He specifically has three skills that reinforced his memories not even counting the enchantments on his mind to stop tampering up to the Divine level. ''I must be shaken up by the fight with the fox. For me to imagine fragments of a conversation with the young miss... How foolish,'' he thought. Not a second later, even that thought was forgotten as were all of his doubts. It was as if they had never happened at all.
"Here''s where ye''ll be stayin'' for the next few decades, so get used to it. Make friends wae the bugs tae, they''ll likely be yer only consistent company ''ere fer ah while," said the dwarf who had rather rudely shoved Lone into the room that was barely big enough for a dwarf to stand in, let alone him. "Uh, I don''t know if you''re just trying to scare me, y''know, break me into the situation and whatnot, but I am aware that I can hire adventurers to help me with my assignments. I also have a talent for making asshole dwarves grow on me," Lone said as he hunched down so as to not bump his head. "Uhuh, pumpkin. Think ye''r so smart? Clearly nae smart enuff since we foond oot ye learn''d oor sacred art," the dwarf scoffed before he closed the door, slammed it on Lone''s seventh, eighth, and ninth tails, before promptly locking it. "Ah! Fucker. That hurts," Lone yelped. He fixed his situation with his tails and then took a proper look at his new accommodations. "Better than the prison cell, way worse than the inn. They could have given me a desk at least," Lone complained with a sigh. He curled up onto the bed that was clearly built with the height of a four-and-a-half-foot-tall being occupying it in mind. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Bored and not really knowing what to do until he was to be spoken to about his new role, he decided to contact Soph or Sophie, whoever was in control right now, to discuss the matter with the Taker. It was either that or grind out some skill levels. He had to talk to her eventually, so he decided it was better being responsible first and playing later. "Hey, Soph-" "You are alone? You are alone," were the words that interrupted him before he found his unarmoured lover straddling his curled up form. "Intimate. I get it''s cramped in here, but there is some floor that you could have stood on," Lone teased. "One, we were terrified of you somehow being killed by that X-ranker when you decided to challenge him even if that was irrational of us, two, we were and still are terrified of you being killed by whatever was inhabiting that Taker''s body. We wish to hold you, to ensure you are still here with us," Sophie admitted without fear of embarrassment. "Fuck that was cute and unironically adorable. Those words mean the same thing, don''t they? Uh, I mean, I''m always down for a good cuddl-... Wait. Inhabiting? Explain? I feel like you know more than I do," Lone said in confusion. Sophie pressed herself into him a bit more before she teleported to his side off of the bed. "This conversation would be best done without us being stuck to one another." "I respectfully disagree, but please, go on," Lone replied as he sat up and assumed a cross-legged position on the dwarf-sized bed. Sophie paced a little and frowned. "This room really is rather small." Lone then watched her shrink to her smallest size, a thing he hadn''t seen her do in months. It almost threw him off since she was almost always in her adult form. "Much better," Sophie nodded. "First, if you assume to know less than us, tell us what it is you do know about the Taker. We shall move on from there," she said as she waved her arm, a very cute action given all of her clothes were now baggy on her. Lone shrugged. "She didn''t take my Steamforging away and told me to keep quiet about it. There''s no one near us, right? I really hope I didn''t just inform a spy that I still have the super-illegal-to-have if-you''re-not-a-dwarf skill." Sophie snorted. "We are not so foolish. There are 16 guards in this building and a couple of dozen prisoners like you. None have the same ears as Hamish. Our words are our own, free of eavesdroppers." "Huh. Good to know. By the way, where did you put your armour?" Lone asked, clearly not overly concerned by the whole Taker matter since she had, at the end of the day, helped him out. "We left it at The Rusty Sprocket along with Breena. Hamish is there too, keeping her safe in case that woman you mentioned - the one who wished for your execution - decides to try to use her against you. That''s not important right now though. The Taker was not, in fact, the Taker. Some... godly being was in possession of her body, Lone. Do you understand what we are saying?" Sophie asked. Lone raised an eyebrow. "Maybe? You have to be more specific when you say ''godly''. Did your Mana Sensing see a demigod like a Djinn inside of her? A Primal? Something similar to God from Earth who you killed?" "That is... a fair question. No, none of the above. We did not see anything. That is the issue, Lone," Sophie explained. The next 20 minutes soon turned into a brainstorming session after she had fully described her interaction with the old man''s voice to him. Lone frowned deeply. "You''re sure he mentioned Snapper?" "Yes. Why?" Sophie asked. Lone shot her a funny look. "I know your memory isn''t that bad. Don''t you remember the frog lady with the square boat who directed us to the ass end of Teresta known as Milindo?" Sophie scrunched up her brow. "Surely that''s just a coincidence, no?" "I chalked her appearance down to your Luck, if I''m being honest, but maybe that wasn''t the case. She called herself something... Well, her people, not herself," Lone said as he held his chin in his hand. "The Guiders. That was it," Sophie answered for him in a moment of clarity. Lone nodded as he pointed at her. "Right. And you said this old man''s voice claimed to have corrected things for us not once, but twice? Maybe he''s a Corrector like she was, is, or whatever else, a Guider? But what was wrong? We could have got out of the court case without the Taker defending me." "... Did you not at one point make a connection between Snapper and that old man you fought in the tournament at Milindo? Clicker was his name, no?" Sophie asked. "Just based off the weird name, but that''s super loose of a connection. Think it might have been the same person? I''ll give you that he was hella cryptic when I spoke to him and I never actually landed a hit on him before he surrendered," Lone pondered aloud. "... We know too little. Still, we should avoid ever meeting that Taker again or her pet X-ranker," Sophie declared. Lone nodded. "I agree wholeheartedly. Someone that can ignore your Mana Sensing sounds scary as all hell. Four-twelve was spooky enough as is. This sounds even worse than his case." "Indeed. We are glad you can see the sense in this for once," Sophie said as she returned to her adult form, filling out her loose clothing. She then approached Lone and kissed him softly. "We shall shelf this topic for now then until we have more evidence to support our theorised connections?" Lone nodded as he smiled. "Sounds like a plan." The look in Sophie''s eyes then changed, becoming far softer and more full of an overflowing sense of love. "Hey, stranger," Lone teased. Soph pouted. "It''s not my fault Sophie''s better at being the tough one." "Can''t argue with you there. Will I get to see more of you now that the dangerous expedition and following court case is over? I love Sophie to bits, but I feel the same about you too," Lone said. "I''ve missed you." Soph grinned. "I''ve missed you too. Worried about you as well. A lot." "I''m trying to be better when it comes to risking my life," Lone said with a wry smile. Soph gave him a sceptical look as she pressed her forehead against his. "Says the guy who provoked an X-ranker who was probably being controlled by an uber-powerful being?" "Hey, give me some credit. I didn''t know that and I hardly provoked the guy, just asked him if he was cool with me using him as a skill grinder," Lone retorted. Soph giggled before kissing him. That kiss soon turned into several kisses. "Credit granted." "Man, I fuckin'' love you so much," Lone mumbled. "The feeling is mutual, you big idiot," Soph replied as she pulled away from him. Lone raised an eyebrow. "That''s it? Only kisses?" A coy look entered Soph''s usually soft eyes. "To use Sophie''s exact words ''Go no further with him right now. He stinks, he looks awful, and he will never learn to properly clean himself up if we keep giving in to him.''" Lone winced. "Harsh. What an ultimatum. Grind out annoying resistances, or sex. You''re putting me in a hard place here." Soph cocked her head to the side. "No, I''m not. That''s, uh, kinda the point. I do agree with Sophie though. Go have a shower and eat something. Sleep too. I know, uh, you have your nightmares and stuff but you looked way better when I couldn''t see your ribs pressing up against your skin. You''re wasting your nice body and dashing good looks." She smiled impishly then teleported away. Lone chuckled. "Sophie''s influencing her quite a bit, huh?" He sighed, cracked his neck and got up. Lone pressed his fingers against his stomach and then trailed them against his ribs. "Yeah, yikes... Why Basic Regen doesn''t fix this, I have no idea... Maybe that''s worth exploring later." If he was going to do as requested, he sure as hell wasn''t going to waste his own resources on it. Who cared if he had a small pond''s worth of water tucked away along with a week''s worth of prison food? If he could get some free stuff, some free stuff he would get. Banging his fist against the door, he yelled, "Hey! Any guards around?! I want some food and I could use a shower! Please and thank you!" B2: Chapter 64: Resistances and The Warden "Keep it the fook doon!" a dwarf screamed down the hallway, clearly not a fan of Lone''s loud request. Heavy footsteps followed immediately after the shouting. ''Ah. fingers crossed that doesn''t earn me a beating. I figured loud and rude was the way to go considering the circumstances.'' Lone backed away from his room''s door as he said in a softer tone, "I''m starving, so can I have some food, please? I will be more than quiet if I can have something to eat and drink then have a bath or shower. I''m not asking for luxury, but c''mon, I''ll hardly be useful like I am now and I bet I can be smelt through the whole building." A few chuckles from the surrounding rooms seemed to agree. "Ya dae kinda smell like ma da''s ol'' lucky sock." "Feck naw ''e doesnae. Ah looked after ''at sock, ya insolent git! ''E smells like the wet underside of yer used skivvies, son." "There they go again. Guard, just gae the fookin'' fox what ''e wants, eh? I wan'' some peace an'' quiet. Dealin'' wae ma da is ''ard enuff." "Aye. Next thing ye ken we''ll be ''earin'' ''is stomach roar fae all the way doon ''ere!" Another round of boisterous laughter followed. The guard stopped outside of Lone''s room and screamed, "Shut it, all ah ya! Fox! Press yerself against the back wall o'' yer room''s far wall an'' face it anaw!" Lone shrugged as did as told. "Just a word of warning, if you try to take advantage of me, don''t blame me for cutting it off. I''m spoken for already." "Cheeky feckin'' prisoner!" The sound of his room door unlocking filled his ears. Then two things slammed down onto the floor before something soft was thrown right into the back of his head. Lone didn''t even flinch, what with him being used to harder things being thrown at him. Usually punches. He heard the guard click his tongue before leaving the room and locked it again. "There. Eat, drink, an'' wash yerself. Yer seein'' the warden o'' this wee buildin'' in an ''oor. Be ready." Lone slowly turned around and could immediately tell what had hit him and what had made the loud clunking noises. One of the two thunks had clearly come from the stone tray with a bowl of... something atop it. Likely a stew. Next to it on the same tray could be seen a stone cup of water. The other, louder sound, must have originated from the stone pail of water filled with, at a guess, five or six litres of the lovely hydrating substance. The thing that had assaulted his head was a towel that had clearly seen better days. "Why do I have the distinct impression he was on his way to give me this stuff anyway? And I just had to make a scene to lower my favorability. Fuck. Oh well, live and learn."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Thirst Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hunger Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Hunger Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist hunger and the negative effects of being hungry to varying degrees based on mastery. The host shall get hungry 15% [+10%] slower than normal. The pains and urges hunger induces into the host shall be reduced by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
"Fuckin'' really?" Lone mumbled. As it turned out, he got those level ups the very second the food and water hit his tongue. ''I guess sating ones desires is a way to build a resistance to them? How does that work? Do you need to be really desperate so you can then appreciate what it''s like to have the thing, making you more resistant to not having it? Does that even make sense?'' Lone thought. Regardless, the water tasted like god-given ambrosia to his parched throat and the odd-looking stew could have easily been mistaken for a heavenly ham as far as his tastebuds cared. He savoured every drop of both before he washed himself very carefully with the bucketful of bathing water he''d been provided. Almost as soon as he was done drying himself off, a guard shouted at him through his room''s door, marking the second time for the day he''d been yelled at. "Ye''ll be seein'' the warden noo, Fox! It''s time tae discuss yer new occupation." Lone complied with the man, pressing himself up against the back wall, allowing the dwarf almost half his height to tightly cuff his arms. He then peacefully followed the guard out of his room. He was then surrounded by a small unit of six guards who began leading him through the building. ''Y''know, now that I''m more focused both thanks to not thinking too much about the Taker and not dying of thirst or hunger, this place ain''t half bad. Well, when compared to the dungeon of Ranton''s castle, anywhere will be reminiscent of the pearly gates, I suppose,'' Lone pondered. A hard thump to the back of the head drew him out of his thoughts. Lone spun his head and furrowed his brow. "Did you just jump to backhand my he-" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Shut it! ''Ere''re the rules fae meetin'' the warden! Ye''ll speak when spoken tae an'' ye''ll only voice yer opinion if asked fae one! Otherwise, ye dinnae ''ave an opinion. Are we clear, Fox?!" the guard screamed. Lone winced. "I''m right next to you and your hard-assing ain''t scaring me, so stop shouting, yeah? I''ll behave. I fuckin'' chose to do this as my punishment. The hazing is entirely unnecessary." "Why ye cheeky little shite! Ah''ll show ye hazin''!" the guard yelled as he cracked his neck and began rolling up his uniform sleeve. Just as he was preparing to hit Lone again, a voice from the other side of the door they had stopped at made him freeze. "Just let him in, Thron. We all know he injured an X-ranker after willingly challenging such a monster. He''s likely telling the truth. He''ll only come to resent you for acting as the lesser civilisations do with their prisoners. We need him compliant since he''ll be helping us reclaim our lands," the voice said softly but with power and with a very subtle dwarven accent. "... Count yerself lucky," the guard whose name Lone now knew to be Thron, grumbled as he pushed open the door and shoved Lone into the room beyond it. "No need for all of you to filter on in here. My office is small already. I''d rather not make it even more cramped. Two to guard the door shall suffice," the warden said. "The other four, wait in the hallway until we''re done here." The guards protested weakly but did as told despite not liking it. Meanwhile, Lone inspected the man before him very carefully. "You''re not a dwarf." "How very astute of you to notice," the man chuckled with a shake of his head. "Was it the unnaturally bald head or perhaps the larger nose than normal?" he asked. "It was you not being a dwarf, Mister Gnome. First time meeting one of you. I didn''t know positions of power were given out to non-dwarves," Lone replied as he sauntered forward and placed himself in the seat opposite the warden''s desk. The two remaining guards tensed at his arrogance, but the warden shook his head. "Come now. If he meant me harm, he''d have killed me already. Get those shackles off of him, would you? I swear. The man makes an honest mistake and wants to pay us back for it and this is how we treat him? The lad can''t even use magic. Ardartian shackles won''t change that." "Ah don''t think ''at''s wise, sir," Thron, one of the two who chose to stay, countered. "And I don''t think you''re in charge," the warden sneered. "Do forgive him, won''t you, Mister Immortus? I''ve been briefed on your case, we all have, but as I''m not a dwarf, I can look at it a bit more rationally than our more emotionally and culturally invested friends here are able." Lone nodded as he let the reluctant guards undo his bindings. "Don''t worry about it. I can see through the lens of many a perspective. I totally get it. And, well, truth be told, when you''ve been through what I have, this level of treatment doesn''t even breach the surface of cruelty." "Oh, I heard. Torture by the humans? Ghastly beings who too often get lost in their arrogance. If not that, then they allow their most common racial skill to control them. A sad thing for all sentient species," the warden replied. "Ah, the one that lets ''em reproduce so fast?" Lone asked rhetorically. "Yeah, nasty skill." One he was glad Soph and Sophie had yet to earn. Perhaps she''d unlock a different racial skill. He didn''t know of any other racial skills tied to the human species since Milindo had very little public information regarding it. Still, seeing as how the Stone Dwarves were blessed with two possible racial skills, he had hope. "Indeed it is. While our local dwarven friends are able to mine incredibly well or judge the worth of items with no equal. You can kill with ease and above your rank. I can assess people as easily as the moons do rise. But the humans... they can become very horny and procreate like animals. Truly ironic considering they aren''t beastkin," the man said as he sat himself down on a padded seat that accounted for his lacking height. Noticing Lone glancing at his chair, the warden smiled. "I need this even for the dwarves. Still, I''ll be hurting my neck talking to you today. I haven''t introduced myself, have I? My name is Zilben Hesgresind but do call me Zil or just Warden if you''d prefer. The slight accent is on account of me being raised in this krieg, my parents having fled the surface some two centuries ago after a famine. Dreadfully boring stuff." "I''m sure. Zil''s fine. Just like Lone''s good for me. Keep it formal if you want, I''m fine whichever way. So, we gonna talk about how my whole 27-years are gonna work down here?" Lone inquired. Of course, he had no plans to stay for that long. A few months was his intended staying period. At most, he''d remain until his mana seal was lifted if he really enjoyed reclaiming the kriegs and urds. Only time would tell. He was a man with plans, after all. Chiefly, visit the primary settlement of the Crimson Foxkin clan, and then make his way to Mystopolis to enrol at The Academy to pursue the field of magical knowledge. "Lone then. And yes, let''s. It''s really rather simple. You must take a task once every year. You can take more if you wish, but no less. Basic provisions will be provided to you of an equal standard to that of a foot soldier of the army. For each extra task you take on, your sentence can be reduced depending on the importance of the reclaimed or cleared area," Zil explained. Lone nodded. "Wait, my sentence can be reduced? That''s pretty fuckin'' huge. I got a pretty thorough rundown from my arbiter, but she didn''t mention that." Zil nodded. "That''s only natural. It is illegal for an arbiter to mention it as if it were common knowledge, every criminal would wish to be punished with militaristic enlistment. Kill a man and only serve a fraction of the time you would in a prison cell? No. We don''t have the capacity for that. And the courts don''t want all defendants to fight for it every case either." Lone stroked his short beard in thought. "I guess that makes sense. That would imply I have to sign a magical NDA, right?" "A what?" Zil asked in confusion. "Non-disclosure agreement. A magic contract to keep my silence," Lone explained, already regretting using an abbreviation from back on Earth. Hell, he was surprised it had even translated properly into the local language. "Ah, yes. You''ll be doing that later today," Zil answered. "Now, considering your arbiter explained everything bar that to you, can I assume you''re aware then that you can employ adventurers to aid your expeditions as well as all the rules surrounding that?" ''Sophie, I can work off my sentence by doing extra jobs. I''m only required to do one a year, but more will reduce my time here. Later I''ll be signing a magic contract or something that''ll force me to keep that a secret. If I can give you more details before then I will,'' Lone conveyed over The Summoning Room''s telepathic link. ''We see. Poor dwarves. I doubt they expected you to be able to spill their secrets so immediately. We shall inform Breena and Hamish,'' Sophie replied, relieving Lone. He nodded. "Yup. I know it all, I think. Like how each task is also simultaneously a guild quest so it can serve to increase my standing in The Adventurer''s Guild while also helping the kingdom." "Assuming you don''t fail. These are not simple matters. Those are left for the kings'' armies. Our tasks are the dregs not worth an adventurer''s time, the ones too dangerous to risk losing a battalion to, or private matters that have been given exclusively to us since our members have a... reputation of sorts," Zil said with a wry smile while the guards laughed. Lone raised an eyebrow. "What kinda reputation?" "A suicidal one. If you''d been sentenced to a thousand years of service here, you''d be willing to do the insane tasks that instantly reduce your sentence by a flat 90%, would you not?" Zil asked as he rubbed his large nose. Lone hmmed loudly. "Gotcha. Well, where can I see the tasks? I''d like to get started immediately. Ah, do you have a task to reclaim the krieg with Sheinlings in it? I''d love to start there. I''ll sign that contract first though if needed." "Eager, aren''t we. You can start first. It will take me the rest of the afternoon to get your paperwork prepared. I can''t recall if we have any tasks related to Sheinlings though. We get many new tasks each month and many get completed as well. I certainly won''t be stopping you if you''d like to start working off your sentence immediately. Thron, take him to the board," Zil ordered. "Of course, sir," the dwarf replied with a sloppy salute. "Fox, on yer feet. Try anythin'' funny now ''at the warden''s so graciously allowed yer cuffs off an'' ah''ll break yer feckin'' kneecaps." "Scary," Lone said monotonously. Zil chuckled. "You''ll get used to him." "I''m sure," Lone replied. B2: Chapter 65: Choosing a Task and Purple Opulence Reclamation of Outpost Dunthon Situation: The outpost is at the end of a long string of Farwind roads that have been blocked off for centuries. Since the local council stopped funding the clearing of the road, the outpost was abandoned and has since been inhabited by a band of unlawful exiles. Reward upon completion (if not completed as the required yearly task): 1% sentence duration reduction. Reclamation of Farwind Road Lunardah Situation: It''s an important road that connects Krieg Fer to Urd Tirn, which in turn connects to Krieg Doorun. It''s been overrun by an infestation of Lunar Crystal Bloodwings. Reward upon completion (if not completed as the required yearly task): 3% sentence duration reduction. Reclamation of Krieg Stunfurn Situation: From what we''ve gathered, a topsider blood mage managed to sneak into the Krieg and pull off a mass sacrificial ritual. All of the residents have been turned into abominations of sorts. Just looking at them can spell certain death. Reward upon completion (if not completed as the required yearly task): 50% sentence duration reduction. Lone stroked his chin carefully. Of course, he had to choose the easiest possible task on this board first. It would be such a waste to, for example, reclaim Krieg Stunfurn only for that very appealed 50% reduction to not be applied to his sentence. If he could get out of here in just a few months to a year legally, he''d rather do that than just leave as soon as he got bored which was the original plan. ''Man, I super badly want to go to that krieg right now. What kinda awesome resistances would I get? Blood Magic Resistance? Madness Resistance? Would that fall under Insanity Resistance? What about levelling Curse Resistance further? Sounds super dangerous for Soph and Breena though,'' he thought. Keeping that in mind, Lone moved along the board as he kept reading task notice after task notice. A secluded manor hidden in a Farwind offshoot overrun by mutant underground plants with a 30% reduction reward. An urd sunken into a pit that appeared overnight and has no survivors return from it after being sent to investigate with a 35% reduction reward. Another urd where whoever enters is compelled to stay against their own will with a 42% reduction rate. "Lot of high-risk high-reward tasks, huh?" Lone asked the guards. Thron grunted, "''Course there are. Ye lot get slapped wae the shite nae one else wants tae dae. Just so ''appens ''at''s usually the suicide missions. ''Sides, all the easy ones get snapped up real quick by the dregs in ''ere." Lone slowly nodded his head. "Guess that makes sense. Not everyone forced here is high-ranked or probably even a fighter at all in some cases. You''ve no doubt got production-focused criminals here too, right? Like alchemists gone rogue who you use to cook up some ''pots for the army or something. Bet they''d be eager to do easy tasks." "Heh, so yer brain does work. Hurry up now an'' pick ah feckin'' task. We cannae be standin'' ''ere all day," Thron spat out while wearing a mean scowl. Lone shrugged. "Go fuck yourself. I''ll take however much time I want." And do just that he did. Granted, it only took him another five minutes to find a suitable task. Luckily, one of the places Hamish had informed Sophie of having Sheinlings in it was currently listed as a task here. Reclamation of Urd Siltal Situation: Sweet and simple. A sub-clan of Sheinlings have overun the urd. They massacred the citizens overnight. There is estimated to be between 100 and 125 of the little fuckers in and around the urd. No signs of the Over Well. Reward upon completion (if not completed as the required yearly task): 2% sentence duration reduction. ''Must be one of the two urds Hamish mentioned to Sophie,'' Lone thought as he pointed at the request. "I''ll do this one. Can we head to the guild now?" Thron shook his head and glared at Lone. "Feckin'' finally. An'' naw, ya cannae. First thing in the morrow. Tonight at the earliest, if ye''r lucky. Fae now, we''ve gotta tell the warden an'' ''e''s gotta do the paperwork to allow you tae gae ootside. Be prepared tae meet one o'' the few mages stationed in the krieg, Fox." The dwarf laughed as he grabbed Lone by the wrist and roughly dragged him out of the room. ''I''m guessing compulsion magic of some sort gets used on us to make us return? Or something similar. Maybe normal contracting magic? Must be painful to endure regardless for him to be giggling like a schoolgirl. Sounds like nothing but a free resistance skill to me,'' Lone thought in joy. When he was returned to his cell, Lone decided to just go to sleep immediately. As much as he would have liked to have trained for the rest of the day, he was serious about listening to his lover''s advice. If she wanted him to sleep and rest, sleep and rest he would. Resistance training and nightmares both be damned.
"Hello~" Lone groaned powerfully as he opened his eyes. "Yup, not in my cell. Also not in Urd Grun though." From the looks of things, he was in some sort of middle-eastern royal chamber. It honestly looked amazing though it was very purple, overbearingly so. The plush and numerous cushions were all displayed in shades of lavender and violet. The pillars that spiralled 20-metres up to the slanted walls of the chamber were made entirely out of a deep and glossy pure amethyst crystal. The random assortments of jewellery and riches that had been strewn about the room made it a struggle to move, they were golden but also encrusted with gems exclusive to the purple variety. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ''Is this a pyramid? The way the walls are makes me think so but it feels almost ancient Persian in here, not ancient Egyptian,'' Lone noted as his eyes fell onto the person who had greeted him. Sitting lazily atop a large stack of pillows with a pipe in its mouth was who Lone could only assume to be the Primal, Darkness. It was, of course, assuming Lone''s form with his hair and all nine tails being pure dark purple along with his eyes. "We''re in here," Darkness said as he pointed at his forehead. Lone raised an eyebrow. "My head? Well that''s hardly a surprise given you live inside of me now. Any reason we''re here? I already defeated you, if you''d be so kind as to recall." "Aha, Loney boy... You didn''t beat me. Harsios did. Demigods are so tricky. I really didn''t expect you to so frivolously use a wish to save Breena. I suppose even the great and mighty Primal, Darkness, can make mistakes, no?" the being lamented. Lone slowly nodded. "I suppose so." "So much suspicion! It''s really rather uncalled for. This little pyramid of mine? It''s just a representation of my holding cell within your soul. Quaint, is it not? And no, I didn''t bring you here. I was just as surprised as you when you showed up. You are sleeping though, so want to chat? For old time''s sake?" Darkness suggested. "Quaint? More like needlessly lavish. It is nice though. And chat about what?" Lone asked. He was deeply on edge in truth since he knew for a fact that he couldn''t trust a word the existence before him spoke, but he hardly knew how to forcefully leave this place so he''d have to go along with it for the time being. Darkness shrugged as it took a puff of a long pipe. "Anything. It''s so boring in here. Only Sky gets to peek into the real world since you actually use his skill. He''s craftier than I expected to have made such an accessible skill for his Avatar. Both Void and I had no luck in that regard." ''Using Primal skills lets them see into the real world? Is that true, a lie, or partially true?'' Lone wondered. ''And what are the implications?'' "30,000 SP and 50,000 MP is a hard ask for a skill that can only be used once a week and not even offensively," Lone pointed out. "At your level it''s a hard ask. And not even offensively? Loney boy, open your mind. You like to think of possibilities, yes? Just as Void''s skill can be used for more than wanton destruction, and just like how Sky''s skill can be used to walk upside-down, mine can be used for so much more than is presented on the tin. You wound me by suggesting anything less," Darkness claimed as he held a hand to his chest and winced mockingly. "Uhuh. So... all this," Lone said, gesturing around himself, "This gonna become a regular meeting?" Darkness shrugged. "I''m not sure. I do see something though. A possibility. Would you be interested in hearing it?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "You''ll tell me anyway, so shoot." "I do love how cooperative you are despite our past differences. Well, my idea is rather simple. I believe I can force this interaction to happen at a specific time. I''d like to experiment with that before moving forward with the idea. As you are my warden, of course, I seek your permission," the purple-haired Darkness asked with a shit-eating grin on its face. Lone paced for a bit. "Sure. I don''t see why not. I can''t trust you didn''t force this meeting already, so it would certainly be better if I knew exactly what time future meetings would happen so I could plan around them. I would like to have ordinary dreams every now and then instead of being whisked away at the behest of your mercy." "And have them you shall. I''ll try to prevent this meeting from happening again until two Saturdays have come and gone. On the second Saturday, at, oh, let''s say... midnight? At midnight, the turn of Sunday, I''ll see if I can make this meeting happen again," Darkness offered. Lone sighed. "I really wish I could trust you. The sheer amount of knowledge you must have... Whatever. Two Saturdays from now then. How do you even know about how Earth categorised the weekdays?" "I may not actually be able to read memories as I previously had alluded to, but I can see surface thoughts if I try to. Dreams can tell a man about a lot of things too. I know a lot about your planet of origin," Darkness confessed. "Would you like to leave now? I''m happy trying to force you into a normal dream. I can''t actually hurt you since that would risk myself what with my new residence being within your very soul. I''d even be happy to try to give you dreams every night instead of your intermittent nightmares. Repair the burnt broken bridge and whatnot." "Eh, no. I''ll pass on leaving right now. I have no fuckin'' idea if you need consent like some sort of vampire or demon, but I''ll happily wait this out," Lone replied instantly. Darkness nodded as he took another puff of his pipe. "That''s fair. And about the dreams?" Lone considered it for a moment. "Okay. I can''t exactly seek a therapist given my current situation so I''ll try to trust you on that. Fuck me over, however, and just watch as I find a way in here every day to blast you repeatedly with Mental Destruction." "Lovely. Worst-case scenario, you get new resistance skills if I try to meddle, is your current line of thinking, no?" Darkness chuckled. "And you get to vent, of course." "You''ve got me all figured out," Lone replied sarcastically. "Not yet, but I will with time," Darkness answered. "Well then. Chess to pass the time? It would be interesting if your mastery skill on the subject levels while here, would it not?" "I can play some chess, sure," Lone said.
Lone was startled awake by a sharp and deep, "Oi! Breakfast. Ye''r also due fae the warden''s office in two hoors so clean yerself up." Lone nodded lightly, barely conscious enough to tell the dwarf had a different voice from Thron''s. He slowly sat up and yawned. "That was a fuckin'' amazing dream," he mumbled as he leaned over and grabbed his tray containing a bowl of suspicious soup and a cup of water. ''At least Darkness kept its promise. Still, is it weird for my one good dream in months to be one of me, Soph, and Sophie, all just cuddling in bed with Kyuubi sleeping at our feet?'' Lone entertained the thought for a moment if that would technically be a form of cheating if both sides of his lover had a body of their own. He soon dismissed the thought as nonsense. Even if that did come to pass, it''d be a consenting form of having multiple partners. Or multiple forms of the same partner? ''I need to stop thinking about this.'' And so he went on to consume his ''breakfast'' and go over his system notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Chess Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Chess Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Chess Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''It actually worked. Haven''t practised that skill ever since I first played against Kerny back in Milindo.'' A brief wave of nostalgia passed over Lone as he thought about the Lesher. Soon not so pleasant thoughts made their presence known so Lone sighed and moved on. Milindo was still a sore subject in his mind.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sleep Deprivation Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
"Just like Hunger and Thirst Resistance. Sating it gave it a level. Very interesting," Lone mumbled. "Wonder if there''s a Lust Resistance skill and if it works on my own lust, or the palpable lust of others." Morning thoughts could be frightening, at times. Once he was done with breakfast, Lone wrote in his diary and then meditated until the guards came to bring him to the warden''s office. "No Thron today?" he asked his escort of short men. The leading guard shook his head. "Cunt and his crew works first sun tae fourth. Today''s fifth sun." "Ah, you''re the weekend crew. Gotcha," Lone replied. ''First sun represents Sunday, so nine days to see if Darkness is at least somewhat reliable.'' The rest of the trip to the warden''s office was travelled in silence. Lone was excited, however, to earn some new resistance skills today. What better chance to earn contract magic or a similar such resistance would he get than one where he was okay with the conditions of the magic he was forced into? After all, all he had to agree to today was to return once he completed his task. Well, and to not blab about the sentence reduction thing. Too bad for them that he''d already filled Soph in regarding that little tidbit. Telepathy was a hell of an ability. ''I''m sure there are other caveats like not to commit crimes while outside, but I''m not a criminal by choice if you ignore all of the times I''ve chosen to commit a crime,'' he joked as the large stone door at the end of the hallway was opened for him by the very helpful guards. B2: Chapter 66: Heeth and Mental Pain The leading guard knocked on the door to the warden''s office briskly but with respect. "Fox''s ''ere!" "Ah, right on time. Please let him in and only two guards come with him, please," came the order of Warden Zilben Hesgresind. "By yer will," the dwarf replied as he opened the door and jerked his head to signal Lone to move. Doing as instructed, Lone entered the cosy little office and placed himself in the same chair from yesterday. Seated across from him was not only the warden but also a robed dwarven man well into his later years on account of his white hair and countless wrinkles. "This is the one?" the old dwarf asked softly. Zil nodded. "Indeed, Stoner Heeth." ''Stoner? You''ve gotta be fuckin'' with me. I mean, I totally get it,'' Lone thought. ''They worship the Stone and dwarves are rarely born with the ability to awaken their mana organs so them having a unique title makes sense. Those lucky few must be called Stoners instead of mages or something. It makes complete sense but fuck me if it ain''t hard to keep from cracking a joke only I''d understand.'' While wondering if Altros had crazier versions of the Devil''s lettuce and how legal such substances would be along with how much they might cost, Lone reached out his shackled hands towards the Stoner. With a charming smile donning his lips, Lone greeted, "It''s a pleasure. Your existence makes my time here far more bearable. I''m actually really happy all I needed to do to avoid a constant escort while outside is just signing a magical contract with you. That''s what you do, right?" The old man raised an eyebrow in interest as he carefully shook Lone''s hand. "Yes, ah s''ppose it''s ah contract o'' ah sort. Warden, is ''e unawares or ''as ''e just got ah helluva set ah nuts on ''im?" Zil tilted his head in consideration. "I suspect both. I also suspect you don''t wish to be here for hours, yes, Lone? This will take a while, so let''s begin as soon as possible. The first one always takes the longest since it''s only tweaks and maintenance after that." Lone nodded as he let go of the Stoner''s hand and relaxed into his seat. "That''s fair." About half an hour passed while the details of the contract were hammered out. Lone was never told of what magic exactly would be used but he''d learn soon enough when it was used on him and he could obtain it himself. "This looks fine to me, Lone," Zil said after having gone over the contract. "I assume you''re fine with it too? Consent matters a lot here." "Ah, that''s good to know. Can we add one more clause though?" Lone requested. Zil glanced at the Stoner who nodded. "It''s within ma capabilities tae make the spell ah little bit more complex if the warden permits it, aye." "That depends on what else you want to add," Zil said. "This is the framework for every other time you''ll need the spell placed on you, after all." "Nothing crazy. I just want four days holiday every time I do a request. Two before leaving, two after I successfully return - which''ll be every time. I need to relax, spent time with my lover, have a proper shower and meal. Y''know. Downtime. I''ll pay for everything I buy during those four days, of course." The Stoner boomed a laugh that didn''t match his frail elderly frame. "Ah was right! Fecker does ''ave some set ah nuts on ''im! Lad, ah ken ye think yer hot shit but lemme fill ye in, ye''re naw. Warden, let''s proceed as-is, aye?" Zil shook his head. "I''ll allow it. Add the clause." The old man''s expression dropped. "This''ll conk me oot fer the rest o'' the week, ya ken ''at, aye? A clause like ''at needs at least 26 sub-clauses tae make sure ''e doesnae dae anything we dinnae wan'' ''im daein." Lone smiled warmly at the warden. "Zil, I really like you, y''know? It feels good to finally meet someone who is immediately aware of my value." "Thank you for the compliment," the gnome replied. "Stoner Heeth, word may not have reached you yet but this foxkin was able to injure an X-ranker during his trial despite only being a D-ranker. That is why he is even here at all and not buried somewhere right now. His claim of being able to succeed every time isn''t one of pure bravado. I have a good feeling this small kindness will go a long way in seeing the tasks on our board disappearing rapidly. Is that not right, Lone? Particularly the ones of major concern and the ones we''ve had for years now." Lone nodded. "Kindness begets kindness." ''I mean, I was gonna do hard requests regardless since I want new skills and those sweet, sweet sentence reductions, but yeah, this gnome sure knows how to make friends, not enemies. Prisoners; ya gotta use ''em, not abuse ''em, right?'' he surmised in thought. Stoner Heeth sighed. "Fine. It''s ''is feckin'' funeral an'' yer the feckin'' boss. If ah blow up ''is brain by mistake, ah''m nae liable." "I''ve got it on good authority that he''s also rather durable," Zil said, clearly having knowledge of Lone''s public fight with Hamish. "Look on the bright side. You won''t level your skills without pushing them, right?" Lone offered a sympathetic look to the old man. ''Not unless you''re me, that is.'' The old man stood up and approached Lone. "There''s nae bright side doon ''ere where the sun doesnae shine, smartarse." The Stoner placed his hand on Lone''s head and squeezed slightly. A sadistic grin then made itself known on his face. "I hope ye''ve got Mental and Physical Pain Resistance, lad. If nae, ye''d better pray ya earn ''em real quick." Power flowed through the elderly man''s body from head to toe. A power Lone recognised. It was mana but in a form he had never seen before. It seemed as if an ancient scripture had sprung forth from the Stoner''s skin and wrapped itself around him. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of characters swirled around all of his limbs leaving Lone in awe. Suddenly, these mystical letters flowed from the old man right into Lone''s mind, giving him the jolt of a lifetime. Lone''s teeth slammed together, almost shattered from his sheer jaw strength. He also clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood. His skin quickly repaired itself forcing his nails out of his flesh, and the few cracks that had appeared in his teeth disappeared, but the pain remained. ''I''ve endured worse. This is fuck all,'' Lone declared to himself. Seconds passed with the agony only getting worse and worse but not to the point that it was enough for him to scream. In fact, as his nerve ends suffered horrifically, his mind''s senses heightened and he relaxed his palms. As if on instinct, Lone activated his Meditation skill. Something inside of him was screaming that it would be a tragic waste to not do so.
"... Did he faint?" Warden Zilben Hesgresind asked. He''d known Stoner Heeth for decades, what with the man being one of the only two Stoners assigned to Krieg Moor. He naturally had a strong connection with the man due to their respective positions within the local council. From time to time, the man''s magic did tend to result in the prisoners going out to accomplish tasks losing consciousness. It was a dreadfully painful process, after all. Even more so when Stoner Heeth wasn''t as careful and precise as was physically possible. His magic was one that didn''t care for the condition of its targets nor did it try to lessen the immense distress it caused when cast if not controlled. ''Then again, aren''t all magics impartial? It''s a scary branch of skills, magic. To think my species is the opposite of dwarves with most of them actually being born with both mana organs active. I was lucky to only have my mana brain awaken,'' the gnome reminisced. Stoner Heeth shrugged. "Probably? Ah may ''ave been ah little mere forceful than usual. Lad looked so smug an'' sure ah ''imself ''at ah felt ''e needed knocked doon ah peg or two." Zilben ran a hand over his incredibly bald head. "I know you need to enjoy this to not go insane from what is legally classified as a form of torture, but please, don''t lose yourself like this. The boy''s only 25 years old." "Hah. Unearned confidence doesnae discriminate by age, so neither dae ah," Stoner Heeth snapped back. "Lad gets ah holiday every time ''e goes oot there tae dae some dirty work fae the cooncil. Ah wee bit ah pain''s nothing fae what could easily build up tae be hoondreds o'' days o'' freedom." "Limited freedom," the interesting foxkin that Zilben now found himself in charge of said as he slowly opened his eyes. "And no, I didn''t pass out. That was painful, but I''ve been through worse. Much worse." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ''What sad eyes,'' Zilben noted. "I see. Well, that being the case, we can have those shackles removed and you can be released right now to go on your first two day leave before you handle your chosen task." The two guards approached the beastkin after Zilben waved them over. They then quickly unlocked the ardartian bindings that restrained the man. The foxkin cracked his neck as he smiled. "Fantastic. Hey, Stoner Heeth... Fuckin'' stoner... Still can''t believe that... Uh, anyway, no hard feelings, yeah? I get I''m cocky. Thanks though. You seriously helped me out. Like, I genuinely mean that. And like Zil said, only take as much pleasure as you need from this. Torture isn''t conducive for either party, the victim or the aggressor." "Hah, like ye''d ken anything aboot torture. Ye were just ah drop ah sperm swimmin'' in ah bawsack nae long ago," Stoner Heeth grumbled. "Ah''m oof fae ah sleep, Warden. Dinnae contact me again fae at least another seve- naw, eight days." "Of course. Rest well," Zilben replied. Lone got up to leave as well and just as he was turning around, Zilben saw an incredibly dark and hatred-filled expression take hold of his face. He also heard the young man whisper something under his breath. "Oh, I know. I fuckin'' know. Sir Ardus is destined to die after I''ve heard his excuses - provided he yet lives." After the door to his office closed, Zilben sat perfectly still in his chair for a good five minutes straight. He was shaking and his breathing was a little bit erratic. "How unsightly. For me to be so affected by the aura of a man so young and so low in the rankings. He doesn''t even have a real aura yet at D-rank. What a potent rage. You''ve done well to earn his good graces," the gnome said to himself. He sighed wistfully. "No one who ends up here doesn''t have their own demons of some sort, whether of their own creation or as a result of the actions of others..."
"If you hadn''t sent us a message, Sophie was gonna take over and kill him, y''know?" Soph said before she hugged Lone who had just left the militaristic enlistment prison. She wrinkled her nose. "You still smell a bit." "This is exactly why I sent said message," Lone said in exasperation. "And sue me. I''ll have a bath when we get back to the inn." Putting her hand in his, he walked down the street and added, "She wants me to stop trying to kill myself via skill addiction, right? Fair enough. She needs to stop being so trigger happy too though." Soph smiled wryly. "She''s trying... We''re all trying to change." "It''s tough, huh?" Lone responded. Soph nodded. "Yup, but not so much when we''re doing it together." The warmth of her radiant smile infected Lone with a joyous sensation. "You are such a ray of sunshine." "And you, are a hopeless romantic," Soph giggled. "Have you checked your notification log?" "Not yet. Was gonna do it when we got back to the Rusty Sprocket, but considering the glares I''m getting, yeah. Maybe I''ll do it now," Lone conceded. Soph nodded. "That sounds wise. I''ll, uh, make sure you don''t bump into anyone or anything." Lone rolled his eyes. "I have enough spatial awareness to not do anything that dumb. It takes a lot of passive effort to not rub my tails up against anything or anyone, y''know? I bet I could dodge a falling pot plant on instinct alone." "Heheh, what a weird example," Soph chuckled. Lone chuckled alongside her before he brought up his notification log with a keen eagerness.
The host has developed the scripture magic skill: Enforcement Scripture.
Scripture Magic Skill: Enforcement Scripture
A skill that allows the host to weave magical scriptures into an act of enforcement that cannot be broken by the subject it is placed upon. An end condition must be included in the scripture. The scripture must have 1 primary enforcement action. A scripture may contain up to 10 clauses and up to 25 sub-clauses. The scripture is permanently active until the end condition of it has been fulfilled. All MP costs are tripled if the subject is unwilling and there is a chance of failure that varies depending on the subject''s level of resistance.
Cost: 20,000 MP (Additional 2,000 MP per clause and 1,000 MP per sub-clause.)
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Scripture Magic.
''This... is an incredible skill. It''s also incredibly restrictive. That MP cost alone is frighteningly high. This clearly isn''t a skill you learn immediately upon realising you''ve got an affinity for scripture magic, huh? Or magic at all for that matter. I bet it takes decades to learn this. Hell, decades just to get the needed MP for a normal person,'' Lone thought as he moved on.
The host has developed the passive skill: Scripture Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Scripture Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Scripture Magic. When resisting Scripture Magic, it will have a 5% higher chance to fail on top of the host''s natural resistance.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Scripture Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Scripture Magic. When resisting Scripture Magic, it will have a 15% [+10%] higher chance to fail on top of the host''s natural resistance.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''What a perfect resistance skill. It''s almost an active skill since it doesn''t trigger if I don''t resist. I am gonna milk Stoner Heeth fuckin'' dry for this bugger,'' Lone grinned internally.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mental Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''Wow. I''ve finally found a way to level Mental Pain Resistance.'' Lone felt ecstatic. ''And three levels for Meditation? My intuition paid off in spades there. Good job, me.'' He found it easy to ignore the scornful looks and whispered words of ill-intent being thrown his and Soph''s way after having checked his notification log. It was confirmed. This little stint in the slammer would be a veritable gold mine. B2: Chapter 67: Smiles and Impartial Lone moaned blissfully when he felt the perfectly heated water of the steamforged bath sink into his pores and his tail''s fur. It had been over a month since he''d last experienced the joy that was the perfectly crafted piece of machinery known as a steam bather. Sure, the cold baths he was able to cobble together with the help of his Dimensional Storage had their charm. A very distinct charm that got old about two days into the month-long expedition to and from Urd Grun. "Showers are for cleaning, baths are for relaxing," Lone hummed lightly as he sunk his body further into the tub and grinned. "So tempted to steal this fuckin'' thing." A twinge of pain went off in his mind, causing a frown to form on his face. "Yeah, yeah, calm down. Stupid scripture magic." As it turned out, if Lone even so much as thought about breaking one of the magical enforcement''s unbreakable tenets, his mind would be shocked lightly. Apparently, were he to actually somehow get close to breaking one of tenets by acting against the scripture''s clauses, he would just outright die. Lone had his doubts about that given his Basic Regeneration but he wasn''t in a hurry to put it to the test. He was even less inclined to do so since while the mental shock for thinking about going against a clause would incapacitate a normal person, to someone with his mental fortitude it was nothing more than a light annoyance. Of course, this meant that he had tested this ''feature'' as much as possible. What was infuriating was that despite all of his efforts, thinking about resisting the magic didn''t give him any levels in the relevant resistance. He cleared his mind and just focused on enjoying himself. Lone had spent his first two day holiday casually with Soph, Sophie, Breena, and Kyuubi. He hadn''t left the inn ever since returning to it. It was just better for his mental health that way. He even though it perhaps might have been beneficial for the mental health of the dwarves who would look upon him as if he were worth less than the dirt that made up the majority of their sky. ''I swear to God, if there''s some BS discrimination at the Crimson Foxkin Clan too, I''m slapping someone. I don''t care who, but their face will meet the front side of my hand before saying hello to the backside soon after,'' Lone thought seriously before he burst out laughing. As his laughter slowly stopped, his mind wandered to his roguish dwarven companion. Lone hadn''t seen him since being ''released'' and the dwarf hadn''t bothered to visit the Rusty Sprocket. ''Probably better this way. I was just starting to like him which is an issue since I don''t want a whole party following me around. Besides, he said he wanted to retire, right?'' While his mind was on the topic of the dwarven people he knew, his thoughts naturally drifted to his blacksmithing master. A somberness shrouded the bathroom. Were it up to Lone, he''d have gone to Wilbur''s shop and checked up on the old man the moment his two day ''holiday'' began. That was impossible though as the scripture magic forbade him from contacting the soon-to-be epitome. Somehow, he''d talk to the man face-to-face again before he passed, of that, Lone promised himself. ''I wonder how I''ll develop my crafting skills after leaving the dwarven lands? I can always learn on my own but if Wilbur''s taught me anything, it''s that the system doesn''t know all that you know. Experience matters just as much as skill bonuses. Question is, where would I go to find someone willing to teach me steamforging?'' Lone pondered. He was itching to level something up, anything really. Soph and Sophie had taken turns convincing him to avoid focusing on any of his skills the past two days so he could truly unwind. He didn''t want to, but had he not recently resolved himself to listen to his beloved''s advice more often now that it had been made painfully obvious that doing the opposite tended to lead to later regrets? As addicted to earning and levelling skills as he was, taking some time away from it had actually helped clear his mind and relieve some of his stress. ''I guess it''s always healthy to step back from something you love and reflect on it every now and then, isn''t it? Addiction is just another form of love. A twisted form. I should make the first two day leave of my task outings a forbidden time to train skills from here on out.'' Considering the state of his mind, Lone valued any levity he could find in regards to his mental health. "You done yet?" Soph''s sweet yet hurried voice asked through the bathroom door. Lone shrugged, knowing she could see him with her Mana Sensing even if she wasn''t in the room with him. "Five more minutes then I''ll dry off. Don''t worry. I physically cannot avoid going to the guild by exactly tenth bell. We won''t be late." "Okay... Well, uh, I''m ready. Are you gonna store all of the moisture on you from the bath when you''re done or do you want me to dry your tails for you when you''re done?" Soph asked, some hope marring her tone. Lone grinned. "I''ll leave it to you."
On his way to the guild after getting cleaned up and dressed, Lone noticed a change in Breena''s gaze that was directed at the people around them. She had always been rather closed off and tended to keep her eyes to the floor while trying to make herself look as small and as invisible as possible. Now though, there was a resentful sort of confidence in her eyes which only grew the more the passing dwarves scoffed at Lone''s very presence. Just as they were about to enter The Adventurer''s Guild, Lone leaned down and whispered to his foxkin brethren, "It''s not bothering me so don''t let it bother you." That wasn''t entirely true, but Breena didn''t need to know that. It bothered Lone enough that he was secretly hoping to get a new skill like Social Anxiety Resistance or Not Giving a Fuck Mastery. "Ma-!" she cut herself off quickly and said in a far softer tone, "But... you''re not in the wrong. They''re in the wrong for being so harsh. You saved so many of them in Urd Grun but they only see you as a skill thief... Skills don''t belong to anyone but those who earn them... Besides, th-they''re looking at you like you... Like you''re... him." ''Like Daisuke? Being compared to him stings like a motherfucker.'' Lone smiled it off and shrugged. "Their culture, not ours. We won''t be here for much longer anyway. Less than a year, two at a push if something motivates me to stay past one." "But your sentence..." the teenaged girl trailed off. Soph shook her head as she opened the door to the guild. "That''s why we''re here, silly. To help him work it off!" Her joyful aura was infectious and it seemed to calm Breena''s growing unease somewhat. Sadly, it came back in full force when the guild became utterly silent upon noticing Lone''s entry. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Lone sighed internally as he scanned the room carefully. About 40 or so dwarves were standing around or sitting at the left-side tables. Few people were moving and those that were had slowed incredibly to get a good long uncomfortable look at Lone. "Ah, I''m glad you''re here," he said as he approached a certain dwarf he''d met before. Lone reached into his ''adventurer''s pouch'' and pulled out the white wooden pickaxe he''d been gifted by a charitable soul a month ago. "Hmm?" The dwarf was one of the few people in the room not staring at the entrance, he was instead focused on a card game he and his friends seemed to be playing Raising a quizzical eyebrow, the dwarf squinted as he glanced at Lone. The smell of hard whiskey hit Lone''s nose, making him smile a bit wryly. "Ah... you," the dwarf said. "Yup, me. Here," Lone replied as he handed the dwarf his pickaxe. The dwarf stared at it blankly for a bit as if confused. Perhaps he was drunker than Lone had first assumed. Lone grinned regardless and said, "Told ya I''d return it. Took a little longer than expected on account of me getting arrested, but hey-ho, that''s life, eh? I''ve got those stories you wanted too if you don''t hate me with every bone in your body now. I understand if you do." Agar Mudborne exhaled deeply as he made a troubled expression, some clarity returning to his eyes. He shook his head. "Keep it. Look, ye''r naw ah bad bloke, but ah''m ah man o'' faith. Ye learned one ah the Stone''s sacred arts despite nae bein'' one o'' oor kind. Sorry, fox. Keep the pick an'' dinnae talk tae me ever again, aye?" The hand Lone was using to hold the tool clenched slightly as he struggled to continue smiling. Lone set the wooden thing down on the floor, resting its head on Agar''s table. "Sorry. That being the case, I don''t think I can use it without feeling bitter. Maybe sell it if you don''t want it. Thanks again." He left without letting the dwarf reply. Lone then quickly approached the reception of the guild. ''The sooner we get to the Farwinds, the better, I think.'' Lone saw Breena bite her bottom lip in anger while Soph shot him a concerned and sympathetic look. He gave them a reassuring smile to tell them he was fine. He then immediately approached the reception desks. He, Soph, and Breena, found themselves in front of an unfamiliar dwarven woman who looked very unwilling to serve them, but she still forced a smile on her face and asked what they needed. Lone could appreciate pushing past the prejudice and hard feelings to maintain a good work ethic if nothing else. Since she didn''t want to deal with him, he''d make this short and sweet and skip all pleasantries. "I''m off to Urd Siltal to fix the Sheinling problem there. I''ll be hiring adventurers Sophie Vladimiovich and Breena Redtail to accompany me. Their fee shall be handled privately," Lone said. Soph and Breena nodded when the guild employee glanced at them for confirmation of the private hire. The guild would usually take care of such a thing for a trivial fee if requested to avoid scammers, hence why Lone needed to declare the nature of the arrangement as being private. Lone took off his bronze plate adventurer''s tag and fished for Soph and Breena''s which were in his trouser pocket, since he''d collected them from the two earlier. Placing all three metal plates on the receptionist''s desk, he said, "We''d also like to claim the reward for the quest we accepted last month. Urd Grun has been cleared of all danger. If there are any pending rewards for the rescue of the missing dwarves of the krieg, we''d like to claim those as well." Something about the silence in the guild hall turned aggressive. Offended, even. The receptionist, while maintaining a strained expression, asked, "You what?" Lone''s face didn''t change one bit. "You don''t want me here. I honestly feel pretty uncomfortable myself. Let''s be official and nothing else. Reward us sufficiently and give me any quests relating to Urd Siltal, and I''ll be out of your hair." "Arrogant fookin'' topsider," a dwarven adventurer with a dark-steel adventurer tag - one rank shy of silver - growled. Another dwarf, a woman on the other side of the hall, yelled, "Just leave, ye feckin'' criminal!" "First ye steal our sacred skill and now ya try an'' claim rewards ye arnae entitled tae?" a third grumbled disapprovingly. Before long, every dwarf in the guild was glowering at Lone, Soph, and Breena, while saying all manner of horrific things from speciesist slurs to threats of death. ''They''re no different to those from Milindo, huh?'' Lone commented mentally as his expression turned vacant. ''Why is it so hard for people to look past such a basic collectivist mindset? ''We good, everything else bad.'' Utterly barbaric. I committed a crime and owned up to it. I''m being punished by the law. Being outcast makes sense too, but this verbal abuse is something else...'' Bitter feelings swirled around in Lone''s heart while he impassively stared at the employee, waiting for her to do her damned job. Soph, meanwhile, was looking more and more uncomfortable and from the way her hands were positioned, it appeared she was ready to use barrier magic any moment now if they were attacked. Breena was staring at the floor but one of her hands was hovering threateningly over her waist-strapped needle pouch. "Enough!" a loud and familiar voice boomed. From the second floor of the guild''s central hall, Guildmaster Hilda was looking down at everyone with a scowl on her face mighty enough to make even a dragon cower. "Freya! Do yer feckin'' job! Pay the fox an'' his friends! Swap out their plates tae ones fittin'' their deeds anaw!" she screamed at the receptionist who jumped in fear before nodding and getting to work immediately. The guildmaster swept her gaze across the entirety of the first floor''s occupants. "If ye dae ah quest, ye get rewarded! If ye dae ah quest without takin'' it but wish tae claim the reward, ye get rewarded! Life circumstances mean nothin''!" Lone was certain the woman was using some sort of skill, perhaps a taunt or maybe a fear effect. Heck, she could be using both. He wasn''t gaining any new skills but he''d experienced both before so it wasn''t so surprising. "An'' all o'' ye losers sittin'' ''ere gamblin'' an'' drinkin''! Dae some feckin'' work rather than vent on the lad who''s tryin'' tae make up fae ''is own wrongdoin''s! The guild is impartial! Feckin'' impartial! Do not make me say it ah third time!" Sharp nods met her demand. "Good! Ah swear, takin'' care ah ye lotta spoons directly drains ma lifespan." Lone raised an eyebrow. ''It''s been so many years since I heard someone call another person a spoon.'' He couldn''t remember exactly when the last time was that such an insult had graced his ears and that kind of bothered him. ''I should try to get a skill that boosts memory. That''s usually what the Wisdom stat does in these kinds of situations, right? Maybe it''s a hidden stat like Charm, Charisma, and Magic Power.'' Lone coughed softly. "Thank you, guildmaster. I''m sure Freya would have done her job without your insistence. All of my experiences with the guild thus far have been nothing but stellar, even in Milindo - a place that''s hard to beat on the discrimination front." Guildmaster Hilda nodded. "Ah appreciate yer understandin''. When ye''r done gettin'' yer rewards an'' new tags, come up ''ere. We ''ave tae ''ave ah little chat." "Of course," Lone smiled. Soph frowned. ''That sounds threatening.'' Lone shrugged mentally. ''My gut is telling me I''ll just get a ''be careful'' warning. If it''s anything seriously concerning to our safety, I''ll handle it.'' ''How?'' Soph asked as she tilted her head in thought. ''I think I''ll let slip that I can contact Gilbert,'' Lone explained. Soph wore a look of realisation on her face. ''Wouldn''t that be kinda suspicious given that it''s been over two months since we came here?'' She was right. It was a while ago that they were teleporting over a barren wasteland while fleeing Milindo. ''You know how I feel. If things really go tits up, you just need to teleport us to the surface. Easy-peasy. I''m confident I can live through the scripture magic having a fit.'' ''... You''re not the one who has to teleport three people several times in a row while staying focused on their surroundings,'' Soph grumbled. "Um," the now-timid receptionist said, trying to get Lone''s attention. When he looked at her she handed him three plates and slid a leather pouch across the desk. "Your new plates. Yours has been upgraded to dark-steel, two promotions above your prior rank of bronze." The receptionist glanced at Soph and Breena. "Hamish of the Black Iron Company has already filed an extensive report of what happened to, at, and from, Urd Grun. In light of that, Sophie Vladimirovich has also been promoted by two ranks from iron to bronze, skipping copper." Lone handed her tag over, allowing Soph to put the chained plate around her neck. "Sadly, due to how little you were actually involved in the quest from Hamish''s reports, your rank shall only rise by one tier, Breena Redtail. From iron to copper. If you wish to contest this, you may, but substantial proof will be needed to dispute the word of a silver plate adventurer like Hamish," the employee explained. Lone gave Breena her plate and asked her, "I assume you''re fine with only a single promotion, right?" The girl nodded softly. "It''s more than I deserve." Those weren''t words of self-loathing or lacking confidence, but just what the girl truly believed. Lone couldn''t fault her for that. Breena had spent all of her time on the expedition training, more or less. And at the climax of their adventure she had almost been consumed by Darkness, becoming its puppet avatar. ''She got a lot stronger. She''ll do more than just train when we go wipe out these Sheinlings, I''m sure,'' Lone gave her a mental vote of confidence. He then went through the needed paperwork to enlist himself, Soph, and Breena, up for the only two quests the guild had in relation to Urd Siltal. With that done, it was time to speak with the local guildmaster. B2: Chapter 68: Giving Up The Orb and Arrival Lone, Soph, and Breena, quickly found the table Guildmaster Hilda was sitting at. In front of her were several pints of ale alongside a small mountain of paperwork. Clearly, unlike Gilbert who used his private office to his advantage, the guildmaster of Krieg Moor''s branch of The Adventurer''s Guild preferred to work in a more public space. The powerful dwarven woman noticed them and hailed them over with a wave of her hand as she signed some documents. Sitting down, Lone commented, "The more I interact with guildmasters, the more I''m beginning to believe the position is either a form of twisted retirement or just a training exercise to build up clerical skills." Hilda cracked a smile. "Ye''r nae far oof. It''s more the former than the latter, though. What quests did ye pick up?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "The standing one that''s been around for about half a year to reclaim Urd Siltal. The second one was a personal request to find an heirloom belonging to a former resident and recover it since said resident fled to this krieg." Hilda nodded. "Good. Gae us ah minute." Lone obliged, allowing her to get through a few more documents before she finally put down her steamforged pen - something Lone deeply desired but resisted asking about or pinching for himself. Hilda cracked her neck and said, "Ah call''d ye up ''ere tae warn ya. Ah wasnae at yer court ''earin'', but ah''ve ma connection. Ah certain someone - ah''m sure ya ken who - is very upset wae ''ow the ''ole trial went doon. Y''ken, on account ''o ye nae bein'' dead an'' all. The Stone sings an'' it''s ah song ah blood ah''m afraid." ''Sheelda McStuderson. Is this the guildmaster''s way to tell me that woman''s hired assassins or something to try to kill me since lobbying with the judge didn''t pan out?'' Lone wondered. He understood why she couldn''t be more direct. The walls had ears no matter where you went, after all. "I suspected that already. Thanks for the warning but I''ll be fine," Lone said respectfully. Breena seemed a bit lost but Soph''s eyes were clear and full of judgemental understanding. Her other half having experienced many assassinations attempts against her during the Crusades likely made it easier for her to read between the lines here. Hilda shrugged as she started massaging her presumably stiff shoulders. "Aye, ah dinnae doubt it. Any cunt who can fight Hamish the way ya did at yer rank is someone who can look oot fae ''imself. It''s just ''at its ma job tae look oot fae all ah ma adventurers. ''At includes ye. Remember, impartial. The guild cares fae its own." ''The guild cares for its own...'' Lone pondered over that sentence for a short while before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly cracked orb. He placed the sphere on the table and gestured for the guildmaster to take it. "''At''s ah communication orb. Ah heavily used communication orb," Hilda noted. "Now why would ye gae somethin'' like ''at tae me?" "The sister orb is in the hands of the missing guildmaster of Milindo, Gilbert Elksworth. Or Gilbert Shimmerscales. I have no idea what name of his you guys have him listed down as," Lone said. "This..." a mix of shock, joy, and intense suspicion clouded the guildmaster''s expression. "Ye''d be rewarded wae two white-gold coins just for ah trustworthy lead that may tell ''o ''is condition. Something like this though? If it allows constant contact wae ''im, well... this''ll be worth at least ten white-gold coins an'' ah promotion. Guildmasters are irreplaceable assets tae the guild. Dae ye mind if ah test this?" Lone shook his head. "Feel free. It only has about 14 or so more uses from our end, but Gilbert''s orb has three times that many so establishing long-term communication to figure out his location should be easy enough." The guildmaster wasted no time at all and injected her mana into the sphere, allowing it to activate. "Lone? It''s not the time for our usual chat nor is it your turn to initiate the call. Did something happen?" Gilbert asked through the sphere. "Mister Immortus contacted you this early, Teacher? Is something wrong?" Lone could hear Grimsley''s niece, Shana, asking curiously and with some worry in her voice. "I don''t know. Lone?" the centuries-old White Dragonkin kissed by Death inquired once again. "I''ve given the communication orb to the guildmaster of Krieg Moor''s branch of the guild," Lone explained. "Since it''s close to breaking, I figured it''d be wise to see if we - or rather the guild - could somehow rescue you from that island you''re on. Better that than let the thing explode from overuse when we just chat with it." "Ah, I see. I thought you were hesitant to do that... No matter. Guildmaster Hilda, if I recall?" Gilbert asked. "Aye... Aye, ''at''s me. Can ye prove yer Guildmast''r Gilbert?" the stocky dwarven woman questioned, her suspicion on full blast. "I can''t exactly show you my plate but if you''ll take the orb to a private room, I''ll confirm my identity for you," Gilbert answered. Hilda nodded and got up. She looked at Lone for a moment and said, "If this really is ''im, ye''ll earn ah silver plate promotion exam chance as well as ah fat purse ah coins." Lone smiled. "I look forward to the good news. I''ll be off now. Gotta leave the city soon if I don''t want my head to explode or something." The woman snorted as she walked away. "Scripture magic''s nasty." "It has its perks," he replied with a friendly nod. Lone then got up and was quickly followed by Soph and Breena. "How''s he gonna confirm who he is?" Soph asked. Lone shrugged. "Could be some sort of guildmaster secret code he could recite. Maybe spill some guild secrets? Could always get Guildmaster Hilda to tell truths and lies. He''s the only White Dragonkin guildmaster as far as I''m aware given the small size of their race. His racial skill should be easy to identify." Soph held her chin and nodded like a sage. "I see." Before long, the trio had made it to the farwind gate they needed to leave through to reach Urd Siltal. Breena was still a bit gloomy but Lone could see she was focusing more on the mission at hand and less on the discrimination he was being subjected to from the snide remarks and dirty looks he was getting as they passed groups of dwarves. It was better that way. She needed to learn what he had; the only real way to change such treatment is with overwhelming power. Who would listen to a weak nobody just waiting to be taken advantage of? ''Hopefully she doesn''t feel under pressure to do too much. Sheinlings may be weak compared to the Balor Demon Bats she couldn''t even touch, but they''re still monsters. Hyper-focus could lead to tunnel vision. Guess I just gotta look out for her,'' Lone thought as they continued their journey onwards.
A few days of travel had come and gone with little stopping Lone, Soph, and Breena, from traversing down the Farwinds. As such, Lone had spent most of the time training some of his simpler passive skills. Nothing overly intensive like starving himself or cutting up his body, of course. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. As they were coming up on the southern entrance to Urd Siltal, Lone decided to go over his recent notification logs.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Reading has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Teaching Mastery has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Teaching Mastery has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 7.
The two levels for Teaching Mastery had actually come about as a result of Lone bouncing off some language training with Breena. It had completely slipped his mind, but apparently when they had first come here Breena could barely speak a handful of sentences in Western Stone Dwarvish. It made sense upon reflection. Lone and Soph were given a cheat in that they could understand any spoken language as their own mother tongue; English for Lone, Old Novgorod for Soph and Sophie. Breena though? She could speak Milindonian, Common Beastkin, Redtail Dialect, and Western Common Human. Four languages was certainly impressive given that she was barely 15-years-old, but that didn''t excuse that Lone and Soph had brought her to a foreign land where she could barely say ''hello'' and ''where''s the nearest train station?'' Thankfully, she was a quick learner even if she wouldn''t admit it and she was already at the ''almost fluent but still speak with a funny accent'' level in Western Stone Dwarvish. Due to that, Lone had used her to help brush up on his own understanding of the language. And as it just so happened, when she spoke to him in the brutish tongue and really focused on it, everything he said to her translated into it so he was able to help her with her pronunciation and sentence structure. Truly a win-win. Of course, during the nights, when he wasn''t on watch, Lone had been meditating and massaging Sophie - Soph still refused to partake in that particular activity.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill Meditation has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Massage Mastery has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Massage Mastery has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Basic Massage Technique has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Basic Massage Technique has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Basic Massage Technique has levelled up! It is now Beginner level 7.
And finally, Lone had been working on his map-making skills during the journey.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Cartography has levelled up! It is now Intermediate level 5.
Suddenly, Soph stopped dead in her tracks. "Soph?" Lone inquired. She narrowed her eyes dangerously as she pointed forward, deep down the tunnel. Lone focused in on his Enhanced Vision and when he saw what had made his girlfriend so alert, he unintentionally spat out, "What in the name of all that is holy are you doing here?" A confused Breena watched in silence as a dwarven man slowly jogged towards them. Shrugging, the man who was quite clearly Hamish, pointed a lazy finger at Breena. "Ah dinnae like tae leave things unfinished. That, Fox, is unfinished." Lone frowned. "You''re not becoming a permanent part of this party." Hamish laughed scornfully. "Ah didnae ask fae ''at. Ah''m ''ere tae finish teachin'' ''er ''ow naw tae get ''erself killed while acting as ah scout. Cannae exactly dae ''at in Krieg Moor where associatin'' maself wae ye and yers is akin tae social suicide." Soph frowned. "Complicated way to say you just want to keep training your prot¨¦g¨¦. If you''re here though, you''re here. Do you have any useful intel for us?" The dwarf nodded. "Sure. Already scouted the urd top tae bottom. There''s aboot 150 ah the ghastly little fecker''s in there. They seem tae spend most o'' the day jumping aboot an'' dancin'' atop their pile ah junk in the urd''s central square. Freaky little fuckers afflicted wae madness ''at they are..." Lone rubbed his chin thoughtfully when he noticed Soph disappear and then reappear a moment later. "143 exactly, 14 of which are about twice the size of the normal ones and 17 of which are smaller, more nimble looking. There are two guard stations, one on the other side of that gate," she said, pointing to the distant entrance, "and another at the northern gate. Both contain 13 and 14 Sheinlings respectively. 112 have long metal claw weapons and the rest have a pair daggers barely smaller than a short sword. Crude tools but sharp enough to kill. The smaller Sheinlings have a viscous liquid in a jar on their belts. Poison I think, meant for dipping with their blades." Hamish''s jaw slowly gaped before he threw his hands up in defeat and glared at Lone. "Ah hate ''er. She invalids ma entire career an'' all o'' ma life''s trainin''." Lone laughed. "And this is Soph, the kinder one." The woman in question wore a smug grin on her face. "If Lone won''t let me or my other half kill you, I can at least do your job better than you could ever dream to." Hamish shook his head sadly. "Whatever. Ah''m mostly ''ere tae train Breena. Ah assume yer all fine wae ''at?" Lone looked towards Breena who looked back a bit hopefully. Seeing that, he nodded. "The contract from before is still in effect, so sure. Unless you have any complaints, Breena?" The girl shook her head. "I need to get stronger." "Ain''t ''at the truth, lass?" Hamish asked. "Fae everyone. Always ah higher wall." "Doubly so for your short ass," Lone mocked. "Anyway, if no one has any objections, I''d like to start reclaiming the urd." "At least ah dinnae ''ave tae crouch tae walk through doors," Hamish muttered as he walked ahead. "What dae ye lot ken aboot Sheinlings?" "Nothing," Soph admitted. Breena nodded hesitantly. "S-Same." Lone pursed his lips. "A bit. They''re a fallen race with little sense left in them. They''ve been entirely consumed by the madness of the Deep Well, right?" Hamish raised a surprised eyebrow. "Didnae take ye fae the learned type. Ye seem more like the rush in, kill what ye can, then feck off type." Soph nodded. "He is." "I resent that. I do a lot of reading and research on top of Leeroying, thank you very much," Lone replied. "The feck is ''leeroying''?" Hamish inquired. Lone shook his head sadly. "A cultural phenomenon. Regardless, this is a world fairly unfamiliar to me, after all. The Farwinds are like a world of their own too on top of that. I''d be dumb to not read a book here or there." He saw Soph don a sheepish look on her beautiful face upon hearing his words so he quickly said, "That doesn''t apply to you. You get to leech off of my knowledge. I get love and affection. Fair trade if you ask me." Soph laughed sweetly at that while Hamish groaned as if in pain. Lone coughed. "More seriously, what do you know about the little bastards that might be useful for us?" he asked. Hamish shrugged. "Ye got it mostly in one. Ye ever fought a goblin? We dinnae ''ave those doon ''ere but ah''ve ''eard they are strikingly similar in fighting style." "Untrained but surprisingly agile?" Lone asked. The dwarf smiled in agreement. "Aye. They''re scary little feckers. If it wernae fae the madness an'' their crazed obsession wae coins and jewels, they''d be ah whole race o'' traceless assassins. They do average oot though at aboot D-rank so they''re nae ''at bad." "Is..." Breena gathered her courage as she continued, "Is that why no one t-took this request, leaving it as a task for the militaristically enlisted to do?" Hamish raised an eyebrow. "Yer Western Stone Dwarfish has improved." Breena blushed, not having expecting the praise. "T-Thank you." The dwarf nodded then answered her question. "Aye. The madness makes them slower and less practised than yer typical assassin, but when there''s dozens o'' ''em at ah time flyin'' at ya all unpredictable like, it''s ah scary thing tae face." "Thanks," Lone said. "That''s good to know. Given our particular talents, however, I doubt we''ll struggle much." Hamish replied, "Aye, but ah am wonderin'' ''ow ah''ll properly train the wee fox if ye an'' miss flip-flopper over there are just gonna teleport in an'' outta the dungeon tae slowly but safely kill ''em all." "Oh it classifies as a dungeon? That''s cool," Lone noted. "Only ever seen one of those. Filled with goblins, ironically enough." Soph frowned. "Split-personality. I don''t ''flip-flop''." Lone smiled wryly. "We''ll be fine, Hamish. Breena will have plenty of chances to train, as will Soph and Sophie. Me too, really. Heck, even you if you want. It''ll be easy." "''Ow''d ya figure?" Hamish asked. Lone''s wry smile turned into a grin. "Teleportation doesn''t need to be used only for teleporting people in. It can also be used for just the opposite." B2: Chapter 69: Trance and Saturday Midnight Hamish mulled over Lone''s words for a moment before a bittersweet smile appeared on his face. "''At''s pure filth." "Risk-free pure filth," Lone noted. He then glanced at Soph who nodded before disappearing, having used her Teleportation skill. "We''ll only be here for a little over a week," Lone said as he looked at Breena, "So try your best to learn as much as you can, okay?" Breena nodded with lacking confidence but an equal measure of conviction. "I... I won''t waste this opportunity." Hamish raised an eyebrow. "Ah week? Ye could clear the place in an afternoon." Lone shook his head disapprovingly. "And gain what? The scripture magic enforcement allows me two days of free rest, two weeks to finish the mission, and then another two days of rest. Be happy I''m leaving wiggle room days for unforeseen accidents. It is a dungeon and should stop being one when I''ve killed the last of ''em, but you can never be too sure when you''re in a magical world." Hamish shrugged. "Suppose it isnae ma business if ya make full use ah the time yer given." Soph reappeared with a ghostly looking creature held by its wrist in her hand as it flailed wildly against her armour. She dropped the Sheinling, letting it tumble to the ground. Soph shook her hand a little then said, "I broke its wrist by mistake when grabbing it. They''re fast but pretty frail." The beast of pure madness screeched before launching itself at Soph. Lone got in its way, displaying a level of speed it could never compare to. He grabbed it by its skull and lifted it up. "Soph, your job is to make sure to protect Breena with your barriers if it looks like she''s going to get stabbed or gravely wounded. Hamish, you tutor Breena, and Breena, you fight the thing." As he was saying that, the Sheinling had already used its still functioning wrist to pull out the blade on its hip and had stabbed him dozens of times in the forearm and bicep, covering him and the place in blood. The blade gained more and more chips as it entered Lone''s flesh, rebounded against his bones, and then exited his flesh. Breena looked incredibly uncomfortable and Hamish was downright disgusted. "Ah couldnae dae ''at, even wae super ''ealin''," Hamish admitted proudly, pointing out Lone''s weirdness for being so unfazed. Lone smiled. "I can out heal damage of this level easily. It doesn''t even register as painful either." "Lucky thing they''re nae deep-touched, only their overwell was," he heard Hamish mutter almost inaudibly. Lone let the dwarf keep his whispers to himself as he said, "Are you ready Breena? The second I let go of this little fucker he''s gonna go wild." Breena seemed even less sure of herself and her resolute gaze had wavered a bit. She did, however, nod. "I-I''m ready." Lone nodded back. "Good." He tossed the creature to the side of the farwind road a decent distance from them. It scrambled to its feet quickly and rushed at them. Thankfully, Breena didn''t get cold feet. She moved to meet the Sheinling. As she did, Hamish sighed. "Ah didnae expect tae be daein'' such ah hands-on practical trainin'' session, but ''at''s ''ow the Stone sings ah guess." Lone paid his grumbling no mind and said, "Well, you trio have fun. I''ll be back soon." "Be careful," Soph warned in a worried but loving tone. He grinned at her. "I always am." "Liar," she pouted with a shake of the head before putting her entire attention on keeping Breena from serious harm. The last thing Lone heard from his companions as he approached the town gate to Urd Siltal was Hamish yelling correction after correction at Breena.
A few hours later, Lone stretched his arms over his head as he approached a campsite in the middle of the road where once there wasn''t one. "Everything go well?" Hamish looked up at him and his blood and guts covered body before he replied, "Well enough." "Where are the girls?" Lone asked as he sat down across from the dwarf. Hamish pointed a thumb at the tent behind him. "The wee lass got a lot of cuts''n''bruises. Ah few bites tae. Yer lil lady friend want''d tae patch ''er up ''erself an'' maybe earn ah passive first aid skill." "Smart," Lone replied. "Ye look like death itself... again," Hamish noted. Lone just laughed. "I''m fine. Got stabbed a few hundred times, sure, poisoned too, but not anything I can''t passively resolve. I''m durable." "Much tae former me''s dismay," Hamish snorted. "Now wheesht. Ah''m busy tryin'' tae nae feck up this stew. Ma Cookin'' Mastery''s only beginner-level-eight, so ah canne multitask while daein'' it like ye can." Lone happily obliged since he had some notifications to go through anyway. On his little excursion, he had decided to use some weapons that weren''t his ideal dual-ended swordspear, instead, he had chosen to wield an axe in his left hand and a hatchet in the other. As a result, some of his previously unused skills had gained levels.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hand Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hatchet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hatchet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hatchet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hatchet Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Axe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
''Not much of an improvement to the parent skill Axe Mastery, but that''s to be expected. Gotta keep working on these uncomfortable weapons. The swordspear''s just way too long to fight with in tight spaces,'' Lone sighed mentally. He shook his head. ''I was a fool to dismiss all weapons that weren''t perfect for me according to Growth Accelerator. A true craftsman knows how to use all of the tools in his workshop. I should be no different when it comes to combat even if a dual-ended swordspear feels the most natural.'' Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The main reason for this shift in perspective was him seeing just how strong Hamish was despite the fact that neither his fists nor his cursed daggers were his ideal weapons. It didn''t help either that he had injured an X-ranker with his tails, not his supposed ideal weapon. ''"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you insane your whole life." That was the quote, right?'' Lone mulled over the topic as he checked his other notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Dual-wielding Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Dual-wielding Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
''Another skill I refused to level for meaningless reasons. So what if this is a signature skill of Sophie''s? My gains in it don''t take from her own accomplishments. The stronger I am, the safer we both are,'' Lone concluded. The acknowledgement of this recent realisation sparked something within Lone and he unknowingly entered a trance-like state completely regardless of his own will. He''d been growing as a person a lot lately. Coming to terms with the fact that Wilbur was ready to die while he was not at all prepared to see his master leave so soon was the genisis of this growth. Since then his mind had been opening to new and differing perspectives on matters, primarily taking Soph and Sophie''s concerns about his safety seriously for once. It had been a long few months of slow realisations. Struggling with the trauma of torture only to be met with the stress of a godly being trying its best to possess a close friend. Then being arrested and forced to meet with yet another being that was likely godly in nature. Stress after stress. It accumulated but then also settled and slowly faded. The mind was a wondrous tool. It would likely take years, perhaps decades, perhaps even centuries, for Lone to get over all of the bad experiences in his past, both recent and distant. However, get over them he would. No hurdle is too high when one has legs with which to jump and an environment with which to endlessly grow. The trance he was in helped him to consolidate some of his thoughts on this matter and strengthen his mental health in all regards. Slowly, he opened his eyes after not knowing how long had passed. Immediately, he was greeted with two notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
"And here we thought you had trouble sleeping," Sophie teased. Lone blinked a few times and turned to look at her. She looked tired but otherwise fine. He smiled at her. "I subconsciously entered a state of meditation. Got two levels out of it." That lightened Sophie''s hard expression a bit. She knew what that skill meant to him, after all. "That is good. Did all go well? We noticed no new levels, but we are curious how much Luck you obtained. That was your goal, yes?" "I bet a couple more kills will give us a level, but yeah, gimme a sec to check. I blacked out before I could check my status," Lone chuckled to which he got a nod.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 238
Species Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 61,370/61,370 [+340] SP: 57,544/62,220 [+70]
MP: 52,840/52,840 [+320] WF: 1,200/1,200
Basic Stats
Strength: 3,127 [+21] Vigour: 6,222 [+7]
Dexterity: 2,505 [+321] Agility: 4,022 [+407]
Vitality: 6,127 [+34] Luck: 394 [+201]
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 Charisma: 132
Magic Power: 5,284 [+32]
"Wow, okay. No wonder a handful managed to slip away from me despite being consumed by madness and despite the fact I was being pretty serious while hunting them," Lone exclaimed. Sophie raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "That much Luck?" "It more than doubled. Went from 193 to 394," Lone answered. "Oh. Wow. Nowhere near our own almost 80,000 Luck but that is a large jump," Sophie said. For some reason, Lone felt like he had just been made fun of. If there was one thing Lone knew, it was that no amount of endless slaughter would get him even close to Soph and Sophie''s absurdly high amounts of Magic Power and Luck. "Feck oof!" Hamish yelled as he stormed out of his tent. "Ye ''ave ''ow much Luck?! As feckin'' if! If ''at were true, ye''d be shittin'' gold nuggets an'' ye''d be strugglin'' tae nae have everyone dae whatever the feck it is ya wan''!" Breena meandered out of her own tent, a few bandages here and there but she otherwise looked fine. She smiled at the still blood-covered Lone a little before finding a place to sit. Sophie scoffed. "That is not how Luck works. Foolish Dwarf. And you described Charm there at the end more so than Luck." "Oh, aye? Elucidate me then, ya feckin'' halfpint! Ah ken the system''s ins an'' oots since its been ah part ah ma life fae, oh, ah dunno, oover ah hundrood years!" Hamish scoffed. Lone frowned as he took out a bucket and a set of clean towels from his Dimensional Storage to clean himself up with. "Shall I explain or would you like to, Sophie?" he asked as he got to scrubbing. "Oh, we would be thrilled to put the petulant little man-child in his place," Sophie chuckled. "Fair. Hamish," Lone called, getting the man''s attention, "before she makes you feel stupid, I''ll say one thing. You just described Applied Luck. She can''t apply the stat yet. Sophie, the floor is yours." Lone tuned out the verbal beatdown his girlfriend was dealing out to the dwarf as it was a rhetoric he himself had taught her. The essence of it was simple enough. Soph and Sophie''s Luck made it damn-near impossible for anything bad to ever happen to her unless she sought it out, and even then she''d likely be fine. In all of the time they had spent on Altros, Soph and Sophie had barely suffered so much as a bruise outside of training. Misfortunes would also morph into fortunes like in the case of her falling ill to Darkness Corruption only to come out of it with no permanent injuries and a new resistance skill. Most other people would have died even despite Lone''s usage of Root of Life given her feeble physical stats. Were she to ever learn how to apply her Luck, Lone reckoned she could very possibly defeat an X-ranker with nothing more than a wet sock and a teaspoon. He chuckled a bit at that thought. It was nice to be free of major worries for once. Perhaps tonight he''d sleep comfortably. "Gotta get this blood out first..." he sighed. "I need to teach my muscle memory to store the blood before it dries and becomes a part of the fabric. Ha-ah..."
And just like that, over a week passed with the same routine of Breena and Sophie training on a few Sheinlings a day while Lone worked on his more unused skills. The dungeon had been destroyed, returning the urd to a normal, albeit abandoned and blood-soaked, settlement. Lone still had no idea what made dungeons special enough to warrant system acknowledgement, but that was a line of inquiry for another time. The day they began their return trip to the Krieg after successfully securing the urd and retrieving the personal belonging for the second guild quest, Lone found himself being summoned to Darkness''s inverted pyramid at exactly midnight. As agreed, two Saturdays had passed since their last meeting so it was time to see what the mysteriously motivated Primal was up to. B2: Chapter 70: Swamp and Human "Wait, it''s inverted?" Lone asked himself as he stared at the monstrously large violet pyramid lined with golden decorations. This was the first instance of him being able to see the exterior of the place Darkness now called its home. The only other time he''d been inside of his soul, he''d been pulled directly into the monolithic structure before him. Now, however, he was outside of it and from the looks of things, he was in a ghastly courtyard of sorts. This being the case, he took a moment to glance around. It was his soul after all. It''d likely be a good idea to see what it actually looked like. To the west lay a grand castle of wings and clouds - clearly Sky''s residency within his soul. Meanwhile, just behind him lay an endless abyss that was spewing out a gas thick enough to choke on. Darkness''s inverted pyramid was in what would cardinally be referred to as northwest. He had no idea if the directions he''d decided on were right or not. It didn''t really matter to Lone. They were just points of reference. ''Six empty directions, huh?'' Lone noted, also recalling there were still six other Primals out there. The last thing worth paying attention to in his soul palace, courtyard, residence - whatever it should be called, was the shimmering golden chains that extended from Sky''s dwelling as well as Darkness''s pyramid into the spewing black abyss. "Surely they can''t be the only representation of me in here, can they?" Lone mumbled. ''You''d think there''s be a version of me bound in chains, beaten and bloodied, hanging around somewhere or something...'' The chains were taut and intimidating. They gave off the feeling of a godly exuberance of sorts, though Lone felt they were... lacking somehow. ''These chains are definitely a part of or a reflection or something else related to me... and... and they''re helping Sky and Darkness seal and suppress Void?'' Lone sensed as he edged closer to the courtyard''s centre - the abyssal hole. The chain extended down into said pit, after all. ''Why?'' was all Lone could wonder. A hand appeared out of nowhere in front of his chest stopping him. A moment later, a body revealed itself to be attached to that hand. The perfectly purple copy of Lone smiled warmly. "I''d not get any closer. Void''s of the temperamental sort." "Good evening to you too, Darkness. So Void is down there then?" Lone asked. "I had a feeling it was..." The Primal nodded. "Probably. Sky''s the one who manages our estranged family, not I, so I''m hardly the one to ask about the matter. I just supply the chains with the energy they demand. Now, to my lovely abode? A meeting is to take place, dear Lone." The being of deceit and debauchery removed its hand from Lone''s chest after giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. It then walked off towards the inverted pyramid. Lone felt a compulsion to approach the black gassy abyss once more but resisted. He matched Darkness''s stride and asked, "Why didn''t you just summon me inside like last time if you were worried about Void?" "What makes you think I didn''t try?" Darkness lamented. "It must be nice to be a mortal and assume gods can do everything they say they will attempt. I was able to make this happen at the right time, no? That''s more than good enough." "I''m well aware of your fallibility. Do recall who''s soul you are imprisoned in," Lone remarked. "Yes, yes," Darkness dismissed. "Now, there''s only one guest tonight but I am certain more shall appear in time. No mention of what I really am nor of our peculiar relationship, yes?" "What?" Lone asked, confusion marring his expression. "Excellent," the being happily replied before snapping its fingers. Suddenly, Lone''s surroundings changed drastically. He was walking through the opulent innards of Darkness''s pyramid one moment, then the next, he found himself sitting at a long table with a bright green figure seated across from him. This figure had no discernible features bar an oddly smooth-seeming tail. It was as if they were being concealed somehow. Lone attempted to see if his Enhanced Vision would crack whatever was hiding them from him, but to no avail. Just as he was about to question this green being, the throne at the end of the table became occupied by a grand figure of many colours and shades. Lone felt the urge to bow to this presence, and do so he did. The green figure, likewise, rose and bowed to the head of the table before returning to its seated position. ''This is all an illusion of sorts, right? That disco ball is definitely Darkness. The green figure though... Who the hell could they even be? More importantly, why are they in my soul and how should I beat the bejesus out of this slimy Primal for bringing him, her, or whatever else, here?'' Lone wondered quite seriously. The multicoloured figure raised a hand and said, "At ease, guests. Your tension and fears are not without reason, thus I forgive them. I must ask you also offer me clemency for the impromptu nature of this gathering. I have only recently awakened." The green figure trembled. "Lord... Lord Delwind?" "Hah, no. I apologise if my bringing you here during your pleas has caused any confusion. I am not he, though he is existent and ever well even still," the being said. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "You... you''re not him? Then... what, what are you? Where isss thisss?" the green figure questioned, concern marring their masculine and rather serpentine tone. ''I wonder what species they are with an accent like that,'' Lone thought. ''Probably a guy though with a voice that deep, so that strikes off quite a few possible species.'' "An honest question with justified roots. You may refer to me as Monsieur Librarian. As you can see though, my library is rather sparse," Monsieur Librarian lamented with a self-disparaging tone. "The price paid for my recent awakening, you see. Now, I will only say one additional thing before taking my leave." Monsieur Librarian''s head moved to slowly look at both Lone and the green figure. Lone was fairly certain he saw a smirk on the face hiding beneath the ever-shifting colours. "All I require is for you both to make time every 14 days, at this exact moment - last bell of the seventh sun. Your presence will help restore the tomes of this space that once rivalled the very halls of the Great Existence himself. You are free to converse with one another. As I grow in power perhaps more than just conversing will be possible. Farewell." And just like that, the figure occupying the head of the table dispersed into nothingness. Silence deafened the long table as Lone stared at the being sitting across from him, likely a male lizardkin of some sort from his current observations. While shrouded in the green mist, there was a long tail completely unlike that of Lone''s slowly swaying behind them. The extra s''s were a good indicator as well. Lizardkin were usually very tribal and almost nomadic, so while still pretty upset at Darkness for letting a stranger into his soul, a part of him was excited to speak with such a possibly interesting person. "I am #### of the Great Ssswamp. I greet you, golden one of many tailsss. May I know of your name, pleassse?" the being asked. Lone furrowed his brow. ''Why did his name sound unintelligible?'' ''I''m at fault there,'' came Darkness''s words straight into his mind. ''My intent was to make this fully anonymous, hence the obscuring of features but that wasn''t entirely successful since you can see one another''s tails. I''m very limited here, but it''s interesting, no? I''ll answer any more questions later if you have them.'' "I couldn''t understand you when you stated your name," Lone said, eliciting a head tilt from the figure. "I''ll demonstrate. My name is Lone Immortus." The green shrouded figure flinched a little in surprise. "Truly powerful, thisss Monsssieur Librarian... Then how ssshould we refer to each other sssince thisss will likely become a regular gathering?" Lone shrugged. "Just call me Human." He chuckled internally a bit. He''d been a human for over 20 years of his life and since Darkness''s intent was to make this fully anonymous, he assumed it wouldn''t be long before his tails were hidden. It''d be a good way to hide his identity as the only existing nine-tailed Golden Foxkin. Well, so long as this Great Swamp dweller never blabbed. That bridge could be crossed later though. "Ah. Okay. You may call me Ssswamp then," the green figure suggested before asking, "What does ''Human'' mean and how isss it that you ssspeak the Tongue of Lord Delwind ssso fluently? Are you nearby? Do you alssso ressside in the #### of the Great Ssswamp?" "Specific locations are blurred too?" Lone asked rhetorically. "Human just means... human. Have you never met a human before? As for the language, Monsieur Librarian is probably facilitating that. He is rather powerful, as you mentioned." Lone obviously lied about his hero-given ability to translate everything to his mother tongue of English subconsciously. That might become a problem should this table gain more guests, but that was just one more bridge yet to be crossed. "I sssee. That doesss sssound likely... Ah. I feel myself being dragged back. It wasss nice meeting you, Human. Until next time," Swamp said before standing and inclining his head politely. He then faded from existence. The next moment, Lone found himself in the middle of Darkness''s opulent treasure-filled palace with a purple copy of himself lounging on a bed of pillows. "Interesting, no?" Darkness asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Mental Destruction," Lone invoked emotionlessly. Darkness immediately clasped its head in both hands and began wailing. Lone found a place to sit while he ignored the Primal. A few minutes passed before the pathetic wriggling of the godly being ceased. "Was that really necessary? You just made me lose two whole percent of my total power." "So 48 more times and you''ll die? Maybe a handful more to make up for the time I have to wait for the skill to recharge. Good to know," Lone coldly stated. Darkness sighed. "You can''t kill godly beings, Lone. You can get close, but never quite there. We tried with Void, though he was a step above godly... Nevermind. I guess some punishment was in order. Will a ''sorry'' do?" "No, but it''s a start. The only reason I''m not absolutely livid is that Swamp seemed quite nice from first impressions. Speaking of, why am I subjected to that illusion''s rules? Also, what is the Great Swamp and who is Lord Delwind?" Lone inquired. "And here I thought we were starting to get along..." Darkness said sadly. Lone narrowed his eyes. "You led Four-twelve to kill himself, you tried to corrupt me, my lover, and then went on to use me to try to possess my friend." "Learn how to forgive," Darkness sighed. "I''m a changed Primal. There''s a lot of reflection to be done when you live inside of a soul, no?" The being slinked off in a cloud of smoke before reappearing upsidedown with its back resting against one of the room''s many gem-encrusted pillars. He no longer looked like Lone but had instead taken on the form of his actual younger sister, Hazel McCullen. "Let''s go in order, yes?" Darkness asked itself. "Because I''m also beholden to its rules. I''m more surprised you don''t know. It''s your soul and that room and table are your doing. I think that''s the case, at least. All I could manage was the obscuring and the compulsion to bow to me at the start. Speaking of, I can''t change the obscuring at all even if I want to. I suspect it will only grow stronger though. I didn''t lie when I said I hadn''t summoned you here last time. I don''t even know how far I can stretch my influence there until you grow stronger, and I don''t know how much of that influence will be stolen away from me. It''s a mysterious thing, that meeting room." "As for the Great Swamp and Lord Delwind. I have no idea. I winged it in there just as much as you did, Mister Human. I don''t even know Swamp''s real name. The concealment I arranged affected even me since I don''t control it anymore. I have genuinely never heard of either the Great Swamp nor this ''Lord Delwind'' character. Then again, I''ve been living in a dwarven contraption for a few thousand years, so it could be some new settlement somewhere in an obscure corner of Teresta. I may be a god, but I don''t possess the power of omniscience. There are demigods with such powers out there though. Would you like a written reference and a letter of introduction?" Darkness teased. "Get stuffed," Lone snapped. "You''re about as helpful as a soggy sock." "You''d know a lot about soggy socks, now wouldn''t you? Some of your surface thoughts bother me greatly," Darkness said, disturbing Lone due to the fact the words were spoken through the lens that was his sister''s body. "Just let me out of here, yeah? Can''t be fucked playing chess or anything else right now. I need to go over all of my skill and stat gains from the expedition," Lone requested. "It''s your soul. Learn how to leave it on your own. Really, children these days. Back in my day..." Darkness started mumbling something about flying cats and trousers with zippers at the back instead of the front when Lone felt his consciousness slip away from him. The next moment, he was back in his camp with Soph snuggling up to him. "That sucked," Lone sighed as he pulled up his notification log. B2: Chapter 71: Rank-Ups and Miserable Lone nodded his head in satisfaction, now feeling much better after seeing the fruits of his labour during the expedition. The notification log was one thing though, seeing it all consolidated was another. As such, he focused his mind and pulled up his entire skill list, making sure to have it indicate all of the recent gains.
Weapon Mastery Skills
Swordspear Mastery Expert Level 1
Unarmed Combat Mastery Advanced Level 9
Polearm Mastery Advanced Level 1
Hand Axe Mastery Intermediate Level 8 [+13 Levels] [Rank Up!]
Hatchet Mastery Intermediate Level 8 [+13 Levels] [Rank Up!]
Dual-wielding Mastery Beginner Level 7 [+4 Levels]
Axe Mastery Beginner Level 6 [+5 Levels]
Shortbow Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortspear Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortsword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Spear Mastery Beginner Level 1
Sword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Movement Skills
Evasion Mastery Expert Level 5
Light-footed Advanced Level 1
Social Skills
Acting Advanced Level 4
Persuasion Advanced Level 2
Crafting/Building Skills
Blacksmithing Advanced Level 10
Steamforged Tool Mastery Advanced Level 10
Woodworking Advanced Level 5
Masonry Advanced Level 1
Steamforging Intermediate Level 8
Weaponsmithing Intermediate Level 8
Logging Intermediate Level 5
Architecture Mastery Beginner Level 3 [+2 levels]
Armoursmithing Beginner Level 1
Shipbuilding Beginner Level 1
Misc Skills
Reading Expert Level 2 [+2 Levels] [Rank up!]
Enhanced Vision Advanced Level 3 [+3 Levels] [Rank up!]
Cooking Mastery Advanced Level 1 [+1 Level] [Rank up!]
Sex Mastery Intermediate Level 8 [+1 Level]
Cartography Intermediate Level 7 [+2 Levels]
Massage Mastery Intermediate Level 6 [+7 Levels] [Rank up!]
Teaching Mastery Intermediate Level 5 [+1 Level]
Basic Massage Technique Intermediate Level 4 [+3 Levels]
Pet Mastery Intermediate Level 4 [+1 Level]
Swimming Mastery Intermediate Level 3
Throwing Mastery Intermediate Level 1
Mining Mastery Beginner Level 10
Laundry Mastery Beginner Level 8
Chess Mastery Beginner Level 4
Fishing Mastery Beginner Level 4
Historical and Cultural Appreciation Beginner Level 4
Illusion Detection Beginner Level 2
Sailing Mastery Beginner Level 2
Resistance Skills
Darkness Corruption Resistance Master Level 4
Mental Pain Resistance Expert Level 6
Aura Pressure Resistance Expert Level 5
Physical Pain Resistance Expert Level 4
Enchantment Magic Resistance Advanced Level 8
Nausea Resistance Intermediate Level 8
Fear Resistance Intermediate Level 6
Sound Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 4
Lightning Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 3
Curse Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Air Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Earth Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Water Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Fire Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Scripture Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Acid Resistance Beginner Level 8
Corrosion Resistance Beginner Level 8
Panic Resistance Beginner Level 8
Illusion Magic Resistance Beginner Level 7
Cold Resistance Beginner Level 2
Intoxication Resistance Beginner Level 2
Sleep Deprivation Resistance Beginner Level 2
Active Skills
Weapon Block Advanced Level 7 [+1 Level]
Meditation Intermediate Level 9 [+1 Level]
Wide Taunt Intermediate Level 1 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
Survivor''s Speed Beginner Level 2 [+1 Level]
Magic Skills
Root of Life Intermediate Level 8
Lightning Bolt Intermediate Level 6
Illusionary Dome Intermediate Level 3
Fireball Intermediate Level 1
Waterball Beginner Level 8
Wind Blade Beginner Level 2
Amplified Current Beginner Level 1
Boulder Beginner Level 1
Enforcement Scripture Beginner Level 1
Racial Skills
Tail Spears Expert Level 1
World Skills
Full Body Diagnostics Beginner Level 10 [+1 Level]
Primal Skills
Ungrounded Advanced Level 8 [+1 Level]
Nothing Vortex Beginner Level 1
You Beginner Level 1
Unique Skills
Basic Regeneration Expert Level 8
Bone Armour Expert Level 6
Dimensional Storage N/A
Creation Magic N/A
Growth Accelerator N/A
Mental Destruction N/A
The Summoning Room N/A
True Contract Magic N/A
Fuck That Cuntbag Sir Ardus Skills
Poison Resistance Expert Level 9
Torture Resistance Advanced Level 4
Thirst Resistance Intermediate Level 7
Hunger Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Insanity Resistance Beginner Level 9
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. There was a lot to think about and reflect on. The primary thing was that Survivor''s Speed was an incredibly dangerous skill to use. Lone recalled its description. ''A skill intended to be used when the host''s life is in danger and the only answer is to run or to react with the speed of lightning. Multiplies all speed-related aspects of the host by a factor of 10. Warning: The host may suffer injuries from the activation of the skill, both to their body and to their mind. If the host does not possess sufficient mental or physical strength, then they risk destroying themselves when using this skill.'' The speed boost wasn''t purely a muscle thing. It affected his thinking, his heart rate, his blood circulation, the speed at which he breathed; everything. He almost exploded when he used it, resulting in both him and Soph unanimously agreeing to ban it until he was powerful enough to even consider trying to handle its side effects. Likely when his stats matched those of an X-ranker. Although, they had no idea what an X-ranker''s stats actually looked like at this point. He had a frame of reference for an SS-ranker''s stats from his time demonstrating his prowess against the X-ranker Xer''rava, but that hardly helped. It was something to look into in the future. The only other thing that was of any particular note was that Architecture Mastery had levelled up a few times just from Lone having studied the buildings of Urd Siltal. He had little better to do while he prowled the streets in search of the Sheinlings lucky enough to not be affected by his Wide Taunts. Lone leaned back and ran his fingers through Soph''s hair lovingly. It might have been a little bit after midnight, but he wasn''t tired at all. ''May as well go over the new skill rank ups. It never hurts to familiarise myself with what I can do when I have dozens upon dozens of skills,'' He decided. The order he chose to check the new skill rank-ups followed the order in which they appeared on his skill list, meaning Hand Axe and Hatchet Mastery were up first.
Passive Skill: Hand Axe Mastery
A child skill of the skill [Axe Mastery] commonly used by warriors who favour the axe but like to also use a shield, second weapon, or keep their other hand free. When using a hand axe, the actions of the host''s other limbs will be 15% [+10%] less noticeable. [New!] Grants the talent [Chop]. Say the phrase [Chop] and the host shall perform a devastating slash with twice the host''s maximum force on the desired area.
Cost: 1,000 SP to perform the talent [Chop].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
Passive Skill: Hatchet Mastery
A child skill of the skill [Axe Mastery] commonly used by woodcutters to make their jobs that little bit easier, though it does have a history of being used as an offensive skill. When chopping wood, the host will lose SP 15% [+10%] slower than normal. [New!] Grants the talent [Call of The Woodsman]. Say the phrase [Woodsman] and the host''s weapon shall double in size while losing 20% of its original weight. This talent only lasts for 10 seconds and can only be used once per hour.
Cost: 1,000 SP to perform the talent [Woodsman].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
In essence, Hand Axe Mastery made it easier to covertly act with his other hand when using a hand axe, and he could now cut things really well with Chop. Meanwhile, Hatchet Mastery wasn''t overly helpful in combat but its new active effect sounded incredible. ''If only weapon talents could be used interchangeably between weapons...'' Lone sighed internally before he abruptly froze. ''Wait. Maybe... maybe they can? The wording states ''the host''s weapon'', right? It doesn''t expressly point out it can only be used on hatchets and nothing else...'' He immediately sat up, eliciting some discontent grumbling from the still sleeping Soph. He reached into his Dimensional Storage and retrieved a simple dagger with a 12-inch long blade. "Woodsman," he invoked. In less than a second, the dagger had become the length of a shortsword. It was a bit awkward to hold since the grip, too, had grown, but with the right application, this information could be critical. "What a discovery. What a fucking discovery," He repeated excitedly. "This shows, even more, how big of a fool I was to stick to only my swordspear. I can make my primary weapon far, far stronger by investing some time into getting as many weapons as possible to intermediate rank - further for stronger effects." Before long, the dagger had returned to its true form so Lone chucked it back into his unique storage skill. He was in a very good mood now, having completely moved past the bitterness of his recent interaction with Darkness. With a smile on his face, he resumed going through his new rank ups.
Passive Skill: Reading Mastery
Naturally makes reading 60% [30%] easier for the host and increases the host''s reading speed by 60% [+30%]. [New!] The host can passively read any book regardless of the light level, condition of the host''s eyes, or any other factors that would hinder the host''s consumption of the written material.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 2
''Does that include books enchanted to be unreadable? Does it include coded volumes? What about sealed tomes? I bet it does. I hope it does. I definitely need to be more conscious of how I''m using my skills. This and Tail Spear are perfect examples of why I could fuck myself over by mindlessly grinding a skill only to get a useless extra effect for not doing anything unique with it where I could have gotten a godly additional effect by doing something out of the norm like hurting an X-ranker or reading in almost complete darkness. FOMO is scary,'' Lone reflected.
Passive Skill: Cooking Mastery
A skill that makes cooking 30% [+15%] easier and reduces the time needed for food items to cook by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Bog-standard. It wasn''t a skill Lone overly cared about nor one he actively trained since Soph was trying to level the skill herself. He had no qualms now when it came to learning skills his friends prided themselves on anymore, but he wouldn''t ever stop or interfere with their efforts to earn skills themselves. Lone even actively offered assistance where possible, which was why he''d gained a level in Teaching Mastery during their expedition. He, of course, still cooked here or there though when neither Soph nor Hamish felt up to making lunch or dinner, and that was why it had even ranked up in the first place. Still, even then, Lone usually opted to take out one of the already cooked meals he kept stored away.
Passive Skill: Enhanced Vision
A skill that makes seeing through obfuscation 30% [+15%] easier.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''You refuse to level now with just the eye wraps. I need to find some sort of illusionary puzzle box to mess around with for this one. Would the Crimson Foxkin Clan have something like that? Maybe, considering their racial skill. Could always try building one myself, but I''d need more steamforging knowledge and an illusion mage to experiment with,'' Lone thought as he moved on.
Passive Skill: Massage Mastery
All massages given by the host shall be 15% [+10%] more pleasurable.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 6
Lone sighed. ''Soph was this close to letting me give her a massage but then the skill just had to rank up, and then Sophie just had to moan even louder than usual to get a rise out of her meeker self. Damned succubus acting like the pleasure had gone up by 100%, not just 10%. Ha-ah... one day.'' The final skill that had ranked up over the course of the mission expedition was Wide Taunt.
Active Skill: Wide Taunt
A skill that allows the host to more easily enrage a group of enemies. Provoking enemies is 15% [+10%] easier when directly taunting them. Each extra enemy included in the same taunt boosts the ease of provoking additional targets by 1% [+0.5%] up to a limit of 20% [+10%]. Can only be used once every 10-hours [down from every 12-hours].
Cost: 80 SP [-20 SP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Nothing new, but all of the moving parts had been improved which was something Lone felt joyous about. ''May as well check out my status too. I mostly chose this mission for the Luck, after all,'' Lone thought.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 240 [+2]
Species Foxkin Rank: D
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 62,730/62,730 [+510] SP: 31,531/62,690 [+1,420]
MP: 53,910/53,910 [+1,070] WF: 1,200/1,200
Basic Stats
Strength: 3,218 [+99] Vigour: 6,269 [+142]
Dexterity: 3,907 [+1,402] Agility: 5,045 [+1,023]
Vitality: 6,273 [+51] Luck: 1,136 [+742]
Secret Stats
Charm: 127 Charisma: 132
Magic Power: 5,391 [+107]
''I cannot wait until I can apply a stat. That''s likely a long way off but still can''t help getting excited. I''m glad my Luck shot up as much as it did though,'' Lone thought. ''Maybe now, with it being almost a thousand more than where it was when we came here, my life won''t be quite so miserable.'' Soph squirmed in his arms a bit before grabbing a handful of tails. She then smiled contently in her sleep. A grin surfaced on Lone''s lips. He kissed his girlfriend''s forehead and mumbled, "Well, at least it hasn''t been entirely miserable." B2: Chapter 72: Sister Arrives and Quest Rewards "You sure he''s here, Hazel?" Scott asked. ''That is one big fuck off door. How''d they meld the stone an'' the brass so well? Is it brass? Might be copper. Looks badass as fuck,'' she heard him think. Hazel nodded, trying to ignore her friend''s thoughts. "All the local reports claim he should be in there. I know we don''t know much even with Emma and George''s knowledge..." ''Blame Milindo for being so xenophobic on top of all of its other issues, heh,'' the former daughter of a duke, Emma, thought as images of her dead father flashed through her mind, briefly upsetting Hazel a bit. "... but there should only be one Golden Foxkin in existence. Especially since the rumoured baby in Milindo just turned out to be a Golden Fox," Hazel finished. Scott nodded. Alisa, the shortest of the group, scowled. "That wasteland took over a month to cross... I, uh, don''t want to be that person... but if he isn''t there..." Hazel didn''t even need to read the girl''s mind to know what she was thinking. Ben sighed in agreeance. "Here or not, this is where I split from the group. I did my part, so, uh... bye." Everyone watched in a mixture of disbelief and disgust as the brown-haired leech of their group walked down the road, in the opposite direction of Krieg Moor''s surface entrance. The now orphaned noble son of Milindo, George Leston the Third, shook his head. "I thought we got along well with each other..." ''I knew he was a bad guy... He reminded me of Bastion but I was hoping Emma and I could change this one... To think he genuinely just left as soon as we reached the entrance of the Dwarven Kingdoms...'' Hazel smiled a little. George''s mind was always so pure and full of hope. The fallen noble daughter of Milindo standing at his side chuckled. "He was just scared of Alisa making a rift and Scott forcing him through it if he didn''t follow through." That was right, Hazel thought. Their fellow former classmate of Arlith High was a terrible person but his unique skill was incredible. It let him create vegetation out of almost nothing. A single drop of sweat and some dried up dead dirt could be turned into a full harvest with only a few days of effort. It was thanks to him they could safely cross the Estoplian Wasteland while avoiding the known monster habitats. "I wouldn''t have let him die like that," Alisa rebuked. "Even if he is an asshole. Plus, as if I''d waste my once a month unique skill to randomly teleport him somewhere. That''s beyond dumb." Scott scoffed. "I would''ve. Good riddance. We gonna go enter now though or what? The sooner we meet this guy you''re sure is Mister McCullen, the sooner we can try to actually figure stuff out like how we''re going to keep living in this crazy magical world. That, or find a way back." Emma shook her head and started walking with George quickly following after her. "There isn''t any going back. I should get a skill for how many times I''ve recited this to you, Scott. I have literally never heard of a hero ever returning to their world of origin. Right, George?" "I, uh, I''m not nearly as well-versed on subjects that extend beyond Milindo as you are..." the young man replied. "But yes. Milindo has summoned hundreds of heroes from Earth in its history. Not a single one has returned. That is the same story for heroes of other worlds, planes of existence, and dimensions, summoned by other empires, kingdoms, clans, and cultures." Hazel ignored the conversation of her companions as it was one she had heard dozens of times already. She was, of course, very curious as to the how and why she, Scott, Alisa, and Ben, were brought here all at once, but for now, all that mattered to her was finding her brother.
"What the fuck do you mean you''re on a lockdown?!" Hazel shouted at the dwarves guarding the building right next to the massive door of metal and stone that was dug into the mountainside. The captain of the guards scowled in annoyance. "Ye ''eard me. Lockdoon means lockdoon. If ye''r nae ah dwarf, ye''ve nae business in the Farwinds, ''specially Krieg Moor." Hazel screamed, "But why?! This hasn''t happened for over a century!" She had done her research. It had taken a while for news of Lone''s appearance at this place to reach them when they were staying in Milindo. As soon as it had, Hazel immediately made several inquiries at the local library as well as with information brokers and The Adventurer''s Guild too. Dwarves were bigotted against non-dwarves, but to a lesser extent than humans were with non-humans. After all, in many human countries, non-humans weren''t even allowed in unless they were slaves. Of course, not all human kingdoms and empires were so speciesist, but many were. The dwarven kingdoms, however, allowed non-dwarves to freely travel among the kriegs and urds of the Farwinds provided they weren''t wanted criminals. They loved foreign adventurers in particular since they could help keep the Farwinds safe and wouldn''t be considered a loss to the kingdoms if they died. The dwarf spat on her shoe. "Piss off." "Hazel..." Alisa called in a concerned tone. "We should go..." Hazel wasn''t the type to get enraged so easily, if at all, even. Even right now, she was perfectly calm despite the scene she was causing. Just a few more moments and she''d be more than happy to leave. ''The fact that thievin'' bastard cunt o'' ah fox is the reason ah ''ave tae put up wait this shite... Ah need tae ask fae ah payrise...'' "We''ll ''piss off''," Hazel growled. "But tell us when you expect the gates to open! We have business inside." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Change yer plans then. Outsiders are nae welcome fae the foreseeable future," the dwarf replied. "Now, one mere word ah complaint an'' we''re takin'' limbs. Children or nae, ''umans are all the same tae us. If it takes losin'' body parts fae ye tae get the message, then so be it." ''That should be enuff tae scare ''em oof. If naw, then ah suppose we''ll ''ave to beat ''em upside the ''ead until they pass out. Ah''m already ah tarnished topsider dwarf, ah dinnae wanna be known fae abusin'' ''uman kids anaw, but ah job''s ah job. Fuckin'' culture stealin'' skill thief. The fox bastard''s causin'' so much trouble even when ''e''s already locked up.'' Hazel turned around and stormed off with her friends following closely behind her. That much information was as good as a confirmation for her. The man who looked just like her brother and called himself ''Lone Immortus'' was behind that massive door, and incarcerated to boot. One way or another, he''d somehow pissed off the entire dwarven people from the sounds of it. "Well, looks like I won''t get to meet him again," Emma sighed wistfully. "He was so handsome..." George looked uncomfortable. No wonder, Hazel thought. He was madly in love with her, after all. Pure and innocent as he was, his thoughts still annoyed the ever-living crap out of her when it came to Emma. Regardless, a frosty coldness quickly consumed Hazel''s expression, all traces of her anger and upset were gone as if they were never there in the first place. She drowned out the thoughts of her companions that flowed directly into her mind - something that took an immense amount of focus. She needed to think. Specifically, she needed to think of a way to either get inside or somehow contact the mysterious Golden Foxkin. Both seemingly impossible tasks given the fact their group was made up of exclusively I-rankers except for Emma who was an H-ranker.
"Let''s split up ''ere," Hamish said. Lone squinted. By the estimations of his hand-drawn maps, they were about five or so miles from the nearest entrance to Krieg Moor. "Gotcha. I assume you have your own ways to find out when I''m leaving on a mission, what mission it''ll be, and what gear you''ll need?" Lone asked. Hamish nodded. "Yup." The dwarf then melded with the stone, vanishing from even Lone''s Enhanced Vision. He didn''t doubt that Soph could still see him with her Mana Sensing, however. "That isn''t a racial-exclusive skill," Lone noted to Breena. "You should try to get him to teach you it. It''ll help you better understand your Primal skill, I bet." Breena wore a ponderous look. She slowly nodded. "I, uh... I''ll try. I''m... doing... one thing at a time..." Lone nodded back. "Proper pacing is important. Well, both of you get ready. Local immigration is gonna be a fuckin'' bitch." Soph gave Lone a confused look. "Why? It was easy enough getting out." "''Cause they were happy to be rid of me. Probably hoped I''d die too. Since we were successful and I''m back... well, I''d bet a million bucks on them harassing at least me. Hopefully only me," Lone said. Soph narrowed her eyes. "And if they go for all three of us?" "Depends on the level of harassment. Remember, I am prepared to teleport the fuck out of here the moment things get unbearable," Lone said, closing the conversation. Breena held her chin in thought and whispered, "Why one million male deer?"
Lone cracked his neck as he stumbled out of the other side of the immigration office at the krieg''s entrance. Soph and Breena were waiting for him there and they both gave him concerned looks. "Lone! Your clothes are a mess!" Soph exclaimed. Lone nodded. "Made me pull up my trouser legs, take off my boots, lift up my shirt. The works. Had to make sure I hadn''t ''stolen another steamforged artefact'' while in Urd Siltal." "Brutes," Breena mumbled in a sad and angered tone. Lone shrugged as he started fixing his messy appearance. "Could have been worse. Could have been strip-searched. This much is fine. Let''s head to the guild, yeah? The sooner we turn in the quests, the sooner we can enjoy the next two days together." Soph looked about ready to swap with Sophie and do something she''d later regret, but she ultimately sighed and said, "You''re too patient." Lone smiled. "I did kinda wrong the entire dwarven people. I can handle at least this much in return." "... ''Handle too much, and we will come out and snap some necks''. She, em, Sophie told me to, uh, tell you that," Soph sheepishly recited. "Hah! Her being like that is why I''m not worried. You two have my back. Well, three. Right Breena?" Lone asked. The teenager looked mortified at the thought of such a responsibility but she nodded regardless. Clearly, out of some feeling of obligation and not out of feelings of friendship or anything else. ''Baby steps,'' Lone thought as he finished rearranging his clothes. He then started heading straight for the local branch of the guild.
The gazes and whispered words were just as bad upon entering the guild as they were when they had left for the mission to Urd Siltal. ''Same is better than worse. I''m half surprised Sheelda McStuderson didn''t get people to spread rumours to make the commonfolk hate me more,'' Lone thought, making the best of the situation while he approached a reception desk. Once it was his, Soph, and Breena''s turn to be served, he immediately pulled out two prepared items. One was a necklace, the other was a big sack. He opened the sack to show its contents to the guild employee and he then stated, "143 sets of Shienling ears. That''s all of them from Urd Siltal." Lone then pointed to the necklace. "And that''s the heirloom item for the other quest we accepted." The employee nodded. "Give me a minute to process this. In the meantime, can you fill out this form to state everyone''s contributions? Please don''t try to lie on it either. All documents are verified through magic at one point or another." Lone raised an eyebrow as he watched the dwarven man walk over to some shelves behind the counter. "I know that. That felt like an unnecessary warning..." he grumbled before he got to writing in Western Stone Dwarvish. He wasn''t overly fluent in the language, but he was good enough from his own studies and the handful of lessons with Hamish to fill out a form or two. Lone finished long before the employee did. He put himself down as having a 90% contribution rate while both Soph and Breena got 5% of the credit. Hamish got none since he hadn''t accepted the quest with them. He felt that was a fair distribution of percentages since Soph and Sophie had only trained a little bit on three or four Shienlings, mostly focusing on tending to Breena''s wounds. Breena herself did nothing but train, while Lone on the other hand slaughtered the good majority of their targets. Finally, the employee returned to the counter. "I''ve verified the heirloom and the ears. Here. Five gold coins and 50 silver coins for the reclamation of Urd Siltal. 70 silver coins for the heirloom retrieval quest." Lone pocketed the five gold and 120 silver coins quite happily. ''This is enough for us to get by comfortably for at least a month, probably more if we stretch it.'' Even if his new residency was free of charge, Lone still had two rooms at The Rusty Sprocket to pay for, after all. The employee took the form Lone had filled out and looked at it carefully. "Given the contributions listed, no new plates shall be issued. Your quest completion rate is still at 100%, as is miss Vladimirovich''s... that''s a tough name to say. Miss Redtail, your quest completion rate has increased from 80.77% to 81.48%." ''First time hearing that brought up. Maybe he only mentioned it because Breena''s rate isn''t perfect? Time for some quick maths... 22 completions and five failures, right? That''s totally right. I wonder if Dexterity lets me think more clearly... Maybe Agility? Anyway, that means Daisuke failed five quests while with her and did 25 in total, 20 of which were successful. Only two with us, well, three, but the tailor job is still on-going. The situation in Urd Grun, and now in Urd Siltal for the completed two. I wonder how the success percentage affects plate promotions?'' Lone''s mind raced. The employee gave Lone one final sentence, "The guildmaster wishes to see you, Lone Immortus. She''s waiting on the second floor." ''Ah, done figuring out if they can find where Gilbert, Grimsley, and Shana, are? Fingers crossed for good news,'' Lone thought as he nodded. B2: Chapter 73: Followed and Examiners "Completed your quests?" Guildmaster Hilda asked in greeting. Lone nodded before taking a seat. He''d come up to the second floor on his own, leaving Soph and Breena to peruse the quest boards downstairs. After all, once Lone was back in the militaristic enlistment compound, it could be a few days or longer before he''d be able to take on his next mission. It''d be good if Soph and Breena could earn some more credit towards their next plate promotions by doing simple quests within the city, making the most of their time away from him. "Good, good," Hilda said. "We know roughly where Gilbert is." Lone''s eyes widened. "Naw exactly, mind ye," Hilda said, tempering his expectations. "There''s only so much we can dae with ''im knowin'' what position the sun is in at 12th bell, the strength o'' the sea''s waves, an'' the creatures inhabitin'' it. Still, we''ve got it triangulated down tae ''im being somewhere in the Northern Emerald Sea." Lone raised a concerned eyebrow. "Isn''t that directly above the sealed monster continent?" Hilda nodded. "Just north o'' its southern counterpart, aye." Lone leaned back into his chair as he stared up at the ceiling. The sealed monster continent took up a massive swathe of the northern lands. It was enough for it to be labelled its own continent even if it was technically a part of Teresta. A massive magical and unbreakable shield had kept it sealed for hundreds of thousands of years if legends were to be believed. The shield''s dark green sheen reflected onto the ocean north of it, giving the four seas that it was made up of the ''emerald'' part of their name. That was about as far as Lone''s knowledge of the topic extended. He hadn''t read many books about the many, many seas and oceans that surrounded Teresta. "You''ll need a powerful and durable hull for a ship to even get out there," Lone commented, "Let alone explore in hopes of stumbling across the island they''re stranded on." Guildmaster Hilda raised an impressed eyebrow. "Ken ah thing or two aboot shipwrightin'', dae ya?" "I''ve got the Shipbuilding and Sailing Mastery skills. Haven''t you seen my file? Appeared at Milindo''s port city Ros with a ship. Well, I lived on an island for a good while before salvaging a broken ship and then sailed to Milindo with it. I''ve read up on all of the oceans and seas that surround Teresta as much as I could. As much as I could isn''t much, mind you, given Milindo didn''t document stuff nearly as much as I''d like and the dwarven kingdoms touch no oceans, so information is also lacking here. I did try though. Seemed wise in case I ever found myself in a similar situation," Lone explained. "Ye''re moor meticulous than most," Hilda commented. "Well, it''s oot ah ma hands noo since ''e''s basically on the other side oh the continent. The info has been verified and Grand Guildmaster Sarah has said she''ll personally take care o'' the rescue efforts. So, like ah said when we last spoke, ye''ve got some rewards tae claim." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch and juggled it in her palm for a bit. She then sighed and tossed it to Lone who easily caught it. "Dinnae lose ''at. Don''t spend it lightly either. Ye could cripple ah local economy or two if ye''r nae careful," Hilda warned with a deadly tone of seriousness to her words. Lone wore a curious expression as he slightly opened the pouch before peering into it, only to see a glint of ruby peering back at him. What he could see at the bottom of the small pouch as clear as day was a pair of ruby-gold coins. "Really?" he asked in shock. This was an absurd amount of wealth. Lone had only expected the previously stated ten white-gold coins, the equivalent of 1,000 gold coins. Instead, he''d been given a pair of ruby-gold coins, the equivalent of 200 white-gold coins or 20,000 gold coins. "Ye underestimate ''ow much the guild values its masters. Now, ye''ve got some choices. Ye can keep those coins, or, ye can bank ''em wae the guild. I''d suggest doin'' ''at. Only silver-plates an'' above can use the guild''s bankin'' features, but honestly, withoot it, ''ow in the name ah the Stone are ye gonna even use so much money without havin'' it split into smaller denominations?" Hilda asked rhetorically. "No bank can front that much cash unless ye''re in ah massive city in ah rich kingdom or empire. Guild''s yer best bet. Besides, ye''r due fer yer silver-plate promotion exam tomorrow mornin''." ''She did say before that even just a clue to Gilbert''s whereabouts could lead to the promotion exam,'' Lone thought. "An'' ah''ve seen yer skills first''and. Ah doubt the examiners will fail ya unless you cock up somethin'' fierce. So, wan'' me tae hold ontae those coins fae ya an'' bank ''em the second ya become ah real adventurer?" Hilda offered. With his Enhanced Vision, Lone couldn''t see any signs of deception. There was a pretty low chance the guildmaster was trying to scam him out of enough money to buy a small town. Not that it really mattered to him. Once he got his Creation Magic unsealed, he''d be able to make as many of the exceedingly valuable coins as he wished once again. That being the case, he nodded. "Sure. I''ll leave ''em in your hands," Lone said as he tossed the pouch back to her. She grinned. "Ye''r ah smart one. Real fuckin'' shame ye broke dwarven law. Ye''d ''ave been ah model adventurer tae ''elp bolster interspecies relations." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Coulda shoulda woulda. Live and let learn, yeah?" Lone commented. "Weird phrases," Hilda replied. "Well, off wae ya. Be back ''ere by tenth bell the morrow, aye?" "Will do," Lone answered.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Lone sighed as he collapsed onto his and Soph''s bed in their room at the Rusty Sprocket. "We''re being watched, aren''t we?" he asked. Soph jolted in surprise. "I was just going to mention that. How''d you find out?" "Was looking at the rooftops as we walked here from the guild. I could have sworn I saw a copper chimney move. I got a level in Enhanced Vision at the exact same time," Lone explained. Soph nodded. "Well, yeah. I could see them pretty clearly. There were seven dwarves following us, maybe eight. The last could have just been a coincidence. The seven were all on the roofs staring at you the entire time." "Mages?" Lone asked. Soph shook her head. "Not as far as me and Sophie could tell." "Ah. So no guesses on their strength?" Lone followed up. "Nothing certain. I''m trying to figure out ranks by magic levels, but it''s hard. Your guess is as good as mine. You said you saw a chimney move? I wasn''t looking at them with my actual eyes, just Mana Sensing. That sounds like illusion magic though, but I would have seen that as the magic it was..." Soph wore a confused look on her face. Lone shrugged as he closed his eyes and slowly began stripping in a lethargic manner. "Could have been a camouflaging art or something that drains SP, not MP. I''ll see if I can''t find it in the guild''s list of skills when I hit silver plate tomorrow." "Confident you''ll pass the exam? Even though, uh... most dwarves don''t really, y''know..." Soph''s words were awkward but her meaning was clear. "The guild is impartial. I''ll hold ''em to that," Lone replied. "I do wonder who our observers are though. I''d bet on servants of the dwarven kingdoms employed to keep an eye on me. Makes you wonder why they bother with scripture magic if they''re gonna keep close tabs on me anyway. Then again, they didn''t follow us out of the krieg, so I guess it''s just to make sure I don''t go berserk before the magic pops my head clean off my shoulders." "... Sophie is asking me if you want her to make them disappear," Soph said. "Hah. Nah. She just wants us to leave this place, doesn''t she? Them vanishing would force us to flee. They can keep watching us when we''re in the krieg so long as that''s all they do. It''s a way for me to train Enhanced Vision, if nothing else," Lone dismissed. Soph smiled wryly as she finished taking off her and Sophie''s armour. "I do agree with her. Not, uh, randomly murdering people, but on leaving. You want to go to The Academy don''t you?" "I want to do a lot of things, but that is the ultimate goal in the near future, yes. We could both learn a lot from one of the world''s largest institutes of magic and magical arts," Lone replied. "... But your mana organs need to be unsealed, which is one of the reasons we''re staying here, right?" Soph answered as she yawned and began undressing. "Nap?" "That was my intent," Lone said as he got under the covers. "But yeah, that''s one reason. There are a lot of reasons. Stay above board while my organs unseal. Work off my sentence since I was in the wrong. Stay here long enough to be here for when Wilbur... passes. Earn money so I don''t need to use Creation Magic on it much when my organs do get unsealed. Rank up our guild plates. Learn the dwarven languages properly. Get stronger. Etcetera etcetera. We''ll be busy for the next few months." "So long as we''re only busy, and not in perilous danger," Soph sighed. "I''m still worried about that dwarven woman your arbiter warned you about." "Sheelda? We''ll be fine. No one knows what we''re capable of. Even if they know I injured an X-ranker who wasn''t fighting back, that''s barely the tip of the iceberg. Now get over here. My tails need a cuddle buddy while I catch some winks," Lone said. "And I will be more than pleased to oblige," Soph giggled.
The following morning, Lone had come to the guild alone for his silver plate exam. He was nervous but also excited in equal measure. This was one of, if not the single most important plates for an adventurer to earn. It marked the change from a random mercenary to a trusted member of the guild. And that trust came with perks. ''Particularly the skill list Hamish mentioned. I cannot wait to get my hands on that baby,'' Lone thought excitedly as he entered the building. Instead of having to wait in a line to be served for once, he was approached by a staff member. "Mister Immortus, please follow me to the exam area." He happily nodded and carefully followed the short dwarven man who didn''t seem overly pleased to be leading him, but was otherwise doing his job flawlessly. ''Personal views exist, but professionalism prevails. I really am starting to come to love the guild,'' Lone thought. Before long, he found himself back in the same training area Hamish had almost killed him in roughly two months ago. Sitting or standing near the back wall of the room were four dwarves and one non-dwarf - a man whom Lone recognised belonged to the Shale species. Shale were a very small group of sentient golems, to put it simply. The man was massive and made from a mixture of some sort of stone and iron, as far as Lone could tell. Of the four dwarves, Lone only recognised Guildmaster Hilda. "Good luck," his guide said with a surprising amount of sincerity before he bowed his head towards the five people at the other end of the training area and then left. "Lone Immortus," Hilda called as she stepped forward. "Welcome tae yer silver-plate exam. We five shall be presidin'' over the test. Maself, the Guildmaster o'' this branch o'' The Adventurer''s Guild, Hilda Castfire. Gold plate adventurer Lord Iroh Steamcaller o'' Krieg Stern. Gold plate adventurer Isolde Steamcaller." Lone raised an eyebrow. ''Husband and wife? Father and daughter? Maybe mother and son, though unlikely since he''s of nobility and she ain''t. Hard to tell who''s older and who isn''t with long-lived races. Wonder how strong they are to be gold plates? That''s two above silver, just one above gold-silver.'' He unconsciously licked his lips at the thought of the skills they could give him if only they attacked him or the skill level ups he''d earn if they let him do the same to them. "Gold-silver plate adventurer Reld Bellow. An'' finally, Guildmaster Oror o'' Krieg Stern''s branch o'' The Adventurer''s Guild," Hilda finished with their introductions. Lone looks at the Shale man with a raised eyebrow. "Two guildmasters?" he whispered to himself. Hilda nodded. "As is customary when decidin'' if ah dark-steel plate adventurer should join the ranks o'' silver." Lone hadn''t expected an answer but he appreciated it nonetheless. "Must have been a bitch to get any silver promotions done in Milindo given their distaste of letting non-locals in." "Before the recent reform, aye. It was ah nuisance. Less idle chatter noo. The exam has already begun. There are three sections tae the exam. The reviewal step, the character assessment step, and the strength assessment step. Are ye ready, Lone Immortus?" Guildmaster Hilda asked. "Of course," he nodded eagerly. One way or another, Lone would get his hands on that mystical skill list Hamish had poisoned his mind with. Preferably through legal means. B2: Chapter 74: Test Begins and Test Ends "First, the reviewal step," Guildmaster Hilda said. "We''ve all discussed every quest ye''ve completed thus far an'' ''ave chosen one tae discuss wae ya. Ye''ll be graded on ''ow the discussion goes. Any questions?" Lone shook his head. "None." "Good. We''ll be goin'' over yer participation in the subjugation of the Blue Orcs in service of Milindo''s guild branch," Hilda stated. The next 25 minutes was a constant back and forth of the adventurers and guildmasters present asking Lone why he had done certain things on the quest, going into more details of the skimmed parts from the full report, and quizzing him on where he could improve. Lone didn''t find it particularly interesting since he had thought of all of the points brought up by them already. He was nothing if not a meticulous thinker. Lord Iroh Steamcaller stroked his beard with a smile hidden under his moustache. "Good. You are very adaptable and perhaps even arrogant, but your unbridled confidence does not stop you from reflecting on a time where when you were, indeed, weaker, you could have still performed much better with your abilities at the time. You pass this step of the exam." "Now fae the character assessment step," Hilda announced. "We''ve each read over yer file extensively. We''ll each ask ye one question, then grade ye on yer answer." Hilda reached into her pocket and pulled out a crystal cube of some sort. "This ''ere is a complicated magical artefact but tae boil it doon, what it does is it acts like the racial skill of the White Dragonkin. Ye''r familiar, aye?" Lone raised a curious eyebrow. "It can tell truth from lie?" The guildmaster nodded. "Aye, though nae passively. When ah charge it, answer the question presented tae ye. It''ll glow when charged an'' the glow will change colour if yer nae bein'' factual from within the bounds ah yer knowledge. If ''at makes ye feel uncomfortable, ye are free tae leave. This is ah necessary step tae becomin'' a silver plate, ''owever." Lone shook his head. "I have no issues with that. Please, go ahead." "Lovely. Then, tae start us off, why did ye join The Adventurer''s Guild?" Hilda asked. Lone watched in wonder as the perfectly cuboid artefact started shining with a white glow. ''Fascinating. I gotta get me one of those.'' He held his chin and said, "It''s The Adventurer''s Guild. Adventure is in the name. I had, of course, heard about the local guildmaster in Milindo''s only branch being a demi like me, which was comforting given the speciesist nature of that kingdom. Mostly though? It was for the promise of adventure, pay, and the wonder of it all." Hilda glanced at the cuboid resting atop her palm and nodded. "A passing answer." She then stopped powering it with MP, SP, or whatever else it needed, making it go inert. Clearly, every second she could get away with not using it she would take advantage of. ''Must be pricey to keep active,'' Lone thought. Lord Iroh Steamcaller coughed to clear his throat. The stocky dwarf wearing gilded armour asked, "Which quest that you have completed did you find the most challenging, and why?" Lone had no idea. "Can I be given a minute to think? I have a good idea, but I''ve done a lot of quests. Well, probably a lot less than you, but enough for this to be a tricky question." The man nodded. "Of course. Take your time." ''He uses no slang and his accent is faint. I wonder if he''s been topside for a while or something?'' Lone speculated as he began thinking about the question seriously. A few minutes later, he said, "I''m ready to answer now." As soon as Hilda powered up the cube again, Lone said, "I''m very tempted to answer with the retrieval of the Black Iron Company''s corpses and the missing dwarves at Urd Grun, but honestly, that wasn''t challenging. It was just risky and surprising how it went." He closed his eyes and sighed before shaking his head. "No, the most challenging quest was being apprenticed to Master Wilbur Steamson. That needed me to learn so much in such a short space of time. I had to interact with customers, improve my Woodworking and Blacksmithing skills, foster a healthy master-apprentice relationship, and try to not get in the way despite Wilbur dwarfing me in craftsmanship ability. I failed that in the end by learning Steamforging. So yeah, that was the most challenging quest. Honestly, Wilbur shouldn''t have even filed it as completed, but he did." Lord Iroh Steamcaller nodded. "A passing answer." "Ah simple one fae me," Isolde Steamcaller claimed with a happy smile. "Why arnae ye in an'' adventuring group yet?" "Don''t have five members in my party to make one," Lone answered easily. The woman nodded. "Makes sense. Still, failing answer. A true adventurer should be trying their best at all times tae use all advantages they can when possible. An adventurer group gives an adventurer ah very large advantage." ''Okay. Fuckin'' speak for yourself. I have eight unique skills I need to be worried about displaying. Or used to be worried about displaying. Well, only seven really, since my species and race aren''t a skill. Still, asshole,'' Lone thought privately. Reld Bellow was next. The Mineral Dwarf gave Lone a hard look. "What or who was the strongest thing or person ye''ve killed? Either on an adventure or off one." "King Ralph Heidron the Third. Guy was an SS-ranker to my understanding," Lone answered succinctly. Reld glanced at the cube in Hilda''s hand and his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly nodded. "So what ye said in yer trial was true... Passing answer." ''Was he just curious and wanted the artefact''s confirmation? Well, whatever. That''s three passing answers. That''s a majority, right?'' Lone asked himself. The Shale, Guildmaster Oror, asked his own question promptly. "What was your relationship with Guildmaster Gilbert Elksworth like?" Lone furrowed his brow. "He... Uh... My actual dad was a real piece of work, okay? Made some bad business moves, got depressed, and beat me up a lot before killing himself. Gilbert... he filled that role. I love him like a father and I''d like to think he loves me like a son." Hilda stopped using the device. "We have ye on record as ''avin'' previously stated ye don''t ken yer real parents." Lone chuckled. "Is that question a part of the review?" "... Naw, it isnae. An answer would be well appreciated though," Hilda offered. Guildmaster Oror chimed in with, "I give your answer a passing grade, by the way." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Thank you, Guildmaster Oror," Lone replied honestly before he took a moment to ponder over Hilda''s words. "I... Hmm... Normally, how does the guild treat summoned heroes?" Several faces wore suspicious and equally interested looks at hearing that question. Hilda creased her brow. "The same as any other adventurer. We occasionally make small concessions when the political landscape demands it, aye, like Milindo''s former ''ero being allowed tae take far tae many quests withoot bein'' reprimanded. Ah good minority o'' oor strongest members are publicly known tae be summoned heroes." "Like all of the Seven Deadly Sins," Lone commented. Hilda nodded. "Aye." "... I''m a summoned hero. I won''t say who summoned me nor why, as I have no fuckin'' idea either. It was just easier to pretend I didn''t remember much of the Golden Foxkin Clan when I was ever asked since, well, I have nothing to do with them what with me being a hero and all," Lone confessed. It felt oddly liberating to let that off his chest to a room of mostly strangers. He was strong enough to fight well above his rank and he had enough escape options to never have to repeat a Milindo scenario again, so he wasn''t too worried about someone here trying to use this revelation against him. Although, thanks to Gilbert, Hilda, and all of the staff of the guild he had interacted with thus far, he felt he could trust this organisation. Hilda stared at the inert device in her hand, perhaps wondering if she should have left it active, Lone wondered. "That explains ah lot. Nae wonder ye can flawlessly speak oor languages." Lone noticed Guildmaster Oror giving him a look of mischief as if the living golem had somehow already known his secret. Chuckling with a rumble, the Shale said, "No need to be curious. While I may have been speaking in Western Stone Dwarfish, I did sneak in a sound or two in the tongue of the Shale - an impossible feat for one not in possession of the needed organs to make the correct scraping noises. And yet, you did not react unlike my colleagues and you even spoke in the tongue of the Shale yourself, even if only a few words. I suspected some form of magic, in truth, despite your lack of active mana organs. An enchantment perhaps. Being a summoned hero makes just as much sense. Do be careful when speaking in a room full of diverse people if you wish for your uniqueness to remain under wraps. Many are as observant as I, if not more so." Hilda sighed as she put away the artefact that mimicked a White Dragonkin''s racial skill. "Enough o'' this. We arenae ''ere tae interrogate ye, Lone. Thank ye fer satin'' ma curiosity. We''ll move ontae the strength assessment noo." Honestly, that was about as good of a response as he imagined he could have gotten to his revelation. Guildmaster Oror had revealed to him that his and Soph''s ability to speak all languages could be used against them under the right circumstances. It was something Lone had thought about before but not too seriously since practically everyone he had met on Altros thus far spoke at least two languages, so their linguistics talents weren''t too out of the ordinary. Hell, Gilbert hadn''t ever brought it up before they revealed their summoned status to him, meaning the man mostly spoke Milindonian or thought nothing of it when they talked to him with whatever language he was predominantly used to. Regardless, the golem had also let him into a very powerful piece of knowledge. There was an enchantment that did the same thing. ''Gotta learn that when I can. I may be happier to be more truthful now, but that doesn''t mean I shouldn''t have ways to disguise my and Soph''s hero status when that would be helpful. Breena could use the enchantment too since she spends a lot of her free time on studying Western Stone Dwarfish when she could be training instead,'' Lone thought. With that out of the way, his mind drifted excitedly to the final part of the exam. This was the step Lone was most looking forward to because he was completely done with hiding his capabilities. Secrets were one thing. His destructive power, on the other hand, he felt he had no reasonable reason to conceal. If they''d let him, he''d show them something to remember. "There''re three aspects tae this test," Hilda said. "Power, durability, an'' lastly, variety. We''ll start with power. It''s usually the fastest tae test o'' the three. We wan'' ya tae show us yer most destructive skill. If ye can''t fae some reason, ah''ll get the artefact back oot an'' ye can describe it instead." Lone tapped his chin thoughtfully. "It''s between four skills, though one is more of an enhancer than a direct skill since it''s the side effect of a resistance skill." Guildmaster Oror raised a stone eyebrow. "Please, go on. Describe all of them. Is there something we must do to aid you in your demonstration?" Lone scratched the back of his head and chuckled a bit. "I''m a summoned hero, yeah? Well, one of my unique skill-" "One of?" Gold-silver plate adventurer Reld Bellow wore a sceptical look on his face. Nodding, Lone said, "I have seven, strictly speaking. Anyway, the one I''m talking ab-" "''Anyway''?!" Reld Bellow yelled. "Ye cannae just ''anyway'' after sayin'' somethin'' as outlandish as ''at!" Hilda frowned. "Reld, ''e''s here fae ''is silver plate exam, nae tae reveal ''is every secret. Would ye be quiet an'' let the boy explain fae feck''s sake?" Guildmaster Oror nodded. "Quite unbecoming of you as an examiner, Reld." The adventurer flushed red with embarrassment before he coughed softly. "Sorry. Excitement got the better o'' me. Y''ken, what wae one ah ma party members bein'' an ''ero an'' all." ''Really now? That''s interesting,'' Lone thought. Hilda waved her hand for Lone to continue, so continue he did. "One of my unique skills is called Mental Destruction. With it, I can kill anything that is up to three ranks higher than me with a single use of the skill. It has no cost but it has a daily limit equal to my rank. Meaning, with me at D-rank, I can use it six times a day and instantly kill A-ranked beings. It doesn''t work on those resistant to attacks on the soul or those very resistant to magic in general." "An incredible skill!" Lord Iroh Steamcaller exclaimed. "Does it work on those beyond the three rank clause?" Lone nodded. "Yes, but it doesn''t instantly kill them. It''s how I murdered the king of Milindo. Used it over and over until his brains leaked out of his face. Ah, but if anyone from the greater council asks, it was tails to the eyes." Hilda smiled grimly. "Ah never did like ''im, an'' yer incident in Milindo ''elped the guild get ah stronger foot''old there. Everythin'' ye say stays in this room. Only the results o'' the test will be documented." "That''s good to hear. Well, the other three skills of note; my Primal skill from Void - no I won''t explain what Void is if you don''t kn-" "We know," Guildmaster Oror interrupted. "The guild is far older than the purging of history that happened to hide the ninth Primal''s sealing. I would be wary of the Church of the Primals were I you considering your very clear awakening to Void. Beyond that, it isn''t our business to pry." "... Right... Well, my skill is called Nothing Vortex. I suspect it could kill anything in theory, but I can''t use it right now on account of it needing 100,000 MP per second per vortex I wish to sustain," Lone explained. All five examiners nodded. Isolde Steamcaller commented, "Primal skills are tricky like ''at. As strong as or stronger ''an unique skills at times, but needlessly costly energy-wise." Lone couldn''t agree with that any more even if he tried. "The last two skills of note are, of course, Tail Spear, and lastly Aura Pressure Resistance." Eyebrows raised at that. Guildmaster Oror asked, "Really? What kind of effect did it gain to warrant consideration alongside such powerful skills?" "My stats multiply a lot based on the rank difference between me and whoever is using their aura in an attempt to pressure me. I got it during my trial when I injured the X-ranker, Xer''rava. It''s actually what enabled me to injure him at all I think, with the help of my Tail Spear," Lone explained. "If ye''d gae us ah moment tae confer?" Hilda requested of Lone, to which he happily nodded. The duo of guildmaster and the trio of adventurers then huddled up and began speaking amongst themselves. About five minutes later, they separated. Hilda cleared her throat and said, "Given ''at yer demonstration with the Taker''s protector, Xer''rava was, while nae public, was also nae kept ah secret either, we will pass ye on the power section of this test. Honestly, ye likely have the power needed fae several more plate rank up exams. Nae need tae ''ave ye fatally injure one o'' us by mistake or ruin this trainin'' area again as ye an'' Hamish did nae tae long ago, aye?" ''Each rank after silver needs an exam? That''s telling. More benefits per plate?'' Lone thought as he chuckled in mild disappointment. "That''s fair. Durability now, right?" Hilda nodded. "This is an'' instant pass tae. Ah saw wae ma own eyes as ye some''ow survived ah drawn oot fight wae Hamish; an established B-ranked silver plate." Lone winced. ''Whelp. There goes the chance for me to learn a new skill, resistance, and maybe level Basic Regeneration.'' "Now ''at just leaves us wae variety," Hilda cheerfully said. "''Ow many skills ''ave ye got?" She pulled out her artefact again and began powering it. "Nae need tae list ''em. Ye can dae ''at after ye get yer new plate fae credits if ya wan'' - that''ll be explained, again, when ye get yer new plate. We just need tae ken ''ow many skills ye''ve got. It''s tae let us ken how skilled ye are at learning new things relative tae yer age." Lone beamed a massive grin. He quickly pulled up his full skill list and then counted each skill rapidly before announcing, "97." The five examiners began to articulate some anger at Lone for lying to them before their expressions dropped upon glancing at the cube in Guildmaster Hilda''s hand. "Impossible..." Guildmaster Oror mumbled as his entire stony frame shook. Lone revelled in it. ''That''s right! If I can''t knock your socks off with everything else, at least this is sufficiently impressive.'' "So, can I get my silver plate now?" Lone asked as a chaotic smile spread across his lips. B2: Chapter 75: Silver Orientation and Credit Slate Guildmaster Hilda put the artefact cube away for the final time as she asked, "How long ''as it been since ye were summoned?" Lone frowned as he held his chin in thought. "A year or so? I don''t exactly have a calendar, but yeah, about that long." Guildmaster Oror stepped forward, quickly closing the distance between himself and Lone. He put one of his massive stone hands on Lone''s shoulder and smiled while he said, "It has to be one of your unique skills. What a truly unique skill it is to let one learn almost 100 skills in less than a full year. Come, I''ll personally walk you through the benefits of being a silver plate adventurer. Assuming that''s okay with you, Hilda?" The short dwarven woman scowled then sighed. "Fine. Whatever project ye''ve in mind though, save it ''til after ''e''s oriented. An'' ye, Lone. Ah''ll get yer plate ready. Come pick it up from ah desk employee in aboot an ''our or so." "An hour?" Lone asked. Normally, it took about five minutes or less for a new plate to be minted. Hilda waved dismissively as she started walking off, choosing not to answer him. Iroh and Isolde Steamcaller stretched as they made to leave as well. They gave Lone a brief farewell and wished him well before they were gone. Reld Bellow approached Lone after that and said, "Silver an'' above plates need tae be enchanted to prevent theft an'' impersonation." Guildmaster Oror nodded. "Indeed. That''s the primary reason every guild branch has at least one mage proficient in enchanting magic stationed at them. Usually as a desk employee." ''Huh. That''s neat. Maybe I can learn enchanting magic sooner than I''d imagined if I can get my hands on the mage they have stashed away here,'' Lone thought. Reld held out a hand for Lone, who promptly shook it. "It was good tae meet another ''ero. If ye ever see ma full party, ah''d love fae ye an'' Frido tae ''ave ah chat. He''s mah group''s resident ''ero. Though... well, ye''r whole Steamforgin'' debacle has ruffled some feathers. Mah party didnae even wan'' me tae take this job - y''ken, assessin'' ya fae promotion," the stocky dwarf admitted. Lone shook his head. "I don''t blame them. I''ll be sure to look you and your party up if I''m ever in..." Taking the cue, Reld said, "Krieg Offtommer. We''re the Silver Cog Company. Most well-known group in the krieg." Lone and the gold-silver plate adventurer spoke for a short while longer before the dwarf gave a warm farewell and left. Guildmaster Oror had silently waited all the while. "What a lovely young man. Well, shall we? I have some official things to show you and inform you of, then we simply must discuss something a bit more private if you''d humour me." Lone followed the golem as he exited the training area. A sceptical look dominated his face. ''That didn''t sound ominous at all. Fingers crossed my trust in revealing my uniqueness wasn''t misplaced.'' "Depends on the nature of it. I only intended to come here for the exam. I still want to enjoy my holiday before the scripture magic forces me back to my cell," Lone commented. "Aha, of course. Speaking of magic, we will need to have you be bound by contract magic to not reveal certain things you are about to learn and be given access to," the large man said as he lead Lone through the guild lobby and up to the second floor. "Hold my hand, would you? Actually, you''re rather tall. My shoulder will do too." Lone raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Please, without your silver plate, you''ll need to be under the enchantments of my own adamantine plate for us to go where we need to," the Shale explained. ''Adamantine? That''s four plates past silver. I wonder what rank he is? S? SS? Hmm... Speaking of, I wonder what plate Gilbert has? I''ve never asked him.'' Lone frowned but complied nonetheless, reaching up to put his hand on the golem''s shoulder. "Any chance you''ll tell me why I need to do this?" Guildmaster Oror rumbled out a chuckle in response, choosing not to reply. Instead, he walked forward into a wall. Lone expected the man to bump against the stone bricks but he instead slipped right through them as if they weren''t there. Watching in muted shock as he, too, passed right through the wall and onto a set of hidden stairs, Lone mumbled, "An illusion? No. I''d have sensed it with Illusion Detection unless it''s super strong. Even then, I''d have gotten a level or two in Illusion Magic Resistance from going through it." "It''s a series of enchantments, Lone. Still, you''ve encountered illusions despite only being on this world for about a year? What stories you surely have to tell..." the Shale gushed. Lone let go of the giant stone man for a moment and said, "If I can''t come in on my own in a minute, reach through and grab me. I wanna try something." Guildmaster Oror raised the stony outcrop that was his left eyebrow before nodding. "I''m in no particular hurry." Lone smiled at that then dashed back through the enchantment. He then stared at the wall as intently as he could for a good 5 minutes straight. "Still can''t see any difference at all... The skill''s rank must not be high enough... That sucks. Can''t I at least get a level or tw-"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill Enhanced Vision has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
"Fuck yeah!" Lone could now see a very slight ripple at the edges of the open archway if he focused enough. He couldn''t actually see through the stones but he could tell there was something obscured there now. "This skill rocks." Lone then threw himself at the stones and bounced off rather comically. A dribble of blood flowed down from a cut in his palm that had come as a result of slamming into the stones, but his skin quickly sealed up as if the wound had never been there. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Okay. That was dumb," Lone sighed as he got up. The next moment, Guildmaster Oror''s massive hand shot through the enchantment and grabbed Lone before dragging him back in. "Please don''t do that. Any more and it would be considered an attack of the enchantment formation. That, or you''d break the whole thing. Anyone can leave, but a silver or higher plate is needed to enter them. What were you doing anyway?" the Shale questioned. "Oh. That''s a shame. I was working on Enhanced Vision. Got a level, so it was worth it. Me trying to force myself through was an attempt to level Enchantment Magic Resistance. It''s already expert rank so a level was unlikely, but how often does one run into new enchantments? I was hopeful," Lone explained. "Hmm... You and I are going to get along rather well I feel, Lone. The mindset to learn and level skills almost zealously is a mindset I, too, possess. Now, come. Let''s get that contract magic set up first so I can show you all of the fun parts of becoming a real member of the adventurer''s guild." The Guildmaster from another krieg seemed rather excited.
"And that''s everything," Guildmaster Oror rumbled happily as he delicately handed a pen to Lone. "Just sign here, here, and here, then the magic''ll settle." The contract was pretty simple. It prohibited Lone from revealing anything he learned by becoming a new silver plate adventurer to anyone who wasn''t also a silver plate or higher. This included the fact that every guild branch had a hidden third floor. Lone wondered if perhaps there were more than just three floors to the central lobby of each branch, but he''d only figure that out if and when he got promoted again, he figured. If Lone somehow managed to act against the clauses of the contract while it was still in effect, the contract would break and send a signal to the closest branch of the guild. That branch would then inform headquarters and he''d be hunted down. He wouldn''t be killed, only captured and interrogated. Still, the secrets of the guild weren''t to be taken lightly. He carefully reread the contract once more before nodding and signing it. Immediately, the words lifted off the page and flowed into Lone''s body, settling onto his soul as far as he could tell.
The host has developed the passive skill: Contract Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Contract Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the compulsion of contract magic used on the host when the host was not willing to enter the contract. Chance to ignore the punishment of breaking contract magic clauses of forced contracts: 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Oh, Contract Magic Resistance. Awesome," Lone said aloud. "I wonder why I never got this the time a slave collar was put on me?" Guildermaster Oror''s smile disappeared. "You have been enslaved before?" Lone waved the massive man''s worries away as he replied, "For a day- well, more like a few hours, really. Used a skill to get rid of the collar and Mental Destructioned the guy who slapped it on me." "I... see," the Shale said. "Well, to answer your question, a collar or any other item is an indirect use of contract magic, so it is quite impossible to gain the resistance through them. That is, sadly, by design. I''m glad you got the skill though. It can quite literally save one''s life." "Oh, I''d imagine. So, what''s next?" Lone inquired. The golem''s smile returned. "First I''m obliged to tell you that if the contract breaks somehow, you are required to come to your closest guild branch''s third floor and have the local guildmaster restore the contract. Accidents happen and magic is a vast power, but it isn''t infallible. Contracts can be accidentally broken in many different ways. And I do not mean if you somehow break a clause, I mean if the magic itself breaks and the contract disappears." The massive man then walked over to one of the floor''s walls where a series of quest boards were nailed into the stone bricks. "These here are the silver plate exclusive quest boards. Sometimes higher-ranked plate quests can be found on the first floor, as I''m sure you''ve seen on floor one. That''s just to let prospective members be motivated to get promoted. This is where you''ll find 99% of the requests that require the attention of a silver-plated adventurer." Lone nodded. That all made sense. "Now, follow me to the thing I suspect you will enjoy the most." As they moved through the open hall that was the third floor, the handful of silver plate adventurers going about their business gave way to them. "As a silver plate, you are now entitled to begin instructional courses for other adventurers. You will need to register the skill you wish to teach, but besides that, it''s a fairly loose system. You can charge what you want for your services. You can also now apply to have the local guildmaster - that being Hilda - teach you the Teaching Mastery skill to help with your own lessons should you not already possess it. You can ignore the entire tutoring programme as well if you so choose. It''s a benefit, not an obligation," Guildmaster Oror said. Lone held his chin in thought as the two of them approached a large metal tablet of sorts with runes plastered all over it. A silver plate was interacting with it in some way so while they waited, Lone''s mind raced. ''That''s what Hamish alluded to in his retirement plan, wasn''t it? Teaching new adventurers. I''ve never bothered with that system before but if I could become the teacher... couldn''t I charge people with them using their skills on me? I''d get new attack skills and resistances for free basically.'' That was an incredibly appealing idea to Lone. About 10 minutes passed before the dwarven man using the tablet was done. He turned and bowed his head respectfully at Guildmaster Oror but scoffed lightly at Lone''s presence. It wasn''t as bad as how the lower plated adventurers treated him, but the man clearly has his biases despite having passed the silver plate promotion exam. Lone couldn''t really fault him for that. Culture was a tricky thing like that. After the dwarf had wandered off, Lone asked, "So... what is this thing?" Guildmaster Oror gestured grandly at the metal tablet before saying, "This, Lone, is the credit slate. Each guild branch has one - well, more than one, but that isn''t important." ''Was that a hint? Does my theory of more hidden floors hold weight? I''ll have to try to find the entrance to the fourth floor with Enhanced Vision at some point,'' Lone decided. "It''s a rather intricate artefact. I won''t go into the specifics of its making but what it does is it allows you to record your skills, skill ranks, special effects, and acquisition methods. Each of those gives a different amount of credits based on the skill, rarity, difficulty, usefulness, etcetera, etcetera. These credits can be used to search up information on skills others have submitted," the Shale explained. "It''s perhaps the biggest benefit to becoming a real adventurer - a silver plate." ''So this is the way to access the skill list Hamish alluded to? It must not actually be a list if he was able to tell me that and not get slapped by the contract magic. Sneaky little dwarf,'' Lone thought with a grin. "I think I''ll have a lot of fun with this thing," Lone replied. "With 95 skills? Pardon, 96. Yes, I think you will. We encourage all our silver plates and up to record everything they learn about skills. It is all done anonymously and the more data we get, the more we can make newer and older adventurers alike stronger. Even just knowing what skills are out there can be a huge boon," Guildmaster Oror said. Lone nodded at that. Information was power. The massive golem rumbled out a chuckle and said, "Now, take your time experimenting with the credit slate. My official job - well Hilda''s official job that I commandeered - ends here. I''ll stay on the third floor for some time though. Please come to me once you''re done so I can talk to you about my private request." Lone still wasn''t sure he trusted the idea of that ''private request''. Call him paranoid but he''d been through too much to blindly believe in something so suspicious sounding from someone he had just met this morning. "Sure," he replied in a noncommittal manner. B2: Chapter 76: Testing the Slate and Skill Options Lone approached the credit slate with his excitement on full display, though it wasn''t like he was paying attention to anything in the room but the metal slate. Now he could finally look up so many of the skills he had theorised existed but that he had yet to earn himself. Just as he got in front of the large artefact, the runes plastered all over it shifted and morphed into English letters he could understand, clearly showing the device likely held a massive lexicon of languages both native and foreign to Altros. Enter your name. With an interested quirk of the eyebrow, Lone reached down and copied what he had seen the dwarf from earlier doing; he used his finger as a pen to write his name in English. As he did so, a spike shot up from the device and drew a drop of his blood. Adventurer identified as Lone Immortus, recently promoted silver plate adventurer. You currently have 0 credits. Would you like to record your skills? ''Ah, so the blood is to avoid people writing the names of others? Maybe it''ll use my plate in future instead.'' Lone wrote ''yes'' in response. You may do so by either writing as you are, or by connecting your mind to the slate. When giving information about your skills, the more you do so, the more credits you shall earn. Do not worry over if we shall use this information against you. Adventurers are the lifeblood of the guild and the guild values you all. No amount of external pressure will lead to any information about our adventurers being released. Time has proven this to be true. Any data submitted is done so anonymously and even if correlations can be made upon reviewing collected data, no employee of the guild will ever reveal it was you who submitted information about your skill, even under the effects of skills and magics that force compulsion. ''That''s pretty much what Oror said but in more detail,'' Lone thought. ''Still, it''s best I write instead of linking my mind for now. I''m not gonna trust the guild that much. I have so many thoughts that I doubt I''d be able to avoid letting it know about my unique skills.'' He intended to record almost every skill he owned except for a handful of particular skills. Namely, his unique skills and his Primal skills - as doing that would out himself as an avatar and not merely an awakened. Steamforging was off the table for now as well. Sure, the slate and Oror said this was all anonymous, but surely whoever checks the information from the slate would see he had just finished his orientation with the foreign guildmaster before such high-profile skills got recorded. Lone shook his head and started writing. First, he was going to test how many credits he could get from a relatively simple skill. As such, he decided to detail Sword Mastery. It was only at beginner-level-one and he''d received it after a goblin who possessed it had attacked him. It took him a couple of minutes, but as soon he was done, a spike shot up from the slate once again to jab his finger. It drew a drop of blood then the spike disappeared and the runes shifted to speak to him once more. The skill [Sword Mastery] at [Beginner Level 1] has been recorded. As it is an already recorded skill, 5 credits shall be awarded. As the method to earn it has already been recorded, 5 credits shall be awarded. As it is moderately difficult to learn given it is a parent skill, 10 credits have been awarded. As it is a skill useful to keeping an adventurer alive, 5 credits have been awarded. No further criteria have been met. Total credits rewarded: 25. ''Well, that was informative. It drew blood to somehow confirm I had the skill? How the hell does that work? Guess my plate won''t be all I need for the process in the future after all. Now, how do I spend my credits to see if 25 is a decent amount or if it''s literal pennies?'' Lone wondered, and as if to answer him, the runes shifted once more. You now have 25 credits. Would you like to request skill information? If so, please describe what you wish to be able to do and the database shall be checked to see if there are any skills within your credit limit that you can purchase information on. If not, would you like to continue recording skills? Lone immediately tried to test it out. He used his finger to write out a description of the theorised camouflaging skill he had thought his dwarven observers may have been using to follow him covertly. I''m sorry, but you do not have enough credits for information on such a skill. ''Okay. So it''s harder to buy info than it is to sell it. That makes some sense. They really want to motivate adventurers to record their skills, huh?'' Lone would be happy to oblige. ''Let''s go with a rare skill this time.'' He was still too hesitant to offer up information about his Primal or unique skills right now, but his sole world skill was fair game. That being the case he detailed Full Body Diagnostics in its entirety, even the fact he had gained it by having it used on him once. Again, his blood was drawn the moment he was done writing and then the runes shifted. The skill [Full Body Diagnostics] at [Beginner Level 10] has been recorded. As it is an already recorded skill, 5 credits shall be awarded. As the method to earn it has never been recorded, 50 credits shall be awarded. As it is incredibly difficult to learn given it is a world skill, 100 credits have been awarded. As it is a skill useful for completing many non-combat quests, 30 credits have been awarded. As it has now been confirmed a world skill has been learned outside of it being gifted from Altros itself, 1,000 credits have been awarded. Total credits rewarded: 1,185. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Now that''s a stark difference," Lone thought aloud. ''It''s noting the skill''s level. Do I get more points for recording it at a higher skill level? I''m pretty sure I can test that right now.'' Lone jogged away from the slate up to Guildmaster Oror, who lifted his eyes from the large tome he was reading and writing in to raise an interested eyebrow. Lone guessed it was a journal of some sort. "Done so soon? That seems unlikely. You''ve hardly been using the slate for five minutes," the Shale commented. Lone shook his head. "Mind if I use a skill on you? It''s called Full Body Diagnostics if you know what that is." The golem''s eyes widened. "You''ve been gifted a skill from the world itself already? Incredible. Please, be my guest. I assume you''re trying to level it?" Seeing Lone nodding, the man chuckled. "Well, I shan''t spoil anything." Lone smiled then placed a hand on the man''s shoulder before employing his only world skill. Once the skill had done its job, some notifications flashed in front of his eyes.
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
World Skill: Full Body Diagnostics
A world skill of learning and identification. Grants the host the ability to fully diagnose the body of a living being using WF. Limits: 2 uses a day [up from 1 use a day]. Details granted: Small [Up from minimal] if physical, [New!] minimal if magical.
Cost: 800 WF [-200 WF]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
As you have successfully levelled a world skill to intermediate rank, Altros gifts you with 100 WF.
''Oh, the bonus 100 World Force is nice, but not really needed since I still don''t have enough to use the skill twice a day without waiting several hours. Three more hundred though and I''ll be at the needed 1,600,'' Lone thought. "Success?" Guildmaster Oror inquired. Lone nodded. "Success, indeed. You''re really made of nothing but stone and iron? How are you alive?" "Hahah! What a direct question. Magic would be my answer as I''m not entirely sure myself," the Shale shrugged. "I do wish we knew more about what brought the current sentient species into existence... what we could do with such information..." the guildmaster sighed wistfully. "Some sentient spirits simply will themselves into existence, some are born through procreation, and some are the spawn of greater entities. Regardless, go, go, finish your experiment. I''m plenty busy with this," Oror shooed Lone away as he waved his large tome around. Lone smiled and did just that, quickly returning to the slate. He recorded the world skill''s information once again and was pleasantly surprised by the words the runes shifted into. Adventurer identified as silver plate Lone Immortus. Skill identified as the world skill [Full Body Diagnostics]. Level of skill identified as [Intermediate Level 1]. Congratulations on your progress! As a reward, you have been awarded 5 credits for a level up, and 50 for a rank up. 20 additional credits have been awarded for recording the improved performance of your skill. Continue growing stronger for your own success and for the success of other adventurers. ''So that tells me I need to come here and record all skill level-ups when possible, and it also tells me someone has already recorded Full Body Diagnostics at intermediate rank. Not surprising, but good to know,'' Lone was encouraged to keep going, but now that he actually had four digits worth of points, he tried looking up the camouflaging skill again. 7 skills that you can afford match your requirements. Would you like for them to be listed? Please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit. ''Huh. Well, good to know I was right the observers may not have been using magic to follow us. Also, only 1 credit, but you need enough to buy the skill for it to offer this? I guess a skill name is a huge clue in and of itself,'' Lone thought as he wrote out ''no'' in response. He cracked his neck and then his knuckles. It was time to start mass listing his skills.
It took him a little over two hours, but finally, Lone was finished. He''d gone and reported every single skill he owned and everything about them bar his unique skills, his three Primal skills, and Steamforging. You currently have 18,255 credits. Would you like to register another skill, or look up information on one in the guild''s database? Most of Lone''s skills gave between 20 and 50 points, but the higher ranked a skill was when it was listed, the more credits he was awarded. Tail Spear, Aura Pressure Resistance, Reading Mastery, and Poison Resistance, had all given him over 1,000 credits alone for having undocumented additional effects, which was fantastic. ''Is there any skill I desperately need right now?'' Lone wondered. Offensively he was fine. He had Mental Destruction for anyone not resistant to attacks on the soul or of a magical nature, and for those who could survive that skill, he had Tail Spear. He was strong defensively too, of course, but he could use some life-saving skills now that he thought about it. ''I''ve got resistances aplenty, Bone Armour and Basic Regeneration, but I kinda want some automated defences. Well, let''s see what you have in that field, credit slate,'' Lone thought in excitement. A few moments later, he had his search filter written out. Immediately following, the slate gave him a positive answer. 201 skills that you can afford match your requirements. Would you like for them to be listed? Please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit. "Woah. That many? It''s not an ancient guild for nothing..." Lone mumbled. He replied ''no'' and added some more filters to his search. He wanted the skill to be passive, usable by a Golden Foxkin since he hadn''t removed racial skills in his initial search, it should consume SP, and he wanted it to be able to take attacks in his place specifically as opposed to any other life-saving method. That last note was because he felt it''d be easier to level if he could just have whatever the skill used to keep him safe be attacked and damaged repeatedly as opposed to a skill like Evasion Mastery that needed him to dodge increasingly quicker and more unexpected attacks to level. 5 skills that you can afford match your requirements. Would you like for them to be listed? Please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit. Lone nodded and wrote ''yes'' in response. You have been charged 5 credits. You now have 18,250 credits. Below are the listed skills and the price required to learn everything the guild knows about them. Blood Clone [2,000 credits for full information] Body-bound Familiar [1,000 credits for full information] Monster Taming Mastery [10,000 credits for full information] Passive Aura Shield [2,000 credits for full information] Spirit Limbs [15,000 credits for full information] Lone cupped his chin in his hand while his other hand supported his elbow. "Hmm... I definitely want one of these," he whispered to himself. "Hell, I want ''em all. Question is though, which one gets me the most bang for my buck?" The concern was paying for the information only to learn the skill was nigh-impossible for him to learn right now. For example, what if Spirit Limbs traditionally needed one to go to a certain location in the world and meditate for seven straight days? Even if Lone would earn the skill after a second of meditation, if the certain location was on the other side of the continent, it would have been credits wasted. This choice needed some thinking. Some thinking and perhaps some helpful advice. B2: Chapter 77: Skill Information and Orors Request ''He really is taking his time, isn''t he?'' Oror thought to himself as he glanced up from his enchanted tome of duties to the foxkin at the other end of the room. The exciting new prospect of an adventurer was holding his chin in deep thought, clearly trying to ponder over a decision of sorts. ''He''s fortunate this is a small city. Otherwise, someone would have asked him to stop hogging the slate by now, even if more populated cities have more slates per floor,'' Oror thought with a shake of his head. Still, that kind of attitude was just what he was looking for to help him complete his life''s dream. Sure, the boy couldn''t use magic now despite being able to in the past for whatever reason. That would be a roadblock, but not an insurmountable one. All Oror wanted was hope for his species, who was he to decide that magic was the only way to achieve that? Just as Oror was about to get back to his enchanted tome of duties - a wonderful artefact that allowed him to do paperwork while absent from his assigned guild branch, making him the envy of many guildmasters - Lone approached him once more. ''Last time he levelled a skill using me. A world skill no less. Whatever could he want now?'' Oror''s interest was piqued. "Hey," the foxkin greeted casually but politely enough, clearly not respecting Oror for his personal strength. A fair thing considering how powerful the young man was despite being a D-ranker. "Can you tell me anything about the skills Blood Clone, Monster Taming Mastery, Passive Aura Shield, Body-bound Familiar, or Spirit Limbs?" Oror subconsciously raised one of his stone eyebrows. ''Whatever were his inputted requirements to get such skills listed to him? And did I hear that correctly? Spirit Limbs? That''s one of the most expensive skills in the entire database... Amazing.'' Oror smiled and said, "What an odd collection of skills. You have more than 15,000 credits already? I expected 5,000, 7,000 at most. Very impressive. As for the skills... My particular contract forbids me from revealing almost anything about skills to you when your questions clearly relate to the credit slate. You are supposed to pay for said information, run out of credits, and then work hard to earn new skills and improve your existing ones. Then the cycle repeats." Lone sighed. "Shame. Figured as much, but he who does not ask is all the more the fool than he who pretends to know, or he who advances blindly. I dunno. Forgot the saying and winged it. I really need a memory-based skill." "Oh, I would certainly agree. Most people past a certain age try to gain a skill that boosts the ability to recall memories. It''s rather vital. I will give you one bit of advice though as an old adventurer speaking to a new one. C-rankers can manifest aura spiritually. B-rankers can wield it offensively. A-rankers can manifest it physically, while S-rankers can actually mould the physical manifestation into something useful," Oror said, hopeful the foxkin would be as wise as his less sentient kin are so often touted as being. Oror had actually never met a foxkin before. Certainly not a golden one either. That was exactly why he had rushed to Krieg Moor the moment he heard Lone Immortus would be eligible for a silver plate promotion. No dwarf on Altros would ever hear out his life''s dream given the sensitive and almost sacrilegious nature of it, after all. Foreign species almost never received plate promotion exams in the Farwinds either. This was a Stone-given opportunity. One he was hoping would pan out at least somewhat well. Some progress would be better than nothing at all. Lone furrowed his brow then nodded. "Shame. It was the most useful sounding of the bunch for my needs. Oh well. Thanks. Won''t be long now, maybe half an hour or so." ''My schedule is entirely clear for you. Well, besides the paperwork but that''s why I have this tome,'' the Shale thought privately. "Take your time."
Lone quickly returned to the slate, happy to see no one had occupied it while he spoke to the foreign guildmaster. He was also pleased to see that while the slate had reset, once he identified himself he could access the basic information of any skill he had paid the single credit for so long as he had the credits needed for their full information. ''I could compile a list of thousands of skills. I''m not going to since I''d much rather spend my credits on just the skills I need, but still, I like that it''s possible. Speaking of skills I need, a memory-based one is definitely next,'' he thought as he wrote on the slate. He had decided to pay for the information on the Blood Clone skill. Monster Taming Mastery sounded simple enough to earn on his own now that he knew it existed. Body-bound Familiar sounded a bit too specific. It would likely be an unobtainable skill for some time unless he could bind simple animals to himself if it worked as he assumed it did, but what would the point of that be if his goal was to protect himself? Spirit Limbs sounded very useful, in all honesty, but it was a risk and it would take up most of his credits just to learn about it. If he directly received the skill, he likely would have gone for it. As for Passive Aura Shield, well, Guildmaster Oror had all but told him it was unobtainable until S-rank. With all that in mind, Blood Clone seemed like the most reasonably priced, most versatile sounding, and easiest to obtain. All known information about the skill Blood Clone shall be displayed. You now have 16,250 credits. Skill name: Blood Clone Skill type: Active Skill rarity: 2,341 adventurers have registered this skill. Skill effects: Allows the host to use their blood to create a clone. The clone does not need to be shaped like the host despite its misleading name. The clone can grow in size and strength based on the strength of the blood and the level of the skill mastery. Skill cost: 5,000 SP at beginner rank to birth the clone out of the host''s blood, but there is no maintenance cost. If destroyed fully, the host must spend 5,000 SP to recreate the clone. Recorded additional effects: 1. The ability to use the blood of others. Unlock method: Exert your will onto blood that is not your own. As an approximation, this is roughly 20 times more difficult than the initial requirement to method 2 of the known methods to acquire this skill. 2. The ability to create a clone near-instantly. Unlock method: This is the basic additional effect earned upon the skill reaching expert rank. 3. The ability to sustain multiple clones. Unlock method: Have a blood clone active and try to create a second one (extremely difficult). 4. The ability to make a clone in the host''s bloodstream and use it to fly and move one''s body as if telekinetically (this can be used in combination with effect 1 to control the bodies of others, though this will eventually develop a resistance in the target if they are unwilling). Unlock method: Create a tiny clone out of one''s own blood while it is still within your bloodstream (extremely dangerous. It isn''t recommended to ever try this unless it might save your life somehow). 5. The ability to make the blood look like other materials while still being blood. Unlock Method: Constantly infuse your blood clone with raw illusion magic and try to change the clone''s outward appearance (the most consistent method to unlock this is trying to make the clone look like a person, but anything would work in theory). 6. Ability to make the clone automatically protect the host. Unlock Method: Constantly infuse your will into the clone in an attempt to get it to take hits for you (this has been reported to take thousands of attempts and an immense level of mental focus). Known methods to acquire the skill: 1. Infusing SP into any blood magic spell using the host''s blood as a medium (can take hundreds to thousands of attempts). 2. Exerting one''s will onto their own blood (extremely difficult. Only 2 recorded cases of this having happened exist in our database). 3. While being tortured, giving in to one''s hatred and rage and tapping into the power of one''s own bloodline (attempts have been made by adventurers to artificially replicate this method, all of which have failed). Best known method to level the skill: Have the blood clone perform actions constantly, whether that be helping you pick stuff up or having it distract enemies by entering their eyes. Everything works towards its mastery so long as it is never idle. That was... more informative than Lone had expected. ''So while the skill itself is active, the effect is permanent until dismissed or destroyed? And the passive part only kicks in as an additional effect? I need to try to get all of those additional effects. I need to buy the information packets for all of the skills I currently have, don''t I? Just for the methods to get the additional effects if nothing else.'' Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Lone was eager to learn Blood Clone right now but he had no weapons on his person at the moment and he didn''t really want to reach into his Dimensional Storage just to stab himself in public to gain the skill. He''d do it later back at the inn. Instead, he created a new search filter to find out what options he had for a perfect memory skill. At first he was given 42 results with a broad search. This became only two when he excluded magic-based options. You have been charged 2 credits. You now have 16,248 credits. Below are the listed skills and the price required to learn everything the guild knows about them. Memory Mastery [300 credits for full information] Puzzle Locked Mind [2,000 credits for full information] ''Puzzle Locked Mind? Such a mysterious and cool-sounding skill will give me an autobiographical memory? Well, fuck. I have no clue how I haven''t earned Memory Mastery yet, meaning it isn''t simple, but the credit cost and mysterious nature alone makes that other skill sound super interesting...'' Lone bit his lip in contemplation. A few seconds passed before he nodded and decided to fork out the 2,000 credits. It was a lot, but something about the skill''s name made him feel like it could help him defend his mind on top of its apparent ability to perfect his memory. All known information about the skill Puzzle Locked Mind shall be displayed. You now have 14,248 credits. Skill name: Puzzle Locked Mind Skill type: Passive Skill rarity: 18 adventurers have registered this skill. Skill effects: Allows the host to lock away their thoughts behind a series of mental puzzles that vary in scale and difficulty based on the skill''s rank and the host''s mental strength. The locks also vary a bit based on the host''s personality and life experiences from reports. It has been confirmed that the skill is impossible to bypass, even with unique skills. The host''s mind is completely safe from attacks until the puzzle locks have been solved. Brute force will never destroy the puzzles. The puzzles restore themselves after a fixed period of time when defeated based on the skill''s rank. Skill cost: None. All currently discovered additional effects also cost nothing. Recorded additional effects: 1. The puzzles can immediately be restored after being defeated once per week. Unlock method: Try to mentally recreate the puzzles yourself instead of relying entirely on the automatic restoral (has been reported to take hundreds to thousands of attempts to earn). 2. The puzzles can be used as memory banks, storing a fixed percentage of the host''s memories (the banks still work even if the puzzles are defeated. This effect has been used to keep a portion of an adventurer''s mind safe, preventing them from going insane when they otherwise would have). Unlock method: Try to grasp the puzzles mentally as if they are physical objects. Once successful, try to find your memories and do the same then try to move them to the puzzles. It becomes intuitive once the additional effect has been acquired (requires a great deal of focus and mental fortitude as it has been reported to be quite a painful if harmless process). Known methods to acquire the skill: 1. Solve enough dwarven puzzle boxes that you can envision solving a completely new one with your mind alone (we only learned this skill existed because the first adventurer to report it to us was obsessed with dwarven puzzle boxes. They had solved well over 17,000 unique boxes before they accidentally gained this skill). 2. Actively envision your mind as a vault. When successful, constantly envision weaving mazes of extreme intricacy protecting your mind''s vault (This method had been known to take dozens of years to achieve and has only worked for those with an incredibly strong mental fortitude, but it is far faster than method 1). Best known method to level the skill: Have the puzzles be violently attacked and destroyed every day. It is recommended to hire a trusted guild employee or adventurer with the appropriate skills to do this for you as opposed to trying it in a life-threatening fight. Illusion magic and mind magic are the best magics for this process. "Wow. That sounds super fuckin'' useful," Lone muttered as he left the slate, having finished for now. ''And levelling it sounds easy as fuck. So many Crimson Foxkin have illusion magic thanks to their racial skill just giving them the magical affinity, so when we go to the clan I can get them to power level the skill for me.'' Lone was very satisfied. The credit slate was quite clearly very serious when it said it would give every single known fact about the skills you paid to learn about. He approached Guildmaster Oror and took a seat at the golem''s table. "Done?" the large man asked patiently. Lone nodded, "Yeah, but give me a minute. Gotta try something." "Of course," the guildmaster replied with a smile. Lone closed his eyes and activated his Meditation skill. That would be the best way for him to focus solely on his mind. Within a few minutes, he felt like he could somehow feel the shape of his mind. It was abstract and large. It was tangled and threads extended in every direction almost endlessly. ''Glad that worked first try. Now, I need to envision this mess as a vault?'' Lone asked himself. He first tried to envision himself floating above the humungous collection of thoughts and ideas that was his mind. It took him a little while, but picturing the time he had witnessed Sky and Void battling within his soul helped, since, at that time, he had a physical representation of his soul. Before long, a mental version of Lone popped into existence and all of his senses of the outside world faded away. "Okay. That went well, now... Maybe I can use Architecture Mastery to help me turn this into a vault?" he asked himself. This was going to take a while.
Take a while it did. Lone felt like it had been days, weeks even. That obviously wasn''t the case since he''d have been woken up to get locked up again by now, so clearly, his sense of time was a bit askew. Regardless, he had succeeded. That dauntingly large amalgamation that was his mind was gone, only to be replaced by a massive bank vault of sorts. It wasn''t amazingly daunting in scale, but it was rusted and dented all over. Still, it was the best Lone could do for a first attempt. "Now for the puzzles... I wish I played more video games. I''d have a larger frame of reference. That''s what I get for being a one-game Andy, I suppose," he shrugged as he cracked his neck and got to work.
More weeks passed in his mind before he felt something click into place. He had succeeded in making five puzzles to protect his mind''s vault. They looked shabby and easy to overcome, but that was fine. A framework was all he needed. The fact he''d succeeded on the first try at all had surprised Lone. This was clearly a hard skill to learn even when considering his Growth Accelerator, so his shock was quickly joined by an immense feeling of pride. With a final glance over his work, Lone nodded and then tried to return his focus to the outside world. It took a moment, but before long, the mental representation of his body faded from existence.
Opening his eyes slowly, Lone exhaled deeply. Several notifications blocked his vision but before he could check them, Guildmaster Oror spoke to him. "You said a minute, not three hours. What were you even doing? I suspect trying to learn a new skill, but you just started using Meditation and then seemed to... mentally leave entirely," the golem asked with a ravenous interest in his voice. "Shit, three hours? Less than I expected but still way too long. Yeah, I was trying to get a new skill," Lone replied as he stood up. "I should grab my new plate and go. I''ve been here for way too long already." "Wait, let me at least tell you about my personal request," Guildmaster Oror said. "What do you know of the Shale?" Lone shrugged. "The basics? Born of the Stone itself. Gifted with extreme physical capabilities. The more metal a Shale''s body is, the more powerful and older they are. They''re pretty rare. You''re the first one I''ve ever met." "Exactly!" Guildmaster Oror responded a bit loudly. "While all of that is true, what you may not know is that while I identify as a ''he'', I''m actually more of a ''them''. All Shale are born asexual." Lone raised an eyebrow. "I mean, yeah. You''re naked but I don''t see any genitalia. I also confirmed that when I used Full Body Diagnostics on you. Wasn''t my business though so I didn''t bring it up. I don''t know if this is rude or not, but I''ve been mentally likening you to a sentient golem ever since we met this morning." "That''s more accurate than I''d like to admit," the foreign guildmaster sighed before he whispered to Lone, "I wish to produce a child. Currently, all Shale are born of the Stone. There are no exceptions. I wish to change that. We are too few in numbers and the Stone births fewer of us than those of us who die every century." "How the fuck am I supposed to help you there?" Lone questioned. Guildmaster Oror chuckled faintly. "You aren''t one to shy away from cultural norms. The recent trial proved that. You can learn skills at an unprecedented rate. We Shale... we can''t leave the Farwinds. If we do we crumble to dust and metal scraps. We are bound to the Stone. I ask you to find some time in your life to research a future for my people." "Now that I didn''t know," Lone replied in a low voice. "You just... die if you go topside?" The golem nodded somberly. "Indeed. We don''t know why either. No one does. It''s assumed it is a punishment from the Stone for leaving her embrace, but no one knows for sure." "... My plate is really full. I have a lot to do in both the near and distant future. Another research project on top of all of that, and one so serious and difficult..." Lone felt bad for wasting so many hours of the guildmaster''s time, but even if the idea did interest him, he would have no clue where to begin. Oror stepped back and wore a friendly smile. "I know. I''m not asking you to drop everything and become the world''s leading Shale researcher it''s just... I see the potential you have. You''ve been on Altros for a year and have almost 100 skills. I know you have awakened thrice, but again, you''ve been here for a year and have ranked up five times. I doubt you will die of old age any time soon. You may very well earn thousands of skills in your lifetime. If you ever come across one you think could help... The entire Shale species would owe you an unending debt. I will personally reward you by teaching you every single skill I know should you even find so much as a hint that would lead to a clue that could save the Shale species." "That''s a fuckin'' heavy ask," Lone mumbled with a sigh. "And a tempting reward... Look, I''m not going out of my way for this, but sure. I''m not against the idea. I''ll keep it in mind if I ever run into a skill that could help you, what, make kids yourself and ensure those kids don''t die when going topside?" "The topside thing is unnecessary. I made that point because we cannot leave to explore the world for solutions. The dwarven people would never do it for us since it would be an affront to their religion," Guildmaster Oror clarified. "Okay. Like I said, I''ll keep it in mind. For now though, I''m off to get my new plate. Don''t be a stranger, I guess?" Lone said in farewell. "I won''t," the large man replied before he walked towards the stairs that led down to the second floor. Lone shook his head. "Strangest fuckin'' request of my life. At least my paranoia was off. I half expected him to want to trick me into some alchemy lab to tear me to pieces for research purposes..." He wondered briefly how significant of a historical or cultural moment it would be were he to find a solid answer to Guildmaster Oror''s problems. Lone then stretched his limbs and pulled up his recent notification log as he approached one of the third floor employee counters. B2: Chapter 78: New Plate and Playing With Blood
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
The host has developed the passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind].
Passive Skill: Puzzle Locked Mind
A skill that makes the host''s mind akin to a dwarven puzzle box. Creates 5 puzzles that must be defeated sequentially for an adversary to attack your mind. The puzzles restore themselves automatically over a 4 hour period.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Thinking on this a bit, didn''t the credit slate say it was impossible to bypass this skill? That means I can''t use Mental Destruction on someone who has it, right? Or would a usage of that skill defeat one puzzle? The slate also said brute force didn''t work... Hmm...'' Lone''s mind, as usual, was on full blast while he finished up reading his recent notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
''I''m happy Architecture Mastery levelled but it''s a shame Meditation didn''t rank up. Then again, I haven''t done anything special with that skill except work on my stress levels and try to emotionally overcome my own nightmares so it''ll probably not gain a new effect even if it did rank up. I would assume that''s a pretty standard way to use the skill. I should pay for info on, if not for all of my skills right now, then at least for the ones that are close to ranking up,'' Lone thought as he approached a counter. "How can I help you?" the employee asked of him. "I''m Lone Immortus. Here to pick up my new silver plate?" Lone replied. The dwarf nodded and said, "I''ll be right back in a moment to go get it for you. Do you have five to ten minutes for me to explain what you can do with the plate?" Lone answered, "Sure." He was in a hurry to get back to the hotel to relax with Soph and Breena as well as to earn the Blood Clone skill, but he could wait a bit longer. As soon as the employee entered the third floor''s back room, Lone''s mind spun into action. ''Then again, I haven''t exactly confirmed that ranking up is the only way to earn new effects. Sure, Ungrounded got its newly created effect on a rank-up. Tail Spear and Aura Pressure Resistance too. However, a few examples does not mean it''s impossible to earn new effects outside of rank-ups. I got Bone Armour outside of a rank up, but that''s a subskill.'' He held his chin as an idea struck him. "Are subskills just more advanced additional effects?" Now that was an interesting theory. Before long the employee had returned and carefully handed the new plate to Lone. "Please use this to drop some of your blood onto it to bind it to you," the man requested as he offered him a sharp needle. Lone nodded. ''It seems it''s not all that uncommon for blood to be needed for magic than I''d first assumed. I guess True Contract Magic isn''t all that weird.'' Once he was done, the plate flashed dimly for a moment and immediately Lone could feel a connection to the plate. "You should have felt that now," the employee stated. "It''s your bond with it. It''s a weak bond, but it makes it unusable by anyone who isn''t you. It''ll also give you a faint sense of its location should you ever be separated from it." Lone whistled. "Useful." "Now, Guildmaster Oror already showed you that you need the plate to enter the third floor, but you''ll also need it to access any funds you choose to leave in the guild''s protection. It''s to my understanding that a, uh... fairly substantial amount of money has already been deposited into your account." Nodding Lone replied, "My reward for getting credible info on Guildmaster Gilbert''s location to the guild. Is that all, or is there anything else I should know?" The dwarven man shook his head. "No, that''s everything of importance. Ah, well, if the plate ever gets destroyed, you will be liable to pay ten gold coins for its replacement. The enchantments on it are worth far more than the silver it is made of." ''Only way it''ll get destroyed is if I fuck with the enchantments myself when studying them. It''s handy having a fully protected dimension of my own to store shit in.'' Lone though as he replied, "Gotcha. Thanks for the help." And with that, he left the counter, the guild''s third floor, and then the guild itself. Waiting outside for him was the fully armoured Sophie. Her helmet''s visor was up, showing her beautiful if bored face. She yawned a little and smiled at his approach. "You were taking so long we had enough time to do our day job, check in on Breena at the tailor''s, buy a meal, polish our swords, practice some Barrier Magic, and wait here for you for an entire hour," Sophie said in a teasing tone. Lone smiled wryly. "The skill list Hamish mentioned was too much fun. Lost my sense of time while I played around with it. Then I slipped into a three-hour-long coma to earn a new skill." "We assumed as much." Soph stretched as she turned and stared at the guild building. "We never knew there were more floors. How we could not see it before, we do not know. We still cannot see it with our Mana Sensing. We could still feel our connection to you, however, when that large thing pulled you upstairs." Lone raised an eyebrow. "Guildmaster Oror, not thing. But really? You can''t see it? That''s interesting. Makes sense since you would have mentioned it in Ranton when we lived in the guild had you noticed. I can''t really talk about it though thanks to the contract I signed, but we can discuss it when you become silver plated?" Sophie nodded. "You and Soph can. Our interest is minimal, at best, though we suspect some sort of enchantment that is specifically designed to ward against skills and abilities to perceive its existence. Knowing how the guild has a lot of experience with heroes and unique skills, that seems likely. Soph will try to see if she can ever pierce through these enchantments so they do not catch us off guard in a less peaceful setting. One god-possessed Taker is enough." "Not the same thing, but I''m all about personal projects. Speaking of, I need to head back to the inn to play with my blood. Wanna watch?" Lone asked with a smirk. Sophie gave him a hard stare before she sighed. "Very well. This should be interesting if nothing else. Breena should be back at The Rusty Sprocket already anyway." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Lone left Sophie in their room before he quickly knocked on the door of Breena''s room to make sure she was okay. Thankfully, she seemed to be just fine and was spending her evening practising her Darkness-given Primal skill, Shadow Walker, while also reading a book on Western Stone Dwarfish. Seeing that, Lone wished her good luck in her training and then returned to his and Sophie''s room. When he got in, Sophie had finished taking off her armour and was lounging on their bed''s end with her feet aimlessly kicking back and forth. In her hand was a book that Lone recognised to be about dwarven history. "Didn''t you hate reading? Too boring for your liking, right?" Lone asked. He quickly occupied the desk chair at the side of the room and reached into his Dimensional Storage to withdraw an empty bucket, a dagger, and a washcloth. Sophie replied, "We wish to earn your Historical and Cultural Appreciation skill." The cogs immediately turned in Lone''s head. "Sounds like a wise enough move. To improve your physical stats, right?" She nodded as she yawned and put the book down. She then sat up and stared at Lone with mirth in her eyes. "So, play with your blood, yes?" Lone slit his wrist as hard as he could to draw some of the lovely red liquid as he smiled back at her. "Yup. Trying to get a skill called Blood Clone. It''ll automatically absorb attacks for me if I unlock the correct additional effect. It-" He got cut off by his contract when he tried to explain the skill any further. ''So the name and my reason for wanting it are fine, but anything more that the slate told me is off limits?'' Sophie frowned but moved the conversation along regardless. "We have still yet to earn an additional effect on any of our skills." "Use ''em in unique ways. I''m pretty damn sure you and Soph are close on that front with Barrier Magic. Well, maybe subskills there, but it''s the same principle," Lone said. Quickly, his gushing wrist wound closed up while both he and Sophie groaned in displeasure at the noise of Basic Regeneration doing its job. "We shall see though we hardly have an X-ranker to practise on," Sophie replied. Lone shrugged. "I can read through anything, even enchantments designed to stop you from reading, say, a magical tome, purely because I read in the dark with a blindfold on for a couple of days. The same with Ungrounded. Stubbornly tried to walk up walls and upsidedown, now I can do both with ease." "That is fair. We are trying. Regardless, this Blood Clone skill. How does one obtain it? It clearly involves your blood," Sophie pointed out. "There a few wa-" A stinging pain in Lone''s soul shut his mouth for him. "Huh. Can''t tell you that either, apparently. I must be able to when I get the skill, but without that, It''d violate my new contract to spill the details." Sophie furrowed her brow while Lone tried to exert his will onto the blood sitting at the bottom of the bucket. "Try telepathy?" Lone nodded. "Why not." ''I need to-'' he tried conveying through the mental link The Summoning Room used to connect the two mentally. Something forced him to stop though. He tried again, and again, and again, and then he gave up. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he said, "I don''t wanna break the contract on day one of getting it, so let''s just assume it works by intent. I clearly intend to tell you what I paid to learn, and the contract doesn''t like that." Sophie sighed. "What a shame. Well, we can at least watch. If it is a useful skill, we see no reason not to try to earn it ourself." "Do you have 5,000 SP?" Lone asked, alluding to the skill''s cost at beginner rank without explicitly stating that. Sophie raised an eyebrow. "No. We do not have even 2,000. Well, get on with it then. We assume once you own the skill you can tell us all about it." "That''s the hope," Lone replied before he activated Meditation and began trying to infuse his will into his blood. A few minutes passed as both he and Sophie remained perfectly still, one of them staring at a bucket of blood, the other staring at Lone. More time passed until Lone felt something click. It was straining on his mind but he got an inkling that the blood he was concentrating on would move if he so willed it to. Hesitantly, Lone moved his arm as he imagined using the Force. It was as good a mental image as any other in his mind. With a shaky wobble, a drop of blood separated from the pool at the bottom of the bucket before Lone gasped for air, losing his concentration, sending the drop back into the puddle of blood. "Was I holding my breath?" Lone asked Sophie as some notification flashed across his vision. Sophie nodded. "For about ten minutes, yes. We were waiting for you to pass out, but seeing as a sliver of your golden mana flowed from you into that drop of blood before it moved, we assume you succeeded?" "Ten minutes? Shit. Either ranking up means you need less oxygen, or Basic Regen kept me going longer than I should have been able to. My lung capacity was never great before," Lone mumbled before he replied, "I think I succeeded, yeah. Gonna check now."
The host has developed the active skill [Blood Clone].
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host and the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 114 drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a drop of blood. Maximum speed: 1cm per second.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''So... super slow, not strong enough to block anything, but a decent amount of drops? What''s the average starting amount of drops? 1? 10? 100?'' Lone wondered as he activated the skill. "Blood Clone." Both he and Sophie watched in awe as about a shot glass''s worth of blood rose from the bucket and hovered in front of Lone''s face. Lone willed it to move left, and move left it did. He then willed it to move right, and move right it did. "Direct it to splatter against our hand," Sophie said as she extended her palm. "We wish to see if it will explode into individual drops or if it shall maintain its current form." Lone nodded, seeing the logic in her request. He willed the blob of blood forward as fast as he was able to. A good couple of minutes later it finally impacted Sophie''s palm. Nothing happened. It just harmlessly bounced off. Sophie frowned. "It is too slow. We wonder..." She curled up her digits then flicked the Blood Clone. Her finger disappeared into the roughly 30 millilitres of blood before coming back out again, completely clean and free of blood. "What an utterly useless skill at its current strength," she surmised. "You weren''t able to move it," Lone noted. "And from its skill description, it seems to have no theoretical ceiling for its power. It can grow in the amount of blood drops, thickness, and speed." He willed the blob back to the side of his head and as it was moving, it shook a little and got a lot faster than it was mere seconds ago.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
"A rank up? So soon?" Sophie asked only to get a shake of the head in return. "Well? Tell us what changed." "It didn''t rank up, it levelled up. This is the first time I''ve seen a skill get stronger on a level up... Maybe that''s why it was so expensive." Lone pulled up the skill''s information again.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 128 [+14] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a drop of blood. Maximum speed: 3cm [+2cm] per second.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 2
"I can add 14 more drops of blood, it''s the same hardness, and it can move three times as fast as before," Lone explained. Sophie raised an eyebrow. "And you can make it stronger outside of levelling it?" Lone nodded. "That''s what the skill implies." "How incredible. How does one earn this skill? Can you tell me now?" Sophie inquired. "By exerting your will onto your own blood," Lone explained. Sophie sighed. "We can probably accomplish that, though we need 500 Vigour first... Well, Soph and we know you. Have fun playing with your new skill for the next day and a half. We shall try to improve our Barrier Magic. We admit this new skill of yours has given us some ideas." Lone grinned. "You know me too well." "That we do," Sophie replied with a chuckle. "I''m gonna do it at the guild though," Lone said. ''I''ll get tonnes of credits if I report each and every level up as soon as they happen.'' "Why?" Sophie asked. Lone pursed his lips in thought. "I can''t explain it in detail because of my contract, but I''ll benefit the most if I do it at the guild." Sophie nodded. "Very well. Have fun. We shall contact you telepathically at meal times and when we go to bed, assuming you wish to sleep. And if you lose track of time, we shall also let you know when you are due to return to your prison cell." Lone laughed. "You really do know me too well." B2: Chapter 79: Bigger Blood and Challenge The first thing Lone did before leaving was slit his wrists again to collect some more of his blood. He didn''t stop until he had ten litres of the stuff. He didn''t want to use the blood he had set aside for his True Contract Magic so that''s why he''d opted to just create a new supply. ''I wonder how normal people prepare for Blood Clone? Not everyone has the cheat that is Basic Regeneration to fill them back up with a passive infinite amount of blood,'' Lone remarked mentally. He was pretty happy Basic Regeneration didn''t need any sustenance from him to work. He didn''t really care where the energy needed for the skill came from so long as it didn''t force him to eat mountains of food for each battle or experiment. After sealing his spare buckets with wooden lids, Lone made sure to stop by Breena''s room before leaving to let her know where to find him if she needed him. With that done, he left the Rusty Sprocket. Lone''s pair of five litre wooden buckets got him more odd looks than was normal as he walked down the streets but he hardly cared. He was making the most of his time by trying to see his rooftop observers with Enhanced Vision as he meandered on over to the guild. It was only when he was on the second floor of the guild and had stared at the entrance to the third floor with his silver plate removed so he couldn''t see it, that he gained a level in Enhanced Vision.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Lone put his silver plate back on and entered the third floor as he thought, ''I wonder if the observers and this entrance can get me to expert rank? If not them, then maybe the entrance to the fourth floor can assuming there even is a fourth floor.'' He was a little bit worried about ranking Enhanced Vision up without having used it for anything particularly unique, but he had plenty of credits to look up a lot of his skills. He was also going to test and confirm whether you could gain additional effects outside of rank-ups with Blood Clone pretty soon anyway, so he wasn''t incredibly stressed out over the matter. Lone quickly glanced around the third floor. There were five dwarven adventurers minding their own business doing different things, meaning the floor was relatively empty. A good thing since Lone quickly occupied the table closest to the credit slate. He hoisted his blood buckets up onto the wooden tabletop and popped the lid off of the first one. He nodded, happy that he could start training immediately. He didn''t begin, however. Instead, he jogged over to the credit slate and updated its database with his newest skill information. He got 15 credits for Architecture Mastery, five per new level. He got 725 credits for Puzzle Locked Mind since no one had ever used Meditation to help earn it before, there was also a bonus for earning it so quickly. He got another five credits for his new level in Meditation. And finally, he was awarded 930 points for Blood Clone, similarly to Puzzle locked Mind, getting a large bonus for earning it with the help of Meditation and for his fast speed of learning it. Lone quickly returned to his chosen table happy with his new credit total of 15,923. ''This could become addictive quite easily. I can''t wait until Soph and Sophie get their silver plate so we can train on the third floor together... Soph''ll definitely have to be the one to take the exam, huh? Sophie''s too violent.'' Clearing his mind of errant thoughts, Lone focused on his open bucket of blood. Using up 5,000 SP, he summoned the clone. "Blood Clone." All eyes on the floor turned to face him, even the employees. They all seemed cautious as to why the criminal foxkin was using a skill outside of the training hall. However, when they saw him next to the credit slate and witnessed that he wasn''t doing anything beyond wiggling a tiny blob of blood he''d conjured out of a bucket, they all seemed to understand his motivations and didn''t bother him about his public training session. ''Good. Wouldn''t want them to force me into a training hall. Only one I know of in this building is the one on the first floor. It would be such a pain in the ass to come up here when I want to log skill level-ups as I get ''em,'' Lone thought. He curled up his digits as he pointed at the ceiling and then willed the Blood Clone to rotate around his extended finger as fast as it could. Three centimetres a second wasn''t very fast, but before long, it sped up. Keeping his attention on the clone, Lone pulled up the skill''s information as soon as a new notification came into view.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 145 [+17] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a drop of blood. Maximum speed: 6cm [+3cm] per second.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 3
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ''That''s a bigger increase all-round than level one to level two was. Still no improvements in hardness though. Now, let''s see if I can add those extra drops without destroying the clone and reforming it,'' Lone wondered. That was what he had done earlier - dismissing the clone back at the inn only to reform it mere moments ago. Now, he tried to will more droplets of blood to join the spinning ball of blood. Sadly, he was out of luck. The extra 17 drops didn''t fly up to join his clone, nor did they attach themselves to it when he willed the clone into the bucket it had spawned from. "So I need to spend 5,000 SP whenever I want it to get bigger... That sucks. At least the speed increase is retroactive," Lone noted. Lone had already burned through 10,000 of his almost 63,000 SP. He didn''t really want to blast through the rest of it rapidly by recreating the clone every level up. Instead, he split his focus between trying to find a hidden entrance to the theorised fourth floor while also willing the Blood Clone to fly around in specific patterns.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Lone had gone up to the slate after every level up, resulting in him earning another 45 credits, ten from Enhanced Vision''s pair of new levels and the other 35 from Blood Clone''s seven levels. He was honestly in a bit of a trance, even when he had discovered the inklings of an entrance to the fourth floor. The reason he was now out of that trance was that a dwarven silver plated adventurer had approached his table and had slammed her fist down on the poor thing, shaking his buckets of blood. "Ah challenge ye tae ah duel, Fox!" she said. Lone stopped controlling his clone for a moment to inspect the person accosting him. They were a relatively short dwarven woman - shorter than normal. She looked young but far older than Grimsley''s niece, Shana. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties, meaning she was actually in her late thirties or early forties. Her face was covered in freckles and her ginger hair was tied into a set of braids. "I''m busy," Lone replied simply. "Ye feckin'' cowar-" "However," Lone interrupted, "If you make it worth my time, then sure. I''d be happy to duel you. You''ll have to tell me your rank, your preferred fighting method, and if you can apply any of your stats. Those are my conditions to duel you. Tell me those things and make it worth it." The woman frowned but slowly nodded. "So yer nae entirely ''onourless. Fine. ''Ow does ten silver soond as ah wager fae the winner? Ah''m C-ranked, ah''m ah shieldwarden through an'' through, so mah sword an'' mah tower shield are mah weapon ah choice. Ah can''t apply anythin'' yet." Lone nodded as he dismissed his Blood Clone and created a new, much larger one, before he stored his blood buckets, pretending to squeeze them into an adventurer''s pouch. For a quick moment, he pulled up Blood Clone''s skill information.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 307 [+162] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a drop of blood. Maximum speed: 18cm [+12cm] per second.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 9
His Blood Clone was now made up of roughly 15 millilitres of blood and could barely move fast enough to maintain pace with a very slow walk, only being capable of moving roughly a metre every five seconds. "For the sake of fairness, I am a D-ranker, I use a dual-ended swordspear mostly which is basically just a double-ended spear with sword-length spearheads, and I can''t apply any stats yet either. I don''t want your money though," Lone said. "What''ll make it worth yer while then?" the woman asked. He pointed to his Blood Clone. "If I win, you''ll attack that for as long as you can and as hard as you can. It''s a new skill I''m trying to train. If you win, I''ll give you ten gold coins. How''s that sound?" "G-Gold coins?!" the woman exclaimed. "If you insist on silver, sure, but what''s the fun without a little actual risk?" Lone challenged with a wiggle of the eyebrow. Ten gold coins were nothing to him now that he has two ruby gold coins, the equivalent of 20,000 gold coins. He had no intentions to lose any money, however, he also didn''t want to fight just one person now that it had come to this. The eyes of every present adventurer lit up in greed, just as Lone wanted. ''I''m stuck on making the blood harder, so getting these overly eager dwarves to help experiment on it for me for free sounds like as good an idea as any.'' Plus, he could earn some new skills and train his other battle-oriented skills at the same time. Lone cracked his neck and started slowly walking so his clone could keep up with him. "Feel free to tell your family and friends to come watch you put the criminal skill-stealing foxkin in his place. I''ll be in the training area when you''re done making up your mind." He turned to face the shocked dwarven woman, "Unless you''re the coward here, of course?" Rage covered the woman''s face. "Ah''m nae coward! Ah''m just worried yer ah liar on top o'' ah criminal! Ah doubt yah even have ah single gold, let alone ten!" Lone sighed. "You demand a duel of me when I''m busy, I agree with some very favourable conditions for you, and now you''re trying to call me a liar? I really am starting to think that perhaps this ''dwarven honour'' you all talk about doesn''t actually exist. Just shut the fuck up and follow me down to the training area." Lone was done talking. With a statement like that, even if she didn''t follow through with the duel, one of the eavesdropping adventurers would surely take him up on the chance to beat him black and blue and earn some good money. ''Not like anyone is going to defeat me. Not even an S-ranker could make me submit, I''d reckon,'' Lone thought as he walked down the stairs, Blood Clone at his side. He wasn''t going to hold back like he had when battling Hamish almost three months ago. It was time to let his Bone Armour stretch its legs for the first time since he''d fought the Balor Demon Bats. Who knows. With some luck, maybe one or two of the people in this building were actually strong enough to level up the unique subskill? B2: Chapter 80: Shield and Strike It didn''t take long for the dwarven woman to catch up to Lone on the stairs given how slowly he was walking thanks to his Blood Clone''s limitations. He just smiled wryly at her as he gestured with his head to the Blood Clone. "This lovely little blob can only move so fast. Gives you time to get a crowd gathered and arrange a betting pool though, right?" The adventurer didn''t reply for a moment. A complex look crossed her expression before she sighed and stormed off, straight down to the second floor and then immediately for the stairs to the first floor. Lone raised an eyebrow. ''I know I''m a bit weird- okay, very weird, but that was odd as well. Best thing I can think of is her having mixed feelings since I upped the prize if she beats me. Maybe she''s heard of my fight with Hamish and doesn''t think she can win, and it''ll look bad on her if she loses with a large crowd? If that''s the case, she was beyond stupid to challenge me in the first place.'' Either way, he didn''t really care. He was here to grind his skills and grind his skills he certainly would.
It took Lone a little over six minutes to reach the training hall. The good news was that Blood Clone levelled up just as soon as he arrived. He took note of the slowly growing crowd of adventurers that were lining the walls of the training area - many exchanging coins which all ended up flowing to one dwarf, in particular, a guild employee of some sort. ''Well, if not her, at least one person decided to get the betting pool arranged. Wonder if I could smuggle Breena or Soph in here to bet on me? Not that I need more money right now,'' Lone wondered. His challenger, the youngest dwarf he''d ever met thus far excluding Grimsley''s niece, was in the middle of the sand-covered floor with her sword at her hip, both hands holding the top of her ornately designed metal tower shield that had been stabbed into the floor. As Lone walked over to a suitable position for duelling his fellow silver-plated adventurer, he looked at Blood Clone''s newly updated information.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 318 [+11] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a drop of blood. Maximum speed: 19cm [+1cm] per second.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 10
He winced. ''Another shit level. Hopefully advancing to intermediate changes something, and fingers crossed the improvements are larger for the higher ranks. I''ll settle for constant slow upgrades since the skill can improve outside of levelling, but fuck, I want this to be useful now.'' "Feelin'' nervous?" the shieldwarden taunted. Lone shook his head as he cracked his wrists. "No, no. Just a bad skill improvement. Well, no time like the present. Come. I''ll let you attack me three times without moving, then I''ll attack you once. If you make me bleed then it''s your win." "Yer arrogance will end ye, Skill Thief, even if ye put up ah good fight against Hamish," the woman growled, earning the approval of the crowd of 30 or so dwarven spectators. ''If that isn''t an accurate nickname, then what the fuck is?'' Lone mused as he shrugged. "If I draw blood in my single attack against you assuming you fail then it''s my win, otherwise, it''s a tie. Nice and simple. Do you agree to these terms? I don''t exactly want to leave you on Death''s doorstep when I intend to use you to train my new skill." "Ye won''t get the chance," the woman rumbled as she lifted her shield with her right hand and then drew her blade in her left. "Nae funny business? Nae tricks an'' magic? Ye''ll let me attack ye thrice, aye?" Lone nodded. "No magic nor tricks, though I will be wearing my armour if you don''t mind?" "Armour?" the woman questioned in confusion. "Ye got ah full suit o'' plate stuffed up yer arse or sum''in''?" "Or sum''in''," Lone quoted with a grin as he activated Bone Armour. Immediately and without warning, his pitch-black bones speckled with flakes of bright blue and now - a new addition - deep purple, shot out of his wrists and engulfed his entire body. Within mere moments he was covered head to toe in the villainous-looking armour. There wasn''t a single exposed joint nor opening to attack. Even his eye slits had bars of bone crossing them horizontally making it impossible for small blades to pierce his eyeballs. Granted, needles could pass through and make short work of his squishy visual organs, but Lone doubted many people on the planet were like Breena and had a natural calling for the sewing implements to be their primary weapon. His only weakness was his nine casually swaying tails. "Please, give me your best shot. Ah, I will turn to make sure I''m facing you at all times, so no cheap shots on my fluffy appendages, yes? I don''t want to use my racial skill in a panic and kill you accidentally." The dwarven woman gazed upon Lone''s armoured form with fear and no small amount of regret in her eyes. "A-Aye..." Unfortunately for her but fortunately for Lone, her ''dwarven honour'' wouldn''t allow her to back out now despite Lone''s menacing display of defensive prowess and his promise of accidental murder should she aim for his racial traits. "If it''ll make you feel more comfortable, please, feel free to use your aura. I know as a C-ranker it''ll have no definitive form and will be difficult to use, but any advantage is still an advantage at the end of the day, right?" Lone asked with a smile. The woman seemed to mull over his words for a moment before nodding. Lone then felt the tiniest of inklings that something was trying to push him down. It was as if a child had gotten on top of a step ladder and was trying their best to press on his shoulders. More strikingly, Lone felt the shift as his stats doubled since the adventurer in front of him was a rank above his own. ''I am so evil. Give her words of encouragement and then make her do something that only ends up doubling my stats...'' Still, before Lone had any more time to think, the silver plate seemed to have fully resolved herself now that she was draining her SP to keep her aura active. With swift movements, she lunged in front of Lone and used the momentum of her massive shield to swing herself around before jamming her sword right into Lone''s armpit only for it to bounce clean off of his Bone Armour. ''For once, you stop something, my sole subskill. I really do only use you on things I think can rip you apart, huh?'' Lone mused as he shook his arm, and the dwarven woman quickly shuffled back in response. "My bones are rather tough. Perhaps use a skill on top of a stab or slash? I would imagine you have a weapon skill at intermediate rank, right? Give its active form a shot if you''ve got nothing else to add some extra oomph," Lone suggested. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He would assume the woman had the skill Longsword Mastery or perhaps Shortsword Mastery. He wasn''t very sure what her blade would classify as given the adventurer''s small stature.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 6.
''Unintended, but very welcome. Hey, if I can tric- convince enough dwarves into helping me level Blood Clone, maybe I can get Teaching Mastery to advanced while I''m at it by encouraging them to injure me? I wonder if there''s a special effect born from teaching those conventionally stronger than you repeatedly,'' Lone thought as he watched the dwarf charge at him again. She crouched down and sprung to his side, moving as if Lone would react to her which he had no plans on doing unless she targetted his tails. She then very quickly positioned herself underneath those very tails. The woman lunged out with her sword''s tip, aiming right for the back of his knee. "Puncture!" Lone raised an eyebrow as he felt his leg bending a little from the force but his Bone Armour remained perfectly pristine. He heard the woman swear under her breath before she returned to her original position with a disheartened slump in her shoulders. ''No new skill so that was definitely an active effect of a weapon mastery from a skill I already own. Either Shortsword Mastery or the parent skill Sword Mastery. Probably the former given her young age. Sophie''s at Beginner Level 9 in Shortsword Mastery, right? Good to know she''ll get a useful active effect soon,'' Lone thought. "My bones are the same strength regardless of where they are guarding me. My suggestion? Use blunt force. It''s unlikely given how hardy I am, but if you slam me with that shield of yours as hard as you can, an organ or two might pop. That won''t threaten my life either, so give it a go with your last attack if you''re out of ideas," Lone said. He was happy to see the woman slowly nodding, apparently seeing no other chance at victory. He was pleased for a specific set of reasons. Firstly, he was likely to earn a Tower Shield Mastery skill from this and maybe even the parent skill, Shield Mastery, provided she owned it. Secondly, a new notification had just presented itself to him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 7.
''Definitely getting you to advanced tonight. Well, I''ll stop at level ten to check the credit slate for additional effects but after that, it''s advanced for you, my precious little skill,'' Lone thought. The adventurer facing him entered a defensive stance with her shield positioned to cover almost her entire body. She then shoulder-charged Lone and screamed "Full Charge! Ramming Strike!" As soon as the shield connected with his chest, Lone felt himself lifting off of his feet and flying across the room, startling the dwarves that had chosen to watch from that particular part of the training area. Several system notifications flashed across Lone''s eyes while he slammed into the wall, leaving a small dent before he slid to the ground, landing nimbly on his feet. He shook his head sadly. "Powerful for a C-ranker, but sadly not enough to give me any internal injuries, it would seem." Everyone, the shield-and-sword wielding adventurer included, could tell he was being truthful seeing as how he hadn''t coughed up any blood. He returned to the centre of the training area and noticed a sour look on the woman''s face so he said, "Hey, no need to be so downcast. I haven''t won until I draw your blood with my single attack, right?" "Ah''m nae downcast, ah''m unfocused. System notifications," she explained gruffly. Lone raised an eyebrow. ''She got some skill level-ups? That''s good. More incentive for other dwarves to challenge me. Speaking of notifications...''
The host has developed the passive skill: Tower Shield Mastery.
Passive skill: Tower Shield Mastery
A sub-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by heavy infantry to effectively block ranged attacks while in a formation. Any tower shield held by the host shall feel 5% lighter than it actually is and will be 5% less unwieldy.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Shield Mastery.
Passive skill: Shield Mastery
The parent skill of all shield-based masteries. When blocking an attack with a shield, the attack''s force shall be reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the active skill: Ramming Strike.
Active Skill: Ramming Strike
A common skill for hosts who like to use larger than normal shields as blunt instruments of ramming destruction. When ramming a target with a shield, the host''s speed shall be increased by 5% and the force of the shield''s impact onto the target shall be multiplied by 2.
Cost: 5,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Ah, so Full Charge was the active effect of Tower Shield Mastery then. Still, I don''t use a shield... Well, better to have the skills if I ever need them than happen to need them and not have them,'' Lone surmised. "Are you ready?" Lone asked as he withdrew a typical steel swordspear from his Dimensional Storage, pretending to do so from his adventurer''s pouch. His fellow silver-plated adventurer nodded as she firmly planted her shield in the sand and placed herself behind it. "Ah''ll be tryin'' ta block ya. Nae rules against ya sneakin'' round ma defense though and slashing up ma sides or back. Ah''m ah rank ''igher than ya, so logic would dictate mah stats an'' skills would allow me tae block whatever ye try, though ah ''ave ah funny feelin'' ah''ll be spendin'' the next few hours whacking ''at bloody ball o'' yers." "Perceptive," was all Lone said before he disappeared. The next moment, he reappeared behind the woman with one of the ends of his swordspear pressed against her exposed neck, a small dribble of blood was flowing down from the slight cut the metal had caused in her flesh. "My victory, it would seem," Lone noted. With his advanced hearing, he could pick up in clear detail the whispered words and hushed exclamations of both admiration and fear at how quickly he had moved. Most importantly though, he had heard the woman''s heart stop beating for a few seconds. She quickly gasped for air and fell backwards into his armoured form before slumping down onto the floor. "Ah. My bad. I didn''t mean to release any killing intent," Lone said in mild embarrassment. It not being a skill made his killing intent a bit tricky to control and judging by everyone''s reactions, that was likely what he had done. He hadn''t intended to scare the adventurer half to death. Walking around the terrified woman, he reached down and offered her a hand. "We good?" She stared at his outstretched palm before slowly taking it and getting up with his help. "Ye''ve been through ah lot ah killin'', eh, Skill Thief?" Lone laughed. "Less than you''d think, but more than I''d like. Now, assuming we''re fine, as agreed, please help me level Blood Clone," he said, pointing to the blob of blood. "Your sword can''t move me or chip my bones, so I''d like you to try to attack me and I''ll have it try to block your strikes. I''m aiming for a new additional effect." She took a deep breath before nodding. "Will ye gae me advice while ah dae it? Ah got ah level in Shortsword Mastery, Tower Shield Mastery, an'' Ramming Strike durin'' oor lil'' bout. Might get Killin'' Intent Resistance tae if ye slip up like ''at again. Ye''ve Teachin'' Mastery, dunt ya?" ''Oh, that''s a skill? I bet Sophie had a lot of killing intent. I''ll ask her about that later,'' Lone thought. The gathered crowd of adventurers made shouts of jealousy-induced disbelief at the massive gains the woman had received from simply attacking Lone''s armour three times. "You catch on quick. Indeed I do," he said before turning to face the 25 to 30 spectating adventurers, "and I''m more than willing to give helpful tips to anyone else who wishes to challenge me. Same terms as with her. Ten gold if you win, attack my Blood Clone until you''re basically about to collapse if I win. The specifics of the duels will vary based on your rank. I''m happy to fight those at or under D-rank too. Even if you don''t win, you''ll likely get a level or two in your most used combat skills. Personally, I think that''s worth the risk." Lone sported a massive grin when almost immediately, over a dozen dwarves quickly approached him. ''This is going to be such a productive night,'' he thought. B2: Chapter 81: New Skills and Hilda Arrives Hilda swore under her breath as she stumbled out of bed wearing nothing but her sleeping shorts. It could get pretty stuffy down in the strongholds of the Farwinds without access to the right enchantments. While she was a guildmaster, she wasn''t exactly swimming in gold, so her compromise was to simply sleep in almost nothing. She waddled through her home like a drunkard before reaching her front door. "Why''re ye slammin'' yer fist on ma door this late in tha evenin''?!" she yelled through the brass contraption that separated her home''s foyer from the street. "It''s ''im again," a voice she recognised to be Wilson - one of her branch''s employees - explained. "''E isnae rippin'' the trainin'' room up like last time wae Hamish, but ''e''s got ah bettin'' pool set up. Adventurers o'' all types are puttin'' coin doon on when someone''ll finally win ah duel. Admittedly, it was one o'' oor own who started it, but ''e''s turned it into ah hybrid tutorin'' session. If someone can beat ''im, he''ll pay ''em ten gold, if ''e wins, they ''elp ''im train the skill Blood Clone. Us employees ''ad a mini meetin'' an'' all decided ye should be aware in case things get oot o'' ''and." Hilda scratched what little underboob she had as she sighed. "Ten gold? Feck. Ah could use ''at maself... Fine. Gimme five minutes tae make maself decent. Ah''ll be in the trainin'' room in ten." "Ah''ll return tae the guild, guildmaster. Ah''ve still work tae dae," the man said before he started walking away. Hilda shook her head. "Am ah tae lenient wae the staff? Some guildmaster would discipline employees fae ''at much casualness wae the leader o'' their branch... Ach, oh well. Feckin'' fox... cannae stop daein'' surprisin'' shite fae mere than ah few minutes at ah time, eh?" She didn''t care too much about the duels in and of themselves. It was rare but not unheard of for this kind of thing to happen, but it was the fact Lone had apparently learned Blood Clone that startled her. If he was so publicly training the skill, then that means he would have been doing it long before becoming a silver plate adventurer had he already possessed the skill. That meant he had earned it today after getting access to the Credit Slate. That also meant his registered skills were worth at least 2,000 credits. Sure, during his promotion exam it was proven that he had close to a hundred skills while being a quarter of that number in years old. But still, seeing was believing. ''If he''s made ah lot o'' progress in the skill already then Oror may not be the only one interested in ''im. If he can grow quickly in any skill at all, then maybe ''e ''as ''igh enough Teaching Mastery tae ''elp me breach the border,'' Hilda idly wondered as she got dressed. One of the biggest reasons she had retired into the cushy if not busy life of a guildmaster was due to her stagnation. Maybe this summoned hero Golden Foxkin had what she needed to advance? She''d soon find out. Hilda quickly finished getting dressed, making sure not to forget her adventurer''s pouch, and she then locked up her home before rushing over to the guild.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
That was the sixth level-up since he''d started getting the dwarves that lost to him to strike him with his clone trying to block their attacks. It took a lot of focus to control the clone, fight his next challenger, give advice to those he was fighting and those helping him, and make sure none of the dwarves attacking him to train his skill actually hurt him or themselves. So far he''d defeated a total of eight dwarves and they were working as a team, switching out as pairs of two to attack his clone. He''d gained two new passive skills and three new active ones from the whole thing so far, on top of the six levels to Blood Clone as well as four levels to Teaching Mastery, leaving that skill at intermediate level ten, a level shy of ranking up. Lone had already paused to return to the third floor and had paid the needed 200 credits for information on Teaching Mastery to find out which secondary effects the guild was aware existed. None were achievable for Lone right now, much to his dismay. The easiest one to do was to level the skill by teaching someone at least three ranks stronger than yourself, meaning at least an A-ranker for Lone. Doing so would give the host some sort of radar that let them know when someone vastly stronger than themselves needed or desired to know something the host could teach them. An odd effect, but an interesting one in Lone''s opinion. He wondered if it would let him abuse the effect to somehow detect powerful people in need of teaching, such as an assassin gunning for his life who secretly really wanted to learn the Pet Mastery skill or something of that ilk. There was a similar effect for those weaker than you but it was supposedly far more tedious to gain according to the credit slate. Unfortunately, Lone had only been challenged by the initial C-ranker, five more C-rankers, and two B-rankers thus far. This krieg was a border one so expecting anyone stronger was foolish. And it seemed like those below C-rank didn''t feel the humiliation of loss was worth the potential skill level-ups, a mistake their seniors were avoiding. Regardless, his five new skills were as follows; Bearded Axe Mastery, Greataxe Mastery, Stumbling Sweep, Drunken Fist, and finally, Stone Slap. Lone was a bit bored with his current challenger, the weakest one yet, and the first below C-rank, an F-ranker wielding an axe - apparently the preferred weapon here. That being the case, he split his attention and chose to check out the improvements to Blood Clone as well as see what his new skills did in more detail.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 660 [+342] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a triple compressed drop of blood [up from a drop of blood]. Maximum speed: 41cm [+22cm] per second.
Cost: 4,000 SP [-1,000 SP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 6
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ''Fantastic! So it being attacked is a viable method to improve the hardness. The size improvements are nice, it''s still slow as fuck right now, and I don''t really care about the cost reduction. The numbers seem in line with the improvements at beginner rank so I guess it won''t grow faster at a higher rank? Shame,'' Lone thought as he felt his challenger''s weapon bounce harmlessly off his armour.
Passive Skill: Bearded Axe Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Axe Mastery] commonly used as both a one-handed and a two-handed tool of death and carnage among axe enthusiasts. When using a bearded axe one-handed, it will move 5% faster but inflict 95% less damage on impact. When using a bearded axe two-handed, it will move 95% slower but inflict 5% more damage on impact.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Huh. That''s super interesting. My first instinct is to think the skill''s demerits shrink when it ranks up while the merits grow, so at intermediate, that ''When using a bearded axe one-handed, it will move 5% faster but inflict 95% less damage on Impact.'' will instead become ''When using a bearded axe one-handed, it will move 15% faster but inflict 60% less damage on Impact.'' and so on and so forth until the positive is at 95% and the negative is at 5%,'' Lone speculated, his interest having been piqued since he''d never seen a passive weapon effect like this before.
Passive Skill: Greataxe Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Axe Mastery] commonly used by barbarians and those of great Strength to cleave their enemies in two. Greataxes used by the host will cut things 5% more easily.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Sweet and simple. Nothing new or interesting there,'' Lone thought. He was aware that the skills'' active effects were Split and Cleave respectively, both allowing the invoked action to be far easier much like his Swordspear Mastery''s Pierce. What came next were the new active skills.
Active Skill: Stumbling Sweep
A common bar fight skill. Instantly juts the host''s leg out in a sweeping motion with 5% more Agility than would normally be possible for the host. Limit: Will only trigger if the host is drunk.
Cost: 1,000 SP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Useless since I have Intoxication Resistance. Then again, it is only at beginner level two so I could try levelling them together, one builds the resistance, one levels while I''m pissed. Hmm,'' Lone considered.
Active Skill: Drunken Fist
An uncommon bar fight skill that is widely recognised as a martial art form. Allows the host to use the basic forms of the Drunken Fist martial art form. Limit: The host must be drunk to use this skill
Cost: 10,000 SP per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''It''s so different to Sophie''s Wing Chun. That''s passive, this isn''t. The cost is insane... It didn''t seem that impressive but to be fair, the dwarf who gave me it along with Stumbling Sweep was so sloshed he could barely stand. At least he''s sobered up a bit since he started helping with the Blood Clone,'' Lone thought.
Active Skill: Stone Slap
This is a skill often gifted to those deeply attuned to the Stone. Allows the host to channel the will of the Stone into their slap. Be warned, the Stone may choose to ignore the skill''s activation and not allow the host to channel its will at all. Current limit: 5% of the Stone''s will.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''My first active skill with no cost - didn''t know that was a thing until just now, but it''s also super unreliable. Sounds like a kind of world skill, but it''s clearly not since the system labels it as an ordinary active skill. I wonder if a non-dwarf has ever earned this skill before? Maybe a Shale has like Guildmaster Oror?'' Lone didn''t know. He wasn''t intent on ever trying to train a skill that sounded so unreliable, so it would likely get shelved and forgotten. At this point, the man challenging him had used up his ten chances to make Lone bleed. He''d only received so many because he was an F-ranked wooden plate adventurer, basically a fresh soul with little-to-no power in Lone''s eyes. "Join the rotation of the others since you lost," Lone said. There was no need for him to attack and draw blood as he had in his first duel. Only those at C-rank or higher were allowed that condition since anything less and Lone felt he''d gain no experience out of it. The dwarven man sighed sadly but nodded as he walked over to the group of adventurers busy helping Lone level Blood Clone. "Well, this is interestin''," a familiar voice stated. Lone recognised Guildmaster Hilda as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd that was now 60 or 70 dwarves strong. "I haven''t broken any rules, have I?" Lone asked with a smile on his lips. "Normally," Hilda started, "folk pay other folk tae ''elp ''em train their skills. ''At''s what the ''ole tutor programme is all aboot. Duels are fae settlin'' matters o'' ''onour. Disputes an'' arguments. ''At sorta thing. Tournaments are fae learnin'' fae one another - we''ve nae ''ad one of ''em locally in years. Things are different in the guild branches in other nations, but nae ''ere. This is the first time ah''ve seen an adventurer combine the tutorin'' programme with the duellin'' system. What''s mere surprisin'' is ''at the only coin changin'' hands is from the sideline bets." Lone laughed. "I haven''t lost yet. Care to try your hand at duelling me? You stand to earn 10 gold coins and only stand to lose some time." The crowd hemmed and hawed in excitement and the prospect of watching the guildmaster finally slap Lone around a bit since no one had been able to yet. Hilda smiled. "What rank an'' level is yer Teachin'' Mastery at?" "Intermediate Level ten," Lone answered honestly. Many of the gathered adventurers wore expressions of gleeful shock. While on the grand scheme of things, intermediate wasn''t an overly impressive rank for a skill to attain, however, that wasn''t the case for a skill like Teaching Mastery. It was as hard to level if not harder than even Enchantment Magic Resistance. This was on account of it being just as reliant on your ability to teach as it was on the subject matter, the duration of teaching, and on the student themselves. Some respect entered the eyes of the spectating dwarves when they gazed upon Lone and just a sliver of their derision for his criminal history receded into the back of their minds. Hilda, meanwhile, looked slightly disappointed. With his foxkin hearing, Lone heard her mumbling, "Not high enough..." She sighed then stepped forward and cracked her neck. "Why not? Ah was woken up fae this shite, so ah may as well ''ave some fun. Ah''m an SS-ranker at the higher stage, so what rules dae ye suggest that''ll make this even remotely close tae bein'' fair?" B2: Chapter 82: Immortus and Immortal "SS-ranker at the higher stage?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?" Hilda shrugged dismissively. "SS-rank spans fae level 1,000 tae level 2,499. ''At''s ah lotta levels, aye? Folks ''ave decided it''s wise tae split each rank above S into lower, middle, an'' ''igher stages tae get ah vague sense ah level. Not like level means much beyond identifyin'' ''ow close ya are tae needin'' enlightenment, but borin'' people dae borin'' things wae their free time." ''Ah, so S-rank ends at level 999. I''m a quarter of the way there on just the level basis. No clue how I''m doing enlightenment-wise,'' Lone thought before asking, "You''re pretty close to being a triple-S-ranker then if you''re at the higher stage, right?" "Ah''d feckin'' ''ope so considerin'' ma 4,320th birthday is comin'' up soon," Hilda barked out a laugh which earned her a hearty chuckle from the crowd. Lone smiled at that. This was perhaps the oldest and strongest person he''d ever had the chance to fight. Well, excluding Xer''rava of course since he didn''t know that man''s age nor did he really fight him. "Well, rules then... I''d honestly not mind losing to you at all, so how about this? We fight until you can knock me unconscious. You''re not allowed to hit my head or go for the kill, obviously, but everything else is fair game. I can attack you as much as I want, also not going for the kill, though I doubt I''d get the chance even if I wanted to end your life. If I last... hmm... Five minutes? If I last five minutes without passing out, it''s my win. Win or lose, you still attack my Blood Clone at least once. We also try to use Teaching Mastery on each other if you''re fine with that. Sound agreeable?" Lone proposed. "Hmm..." Hilda stroked her chin in thought. "Gonna use those scary tails ah yers?" ''I''d rather not use Tail Spear on someone outside of its effective range until I have a significant amount more Luck. It''d suck so bad if the 0.1% chance triggered and I only learned how to apply one stat instead of the potential two or three,'' Lone thought as he shook his head. "Nope." "''Kay, then ah willnae apply any ah ma stats. Doin'' so fae half ah ''em would ah likely killed ya outright, but Agility coulda been fun," she said. Lone raised an unseen eyebrow beneath his helmet of bone. ''How many can she apply and how would any help her kill me beyond Strength and maybe Dexterity? Luck? Hmm... food for thought.'' Hilda reached into the adventurer''s pouch at her waist and pulled out a warhammer easily twice as large as she was, though she wielded it like it weighed not even a single kilogram. "Doubt ah''ll need mah armour, so nae point wastin'' time putting Armour Preparation Mastery tae use." ''That''s actually a skill?'' Lone''s interest was piqued. ''Sophie is so going to earn that soon if that''s the case. She''s so fast at getting in and out of her armour these days. It must need conventional armour to be earned considering I don''t have it. Well, gotta spend some time trying to learn that skill then. Who knows? It might be able to boost my Bone Armour somehow.'' He turned his head to face the group of nine adventurers who were busy working away on his Blood Clone while listening in on the conversation. "I''ll need my concentration for this, I''d suspect, so why don''t you guys take a break? If I get knocked upside the head and black out, you''re all free to go about the rest of what little evening we still have left instead of continuing to run yourselves ragged," Lone told them. They grinned at him thankfully when one of them replied, "Aye, ''at sounds nice, though makin'' this blob burst over''n''over again is oddly cathartic." And with that, they all wiped off their sweat, sheathed or put away their axes and other weapons, and then merged into the crowd that was hugging the wall. Hilda cracked her neck as she rolled her shoulders with her free hand. "Ah''ll be holdin'' back ah good fair bit considerin'' ah dinnae wan'' this place tae be destroyed, but dinnae think me an ol'' Gurt ''ere won''t pack ah punch still." ''Her hammer is called Gurt? Charming. Those etchings all over it... enchantments? They remind me of the runes on Hamish''s daggers that let me farm Curse Resistance,'' Lone observed. ''Wonder what these ones do? I''d assume decreased weight from how she''s casually holding that boulder on a flagpole pretending its a hammer, but then again, she could just be strong enough for it to feel weightless to her.'' He lowered his stance, held his steel swordspear tightly, and then replied, "Only a fool would ever underestimate his opponent, no matter how strong they are nor how much of their power they choose to fight with." "Wiser words ''ave never been spoken," Guildmaster Hilda said. "Well then, three, two, one, ''ere ah come!" Lone thought his eyes were fast. He thought his senses were far beyond those of your typical D-ranker. That may even be true, but nothing could have prepared him for the speed of the guildmaster. One moment he was in a defensive posture ready to brace and hopefully block whatever attack the guildmaster would throw his way, the next, he was sliding down the back wall of the training area with a gaping rectangular hole in his chest that was about the size of a baking tray. Blood, shattered bones, organs, and scattered viscera, covered Lone, the spectating adventurers, and the training area alike. At the same time, Lone''s vision was obscured by numerous system notifications which he barely had the mental capacity to dismiss for now. The pain he was feeling was so overwhelming and... invigorating. It had been a while since he''d felt so physically alive. ''Tell us you are in no mortal peril. Because should this woman be trying to kill you, we will stuff her so far and so fast into a dormant volcano we discovered when exploring the subterranean cave system buried beneath us that she''ll be burned alive before she can even so much as blink,'' Sophie threatened. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Lone struggled up onto his feet as he violently vomited his own... everything. His Basic Regeneration was going to work as best as it could, but if Hilda chose to attack him one or two more times like that, then he''d be dead. Thankfully, the old woman was just scowling like everyone else who was present at the disgusting noises his self-healing produced. Well, that and the fact he was standing despite his new... wound, if it could be called as such. ''It''s a... duel. I may... have underestimated... the power of... a strong physical-focused SS-ranker. I''d... be dead if she wanted me to... be. You found a... volcano?'' Lone asked as he felt his knees go weak but he refused to fall over. Hilda had this much raw power without even applying any of her stats, and instead of frightening him, all that information did for Lone was make him want her help increasing Blood Clone''s hardness even more. ''We see. Since we have forbidden you from actively seeking death, now you actively seek near-death. Ha-ah... progress is progress, we suppose. And yes, we did. Well, Soph did. We do not enjoy books like you and before we decided to start reading up on history to earn that skill of yours, Soph spent our free time exploring. This was mostly done while you were awaiting your trial,'' Sophie explained. She paused for a moment before speaking more hesitantly, ''Before what you did, Soph had never seen the world through physical eyes. She did not exist for the first 400 or so years of our life, so she was born into blindness in an empty pocket dimension. She has not expressed it to you, but she greatly enjoys seeing new things with the eyes you temporarily sacrificed your mana to create. Exploring was a byproduct of her new sense of wonder. Anyway, we shall leave you to focus, but be aware, we are watching,'' Sophie warned. ''She''s fond of exploring?'' Lone thought as his body finished healing, his skin having closed up completely and his Bone Armour having repaired itself, it now being stronger than before thanks to the blow that ruined it. Lone smiled a little bit. "We have more in common than I thought..." he mumbled. Shaking his head a little, Lone did something he had only done a handful of times to test before: he willed his Bone Armour to create a shield. He''d never seen the point before, but considering Hilda could slam an entire chunk of his body so hard it was basically vaporised on impact, he felt trying to rely on the shield now could be a stroke of genius. He willed his Bone Armour to make the shield as tall as he was and a little bit wider, making it cover his entire body. Lone tried to make it as tough as possible, but it seemed to be fixed at a maximum thickness of about ten centimetres. Hilda whistled. "Ye can make whatev''r ya wan'' outta those creepy bones o'' yers?" Lone chuckled. "Sadly not. I''m limited to the armour and a shield, though I can make either take whatever form I choose, within limits. This is as big and beefy of a shield as I can manage. Want to try hitting me again? We must be close to five minutes by now. I can heal fast, but not that fast." "We passed five minutes aboot three minutes ago," she casually replied. "It woulda been wrong ah me tae kick ya while ye were doon, so ta speak. Was interestin'' as feck tae watch ya heal though even if the noise left me wantin'' tae rip ma ears off. Ah didnae expect ''at. Was expectin'' ya tae be near-dead an'' comatose, tae be ''onest wae ya." ''So even though she was aware of my super healing from my fight with Hamish, she wanted to see if I could have survived her own attack but she wasn''t sure that I even could? How much shit would she have gotten into if I''d have keeled over? Ignoring what Sophie would have done, I wonder what the guild itself would do to a master that killed a silver plate with no good reason...'' Lone thought. "That''s a shame, and I''m far sturdier than my rank would suggest," he replied, shaking his head. "Why not hit me again anyway? I''ve already gone and expended the effort needed to make the shield. Would be a fuckin'' shame to see its official debut not be somethin'' spectacular." "... That willnae kill ya? Ye''ve energy tae spare tae heal yerself again?" Hilda asked, her scepticism clear in her voice with just a trace of annoyance leaking into her words. Lone laughed. "I''m practically immortal. Go for it. Hell, at this point, I''d be willin'' to pay you just for the honour." From behind his massive bone shield, he heard the guildmaster sigh, "Thought ah could learn somethin'' ''ere, nae teach a pup humility..." Regardless of her mumblings, Lone''s foxkin ears did inform him of the woman hefting her hammer into a threatening position once more. ''Good! The sheer amount of skill level-ups I''ll get from this will be insan-'' Lone''s internal musing was cut short as a scream unintentionally bellowed out from his lungs as every bone from the point of his fingers to the tip of his toes shattered instantaneously and simultaneously. He slid back so far and so fast that he was, once again, pushed right into the training area''s walls. His head was ringing and the sudden and overwhelming pain was all he knew as he felt his Basic Regeneration struggle to rebuild his burst organs, dissolve the shattered bone fragments that impaled his entire body, and create new bones with which to support his skeleton once more all at once. Minutes passed. Soon, those minutes turned into tens of minutes. Brief flashes of the system flickered in Lone''s eyes but his mind was fuzzy. He knew he was getting skill notifications and the like, but he didn''t recall what that meant. It was like there was a fog in his mind. It was only when his Basic Regeneration had finished restoring his brain to its peak physical condition did Lone realise his skull has turned into mince meat when the vibrations of Hilda''s attack had made his entire skeletal structure explode. ''So it''s best to strike cutting my own head off to test Basic Regeneration''s limits from my to-do list, then,'' Lone managed his first cognisant thought in what felt like a lifetime. Finally, a short while later, Lone could feel the mind-breaking pain that covered his entire being recede into being a dull buzzing sound at the back of his mind instead of the raging storm it was mere moments ago. He heard mutterings from the crowd of awestruck adventurers as he struggled to regain his bearings. "Bastard''s movin''." "''E survived Hilda the Hammersworn''s ''ammer twice... at D-rank." Many more voices of simple and pure amazement expressing similar statements of fact spread through the room, all as shocked as the last that Lone hadn''t died the instant the force of Hilda''s attack had spread throughout his whole body instead of a singular point like in her first hit. Then it happened. Just like how the guildmaster was apparently nicknamed ''Hilda the Hammersworn'', a title sprung up amongst the dwarves to honour Lone''s incredible feat. "Like ''e said... If a D-ranker who can survive such ah blow isnae unkillable, then who or what is?" "Aye... Nae small amount o'' ''onour tae be foond in ''at... Fae now on, at least tae me, he''ll fae''ever be known as Immortus the Immortal." "Immortus the Immortal... It rolls off the tongue surprisingly well..." Lone chuckled in his mind a bit. ''In Western Stone Dwarfish, doesn''t ''immortal'' more closely translate to ''sturdy as the Stone''? What an honour.'' "A fittin'' name. Immortus the Immortal!" Lone''s body was still wracked in pain but somehow, a smile crept onto his broken expression, a creepy sight given his eyes had burst from the pressure of the attack. ''Really, Soph and Sophie deserve to be known as the immortal more than I do given that one of her sealed unique skills is literally true immortality, but eh, I''ll take it,'' he thought as he dismissed what little was left of his Bone Armour and then wobbled up to his feet, surprisingly getting a hand from two dwarven adventurers despite his public image as a skill thief. Perhaps he''d earned more honour here than just the adventuring title as he had first assumed. He thanked the men who''d assisted him in leaning his back against the wall before he pulled up his notification log. He had a lot to check while his body finished repairing itself. B2: Chapter 83: Master Rank and Fears of Death
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
The host has developed the passive skill: Warhammer Mastery.
Passive Skill: Warhammer Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Hammer Mastery] commonly used by those of great strength who have no need for finesse nor grandiose techniques. All attacks made with a Warhammer have a 5% chance to leave the target with a concussion regardless of where they are struck.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Hammer Mastery.
Passive skill: Hammer Mastery
The parent skill of all hammer-based masteries. The host is 5% more accurate with all hammers, be they tools or weapons.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
And that was everything for only the first of Hilda''s two attacks. Lone sucked in a sharp breath of air while he practically vibrated with joy. ''It''s been so long since Basic Regen has levelled up... don''t tell me that second hit of hers pushed it to master rank?'' His impatience won him over so he immediately continued reading his notification log, not even caring enough about his new skills to comment on them.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
The notifications for Shield Mastery kept going and going until finally, they stopped 13 levels later.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
The host has developed the passive skill: Colossal Shield Mastery.
Passive skill: Colossal Shield Mastery
A child skill of the [Shield Mastery] skill often favoured by giant sentient species and some monster races. When using a shield larger than the host themselves, it is 5% easier to block attacks. Blocked attacks shall have 5% of their force negated. Additionally, any attack blocked shall reflect 5% of the negated force.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Three effects at beginner rank? Maybe because it''s normally stupid as fuck to use a shield bigger than yourself without a ridiculous amount of Strength. I might have to level this past just intermediate like I plan to do with any weapon skill I don''t intend to actively use. Could be interesting,'' Lone thought as more notifications entered his vision. At this point, he was only a couple of ruptured organs and some shredded muscles away from being in perfect health again.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Just like with Shield Mastery but even worse this time, dozens of skill notifications blocked Lone''s sight. After what felt like minutes, the final notification from this particular skill made itself known.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
''Fuck me. Just like that, blocking one attack from a physical-focused SS-ranker and boom, a brand new skill that matches my most used passive weapon skill, Swordspear Mastery. No need to actively level the fucker now, huh? Gotta experiment with different shield types and get Hilda to smash ''em all to bits if I can just instantly get some expert rank skills,'' Lone thought in excitement.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 1.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Lone surprised the nearby dwarves when he suddenly clenched his fist and pumped it with wild abandon. ''Finally! My second master rank skill after Darkness Corruption Resistance, and it''s a universally useful one!'' With haste, Lone pulled up the changed information of his newly ranked up skills.
Passive skill: Shield Mastery
The parent skill of all shield-based masteries. When blocking or deflecting [new!] an attack with a shield, the attack''s force shall be reduced by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 8
''Ah, deflecting too now? Nice. Guess that covers wrist shields like bucklers and small kite shields,'' Lone thought.
Passive skill: Colossal Shield Mastery
A child skill of the [Shield Mastery] skill often favoured by giant sentient species and some monster races. When using a shield larger than the host themselves, it is 60% [+55%] easier to block attacks. Blocked attacks shall have 60% [+55%] of their force negated. Additionally, any attack blocked shall reflect 60% [+55%] of the negated force. [New!] When using a colossal shield, the host shall emit an aura of intimidation, making any not resistant to such effects hesitate to attack the host.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Those were nice improvements, though they weren''t anything particularly special. Lone was confident he could easily take a blow from Hilda now without his skeleton exploding into dangerous bone shrapnel should she hit his shield. However, he didn''t really see himself using his Bone Armour to make a colossal shield very often in actual combat given how clunky it was. It would be good for grinding resistances more safely, but only in a controlled environment like a duel. Now it was time for the skill he was most excited for. ''Please have a new super powerful effect,'' Lone prayed as he crossed his fingers in hope.
Unique Skill: Basic Regeneration
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Grants the host the ability to passively heal injuries at an incredibly fast [up from fast] rate. The healing rate can be increased in exchange for mana or stamina [New!]. [New!] Passively healing injuries now extends to mental damage such as damage to the host''s memories, state of mind, their mental palace (should they own one), and other such parts of the host that are not physical in nature. (Does not include the host''s soul).
Cost: 10 MP [-10 MP] or 10 SP (per second per 5% [+4%] increase in healing rate)
Mastery: Master Level 1
''A few things of note. Mental palaces are a thing. Is that the spot in my soul where Darkness''s pyramid, Sky''s cloud castle, and Void''s abyss are? The active part of Basic Regen got five times stronger while still getting an MP cost reduction. Could I endure serious attacks from an X-ranker if my MP wasn''t sealed?'' Lone wondered. Then it hit him. ''Wait. It... it can be boosted with SP now?! Fuck me in the ass and call me Sally! That''s so powerful! Sophie and Soph are gonna be over the moon. This makes me so much more unkillable now...'' He considered contacting her telepathically right now to inform her of the good news but decided to tell her in person instead to get her reaction in the flesh. ''The speed also went up. I''m fully healed already and I can feel my mind... lightening? That extra effect... is it healing my trauma? Do I not need Darkness''s help now to avoid nightmares?'' he speculated. That was a scary thought. Trauma wasn''t exactly desired, but it helped temper him and it fuelled his hatred for Sir Ardus. With that healed, would he unconsciously forgive the psychopathic knight due to the matter not having any significance in his mind anymore? ''Hopefully not...'' Only time would tell, and thus, Lone moved on. "Where''d the guildmaster go?" The dwarf he''d asked shrugged. "Second floor. ''Er usual table. Ye done wae yer impromptu trainin'' session?" Lone smiled. "After those two hits, yes, I think I''m done for now. I''ll do this again though when I next return from a militaristic enlistment task." A dark look crossed the present dwarves'' expression, but they nodded silently and then filtered out of the training area, shortly followed by Lone himself. He made his way up to the second floor and took a seat at the guildmaster''s table. She looked up from her paperwork to raise an eyebrow at him. "Well aren''t ye just lookin'' hale an'' hearty," she snorted. Lone chuckled. "The passive skill that heals me, you helped it reach master rank. I owe you one." He could already feel his mind getting clearer by the minute but his hatred for Sir Ardus wasn''t diminishing in the slightest which pleased Lone. Guildmaster Hilda looked thoughtful for a moment before she asked, "When dae ya reckon yer Teachin'' Mastery''ll hit expert rank?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "Dunno. Could take an afternoon under the right circumstances, could take months. It depends entirely on how much effort I put into it. Need to be taught something specific?" She shook her head. "Ah need enlightenment. Teachin'' fae a fresh perspective ''as ''elped many afore tae breach the barrier tae the followin'' rank. Each new rank needs even more complex insights tae cross. It''s such ah fuckin'' pain." "Scared you''ll die of old age before hitting triple-S rank?" Lone inquired. "Aye, ah wee bit. Ah''ve still got ah good few thousand years left mind ye, but it''s stressful nonetheless when eternal life is very possible," Guildmaster Hilda confessed with a sigh. "I''d be happy to help if you don''t mind turning me into your personal punching bag when I''m free to train. My main priority right now is levelling up myself and my skills while I serve my sentence, but I''m happy to focus exclusively on training with you and other adventurers for one or two days of my four allotted free days I get per mission," Lone suggested. Hilda laughed. "Ye could barely endure two hits spaced apart tae let ya ''eal between. Would it really dae much good fae me tae stretch ma limbs tae paint the trainin'' area wae yer blood an'' guts?" Lone wore a confident expression on his face. "Every time my bones break, they get stronger. Not figuratively, but literally. It''s part of the skill. Besides, my healing is far, far more powerful now thanks to the rank up. I bet I could take two or even three hits from your hammer without needing a break. It''s hard for me to find anything strong enough to level the skills related to both my healing and my bones without seriously putting myself at risk. You''re the perfect solution while I''m in this krieg." Hilda wore a look of considering. "Does ''at nae impact yer lifespan? Ye''ve awakened three times. Ye''d need tae rank up once every few years consistently until S-rank just tae earn yerself ah few decades o'' time." Lone laughed loudly, drawing some attention to the guildmaster''s table. He eventually calmed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes before he leaned in and whispered, "My healing? I wasn''t lying when I said it makes me effectively immortal. That statement included both ageing and the downsides of becoming the Avatar of three Primals." "Wait. Did you just say Avatar? Nae awakened?" A hint of fear passed through Hilda''s eyes as if some horrific memory had surfaced in her mind. Lone stood up and cracked his neck. "I''m gonna spend the rest of tonight and tomorrow with my girlfriend. Then I''ll return to my cell before I go out on another mission. I''ll see you soon, Hilda, and when I do, I''ll be a C-ranker." He left the stumped guildmaster without answering her question since he''d already told her the truth in his prior words.
"That was foolish of you," Sophie chided Lone the moment he stepped into their room at the Rusty Sprocket. She was lounging on the bed in little more than a nighty with a book in her hand. She yawned softly and stared at him. He grinned back at her as he undressed and retrieved a bucket of water from his Dimensional Storage. He had some blood to clean off of himself but not enough to justify a late-night bath. "I agree, but I don''t think the guildmaster would have let me die. There are a couple of dozen healers in the krieg and I''m no human, so worse comes to worst, I bet she''d have paid out of pocket to keep my heart beating, so to speak," Lone replied. Sophie disregarded him and returned to her reading. "Perhaps. It is a good thing you did heal since we are not in the mood for slaughter this evening. We are happy you used your Bone Armour if nothing else. It might be strong enough now to deflect attacks from your average A-ranker." "That''s the hope," Lone said as he finished up cleaning himself. "By the way, I can boost Basic Regen with Stamina Points now," he said casually. Sophie slowly nodded before she froze. She sat up and stared at him. "You are being serious?" Lone grinned. "Deadly." A beautiful smile of relief met him in response. Sophie laid back down and returned to her book as she said, "Good. That is that burden on our mind lessened somewhat." ''That''s disappointing. Where''s the jumping for joy, tears of glee, arms wrapped around my neck and the big ol'' sloppy kiss?'' Lone mumbled mentally in defeat. He put away the bucket of bloody water before he crawled into bed and cuddled up alongside his stoic murder princess of a lover. "Bone Armour got me thinking, couldn''t you do something similar with your Body Manipulation? I mean, that skill name is so ambiguous. There''s no way all it does is give you three differently aged forms to shift between. I bet you could get a slew of sub-skills to make your skin harder, softer, intangible, and so on. I bet you could use it to become a giant or as small as a mouse too," Lone theorised. Sophie leaned into his warm embrace as she resumed her reading. "We do not have your Growth Accelerator. One thing at a time, yes? We are working on Reading Mastery and Historical and Cultural Appreciation while Soph continues to experiment with her Barrier Magic. Teleportation gets trained often too. What does this word mean?" Lone glanced at where her finger was pointing and replied, "It''s a phrase, not a word. ''Of olden days''." Sophie sighed. "Dwarves have such a complex language." "Like Old Novgorod is any easier," Lone teased. "Any progress on the barrier front? I''m just waitin'' for the day you girls get it to the point you can crush me or attack me from the inside or cut me to pieces with it. I want Barrier Magic Resistance." Sophie smiled slightly and shook her head. "Worried we might turn against you one day, thus you wish for a resistance to make putting us down easier?" Lone wrapped his arms around Sophie''s slender waist before he kissed her neck. "No, I just want skills. I want all the skills. Besides, who''s to say Barrier Magic Resistance - assuming that''s a thing - won''t make barriers formed through enchanting magic or other such magics less effective too?" Sophie sighed but in a sultry manner this time. She snapped her book shut and rolled her eyes. "You clearly wish to train Sex Mastery. Fine. Perhaps we shall earn it ourself tonight, as well, hmm? Or better yet, our racial skill may finally reveal itself." Lone chuckled. "Only one way to find out." B2: Chapter 84: Next Task and Scripture vs Locks
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sex Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Lone nodded, quite happy with the progress of his evening activities and his focus on the rooftops as he strolled through Krieg Moor''s streets. Sadly, Sophie hadn''t gained Sex Mastery despite her vigorous attempts, though her Charm Resistance had levelled up which was as good a consolation as any. Lone shook his head as he lost sight of the camouflaged dwarves following him for the umpteenth time. ''I need to find someone as charming as me to earn Charm Resistance myself... Maybe someone at the guild can help me? Dwarves aren''t very charming though...'' He had visited the guild earlier that morning to get Guildmaster Hilda to fulfil her promise and hit his Blood Clone with everything she had. The results of such pleased him to no end.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 1,191 [+530] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a grain of sand [up from a triple compressed drop of blood]. Maximum speed: 72cm [+31cm] per second.
Cost: 4,000 SP
Mastery: Intermediate Level 9
Lone had no idea if the hardness scaled further for compressed drops of blood beyond triple since Hilda''s attack had pushed it straight to grains of sand, but regardless, he was happy to see it being likened to a solid object. Perhaps in the future his Blood Clone could be as strong as steel or even stronger? A man could dream. It had gained three levels and while the levelling speed had slowed considerably, its growth rate did not. He still had the little blob following him even now and every few minutes or so he would get a notification about the skill''s growth. As it turned out, when it improved outside of a level up, the system deemed it appropriate to let him know which Lone appreciated.
[Blood Clone]''s maximum size has increased by 1 drop.
Lone smiled. ''I hope the guards let me keep Lil'' Blobby around even when I''m in my cell...''
"Dismiss ''at afore ah break yer legs," Thron, the captain guard of the week shift guards, ordered Lone as he gestured to the Blood Clone. Lone frowned as he felt the scripture magic flaring up at his desire to argue for allowing the clone to remain. With a sigh, he dismissed it, resulting in the floating ball of blood splattering onto the ground and everyone''s shoes. He grinned a little when he saw Thron glare at him. "I did what you told me to." "Impudent feckin'' fox..." Thron mumbled as he finished shackling Lone back up. "You''ll be in yer cell fae seven days. After ''at, yer free tae choose another task." Lone stumbled forward as Thron yanked his wrist, leading him through the compound''s hallways. "What? I can''t just, y''know, take on another task immediately and start prepping tomorrow morning?" he asked. Thron snorted. "Ya think the krieg''s only Stoner ''as the time an'' luxury tae work ''is magic at yer beck an'' call?" Lone raised an eyebrow. "Kind of? I mean, I''m helping the dwarven kingdoms with my work." "Arrogant fecker..." Thron shut up after saying that, choosing to not engage with him any further. Before long, Lone was being roughly tossed into his tiny cell. The second he breached the threshold of the hallway to the room that was his current home, he felt the scripture magic that had been clamped around his soul for the past two weeks fade away.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
"Behave yerself while ye wait, aye?" a guard who wasn''t Thron threatened. "Do you mind if I train my skills?" Lone asked. Meanwhile, he thought, ''A level up for fulfilling the scripture and having it remove itself? Interesting. Is that like when Hunger, Thirst, and Sleep Deprivation Resistance levelled after having broken my avoidance of their subjects?'' The guard shrugged. "So long as ye dinnae feck wae yer shackles or yer cell, ah couldnae gae a shite what ya dae wae yer free time. If ye wanna level Masturbation Mastery, ah''ll nae be the one to rip yer ''and fae yer cock." Lone didn''t laugh but instead tilted his head in interest. "That''s a skill? I haven''t rubbed one out in ages since I''ve got a loving girlfriend... Hmm..." "Cheeky braggin'' bastard..." the dwarf grumbled before he stormed off. Lone got himself as comfortable as he could on his cramped mattress before he nodded. "Well, if I''ve a week to myself, may as well make the most of it."
Nine days passed peacefully. All Lone did in that time was train his skills and talk to Sophie and Soph via their telepathic link. It was nice but he was getting a bit impatient since he''d been told a week was all he needed to wait for Stoner Heeth to be available once more. Lone yawned in boredom as he munched on the stale bread he''d been slowly eating since it was given to him for his breakfast. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He doubted he even needed to eat and drink thanks to Basic Regeneration, but even if he levelled skills by avoiding consumption it still left him feeling empty. Besides, it actually bothered him a good deal that Soph and Sophie didn''t like the look of him when he was starved. Lone heard footsteps approaching his cell so he dismissed his Blood Clone and quickly stored the dropped blood into his Dimensional Storage. A few moments later, the head guard of the weekend shift unlocked Lone''s cell and motioned with his head for Lone to get out. "Stoner Heeth ''as time now tae redo yer scripture. Ye''ve already picked oot ah task, aye?" Lone scarfed down the last of his breakfast and chugged his stone cup of lukewarm water before he got up and exited the tiny prisoner''s quarters. "Yup. Gonna go kill that blood mage in Krieg Stunfurn. That''ll get my sentence reduced down to about 14 and a half years," Lone estimated since the reward for reclaiming Krieg Stunfurn was a juicy 50% sentence reduction. The guard nodded thoughtfully. "Thron doesnae like ye, fox, but ye did good work in Urd Siltal. Ah''ve faith in ye. Word ''as spread aboot ''ow ye took two blows fae the guildmaster o'' The Adventurer''s Guild. Scary woman. If anyone can kill ''at invadin'' topsider mage scum, it''s ye." Lone chuckled, ignoring the fact that he too was a ''topsider''. "I''ll do my best. I wanna be out of here and back up top as soon as possible, so it''ll be nothin'' but big and scary tasks for me from now on." The guard actually smiled at him, which was a surprise. "Fae ah skill thief, ye''ve ''onour ah plenty. There''s something tae be respected in ''at." "I do it for selfish reasons but I''ll take all the kind words I can get," Lone replied.
"Hi Zil, hi Heeth," Lone greeted casually upon entering the warden''s office. The gnome sitting atop the cushion on his chair smiled and returned Lone''s greeting but Stoner Heeth looked furious. "It''s Stoner Heeth tae ye. Be respectful or ah''ll make this process many, many times mere painful ''an it needs tae be," the dwarven mage threatened. "Now, now," Warden Zil soothed. "Lone here is a very young foreigner. Show him some leniency. He''s about to go attempt to reclaim one of our lost kriegs. That deserves some allowances if nothing else." Stoner Heeth grumbled but did eventually say, "Aye, ''ats fair. Well, fill ''im in on the new scripture conditions. Ye ken as well as ah dae that ah''ve three more scriptures tae rewrite the day." The gnome nodded. "New conditions?" Lone asked curiously. "Indeed. Only two, really. The first being the less important," Zil said. "You are allowed up to four months between your holiday days to complete this task. That''s because Krieg Stunfurn is several hundred miles away and the entire stronghold is overrun by the blood mage''s thralls. It won''t be easy nor quick to reclaim." Lone nodded. "Makes sense. Don''t want the scripture forcing me to walk back here or even just kill me if there isn''t enough reasonable time to actually do the mission. And the second condition?" "You and those you hire to help you in completing this task are forbidden from looting or even so much as touching any lost steamforging artefacts that still remain in the krieg. They are the property of the three united dwarven kingdoms and the greater council as a whole. Given your history with steamforging artefacts, the recovery of such objects will be left to others once you have successfully dealt with the blood mage and his army," Zil explained. Lone frowned. He''d already thought of a way around this but it did bother him somewhat. "I wasn''t convicted on that theft charge." Stoner Heeth snorted. "''Ardly matters. Any adventurer''s pouch o'' yers would be searched when ye return so any stolen goods would be seized anyway. Well, if ya return. Why ya think ya can some''ow kill an SSS-ranked blood mage who the council is ''esitant tae send troops after, ah''ll never understand." The scripture mage spoke true. The supposed blood mage that could murder anyone by making their blood explode, even those who so much as approached Krieg Stunfurn, was supposedly an SSS-ranker at the middle stages, meaning they were somewhere at the 3,750 level range. Stoner Heeth wasn''t aware, however, of how unkillable Lone was and how destructive he could be. "I appreciate your concern. Well, if it''s needed, you have my consent to add the new clauses when you put your scripture magic back on me," Lone said politely. The dwarf nodded thoughtfully. "It''s nae needed, but ah appreciate it." He then walked over to the seated Lone and put his palm on Lone''s golden hair. "Now clench yer teeth, ''cause this is gonna hurt." Lone nodded and smiled before closing his eyes and activating Meditation. Oddly enough, however, the promised pain never came. He felt a scraping in his mind as if something was trying to break in. It was then that he recalled the existence of his future memory bank - Puzzle Locked Mind. A few seconds passed as he slowly peeled his eyes open only to see Heeth with his own closed, so lost in his own concentration, was he. Something snapped in Lone''s mind and he could immediately tell without needing to visualise himself there to know the first of his five puzzle locks had been bested.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
While feeling joyful over the unexpected level up, Lone became aware that should he so desire, he could disable the remaining locks on his own, allowing Stoner Heeth access to his mind''s vault. He saw no reason to do that. This man took pleasure in the pain his magic caused. Lone would be damned if he didn''t farm as many levels in as many skills as possible while he got the scriptures inscribed onto his soul. ''Interesting to know scripture magic needs to go through the mind first even if it affects one''s very being. Makes sense considering even thinking about breaking the clauses causes mental backlash,'' Lone thought before he sensed the second and third locks breaking within seconds of each other.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
And then the fourth and fifth locks collapsed not long after, exposing his mind to the dwarf''s magic.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Lone immediately felt the scripture magic coursing through his entire body once Stoner Heeth had access to his mind''s vault - the floating runic words surrounding the scripture mage finally finding purchase on Lone and thus flying into him. The process was over not too long after it had started, and while it did, of course, sting, to Lone whose second language was pain, it could barely be counted on the list of his top ten most agonising moments on Altros.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Scripture Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Stoner Heeth pulled back his hand just as soon as Lone had deactivated his Meditation. The man looked confused as if he didn''t know he''d just engaged in a battle against Lone''s pitifully weak puzzle locks. "... Ah gained ah level in Enforcement Scripture fae that," the dwarf said, confusion marring his tone. "Ah haven''t levelled it up in over three decades..." Warden Zil looked pleasantly surprised. "Congratulations. This calls for a celebration, no? Lone, I trust you to spend your two days of free time responsibly before you embark upon this dangerous task." Lone slowly stood up and nodded, not missing his cue to leave. Stoner Heeth grabbed his wrist roughly to stop him. "W-Wait! Did... did ye dae somethin''? Ah wasnae close tae ah level up. Ah''d ah''ve felt it in the Stone were ah." Lone saw the lost look in the old man''s eyes but he shook his head. "Dunno. I''ve a tough mind, but I wasn''t actively resisting. Maybe meditate on the matter? That does wonders for me personally." And with that, he left the room, allowed himself to be shackled again, and he was then led to the building''s entrance before he was free to spend his first two holiday days of the mission as he wished. B2: Chapter 85: 11 Days of Progress and Letter As suggested by Sophie during his original two days of free time, Lone didn''t try to level a single one of his skills for those same days allotted to him with his second official mission. He hadn''t left The Rusty Sprocket, instead choosing to spend all his time with Sophie, Soph, Kyuubi, and Breena. Of course, even if he had abstained from active training, Growth Accelerator ensured some of his skills levelled up regardless of his will. Bored as he lay on their bed waiting for Soph to finish her bath so they could leave for the guild to take any quests related to Krieg Stunfurn, Lone chose to pull up his full skill list. ''It''s longer than ever,'' he thought idly. Lone mentally forced the system-generated list to mark which of his skills he had and hadn''t registered with the guild''s credit slate since that would be easier than him manually recalling such information. ''I can use Puzzle locked Mind''s memory banks for that when I earn that effect, but for now, foisting it on the system seems fair enough,'' he chuckled internally as he made a note of which skills needed to be registered eventually. While he was at it, he also directed the system to show him all of the notable changes from the past 11 days to include what training he had done during the week and change that Stoner Heeth wasn''t available to see him. The list informed Lone that he had yet to register 11 new skills, 32 level-ups for already registered skills, and a pair of skill rank-ups. As far as improvements went, he actually hadn''t levelled many skills during the nine-day stay in his cell, only improving Blood Clone by four levels, bringing it to advanced-level-three. This was because he had been focusing entirely on trying to store his memories in his puzzles in an attempt to earn the additional extra effect that would grant him a perfect memory. During those nine days Lone had also tried to manually restore the puzzles after Stoner Heeth defeated them, but he hadn''t succeeded in either area quite yet. Unlike with the skills themselves and with levelling them, he didn''t seem to learn additional effects near instantly. Ungrounded had proven that already, but tangible reinforcement of the theory was always nice. It was something to occupy his time if nothing else. While working on Puzzle Locked Mind, Lone had also been splitting his focus as best as he could to work on Blood Clone. Now, as far as that skill went he had earned an additional effect. He got it when the skill was at advanced-level-two, proving definitively that a rank-up wasn''t needed to gain an additional effect. Lone pulled up Blood Clone''s information and make it display the changes from the past 11 days.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 4,213 [+3,021] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a grain of sand. Maximum speed: 2.44m [+1.72m] per second. [New!] The host can now create and keep the clone within their own bloodstream, allowing very precise control of said bloodstream.
Cost: 3,000 SP [-1,000 SP]
Mastery: Advanced Level 3
The additional effect was the one that allowed flight, or so the credit slate claimed. It wasn''t very effective for that purpose since he had Ungrounded and even if the skill had graduated from centimetres to metres speed-wise, it was still too slow for combat. Still, progress was progress. As for skills he had accidentally levelled in the past two days of training abstinence, only a handful had improved. Some were expected, others were not. Architecture Mastery had earned a single level from his in-depth inspection of the inn they were staying at. The steamforging used in the structure was inspiring to Lone even if his scriptures forbid him from touching them or even thinking of stealing them, causing him severe mental pain were he to do so. Basic Massage Technique had gone from beginner-level-ten to intermediate-level-one, boosting its effectiveness by 10% but nothing else. Chess Mastery had levelled three times since Lone had a craving to play against someone who wasn''t Darkness. Breena was horrible at the game, as was Sophie, but Soph was surprisingly skilled for a newbie. ''You almost done?'' he asked Soph telepathically since his thoughts had inadvertently returned to her. ''Just drying my hair now,'' Soph sent back. Lone nodded to himself and then started meditating without using the skill. Before long, Soph was finished, fully dressed, and completely armoured, so they collected Breena and left for the guild.
"You can''t go to Krieg Stunfurn," the employee behind the counter shot Lone down. Lone frowned. "I already am. The scripture magic Stoner Heeth put on me will force me if I don''t do it myself." "But..." Some confidence left the short and stocky woman manning one of the guild''s first-floor desks. "... all of the quests related to Krieg Stunfurn are restricted to gold plates or higher..." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Lone sighed. "My militaristic enlistment overrules that. Do I need to get Guildmaster Hilda here?" Another employee at the counter next to the woman serving Lone leaned over and said, "The Immortal is right. Ya have to sign ''im up for those quests. All of them except any related to the recovery of steamforged artefacts." Lone nodded, appreciating that even if not perfect, this employee was working hard to hide his accent like the other employees. "Gotta respect the local laws and customs, and thus, I am allowed to take these quests. If it''s of any comfort, I appreciate your concern." "I don''t care about you," the dwarven woman grumbled. "I care about three people I assign quests to dying on the job. Fine. What-the-fuck-ever. Take the feckin'' quests." The woman grumbled some more as she did some paperwork before saying, "Kill the blood mage, wipe out their army, retrieve the seven heirlooms, and make sure the enchantments at Krieg Stunfurn''s local guild branch are stable. All in all, nine quests in total since two heirlooms fall under one quest." She shoved a device into his hands. "Such a waste of money... use that to determine the state of the local branch''s enchantments. Complete all of those quests and you''ll be rewarded with 4 white-gold, 72 gold, 34 silver, and 13 copper." "And a massive positive remark on your notes since that topsider mage killed the local guildmaster," the male employee who''d spoken up for him said with a smile and a thumbs up. There were grumblings of surprise at ''Immortus the Immortal''''s bravery and foolish hubris thinking he could take on a triple-S-ranker at his current strength, but no one stopped him to harass him about it. Everyone had heard about his duel with Hilda by now. The female employee was about to shoo Lone away before she seemed to recall something. "Wait here for a second." Lone raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his girlfriend who was barely a little over five-foot tall. "Any ideas what else she wants?" Soph shrugged. "Dunno. Could be anything." ''You don''t like my plan, huh? We can cancel. I''m sure the scripture magic won''t kill me thanks to Basic Regen, so we can leave right now and let it try to crush me as I farm Scripture Magic Resistance levels if you''d prefer,'' Lone offered seriously. She turned her head to stare at him. ''The fact that your plan will probably work is what is bothering me. It''s an SSS-ranker, for Pete''s sake. It is Pete, right? I''m trying hard to recall your odd but charming phrases. You use a lot of them so it can, uh, it can be hard.'' ''Hey, using the mage''s army to gain and level Blood Magic Resistance before either Mental Destruction bombing or turning the mage into a tail-skewered kebab is a perfectly good plan even if it''s simple. You know as well as I do that if someone can''t destroy me entirely in one blow, I''m essentially immortal thanks to the master rank improvements, making those of a magical inclination a bad matchup against me,'' Lone protested. There was a pregnant mental pause before he added, ''Unless explosion mages are a thing. I fuckin'' hope they aren''t a thing... Oh, and, uh, yeah. It''s for God or for Pete''s sake. Considering your past with the big man, I''d say perfect usage.'' That got a giggle out of Soph. Just at that moment, the receptionist returned and handed a letter to Lone. "Here, for you. You''ve got to pay for the delivery. The sender claimed to have no money but said you''d be more than willing to foot the bill when you learn who they are. At least, that''s what the note attached to it said," she explained. Lone eyed the letter suspiciously. "Who and where is it from? My only friends down here live in this krieg and the only contacts I have topside are stuck on an island in the middle of a fuckin'' ocean." Soph and Breena, too, looked curiously at the enveloped letter. "It''s from the guild branch in Golden Pass City, some topsider settlement that''s a part of the Keining Principality. Know it?" the employee inquired. Lone nodded. "I''ve seen it on maps. It''s, what, 20, 30 miles north of Krieg Moor''s topsider entrance?" "Aye, that''s the one. The sender is apparently some human teen called Hazel McCullen from what the note said. That fee, by the way? It''s 25 coppers. If you refuse to pay, it''ll get sent back and the sender will be charged double for the trouble," the receptionist explained. Lone and Soph were frozen solid. "Who... did you say it''s from?" Lone asked hesitantly. The receptionist scrunched up her brow. "Your ears not workin'', Mister ''Immortus the Immortal''? I said her name''s Hazel McCullen. Some human girl who claims to know you." Lone slowly put the envelope into his Dimensional Storage via his adventurer''s pouch before he nodded. "Take the coppers from my account." He grabbed Soph by the hand and walked out of the guild, followed by a very puzzled Breena. As soon as they were outside, Soph''s voice cracked as she called his name, "Lone! T-That na-" Lone shook his head. "Not now. When we''re in the Farwinds, we''ll decide what to do." Soph looked conflicted but slowly nodded. At this point, Breena was damn-near breaking on being fully bamboozled.
"W-Were they r-rough with you?" Breena asked when she and Mistress Soph met up with Master Lone again. Too often she erred on the side of being passive but she had decided to put all of her courage into asking that question of her guardian. Even if the subject was serious, she felt that she could brighten Master Lone''s mood by showing some initiative since whoever this ''Hazel McCullen'' person was, they had upset him. She wanted to fix that. Master Lone looked down at her in joyful surprise before he smiled. "No, not really. I think they may have heard about my fight with the guildmaster. Don''t want to rough up the bloke who took two hits from a physical-focused SS-ranker right? Not to mention the C and B-rankers I duelled with couldn''t so much as touch me." Breena nodded, proud of herself to get a smile out of him despite his sour mood. She watched as he brought out a leather-bound thing she rarely saw of his even though he claimed to write in it every day - his journal. With swift movements as they walked, leaving the Farwind junction and entering the dedicated road that would eventually lead them to Krieg Stunfurn, Master Lone drew in his journal. "Cartography must be helping me here. This looks much more like her than I would have expected given my shitty drawing sk- Really? One portrait and I get both Art and Drawing Mastery?" Master Lone looked both jubilant and overcome with dismay. "Such easy to get skills hidden under my nose..." Breena watched as he finished drawing the visage of a young girl about her own age, perhaps a year older than she was. There was a slight resemblance to her guardian but considering he was a foxkin and the drawn girl was a human, they couldn''t be connected. ''Master did say he was from the same place as ''him'' though... He was a human before, right?'' Breena thought. ''So maybe this girl is related to him... Why is Master Lone drawing her though? Is she this Hazel person?'' She watched as he passed his journal to Mistress Soph before ordering, "Follow the roads heading to the principality. If you find her on the roads or in Golden Pass City, bring her to me, would you?" Mistress Soph took the journal and looked at the drawing intently. "You, uh, you really think it''s her?" Master Lone shook his head. "I doubt it. I think there''s a 90% chance it''s a trap by another Primal like Darkness. If you find her and you feel powerful magic rolling off of her, kill her or return immediately. I''ll leave the decision up to you. If she''s weak as she should be assuming she''s real, bring her to me. I need to confirm it myself." Soph nodded confidently. Breena wished she could be like Mistress Soph. Mistress Sophie was far too intense and mean to be a good role model, but Soph was the perfect mix of softness and logical calm to inspire her. Mistress Soph was either bubbly and shy most of the time but when the going got tough, she wouldn''t hesitate to do anything to get results. Breena wished she could be like that. "I''ll be back in a few minutes, ten or so at most if it''s only 30 miles away," Mistress Soph declared. "Ah, by the way, Hamish is hiding over there," she said as she pointed down the road at a small branching intersection before disappearing. Breena was excited to learn from Mister Hamish again but her curiosity got the better of her in regards to the girl in the drawing. "Um... who is she? The uh, human girl." "Not a fuckin'' clue," Master Lone answered with a far-off look in his eye. A sighing dwarf rounded the distant corner and started walking towards them as he grumbled about Mistress Soph''s nonsensical magical sensing ability. "Best case scenario?" Master Lone asked in an obviously rhetorical tone. "It''s some monster that somehow knows what my sister looks like and is trying to bait me in some way. Why it sent a letter through the guild, I have no idea. Maybe the lockdown stopped it from being direct." Breena was shocked. That human girl was her master''s sister? ''But wouldn''t that mean she''s a summoned hero too if it really is her?'' "Uh... and, em, worst case?" Breena asked. Master Lone frowned deeply. "It''s actually my sister and she somehow got summoned to this fucked up magical world." B2: Chapter 86: Choked Up Reunion and Barrier Boy Hazel and her group of newly registered wooden plate adventurers sat around a table having brunch at the cheapest inn they could find in Golden Pass City. ''This is nice. I wish she''d stop obsessin'' over him much though,'' Scott thought and Hazel heard. She sighed. Alisa shared Scott''s thoughts and even George wanted to give up at this point. Only Emma was still on her side. ''That letter idea was surprisingly smart,'' George thought. ''What will I do if it leads us to meeting him again? He... he''s part of the reason Emma and my families were murdered by Sloth, isn''t he?'' Hazel didn''t like that part of George. He was usually so sweet and innocent when he wasn''t fawning over Emma, but every now and then he would think about how the man she was certain was her brother held some blame for what the guild did to avenge both said man and the guildmaster who had vanished. She picked at the plate of spiced mashed potatoes in front of her as she said, "I swear, if he doesn''t reply, or if he does and says he doesn''t know any of us except for Emma and George, then I''ll forget about it. I''ll... move on." That was a lie. She wouldn''t give up until she''d met Lone Immortus face to face. A letter simply wouldn''t cut it. The similarities and timing were too coincidental. Her brother just so happened to disappear within a few months of a dead foxkin race''s revival through a man who looked just like him? No, the mysterious Golden Foxkin had to be her older brother. Why he was now a foxkin, she didn''t know, but she''d certainly try to find out. Changing the topic, the shortest member of their group Alisa said, "I think we should focus on gaining strength and earning better guild plates. This company is continent-spanning. If anyone knows how to get home - if that''s possible, then it''s the guild." Scott nodded as he forked a sausage and stuffed it in his mouth. "Right? Its CEO must be crazy powerful." George sighed faintly. "It''s a guild, not a company, and she''s the Grand Guildmaster, not the CEO." Emma swooned, "And not just any Grand Guildmaster. She''s not a nobody like the Grand Guildmaster of The Alchemist''s Guild, no siree! Grand Guildmaster Sarah is a Divine!" Blank stares met her enthusiasm. Hazel knew bits and pieces about the higher end of the power structure of Altros since she heard so many loose thoughts from those stronger than her, but the scope of a Divine''s abilities was certainly lost on a group of I-rankers. "Why''d you two never join the guild back in Milindo, by the way?" Scott asked as he wiggled one of his bushy eyebrows. George scratched his cheek awkwardly. "My dad didn''t want me to. He, uh, wasn''t fond of the local guildmaster." Emma nodded. "Mine too. Both my mum and dad hated that I loved exploring and seeing new sights. Ha-ah, the sheer amount of lectures I got on why the guild was a ''lesser band of glorified bandits'' was dizzying." Noticing the darkened looks on both of the fallen nobles'' expressions along with their mournful thoughts of family, she said, "Want to do some city quests to pass the time as we wait for a reply?" "As you wait for a reply," Scott corrected. "But sure, I''m all for earning some money. To think we couldn''t even afford to send a letter..." George''s face went red as he thought, ''Lodging for five people, supplies, and purchasing weapons and armour, isn''t cheap. Emma and I only brought so much money with us from Milindo...'' Hazel didn''t blame him. She was the one who had selfishly wanted to send a letter to Krieg Moor''s guild branch as soon as they had arrived at Golden Pass City. The others had only agreed since she''d lied to them, agreeing to give up on this ''Lone Immortus'' figure after this. "Well, let''s finish our meal th-" "There you are," a sweet but cold voice announced. Hazel jolted as a new mind suddenly brushed up against her own. Standing right behind her was a young woman barely taller than Alisa but they shared the same ridiculously long golden-blonde hair. Alisa and Scott looked alarmed and somewhat frightened while Emma was surprised. George, on the other hand, was absolutely bricking it. ''I-It''s her! The woman who nearly killed me and Bastion because of his stupid attempts to buy Lone off of her!'' the young man exclaimed internally. Meanwhile, the almost fully-armoured woman was having some very choice thoughts of her own. ''So weak, even more so than Breena. We should kill her and save Lone the pain of worrying about her. We''ll just tell him she was a mimic spawned of Darkness.'' Hazel felt chills go all along her spine. ''You''re too cruel, Sophie. You can see she''s a human child, right? We can''t just murder her. Besides, you know Lone will eventually get a mind-reading skill or a truth-detecting one and I will not be the one to beg for forgiveness when he breaks up with us because you decided to kill his sister. I''d sooner work with him to make a body for myself if you betrayed his trust like that,'' the woman thought to herself as if she had two minds. "Hey! Who the fuck''re you?!" Scott shouted, making everyone in the inn''s lobby-slash-dining hall turn to look at him. The woman wearing plate armour moved her unhelmeted head to glance at him. "None of your business." She then grabbed Hazel by the shoulder and disappeared. Hazel felt her stomach roll around as her vision shifted from a lovely little inn in Golden Pass City to the wilderness. Her surroundings changed dozens of times, to the point of making her dizzy to her core. The next thing she knew, she was being enveloped in darkness. It took a moment, but her eyes adjusted only to reveal she was in a large hallway with intricate mosaics covering the walls, all carved from stone and brass. What looked like electric-powered lights could be seen embedded into the floor, walls, and ceiling. ''This is a road, not a hall... An underground road? The Farwinds?'' Her unique skill located three new minds, one curious about her and that held some very rude opinions about her, another which was wary and envious, and a final mind, however, this third person was somehow warding away her passive attempts to invade their thoughts. She didn''t know why, but she felt like she was in some sort of mental battle against... something. The third mind was powerful, of that, she was certain. It was only now that she''d had some time to get her bearings that she realised a dwarf and two foxkin were staring at her. The taller of the foxkin stormed over to her and gripped her by the neck, lifted her off the ground, and then growled into her face, "Stop trying to break through my puzzles or I''ll kill you right now, creature." Hazel panicked. Tears welled up in her eyes upon realising she was being choked out by the man who looked exactly like her brother minus the foxy features. The armoured woman who Hazel now knew was called Soph or Sophie - she had a strange mind, approached Lone, or Darren, or whoever this man was, and said, "She''s got less magic than Breena does, Lone. So, uh, I''m pretty sure you''re strangling your sister..." Shock and something similar to despair took over the man''s face. "Hamish?" The dwarven man thumbed his nose and shrugged. "''Er aura''s screamin'' I-ranker tae me." The foxkin frowned but nodded, letting go of Hazel''s throat. She fell to her knees and deposited the contents of her brunch on the floor. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She didn''t really care about that though. Her mind was in a state of shock, panic, and joy. ''She said ''sister''. She definitely said ''sister''. So he must really be Darren!'' Unwillingly, even more tears spilt out of her eyes.
Lone rubbed the back of his neck as he silently listened to his little sister wail and cry her eyes out. "Was she with anyone when you found her?" he asked as he grimaced at sensing whatever Hazel was doing break his first mental lock. Soph nodded. "Yup. Two noble kids that we met before. I, uh, don''t remember their names. She was with two other kids as well. They all had roughly the same amount of magic? Different colours and slight differences to each, but all as weak as the next. Ah, but the noble girl is definitely stronger than the rest but only barely. I''d bet she''s an H-ranker." "Gotcha. Go bring them here too, would you?" Lone asked. Soph beamed him a beautiful smile. "Sure, but I''ll be taking a kiss as payment!" And just like that, she teleported off to go kidnap some children at his behest. ''I''m well on my way to becoming a certified villain, huh? First cultural theft, then literal theft, now the theft of children. Maybe I''m a masterclass thief?'' Lone mused. He stopped feeling amused when he felt his second lock be defeated. "Seriously, whatever you''re doing, stop it." Hamish walked up to Lone''s side with Breena behind him. "What''re ye even on aboot? Ah cannae sense anythin''." "I have the Puzzle Locked Mind skill," Lone explained. "It''s being attacked by her right now." Hamish wore an impressed expression. "Damn good skill, ''at is. Been tryin'' tae learn it maself. Ah think most folk who ken the dangers ah mind feckery at silver plate find it on the list an'' try tae learn it." Lone nodded in response. Hazel quickly collected herself and tried her best to stop sniffling. "It''s passive. I-I can''t stop it." "Your unique skill?" Lone asked. It would only make sense for her to own one if she truly was his little sister. Earth was her home planet just like it was his own, which would make her a summoned hero. She affirmed his well-informed guess with a brief bob of her head. Lone took out a dagger from his Dimensional Storage and proceeded to cut his left pinky clean off. With the passage of a few seconds and thanks to the aid of some SP, it had grown back entirely. Hazel''s expression made it clear her innards were threatening another revolution after that display, but Lone didn''t care. He cut off his pinky again but this time focused intently to prevent Basic Regeneration from doing anything. As expected, his pinky didn''t regrow and instead, the wound bled profusely. At this point, his third lock had been defeated. "As I''ve clearly demonstrated, passive skills can be turned off with enough concentration. Do it now. Or, tell me exactly what your skill does that it needs to break through mental defences to even so much as work. If it''s harmless enough, I''ll ignore my paranoia and forgive you," Lone said coldly. Even if this girl was his sibling, the security of his mind mattered far more to him right now than her feelings did. A touching reunion could wait. The last thing Lone needed right now was a unique skill trying to fuck with his head somehow. Who was to say his sister hadn''t been gifted with a mind-controlling unique skill that passively turned everyone it touched into her slaves? She''d tell him what her skill did, learn to control it right now, or he''d knock her out and hopefully, that would stop the skill. Lone was fine with any of the three available options. "I... I''ll try to stop it," Hazel replied as a determined look entered her eyes. Lone narrowed his own. ''Don''t want to reveal what the skill does, huh? I''ll find out soon, you can count on that, you little brat.'' His fourth lock crumbled, giving Hazel even less time to figure out how to stop herself. Thankfully, learning how to control a passive skill was a painless and speedy process for anyone, not just for Lone. He felt his final lock beginning to buckle before the skill that was flailing wildly against it trying to figure out how to crack it open retreated, leaving his mind completely. Lone, not being one to waste an opportunity, immediately tried to rebuild the locks himself in hopes of earning that additional effect but to no avail. ''Maybe next time. When I squeeze out exactly what her skill is from her, then I can get her to help me forcefully improve Puzzle Locked Mind assuming her skill can''t harm me. Silver lining.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
''Only two levels. Her skill is lower ranked and levelled than Stoner Heeth''s Enforcement Scripture. That, or she has literally no idea how to control it. What an idiot if it''s the latter. Did she arrive on Altros yesterday? I swear to god if she''s been assuming ''passive'' translates into ''ignore it and let it do whatever it wants to do''...'' Lone reined in his thoughts. "Good job. We can talk now. First, when did you arrive on Altros?" Lone asked in a kinder but still authoritative tone. Hazel, still a bit dazed from everything that had happened to her in the past couple of minutes, mumbled, "About two months ago? Just after you, uh, fled Milindo... Are you really Darren?" Lone could see tears welling up in the 16-year-old''s eyes again. He sighed when he saw Breena and Hamish casting confused looks his way. "I''m Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal, Skill Thief, or heck, even just Fox works for some," he said as he winked at Hamish who chuckled back at him. "But ultimately, yeah, I was Darren McCullen until I arrived here and got turned into a Golden Foxkin." Hazel slowly stood up as she wiped her eyes. She stumbled towards Lone and suddenly hugged him. He could have dodged her if he wanted to. Hazel''s stats were clearly pathetic but he allowed her hands to coil around his back. Even if it felt a bit awkward given the circumstances, he hugged her in kind. "I missed you," he said as it was both true and felt appropriate. "I missed you too," Hazel responded as she buried her head in his chest. "I missed you so much. I-I never gave up looking... Never..." Lone sighed. ''You should have. We were never that close since I moved out shortly after dad hung himself. Of all the people to be brought to Altros... Is it really a coincidence she got summoned?'' Lone''s mind drifted to the gods that had picked him, Soph, and Sophie, to play in their game while he still had no ideas about what said game involved. He also thought of both Clicker and Snapper briefly before dismissing them from his mind. They were odd for sure, but connecting them to Hazel''s summoning was even more farfetched than connecting Clicker to the being that had inhabited the Taker. "It''s actually not working..." Lone heard Hazel mumble in joyful surprise. "Your unique skill?" he asked. She peeled herself off of him and smiled at him. "Y-Yeah. It''s, uh, it''s been a bit of a burden ever since I got it." Lone nodded, still curious as all hell about what exactly her unique skill could possibly be given the current context clues. His current guesses were forced mind control, subtle mind manipulation, mind reading, or perhaps even something as farfetched as the implantation of seeds that would allow her to siphon power to attain some sort of false immortality. Unique skills could be weird. He and Soph were perfect examples of that. They could also be nearly useless like Daisuke Tamiko''s super persuasion. "The people with you, who are they? I know about Emma and George already even if Soph forgot their names, but what about the other two?" Lone asked. Hazel''s eyes widened. "You didn''t read my letter?" Lone reached into his pocket and retrieved the unopened envelope. "Nope. Like hell I would trust something this suspicious sent to me by someone using my sister''s name. I''ve run into undetectable enchantments before. What if this had exploded in my face and killed Soph, Hamish, and Breena, as a result?" "Oh, uh. That''s... that''s fair I suppose," Hazel nodded hesitantly. Clearly, she wasn''t accustomed to Lone''s carefulness. Hamish cast a doubtful look at the sealed letter while Breena wore a mildly terrified expression at the thought of it exploding. He couldn''t blame her for that. It was a fair concern. Lone couldn''t blame Hazel either for her shock at his attitude. Altros had changed him. He''d barely been on the planet for a year but it may as well have been decades considering the shifts his personality had gone through. "Um, Hamish and Breena, right? I''m Hazel McCullen, Darr-" A sharp look from Lone stopped her mid-sentence. "Oh, uh, Lone? That''s so weird... Em, I''m Lone''s younger sister. I just recently turned 16 and I can''t tell you both how happy I am to know my brother has found some friends here." Hamish snorted. "Ah kidnapped an'' tried tae kill ''im when we first met. Came pretty close anaw. Fecker doesnae trust me as far as ''e can throw me." "You''re pretty short and I''m pretty strong. I bet I could toss you pretty far," Lone offered. "I could have won that fight too if I wasn''t using you to farm skills." "Braggart," Hamish grumbled. Breena hid away from Hazel''s gaze and used her four tails to cover her face as she hugged them. "I''m just a burden..." "Huh." Hazel was stumped. "I-Interesting friends." "They can be," Lone agreed. "Now, back to yours. Who are the other two?" "Ah, well, we got summoned as a group of four-" A crashing sound filled everyone''s ears as Soph reappeared with four people, one of which was surrounded by her transparent jade-green barriers. Said barrier-covered young man had slammed straight into the ground upon arrival via Teleportation, hence the loud and brash noise. "I''m back!" Soph happily claimed before trotting over to Lone and getting on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. "The muscly one wanted to fight and I didn''t want to explain. Sophie kept telling me to just kill him, so it seemed easier to just wrap him up and bring him by force." Lone stared long and hard at two of the four kids that had appeared. "Scott Miles and Alisa W¨®jcik. A group of four? Who''s the fourth then?" The young girl Lone recognised to be the daughter of the now deceased Duke of Milindo, Henry Malik, bounced in place upon seeing him. "You''re even better looking than I remember!" Soph hissed at her as she held Lone at the waist, making her armour dig into his skin beneath his loose clothing. "He''s mine. Back. off." Hamish laughed loudly. "May as well set up the feckin'' tents at this point. Cook ah meal tae watch the show, aye?" "Piss off, Hamish," Lone sighed. "We''ve clearly got a lot to talk about though, but not here in the middle of the fuckin'' road. We''ll have to thank Soph''s Luck no one has shown up to see all of this considering this particular farwind is actually quite busy. Let''s move to a more secluded area for now. Any ideas, dwarf?" "Hmm... There''s a partially abandoned urd aboot ah mile away fae us if ah recall. Its mines ran dry so the folk left but some exiles call it ''ome noo. Violent exiles, but nae one worth ah bounty. Ah think the closest army was actually due tae clear the place in ah month or so. ''At being the case, if ye''r ''appy gettin'' yer paws dirty, then it sounds perfect fae ah wee pitstop tae flap yer lips, aye, fox?" Hamish suggested. Lone nodded. "Sounds perfect indeed." B2: Chapter 87: Exiles and Cursed Hazel was initially shocked to see her friends appearing out of nowhere, but she quickly realised that the girl who was likely only a few years her senior - the one that had brought her here as well - must have some sort of spatial magic and had used that to collect her friends. Considering the distance and speed at which she had transported herself and her friends, this Soph-slash-Sophie person must be powerful indeed, Hazel reckoned. ''But... Emma and George have met her before. She was supposedly Darren''s master, right? A young noblewoman of some sort... How could she be a powerful space mage too? Wouldn''t my brother not have been imprisoned both at Milindo and here in the first place if that were the case?'' Hazel thought. She wanted to rely on her unique skill to peek into the blonde armoured woman''s mind and see if any of her thoughts would give her some answers. The temptation to stop focusing on suppressing her Mind Reading from passively rooting through the heads of everyone present was strong. She cared more about her brother than her curiosity, however. It did shock her though how much she craved for her skill to give her information when she usually spent most of her time cursing it for the things it forced her to be privy to. Regardless, her brother had defences that worked against her skill, even if they were apparently being bested by her slowly. For obvious reasons, he didn''t want her to access his mind. The fact he even knew at all that she''d even been passively trying to get into it scared Hazel enough to not give in to her selfish desires for more context and answers. She watched as her brother started walking off with the well-informed dwarf, the timid foxkin teen, and the short blonde-haired woman who was much too beautiful for her own good. ''If she and my brother are an item, then he struck gold. She''s way out of his league,'' Hazel thought before she glanced at her older brother again. ''Then again, he''s not the same person he used to be, is he? His face is the same, but he looks more handsome somehow. Confidence, maybe?'' Hazel glanced at her confused and scared friends - minus the absolutely fuming Scott - and said, "We should follow him. I don''t know how to get out of here besides whatever skill she used," she said, pointing to Soph-slash-Sophie, "do any of you?" Hesitant head shakes met her in response. "Then let''s go." Emma happily skipped ahead to match Hazel''s pace. George soon trailed after his fellow nobleborn even if his terror of the armoured woman was plain as day. Meanwhile, Alisa sighed at Scott who was clenching his fists before saying softly, "We have no other choice, so we may as well go with them. Unless you want me to get us out? I''d really rather not. Random sucks." The brick shithouse that was Scott bit his lip in frustration but slowly came around. "Fine." Hazel noticed Lone and the young foxkin''s ears twitching while the dwarf had raised an eyebrow. ''All three of them heard that? But Alisa is so softly spoken and we''re, like, 20-metres apart... What about the crazy one? Did she hear that too? She didn''t react like she did...'' A few minutes of silent travel down the farwind they were on passed before Scott asked, "Is he your brother, then? I gotta admit, he looks a lot like Mister McCullen if Mister McCullen was ripped, had clear skin, and was a furry." Her brother who now liked to go by ''Lone Immortus'' burst out laughing, obviously amused by Scott''s words. His outburst had surprised all of Hazel''s friends, clearly, none of them had picked up on that group''s collective advanced hearing. Hazel coughed and said, "Um, yeah, he is. He confirmed it before you guys... arrived. He can, as you just saw, hear us. Foxkin have sensitive ears apparently." "That''s interesting," George noted. "I wish I knew more about the other sentient species of Altros... Milindo was too closed off from the rest of the world." No one disagreed with him on that point. Their little group of five shared small talk as best as they could given the odd circumstances of their kidnapping. Before long, the dwarf had stopped the group ahead, so within moments both groups had joined up. The man her brother had called ''Hamish'' when he had confirmed her strength level - a thing she knew B-rankers and above could do - said, "This is it. ''Bout 500 or so metres down this branchin'' path is the entrance tae the urd." Her brother nodded. "Soph?" Somehow knowing his request without even hearing it, the young woman beamed a smile at him and then disappeared. "Any guesses on their ranks and numbers, Hamish?" Lone asked. The dwarf shrugged sadly. "What''s the feckin'' point with ''at monster doin'' the job fae ya?" ''Monster?'' Hazel noted. ''Is this Soph or Sophie or whoever she is some human-shaped monster of some sort? But Darren seemed so wary of me before confirming I wasn''t such a monster myself. Would he really have one as a friend?'' She got goosebumps remembering her brother''s hand being wrapped around her neck, ready to crush her windpipe and kill her at the drop of a hat. "I''ll give you a gold coin if you''re within 20% of Soph''s report, if you''re not, you give me a gold coin," Lone suggested. Hazel and the rest of her group baulked at the amount of wealth being casually bet. ''T-That''s enough money for months of food and board at our inn in Golden Pass City,'' Hazel estimated with a nervous gulp. "Wasn''t he supposed to be a prisoner down here?" Alisa asked faintly. Scott nodded. "Suspicious he has that much money and is, y''know, here instead of in a cell." Lone dismissively waved at them. "I''ll explain once I''ve cleared the urd out and we have a proper talk, but short answer? I am technically a prisoner, I''m just doing some community service enforced by magical scriptures. I''m also filthy fuckin'' rich." ''What''s a magical scripture?'' Hazel wondered, that hidden eagerness to use her unique skill rearing its head once more. "An'' ah''m nae," Hamish grumbled. "But aye, ah can afford ah single coin. Ah''ll say 132 dwarves an'' maybe ah couple ah golems? Dunno how well off these exiles are nor ''ow sane. Word was ''at ''ey got touched by the Deep." ''His accent is as thick as grandma and grandpa''s,'' Hazel commented internally. ''I thought we could understand any language perfectly, but now I''m starting to doubt that. Also, what''s ''the Deep''?'' Luckily, her brother shared her ignorance. "What''s ''the Deep''? Haven''t read about that in Krieg Moor''s library." Hamish shrugged. "Ken the Farwinds, aye? Well, afore Epitome Brugar carved ''em oot, the dwarven races shared what they called ''ome wae some nasty feckin'' critters. It were ah place far, far deep''r ''an the Farwinds. Dinnae ken its original name, but it goes by the Deepwinds noo. Madness meets all who venture doon there. Surprised ya didnae ken ''at. All merc groups an'' adventurer companies get teld straight by the cooncil." Lone stroked his short beard in contemplation. "Maybe it''s hush-hush so two-bit glory seekers don''t go kill themselves. I''ll look into this later. Anyway, the rest of your guess?" "Ah, well, as fae rank? Ah''d wager at least three-fourths''re D-rankers, ah couple dozen''re C-rankers, maybe ah handful''re B-rankers, an'' the big man leadin'' the band''ll be an A-ranker. It takes ''at much at least tae illegally take over an urd, even an abandoned one." "Yeah, pretty weak group," Lone commented nonchalantly. "That''s pretty weak?" Scott exclaimed in an angered whisper. "If that''s weak, then we''re less than ants." Hazel was confused. ''Both Emma and George said my brother was barely able to beat the crown prince and the hero of Milindo during the annual tournament. What changed? Could he possibly have gotten infinitely stronger in such a short time? How? Does he have a unique skill? That healing of his? That wouldn''t be enough... Maybe Emma and George remembered wrong?'' She didn''t know where his confidence came from but she supposed she''d find out soon. Appearing out of thin air, the armoured woman known by her brother as Soph, wore a cheerful expression on her face as she said, "122 dwarves, 87 male, 35 female. Primary weapon of choice seems to be the hammer or the axe, but I''m not too sure since most of them are just doing day-to-day tasks, not fighting or anything. Though they do have this look in their eyes... Anyway! As for strength, based on their magic, we''ve got 104 C-rankers, 12 B-rankers, and a half dozen A or S-rankers. I dunno. I haven''t seen the magic of enough A and S-rankers to tell the difference between the two yet." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ''Seen the magic?'' Hazel found that phrase to be incredibly interesting. ''What does that mean? Is that what the dwarf meant by ''monster''? Is she some sort of creature that can see magic itself? That sounds amazing and terrifying. Can she see my Mind Reading? Is that even magic? If so, why didn''t she react like Darren did when he discovered it?'' "It''s good enough," Lone praised as he shot the short woman a smile Hazel had never seen him make before. "Great job, Soph." ''What emotion was that?'' the young girl thought. Hamish began swearing up a storm like a sailor. "Was on the money fae ''eadcount, but way off fae strength. Feck." Lone cracked his neck and grinned. "We can double or nothing later if you''d like. Maybe I''ll get Gambling Mastery off of you or something?" "Ah, feck off. Ya wan'' ah skill like ''at, go earn it in ah gamblin'' hall. Piss oof an'' clear oot the urd, ya cheeky git," the dwarf retorted as he rummaged about in his adventurer''s pouch - an expensive accessory - and then tossed a coin with a golden glint Lone''s way. "Will do. Fingers crossed they''ll go peacefully, otherwise, with those ranks, expect me to be a C-ranker real soon," Lone said as he snatched the coin out of the air and pocketed it. He then moved so fast that Hazel wasn''t able to tell he had left until she blinked and noticed he was simply gone. "He... He''s only a D-ranker? How can he be so confident in killing six A or S rankers?" Hazel asked, worry clear in her voice. "And how is he so fast?" Hamish shrugged. "Beats me. Only time ah''ve ever actually seen ''im fight was against maself, an'' ah hardly ken ''is stats or skill list." The dwarf was hiding something, Hazel knew that much, but what, she had no idea. Clearly, the man didn''t trust her nor her friends nearly as much as he did her brother. The young foxkin girl didn''t respond but Soph did. "Lone is strong enough to effortlessly kill SS-rankers. If he went all out, he could probably beat an SSS-ranker too. He''s stupid though. He avoids using his strongest skills to ''push'' himself. Me and my other personality have been working hard to make him stop doing that!" Hazel frowned. "Other personality?" Soph shook her head. "It''s complicated." "Right..." She wasn''t convinced. What was so complicated about being crazy? Split-personality disorder was a real thing, after all. Maybe she''d learn more once they were inside the urd and could talk properly. ''Please, be safe, brother. I... I don''t want to lose you after having just found you again even... even with all of this weirdness,'' Hazel prayed.
"Yup, definitely locked," Lone said as he put a hand on his hip and began considering his options. He was currently at the entrance to the urd and was wondering if he should just break his way in or if it would be worth his time trying to pick the lock. The door was much like most major entrances down here in the Farwinds. It was a set of double doors roughly five or six metres tall and just as many metres wide, presumably to allow carriage passage. There was a small door inside of the larger left part of the gate that was meant for simple personal access without the entire thing needing to be opened. That small door was what Lone was considering picking or just outright destroying. "I mean, I do like the sound of a new skill," he mumbled with a nod of the head before he retrieved two of the numerous backup needles he had in his Dimensional Storage intended for Breena. She rarely broke her needles and had a steady supply from the elven tailor that employed both her and Soph to this day, but still, contingencies were never unwise. Squatting down, closing one eye as he looked into the lock with the other, Lone stuck out his tongue in concentration and shoved the pair of precision tools into the contraption before he began to shimmy the needles around carefully. He had no idea how to pick a lock. Who in the modern age of Earth did, honestly? Sure, he''d watched a Youtube video or two but they hardly covered dwarven locking mechanisms. And even if they did, Lone''s memory wasn''t perfect. At least, not yet it wasn''t. A few more attempts at forcing his mental locks into becoming memory banks might fix that. Thankfully, he didn''t have to wait long to see results. Not from the lock itself, gods no. That had jammed up and become completely unpickable thanks to his valiant if wasted efforts. That made sense, really, given his knowledge of opening locked locks. No, the result he got was that a new skill had been added to his ever-growing collection.
The host has developed the passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery].
Lockpicking Mastery
A skill common among thieves and footpads alike. No good rogue doesn''t have this skill in their arsenal. Boosts the steadiness of the host''s hands by 5% and makes it 5% more intuitive for the host to pick any and all physical locks.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"I do like the mention of physical locks. That implies non-physical ones exist and that at a higher rank, this skill may help with those too," Lone speculated before he pushed on his knees as he stood back up. "The steadiness boost is general, too. Doesn''t that make this a must-have skill for surgeons?" He interlaced his fingers then raised his hands over his head and stretched as he laughed softly at his thinking. Lone then accessed his Dimensional Storage to return the two needles - one of which was snapped now. He also withdrew a steel swordspear and a bucket of blood. He was fully intent on using his tails to kill today. He would listen to Soph and Sophie, no more holding back to farm skills. However, just in case he needed it, he was going to bring a swordspear with him. Summoning his Blood Clone which was about equal in size to a small orange now, Lone put the bucket away and willed his Bone Armour to appear. Black, blue, and dark purple, plates of bone covered his body while a spiked buckler appeared attached to his right wrist. He wasn''t going to hold back here even one slight modicum. "Offer a chance to leave, kill on sight if I get attacked first. Should be over quickly enough..." He took a deep breath and then nodded. "Pierce," Lone invoked as he attacked the doorway. It was a shame to damage such a beautiful work of art since the door had carvings all along its structure, but he had to get in somehow. The door of metal and stone popped clean off its hinges. An expert level of mastery wasn''t to be underestimated, after all. With a confident stride, Lone entered the urd and almost immediately found two dwarven men staring at him in a mixture of shock and horror. There was a sickeningly human element in their expressions, almost as if they were regretful and guilty to even be seeing him, regardless of the threat he posed to them. They had blood-red eyes and their veins pulsed wildly with some sort of black substance, implying tainted blood. Tainted by or with what, Lone had no idea. He eyed the men carefully. ''Now, are you boys corrupted by the Deep, or did you just invest in some questionable aesthetic choices? May as well see if there''s a person still behind those eyes.'' "Tell your leader that I''m offering the chance for all of you to leave this place peacefully as I have no personal grudge against you lot, I just need a safe place to spend the day and this urd will fit that bill when you exiles are gone," Lone said. As if in reaction to his voice, the two men screamed a bloodcurdling howl before lunging at him. They were pitifully slow in his eyes, leading Lone to believe they must be C-rankers or very weak B-rankers. With a sigh, he whispered, "Well, I guess you can thank me later for saving you from whatever the fuck did this to you two." "Tail Spear," he invoked. ''I''ve got 20 minutes and three more uses If I need them, so a little less than an hour and a half to kill everyone that''s like these guys. Should be plenty.'' With Tail Spear''s effective range of lower SS-ranked beings and with his backup of Mental Destruction, nothing that attacked him on this day would see tomorrow''s coming. The two dwarves swung at Lone who was stationary only to issue out confused snarls when their axes bounced off of his Bone Armour. One mumbled, "Feed the rise, empty the bones..." The other chuckled madly. "Drink the marrow, join the One..." Lone shivered. Something about their words genuinely frightened him and he had no idea why, which only terrified him even more. It was a primal feeling, as if the words when spoken by these particular individuals were simply wrong. Without wasting another moment, he proceeded to cut off their heads with his tails in one smooth motion. He didn''t want to damage their gear since he could have it sold at a later time assuming it wasn''t just as ruined as they themselves had been. Lone quickly stored the bodies of the two men before proceeding further into the urd at a quick jog. He did take a note that their blood was mostly black, only having a trace amount of the usual red dwarves had pumping through their veins. ''The Deep, huh? Definitely gonna try researching this later,'' Lone thought. ''Might have something to do with the Deep Well that ruined the Sheinling species.'' Minutes passed as he made his way through the urd, killing any exile he ran into on sight. He wasn''t going to risk allowing them to speak those cursed words like the first two had been able to. That felt like a good descriptor even if Lone knew he was painfully ignorant here. ''Cursed''. It would do for now, he felt. It was a bit frustrating though, in truth. He really wanted to earn Buckler Mastery but giving any of these logically stronger individuals the time to attack his wrist-guarding shield would also give them a chance to utter more soul-chilling words. ''At least I''m getting stats and levels. Happy thoughts, Lone,'' he said to himself as he dispatched a group of five more lunatic dwarves. He stored their bodies then slowly nodded to himself. "I can definitely take on the rest in one go. Basic Regen should be able to support it now." He inhaled deeply and then used his Wide Taunt skill. "Come to me so that I might set you free!"
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Happy with the skill improvement, Lone waited in the middle of the urd''s central street for the dwarves to come to him. The sooner he could talk to his sister, the better, hence his expediting of the process of making this urd safe. Of course, he also had full confidence that he could wipe them all out within seconds of their arrival. Well, perhaps not full confidence considering his plan, but worse come to worst, he wouldn''t die at the very least. Within mere moments, a chorus of screams that contained little more than pure suffering filled Lone''s ears as four dwarves jumped out from a nearby building at him. "Survivor''s Speed," he invoked. The next moment, four heads and a river of black blood fell onto the street below, followed shortly by the bodies they once belong to. Lone landed nimbly and nodded. "It''s manageable now so long as I pump SP into Basic Regen. Time to grind it out on these poor souls then, isn''t it?" B2: Chapter 88: Chat and Unique Skills Hazel had lost focus. In truth, she found it to be extremely draining preventing her unique skill from working passively and it had exhausted her almost entirely doing so. Each minute that she suppressed the skill, the higher the pressure on her mind grew, to the point she slipped and the thoughts of those around her become audible once more. ''Lone used tae teach these little shits?'' the dwarven man thought as he spoke to Scott. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired woman was in a world of her own. ''I''m glad he''s doing what we wanted, right, Sophie? He isn''t holding back anymore! it''s so exciting.'' ''Of course he''s listening to us. He values our opinion. It only took a handful of near-death experiences to hammer it in that we were, of course, correct.'' And it went without saying that Hazel couldn''t forget about the timid foxkin girl who was standing in the corner hugging her four tails, trying her best to not stand out. ''Maybe I should slip into the shadows... I can almost control that skill now...'' Hazel sighed internally. ''What a weird group. I wonder if Darren finds it tough to suppress his passive skills too? He didn''t struggle when he... when he c-cut off his finger, so I dunno...'' "So yeah, the bastard can pack ah punch an'' cockroaches like nae one else ah''ve ever seen," Hamish finished explaining his honour duel against her brother to her friend, Scott. "That sounds like such a broken skill. I bet it''s unique," Scott commented. Hazel had tuned out of the actual conversation a while ago, instead focusing on the thoughts flying around the seven other people present, but that little exchange had caught her attention. ''They''re talking about his ability to regrow his finger? It was very powerful and if he was also summoned, then he must have a unique skill like we do, right?'' she thought. Suddenly, a thought more powerful than any other she had heard entered Hazel''s mind, coming from Soph. ''Great job! I was watching through Mana Sensing. Although... I don''t think you should have used Wide Taunt near the end there. It would have been safer to keep going group by group.'' ''We agree wholeheartedly. You should praise him regardless for not holding back. Using Survivor''s Speed was a risk, but considering Basic Regeneration''s recent improvements, we can consent to the lifting of the ban we had placed on its training. Let him know we think he should take out a body or two to shock these children. The fact they are not already dead makes me suspect they have similar Luck stats as we do. They need a reality check.'' ''Got it.'' ''If you''re sure, Lone. Sophie and I are just worried for you, though we both agree you did much better than usual! Uh, Sophie thinks you should let your sister see some of the exile''s corpses. Reality check or something? I don''t really understand. Yeah. Uh, no, no new skill unsealed. Yeah, you''re right. It''s probably every two ranks. B-rank, here we come!'' Hazel was frozen in confusion. ''Is she... talking to Darren telepathically or something?'' "We can go in now," Soph suddenly said, interrupting the conversation going on between Scott and Hamish. Emma asked, "How do you know?" Soph smiled proudly. "Lone told me! We can talk to each other mentally no matter the distance. It''s super useful." Alisa cocked her head to the side. "Is that his unique skill?" Soph put a finger on her chin and tilted her head. Hazel had to admit that it was adorable despite her ethereal beauty that should have led every one of her actions to be more graceful. "Kind of? He''ll explain when we meet up with him. Uh, none of you is squeamish to blood, right?" Soph asked a bit randomly. Scott and Emma said they were fine with blood and gore but Alisa and George paled a bit at the question. Hazel frowned. "A bit, why?" "You guys really are super innocent," the short woman sighed. "Well, just follow me, I guess. I''ll take you guys to Lone." Hamish grumbled, "Ah could do ''at tae. ''E feckin'' stinks at hidin'' ''is presence." Soph surprised Hazel by sticking her tongue out at the dwarven man before saying, "Anything you can do, I can do better." "Ye keep believin'' at," Hamish said with a shake of the head. "Grats on the rank up by the by. Just get enlightened?" Soph giggled. "Of course not. I don''t need enlightenment, Lone does." Hamish furrowed his brow at that but didn''t ask a follow-up question. ''And this girl is meant to be my brother''s... what, master? Girlfriend? Just a close friend? The reports in Milindo were unclear and she isn''t thinking about her relationship with him. How can he talk to only her telepathically and no one else? Should I ask some questions to pry out an answer?'' While tempting, Hazel''s thought was soon forgotten when the smell of iron and something rotten hit her nose. At her side, Alisa gagged as she covered her mouth. "So... much... blood." Hamish chuckled. "Well, aye. Fae the looks ah things, Lone cut their ''eads clean off. Ah quick an'' nigh guaranteed death, aye, but messy as feck even if ''e took care ah the bodies as fast as reasonably possible." "Why is it black?" Scott asked mostly rhetorically. Hamish shrugged. "The Deep does strange things tae those ''at fall intae its grasp. Dinna touch it, aye? Don''t want tae go insane anaw." "Y-Yeah," Scott replied before he leaned towards George. "It can do that? Spread insanity?" His fellow teenage boy reddened in the cheeks. "H-How would I know?! I''ve never left Ranton before meeting you guys, let alone Milindo!" Hazel ignored her male friends. She was too busy feeling her lips tremble upon seeing the thoughts flashing through the dwarven man''s head. He was busy recounting all of the times he''d killed another person and it was... gruesome, to say the least. She did, however, learn that he was over a hundred years old, but that hardly distracted her from the danger she now felt she was in. It didn''t help that his next set of thoughts revealed to her that he was incredibly wary and almost afraid of the black blood that covered the streets despite his nonchalant attitude. Her eyes wandered away from said streets and ended up on the young foxkin girl with four purple-tipped red tails. ''I need to get stronger,'' the foxkin thought to herself. ''I may be an F-ranker, but Master Lone is only a D-ranker- ah, a, uh, C-ranker now, right? Since Mistress Soph ranked up... I didn''t know they ranked up together... The gap will only widen between us at this rate. I can''t keep being such a burden...'' Hazel furrowed her brow. There was a lot to unpack there. She returned her focus to the floor to make sure she didn''t step in any of the black blood as her mind spun. ''She calls them master and mistress? Is she a slave? But Darren always hated discrimination. There''s no way he''d own a slave... And she''s an F-ranker? So she''s stronger than we are? What does she use to fight? I don''t see any weapons on her. Maybe she uses magic?'' Hazel''s thoughts distracted her long enough that before she knew it, she and her friends had been led straight to her brother. He was clad head to toe in an ominous-looking armour that made him resemble a death knight of some sort. He was sitting atop a pristine leather chair in the middle of a road that appeared to have been newly painted, so covered in black blood was it. It was as if a massacre had taken place here, which Hazel reckoned wasn''t far from the truth. A small ball of red blood was slowly rotating around her brother''s head while he read a tattered book of some sort. Soph skipped up to his side nimbly, avoiding all the blood on the ground, and leaned over the chair he was in to peek at the book in his armoured hand. "What''s this?" "Hmm?" Her brother raised his head and somehow his horrific helmet disappeared into his flesh as if it had gone dormant just beneath his skin. "It''s the diary from the exiles. None of them would talk to me beyond senseless screaming or insane ramblings, but I did want to know if they had documented the process of them being corrupted by the Deep. Was it instant? Was it gradual? Did they look for a cure? That kinda thing. Thankfully, this happened to be tucked in the breast pocket of one of them. Maybe the leader? Dunno. I killed them all so fast I couldn''t tell who was the strongest." ''He was able to kill A and S-ranker so fast?'' Hazel felt sick. ''How can he talk about killing so many people so... so emotionlessly?'' Unconsciously, her Mind Reading tried to worm its way into her brother''s mind to reveal its secrets unto her only to be stopped by the same block from before - these locks he had spoken about, presumably. He turned his head towards her slowly and stared right into her eyes. Irritation and hints of anger clear in his gaze, he commanded, "Stop it, now." Hazel winced. "I-I''m trying, but it''s exhausting. I lost focus." His expression softened as he sighed. "That''s fair. Tell me what your unique skill is then. All three of you. We''ve got plenty of time to talk now." Hamish effortlessly traversed the street without touching a drop of blood. The dwarf reached her brother and Soph before asking, "They''re all summoned ''eroes?" Lone shook his head and pointed at Hazel, Scott, and then Alisa. "Just those three. They were students back on Earth when I was just a teacher. Hazel''s also my little sister, as we established earlier." ''He recognises us? I... I didn''t expect that considering how much the whole class teased him... Shouldn''t he hate us? Still, he seems so knowledgeable. I wonder if he knows how to get back home?'' Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ''Arrogant bastard lookin'' like a dark lord over there on his leather armchair... Could I punch him and get away with it? Probably not.'' Hazel tried to pay no mind to Alisa and Scott''s thoughts. "Ah, ''at makes sense. Anythin'' interestin'' in ''at journal?" the dwarf asked. Her brother nodded. "Seems the exiles here were a collection of mercenary groups that got corrupted by ''the Deep''. Each entry is pretty normal until they went on a certain expedition together, and fell down a hole that opened up in the Farwinds - doesn''t say where exactly - at which point they all slowly started losing their rationality. The entries past this point," he said as he thumbed at the pages, "become more and more of a rambling mess." Hamish wore a saddened expression. "Aye. The Deepwinds. Word ah advice? Never go near ''em." Lone scoffed. "I''m not an idiot. I''ve probably read up on more insane and dangerous shit than you have even if you''re, what, a thousand years older than me?" The dwarf tossed a pebble at him which scared Hazel half to death considering it made a sharp whizzing noise as it passed through the air. "Go feck yerself, cheeky git. Ah''ve only ah hoondred or so more summers than ya." "Bah," Lone scoffed as he caught the stone and dropped it onto the floor effortlessly. "You''ve never even seen the sun before. You wouldn''t know summer from winter even if your life depended on it." Hamish raised a finger to protest before pausing and then lowering it. "Fair point." "Heh," Lone - as her brother now liked to go by - laughed. "Go do something else now if you''re just gonna distract me. Hazel, Scott, Alisa, tell me what your unique skills are." Hamish shrugged. "Well, if we''re stayin'' ''ere fae the night, then ah''m gonna find ah decent hoose tae make an ''ome fae the evenin''. Ye can deal wae lunch, ah''ll ''andle dinner." Scott stepped forward, far less anger and much more fear clouding his mind this time. "Why should we tell you anything? Y-You killed over a hundred people just so we could talk in an abandoned town." ''I have to agree,'' Hazel thought. ''What''s wrong with that?'' she heard Emma wonder. ''People die all the time. From the sounds of things, the demihumans living here were criminals and insane. Seems fair to kill them to me.'' George''s thoughts were strikingly similar. ''You really shouldn''t be antagonising him, Scott. He''s clearly very powerful and very in the right, so trying to vilify him won''t do us any favours...'' "Urd, not town, and over a hundred maniacs corrupted by a force even I don''t understand, and I''m the vessel of three gods for fuck''s sake," Lone sighed. ''What? Three what? What the fuck does that mean?!'' Hazel so very desperately wanted access to his mind now after that bombshell was so casually dropped. She could also tell that he was far more frustrated by the fact that he lacked knowledge on whatever the Deepwinds were than he was at the fact it had apparently turned well over a hundred dwarves crazy enough to apparently merit him killing them all in cold blood. "Hazel, seriously, I just rebuilt those locks. Focus on suppressing your skill or describe what it does to me. I won''t tell you again," her brother warned in a serious tone. "D-Don''t speak to her like that!" Alisa spoke up. "She''s your sister, isn''t she? You should be a bit warmer to her, not like..., well, like this." Lone stared at the short girl long and hard. "I''ve been through too much to be nice, but I''ll concede a bit. Soph and I will go first, then you three. That''s fair, isn''t it? Knowledge on unique skills for knowledge on unique skills." ''Urg, I feel like a third wheel here,'' Hazel heard Emma think. Not a moment sooner, George''s mental musings entered her head too and they sounded a lot like Scott''s. ''He looks like a warlord. Replace that leather armchair with a throne of bones and I''d believe you if you told me he was some powerful flesh-wearing lich king or something.'' Meanwhile, Alisa and Scott had shared a look before nodding. "Okay," Scott said. "That''s fair. What''s your unique skill then?" Hazel watched as her brother went on to repeat the same demonstration he''d used to teach her passive skills could be stopped. His left gauntlet receded into his hand and he then simply cut off a finger, allowing it to regrow. Hazel had seen this before but even if the display didn''t make her sick to her stomach, the sound of it healing sure did. Alisa and George both threw up onto the blood-covered street while Scott looked fascinated. Emma was just as entranced as he was to see Lone regrow a finger almost instantly. Soph pouted. "It''s not that disgusting." Lone actually laughed at that. His chuckling at the short woman''s words was the most human thing Hazel had seen him do since they''d entered the little abandoned dwarven town, and that frightened her more than it comforted her. "It''s a skill called Basic Regeneration. It makes me effectively immortal. Its subskill is called Bone Armour, which is what you see me wearing. I can adjust it as I see fit and each time it gets damaged or destroyed it gets stronger," Lone explained. Hazel''s expression morphed into one of surprise. "Subskill? What''s that?" Lone smiled at her, apparently happy to have received the question. "It''s essentially an additional effect so powerful or individual that it becomes a skill of its own. That''s what I''ve figured out so far, at least. If you don''t know what additional effects are, well, to summarise, you can permanently make a skill stronger by fulfilling certain conditions. Most skills get an additional effect at either advanced rank or expert rank automatically too." "That''s actually really awesome," Scott muttered. "So, uh, what''s her unique skill?" Lone laughed again, why, Hazel didn''t know as she couldn''t access his mind yet. The answer came to her when she read Soph''s mind instead. ''This is gonna be so funny when he tells them about the other skills!'' ''Really? This is boring and a waste of time. We should be discussing our stat changes and our auras now that we and Lone have hit C-rank.'' Unintentionally Hazel said, "You have more than one unique skill?" She wanted to kick herself when she saw Soph eyeing her suspiciously. Lone narrowed his eyes too. "Yes, I do. I have seven, eight if you count me changing species as a unique skill, and I can create two more unique skills should I wish to though I''ve yet needed to, thankfully. Soph has ten unique skills, but can only use five of them as of right now." Hazel listened as her own words failed her while her brother went on to detail the other six unique skills he owned and Soph''s five currently available unique skills. The two that shocked her the most were his Creation Magic and her Minor Time Control. It frightened her how powerful such skills could be if used properly. Could he create guns? Has he already? Could he make a portal? Portals can clearly exist on Altros if Alisa''s unique skill was anything to go off of, so could he magic up one that leads straight back to Scotland''s Arlith? What about Soph? Minor Time Control was anything but minor. Its penalty was great, but so was the potential. She could save lives with a two-hour warning. Many, many lives given how dangerous this world was. "And now your turn, kids," Lone said as he winced. "Be quick. You''re almost through the final lock again, Hazel." "Uh," Alisa hesitated but then said, "My unique skill is called Rift Summoning. I can make a massive spatial rift appear once a month that will teleport anyone who walks through it to a random spot." Lone stroked his chin in thought. "With the correct subskills or additional effects, that could be an amazing skill. I suggest using it every time it''s off cooldown because right now, a random teleport isn''t very useful. Some friends of mine got randomly teleported over an ocean by a Djinn. Nasty business. When you use the skill, try to visualise its exact destination and try to split it, to make several rifts. Try to make smaller rifts too. If you can earn the right effect, you could make yourself a weapon that teleports your enemies'' body parts, well, away." Hazel almost reached up to grab her head when a sudden stream of hate-filled thoughts entered her mind. ''I''ll kill that cloud freak if we ever meet him again! I''ll rip his eyes out of his head and eat them, savouring every second as he squirms in anguish! The Djinn will suffer for what it did to Lone! It will burn, it will bleed, it will die!'' ''Ha-ah, calm down Sophie. Yes, yes, we''ll kill the stupid Djinn, but you really need to stop getting so upset when it or Sir Ardus get mentioned.'' ''That man is no sir! Do not get me started, Soph!'' "T-That''s morbid," Alisa whispered but she did end up nodding, clearly happy at receiving the advice. Meanwhile, Hazel was trying her best to not break down crying after having such a massive influx of raw negative emotions wash over her. Scott stepped forward, his mind - a lovely distraction - telling Hazel how excited he was to receive some guidance on how to advance his own unique skill. "Mine''s called Beginner Booster," he said. "I can double any one person''s stats permanently, but I can only choose one target, it can only be used once a week, I can change the target if I choose to do that but the old target loses the boost, and, well, it doesn''t really help me at all. Uh, it does prevent the person I boosted from trying to harm me in any way at all though which is pretty fuckin'' nice." Lone''s eyes brightened. "Is it usable right now?" Scott shook his head. "It''s on Emma right now since she''s our strongest member. It was on Alisa for ages since she has the highest Luck and we figured it''d be smart to boost that. Y''know? Keep bad encounters down and all that bullshit. Was only able to change it after we had a talk about it the other day in Golden Pass City. I can''t use it for another three days." The former noble girl giggled as she held her neck. "It''s pretty nice." "I can only imagine." Lone closed his eyes in contemplation before nodding. "I would suggest trying to forcefully use it on yourself, though that could be dangerous without a healer on standby. I''d bet a ruby-gold coin you can earn an additional effect or subskill that gives you a weaker version of the skill or a warped version of it like my Bone Armour. Also, try to use it on multiple people or try to overload the effect to give a bigger boost than just double. With its name being Beginner, I''d assume it can evolve once it hits master-rank-ten." "Skills can evolve?" George asked, apparently unaware of that fact. Hazel was curious too. Her own unique skill had levels despite being passive. It was only at beginner-level-five, but still, the thought of it getting stronger both excited and terrified her. ''It''s rare meeting people more ignorant than us, huh?'' Soph thought. ''We suppose,'' her other supposed personality replied, now much calmer. ''It is a boon that Lone studies skills so much even if his addiction is worrying.'' Hazel''s eyebrow shot up. ''Darren is addicted to skills? What does that mean? Earning them? Levelling them? Researching them? That seems kinda important.'' "I''ve evolved a few magic skills before," Lone confirmed. "An example would be Crude Lightning Bolt to Lightning Bolt. Granted, I haven''t confirmed if unique skills can evolve but my Basic Regeneration is at the master rank and has levels left to go, so the implications are there not even factoring in the ''basic'' in the name." "You''re a lightning mage too?" Emma asked in excitement. She was a lightning mage herself, after all. Her magic impressed Hazel a lot. She had yet to earn a single skill herself that was of any use besides Laundry Mastery, but that hardly helped in battle like lightning magic did. It was enchanting, to say the least. Lone shook his head. "No, though I will be again in the future. I created something far out of my MP''s range and had my mana points sealed for a little over a year. Anyway, Hazel. Your skill?" Suddenly she felt nervous even if she knew exactly what to say here. There was no way in hell she would tell the truth. Not with her friends being present, that was for sure. She''d read enough books to know the ability to read minds was nothing but a ticking timebomb for an utter social disaster. "I can sense emotions. It''s passive and, uh, well, the only restriction I thought it had was that I couldn''t turn it off, but, em, you proved that wrong so..." Hazel said. She gulped unintentionally when something in his eyes shifted. She knew that look. He didn''t trust her at all, and knowing that put a sinking feeling in her gut. "I see. The best advice I can give for a skill like that is to try to broaden the scope of the sense itself. Soph''s insights into Mana Sensing could be helpful. She used to use that skill to see the world before I restored her sight," he said. "You did what?" Alisa asked in a mixture of shock and awe. Lone waved her question off. "It''s what fucked over my MP. Anyway, I guess it''s fine if you break my final lock, Hazel. It was a good workout trying to stop you if nothing else." ''He... does trust me? But that look...'' Hazel didn''t know what to think. It was at that moment that she finally connected to her brother''s thoughts for the first time. ''Mind reading, huh? I would have lied about it too in your situation given the implications. We''ll discuss this later. As for serious advice on your skill, try your best to not brush up against mental defences in the future as it could easily get you killed. Learn how to identify such things without letting their owners realise you''re passively trying to root around in their heads,'' her brother thought, scaring her to her core. His next set of thoughts baffled her so much she had to do a double take. ''One plus zero is one. One plus one is two. One plus two is three. One plus three is four. One plus four is five. One plus five is six. One plus six is seven. One plus seven is eight. One plus eight is nine. One plus nine is ten. Two plus zero is two. Two plus one is three. Two plus two is four. Two plus...'' It took a second but she quickly guessed that he was masking his true thoughts under the guise of these much more mundane mental musings. Him having the mental focus to do this and just the fact that it was working spooked her immensely. ''H-How can he so easily do that?'' Hazel wondered. ''C-Can he teach Emma, George, Scott, and Alisa, how to do it too? No, more importantly, how did he find out? Does he have a skill that can detect lies from truths?'' Lone got up and cracked his neck. "Find a building and make yourselves comfy. I''ve got system-related stuff to do. After that, we''ll have lunch. We''ll talk a bit less seriously while we eat it, maybe do a bit of training, then Soph''ll take you back to Golden Pass City." His tone was that of no-nonsense, and honestly, Hazel was quite happy to find somewhere to lie down and process everything that had just happened. B2: Chapter 89: C-rank Stats and Spar ''I told you.'' A chuckle filled Lone''s mind. ''It was so obvious. You really should trust me more often, no?'' ''I hate having to say this,'' he thought underneath his layer of mathematical equations that he now knew were doing as intended judging by the confused look on his sister''s face, ''but thank you, Darkness. Even Soph couldn''t pick up on the mind reading with her Mana Sensing. I had my suspicions given her piss-poor acting, but yeah, thanks.'' A follow-up chuckle met him in response as he got up, stored his chair, and headed towards the building Hamish had chosen to use as their accommodation for the night. ''Oh, it''s quite alright. Like I''ve said multiple times already, water under the bridge, our history, no? I''m happy to help with all that I can when my lovely little host''s mind is in danger. You should learn how to use her, really. The things I would do with a subordinate capable of learning the deepest, darkest secrets of my enemies and allies alike...'' Darkness practically swooned. ''Right. I''m suddenly regretting being nice to you for a change,'' Lone replied. ''Haha, there''s no need to worry. Unfortunately, you are the one in control of your body, not me. Anyway, enough of singing my praises. You are ready for tonight''s meeting, yes?'' Darkness inquired. Lone sighed, earning him a look of concern from Soph. ''It''s been two weeks already? Yeah, I guess I''m ready.'' ''Excellent! I''ll be seeing you and Swamp and whoever else if we have more guests at midnight then. Farewell for now. I''ve matters to attend to,'' the Primal who governed illusions and shadows happily said. ''What matters? Lounging about in your palace?'' Silence met Lone in response. He shook his head. That thing could be a handful to deal with at times, but he did have to admit, Darkness could be very useful when it wanted to be. Without its warning, he wouldn''t have been able to confirm his sister could read his mind once his locks had been bested. He''d have to teach her how to control her expressions in the future if she didn''t want anyone else bluffing the truth out of her as he had. "This place is, uh, cosy?" Soph commented as they entered the living room of what was once the home of a regular dwarven citizen. It was abandoned and covered with dust, suggesting none of the exiles had used the place before their arrival. Hamish''s head popped out of a corner and the dwarf said to the three of them, "Better full ah dust an'' cobwebs than wae stuff contaminated by those who''re deep-touched." Lone nodded while he settled into a stone sofa whose cushions had lost their bounce. He dismissed the rest of his Bone Armour and cracked his neck. "I''m gonna look over my notification log. Got a few skill levels ups and my status page to check over. What''re you guys gonna do?" he asked. The look in Soph''s eyes changed before Sophie said, "We shall train. We did not gain many physical stats with the levels-ups. That is as expected, but still, we wish to see what our new limits are." Hamish fully stepped into the room and pointed at Breena who was busy finding the best corner to hide in. "Ah''ll just train the wee lassie fae ah wee while afore ye whip up lunch fae us." "W-What Mister Hamish said," Breena added with a hesitant nod of the head. "Okay," Lone replied. "You three have fun." They all exited the house one by one, leaving Lone on his own. "Notifications first," he mumbled to himself.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
''I didn''t even use my swordspear... At this point, where''s the logic in my Growth Accelerator telling me it''s my ideal weapon? What about a swordspear is a better fit for me than my tails? Maybe the limited usage of them makes them a worse overall option?'' That was something worth considering. Lone decided to jot it down in his journal as he continued reading his notifications.
The host has developed the passive skill: Eldritch Resistance.
Passive skill: Eldritch Resistance
Allows the host to maintain their sense of self after being touched by that which was never meant to be seen, heard, or known. When touched by anything of an eldritch nature, the host has a 5% chance to maintain their sanity, additionally, the host has a 5% chance to avoid becoming obsessed by whatever is being shown or offered to them of an eldritch origin.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone paused his writing immediately. "Well, that''s concerning." He considered the presented information for a moment before he slowly nodded. "Basic Regeneration''s new master rank effect prevented anything from happening, huh? That or whatever tried to influence me needed to get past my locks, interacted with them, gave me this skill, then stopped since I started killing." Lone held his chin in contemplation. "Hmm... What made me get the skill though? I avoided the blood. Was it what the first two dwarves muttered at me? Sounds likely. I wonder if I could- No. That''d be broken, wouldn''t it?" He had an idea that could prove to be either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid, but he wasn''t going to act on it without running it by Soph and Sophie first. With that in mind, he got back to jotting down his thoughts as he continued reading his notification log since Sophie was busy training and his latest crazy experiment could wait.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Wide Taunt] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
''Nice. Well on its way to advanced. On the topic of advanced...'' Lone thought when the second to last set of today''s new notifications greeted his sight.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
He''d gained a lot of other smaller notifications that he had ignored related to this skill, all telling him of its improvements outside of its two new levels. Regardless, he brought up the skill''s information to review its growth.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have above average Vigour than the usual mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 4,547 [+334] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to a grain of sand. Maximum speed: 2.76m [+0.32m] per second. The host can now create and keep the clone within their own bloodstream, allowing very precise control of said bloodstream.
Cost: 3,000 SP
Mastery: Advanced Level 5
Lone sighed in disappointment. The changes were large considering only a morning had come to pass since he last checked on it. Its hardness not improving was fine too since he had actively avoided letting the little blob of blood get attacked during his massacre. Mostly due to him killing so fast none of the dwarves had the chance to attack in the first place. What bothered him was the fact that while the skill''s potential was near-limitless, it would take an incredibly long time before it could ever reach the heights he hoped it would quickly climb to. "Not every race is a sprint," he mumbled to console himself. Stolen novel; please report.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Lone nodded. ''Should be able to use Hazel''s unique skill to push this to intermediate. Maybe then the locks can actually start stopping some stuff. If not her, my next session with Stoner Heeth''ll do the trick.'' So far, his mental locks had protected him from Stoner Heeth''s scripture magic and his sister''s mind-reading ability, but only for a time before inevitably succumbing. He''d rather it be strong enough to fully and permanently resist at least his sister. It wasn''t exactly hard to maintain a secondary level of thought to trick her skill, but it took a lot of focus. A lot of focus that could be better used on his never-ending theorycrafting in regards to skills. Finally, he called forth his status table.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 342 [+102]
Species Foxkin Rank: C [Up from D]
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 94,740/94,740 [+32,010] SP: 10,042/98,730 [+36,040]
MP: 54,030/54,030 [+120] WF: 1,300/1,300
Basic Stats
Strength: 5,239 [+2,021] Vigour: 9,873 [+3,604]
Dexterity: 4,809 [+902] Agility: 5,747 [+702]
Vitality: 9,474 [+3,201] Luck: 1,307 [+171]
Secret Stats
Charm: 142 [+15] Charisma: 143 [+13]
Magic Power: 5,403 [+12]
"At least one of them had magic?" Lone thought, his slight increase in MP being the thing that stuck out to him the most. It was no secret to Lone that an overwhelming majority of dwarves never awakened their mana heart nor brain, let alone developed the Magic Power stat, so that was a pleasant little surprise. "Fewer stat increases than I would have liked for over a hundred C-ranks and above, but it''s good growth nonetheless. The levels in particular. I''m only 58 shy of B-rank assuming I have enlightenment stocked up for that too. That''s the theory of if you have prior enlightenment saved up then you don''t waste levels proven." Lone flipped a few dozen pages back in his journal before making a new note on an almost filled prior entry. Thanks to his discussions with Hamish, Lone knew that to become a B-ranker you had to reach level 400, and then to step into A-rank you needed to reach level 500. If he got lucky enough, before returning to Krieg Moor in roughly four months, he might even become an A-ranker. ''I can only hope, but who knows how much enlightenment I have stored up if any. I could have used it all to become a C-ranker. I do wonder how many levels an SSS-ranked blood mage will give me though,'' Lone thought. He flipped forward back to where he was in his journal, wrote a few more paragraphs'' worth, and then snapped the leather-bound notebook shut. Lone got up and stretched. "I wonder if I can go blow for blow with Hamish now if he applies his appliable stats? Strength and Agility, right?" There was only one way to find out, really.
"This is fuckin'' crazy," Scott said to the rest of the group. Hazel had found a small house across the street from her brother''s chosen home to occupy. She shared Scott''s sentiment but didn''t interrupt as his mind suggested he had more to say on the topic. "I mean, how in the fuck is that dude Mister McCullen?" he asked. "That guy would see Mister McCullen, laugh in his face, then snap his neck for being so pathetic. That, or just tell him to go away for not being interesting. Did you see how he looked at us?" Hesitant nods greeted his question while Hazel frowned. "I thought he''d be more emotional," Alisa confessed. "He wasn''t happy to see us, not even one bit. Hell, the only thing about us that interested him was our skills. Fuck, he didn''t even so much as look at you two, George, Emma," Scott pointed out. George fixed his eyes on the floor. "C-Considering what Milindo did to him... I think we''re lucky he didn''t kill us. I m-mean, rumour is the guildmaster treated him really well. Like, father-son kind of well. My father and hers tried to kill said guildmaster. Needless to mention what the king had done to him when he was imprisoned." Emma tilted her head. "I don''t think he cares about that. He seems... past it? I dunno. He was super interested in your unique skills though. Maybe he''s a skill scholar now? It would make sense since he has that Growth Accelerator of his." Hazel narrowed her eyes. ''That''s very close to the truth, I suspect. That woman, Soph. She mentioned he was a skill addict in her thoughts, didn''t she?'' Alisa spoke up to ask, "Do you think he''ll use his Contract Magic skill on us? To force our silence? We''re nobodies, really, but if I was him, I wouldn''t want my or Soph... Sophie? I wouldn''t want our unique skill information getting out." "I don''t know about that," Hazel answered honestly. "That depends on if he trusts us, I thin-" A loud crashing noise interrupted her. All five of them panicked for a moment before they grabbed their weapons and rushed out of the home, ready to flee if needed. They had faced a handful of sneak attacks from monsters during their travels from Ranton to Krieg Moor and then Golden Pass City, more so on the latter part of the journey due to Ben''s power no longer being at their disposal. They always ran when they could. It was simply the wiser option. It had led to them not getting even so much as a single injury thus far since Emma''s lightning magic was capable of scaring away anything that pursued them for more than a mile or so like goblins or wolves. As soon as they were outside, however, Hazel quickly learned this wasn''t a monster attack. The thoughts of the dwarf standing in the middle of the street filled her mind the very moment she noticed his presence. ''Bastard almost scared the piss ootta me,'' Hamish thought as he cracked his wrists. ''''Is base Agility must be ''igher ''an mine noo fae me tae need tae apply it just tae react.'' "What...?" Hazel mumbled. ''Is he talking about Darren? Darren has higher agility than a B-ranker? At C-rank? Is that normal, slightly uncommon, or completely out of the ordinary?'' She didn''t know. She also had no idea what the dwarf meant by ''apply''. How does one ''apply'' a stat like Agility? Regardless, her ponderings were interrupted when the dust settled across the street and her brother sauntered out of the hole that had been created in a house''s walls, presumably from when he was launched into it by the dwarf. "They''re fighting?" Alisa asked softly. The woman Hazel now knew to be called Soph approached them with the young foxkin girl by her side. "No, they are not." Something in the woman''s voice gave Hazel the chills. "Lone, the power-hungry fool that he is, asked the short menace to spar him with his full power. The last time this happened, Lone almost died, this time, perhaps he will not be so foolish as to hold back," she said while the foxkin girl remained completely silent. The woman''s mind brushed up against Hazel''s power. ''We know you can read minds. Lone told us as such. Our mind is our own but we cannot split our focus as he can. That being the case, suppress your power. Nod twice once you have. Lone will tell us if you lie to me as his ''locks'', as he calls them, will let him know of your compliance or lack thereof,'' the blonde-haired woman who was a tad bit shorter than Hazel herself warned. She stiffened. ''He... He just told her? Really?'' She knew she had no real place to feel betrayed considering she had lied to her brother about her skill, but still, knowing he had so easily shared the truth about her Mind Reading hurt her. As each second passed, the thickness in the air between her and Soph- no, Sophie, she now realised, grew. It was like the woman was holding onto her shoulders and was trying her best to shove her down onto her knees. It was working. Hazel''s legs started to buckle so she quickly did as she was told even if it strained her. As soon as she got control over her unique skill and nodded twice, the feeling of domination disappeared entirely. Hazel struggled to not gasp for breath since she didn''t want to worry her friends. ''Two personalities. One is nice and bubbly, one is cold and murderous? What a complicated person. I never want to get on her bad side...'' "Good. We are glad you know how to listen unlike your brother," Sophie snorted, earning both Sophie and Hazel some odd looks from her friends. The young foxkin girl didn''t seem to be fazed, however. ''D-Did she just immediately talk to Darren with their weird telepathy? Even though he''s fighting Hamish? What if he gets distracted and injured because she just wanted me not to root around in her mind?'' Hazel thought but didn''t voice. She wasn''t aware of why, but the gorgeous woman terrified her now when previously she only made her feel curious. She really wanted to know what that dominating aura was. The word ''bloodlust'' came to her mind. Her group hadn''t run into anyone who could wield bloodlust but she''d heard plenty of adventurers think about it, which is why she even knew it was a palpable thing and not just a saying. "Are you and Lone really an item?" Emma asked Sophie. George gave her a funny look. "Is that really important? I-I think we should focus on the fight... M-Maybe we can learn something?" "Unless you have the eyes of a hawk, we doubt it," Sophie replied to the teenage boy. "Breena is struggling to keep up and she is stronger than you all, not that that says much. And yes, we are an ''item''. If an ''item'' includes being bonded at the soul, forever to stand at the other''s side." "... So you''re fuckin''?" Scott asked, almost forcing Hazel to start sputtering. A coy look entered the woman''s eyes. "Nigh every evening. Lone hates the fact his Sex Mastery doesn''t level nearly as quickly as his other skills do bar the odd exception like Meditation." "That''s a skill?!" Scott exclaimed. "Fuck! I want that so badly! Wouldn''t that, like, eventually make you a god in bed?" That remark earned him an elbow in the ribs from Alisa. Hazel also noticed the short girl''s cheeks flushing. ''Well, she did have a thing for him, right? I almost forgot. She''s much better at not thinking about her feelings so often unlike George when it comes to Emma.'' A wave of exhaustion hit her, almost making her lose concentration again. She didn''t want to antagonise the frightening Sophie so she held on, continuing to prevent her Mind Reading from working. ''I''m so gonna sleep like a log tonight,'' Hazel thought. Then she remembered her brother intended to train them all for a bit today, have dinner, and only then return them to Golden Pass City. An unintended sigh escaped her lips. It would be a long day for her friends and an even longer one for her. "Gotcha, ya ugly bastard!" she heard her brother yell. The next moment, she saw the dwarf flying through the air like a ragdoll before exploding through a house''s window. A disturbingly beautiful smile crept its way onto Sophie''s face which gave hazel the chills. ''She... She''s revelling in Hamish getting hurt? Why? Aren''t they all friends? Is it because he almost killed Darren a while ago? Arg! I wish I knew more!'' Hamish leapt through the very same window a moment later and yelled back, "Ah''m nae ugly, ya rude cunt!" before launching himself back at Lone. "Do... Do they do this often?" Hazel asked the foxkin girl Breena instead of Sophie. She seemed more approachable even if she was shy. The girl freaked out and vanished, sinking into the shadows instead of replying to her. "What the fuck?" Scott said. "Was that a skill? That was badass as fuck." Sophie ignored them and instead flicked her wrist. The next moment, a barrier appeared in front of Scott''s face, stopping a chunk of stone from piercing his eyeball. "If you children wish to watch Lone and Hamish spar, at least pay attention to your own safety so we do not have to do so for you," Sophie said, exasperation marring her tone. "That was magic?" Hazel heard Emma mutter. "That was awesome..." Everyone seemed to both agree with Emma and Sophie. Thus, they chose to return to their selected home for the day and watch out of the window instead of from the street. B2: Chapter 90: Slap and Questioning Begins ''Thank you for sending that stone over. They were annoying us,'' Sophie said to Lone telepathically. ''Don''t worry about it. It was a good lesson for them to not get too close to powerful beings who are battling until they are powerful enough themselves to watch safely, even if you didn''t intend for that,'' Lone laughed in response.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unarmed Combat Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
''Hurt him more, would you?'' his lover so kindly requested of him. Lone smiled wryly and sighed while he watched Hamish rush towards him, ''No promises. I''m trying to beat him without killing him. If I hurt him, I hurt him. I won''t go out of my way to break an arm or anything though.'' All he got in response was a single word, ''Pity.'' Lone twisted his body as best as he could to dodge the incoming blow from Hamish. He almost got hit again because Sophie''s reply amused him enough to come very close to forcing him to laugh out loud. He''d failed to dodge Hamish the first time at the start of the fight, resulting in him flying across the street and crashing into a building. This time, even if that didn''t happen, he still wasn''t able to completely evade it. The blow became a glancing one, meaning that while his skin was ripped open and some of his muscles got shredded by the dwarf''s Applied Strength, he wasn''t lifted off of his feet this time. Two more punches swiftly came towards him before he could return the favour, one aiming for his left side ribs and the other for his groin. ''This bastard!'' Lone thought in a panic before he controlled his bone to bring forth his armour as quickly as he could. "You''re applying Strength and Agility!" Lone yelled as he felt the dwarf''s fists impact his armour, dent and chip the bones slightly, and then rebound. "Don''t go trying to blast my sensitive parts to smithereens!" Hamish shook his now bleeding hands. "Ye didnae say yer jewels were oof limit! ''Sides, yer Basic Regeneration would''a fixed it in a second or two!" Lone finished covering himself in his full suit of menacing Bone Armour before he growled. "Whatever you go for, expect me to go for in kind." Hamish shivered. "On second thought, aye, above the belt only." They exchanged a few more blows after that and no matter how hard Hamish hit him, the man''s fists never broke through Lone''s armour. Each dent and chip would repair itself too quickly for the dwarf to build up enough damage to break through to his flesh. ''I can totally beat him now in a raw fist fight if I use Bone Armour. Hell, even if I just rely on Basic Regeneration, can''t I?'' Lone thought as he decided to invoke a new skill of his that he had little interest in. Just trading normal blows wasn''t getting them anywhere, really. "Stone Slap!" he said. Hamish''s eyes widened as he leapt back, clearly surprised to see Lone using such a dwarven skill. Lone, however, wasn''t going to let the wily dwarf flee from his armoured palm. With his arm still arched back, ready to slap, he invoked two additional skills simultaneously, "Survivor''s Speed. Ungrounded." Faster than anyone here could see bar perhaps Sophie with her Mana Sensing, Lone kicked off of the air and launched himself forward. The next moment, a monumental cracking sound blasted off of Hamish''s cheek as Lone''s hand slammed against it. The dwarf rocketed through the air as he spun before slamming into a dried-up water fountain. He stumbled up to his feet a few seconds later and rapidly blinked. Lone moved to strike him again, not being one to give up the momentum but he stopped when he saw Hamish waving his arms in surrender. "A-Ah give! Nae mere!" Hamish exclaimed before moving to nurse his jaw, popping it back into place since Lone had dislocated it. Lone was ready to go a few more rounds with the B-ranker but he nodded instead and deactivated both Survivor''s Speed and Ungrounded upon hearing the man''s words. He also willed his Bone Armour to recede. "Why? We could totally go for a few more minutes, right? I''m hardly trying to kill you," Lone asked. Sophie approached his side and said, "His spine almost snapped, Lone. He was lucky you did not break his neck and shatter his skull with that. We are saddened you did not." "Bloodthirsty little bitch," Hamish grumbled as he got closer, massaging his neck all the while. "She''s nae wrong though. What''s yer mastery o'' Stone Slap tae dae ''at much damage at C-rank an'' withoot haein'' yer Strength applied?" Lone''s eyes widened a bit. He dismissed his Bone Armour and replied, "It''s only beginner-level-one, or was, at least. I''m sure it''s levelled now. I haven''t checked my notifs for that skill combo usage." He put his chin in his hand as he paced to do just that.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
The Stone has deemed you worthy of its will. The Stone has empowered your skill [Stone Slap] with 4% of its will.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Stone Slap] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Stone Slap] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Stone Slap] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Stone Slap] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Stone Slap] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ''Huh, even though I''m not a dwarf or particularly care about it, the Stone still empowered my skill? Well, if nothing else, that proves it''s a real force. Although, given that Primals and demigods are real, that''s not really a surprise,'' Lone thought. He cracked his neck, feeling his Basic Regeneration finish repairing the damage Survivor''s Speed had caused. Lone then stopped pacing to ask, "What''s your Vitality at, Hamish?" "Lemme check," the man replied before answering, "4,320." "What? I have more than double that," Lone said in shock. Hamish winced. "Way tae make me feel like shite, but ye can get stats fae killin'', ah cannae. Still, ''at''s equal tae some A an'' S-rankers. It''s more than Ewan ''ad an'' ''e was ah physical-focused A-ranker. Maybe only ah handful o'' B-rankers who specialise in bein'' beefy ''ave close tae 10,000." "Right..." Lone shook his head. He really needed to find out what the baseline was for all rankers who specialised in each area. Just what rank were his stats equal to? An S-ranker? Maybe even an SS-ranker for some? He didn''t know. ''Something to look into back at the guild.'' "Well, my base Strength is 5,239. Factoring in the momentum Survivor''s Speed and Ungrounded gave me - a skill I copied from an X-ranker and one I got for being the Avatar of Sky - I think it makes perfect sense I almost killed you with my slap. The Stone let me channel some of its will too. Only 4%, but still, that could be a lot. Like how 4% of a trillion is still 40 billion. It''d be a different story if you could apply your Vitality." "Or ye yer Strength. Ye''d ''ave knocked ma ''ead clean off ma shoulders." The dwarf sighed deeply. "Well, feck. Ah''m gonna gae back tae teachin'' Breena. Feck! What ah feckin'' reality check. Ah kenned ye were stronger than me when usin'' all yer deadly skills, aye, but just ah slap an'' some movement skills?" Sophie laughed in the man''s face. "Perhaps we should fight you too, hmm? Would you like for us to humiliate you too?" "What''re yer stats?" Hamish answered, apparently considering the offer. Sophie shrugged. "They''re very low, we assure you. Shall we list them for you? Strength is at 272. Vigour is at 231. Dexterity is at 221. Agility, quite the overachiever, is at 302. The disappointment of the bunch, Vitality, isn''t even at 200, only reaching 193. And of course, we could never forget the stat that allows us to seduce Lone here so regularly, Charm. That is at a snug 22. We are basically a child." "You don''t need Charm to do that," Lone said, which earned him a coy smile in return. Hamish crossed his arms over his chest disapprovingly. "Ye''r forgettin'' Luck an'' Magic Power." Sophie shook her head. "Not forgetting, merely omitting. It would serve you well to learn the difference." "I''m curious too, Potential magical beatdown of Hamish aside," Lone said to which Hamish glared at him, "what''s your Luck and Magic Power at now? We gained over a hundred levels today." Sophie twirled her straight blonde hair in her fingers as she glanced sideways at Lone. "If we simply must tell you, well, Luck is at 138,387 and Magic Power is at 301,203." Lone and Hamish both almost stopped breathing, so shocked were they. Even Breena, who had apparently been nearby in the shadows this entire time, slipped out of a dark puddle, losing control over her Primal skill from the surprise. "You..." Lone did the maths in his head. "You... have over 3,000,000 MP now. That''s..." Sophie grinned madly. "More than enough to defeat some nobody B-ranked dwarf, no?" "Yup, not happenin''," Hamish said, having collected himself. "Ah''d be surprised if yer Luck alone didnae make me stab maself in the eyeball even if ah had no weapon on ''and. Breena! Let''s go. We''re trainin''. Leave the monsters tae their devices." "Y-Yes sir," Breena stuttered in response, though Lone heard her whisper, "3,000,000... I barely have 300..." As he watched Hamish and Breena wander down the road to a clearing, Lone said, "So, she freaked out when Hazel tried to talk to her." "You saw that, did you?" Sophie asked. Lone nodded. "I don''t have your absurd Mana Sensing, but yeah, I was keeping one eye on you guys and the other on Hamish until the kids fled to the building." Sophie shook her head. "We do not know what you wish for us to say. We have agreed to be nicer to her and to stop requesting you ship her off with a handful of coins. Beyond that? We do not care for her. She is your pet project, Lone." "She looks up to you, y''know," Lone remarked. "Even if you''re a bit of a cunt to her." Sophie laughed. "We do not care. You know as well as we do that all we care for is Soph and you. It would take an astronomical amount of work to expand that tiny sphere." "Not even Kyuubi?" He summoned the fluffy ball of chubby laziness to emphasise his point. The golden fox looked around curiously before yawning and settling into Lone''s chest as he held her. Sophie pouted. "Okay. Perhaps Kyuubi as well, but she is our adoptive daughter and Soph is simply smitten with her. Of course that would bleed into our mind as well." Lone grinned, happy to have proved her wrong. He leaned down to give Kyuubi a kiss on the forehead before he returned her to The Summoning Room. "We still do not care for Breena, however," Sophie made clear. "Noted," Lone said with a sigh. This wasn''t something worth getting upset over since he knew her mind wouldn''t be changed soon, if ever. "Let''s circle back to your skills. How much did Mana Sensing and Teleportation improve with the rank up to C-rank?" Sophie smiled proudly. "Mana Sensing has gone from 1,000 metres to 5,000, while Teleportation''s range has expanded from 500 metres to 1,000. We did some test teleports before you decided to beat the spirit out of Hamish - we wholeheartedly approve, by the way. The results were encouraging. We gained two levels in the skill, bringing it to intermediate-level-seven." "It''s crazy the skill has mastery on top of just flat improvements per rank. Unique skills are something else," Lone commented. "Mana Sensing doesn''t bother you? Not getting information overload?" Sophie shook her head. "No, we are fine. It is a sense. You feel thousands of things a second, no? Every fibre of your clothing, the air brushing up against your skin. It is like that. We just know where everything is within 5,000 metres. It takes no effort nor does it strain us. If we focus on something, like what people can hear or otherwise, then perhaps, yes, it could be overwhelming." "That''s great," Lone beamed before he put her chin in his hand and tilted her head upwards, to which she didn''t resist. He kissed her softly and said, "I''m pretty much finished with what I needed to do bar exploring my aura, but I''m in no rush for that. I''m gonna go have a chat with the kids before lunch. I assume you''re gonna train?" Sophie shook her head. "We, too, are done. It is Soph''s turn." The look in her eyes changed before she jumped into Lone''s embrace and hung her arms around his neck. She smiled impishly before pecking him on the lips. "I need to practice my magic! Barrier Magic, to be specific," Soph explained rather happily. "With this much MP, I bet I can do some crazy things." Lone sighed. "Look, if you hug and kiss me like that, I''m gonna not want to be a responsible adult." Soph giggled before releasing him. "Go, go. Reassure your sister that Sophie won''t just kill her. She, uh, kinda bathed her in her bloodlust when getting her to not use her skill. I''m, em, well, not a specialist, but that doesn''t seem healthy for a teenager." "Of course she did," Lone replied. "Hardly helps I strangled her and threatened to kill her too. Ha-ah. Well, off I go to rebuild bridges. Have fun, will you?" "I always do! I love magic," Soph said with a big old grin on her face.
Lone considered knocking but decided against it. It would be pretty awkward if he knocked and then he got refused entry. He opened the door and entered the home his sister and her friends had chosen as their residency for the day. He could hear them chatting amongst themselves about his fight with Hamish, so it took him no time at all to find the room they were in. As soon as they saw him coming in, they stopped all conversation. "Well, this is perhaps more awkward than the door scenario," Lone said with a short laugh. "Door scenario?" Hazel asked. "Ah, it''s nothing." Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage for a chair. Finding one, he retrieved it and took a seat. "I figured we could all catch up properly now. Sorry about my bluntness earlier. There was a lot on my mind and Hazel''s unique skill had me on edge until I learned what it actually did." A guilty look flashed across his sister''s face. At the same time, Lone felt the very skill he was talking about begin beating down his locks once more. Only the final, fourth, and third, had recovered since her most recent assault against them. It wouldn''t take her long to break through again, perhaps three or four minutes. He didn''t blame her. Not everyone had his mental fortitude. He could stop Basic Regeneration from working for hours if he needed to. Hazel though? She was a kid with not even half of his experiences under her belt. "What happened?" Scott asked almost inquisitively. "Don''t mean to sound rude, but you are not Mister McCullen." "You''d be right there," Lone admitted. "It''d be wise to stop associating me with Darren McCullen. As I said to Hazel when Soph brought her to me, I''m Lone Immortus now. I have other names and a new title courtesy of some shocked dwarven adventurers, but Lone is fine. It''s who I am now. I''m still your ex-teacher and Hazel''s big brother, but I''m not Darren McCullen anymore." "... So you used to be a human? L-Like us?" George asked. Lone smiled at him. "Yup. I''m her brother, after all," he said, pointing at Hazel. "Feel free to ask me anything you want. I''ll answer every question truthfully. Once you''re done, I have a couple of questions myself." The biggest one at the forefront of his mind was why, exactly, out of all the possible humans on Earth to have been summoned by Milindo, was his sister one of them? And why more than one person when all of the records he''s studied and the rumours he had heard made it clear only one person at a time would be summoned? This was true for all of the nations, clans, organisations, and anyone else noted to have a summoning ritual. A short silence overcame the living room before Alisa cleared her throat and asked a rather heavy-hitting question to start the impromptu Q&A session. B2: Chapter 91: Back and Forth "Did you really kill children?" Alisa asked. You could hear a pin drop in the silence her question had generated. All eyes in the room turned to her as if to say ''why, of all questions, did you open with that one?'' She shrank into her own shoulders as she mumbled, "What? He said we could ask whatever we wanted..." "It''s a fair question," Lone said. "Yes, I did. While I was imprisoned in Ranton, Sir Ardus - my warden and torturer - thought it would be fun to rape and murder demihuman children in front of me to harm me psychologically." Everyone flinched upon hearing that. Clearly, it wasn''t public knowledge. Lone leaned further into his chair before staring at the ceiling. "I could see he was going to kill them anyway, and in probably as painful of a way as possible. At the time, it seemed merciful to kill them instantly myself before he could do anything to them." "At the time?" Scott asked, some anger in his tone. Lone nodded. "Gilbert - that is, Guildmaster Elksworth - had convinced me that killing Sir Ardus would only get me in even more shit. I believed him. I had no reason not to. It''s why I endured four months of torture." He laughed sadly. "Turned out to be a fuckin'' waste of patience. The king planned to execute me regardless of the fact I hadn''t broken any laws, the public excuse being the deaths of those 43 innocent kids. I should''ve made that Ardus cuntbag''s brains leak out of his face day one then just escape immediately." "... Instead you had to go through all of that and then the guild dismantled the kingdom from the ground up anyway," Hazel commented. "More Sloth from the Seven Deadly Sins dismantled the kingdom, but yeah, more or less. I plan to meet the princess-now-queen at some point. I need to know if Sir Ardus survived Sloth''s purge. I also want reparations," Lone said with a cruel grin on his lips. "Anyway, next question. A less sombre one, if possible." Alisa decided to follow up before anyone else could even posit their own queries. "Do you know if there''s a way back home?" Lone put his hand on his chin and tapped his lips thoughtfully. "Maybe. I don''t really give a fuck about going back to Earth. I only ever missed Hazel, really, nothing else." His sister looked both happy and saddened by that statement as her unique skill defeated his third lock, leaving him with only two more. Alisa and Scott both almost jumped out of their seats. "How?!" "Really?!" Lone raised an eyebrow. "You guys really wanna go back to that shithole? I guess you''ve got families. And I guess you don''t have the power to live on Altros without looking over your shoulder at all times." "It''s not that bad," Emma complained. "If I wanted to, I could kill all five of you in less than a second and I''m incredibly weak on a continental scale. There are things out there that could kill me in less than a second," Lone pointed out. "Didn''t guns exist in your world?" Emma asked. "The hero you killed... Die.... die something. I never liked him. He said that even a child could kill the strongest man in your world with a ''gun''. Children can''t do that here, ergo, Altros is safer than Earth." "That isn''t how that works," Lone chuckled. "Speaking of those!" Scott excitedly butted in. "Why haven''t you made a gun with your Creation Magic?" "One question at a time. Yes, guns existed, and yes, anyone could kill anyone with one, but you''d be punished for it pretty quickly and pretty easily, usually spending the rest of your life in prison. Try go and punish an X-ranker for wiping out a small kingdom in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Go ahead. I''ll wait," Lone challenged. Emma scowled. "You''re less handsome when you prove me wrong." Lone chuckled. "Now, going back to Earth. I suspect I could do so instantly if I used one of my free skill slots, of which, I have two. I can use them to create a new unique skill, but the skill can''t exist already. I''m not going to waste one of those potential life-savers on going back to a place that holds next-to-no meaning to me." Lone could see Alisa and Scott wanting to interrupt him. Even Hazel appeared to have some misgivings with his words, but he ignored them and continued, "I have a feeling that some combination of Soph''s Teleportation and Void Walking could lead her to Earth. There''s also the possibility that a high enough mastery of summoning magic would allow you to reverse engineer the summoning process itself, but I dunno. I know fuck all about summoning magic." He glanced at Alisa. "Hell, even your Rift Summoning could manage a return trip to Earth if you can get it under your control, learning how to direct the destination it brings you to." That thought gave the short Polish girl some room for pause. "Now, your question, Scott. I tried to make a gun. A few times, actually. I think it''s possible, but I never had the MP for it. I knew fuck all about firearms and ammo. Hell, just making a blank book took me months of work. So yeah, doing it in one go would probably fuck me over royally like removing Soph''s blindness did. I''ll get back to you on that when my MP pool is much larger and if I care to try again. A bullet wouldn''t even be able to hurt an S-ranker, let alone kill them, so I see little point in wasting brain power on such an endeavour. Maybe enchanted bullets could be worth looking into," Lone said. George nodded. "The average Vitality of an S-ranker makes most common weapons completely useless. You need the system boosts from passive skills and such at that point." "What''s your plan?" Hazel asked just as his fourth lock crumbled, leaving him with one. "You''re technically a prisoner, aren''t you? Why? Can''t you just teleport away like in Milindo and go somewhere, anywhere else?" "Well, unlike in Milindo, I actually committed a crime here," Lone explained. "I got caught. I wanted to see how the justice system of the dwarven kingdoms stacked up against Milindo''s. I then earned militaristic enlistment as a punishment option instead of execution by injuring an X-ranker. Proved my strength and all that. Ended up getting sentenced to serve 27 years and change." ''Soph, come here for a sec? I can''t tell the kids why I won''t legally need to serve 27 years if I don''t want the scripture magic on me acting up, so I''d love it if you could for me,'' he requested. Not a moment later, Soph appeared on his lap. She kissed him and said, "Sure, I don''t mind. Lone can work off those 27 years. We''re currently on a mission to kill a mass-murdering blood mage. If Lone succeeds, his sentence will be reduced by 50%. Each task cuts the remaining time by a percentage based on the difficulty of the task. Simple, right?" The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She gave Lone another peck before teleporting away, presumably to go work on her Barrier Magic again. "You... couldn''t explain that yourself?" Hazel asked with disbelief all over her expression. Lone smiled wryly. "Scripture magic. It''s like contract magic but nastier. I told Soph through our telepathy before the scripture was placed on me so she can explain in my place. It''s handy." "I''d bet," Scott nodded. "What crime''d you commit then for execution to be the immediate go-to punishment?" "Wait, wait, wait!" Alisa interrupted. "You injured an X-ranker? How?! You were a D-ranker until all of 30 minutes ago!" "Again, one question at a time. Scott''s first," Lone said. Scott shot Alisa a triumphant look which only earned him a punch in the ribs. "I learned steamforging. Both the craft and the skill for it. If you don''t know what that is, it''s basically technology but steam and magic-powered. It''s cool as fuck." Lone reached into his Dimension Storage and retrieved the steamforged glasses Grimsley had gifted him so many months ago. "This is a steamforged artefact, as an example. Feel free to play around with them, but break ''em and you''ll regret it. They mean a lot to me." He handed the pair of spectacles to his sister who accepted them very gingerly. As the kids started wearing and experimenting with the steamforged glasses, Lone addressed Alisa''s question. "I injured an X-ranker thanks to a skill called Aura Pressure Resistance. It broke through expert rank under the X-ranker''s aura and gained an effect that makes it multiply my stats based on the rank difference between me and whoever is blasting me with their aura. Using that with my racial skill, Tail Spear, I was able to leave a dent in the guy''s chest." The glasses had made their way to Hazel who returned them to Lone. "So not all of your power comes from your unique skills?" Alisa asked. Lone shook his head. "Not at all. Like I said, there are people out there who could squash me like a bug. My unique skills give me an edge for sure, but they don''t make me invincible." "How many skills do you have?" George questions. "I-I''m curious. You said your, uh, Growth Accelerator unique skill lets you learn skills almost instantly, right?" Lone nodded. "I''ve got 115." Something about the way the teens looked at him like he was both a monster and a god upon hearing his answer made Lone happy. Yes, 115 was a monstrous amount of skills. He''d worked hard to earn and make those skills useful. Some appreciation was nice to see when Sophie only ever told him he was an addict. "You really are addicted..." his sister muttered, putting a crack in his smug grin. "H-How have you even seen or heard of that many skills? The only skills I''ve ever seen that weren''t unique are Emma''s lightning magic ones." Lone, now a bit deflated, shrugged. "To be fair, 29 of them are resistances and another 19 are weapon masteries, most of which I earned by having beings that owned said masteries attack me with their weapons or hit me with the afflictions the resistances, well, resist." "That''s such a fuckin'' broken skill," Scott muttered. "Any more questions or is it my turn now?" Lone asked. Just as Hazel bashed against and destroyed his final lock, forcing him to boot up the mathematical second layer of thoughts, she asked, "You didn''t answer me before. What''re your plans after this? You told me about your sentence, but what comes after?" "Nothing''s set in stone," Lone replied. He smiled a little when he saw Hazel cringe upon hearing his second, louder layer of mathematical thoughts upon breaking his fifth mental lock. "Roughly though? I''ll first head to the Crimson Foxkin Clan to return Breena to her people. After that, I dunno. I do want to go to Mystopolis at some point in my journey to study magic at The Academy. My plans are flexible and subject to change." Scott laughed. "It''s just called ''The Academy''? That''s dumb." Emma scoffed. "It''s called that because it is The Academy. There are more powerful magical academies with stronger teachers, more amazing spells, and so on and so forth, but The Academy is so special because of its reputation. Every single student, of which they accept more than most magic schools do in several years combined, leaves with at least five magic skills at expert rank. That''s literally unheard of anywhere else on the entire continent." "Expert isn''t that impressive," Scott countered, earning him a collective look. "Okay, maybe it is, but it''s not master rank-" "The point she was making was that every student leaves with that. Other schools are lucky to have students earn advanced skills after many years, even if they do have more master ranks popping up than The Academy on a purely statistical scale," Lone said. "Given my ability to level and rank up skills with ease, more is better in my books." "Right... Fuck. Growth Accelerator is sooo broken," Scott grumbled. "Now, my turn?" None of the kids shook their heads or asked him anything else, so it was finally time to get some answers. "Lovely. First, who summoned you?" Alisa, Scott, and Hazel, all shared a look of uncertainty between themselves. After a few seconds, Hazel said, "We think it was the queen of Milindo." "What?" Both George and Emma said at the same time. "I thought she died in Sloth''s purge," Emma said. "You never told us you suspected her," George added. "We didn''t know you when we first met," Hazel said. "Would you have trusted us if we walked up to you guys and said ''hi, we think we got summoned by your queen, who''s dead now, by the way. Help us look for this guy who has the same face as my brother, please''?" Alisa nodded. "And it never came up during our journey, so, you know..." Emma and George sighed but they ultimately agreed, deciding it wasn''t too important right now, though Lone reckoned they''d talk more about this in private after he left. "Why do you think and not know? And what do you mean she''s dead? How''d she die?" Lone asked. "She was dead when we appeared," Hazel explained. "She was clutching a knife and had four stab wounds in her chest. Four of us were summoned, so one wound per person. I have no idea how magic that can rip people from worlds apart works." "Neither do I, sadly. Hopefully, that will change with time," Lone commented. "So who was the fourth?" "Ben," Scott said. "Weasly little bastard left as soon as we reached Krieg Moor''s gate. Guy seemed pretty keen on getting stronger, ranking up, eternal life, yadda yadda." "Understandable," Lone replied as he closed his eyes to recall the boy being described. "I don''t have a good impression of him. He was one of the ones that openly made fun of me if I''m remembering correctly. I suspect he was behind the slashing of my bike''s tires too that one time. Never did get proof though." "Small city with minimal security cameras," Scott shrugged. "Would you kill him if you ran into him again?" Lone shook his head. "Nah. I don''t give a fuck about him or what he did in the past. Darren and his problems are back on Earth, where he belonged. My problems are Lone''s problems. When I said I wasn''t Darren McCullen anymore, I meant it. At most, I care about the kid''s unique skill. What was it, by the way?" "It was just called Growth," Hazel explained. "It let him grow food for us when we were in the wasteland west of here." Lone stroked his chin. "With such a simple name, I bet it could let him do way more than just grow some carrots and spuds. Oh well. Back to your summoning. You have any idea why the queen summoned you, assuming it was her?" "None," Hazel said. "There was no note, no one to receive us, nothing. We just appeared, got our unique skills, then that was that." Lone frowned. "Where were you summoned, exactly?" Hazel cocked her head in confusion, not understanding the point of his question. She replied, "In an unused wing of the royal castle. Why?" "Did no one stop you when you arrived? You weren''t apprehended by any of the guards that lived through Sloth''s purge? Nothing like that?" Lone asked. "No," Alisa answered. "We should have, shouldn''t we?" she questioned, realisation dawning on her face. Lone nodded. "Four kids wearing clothes from Earth walking through the castle and then down into the city itself? For sure you should''ve been questioned." "What''re you gettin'' at?" Scott asked. "You think us being here was, what, orchestrated or something?" "Billions of humans on Earth and of the few the queen manages to summon, you all happen to be related to me in some way?" Lone asked rhetorically. "Needless to mention she somehow manages to summon not one hero, but four at once? Yeah, it''s certainly possible it wasn''t random." George shuddered. "Who would have the power to do something like that?" "Mess with how summoning heroes works on an intrinsic level?" Lone pondered aloud. "No clue. Could have been a demigod, a real god, maybe a divine-ranked being - not overly sure how capable those people are." He didn''t really believe any of that. One name came to his mind. ''Clicker. Too many weird things have happened when that guy... thing? Regardless, when he''s been involved, dodgy shit has gone down. Sophie felt like he was significantly more powerful than Xer''rava the X-ranker, and he, it, whatever, claimed to have interfered before, so it''s the best lead I''ve got right now.'' Lone sighed. He put his hands on his knees and propped himself up. "Well, that''s my curiosity sated. Come. Let''s have lunch then train. I''ll help you all pick out your ideal weapons and armour. You''re weak enough for that to be useful to you and not just a distraction." B2: Chapter 92: Tutoring With Love and Sleep Talk After everyone had their fill of the Rusty Sprocket''s lunch menu items that Lone had bought and kept in his Dimensional Storage, he got to work on training the kids. "That was fast," he said, pointing at Scott. "Greatsword with no shield is your ideal weapon combo. Start putting on the armour now so I can judge that too." Ten minutes passed before Lone stopped George. "Spears above three metres in length but shorter than five for you, so longspears." Another five minutes and Hazel''s ideal weapon had been found. "Sword and board. Trusty combo. I don''t get the feeling from any sword with a blade longer than 120 centimetres nor ones shorter than 50 or so, meaning longswords for you. As for the shield, all of them feel ideal, actually. You''ll likely be very gifted in Shield Mastery." More time passed and Scott''s armour had been determined. "Light, minimal metal. I guess you''re meant to be an agile one despite the big fuck-off sword, huh?" The teen flashed him a cocky grin in response. George''s ideal protective clothing was a mix of less restrictive armours and some plate for his vitals. Hazel''s ideal mimicked Soph and Sophie''s in that she apparently had the most potential for a full suit of heavy plate. "Why is none of this perfect for us?" Emma asked in frustration, referring to herself and Alisa. Lone shrugged. "I have a fuckton of weapons and armour, sure, but not everything under the sun. Who knows? Your most ideal weapon could be a steamforged trinket of some sort, or maybe a magical staff? Same for armour. Hell, it took me weeks to figure out my ideal armour was my own fuckin'' bones. Just pick something you like or have a good feel for and we''ll go from there." "That sucks so much," Emma complained. "Whatever. I guess I''ll stick to my lightning magic for now." Alisa frowned. "I don''t wanna fight really. I just want to go home." "That ain''t happening unless you are strong enough to force it or unless you get super lucky. Would you rather rely on yourself or on fate?" Lone questioned. "Just so you know, I don''t plan to drop everything I currently care about just to satisfy your desire. It could be centuries or millennia before I feel the need to find a way back to Earth. I''ve got the time, do you?" "... Myself I suppose," Alisa said with a pitiful nod before she walked over to the pile of weapons and picked out a quarterstaff just small enough to still look big in her hands. It would have looked like a wooden sword missing its handle in Lone''s. Just as he was about to get ready to start tutoring the kids in fighting properly, a series of notifications covered his vision.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Congratulations! As the host has levelled [Teaching Mastery] all the way to Advanced Level 1 without once asking for recompense when teaching, it has resulted in the skill gaining a new effect upon ranking up when otherwise it would not have gained one!
Passive Skill: Teaching Mastery
A skill that makes teaching concepts 30% [+15%] easier to the unlearned. It also boosts the host¡¯s ability to impart their own insights of skills to others by 30% [+15%]. [New!] When teaching free of charge there is a 0.5% chance the host will earn a skill their student possesses should their teaching result in a new skill forming in that student. Additionally, when teaching a skill to a student that the student already owns, the host''s version of the skill has a 0.5% chance to instantly level up regardless of what level it is at and regardless of any rank-related bottlenecks. These effects are both limited to once per student.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''What the... That''s amazing. I assume I can skew that 0.5% with Luck, maybe even forcefully trigger it if I learn how to apply Luck...'' This was only the second time Lone had ever had this happen to one of his skills. The first time was with his Primal skill, Ungrounded. He hadn''t been trying to earn anything new outside of the box, but he welcomed this with open arms and a big smile on his face. Lone stopped to do some mental maths - a tricky thing to do under the layer of dummy maths his sister had to listen to. ''100 divided by 0.5 equals 200. From beginner level 1 to master level 10 there are 49 levels. 200 times 49 is 9,800. So if I taught, say, Shortbow Mastery to 9,800 people and they all got one level from it, statistics would say I should be able to perfect the skill without so much as ever touching a bow. That isn''t how statistics work in practice, but still, that''s some food for thought.'' Considering his likely infinite lifespan thanks to Basic Regeneration, it really wouldn''t take all that long to train roughly 10,000 people in one thing relatively speaking. ''Maybe that could be my retirement if I ever feel done with the wandering and adventuring,'' Lone mused internally. "Why do you happen to have a set of full heavy plate that almost fits me perfectly?" Hazel asked a bit randomly, tearing him from his happy thoughts. "Because Soph and Sophie have the unique skill Body Manipulation. I explained that earlier," Lone answered. "You made suits of armour for all three of her forms?" his sister questioned. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Lone nodded. "Of course I did. She''s the love of my life and my travelling companion. I had the power to make form-fitting armour for her for all three of her body types, so why wouldn''t I do that? Just because she''s almost always in her adult form, that doesn''t mean she won''t need to fight in her child or teen forms one day." "That''s thoughtful of you," Alisa commented. "Shame her Armour Creation skill is sealed though. I bet it''s just like your Creation Magic but cheaper and much less restrictive even if it only covers protective gear," Scott added. Lone nodded again. "I agree. Now, less chatter. All five of you, attack me. I have some good knowledge of proper long and great sword form, as well as shield, spear, and lightning magic usage. Alisa, I have no clue how to fight with a quarterstaff but I have a lot of general fighting tips that I''m sure will help. I''m also a bit specialised in movement techniques, so fingers crossed one or more of you learn your left foot from your right as I grind you all into dust, huh?" "You''re an asshole," he heard Scott whisper. Lone assumed a defensive stance as he raised his fists. Alisa hesitated before asking, "Uh, you''re not gonna use a weapon?" "Unarmed Combat Mastery, advanced-level-ten," he stated. "Now come at me before I get tired and don''t give you the chance to show me your flaws. If you''re too slow, I may just choose to instead show your faces the backside of my palm."
"I may have just ranked up but I certainly pulled my punches. Stop acting like I broke all of your bones," Lone demanded of the five teens that were groaning on the floor as they nursed their limbs. Frustrated that they weren''t exactly jumping at the chance to get up again, he stormed over to George''s side. "You look the most beat up," he said before invoking, "Full Body Diagnostics." The skill told him everything he needed to know. "Barely any muscle damage, no internal injuries, minimal bruising, not enough fatigue to render further training pointless. No excuses. Get up, all of you. We''re not even close to finished yet."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
"I-I got Greatsword Mastery!" Scott yelled in excitement, forgetting all of his surface-level injuries. Lone grinned when he saw the instant boost in morale all of the teens suddenly experienced. "Perfect. Now hit me as hard as you can with your sword." Not hesitating for even a moment, Scott hefted his blade well above his head and then brought it down in a single sweeping motion, driving the weapon right into Lone''s shoulder. It cut his flesh with little resistance and made it down to the bone before the sword stopped dead and bounced out of the wound the teenager had just created. "Fuck! Are your bones made of steel?" the boy complained. Lone wasn''t sure how strong his bones were exactly but considering what Guildmaster Hilda had done to them, he suspected nothing less than a physical-focused S-ranker could even so much as crack them, let alone break or cut through them. The fact an I-ranker could get through his skin, however, did bother Lone. ''Gotta use the credit slate later to see if there''s some sort of skin-hardening passive skill I can work on getting.''
The host has developed the passive skill [Greatsword Mastery].
Passive Skill: Greatsword Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Sword Mastery] commonly used by knights and warriors of great strength. Uncommonly used as a pair by the absurdly strong and practised. Things attacked by a greatsword will act as if they are 5% more brittle than they really are.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone smiled. At the same time, a notification regarding his Blood Clone improving outside of a level-up entered his vision. He dismissed it promptly. The Blood Clone was being given minimal attention as it swam around in Lone''s bloodstream. He flexed his shoulder muscles and the wound Scott had given him closed instantly. "Very good. Terrible form and no real strength put into the swing. Damn sword was only working with the momentum of its own weight, not anything you were putting into it. Still, very good nonetheless," Lone said. "Now, if Scott here can earn a skill from my pointers, then the rest of you can too. There''s still a good few hours until dinner time." The small amount of morale the teens had mustered up at Scott''s success all crumbled in an instant. The words of encouragement hanging on the tips of their tongues instead became curses for him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
The afternoon and evening had both come and gone. During the training, Hazel had learned Tower Shield Mastery and that was it. The luck of Scott earning a skill Lone himself didn''t have sadly didn''t happen again with the other kids. Hazel hadn''t learned Longsword Mastery, Alisa hadn''t learned Quarterstaff Mastery, George hadn''t learned Longspear Mastery, and no one had gained a parent skill like Spear, Sword, Shield, or Staff Mastery. Emma claimed to have levelled her only lightning magic skill, Lightning Bolt - one of the only two lightning magic skills Lone just so happened to also own - twice, but beyond that, nothing as exciting as Scott learning Greatsword Mastery had happened. They''d had dinner courtesy of Hamish, chatted for a while, and then said their goodbyes before Soph teleported the kids back to Golden Pass City. Lone had mixed feelings. He wasn''t particularly torn up over saying goodbye to his sister so soon. She wasn''t exactly an adult yet what with her being only 16, but she also wasn''t his responsibility. Sure, they shared the same parents but he wasn''t going to uproot his whole life just to look after her. Besides, he didn''t even know if that was what she wanted. ''She did look quite upset when I told Soph to bring them back, but I also said it wasn''t an issue for Soph to go get them for regular meet-ups, training, and catching up. Maybe she was just pissed she couldn''t get past my math equations?'' He didn''t know. "No... anything... but the floof..." He heard Soph mumble in her sleep as she lay there snuggled up to his chest. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head before positioning one of his many tails in her hands. That seemed to calm her and it put a smile on her face. Lone bit his finger hard enough to draw blood before he forced his Blood Clone to exit his body. He made it fly around the room a bit as he asked the clone, "I wonder if you''ll be joining me at tonight''s meeting?" Of course, the blob didn''t answer him. He controlled it to reenter the wound on his finger he was forcefully keeping open.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Lone sighed. "Getting advanced levels like it''s nothing today, I am." And with that being said, he felt his consciousness slipping. Once more, he was being summoned to the inner depths of his own soul. B2: Chapter 93: Book and Red Blotches Lone blinked his eyes and took in his surroundings. Most of what was within his soul courtyard from the last time he was here was unchanged, namely, Sky''s cloud palace, Darkness''s inverted pyramid, and Void''s central abyss. What had changed, however, were the chains going from Sky and Darkness''s residence to the gaping hole that Void was supposedly sealed in. Their golden colour was more vibrant, they were thicker, and a second set now extended from both the palace and the pyramid, implying the binding of Void was now stronger and more secure. ''I wonder if that''s because of my rank up?'' Lone thought. There was also a new addition to the peculiar courtyard that was Lone''s soul. Hanging in the air well above everything else could be seen five massive rusted and unreliable looking locks. They were positioned in a pentagonal pattern around the entire courtyard, all equally spaced apart from one another. "Huh. I guess that explains in full why Stoner Heeth''s magic got blocked. They protect attacks on the soul too," Lone mumbled. "I wonder why that wasn''t on the slate''s info regarding the skill." Lone just had to assume it was too rare of a skill for one of its owner''s to have come into contact with a soul-based attack until he did. "That''s not entirely true," A moving shadow said before it morphed into a featureless purple figure made of stars. "It protects you from attacks that target the mind or attacks that target both the mind and the soul. Soul exclusive attacks from, say, a Soul Oracle? They''ll slip right on past." "Then I''ll need to avoid antagonising such people or get a skill to defend against their soul skills," Lone replied. "Who''re you meant to be anyway, Darkness? I don''t know anyone who looks that mystical." "I''m trying to mend our relationship, Loney-boy. It wouldn''t serve me well to continue wearing the skin of those you know, would it?" Darkness asked before gesturing to its own body. "This appearance? It''s random. It is of no one or no thing in particular. I''d rather not take on a specific form from my past only for you to then meet that person or thing in the future. That would be awkward." Lone furrowed his brow. He couldn''t tell if the Primal before him was being genuine or if it had a hidden motive. He likely wouldn''t get a straight answer by asking it so he instead changed the subject. "Anything I need to know about tonight''s meeting before it begins, ''Monsieur Librarian''?" Darkness chuckled. "I''ve lost more control of the whole thing than I expected but I did manage to make the obscuration affect both your and Swamp''s tails. I tried to see if we''d have another guest, however, I wasn''t able to figure out if we would or not. It''s truly a strange thing, both the meeting itself and the room it''s held in." Lone frowned. "Really? That''s it? Nothing else?" Darkness sighed. "Nothing. I''d be happy to try to discover whatever I can when the meeting happens as I''m sure that''ll be easier than doing so in the two weeks leading up to it. I do wonder if I should have made it happen more or less frequently when that was still within my power to change." "I still don''t believe you can''t do more," Lone said. "Like I said last time we spoke on this, it''s your soul, not mine. I didn''t start these meetings, I just tweaked them. I didn''t even choose the moniker of Monsieur Librarian. My mouth just said it when I was asked who I was. Perhaps try to look into that when you have time, hmm? That name couldn''t have just appeared from thin air," Darkness suggested. "Let''s imagine I trust you," Lone started. "Mmm, I''m there mentally. Go ahead," Darkness replied in an amused tone. Lone shook his head and continued, "Whatever can force a Primal as tricky as you to do something against your will is more than likely well above my ability to handle. Just investigating it could spell disaster, no?" He was thinking about the being that had spoken to Sophie while posing as the Taker during his trial. Lone wouldn''t even know where to begin looking into a powerful figure like that. Darkness shrugged. "You''re the one bothered by this, not me. I found that first meeting very entertaining and expect to do so with most, if not all, future meetings. I''ve done what I can to help and will continue to do so, just don''t get mad at my lacking omniscience." "That''s fair, I suppose. Well, shall we?" Lone asked, gesturing to Darkness''s pyramid. "We don''t actually need to enter my abode to reach that room. I suspect it''ll bring us both to it when it is ready, but I can move us there now from here if you''d like?" Darkness offered. Lone nodded. "I see no reason to delay unless you have something important to tell me?" "I do not," the Primal replied. The next moment, Lone found himself in the same seat he had been placed in 14 days ago. Across from him was the green figure that called itself Swamp and at the head of the table just to Lone''s left could be seen the multicoloured ''Monsieur Librarian''. Lone didn''t see any new figures which was a relief. That being the case, he focused on what was new. A single book had appeared on the countless bookcases and shelves that lined the otherwise empty room - ignoring the chairs and table. Lone couldn''t see a title on its spine. Perhaps it was obscured or perhaps the title was on its front, regardless, it didn''t look too special nor distinctive enough for him to take a guess at its content. Swamp looked different too. Darkness had been right. The system he had set up to hide the features of the table''s guests was stronger now. Lone couldn''t see the tail that once flowed behind the suspected lizardman nor his own nine golden tails. Another thing that was different were the numerous red blotches that covered Swamp''s body. "Welcome back, Human, Swamp," Monsieur Librarian greeting as he put his chin in his hand and appeared to smile even if he had no discernable features. "As you may have noticed, I''ve regained some of my power. A tome now graces my lonely collection." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lone nodded, as did Swamp. It would appear that Lone wasn''t alone in his curiosity regarding the book. "Its content can be made available to you in exchange for knowledge of your own that might interest me," Monsieur Librarian explained. "Is our knowledge given to you publicly or privately?" Lone asked. The multicoloured head of the table gave Lone a searching look. "Ah, you are just not aware. In the future, please do not interrupt me. I can lose my train of thought quite easily. I will answer, however. The sharing of knowledge is to be public. I will not make such a restriction between yourselves, but if it involves me, all present ears have the privilege to learn what it is you deem important enough to trade for the content of my shelves'' tomes." Lone shivered. ''That felt like aura then when he was looking at me but it was unlike anything I''ve ever felt before. I wouldn''t say it was more powerful than Xer''rava''s X-ranker aura. It just felt so... unique. This being... it isn''t Darkness at all anymore, is it?'' A feeling of dread and boundless caution seeped into Lone''s mind. Monsieur Librarian didn''t seem to care about Lone''s current state as he continued, "As you were able to acquaint yourselves with each other last time with my absence, I shall now remain present during all future meetings. I did not wish to be the primary subject of the first interaction between this meeting''s founding members, hence my early exit previously. My presence, however, does not mean I will actively partake in discussions. I will be mostly silent. I am a reader, not a writer, I am sure you both understand. Now, let the second Conclave of Seekers commence." Lone was wary of the discoball that felt more and more like a godly being of some sort that was using his soul to springboard its return. Still, despite this wariness, his hunger for knowledge was difficult to satiate at the best of times. "What types of information would you deem worthy of that tome''s contents?" Lone asked Monsieur Librarian, ignoring Swamp for the moment. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Monsieur Librarian nodded. "A fair request. Also an unfair one. I do not exclusively seek wisdom pertaining to the forbidden, the unknown, the mystical. Should you know of a new way to grow potatoes, that would suffice. All I can say is it is a gamble on what I may not know that you can interest me with." ''So I risk exposing secrets to the other members of this, what did he call it? Conclave of Seekers? Cool name, if nothing else,'' Lone thought. "I know of a unique skill called Basic Regeneration that allows for a type of pseudo immortality," Lone said, testing the waters. Swamp''s eyes showed a surprised look while Monsieur Librarian didn''t appear to be moved even slightly. "I am aware of this skill. I do wonder who the current owner of it is, however. Divulge that to me and the tome''s secrets are yours," the being offered. ''Current owner? What? Are unique skills held in stock or something when their owner dies? Like, if Hazel were to die, Mind Reading would be freed up and given to a new hero eventually? But according to the god that brought me here, I got five of their skills, Basic Regeneration included,'' Lone thought. After a brief pause, he wondered, ''Does that mean that god literally gave them to me? I''d always assumed I had a copy or something... but it isn''t called ''unique'' for no reason.'' Lone had a lot to think about. "No, I don''t wish to tell you that currently." Monsieur Librarian nodded. "The offer will remain ever on the table or until another member divulges the information to me. What of you, Swamp?" "I mussst think on thisss before making a decisssion. I know little asss isss. I will compile a collection of what I do know. New knowledge is valuable to followersss of Lord Delwind. I will work hard," Swamp answered. Monsieur Librarian nodded but said nothing further, clearly assuming a backseat to any further conversation. "What are the red blotches in your obscuration?" Lone asked the assumed lizardkin. "You can sssee them?" Swamp seemed surprised. "I am gravely injured. Asss a follower of Lord Delwind, a life of being hunted by all othersss isss to be expected. The ''blotchesss'' asss you called them represssent locationsss on my body where I have been harmed." He began pointing to the visible red spots Lone could see. "Ssstabed by a ssspear. Bitten. Clawed. Another ssspear ssstab. Thisss one hasss healed sssome but an infection hasss taken root." Swamp continued, detailing over a dozen wounds. "How are you not dead already?" Lone asked. "Are you a high rank or something? That infection alone will kill you without the correct skills or remedies to fight it." Swamp laughed lightly. "Usss followersss of Lord Delwind are blesssed with long livesss. Try asss they might, thessse injuriesss will not kill me. I am thankful for your concern, however, Human." ''I guess everyone has their secrets,'' Lone thought. "I see. Wanna try to figure more out about each other? I''m very interested in you, this Lord Delwind you speak of, and where you''re from." Swamp nodded. "I, too, am interested in you. The Great Ssswamp only has #### and the lesser beingsss. Your kind doesss not even exissst in what few records I wasss able to check in the past 14 sssunsss. ''Human''. What an odd word. Can you tell me more about what a ''human'' isss?" Lone tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hard to do that when I don''t know where your knowledge on different species starts and ends. I do find it interesting that what you said after ''the Great Swamp only has'' was blurred to my ears. To simplify it? Humans are unique in their lacking uniqueness. They are very adaptable as a whole but painfully incapable on an individual scale. That''s a vast generalisation, but I think it gets the point across." "I sssee. Ssso you are incapable as an individual? Incapable of what? Everything? That sssoundsss both unfair and unlikely. We #### are capable of much both together and alone," Swamp said innocently. Lone sighed. ''Walked into that one.''
All in all, the meeting went on for another 30 or so minutes by Lone''s estimations before Monsieur Librarian called an end to it, returning him to his soul courtyard. Lone had spent almost that entire time trying to more accurately describe the concept of sentient beings that weren''t whatever Swamp was to the man. It was surprisingly more difficult than would be assumed. On Earth, stories, folklore, movies, games, all forms of media and entertainment flirted with the idea of being like elves, dwarves, ghosts, and the like. According to Swamp, all that existed where he lived was his people and the lesser races - or animals, as Lone had learned he meant. Expanding that concept was a challenge, but Lone felt he had succeeded. "Welcome back," a voice said. Lone turned to address Darkness. "Any ideas of what that Monsieur Librarian is? I couldn''t feel a hint of you in him or his words." Darkness''s inhuman form came as close to frowning as possible. "I don''t know. I don''t even know if he''s using your soul anymore or if he''s just connecting to it to draw you into that room. I fear he is a being much stronger than us puny Primals, much less a simple foxkin with a few too many skills. As the meeting went on, he was passively pushing me out of him. I''ll likely have to piggyback on you to take part in the meetings going forward." "Huh. Well, at least he seems ambivalent. If he really is that much stronger than you, he could kill me or you with a thought, right?" Lone asked. "I thought that was your speciality," the Primal joked. "But yes and no. I feel my connection to the room slipped as each second passes, even now. I am nigh certain I was used in some way to connect you to that room. Perhaps this Lord Delwind Swamp speaks of was used similarly to bring him in too. Be careful. Monsieur Librarian may very well be using you to regain his power as he claimed. He could try to kill you the moment he has said power." Lone furrowed his brow in thought. "No way for you to stop the meetings? Or at least cut the connection or whatever is there tying me and my soul courtyard to that room?" Darkness shrugged. "I can barely sense it''s there at all anymore, let alone interact with it. I think we were very lucky I was able to do what I was during that first meeting." "Not much to do then but keep showing up and try to learn what I can," Lone surmised. "Indeed. Ah, by the way, your lovely little lover has detected a threat and is awaiting your mental return. She''s been sending you telepathic messages for a while now," Darkness suddenly said. Lone stared at the Primal. "You should have said that immediately. Send me out." "You really need to learn how to do that yourself at some point," Darkness sighed before waving his wrist, ejecting Lone from his soul courtyard and back to reality. B2: Chapter 94: Compensation and Circumstances ''Lone. Lone. Lone. Lone. Lone. Lone. Lone. Lon-'' "I''m back," he answered physically as he winced. "What''s the emergency?" Soph stared at him for a second then nodded in relief. "A dwarven man who I think is roughly an SS-ranker has been standing at the very edge of my Mana Sensing, just inside of it. He somehow knows I can ''see'' him. He has his hands up in surrender. I think he wants to talk, but he hasn''t moved his mouth yet so I dunno. Sophie and I can''t think of any other reason he''d do that though." "Well, that''s certainly not what I was expecting," Lone said as he sat up. "How does he know us? Knowing we''re here makes sense. The guild quests were taken publicly, but approaching us peacefully? Sounds more suspicious and potentially dangerous than a frontal attack, to be honest. Think you could kill him?" "Dunno," Soph frowned. "I could create barriers around him instantly, maybe try to form some inside of him, but I''m worried he''ll smash them or that that might anger him. I haven''t practised that enough yet to know how dangerous it''ll be on higher-ranked people. I can tell his mana organs aren''t awakened so he''s either raw power or speed focused. Not a great match-up for my barriers if he really is an SS-ranker. You know my way of checking is flawed. He could be an SSS-ranker for all I know and would just laugh at my piddly little barriers." Lone mulled over that for a second before saying, "I took a good hit from Guildmaster Hilda, a Strength-focused SS-ranker and was mostly fine. I''ll armour up, go meet him, and the second I''m in talking distance, surround him in barriers except for his mouth. If he tries to break free, try to kill him. I''ll blast him with Mental Destruction too. Hopefully, he''s here for a chat, but being safe over sorry is always wise. I''d sooner antagonise or outright kill an innocent powerful man than risk you or Breena getting hurt or killed." Soph nodded. "Don''t hesitate. I certainly won''t." Lone chuckled. He leaned over and kissed her. "You and Sophie have a lot in common, ''y''know? You can be just as brutal as her, and she just as adorable as you." Soph beamed a smile in his direction. "Stop, you! I need to focus, not blush! Let''s deal with this guy and go back to sleep. You need to tell me about your weird ''meeting'' too." Lone agreed, thus, he invoked his Bone Armour, left the house, and then bolted down the street following the directions Soph was telepathically giving him. Before long, he could see the man in question. As Soph has described, his arms were up in a gesture of peace. He was kitted out from head to toe in silky-looking leather armour. It was oddly hard to focus on as if it were enchanted to make lingering gazes move past it, forgetting the man was even there. His face was entirely covered in black-dyed cloth wrappings, even his eyes. Not a single part of the dwarf could be seen or identified. Suddenly and without warning, transparent green barriers appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the man, hugging his armour as tightly as possible without literally crushing him. Every fraction of a second, more and more layers of barriers stacked upon the old ones, further working to imprison the man. Lone saw it as a good sign that the dwarf didn''t try to break Soph''s magic nor even try to resist a tiny bit even as dozens upon dozens of more layers were added. Soph clearly didn''t intend to let her over 3,000,000 MP go to waste here. If one barrier couldn''t stop him, then she''d make 100. If 100 wouldn''t suffice, then 1,000. "Who are you and what do you want?" Lone asked, ready to use the Blood Clone swimming about in his veins to rocket his body unnaturally to the side in the case of a sudden attack. It was unlikely the man had an attack at his disposal that could break through the layers of barriers so thick they weren''t even transparent anymore, but still, caution was the living man''s best friend. "... I was right. Following through would spell disaster even upon completion," the man said flawlessly and without a trace of an accent to be found. His wrappings didn''t even muffle his voice which Lone found to be a bit creepy. "I am the leader of those who were hired to kill you. I wished to tell you that we will be cancelling the contract from our end as I do not desire for my organisation to suffer a loss greater than that of the loss incurred for breaking said contract," the dwarf explained. "That''s vague but I''m good at piecing together context clues," Lone said. "No funny movements, by the way, or I''ll kill you. I dunno how much momentum you can generate like that, if any, but say a dagger comes flying out of your mouth, soon it''ll be spilling blood too. Anyway, so, you''re the leader of the assassins Sheelda hired to get her unjust revenge for her nephew''s untimely demise then? I was wondering when you guys would show up." "My agents have been watching you for weeks. I know not of how aware you are of how assassin organisations work in general, let alone in the Farwinds, but with you being a foreign hero, I doubt your knowledge is good enough. Any organisation that immediately acts upon a contract would be lucky to survive more than a month or two, likely less down here given our constant struggle to maintain krieg and urd control. In a world filled with godly beings, demigods, Divines, and unique skill holders, patience is a contract killer''s best friend no matter the circumstances," the dwarf claimed. "How do you know I''m a hero?" Lone had no intention to hide this detail. After all, the dwarf in front of him was either leaving in a body bag or with some of Lone''s homebrew True Contract Magic binding his soul to secrecy. "The writing is on the wall. The armour you don now is proof enough. I know of many skills that cover the host in bones as a form of protection, but one that not only self-heals but also gets stronger when broken and when ranking up? Well, what could that be but unique?" the man asked rhetorically. ''I was worried the guild had leaked that tidbit, but it really is obvious if you know enough about skills. That''s a relief.'' Lone nodded. "That''s fair. So, what did you learn in the weeks you and your people have been tracking me that led you to decide to parlay with me instead taking a stab at the issue? That issue being me." The dwarf actually chuckled at that. "Many, many, many small details have led to this decision, but to summarise it, you, a D-ranker at the time, successfully injured an X-ranker who is known for not only his speed but also for his absurd defensive capabilities." The man continued, "That combined with your ability to endure two full-power blows from Hilda the Hammersworn has led my organisation to believe that even if we could kill you, we would suffer irreplaceable losses in doing so. No amount of coin can buy loyal, motivated, skilled, and most importantly, valued men and women." "No ''we always complete the contracts we accept'' bullshit?" Lone asked as he raised an eyebrow. Just barely and with the help of Enhanced Vision, he got a very vague sense that the man looked confused underneath his face wrappings. "As a professional in the field, I must warn you against ever dealing with amateurs that would so arrogantly make statements like that. They are either liars or doomed to die upon a very powerful hill one day to uphold such a ludicrous reputation," the assassin advised. Lone frowned. "I dunno. I have a flawless quest rating at The Adventurer''s Guild, but I see your point. So, what now? I have some more questions for you, but what happens after this? Assuming I let you go and don''t just kill you." "I would hope you wouldn''t be so barbaric given my shown courtesy here, but I will confess, this is just a clone of mine. Kill it if you must, I and my people will not hold it against you but you will lose a benefit I wish to offer you as recompense for the stress of knowing an assassin or assassin group was likely targeting you since your trial''s conclusion," the dwarf said. "You have my most sincere sympathies for that. We don''t issue the contracts, we just accept or decline them, I''m sure you understand." "Perfectly. Man''s gonna put food on the table." Lone''s face bore a look of interest. "However, benefits, you say? Please, go on. I''m all for free stuff." "Certainly from another world with such a disposition," the dwarf noted. "You cannot see my aura as a C-ranker, though even were you a rank higher, it would still be invisible to you. Blending in is a part of my career''s skillset, as is detecting when I can and am being seen. That is why I know the limits of your companion''s skill. My point though is that this clone possesses the power of a higher SS-ranker. My true body is that of a middle X-ranker. I and my organisation have an immense amount of sway in the underworld of the Farwinds. I''m sure you can see how we could easily compensate you with something that would essentially be a negligible expense to an organisation like ours." ''I was right! SS-ranker!'' Lone heard Soph happily convey over their telepathic link. Although, there was a sliver of fear in her voice. Lone kept silent, gesturing for the man to keep going. "To offer you recompense over this matter, I will personally ensure no other groups of note will target you or your travelling companions for so long as I remain the leader of my organisation. I am even willing to go as far as to send you warnings should some of the lesser, far weaker, organisations foolishly choose to willingly throw themselves upon your blade," the dwarf finished. Lone narrowed his eyes. "That''s a very kind offer, one that is easy to say and even easier to abuse. What''s weak to you could be too much for me, or easily handlable by me but enough to kill those I care about before I can slaughter them." "Yes, that is entirely true. As such, I have come with a steamforged artefact that can facilitate a magical contract to enforce this promise to the full extent of its intent," the man said. "What would be the point of even revealing myself to your ally''s peculiar scouting ability were I to not honour any promises I myself made?" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Give me that artefact, sign a contract of my creation, then I''ll be happy to let this clone of yours go, forget this ever happened, and perhaps most importantly, not work my hardest to kill your true body and wipe out your entire organisation for even considering killing me over a nonsense contract," Lone stated his terms. A steamforged artefact was at stake. Like hell he was going to allow it to slip through his fingers. The more toys he had to tinker with, the better of a steamforger he could become in the future. "... Your interest in the artefact goes beyond what it can do, doesn''t it?" That was quite clearly a statement and not a question. "The Taker never took your Steamforging, did she?" "Well, now you have to sign my contract. Mum was supposed to be the word on that little event. Gods are scary to the current me. There''s no negotiating out of it now. Between you and me, I don''t want to make the dwarven kingdoms an official enemy of mine, but more than that, I don''t wanna piss off the Taker," Lone replied, ice in his voice. "Again, you say your contract. Do you have physical contracts and the magic to activate them? I may not be a Stoner, but I can see you are without awakened organs," the assassin pointed out. Lone grinned. He extended his hands and a bucket of blood appeared in one while some parchment and a quill appeared in the other. "My contract magic is rather... unique. Now, gonna help me work out a fair contract, or gonna force me to hunt you down? I''m fine with either but I would much prefer the contract." "The artefact is common and easily replaceable. I am happy to part with it and to agree to secrecy while binding my promises in blood. Quite frankly, the information that the Takers may be compromised in their unbiased duty has made this conversation worthwhile on its own," the assassin nodded. "Fantastic!" Lone exclaimed joyfully. "Now, small disclaimer, this contract is impossible to remove unless I''m the one doing it. It''s a unique skill. So, if that was your hope, let me know now so I can off this clone and begin the hunt. Or begin the hiding until I''m ready to hunt." "... More than one unique skill confirmed from the source," the dwarf muttered. "More than worthwhile. Let us proceed, however, I will not sign the contract unless it is entirely fair and without loopholes." "Ah, don''t worry about that," Lone dismissed as he started writing. "It''s one of those unique skills with drawbacks. Super-powerful ones tend to have those. It has to be fair or the magic won''t trigger. It also has tiers. The higher the contract tier, the longer the cooldown before I can make a contract at the same tier. I don''t use it too often, to be honest. I have all the tiers available right now." "I doubt it needs to be used too much for an adventurer as opposed to, say, a Djinn imitator," the assassin commented. "That''s a cool idea. So, w-" Lone paused his words. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the dwarf down the road. "You have a skill or skills that are making me more loose-lipped and that makes me more inclined to be friendly to you." The man didn''t deny it. "Indeed. Passives, I am afraid. I am already suppressing several skills just so you can perceive I even exist, so I must apologise for keeping those unchecked." Lone shrugged. "I have good mental defences. I bet most wouldn''t have even realised. I''m just bummed they don''t seem to be direct since I haven''t earned them yet." That put a dangerous silence into the dwarf for a long while. Long enough for Lone to finish up the contract. "You will become a very dangerous man, given enough time to grow," the assassin finally remarked. "And you''re the most observant person I''ve ever met besides myself," Lone quipped. "Anywho, let''s free up one of those hands, shall we? You''ll also need to draw your blood to sign it if you''re happy with the terms."
"That went well," Lone remarked. "Better than I had expected considering the type of emergency it was." He and Soph were back in their temporary dwarven home. The both of them were sitting on their bed. Lone had a triangular prism made of brass and cogs in his left hand and a black card in the other. "I mean, he actually gave me the steamforged device that can induce contract magic. Gave it to me, no strings attached. Even if it''s common like he claimed, he could see my lust for it. I don''t get why he didn''t milk me. My position of power was theoretical. His was literal." Soph nodded. "And he happily signed that contract that you made sure bound his entire soul, meaning true body and all clones, to its terms. Maybe he saw a future of us working with him in the future?" Lone frowned as he stared at the black card. "Maybe." He recalled the man''s parting words. "Now more than ever am I certain I made the correct decision. Your current abilities are frightening. I look forward to seeing where your potential brings you, both of you. Here, take this. You clearly only care about the laws when it suits you, and that right there is an open invitation to some rather illicit gatherings. I''ll be sure to message you when the next one happens. You adore steamforged trinkets, yes? You''ll be able to find many more of them there." Lone shook his head, stored the ''open invitation'', and then began playing with the steamforged artefact he now knew was an outlawed item in the dwarven kingdoms called a Secrecy Prism. The scripture magic binding him was screaming at him the entire time since he wasn''t allowed to interact with steamforged artefacts but given his resistance, it wasn''t too hard to ignore the magical bindings and heal the damage they were doing. "Not what I expected for my first meeting with an assassin, but it was interesting if nothing else," Lone remarked. Soph yawned as she nodded. "Sophie and me will be sure to be on the lookout for anyone that matches his description of the weaker groups that might target us. Now, tell me about your meeting and then let''s sleep. I''m tired." Lone chuckled. "Sure."
Four days later, in Krieg Tunroh, the capital of the united dwarven kingdoms, within the Grand Chamber of Epitome Tunroh, a meeting of great importance was reaching its conclusion. "So it is decided," Grand Chancellor Platinumborne announced. "With nine votes to two, seven units of Stone-sung Marchers will be sent to subjugate Archdragon Dulwalhazir of the Deep and will then seal the entrance to the Deepwinds it came from. High Chancellor Eternalflame, I expect you to have this arranged by the end of the week." Nodding his head, the scar-covered dwarf replied, "Of course, Grand Chancellor." "Very good," the old but ridiculously powerful dwarf stroked his beard in response. "That concludes today''s council session. I will have word sent to the three kings of this decision. You are all dismissed until further notice." Sheelda McStuderson gathered her things and said her farewells to her fellow high chancellors and to the grand chancellor before leaving the council chamber. She was in a rush, after all. This sudden voting session had delayed her from receiving word back on the rather expensive assassination of the foreigner that had led her poor nephew to his death. It had cost her an entire ruby-gold coin. An entire coin! Even for the high chancellor of commerce that would be a hefty sum, let alone for her, the high chancellor of infrastructure. With some of her frustration being put on display, she shoved her things into her servant''s arms before getting into her class-seven steamforged carriage wordlessly. She mentally commanded the vehicle to drive her home the very instant her SSS-ranked servant had hopped atop it. Sheelda had to admit, the stress was getting to her. ''If they don''t have good news for me then things are going to get much, much, much more complicated.'' She hated her past self. It was such a foolish decision made out of familial love and youthful ignorance. A promise would have sufficed all those years ago, but no, the foolhardy Sheelda from centuries ago just had to employ the aid of a scripture-magic-wielding Stoner as a show of her loyalty. ''Calm down, Sheelda. You hired Stone''s Edge. There''s no way they wouldn''t be able to eliminate a single D-ranker, even if his racial skill is strong enough to injure an X-ranker,'' she thought as she took a deep breath. "Lady Chancellor," her powerful servant called, "We''ve arrived." "I see," she replied coldly. She wasn''t a fan of the council-assigned protector all of the chancellors were required to have. The man was her servant only in name and that bothered her. She dismounted her steamforged carriage and wore a smile as a small figure rushed towards her. "Nana!" the tiny dwarf no older than four or five years called as she jumped into Sheelda''s arms. "Hello, pumpkin," Sheelda gleefully greeted her goddaughter. "Where are your parents, huh? Too busy that they lumped you onto little old me?" The girl pouted while Sheelda carried her into her estate. "Da''s in a stupid guild meeting. Ma''s in the garden singing to her mushrooms. They''re so icky." "Come now, you may be young, pumpkin, but you''re articulate enough to know not to use words like ''icky'' when talking about your mother''s hobbies," Sheelda chastised with little conviction in her tone. She couldn''t bear to be too harsh on the girl. There were no blood relations between her and the child nor with the girl''s parents, but there may as well have been considering how she felt about the three of them. Now, however, wasn''t the time for reminiscing. "Go on now, pumpkin. Shoo, shoo! This stuffy old lady has work to do in her office." "But Nana! You''re an S-ranker! You''re not old yet! Play with me?" Her goddaughter''s eyes widened adorably. "Please?" "After I''m done with my work, okay? I won''t be long," Sheelda said. "It''s a promise!" the toddler beamed at her before sprinting off, likely to go bother one of the estate''s many custom steamforged automatons. The darned things were nigh useless in combat so were typically left as party tricks for the wealthy. Sheelda could hardly complain since she was one such wealthy person who used them for that very purpose. With heavy steps and now having a sombre atmosphere surrounding her, she made her way to her office. Once inside she found it empty. Not even believing for a fraction of a second that she was truly alone, she approached her desk and sat down. "Well?" she asked the silent room. Emerging from the shadows, a fully covered dwarven woman said, "We''re cancelling the contract. Our leader had deemed it too dangerous and not worth your asking price. As agreed, here is the premature termination fee - what you paid us but doubled." Sheelda stared blankly at the sack of coins that had been gently placed on her desk as if by a ghost. It no doubt contained 200 white-gold coins, the equivalent of two ruby-gold coins. However, she couldn''t care any less about the absurd amount of money right now. She slowly raised her eyes to stare at the assassin standing across from her seated position. "What did you just say? ''Too dangerous''? I was not aware I had been cursed but it seems my hearing does not serve me as it once did. I think I just heard an agent of the Stone''s Edge claiming a D-ranker is too dangerous to risk an assassination attempt on." The assassin nodded. "That is correct. Lone Immortus was deemed an inappropriate target when he was a D-ranker. His recent rise to C-rank cemented our leader''s decision. This is final. Also, be warned that no other large or reputable organisation of our ilk will take this contract. That is all I was sent to say, and as I have ensured the delivery of the cancellation fee, I''ll now take my leave." "Now you wait just a minut-" Sheelda cut her scream off midway since it was pointless. The agent of Stone''s Edge had already disappeared. A sinking feeling overcame the high chancellor''s gut. At the same time, her mind and soul began to feel a creeping pain that had been kept at bay ever since she took out the contract on the foxkin''s life. "Fook!" she yelled, using the accent of the less civilised southern dwarves. The scripture magic was flaring up. Sheelda couldn''t help but panic. What a fool she had been to agree to a scripture that bound her to protect her blood kin to the last, and in failing to do so, at least gain justice for any untimely deaths in the family. She knew Ewan wasn''t killed by this Lone Immortus whelp. Neither directly nor indirectly, but the scripture didn''t care about that. The particular clauses and subclauses binding her had identified him as the cause of her nephew''s passing. He had to die or her soul and mind would be crushed to dust. Now that apparently the best assassin''s guild had issued an embargo on her to arrange a bounty for the foxkin''s head, what was she to do? Just lie down and die? No. She would not be undone by a single foolish decision she had made in her youth. She''d avenged family members before. This would be no different. ''If I have to do it myself, I''ll fuckin'' do it myself.'' She was a high chancellor, was she not? Well, even if it cost her her status, her caste, her friends and her loved ones, she would fulfil this scripture''s will and have it finally leave her soul. Ewan''s death was a tragedy, a mess, and a massive cause of stress. However, it was also an opportunity to rid herself of this persistent demon that had plagued her for centuries. And rid herself of it she would. ''I don''t have to get involved myself just yet though. I hate to have to do it, but it''s the most certain method. To think it would be me to use that favour though...'' Sheelda shivered. She wasn''t going to like what she had to do one bit but do it she must if the death of Lone Immortus was to be guaranteed, thus granting her freedom from her former self. B2: Chapter 95: A New Prison and No Pain No Gain Seven days had come and gone since Lone''s meeting with the mysterious assassin whose name and organisation were left unknown. No one had come to attack them yet, though that had been true since the conclusion of Lone''s trial, so he and his group weren''t sure how effective the assassin''s promise was to keep other organisations from taking the bounty quite yet. Right now, Lone was watching intently as Soph and Hamish sparred. Thus far, no matter how many times the two of them had duelled, Hamish always won. Soph was restricted from using her teleportation to injure the dwarf nor was she allowed to crush his body with an immense number of layered barriers. She was also, of course, disallowed from making barriers inside of the man. So far she''d only tried that trick on Lone, and only twice. It was an incredibly invasive and painful experience, almost enough so to convince Soph to stop trying it altogether. Even since the first experiment, Soph had been very hesitant to try the technique again even if Lone insisted she should practice it until she earned a subskill. He''d only talked her into doing it once more so far, but he was hopeful for more sessions. A bit of temporary pain with no real danger attributed to it because of his Basic Regeneration was well worth both of them earning skills and skill experience. Regardless, the rules of the duels made it so the only way that Soph could practically win was by imprisoning Hamish in barriers just enough so he couldn''t move but wouldn''t actually get hurt by the process. Speed was her issue. Hamish was simply too agile for her to keep up with him and thus, she could rarely imprison a single part of him like a shoulder or calf, left alone his entire body. Still, Lone had hope. He watched as Hamish flitted here and there, moving around the stationary woman, ready to serve her a ''killing'' blow and win yet another of their spars when something surprised him. A set of barriers that looked different from the ones Soph was able to summon appeared around Hamish in his entirety. His movements ground to a halt before he flopped to the floor and bounced a few times before coming to a screeching halt. Lone got up and jogged over to the dwarf. Not to check on him per se, but more to inspect the new barriers. They were a thicker shade of jade-green and had some sort of runic pattern on them. A closer look revealed that they were not, in fact, a group of barriers, but a single Hamish-shaped barrier. Soph wore a massive smile on her face when she removed her helmet and approached them. "I got a new skill! A subskill for Barrier Magic!" Lone nodded with pride. "I can see that, and what a subskill it is. Well, it''s safe to say you''ve won this match. Wanna let him go before he suffocates or before he tires himself out trying to break the barrier by flexing?" Soph pouted. "Not really, but okay." With a wave of her hand, the Hamish-shaped barrier flickered out of existence. The dwarven rogue gasped for breath as he collapsed onto his back and just stared at the ceiling of the farwind road they were on. "''At were scary as feck," he said. "Ah always ''ad time tae evade yer attempts tae surround me afore. ''At though, ''at wae one barrier, wasnae it? One very fast an'' very strong barrier." Soph beamed with confidence. "Yup! Unique Subskill: Barrier Prison." "Describe it in detail for us?" Lone asked. "H-Here, Mister Hamish," Breena said as she handed a cup of water and a towel to her teacher. Lone had barely noticed her presence, which was a good sign since Hamish''s training was centred around her utilising her Primal skill to make herself as invisible as possible. Soph did as he requested and read out the details of her new skill. With ease, Lone was able to mentally construct what its skill window would have looked like were he to be the one reading it.
Unique subskill: Barrier Prison
A subskill unique to the host, Sophie Vladimirovich. Allows the host to instantly create a single barrier that will encase their target entirely. Limits: Only applicable on things up to 10 times larger than the host. Does not affect the intangible. Can only endure up to 1,000 PSI of pressure generated from within the barrier and up to 10,000 PSI of pressure generated from without the barrier.
Cost: 100,000 MP (an additional 5,000 MP per second the barrier is sustained)
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone nodded slowly and said, "What an expensive skill. That definitely sounds like it''s tailored to you specifically, Soph." She cocked her head. "Whaddya mean?" "Well, my unique subskill Bone Armour costs nothing to invoke, it just costs me MP to boost its self-healing rate like its original skill, Basic Regeneration. This subskill of yours has an insane entry cost. Only someone like you who has over 3,000,000 MP could properly take advantage of this skill. It''d be near-useless to me like two of my Primal skills currently are, thus, I think it was tailored to you and not just picked out of a hat. I''d even wager it was made just to reward your efforts," Lone explained to which Soph slowly nodded. "W-What''s a ''PSI''?" Breena hesitantly asked. Both Hamish and Soph looked confused as well so Lone answered, "It means pounds per square inch. It''s a measurement of force." "Wouldnae it be PPSI then?" Hamish asked. "Also, what''s one PSI feel like then if it''s ah measure o'' force?" "I didn''t make the acronym, and stand still." Lone walked up to Hamish and punched him with the strength equal to that of an I-ranker. "That was about 150 or so PSI of force." The dwarf raised an eyebrow. "An'' ah thousand?" Lone reeled back his arm and punched again, this time with the strength of a G-ranker. Hamish didn''t even move let alone flinch. The punch was harder than that of even a professional boxer from back on Earth, but to a B-ranker, Lone had to admit that it was a painfully weak strike. "I''d reckon that was roughly 1000 PSI or so. I''m not entirely sure. I''ll work on making a proper scale to know who the barrier can and cannot safely contain rank-wise. The best way would probably be for Soph to put me in a Barrier Prison and for you to try to break it from the outside while I try to break it from the inside," Lone said. Hamish nodded as he crossed his arms. "Aye, ''at could work. If ''at punch wae ah thousand PSI though then ah''d be willin'' tae bet 10,000 is only equal tae the average C-ranker''s strength." Lone shrugged. "It''s only at beginner rank. Give it a few ranks and maybe Soph''ll have a way to instantly capture a physical-focused S-ranker or above. And besides, It''s gotta be a lot harder to get out of the barrier as opposed to relying on someone else to get you out." Hamish grimaced. "Aye. When ye''r locked in place, flexin'' yer muscles''ll only do so much." "Exactly," Soph chimed in. "Now that I''m so much stronger than you, what''s even the point of duelling with you anymore?" "Just don''t use Barrier Prison and work on another type of barrier," Lone suggested. Soph pursed her lips in thought. "Me and Sophie don''t mind that, but, uh, the rest of our ideas are very deadly. At least the ones that need another person are." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Nope," Hamish immediately said. "Ye can test those on Immortus the Immortal over ''ere, nae me. Now let''s get ah move on before ya somehow manage tae convince ''im tae let ye an'' yer psycho other side actually off me." Lone chuckled as he watched Hamish quickly pace down the road with Breena trailing after him. "He''s really scared of you, huh?" Soph looked up at Lone and replied, "He should be. You know that if it was up to me and Sophie, he''d be dead right now." "Yeah, I know," Lone sighed. "Congrats, by the way. Big congrats. It''s been a while since you''ve got a new skill." "One step closer to earning my place by your side!" Soph happily exclaimed. "You ain''t gotta earn shit, but if that''s the goal that motivates you, more power to you," Lone replied. "Now, let''s go after them before we''re too far." Soph got on her tiptoes and gave Lone a brief kiss. "You don''t think Sophie and I need to earn it, but we sure do." She then teleported the two of them to Breena and Hamish''s side.
A few hours had passed and Lone was currently sitting at their camp for the evening waiting for Soph to finish her dinner. As he did that, he decided to check his notification log for the past week. It had been a bit sparse when compared to some other weeks, in truth, but still, as he always liked to say to himself, some progress was more than no progress.
The host has developed the passive skill: Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance.
Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance
All offensive barriers produced by the skill Unique Magic: Barrier Magic used on the host shall be 5% weaker and 5% easier to break.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The important information Lone had gleaned from this skill''s existence was undoubtedly the fact that one could develop a resistance to unique skills. This implied that if he did decide to rely entirely on Mental Destruction to keep his pet Primals in place, eventually, they''d grow nigh immune to the punishment. ''It also means that Soph can''t imprison someone indefinitely. Ignoring her new skill''s upkeep cost versus her MP regen rate, assuming they''re strong enough to not starve to death, the prisoner''ll eventually get the resistance and level it enough to break free,'' Lone surmised in thought. ''Though that would likely take weeks to months, right? Even if actively resisting, it is a unique skill and no one has my skill acquisition speed but me.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Art Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Art Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Art Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Over the past seven days, Lone had dedicated himself to improving his map-making skills while he worked on trying to utilise his mental locks as memory banks. He was getting close but hadn''t quite earned that particular additional effect of Puzzle Locked Mind yet. Hence the slow week, but still, Lone was happy with his creative gains. ''I''m definitely getting a better eye for the artistic and my ability to draw is improved by the hour. What does this tell me?'' he asked himself. ''Well, it''s the most concrete proof thus far that skill level-ups do make a difference, just not a difference the system thinks is worth an update on the skill''s screen.'' Lone had tried his hand at drawing before back on Earth. His vast interest in classical history and legends of old had led to him attempting to draw dragons and knights, Greeks and hydras, and all sorts of childish fantasies. ''Attempting'' was the keyword. He simply had no eye for the subject. Now though? Lone had only spent a few hours a day trying his best to add plenty of detail to his self-made maps and even without Drawing Mastery entering intermediate rank, his ability to draw had shot through the roof. Lone glanced over and saw that Soph was almost ready to start training, having finished her dinner, so just before she came over to use him as a training dummy, Lone decided to summarise all of the ways he currently knew of to improve a skill. ''As Drawing and Art Mastery have shown, raw levels do improve the skill''s subject but it clearly varies based on the skill. If this were obvious, I''d have discovered it months ago. Ranking up earns you a definitive boost from the system - usually a percent increase. Some skills have specific triggers to improve like Bone Armour getting broken. Some improve passively on top of level and rank bonuses like Blood Clone. Some skills, maybe most, maybe a few, can evolve after reaching master-rank-ten.'' Lone tapped his chin. "I think that''s everything?" he asked himself. "I won''t say that to him! It''s needlessly mean," Soph said as she approached him, apparently having responded to her other half. "What''s she telling you to say?" Lone asked. Soph smiled wryly. "Something rude." Lone pursed his lips. "I can take a guess. Knowing Sophie... ''Thinking? Isn''t that dangerous for him? You should ask that he not strain himself too much.''" Soph giggled. "Shockingly close, but she was snider. Anyway! I''m in control, so no meanness!" "... Barring you practising your ideas for Barrier Magic on me that would kill most people," Lone commented. "I will not come even close to killing you, and it''s not mean since you offered, rejected my rejection, and then persuaded me that it makes sense to help you build your resistances while making my own skills stronger," Soph protested. "Got it. No gaslighting. Well, let''s get started, shall we?" Lone asked with a cheeky grin on his lips. "Sure. Uh, t-tell me if it hurts too much, okay? I seriously don''t want to leave any, uh, scars. Both physically and mentally," Soph requested. Lone smiled. "Basic Regeneration has me covered on both fronts now that it''s master rank. Let''s do this. The stronger you are, the more likely it is that you can save me if I ever get close to dying, right?" Soph nodded and then Lone felt a soul-splitting pain as most of his organs ruptured from barriers suddenly appearing within them before rapidly expanding. At the same time, all of his limbs were cut clean from his body save for his head. This was going to be a brutal evening, Lone felt. Still, he could already see several system notifications, so while brutal, it would also be worthwhile. B2: Chapter 96: Maelstrom and All Barriers While the pain was nigh unmatched, Lone''s Physical Pain Resistance allowed him to think beyond it and imbue his Basic Regeneration with his SP. In an instant, he burned through almost a third of his nearly 100,000 SP to regrow his limbs and fend off the barriers assaulting him from within. With that done, he sprung up to his feet, still constantly feeding Basic Regeneration stamina points. He activated his Bone Armour and Survivor''s Speed at the same time. The next moment, as a group of whizzing barriers sized and positioned perfectly to enter his eyeslits and render him blind appeared inches from his face, he put his full force into a punch aimed at Soph''s armoured head. He let himself get blinded since he knew Soph wouldn''t allow the barriers to continue onwards to his brain. Lo and behold, she did indeed dismiss them the very moment they had finished destroying Lone''s eyes. He felt something crack from the impact when his vision returned. "How many layers is that...?" he wondered aloud. His punch had connected with a seemingly thin wall that was actually made up of hundreds of barriers, dozens of which he had broken right through before being stopped. "Enough to stop your fist," Soph answered before she doubled the number of barriers inside of him, almost forcing him to his knees. Lone activated Tail Spear and sent all nine of his furry limbs towards his short lover. Soph clearly had no intentions of even trying to cut off or stop the now incredibly hard and deadly tails. Instead, she flickered out of existence and appeared again a few hundred metres down the road. Lone then witnessed as she raised her arms and started to yell as if to tell herself ''I can do this''. "Wow..." was all Lone could say when he saw the veritable maelstrom of jade death that Soph had created above her head. Hundreds- no, perhaps thousands upon thousands of barriers all joined together spinning fast enough to turn granite blocks into piles of rubble. Even just the noise they were giving off was painful to hear. Lone nodded his head, knowing that this was an important moment for Soph and her magical development. She was completely lost in her own world as she focused on summoning up this attack that he felt could likely turn even an X-ranker into little more than ribbons. He knew what this was. He''d read about it. ''Skill Enlightenment'' they called it. Similar to how one could only reach a new rank of power with the correct enlightenment, in rare moments of extreme emotion or contemplation, a skill could be born or developed in a strange new way via enlightenment. It could easily fail and cause tremendous backlash to the person going through it, however, unlike normal enlightenment which was risk-free. Without hesitation, he manipulated his bones to create a colossal shield as thick and as tall as Bone Armour would allow him to. Lone then kicked the paved flooring hard enough to plant his feet deeply into it, rooting him in place. ''I''m gonna need every scrap of SP to come out of this unscathed.'' His ears twitched. Soph''s yell had come to an end and the droning sound of impending doom was fast approaching. "I swear to god, if this kills me, when you use Minor Time Control to undo it, I''m gonna slap you so hard for being such a hypocrite regarding my life-risking activities. I''m also never gonna let it go," Lone mumbled.
A few moments prior, Breena and Hamish had heard Soph screaming and came to investigate. Once Hamish saw what was going on, he decided it was a good opportunity to learn something, both for himself and for Breena. Thus, the two of them were watching from a safe distance down the road. "W-Will Master Lone be okay?" Breena asked. ''I wonder if she''ll ever call ''em master an'' mistress tae their faces?'' Hamish remained silent for a moment while he stared at the massive collection of massive spinning barriers that were suspended over the annoying gremlin''s head. "Ah''d die fae sure if ''at ''it me," he finally answered. "Lone though? ''At foxy cunt''s tougher ''an nails. Ah''m convinced nothin'' short o'' ah god can make ''im kick the bucket, an'' even then, nae withoot ah fight." "... I-I see." Breena wore an anxious expression. "B-But why is Mistress Soph making an attack l-like that? She''s always telling Master Lone off for being so reckless..." "Yer Western Stone Dwarfish is near-perfect now, lass. Ye soond more fluent ''an me," Hamish commented when Lone created the most fuck-off massive shield the dwarf had ever seen in his over 100 years of life. "T-Thanks," Breena said while a blush formed on her face. "M-Master Lone is a good tutor." "Aye, ''e is. An'' she''s basically nae conscious right now. Ah''ve seen ''er state afore. The fancy folk who care fae technical terms call it Skill Enlightenment," Hamish explained. "If she succeeds in fully formin'' at attack, she''ll get ah new skill ootta it. It has tae form an'' perform its intended purpose, ''owever. Knowin'' Lone, ''at cunt''s aware ah this which is why ''e''s nae tryin'' tae stop ''er." "W-What could happen?" Breena asked curiously. "Or the host''ll nae get ah skill. Simple as ''at. Well, they''ll also never be able tae enter ''at state again fae ''at particular skill an'' they may be crippled fae a wee while. It''s rare. Ah''ve never seen anyone but Ewan dae it afore. Interruptin'' the process is grounds tae get even ah silver-plate adventurer''s plate revoked," he elaborated in a saddened tone. Breena seemed to mull over that for a second before Hamish heard her whisper, "Two skills in one day while I haven''t earned a new one since Lone sacrificed himself to save me from Darkness..." Hamish caught himself sighing. "Pay attention. She''s throwin'' ''at scary feckin'' thing." "Ah, uh, y-yes, of course, Mister Hamish. I-I''ll try to learn whatever I can, lacking as I might be..." Breena replied.
Lone slowly peeled his eyes open only to find that he was lying on the ground with his vision covered in system notifications. He dismissed them for the moment and got up, or, he tried to at least. Tilting his head down he noticed he was missing almost his entire body save for his head and the left side of his torso. ''She destroyed my bones in seconds. I''m only alive because I managed to rapidly create and recreate a head-sized shield to protect my skull,'' Lone surmised. He willed his SP to power his Basic Regeneration but didn''t notice any increase in healing speed. "I''m already out of SP? Fuck. No wonder I feel like shit." "Ah think ''at''s on account ah ya bein'' little mere ''an ah takin'' ''ead right now, pal," a familiar voice said. "You know, you might be on to something there, Hamish. It''s surprisingly painful to be reduced to this," Lone joked before spitting out a bunch of blood. "Will ye be okay?" the dwarf asked, an uncommon hint of concern in his tone. Lone would have nodded were doing so not a struggle right now. "I''m alive and no longer under attack. I''ll be right as rain in half an hour? Maybe an hour? Never been this banged up before. I''m more concerned about Soph. Is she okay?" Hamish gestured with his head, to which Lone followed with his eyes. Breena was waddling over with the armoured Soph on her back. "Lassie passed oot. Ah dinnae ken why but seems the Skill Enlightenment drained ''er way more ''an it should''ve," Hamish explained. Lone searched around with his mind for his Blood Clone and found it down the road, having apparently been blown clean from his body when he was almost killed. He controlled it to enter his bloodstream in an attempt to speed up his healing. It had no such effects, but who knew? Maybe wanting it to do that would result in a new skill effect. "Soph has a peculiar ability. Kinda like how Growth Accelerator lets me determine ideal weapons and armours, she can overload skills and things that require mana with more MP. I think it''s linked to her Mana Sensing but I''m not sure," Lone said. Hamish went silent before he slowly and very carefully said, "So ye''r tellin'' me ye just survived ah magical attack ''at ''ad ah little over 3,000,000 MP pumped intae it? And that''s also why she''s oot cold?" "By the skin of my teeth. Without the bone-strengthening I got from Guildmaster Hilda''s hits, then I''d have been dead, Soph would have had to have turned back time, yadda yadda. But yeah, I did. Pretty scary, right?" Lone said, a grin on his pained expression. At this point, a third of what was missing from his chest had been regenerated, including his heart. It was a bit freaky knowing he could function without such a critical organ. Basic Regeneration truly was an unbelievably powerful skill. "... Once ah''m finished teachin'' this one," Hamish said, pointing to the struggling Breena, "we''re done, through an'' through. Ah''m ah simple dwarf o'' lackin'' strength. Wae powers like yers, ah thought bein'' pals in the long run would be ''elpful. Large shoulder tae lean on if ever needed, aye? Well, wae both of ye bein'' so strong... trouble''ll follow. It''s only ah matter o'' time afore ye piss off someone strong enough an'' nasty enough tae use oor connection against ye. It''ll be best if we never contact each other again, fer ma safety an'' fer yers." Lone''s expression hardened. "... That was always the plan regardless. You teach Breena, then you retire. I work off my sentence, then fuck off back topside. Why restate what we both already knew?" Hamish glanced down at Lone and slowly nodded. "Aye, ye''r right, Fox, ye''r right."
A few hours had passed since that serious conversation between Lone and Hamish. Hamish had carried Lone back to their temporary camp while Breena had done the same for Soph even if it had completely exhausted her. ''Isn''t the point of earning more power to get strong enough to not worry about other people''s power? Maybe Hamish is right. A person is probably much safer staying at I-rank than ever climbing the ladder to Divinity,'' Lone thought as he stroked Soph''s hair. She was still unconscious but she seemed to be in fine health, so the assumption was that she was simply conked out from draining her MP tank. ''Still, even if statistically you''re less likely to meet harm as a simple nobody, at least when you''re a powerful someone, you can resist. If my path endangers those around me, they need to accept that or cut me out of their life like Hamish plans to do. I won''t stop until Soph has her Immortality unsealed. Then we''ll both be nigh unkillable and free to scour this massive continent to our heart''s content for the rest of time,'' Lone concluded before he chuckled. ''And hey, if we ever got bored of wandering after that point, what''s stopping us from world hopping? I''m sure I''ll eventually reverse engineer hero summoning.'' With that having been gone over, Lone felt much better. With renewed vigour, he pulled up his notification log to see how much Soph''s enlightenment-driven barrier attack had benefited him.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
''From the initial internal barriers and her cutting off my limbs?'' Lone wondered. ''How''d she cut off my arms and legs anyway? There''s no way those particular barriers had the power to get through my bones.'' It took a second but an answer came to him. ''Sneaky little devil... She used Mana Sensing to perfectly cut through my ligaments to separate my bones and effectively slice my arms, legs, and tails off... Definitely need a skill that makes my skin and my muscles harder.''
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
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Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance
All offensive barriers produced by the skill Unique Magic: Barrier Magic used on the host shall be 15% [+10%] weaker and 15% [+10%] easier to break.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''And that''s from the second assault when she was teleporting and the sneaky eyeball thing. I wonder if that boost to 15% was critical in my survival. I don''t think it was, but who knows? 10% is a lot,'' Lone thought with a shrug. Now came the motherlode. The treasure trove of skill upgrades that came from Soph''s final attack left Lone damn-near frothing at the gills. Well, it would have were he to own gills. First came Colossal Shield Mastery, a new mastery; Buckler Mastery, Shield Mastery, Bone Armour, then Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance, Basic Regeneration, and finally, Physical Pain Resistance.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Colossal Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
The host has developed the passive skill: Buckler Mastery.
Buckler Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by swashbucklers and duelists alike. When holding a buckler the host is 5% more likely to parry a blow when attempting to do so. When wearing a wrist-strapped buckler, any ranged attacks aimed at the host have a 1% chance of hitting the buckler regardless of where they were aimed.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Ah, that explains why half of my chest survived and not just my head,'' Lone thought. ''Wonder how many levels it got.'' He got his response immediately. 24 levels was the answer.
Buckler Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by swashbucklers and duelists alike. When holding a buckler the host is 30% [+15%] more likely to parry a blow when attempting to do so. When wearing a wrist-strapped buckler, any ranged attacks aimed at the host have a 3% [+1%] chance of hitting the buckler regardless of where they were aimed. [New!] Grants the talent [Forced Parry], Say the words [Forced Parry] when wielding a shield and the host shall successfully parry any incoming attack regardless of its power (if the power of the attack vastly outstrips the durability of the shield and the host''s own body, the shield will shatter and the arm holding it shall break).
Cost: [New!] 10,000 SP to invoke (48-hour cooldown).
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
''Insanely expensive SP cost on that talent. Longest cooldown I''ve seen so far too, but fuck me if that effect isn''t uber-powerful. It says ''wielding''. I need to test if wrist-strapped- or, well, wrist-connected counts as wielding. The break chance means nothing to me due to my shields being made of my bones and the arm breaking is even more negligible. I could block an attack from a Divine with this, right?'' Lone theorised as he moved on.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 1.
Unique Subskill: Bone Armour
A subskill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to use the unique skill [Basic Regeneration] to push the host''s bones outside of their own body and use them as a weightless shield. The strength of the bones will increase with mastery. The strength of the bones will also increase the more that they''re broken and damaged. The host can create a full suit of armour. [New!] Now Includes the host''s tails and anything the host is in contact with that they deem worth protecting. The host can create a shield at whatever size they wish outwards from any point of their body.
Cost: None to invoke [No longer has a cooldown to reinvoke]. Drains MP [New!] or SP to recreate rapidly or to heal at varying levels depending on the speed of the recreation or the severity of the damage being healed. [The dedicated cost the shield had to be created based on its size has been removed].
Mastery: Master Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 2.
''Huh. Can I now make skyscraper-sized shields? Can I protect entire cities with the effect upgrade? These changes need testing, for sure,'' Lone concluded, a big grin on his lips.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
The levels went on and on. Clearly, surviving that enormous attack of Soph''s was an incredibly effective method to boost this resistance through the roof. It blasted right through to advanced rank, increasing the boost from 15% to 30% and kept going. Finally, the last notification regarding this skill''s level-ups arrived.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance
All offensive barriers produced by the skill Unique Magic: Barrier Magic used on the host shall be 60% [+30%] weaker and 60% [+30%] easier to break. [New!] All magical barriers used to attack, trap, or impede the host shall be 5% less effective.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
"All barriers?" Lone mumbled. His mind whirred. He''d already experienced how literal the system was with its bonuses from his testing with the active effects weapon masteries tended to gain at intermediate rank. With this extra effect saying ''all barriers'', that likely meant all barriers. Now, the question was, how far did ''all'' extend? For example, would Lone''s own Illusionary Dome count as a barrier? If so, he would have three skills that could counter it in unison were he to encounter another one in the future; Illusion Magic Resistance, Enhanced Vision, and now Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance. ''I only ever expected for this skill to be useful for two things. Helping Soph master her unique skill, and if she ever needed to hit me and an enemy at the same time. This is a very welcome surprise. Now, are there any more amazing treats waiting for me in my logs?'' Lone asked himself eagerly.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
"Lotta levels which are always nice now that I know levels do improve skills ever so slightly, but nothing mind-blowing," Lone sighed in content rather than disappointment. Just then, Soph began to stir. She pushed herself up to sit on her knees as she looked around blearily. "Wha...? Where...?" Lone grinned at her. "You, little missy, are in need of three things. First, congratulations. Second, thanks. Third, a good telling-off for coming closer to killing me than even the Blue Orc Chieftain managed to. Let''s thank our lucky stars that I have Basic Regen at such a high mastery, huh? Bone Armour too." Soph looked confused before her eyes widened. "So many notifications... Wait. What did you say I did?" B2: Chapter 97: Arrival at Krieg Stunfurn and Planning Lone laid his left palm out flat and then placed his right index and middle fingers atop it like legs. "This is me." He then controlled his Blood Clone and positioned it about a metre away from his hands. "That is you. When it moves, it''ll be your barrier." Soph nodded in uncertainty. She was following along but she clearly didn''t get why Lone was doing this instead of just telling her what it was she had done, exactly. Lone grinned. He used Bone Armour but only on the two fingers that were representing him. He even made a little shield for his armoured digits. Next, he controlled his Blood Clone to start spinning as fast as it could. Lone then mentally ordered the crimson-red blob to smash against his fingers. As soon as they made contact, he moved his fingers in a way to show that he got sent flying. He then made his fingers go limp on the floor before dismissing the Bone Armour. "So, basically, you entered skill enlightenment - I''m very jealous, by the way - and you then proceeded to hit me with a barrier attack that had all of your MP dumped into it," Lone summarised his little play. He saw Soph about to open her mouth but he quickly pressed his finger to her lips. "One sec, I''m not done." He summoned a blank sheet of paper and a quill. Within a few minutes, he had drawn a simple sketch that he thought showed his state as little more than a head and half a torso quite well.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Lone smiled as he showed the drawing to Soph. "This was me after your attack flung me down the road and knocked me out for a second or two." Soph gasped as tears welled up in her eyes. "Hey, no need to be sad," Lone said. "I earned a new skill, Bone Armour went up to master rank, and I got dozens upon dozens of levels spread out across several new skills. But yeah, I get a free pass the next time I accidentally almost kill myself, ''kay?" "... It wasn''t worth it," Soph said as she curled up into herself and hugged her knees. "I''m always going on about your safety, but for me to almost kill you... No skill is worth that." "Hey!" Lone exclaimed. "I think I''ll be the judge of that. Describe the skill to me?" Soph nodded weakly. "Barrier Maelstrom. It costs 300,000 MP per metre in width it has. It''s..." Lone closed his eyes and visualised the skill in the same way the system would have displayed it while Soph went on with her description.
Unique Subskill: Barrier Maelstrom
A subskill unique to the host Sophie Vladimirovich. Allows the host to use the Unique skill [Unique Magic: Barrier Magic] to create a collection of barriers that spin in unison in a perfectly circular motion. The maelstrom can easily cut all Epic-quality items or S-ranked beings. The maelstrom is unblockable. Its base width is 1-metre and its base speed is 20-metres per second.
Cost: 500,000 MP to invoke and then an additional 300,000 MP per metre of the maelstrom''s width.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone slowly peeled his eyes open. "This is a skill that literally only you could use. It''s so fuckin'' powerful too... 20-metres per second? That''s, like, 40 miles per hour or something. That''s insane. And the strength? It''s equal to what my Tail Spear could do at advanced rank! Equal! While only being at beginner rank! It ain''t a unique subskill for no reason..." He glanced at Soph only to find her staring at him both curiously and with a massive amount of regret. "I mean, this right here? This is an army destroyer. This very well may be the strongest skill we have between the two of us. At least for massive fights. It''s unblockable but I bet it''s easy to dodge at the higher ranks. However, it has no cap on width from the looks of things. With enough MP - and knowing you, as we level you''ll get tens of millions - you''d be able to make this thing as wide as a town. Good fuckin'' luck dodging then when I bet its speed will only get crazier and crazier as you rank it up," Lone continued. Soph raised her head over her knees and whispered, "Y-You''re not mad?" "Why would I be?" Lone asked, cocking his head slightly. "What would have pissed me off is if you had killed me. Can you imagine how irate I''d be upon learning you reversed time because you killed me when I could have gotten so many defensive level-ups like I did end up earning? Fuck, just thinking about it is getting me angry. Ah, you also using Minor Time Control to save me from yourself and not, y''know, assassins or the blood mage we''re off to hunt would have sucked ass. Sure, we have four months to kill that asshole, but I don''t exactly want to spend half of that time waiting for you to be able to use magic again." Lone nodded to himself. "I want them dead before a month has passed, two at a push. Then we have two or three months to just chill out. You using Minor Time Control would have forced us to be super cautious for a whole two months." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "... You''re not gonna call me a hypocrite?" Soph said. "Sophie won''t stop shouting at me for giving you a reason to ignore our advice to be more careful." "Don''t be dumb, both of you," Lone sighed. "It was skill enlightenment. I doubt you initially intended to shove over 3,000,000 MP into the maelstrom. Your enlightenment made you do that. Or is that not right?" "N-No! I would never hit you with anything that I don''t think you could handle!" Soph yelled. "A-And if I felt your healing struggle to keep u-up, I''d have dismissed the barriers." "Right?" Lone smiled. "Will I hang this over your head? Absolutely. Will I ever actually be upset about this or think it is now okay for me to risk my life needlessly? Absolutely not. Stop being so torn up about it. We both benefited a lot, it was unavoidable thanks to the enlightenment, and at the end of the day, I''m alive and in one piece. Now, bed?" Soph cracked the tiniest of smiles. "I love you." "And I love you too. Despite my increasing lack of a need for rest, I actually feel exhausted, so get over here and be my bed warmer. In the literal sense, not the sexual one," Lone said with a yawn. "Hehe... I really am sorry and I really do love you... We both do," Soph repeated. "I know, I know, I''m amazing," Lone replied. The look in Soph''s eyes changed. "And insufferable, it seems." Just as soon as Sophie had appeared, she left, allowing the soft glow to return to her expression.
The magically powered ceiling lights of the farwind road that led straight to Krieg Stunfurn flickered as the magic within them faltered. Not a moment later, that particular bulb went dim. With Krieg Stunfurn having been taken over by a powerful blood mage, examples of the infrastructure failing could be seen for miles around, even in the nearby urds. It was standard protocol for any settlement within 100 miles of an overrun krieg to evacuate. After all, it took an immense amount of power, smarts, or both, to gain control of the well-guarded kriegs and many fell to the Deep. Thus, not only was the krieg itself abandoned but so was everything else within 100 miles of it. This made reclamation efforts all that much harder, but it was the safest option. Regardless, the silent and unused road saw its first visitors in quite some time when four people, all of different species or races, appeared out of nowhere. "It feels like we''ve nae moved an inch," Hamish said as he looked around. Lone nodded. "Once you get used to the disorientation, yeah, it feels like you''re standing in place. We''re here now though, right?" Soph nodded. "Yup. Well, if your maps are right. The krieg should be... uh... ten? Y-Yeah, about ten miles that way." Lone turned in the opposite direction Soph had pointed and started walking when something gripped his soul lightly but threateningly. "Yup, scripture is flarin'' up. Krieg''s definitely over there. So, let''s set up camp and talk strategy. Even before leaving Krieg Moor I had two pretty solid ideas to kill the blood mage, but with Soph''s recent skill gains, we have more options," Lone said. Breena approached him and extended her hands in his direction. He quickly withdrew some supplies and two tents for her to get busy with. "T-Thanks," she stuttered before getting to work. He smiled wryly. Lone rarely got the chance to set up camp himself these days. He assumed this was because Breena felt useful doing it in his and Soph''s place. Lone didn''t know if he should put his foot down like Hamish did, insisting he set up his own tent, or if he should continue to allow this. If it made her feel useful, what was the harm? The issue was if she came to rely on setting up camp to gain any sort of self-worth. That would only be an impediment to any real progress with her. Regardless, about 20 minutes later, the four of them had a decent camp set up in the middle of the road and began their war meeting. ''I wonder if there''s a skill related to setting up camp? If there is, when Breena gets it, would that help or hurt her since she''s so fixated on skills?'' Lone wondered as he cleared his throat. "So, my two initial ideas," he said. "They''re basically the same but in reverse. I either get Soph to teleport me right next to the mage and I then go all out, trying to kill them in zero-seconds-flat, then slowly work to destroy their army. Or, I work on the army first and try to gain and level Blood Magic Resistance to make my inevitable fight easier with the mage." Lone tapped his chin thoughtfully. "There are issues with both plans. The mage first is risky because what if they have a really high resistance to magic damage? That''ll make them resistant to Mental Destruction. If they are also able to, I dunno, turn their body into blood or something, I doubt I can kill them with Tail Spear easily." "Ah ken feck all aboot magic," Hamish admitted. "Is ''at possible? Turnin'' yer ''ole body intae blood?" Lone shook his head. "I don''t know. I wish I did, but assuming it''s possible is wiser than assuming otherwise." "Aye, aye, yer nae wrong..." Hamish pursed his lips in thought. "An'' if ya start killin'' the minions first, ye risk alertin'' the mage an'' makin'' them more prepared fae ye, even if ye yerself are getting mere prepared anaw." Lone nodded. "Exactly. Now, with Soph''s new skill... The scripture''s binding me didn''t forbid me from destroying the krieg entirely in my pursuit of the blood mage''s life." Breena trembled a bit. "Y-You want her t-to attack the city itself?" "You both saw what Soph''s Barrier Maelstrom did to me and the road we tested it in. Who knows what kind of traps the krieg is littered with? I know too little about magic in general, let alone blood magic specifically. It''s best to assume anything you think is possible, is, indeed, possible," Lone replied. "The downside is that she''ll likely destroy the heirlooms we''re tasked with retrieving for the guild, maybe the guild building whose enchantments we need to check up on too, but she could likely wipe out the mage''s entire army in one blow and maybe even the mage themselves." Soph shook her head. "I refuse." "Why?" Lone asked. "We''d miss out on so many levels if I got the kills, and you''ll have a fit if you don''t get a slew of blood magic skills for this mage before killing them," Soph said with a pout. "I''d much rather we all come out of this alive and intact, but yes, I would also much rather fight the mage, steal all of their skills, then laugh in their face as I snap their neck or something cool like that," Lone admitted. Soph nodded. "Me and Sophie will only enact Operation Jade Storm of Absolute Destruction if it looks like you''re losing. We''ll teleport you out, and then bam! Massive maelstrom of doom." "I fuckin'' love you," Lone laughed to which Soph blushed. "Why..." Hamish stroked his beard contemplatively as he ignored Lone and Soph''s antics. "... Why dinnae ye test ''ow capable the mage really is? Safely, ah mean." "How so?" Lone asked. "Yer Blood Clone. It can become an actual clone ah ye, aye? Wae the right additional effect?" Hamish asked. Lone shook his head. "Sadly not. If I recall correctly, it was the fifth known earnable effect of the skill. I can''t get it. Do you remember what it needs in order to be earned?" Dancing around the subject was bothersome, but until he earned the effect himself, he wasn''t allowed to talk about it openly with any adventurer not at or above silver plate. Hamish looked confused before sighing. "Ah, feck... Aha! Ye''ve unlocked yer racial skill, aye, Breena?" the dwarf asked of the Crimson Foxkin. Breena nodded her head with worry, as if afraid to disappoint the two men. "Uh, y-yes... W-Why?" "It''s fine, Hamish is being daft. Your racial skill can''t affect external objects anyway. Not without some sort of earned new effect at least. That would take years, maybe decades. Not very practical," Lone explained. "Ah''m just tryna think ah ways tae make this hit operation mere successful," Hamish defended himself. Lone''s thoughts had been brought to his Blood Clone and there they stayed until something clicked. "That could be useful..." "What could?" Soph said. "The first earnable effect the guild is aware of for Blood Clone," Lone explained as best as he could without triggering the contract magic that bound him to secrecy regarding the credit slate. It was a bother that Soph and Breena weren''t silver plates yet. Hamish closed his eyes as if to recall what Lone was referencing before he opened them and grinned. "Aye, wae ah couple ah months tae prepare ''at effect, this''ll be the easiest time in history ah C-ranker ''as ''ad tae murder ah triple-S-ranker." The dwarf then grabbed one of his daggers and cut the tip of his finger open. "Go on then, fox. Try an'' control ma blood." B2: Chapter 98: Battling an SSS-ranker and Good & Bad "Hmm..." Rosanne furrowed her brow in confusion. "Whatever could they be doing..." She stared at the crimson sphere floating before her, fascination filling her being more so than any other emotion. Not three days ago a group of four people who didn''t exactly belong together down in the Farwinds had triggered her Blood Reading skill. Initially, she had thanked the Rosanne from almost 2,000 years ago for dedicating the better part of two centuries into earning that skill and perfecting it - ten or so years for the former, the rest for the latter. It was largely in part thanks to that skill Rosanne was even able to take over Krieg Stunfurn with little-to-no effort. A traceless passive skill that could let her sense all blood within 50 miles of her rendered sneak attacks a neutered threat to her life. It also allowed her to learn routines, sleeping patterns, and even the weaknesses, of others with less than a thought''s worth of effort. Well, that last thing needed 17 years of dedicated effort. Trailblazing the additional effects of a widely forbidden skill amongst the magical communities could be like that sometimes. The only reason she hadn''t killed her visitors and added their blood to her growing collection was because they had appeared quite literally out of thin air. She had no idea how. It had to be a unique skill. At first, she assumed the dwarven kingdoms had summoned an extremely talented space mage to remove her from the mortal plane. She doubted they would, given Krieg Stunfurn''s remote location. It didn''t guard over an entrance to the Deepwinds nor did it garrison anyone working to fight back an indescribable horror, so the likelihood of the greater council mustering up a force capable of killing or capturing her was nigh non-existent. They couldn''t risk losing a valuable asset to a dangerous hedge blood mage over a strategically worthless krieg. It didn''t take long for Rosanne to determine the group did not, in fact, contain some legendary space mage. The four uninvited guests were made up of two non-mages, one child with so little magic in her blood to the point of it being negligible, and one other... The human whose blood was somehow almost a millennium old despite her only being a C-ranker certainly had the mana capacity to be running through the veins of a powerful space mage. Of that, Rosanne had no doubts. What she could accomplish with such an absurd amount of MP... The woman had almost seven times as much MP as Rosanne. How, she didn''t know, but she intended to find out. But no, it couldn''t have been space magic. The woman had the MP but not the time. A thousand years was nowhere near enough to learn the magics required to teleport a group of four so effortlessly and without a fixed structure to act as a crutch. Normally, casters relied upon a magic circle or a rune-inscribed gate - both of which would need a perfect copy at the point of departure and arrival. "90% sure it was a unique skill, 9% a world skill I''ve never heard of, and 1% for something else," Rosanne muttered. She stared into her Scrying Orb of Life for a few more minutes in silence. The foxkin male was talented for sure, but she couldn''t understand what his goal was. "I just don''t get it. He doesn''t have a lick of magic in him," Rosanne said to herself. "Even if he learns how to control the blood of others through Blood Clone - a skill I wish I had. Curse all SP-based blood skills, he still won''t be able to touch me." There was no way a C-ranker relying on an SP-powered blood skill could defeat her own control over her blood. It baffled her. Seeing as how they were clearly preparing, plotting, and planning, they meant to hunt her. It was laughable. A B-ranker, two C-rankers, and a lowly F-ranker. And they somehow think they could kill or capture her, Rosanne, an SSS-ranked master of all things arcane that pertained to the liquid of life? It was cute, really. Rosanne watched through her orb for three more days and nights. The foxkin male seemed to earn the additional effect he was searching for - an impressive feat. He must have been training for many months or years already to earn it now, of all times. Rosanne felt it was a pity his talent would be ended in these halls along with his life, but she hadn''t exactly summoned him here. If he and his companions wished to stop her, she would certainly have to make them work for it, even if they couldn''t offer up much resistance. A distraction was unneeded and disruptive to her plans, but she''d make the most of it, of that, Rosanne was cer- "Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction." A sudden pain like no other assaulted Rosanne''s head, resulting in her scrying orb dissolving. It was like her mind had been attacked repeatedly. If that wasn''t bad enough, she also felt numerous sharp objects pierce her body. She did the only thing she could. She invoked her contingency plan. "Blood Explosion."
''Shit. She must have some magic-based resistance to not have died to seven Mental Destructions,'' Lone thought as he moved his tails to skewer her. "Blood Explosion," the gorgeous woman with blood-red hair that went down to her knees mumbled as she spat out a mouthful of blood. Lone''s vision went red as he felt a searing pain spread throughout his body. It took him less than a second to realise that the spell the blood mage had used was able to ignite and make all blood within a certain radius of her explode violently. This included the blood within Lone''s own veins. It was painful and the force of the explosions was strong, but not enough so to kill or seriously injure him. With some SP infused into it, Basic Regeneration had him and his Bone Armour in perfect condition within a second. With his vision restored, Lone could see that he was now standing in a crater that the skill Blood Explosion has formed. On the other side of it could be seen the blood mage, looking good as new, though her skin seemed a bit paler.
The host has developed the active blood magic skill: Blood Explosion.
Active Blood Magic Skill: Blood Explosion
A highly advanced application of the blood magic school where the caster uses a hint of explosion magic in combination with blood magic to ignite all blood within a 1-metre radius of themselves.
Cost: 10,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Blood Magic.
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Explosion Magic.
The host has developed the passive skill: Blood Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Blood Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Blood Magic. Blood Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Explosion Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Explosion Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Explosion Magic. Explosion Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Holy fuck... Magic schools can be combined? Well colour me surprised," Lone commented as he licked his lips with avarice. "How are you alive?" the blood mage demanded of him. Lone smiled under his helmet of black, blue, and purple, bone. "They don''t call me Immortus the Immortal for no reason. Any more fancy spells you want to use on me? The fact that spell - Blood Explosion, right? - didn''t kill me is evidence enough that I can win this, but please, do try to prove me wrong." ''There''s a high chance that spell was an emergency one meant to obliterate me in one go, and I bet it took a lot of MP,'' Lone thought. ''I went through a fifth of my SP to heal though so she might win a war of attrition. Gotta convince her I have the upper hand.'' A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ''She''s preparing another spell. Be careful,'' Soph informed him telepathically. ''She can turn into blood, by the way. It''s how she survived. Her mana went down a lot though, so chances are, it''s a spell that''s heavy on MP.'' ''Thanks. If you get a chance, use Barrier Prison on her if it looks like I''m starting to lose,'' Lone ordered before he grinned from ear to ear. "Trying to increase my new Blood Magic Resistance even more? Maybe Explosion Magic Resistance too? You''re too kind." The blood mage laughed. "If you want to bluff, make it believable." She put her hands over her head, interlocked her fingers, and stretched. "You''re strong for a C-ranker. And considering you can speak perfect Ancient Gelburian Text, it seems you are indeed a summoned hero. Answer me this though, ''Immortus the Immortal'', it would have taken at least a unique skill for you to still be alive, but my spell did hit you. So, who is the one that can teleport? The girl, the woman, or the dwarf?" ''Beneath you,'' Soph warned. Lone immediately created a colossal shield at his feet. Considering he had survived a spell called ''Blood Explosion'' at point-blank range, he figured it would be unnecessary to use his guaranteed deflection from Buckler Mastery right now. It was the perfect season for farming, and Lone was looking to harvest. "Crimson Eruption!" the blood mage - and apparently part-time explosion mage too - invoked. A geyser of blood split the land under Lone''s feet and burrowed into his shield like a drill before sending him flying into the ceiling of the krieg''s cave structure.
The host has developed the active blood magic skill: Crimson Eruption.
Active Blood Magic Skill: Crimson Eruption
A highly advanced application of the blood magic school where the caster uses a hint of explosion magic in combination with blood magic to gather nearby blood underground before forcing it to burst forth with the power of a weak stream. Limits: 80% of the blood in the Crimson Eruption must be already present for the skill to trigger.
Cost: 8,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
He could feel the pressure of the geyser eating away at his colossal shield but its self-repairing was faster. "Blood Explosion!" he heard the blood mage yell while he was still being hammered by the geyser. Again, his insides boiled but it was far less effective this time. Lone chalked that down to his new Blood Magic Resistance working to combat the spells.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Explosion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
''You okay?'' Soph''s voice drifted into his mind.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
''You can sense it, right? Barely used two-fifths of my SP and the fight''ll only get easier and easier for me as it goes on,'' Lone said with confidence.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Explosion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
''I''m glad. We... we both are. I''ve covered the entire krieg in my barriers. There''s no getting in or out unless she has a skill that can get around it... which... which is likely. Uh, well, I-I''m ready to try to imprison her whenever you think it''s a good time,'' Soph replied.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Blood Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Blood Magic. Blood Magic used on the host will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Explosion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''I''ll let you know,'' Lone said as he created a new Blood Clone in his body and used it to free himself from the geyser, feeling he had gained everything he could from it. It was a shame the attacks weren''t strong enough to level his Bone Armour or Basic Regeneration. Lone figured that made sense though. It would be hard to find anything powerful enough to surpass the destructive force of Soph''s 3,000,000 MP charged Barrier Maelstrom that was formed during skill enlightenment. Lone moved his body and landed a few dozen feet away from the even paler and more heavily breathing blood mage. "Y''know," He started, "when I had a fight with an X-ranker, he made me feel like a little bitch when he actually acted. Grabbed me by the leg and left me dangling - well, more scraping. Dwarves, right? Short little bastards. Anyway, he made me feel helpless." Lone eyed the mage up and down. "You though... is the gap between triple-S and X really that wide?" "... I think we should talk. Perhaps introduce ourselves to one another?" the blood mage suggested, avoiding answering the question. Lone tilted his head. "Why? The scripture inside of me is kinda nagging at me to snap your neck." The mage''s eyes widened. "You''re here as part of militaristic enlistment? A nine-traited beastkin, at that? And a Golden Foxkin to boot? Really? Well now, that is interesting. One criminal to another, surely we can work this out." "Why?" Lone asked. "I see no point, though make your offer. Maybe you have some sort of persuasion skill I can earn a resistance to. I have an offer for you too once you''re done and I reject you." "Let''s work together," the blood mage offered. "It takes a serious crime for an outsider of the kriegs to not just earn themselves a lovely little exile back to the surface. I''m sure there''s plenty I could teach you, a C-ranker that I seem to be unable to kill. I''d love to hear about your world of origin as well. I''ve never heard of the Golden Foxkin Clan using a hero summoning spell or ritual before their disappearance." "And the scripture magic binding me?" Lone questioned. The mage shrugged. "If my spells could not kill you, I doubt scripture magic could. Injure and maim you? Squeeze your soul to the point it feels it might burst? I don''t doubt it, but kill you? I''m hardly a battle mage but I had the capability to kill a guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild, and he didn''t even take half the beating I''ve given you. I''m sure you''ll survive the experience of resisting the scripture. You also seem to seek new skills and skill levels, no?" Lone nodded. "That I do, that I do... Let me go through all of your points one at a time?" "Of course," the blood mage replied. ''Lone, she''s preparing another spell. A big one this time. I think it''ll drain her dry. I don''t know if it''s for attacking you or to escape, but be careful,'' Soph informed him. "I didn''t really commit a serious crime - well, to the dwarves, yes, to everyone else, no. I just learned steamforging and I got one hell of a lawyer who managed to get me spared from execution," Lone answered. ''Is there enough mana in it to rival your 3,000,000 MP Barrier Maelstrom?'' ''No. Not even close,'' Soph answered. ''Then I welcome a new spell to my arsenal. If it''s an escape spell, track her and ''port me straight to her. I''ll just finish her off if she tries to flee,'' Lone directed before he said, "I agree. There''s probably a lot someone like you could teach me. I have no interest in telling you about where I came from though." The mage nodded along, happy to let Lone finish his response. "I also agree that I can likely endure defying the scripture magic, but I don''t want to. If I wanted to leave the Dwarven kingdoms, I could have. I want to make up for my crimes," Lone said. "So that''s it then? We must fight to the death?" the blood mage asked. "Can''t you just let me leave? Wouldn''t a favour from a powerful SSS-ranked blood mage be a valuable asset for you?" "Not likely. I don''t know your name, or how to contact you to cash in said favour, and honestly, we overprepared for you. I don''t know what I expected when I''m used to antagonising gods and the like but you''re not that powerful when looking through my lens. I''ll give you credit though, you''re the first person to not die from Mental Destruction ignoring Darkness, even though I slammed you with seven of ''em," Lone complimented. He then cracked his neck. "Now, my offer for you. Use every skill you can on me and I''ll kill you painlessly. Refuse or try to run and, well, I have some skills I''d like to practice on someone that at the end of the day, needs to pay in blood for wiping out a city full of innocents. Make your choice. You''ve got five seconds until I make it for you." A flash of panic entered the blood mage''s eyes before she replied, "Never underestimate a low ranker, huh? Good lesson to learn. So much wasted work... Vein Stepping!" Lone dashed forward and lashed out with his deadly tails to no avail. The mage was gone. ''She got past my barriers somehow but she''s not fast enough to outrun my Mana Sensing. I''ll follow he- Oh no,'' Soph relayed. Lone raised a concerned eyebrow. ''''Oh no'', what?'' ''S-She could tell where we were... This whole time. Oh, uh, She, em, she went straight to where Breena and Hamish were hiding.'' Soph''s tone shifted to that of Sophie before she said, ''Do you want the good news or the bad news first?'' Lone''s mind was racing but he replied, ''The good, assuming there actually is any.'' ''The mage hasn''t killed them, so we suspect she intends to strike up a bargain,'' Sophie answered. ''We suppose she is scared of our Teleportation and doubts she can run.'' ''And the bad news?'' Lone asked. Sophie appeared by his side and grabbed his armoured forearm. "She didn''t kill Hamish." The two of them then disappeared from the destroyed remains of Krieg Stunfurn. B2: Chapter 99: Crunch and Ring When Sophie''s Teleportation had concluded, Lone found himself in his camp with the blood mage, Breena, and Hamish. From what little he could tell, the blood mage was controlling some sort of freeform blood magic to lightly strangle Breena and Hamish. Not enough to knock them out, but enough to snap their necks if just a little bit more force was applied. Lone doubted his two companions were in any danger, however. ''If she kills them, she''s dead. At worst, she can mutilate them and still maintain a position to negotiate with me, but even then, I can fix anything except death when my MP gets unsealed.'' "How''d you make the blood so solid?" Lone asked calmly while he inspected the freeform blood magic. "So it was the human with the unique skill that looks like space magic... What a useful skill," the triple-S-ranker said, completely ignoring Lone''s question. "Now, remove your armour." He was hesitant to make her think she was the one with the advantage here, but armour or not, his skeleton itself was too strong to the point the blood mage had no viable method to kill him. Thus, Lone did as instructed, controlling his bone armour to recede back into his body. "Does seeing me in the flesh make you feel more secure? I can''t think of any other reason you''d insist I remove it. You''re too weak to kill me or even just seriously injure me, armour or not." The blood mage''s pale expression twitched slightly in annoyance. "Less provoking, more doing what I tell you to. You don''t want your friends here to die, do you?" Lone slowly glanced at Breena and then Hamish. "Ignore ''er, Lone," Hamish said as his grip on the blood noose around his neck tightened. "She''s ah crazy murderer. It''s oor fault fae gettin'' captured. Just kill ''er, aye? Make sure ah''m buried next tae ma brothers." Breena panicked. "I-I don''t want to die!" The blood mage laughed while she controlled some blood and stuffed it into Hamish''s mouth to shut him up. "At least one of these two has some sense. Stupid dwarves with their worthless honour." Lone frowned before he suddenly sat on the floor and crossed his legs. He saw the blood mage flinch at his quick movements but she didn''t panic. "Getting yourself comfortable?" the blood mage asked, sarcasm lacing her tone. "You want to negotiate? So let''s negotiate," Lone said coldly. He ignored the itching sensation gnawing away at him to immediately kill the triple-S-ranker while he slowly glanced around the farwind tunnel they were in. "Lotta shadows here." Breena''s eyes opened slightly, as did Hamish''s, while the blood mage looked confused. "What?" she asked. "Nothing. Just an observation. You wanted to introduce yourself to me earlier, right?" Lone replied. "I''m Lone Immortus, silver-plate adventurer, and likely the hardest to kill C-ranker on the planet." "... Rosanne Daybringer, accomplished blood mage, explosion mage, and wind mage," Rosanne said. "Daybringer?" Lone raised an eyebrow. ''You know the plan.'' ''We would much rather save Breena than him, but yes, we do. We are ready on your signal,'' Sophie replied. "I know, ironic. I hardly got to choose my surname though nor did I get to choose my main magical affinity. Who''d have thought the heiress to a powerful explosion magic-centred family would be given the gift of blood?" Rosanne joked. "Magic affinities run in the family?" Lone asked rhetorically. "It must work like genes do. I bet your great-granddad or something was a blood mage. Why''re you not a vampire? Wouldn''t that sync up well with blood magic?" Rosanne laughed. "You really aren''t from this world, are you? No one in the right state of mind would willingly become a thrall of the night. To be a true sanguine lord one must be born into the species." "Shame. I was considering it for a power boost, but the only other person I''ll ever listen to besides myself is my girlfriend," Lone sighed. "Well, negotiations, yeah? What do you want, exactly?" "Right... You let me leave with these two. I''ll drop them off somewhere populated in a few weeks. I''ll put them under a blood geas to prevent them from contacting you for a month. After that, they''ll be free to use any branch of The Adventurer''s Guild to reunite with you. I don''t really care about them so long as I''m long gone and it''s impossible for them to lead you to me," Rosanne demanded. Lone shook his head. "I don''t care about them that much." Hamish didn''t react but Breena looked heartbroken. Lone gestured with his head to the Stone Dwarf. "He once tried to murder me. I''ve got him under a magical contract that allows him to be useful without the possibility of attacking me again." He then gestured to the Crimson Foxkin. "She''s dying. Dunno how much you know about Primals, but awakening nullifies whatever it is that allows beastkin to be immune to ageing." The blood mage glanced at Breena''s purple-tipped trio of tails as well as her ears and hair. She frowned and gnashed her teeth subtly.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You''ve awakened three times yourself," Rosanne pointed out. "What stopped you from permanently injuring let alone killing me is what is also keeping my time-relative immortality intact," Lone explained. "I was just going to dump her off at the Crimson Foxkin Clan as a favour to the matriarch when I was done serving my sentence here. Thus, their value, separate or combined, isn''t quite worth me going against the scripture magic and failing my mission. Offer me something else. Something that''s worth 13 years of my time, because that''s what killing you will buy me." "..." A look of frustrated worry crept onto the blood mage''s face.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
"Skills! You said you like skills, right? I-I can show you some of my magic!" Rosanne offered. "I-I can only show you the weaker ones since I''m low on MP and I''d sooner die than damage my mana organs, but I do have a scroll with contract magic binding it! W-We can just write up the terms, I show you my skills, and then I''ll be on my way." Lone stroked his chin. "Now that is a truly interesting proposal. What kind of skills do you have? Any utility ones? I have plenty of defensive skills and while I only have a few offensive ones, they''re all extremely deadly. I would love to see more miscellaneous magic at work." "Oh, dozens. What mage doesn''t have a grimoire''s worth of spells for odds and ends? Perhaps only those who dedicate themselves wholly to being a battle mage would opt for no utility-based spells, which as I said early, I am not," Rosanne answered. "Not what I asked, but whatever." Lone slowly pushed himself back up to his feet. "You don''t know any shadow mages do you, assuming those exist?" "No, I can''t say I d-" "Survivor''s Speed," Lone invoked. At the same time that he rushed to the blood mage and grabbed her throat, Sophie had instantly teleported Hamish away while Breena had used her Shadow Walker to slip out of her blood bindings. The very next moment, both Lone and the mage were surrounded by a Barrier Prison that locked them in place. "Perfect," Lone said with a vicious grin on his lips. "Wha-" He squeezed down on the mage''s neck. "Ah, ah, ah. No talking for you. Don''t want you casting any more spells, now do we?" Rosanne''s expression was consumed by one emotion and it was fear. "Now you''re scared?" Lone would have laughed if he wasn''t forced to speak through his teeth like a ventriloquist right now. Sophie''s Barrier Prison was tight. He could deal with that though since he didn''t want to risk letting the blood mage quite literally slip out of his finger. The barrier did allow him to tighten his grip on the mage''s neck though which was perfect. "Y''know, you never stood a chance," Lone said as he squeezed, forcing the mage to convulse as best as the barrier would allow her. "Even if you did kill them, we had a plan for that too. Do you really think I wouldn''t over plan for my first fight with an SSS-ranker, let alone an SSS-ranked mass murderer?" He could see the woman trying to shake her head and speak so he tightened his grip even more. "I''d love to torture some skills out of you right now, but your ability to turn into blood is too big of a risk." Lone closed his fist more and more until finally, he heard a crunching sound. "Goodbye, Rosanne Daybringer." The barrier around him dissipated when he felt a surge of strength, no doubt coming from the levels that came along with killing such a powerful person. Sophie appeared again with Hamish in tow while Breena slinked out of the shadows. Hamish approached Lone cautiously. "She''s deed, aye?" Lone nodded. "I''m the only person I know who can survive having the cervical part of their spine snapped like a twig. If she weren''t a mage with lacking physical stats, it''d have been a right pain to kill her like that." "If she wernae ah mage, yer Mental Destruction would o'' ''ad ''er brains bleedin'' ootta ''er eyeballs," Hamish remarked. Lone let go of the mage''s limp neck, allowing her body to flop down onto the Farwind beneath their feet. "Not necessarily true. A physical focused fighter may have the right resistance to avoid instant death, but yes, in general, you''re right. By the way, I couldn''t control her blood at all, it was a nice idea though." "Ah, shame," Hamish replied. "Wh-what now?" Breena asked as she shuffled forward, uncertainty and hints of awe clear in her voice. Lone smiled. "Now, we see if she had any valuables on her person, I store her corpse, we do the other guild quests we were assigned, and then we loot what''s left of Krieg Stunfurn from top to bottom."
"You''re sure?" Lone asked Soph who had assumed control of her body now that the danger had passed. She nodded. "That ring''s stuffed full of magic. It''s very bright to my eyes and it kinda reminds me of the magic in your adventurer''s pouch. Y''know, the one you pretend to use when getting stuff from your Dimensional Storage." Lone pursed his lips in thought. "So there''s a good chance it''s a spatial storage item of some sort, but I have no desire to open it without having it be properly investigated first." "Worried it''ll blow up?" Soph asked curiously. "Not really, I''m more worried the contents inside of it will," Lone replied. "This could be the treasury of a triple-S-ranker for all we know, but that very same triple-S-ranker was an explosion mage. Who''s to say she didn''t work with an enchanter or something to rig it to go boom if anyone but her tampers with it?" Soph frowned. "Guess we just need to find a dwarf with that racial skill... uh, the one Hamish doesn''t have." "It''s a rotten shame there''s no Identification Guild in the dwarven kingdoms," Lone lamented. Soph cocked her head. "Identification Guild?" Lone shrugged dismissively. "It''s apparently a pretty widespread organisation that''s a branch of The Adventurer''s Guild. Milindo was too rural to have one and the dwarves have no need since half the population can use Stone''s Vision, meaning the guild would see no profits in the Farwinds." "I could bring it to Wilbur," Soph suggested before she panicked upon seeing Lone''s expression drop. "Uh, if-if that''s okay with you! I, uh, I know the scripture magic prevents you from seeing him..." Lone smiled wryly. "Nah, it''s fine. I''m not in a rush. We can get it and anything else I need looked at identified topside by the Identification Guild or some private company that does the same thing. I don''t wanna bother Wilbur with something so petty and I doubt any other dwarf would be willing to help us out, not for a reasonable price at least." Hamish approached the two of them as he tossed a cog-covered square around a bit carelessly. "Or claim ya tried tae steal it fae ''em in ah bid tae nick it ''emselves." "True, true," Lone agreed. "What''s that you''re playing with?" "Dinnae ken. It''s ah steamforged artefact, aye, but ah''ve never ''ad the money tae splurge on these trinkets so ah''ve nae got the foggiest idea what it could dae," Hamish said. He then walked up to Lone and left the device on the floor in front of him. Lone ignored it for now. "Nae gonna store it?" Hamish asked. Lone shook his head. "It''ll hurt like fuck since I''m not allowed to touch or take any steamforged artefacts. One of you three''ll shove ''em all in a bucket and I''ll store the bucket with the bauble inside of it. No restrictions against that." "Sneaky. Wanna gae us the thingymabob the guild gave ya to check the state of the enchantments on their branch ''ere?" Hamish offered. Lone nodded. "Sure," he said, retrieving the device and tossing it to the dwarf who caught it effortlessly. "And I''ll get back to looking for valuables!" Soph happily exclaimed before teleporting away. Lone smiled before he opened his status. Now that he was done looking through the blood mage''s possessions, it was time to see how many stats and levels he''d earned from ending Rosanne Daybringer''s life. B2: Chapter 100: Breenas Growth and Zel
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 399 [+57]
Species Foxkin Rank: C
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 102,150/102,150 [+3,420] SP: 40,457/98,280 [+3,540]
MP: 167,070/167,070 [+113,040] WF: 1,300/1,300
Basic Stats
Strength: 5,539 [+300] Vigour: 9,828 [+354]
Dexterity: 5,024 [+215] Agility: 5,957 [+210]
Vitality: 10,215 [+342] Luck: 1,326 [+19]
Secret Stats
Charm: 166 [+24] Charisma: 167 [+24]
Magic Power: 16,707 [+11,304]
''I already knew I didn''t rank up since I would have felt that, but what a shame. I was hoping the experience with Darkness counted for one round of enlightenment and then my demonstration with Xer''rava would count as another,'' Lone sighed mentally. ''Hell, I was even hoping for this encounter to help me get whatever enlightenment I needed for B-rank. Now I''m stuck at yet another level limit for the foreseeable future.'' Still, it wasn''t all bad news. ''Soph, how much MP do you think the blood mage had in relation to you?'' ''Compared to me? Oh, I don''t know. I, uh, I wasn''t really thinking about that I just knew she had way less than me- Sophie says about a tenth? Maybe a bit more, like a ninth or eighth?'' Soph answered. ''Why?'' ''Because MP is now my highest resource out of the four I possess. I gained 11,000 Magic Power, so 110,000 MP. If she had a tenth of your reserves, that means I absorbed about a third of her stats. In the future, try to gauge exactly what percent of MP our enemies have when compared to you, please? I''d like to know if I''m stealing the same percentage of stats from everything I kill or if it''s different per kill,'' Lone requested. ''Oh, uh, okay. That makes sense. I''ll try. Hey! Maybe I''ll get an additional effect on Mana Sensing that''ll tell me the exact MP numbers of people and monsters. Wouldn''t that be awesome?'' Soph telepathically sent with enthusiasm. Lone smiled as he got up and stretched his back. ''That''s the spirit. Now, could you please point me in Breena''s direction? I wanna make sure there are no misunderstandings between us.'' ''Sure! I can just teleport you to her if you''d prefer though. Or her to you?'' Soph offered. Lone shook his head. ''Nah, I''ll walk. Don''t wanna take you away from your treasure hunting, now do I?''
A few minutes later, Lone was now in a different part of the fallen city. He was following Soph''s directions as his mind wandered. ''If I''m getting roughly a tenth of the stats of whoever or whatever I kill, that means Rosanne Daybringer had about 3,000 Strength, Vitality, and Vigour. That''s a lot for a mage.'' Considering that, he was actually rather lucky he was able to snap her neck. If she had learned how to apply her Vitality, Lone wondered if he''d have been able to kill her that way with his roughly 5,000 Strength. ''Do all triple-S-rankers have that much in regards to physical stats or was it because of some sort of passive blood-strengthening skill or something? Ah, fuck. I wish I could have interrogated her,'' Lone lamented. He was taken out of his ruminations when he saw Breena crouching over some rubble, moving rocks. When he approached her she turned her head to look at him before faintly smiling. Her dirt-smeared expression was endearing. Breena lifted her hands up to show a small doll of a dwarf in armour. "It''s one of the items we were sent here to find. The, uh, the address was a bit tricky to locate since the whole street has been levelled. There''s another doll in here somewhere. I''m, uh, trying to find it." Lone nodded in appreciation. "How''d you find it so fast? Did Soph tell you exactly where it was?" Breena''s smile cracked a little bit before she said, "N-No. I used Shadow Walker. I... I only have enough SP to use it for one second right now, but I was able to use it to find a house number down there." She pointed three houses away from where they currently were. "I then counted up to the address from the quest and started digging." Lone furrowed his brow in confusion. "Remind me how much Vigour you have." Breena looked away from him and mumbled in shame, "142." "So 1,420 SP. How''d you recover back up to 1,000 since you used Shadow Walker earlier to escape the mage?" Lone asked curiously. Breena shied into herself as if she didn''t want to answer him but she ultimately said, "I used a potion." Again, Lone was confused. "You buy potions? I just assumed you were saving up your quest earnings... And you used up a pot for this? Soph would have been happy to find the requested item later, y''know." Breena mumbled something so softly that Lone''s sensitive ears didn''t pick up on it so he asked, "What was that?" The teen remained silent despite his pressing. Lone could tell she was on the verge of crying so he sighed and crouched down next to her. "Y''know, I didn''t mean what I said to the blood mage back there," he said, changing the subject for now. Breena slowly glanced at him. "I... I know. I only pretended to look hurt. I... I trust you, you and Mi-..." Her eyes fell down as she cut herself off. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can call me master and Soph and Sophie mistress, y''know? I don''t give a fuck either way," Lone said, finally addressing that elephant. "However, only as a form of address. There''s no magic binding you to our wills, which is how it always will be. Well, unless I need you to keep a secret or something that I can''t allow getting coerced out of you by skills, but no master-slave contracts. Ever." Stolen novel; please report. Breena''s smile returned, even if it was very faint. "I trust you both. I-I want to believe in Mistress Sophie too but..." "But she wants to kill you," Lone finished. "Well, more get rid of you. Her mind can be rather simple at times." ''Speak ill of our intelligence again and we will stop your Sex Mastery training for quite some time- Hey! Don''t just assume control without asking me first! Sorry Lone, I didn''t mean to use Mana Sensing to eavesdrop,'' Sophie and then Soph communicated telepathically. Lone chuckled. He put a palm atop Breena''s head to which she didn''t flinch for the first time. That filled him with pride. "I care a lot about you, Breena.," Lone stated. "You''re like a little sister to me - which is weird to say considering my real little sister is only a few minutes of teleporting away. I''d never actually let you die or just abandon you. I just wanted to make that clear." "T-Thanks..." Breena replied as she relaxed a bit. "Now!" Lone suddenly exclaimed, eliciting a slight jump from the young teen. "Did you get any level-ups to your skills or anything like that when you were held hostage? That was a high-intensity situation." Breena slowly nodded as if hesitant to talk on the subject. "Shadow Walker got two levels... It''s beginner-level-three now. I, uh, also got the Acting skill." Lone beamed a massive smile her way. "That''s amazing! Why would you hesitate to tell me that?" "... How about you, Master Lone?" Breena asked instead of answering. "How, uh, how many skills and levels did you get?" "Ah, that makes sense," Lone nodded to himself. "Y''know, it''s not healthy to compare yourself to me at all when it comes to system stuff, but I won''t lie and I won''t just not tell you. I got four new skills, two new magical affinities, and a total of 13 skill level-ups - all in the new resistances." Breena fixed her eyes on the rubble at her feet. "See? It''s... It''s embarrassing. How can I be proud of two levels and one skill when I''m just falling more and more behind..." Lone pursed his lips. "I won''t stop you if you''re making me your benchmark, but it ain''t healthy. I mean, Hamish gained nothing from the encounter and Soph only levelled Barrier Prison once. Ignoring me, that means you gained the most out of everyone." Breena looked surprised. "But... but they''re more talented than me..." Lone smirked. "I''ve told you before, your talent is hard work. However, in this case, it was the law of stress equals skills. Hamish was genuinely ready to die so he didn''t feel any stress whatsoever - I need to talk to him about that. Meanwhile, Soph was in no danger since she was always at the far end of the range of her Mana Sensing, so the only stress she was under was worrying about my life." "So... I just need to risk myself more to get skills and levels faster?" Breena inquired. Lone wore a wry expression on his face. "From what I''ve tested and learned so far, that''s exactly right, but don''t go becoming me and throwing yourself at death''s door, ''kay? Not until you get something like Basic Regeneration." Breena laughed very softly at the notion of that being possible. "T-Thanks, Mas-... Master Lone." "That''s gonna take some getting used to. Well, I''ll leave you to it. I''ve said what I wanted to say. Later," Lone said before he patted her head in a friendly manner again before walking away.
Two days later, in a place one could not enter unless they were invited, Sheelda McStuderson drank her 57th cup of tea. She''d been stuck in this infernal waiting room for four days now hoping, praying, that she''d be able to successfully cash in a very valuable inherited favour. Finally, the single door to the waiting room swung open before a young man who looked like a human by all accounts if you could ignore his blue skin approached Sheelda. He was wearing a fancy tailored suit that would only be fitting for those of the highest nobility, although he was only a servant here. "My lord will see you now, Descendant of the Namebearer," the servant claimed with a very formal bow, much to Sheelda''s dismay. The scripture magic had calmed considerably since she''d come up with a new plan of action to avenge her nephew but every moment waiting without doing anything that actively worked towards Lone Immortus''s death resulted in the unignorable itching of her soul returning. Sheelda stayed quiet as she followed the blue-skinned servant, being extra careful to not look at anything for more than a second or two at most. Focusing on anything outside of the waiting room was a good way to get her soul ensnared which was quite honestly the last thing she wanted. The only reason she was even here in the first place was to remove her soul''s hostage status from the scripture magic binding her. Were it up to her, she''d have never come here only to take unnecessary risks. The thousands of years old favour could have died with her for all she cared. However, she was left with no choice since she had been effectively blacklisted from the assassin organisation of the Farwinds and even some of the topsider ones despite her best efforts. She''d made some attempts to abuse her position as a High Chancellor of the Greater Council but progress on that front was slow. Every hour before she had made contact with this place''s owner was a struggle. The scripture magic wanted Lone Immortus dead weeks ago. If she had tried to play it subtly and risk-free any longer, Sheelda was certain the magic would have killed her within three days or less. "It''s just through here," the servant said as he gestured to a door Sheelda didn''t have the courage to look at. "I trust you will come to a magnificent arrangement with my lord, Descendant of the Namebearer." And with that, he opened the door and then closed it behind her as soon as she had crossed its threshold. "Well," a deep and silky smooth voice said, the tone in its voice similar to that of someone meeting an old friend for the first time in decades, "I must say, I''m very surprised. I do apologise for the delay, but surely you understand, I''m very busy even if talking to you about... that... was all I could think of ever since your arrival." Sheelda stayed silent, not wanting to speak out of line and get herself killed. "Please, none of that. I see no eggshells here, do you?" the lord of this place asked of her. Sheelda glanced up for the first time and drank in the full visage of the being before her. His skin was as black as a starless night and his eyes glowed brighter than the sun despite them being blood red. His head was adorned with seven sets of horns, each more intimidating than the last. He was wearing an unbuttoned white doublet that exposed his muscled torso and his legs were covered by a skin-tight hose. The being wasn''t wearing any foot coverings, likely on account of his claw-like toenails that Sheelda didn''t doubt could cut through even the hardest of metals with ease. Unlike most of his kind, he had chosen to grow a sharp beard and even a set of eyebrows, both of which were made entirely from the hottest of hell''s flames. Just so much as peering at the being''s facial hair was leaving Sheelda sweating so she very slowly shook her head. "Then don''t act as if you are walking on them," the Seventh King of all Demonkin, Zel, ordered in a jovial tone. "Now, a drink, perhaps a snack first?" Sheelda swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I... I had plenty of tea in t-the waiting room, Your Maj-" The demon closed his eyes, shook his head, and waved his hand dismissively. "Please, no titles here. I won''t be calling you High Chancellor, so no ''Your Majesty'' for me either. Zel will do. We both know it isn''t my true name, now don''t we, Descendant of the Namebearer?" She didn''t dare speak the creature''s actual name, even if it held power over him. Death would be the best outcome for her if she antagonised him, so she stayed her tongue. The Seventh King of all Demonkin exhaled a disappointed sigh. "Fine. Always all business. You come here as the daughter of the son of the daughter of the daughter of the woman who saved my life when I was but a lowly Enganar Imp of the 14th Blasphemous Hell. It was an accident and she would have killed me were the circumstances different, and I her, but a demon never leaves a debt of life unpaid. Now, it is time. Ask of me what you will and have the knowledge of my true name erased from your bloodline, but know that I will do whatever you ask of me my way." Sheelda gathered all of the courage she could manage as she replied, "I want you to kill a Golden Foxkin known as Lone Immortus." Zel raised an interested eyebrow. "You don''t wish for me to remove the scripture magic binding your soul? It seems to be a rather pressing issue for you, no?" "Y-You can?! Then yes! Please!" Sheelda pleaded. The demon king chuckled. "When did I claim I could tamper with such an intrinsic magical force such as scripture magic?" He casually sauntered over to a bookshelf Sheelda hadn''t even noticed was there. From it, he picked up a book titled ''Aether''s Laws''. Just looking at the tome spawned a violent throbbing pain in Sheelda''s mind so she quickly averted her eyes. "Yes, quite impossible for me, sadly. It''s a different grouping, shall we say?" Zel said. "Djinns, Harfolk, certain unique skills... The list is extensive for those who could remove your bindings, but not I. Groupings, yes? Such a bother. Although... If you aren''t averse to dying, that would make the magic just disappear with little to no effort." "I''m here because I don''t want to die," Sheelda responded. The black-skinned and well-dressed demon chuckled. "Oh, I''m sure, but it never hurts to know all of your options. I was just curious why you didn''t request that of me first. However, if you do ever come across a simple mortal or demon who can bend or break the Laws of Aether, do get in touch after all of this is over, won''t you? I''d very much so like to pick apart the brains of such a person." Sheelda felt like such a fool. She was being played by him. "T-Then my request to kill Lone Immortus?" "I confess, it wasn''t what I expected. A C-ranker who - if the walls speak true and the walls have very talented ears - was able to almost effortlessly snap the neck of a triple-S-ranked multi-affinity mage... Well, suffice it to say perhaps this might prove to be an entertaining distraction after all. I also get to remove one of the few annoyances tied to my existence - the string connecting the two of us together. Now tell me who isn''t a fan of two birds and one stone?" Zel asked, seemingly himself. "Well, Sheelda, I don''t usually mix business with pleasure but I''m nothing if not one who''s willing to try new things. Consider the matter already over." The smile the creature gave Sheelda would haunt her for the rest of her life, of that, she had no doubts. However, it had been a worthwhile trip. The word of a king of all demonkin was a powerful thing indeed. Already, the scripture magic tightening its grip on Sheelda''s soul had loosened considerably as if it knew of Zel''s inevitable success. She would be free from her past mistakes, she just knew it. B2: Chapter 101: Advice and Mushroom "Nothing''s changed this time around, huh?" Lone said to himself as he peered down into Void''s Abyss. Darkness''s peculiar body of purple galaxies appeared next to him. "Well, you haven''t exactly gained any new mental or soul-related skills, nor have you ranked up again." "Right shame that is," Lone sighed. "You''re a godly being right? Any ideas on what I need to do to reach B-rank?" "I''m no expert but I would assume you need enlightenment," Darkness replied with a sage-like nod. Lone gave it a dirty look before turning around and heading towards its inverted pyramid. "If you don''t wanna tell me, just say so. Giving me a hint, though, would be a good way to really start mending those broken bridges." "It''s not that I don''t want to," Darkness claimed as it followed after him. "I just can''t. Enlightenment is different for everyone. Would it help you if I said you could gain enlightenment by fighting something and almost dying in the same way you''ve done so thus far? Or, would letting you know that you have just as high of a chance of reaching B-rank by harvesting a tomato and having an epiphany at the same time help?" Lone stopped in his tracks. "No... No, you''re right. I''d just like to be able to really control my aura and tell how strong other people are off-rip instead of relying on Soph''s pretty accurate but not perfect Mana Sensing." "That''s fair. Well, ready for the meeting? Monsieur Librarian is pulling for you but I''m stopping him from dragging you away," Darkness asked. "His power grows. In the future, I bet I''d only be able to keep you here for a minute or two at best." "I''m good. Let me be whisked away," Lone replied. The very next moment, he was in his usual seat at the long table. Two weeks had passed since the last meeting and the only thing that had changed in the shelf-filled hall was that Swamp''s red blotches were no longer present on his blurred green form. There was no new guest nor no new books this time. Lone had decided to read that single tome of Monsieur Librarian''s today and he''d spend however long he needed to get access to it without revealing anything about himself. "Welcome back, Human, Swamp," Monsieur Librarian greeted. "Let the third Conclave of Seekers commence." "It''s good to see you''re in a better condition," Lone said to Swamp. "Thank you, Human. Asss I sssaid during the previousss conclave, usss Followersss of Lord Delwind are blesssed with long livesss," Swamp happily replied. "Monsieur Librarian," Lone called. "Can I ask you a question?" "Of course, though do not be disappointed if I ask for payment as the answer very well may be valuable enough to demand one," the multi-coloured being responded. Swamp fixed his gaze upon Lone curiously, clearly wondering what he wanted to ask of the conclave''s host. "I killed an SSS-ranked blood, explosion, and wind mage a few days ago," Lone said. "I surprise attacked her - which didn''t work - but I ended up being able to trap her, choke her to prevent her from casting more spells, and then snap her neck. My question is this: she had an army of blood creatures at her command. Why did they all just die when she did? Were they entirely sustained with her magic?" Lone got a sense of shock from Swamp but Monsieur Librarian merely raised a hand to tap the side of his chair thoughtfully. "That will require payment, I am afraid. Tell me what rank you are at and you will have your answer," the being offered. ''That''s... fine. I don''t see the harm in revealing that,'' Lone thought before he replied, "I''m a C-ranker." Swamp seemed even more surprised by that revelation than anything from any of their prior conversations. Monsieur Librarian nodded softly. "The army was made from a pure blood magic spell known as Blood Thrall. It is a fairly simple spell requiring very minimal affinity with blood magic and training to learn. Using it to maintain an army, however, would take centuries of effort and many thousands of litres of blood as well as a handful of earned additional effects. When the caster perishes, so too does the spark of life held within the blood sustaining any thralls made with it. For the army to have persisted after the caster''s passing, Blood Thrall would have needed to have been evolved into Blood Servant - a feat a bit above the ability of an average SSS-ranker." Lone considered that for a bit. ''That''s what I suspected. I guess I wouldn''t have gotten any levels from killing them anyway, so it''s fine they all died when Rosanne did. Glad to have that worry off my chest.'' "Thank you," Lone said respectfully. Monsieur Librarian nodded. "It was my pleasure." Swamp suddenly spoke up. "I wisssh to trade knowledge for accesss to the book on the ssshelf." Monsieur Librarian''s shrouded expression smiled. "Of course." "I am sssorry for asking a foolisssh quessstion firssst, but isss anything that isss new information to you fine?" Swamp asked first. "Let me assure you both of something before I answer. In this hall, there are no stupid questions. Knowledge is many things: power, currency, helpful, haunting, a necessity, a detriment, and so much more. The lack of it, however? And even more so the desire to fill said vacancy? That, Swamp, Human, that is to be applauded here, not shamed." Monsieur Librarian nodded affably. "Now, your question, Swamp. Yes, anything is perfectly serviceable, but it must interest me on top of being a discovery to me." "That makesss sssenssse." Swamp slowly nodded. "There isss no ssshame in ignorance and wanting to no longer be ignorant..." Lone watched the reptilian being ponder for a moment as he had his own thoughts on what had just been said. ''Why''d the monsieur think I needed to be told that too? I already think like that.'' "I am the final follower of Lord Delwind," Swamp claimed, sadness in his tone. "And I will rebuild hisss temple, no matter the cost." Monsieur Librarian tapped his chair''s armrest thoughtfully. "The final one... Very well. I was unaware of this. I truly hope you will accomplish your goals, Swamp. The tome''s knowledge is yours, as is the content of one more book of your choice when I reclaim more. I was unaware Lord Delwind''s temple had been destroyed." ''Lucky bastard,'' Lone thought. ''Such simple information that means fuckin'' nothing to me...'' As opposed to letting himself get sucked into his jealousy, Lone instead began thinking of how he could do the same: offer information that is useless to him and would be meaningless to Swamp but that might prove interesting to Monsieur Librarian. As he wracked his mind, the black book with a blank spine and no cover entered Swamp''s hands, who immediately began reading its contents. "I... would also like to trade information for the book," Lone said. He had noticed that despite the fact Swamp was clearly reading the tome, it was still present on the shelf meaning it was an illusion or a copy or something along those lines, so he could likely read it too. "Of course," Monsieur Librarian replied. "Do you now wish to tell me who it is that possesses Basic Regeneration?" "No," Lone answered and instead asked, "Are you aware of Earth?" Monsieur Librarian tapped his armrest. "Yes, of course." The multicoloured being clearly didn''t take Lone''s rejection to heart even slightly. "It was a place overflowing with magic and creation. Smaller than most other worlds and it only hosted a few hundred different races and species, but it was quaint despite those limitations." ''What?'' Lone was shocked. ''That''s... that''s not Earth.'' "I can sense the confusion in your eyes. Let''s see..." Monsieur Librarian placed a finger to his glabella. "Ah, much has changed. I see. Altros''s Milindo, is it? They figured out a way to connect to Earth. The heroes all claim magic is gone from the world. How deeply saddening. I was unaware of this change and your question prompted my discovery of this information. That would have taken me perhaps several cycles to learn on my own. The tome''s contents are yours to peruse as you see fit." Lone almost didn''t want to read the book at this point. ''What''s a cycle? And more importantly, Earth used to have magic? I mean, that would explain the guy calling himself God who tried to kill Sophie and the pocket dimension he used before she claimed it. But still... what happened? Why isn''t there magic anymore?'' The book from the shelf appeared in his hands and now Lone could clearly see a title on its previously blank cover. It read Devils and How to Make Deals With Them by Archsummoner Ruldso Redmore of the Temporal Plane. Curious and happy to shift his focus to something else, Lone flipped open the book. Page 1 Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. You wish to know how to make a deal with a devil? The simple answer on how can be found in one word: don''t. You are vastly unprepared for the trickery these beings naturally generate. That''s right, not trickery they are capable of, trickery that they quite literally create passively. Even were a demon, devil, or any other permanent resident of any of the many hells born with a pure soul and a penchant for avoiding violence, they would still inadvertently trick and fool any who would meet their words with a coherent response - and the coherent part is debatable at best - into a swift death. It takes the mind of a veritable sage to navigate the web of wordplay a devil will no doubt lay at your feet should you allow them the chance. You want my honest advice? Get your unearned power elsewhere. Take your chances with a Djinn. They are infinitely more fair. 99.9% of people who engage in a deal, contract, arrangement, or whatever else, with an inhabitant of the many hells end up dead or worse. The other 0.1% percent is me... was me. I don''t mean people like me, I quite literally mean me. I have never met another being who has entered a deal with a denizen of the many hells and not lived to regret it deeply, people I once pitied and laughed at until recently. If you insist on trying anyway, buckle up. This book is 4,000 pages of the best fucking advice you''ll ever find on the subject from the only living expert. You''d better take it all to heart, because if you don''t, you will die or whatever else you can think of that''s worse for you personally than that. "A book on dealing with devils?" Lone asked mostly himself. "Didn''t expect that." Swamp looked up from his own copy of the tome in surprise. "What? My copy isss about a certain type of mussshroom that isss potent enough to kill even me within sssecondsss were I to consssume one." Monsieur Librarian smiled. "The books that line this hall, or rather... that will line this hall, are very special." "Special how?" Lone inquired. "They tell the members of the Conclave of Seekers what it is they need to know the most," was all the mysterious being said in response. "Knowledge is valuable. The tricky thing about knowledge, however, is that while even the tiniest crumb of information can topple an empire, that can only happen if the right person learns of that particular crumb''s existence." "I''m going to topple an empire?" Swamp asked curiously. "And knowing about thessse... mussshroomsss will help with that? Lord Delwind worksss in mysssteriousss waysss." Lone, in response, shook his head. "It was a metaphor." "What''sss an empire?" Swamp asked. Lone sighed and waved his hand. "Another time. Monsieur Librarian is saying the book is telling us something we really needed to know. Which would imply I''m gonna need to deal with a devil or demon or something and you... you''re gonna eat a mushroom that would have killed you." "What''sss a metaphor?" Swamp asked but quickly followed up with, "Ssso a fungal edible would have been the end of the Followersss of Delwind. It isss a good thing we paid the price, no? What isss Earth, by the way? And what isss a devil?" Lone shook his head. "I''d rather not answer either of those questions. the first on account of it having value to the table''s head and the second because I don''t really know. I''ll quick-fire your other two questions though. An empire is a type of ruling power. I assume you have tribes or something. That, but on a significantly larger scale. A metaphor is just a way to say something indirectly, I guess." "You are a very honessst perssson, Human," Swamp noted in a happy tone, not appearing to be offended even slightly by Lone''s curt offhanded handling of his questions. Monsieur Librarian had nothing more to say from the looks of things, instead returning to his silent thoughts or whatever else it was the mysterious being did during these meetings. Seeing that, Lone sighed and got stuck into the tome. He didn''t trust it at all. Why would he need to deal with an inhabitant of hell? Some eldritch being crawling out of the Deepwinds he would have trusted, but a devil? It was so unlikely to the point of being almost laughable. Lone was getting closer to thinking Monsieur Librarian was some sort of mystical charlatan of some sort rather than a being powerful enough to piggyback off of and then cut off a godly being like Darkness. Still, he would read the book on devils. For all he knew it could be accurate and might even be helpful one day, especially since he did plan to reverse-engineer summoning magic eventually. Inhabitants of the many hells were common targets for a lot of summoning magics, after all. As he read the book, a few passages, in particular, stood out to him amongst the rest. So little of the information stored in the tome being useful wasn''t overly odd. After all, it took Lone no time at all to realise the book was little more than an autobiography of sorts for this Archsummoner Ruldso Redmore. It detailed every single encounter he''d had with devils and demons and many of those encounters were very similar. Still, there was wisdom to be gleamed so gleam it Lone did.
Page 732 My first dealing with an Arch Devil. I can''t even speak the stupid beast''s fake name and what I can say about the encounter is limited at best. Suffice it to say, it wasn''t very happy I was using it to learn and document a safe way to deal with its breed. Arch Devils are not at the top of the devil hierarchy, but they are close. All I can say is this: if you meet an Arch Devil who has two succubus tails, tell them I regret nothing and I''d fucking do it again!
Page 2,326 With my fourth successful dealing with an Arch Devil concluded, I think I can safely make a conclusive evaluation of this class of demonic beings. You''re fucked. You''re just fucked. It''s that simple. I''ve spent twenty thousand years trying to break the bindings between me and that first Arch Devil (refer to page 732 for context, but if you haven''t been paying attention, stop reading this book you worthless ingrate and give it to someone who it might actually help). It''s useless. I now know they just need to speak to bind you. Well, not quite ''speak'' like their lesser, the normal devils, but it may as well work that way. Let me tell you exactly why I''m absolutely buggered in a sense. When I first made a deal with Sendrela, Arch Dealachadh Devil, Lady of the 16th Wrought Hell (yeah, get fucked, bitch! If you ever read this, I may not have broken the bindings, but I sure as fuck learned how to bend ''em!) she introduced herself and asked me to take a seat. Where a normal devil may bind you by forcefully ordering you and utterly destroying your mind in the process, Arch Devils work by a certain set of unbreakable rules. Unbreakable but highly malleable. I, in my foolish excitement to finally have a meeting with an Arch Devil, while not verbally agreeing, did, indeed, sit down at her offer. This created a deal between us. I had done her a favour by sitting, thus, giving her power over me until I did something of equal standing in her eyes. Of course, I clearly have yet to do that and likely never will since I, well, y''know. Since I fucked the succubus and tricked her so she didn''t get a single drop of my life essence.
Page 4,321 It worked! It fucking worked! I was able to not only summon an Arch Devil and his entire army of devils and demons, but I bound them all to my will in exchange for some worthless information on how to kill some nobody group of secular Divines. He had to fulfil my terms when he was done, and boy was it glorious. I got an Arch Devil to kill one of its peers. I''m going to do it. I''m going to try to summon "Her". I doubt I''ll succeed. It''s just a completely different level of existence even when compared to the Omni Devils, and I stand almost no chance of success with the Emperor Devils. If I don''t feel confident dealing with just a single step above the Arch class, why not shoot for the stars, eh? I''ll publish this journal. Maybe spruce it up a bit, add extra notes. Warn others away. Let''s say... 25 copies? I''ll write 25 copies then I''ll do it. I''ll invoke "Her" name. If you''re reading this, thanks. You''re probably gonna die if this interests you enough to light a fire in your chest, but I believe in the me that believes in you (because this me doesn''t). All you have to really remember is to never allow a devil of any kind to talk you into doing something you don''t want to, infinitely more so for an Arch Devil. If you can, kill them before they can even speak or somehow bind them to your will first (impossible without my bloodline or a very specific type of unique skill). Good luck.
"Ah, hello," Darkness greeted as it stuffed a grape into its mouth. "That took a while." Lone shrugged as he found a set of cushions to sit upon. "I guess the monsieur is regaining his power? I only got booted out when I was done reading my book." "Book?" Darkness asked inquisitively. "I''m surprised he let you just sit there and read one of your tomes. Actually, you can access your Dimensional Storage from in there? You aren''t physically there, so that seems rather unfeasible." Lone shook his head. "Nah, it was a book of Monsieur Librarian''s. "Devils and How to Make Deals With Them by Archsummoner Ruldso Redmore of the Temporal Plane" was its title." Darkness looked startled. "You read that?" Lone nodded. "From cover to cover." "And you weren''t, oh, I don''t know, beset upon by various types of infernal flames?" Darkness asked, a jovial tone in its voice. It then consumed another grape. Lone raised an eyebrow. "Should I have been?" "Oh, yes, absolutely. I don''t believe Infernal Flame Resistance is in your rather large skill catalogue, is it? If I recall correctly - and I presume I do - anyone without master rank in that skill or not at least a Divine being should instantly be burned to death upon even touching that book, let alone reading it," Darkness claimed. "So... it''s a genuine book? Everything in it was true? All the advice?" Lone asked. "The stories? The exploits? Ruldso Redmore?" Darkness nodded its purple swirling galaxy head. "Oh, yes. That''s why it was cursed. Every single one of its remaining volumes were affected. It couldn''t be destroyed on account of preparations from that wily little summoner, but some very powerful devils were able to make it incredibly hard to read. Or was it one devil? I can''t quite recall. Oddly enough, my fellow Primal Life would likely know more than I do about this. The hellish planes aren''t exactly my forte." "Huh." Lone leaned into the cushions a bit. "I wonder why Monsieur Librarian thought I needed that knowledge then." "Oh, probably because there''s a devil in the middle of your camp waiting for you to wake up," Darkness said casually. "There''s a... what?!" Lone exclaimed, panic rising in his chest since he was painfully aware of how dangerous devils were now thanks to the book. Darkness nodded slowly. "Yes, an Arch Aghaidh-choimheach Devil. If I remember correctly, he was Zel, the Seventh King of all Demonkin? I do apologize if that isn''t entirely accurate. I was recently locked in a ball for a few centuries though it''s unlikely he evolved or devolved during my extended involuntary vacation." Lone quickly got up and shouted, "And you didn''t think it was important to tell me this why exactly?! I was in that hall reading for hours!" "Oh, I''d imagine. Even with your level of Reading Mastery, 4,321 pages is quite a lot," Darkness agreed. "And it didn''t seem urgent. He''s been waiting patiently without disturbing your companions for about two hours or so. I assume he wishes to speak with you, but what do I know? I''m just a Primal living in an upsidedown pyramid trapped within a C-ranker''s soul." Just before Lone ejected himself from his own soul, he asked, "Would you have told me if my friends were in danger?" A serious aura consumed Darkness. "In a heartbeat. Your moniker of Immortus the Immortal is quite accurate, I do assure you. I do not wish to be trapped here for all eternity with a jailor who hates me. I would have even attacked that hall of Monsieur Librarian''s to get your attention if I felt it was necessary." That gave Lone a moment of pause. "I appreciate that." He then dismissed himself from his soul, leaving Darkness alone. The Primal sighed. "He''s a very lucky boy to have such a lucky girl attached to his hip..." B2: Chapter 102: 111 and 666 The moment Lone''s consciousness had returned, he sprung up and made sure Soph was okay. She appeared asleep but that couldn''t have been true. Sophie would have been mentally on watch and would have detected the devil before trying to wake him immediately as she had done with the assassin not too long ago. "Your friends are under a simple sleeping spell of mine. Trust me, if I could have killed them, I would have," a silky smooth voice flowed into Lone and Soph''s tent. "Would you come out and talk to me?" Lone didn''t answer and he most certainly didn''t move to leave the tent. That would be the last thing he would even think of doing now that the devil had asked him to. One of the most critical pieces of advice in Devils and How to Make Deals With Them by Archsummoner Ruldso Redmore of the Temporal Plane was to never do anything a denizen of hell requested of you. Stay still, stay silent, and pray to whoever might be listening that the devil either could not or would not kill you. That, or kill them or bind them first if you are able. A chuckle reached Lone''s ears. "I''ve already interfered by putting your friends to sleep. I have no power over you until you do something to me. Will you really not just come out and talk to me? I can swear upon my true name that I do not mean to trick nor entice you. I simply wish to discuss why I am even here." ''"Do not mean to trick nor entice you" doesn''t mean that you won''t do it passively regardless. I really did need that fuckin'' book... What can I do here?'' Lone wondered as he relied on his Meditation to avoid reacting even slightly. He couldn''t attack the thing. Darkness had claimed this was a king of all demonkin, and the book explained that anyone with that title was as strong as a Divine being. Lone stood no chance in a direct confrontation. Well, perhaps a slim chance given his ridiculous durability, but he didn''t want to test that out right now when he knew nothing of this particular Arch Devil''s capabilities. This devil had to follow the unbreakable rules of the arch class. He wasn''t on his natural plane. Thankfully, Lone was now aware of all of these rules. The book made it painfully clear that so long as he didn''t enter a deal with this devil, he stood a far greater chance of coming out of this unscathed than if he did enter one. The book hadn''t accounted for one thing, however; True Contract Magic. Ruldso Redmore was aware it was possible for a unique skill to do as his own bloodline could, but he hadn''t ever actually met a person with a unique skill that could accomplish the level of binding necessary. True Contract Magic was suited for just this, but it wasn''t ideal due to its limitations. ''I can use a level one, two or four contract. The level three one still has a few weeks of cooldown, and a level one or two might be too weak for what I need it to do. Can I convince this devil to sign though without engaging in a conversation? It has to be fair too...'' The rules prevented the devil from asking Lone to do something he was already doing, such as sitting or remaining silent. So long as he didn''t respond to it verbally or leave his tent, it couldn''t bind him. And since it hadn''t asked him to move yet, only asking him to leave the tent instead, he was free to enact his plan for the moment. With that in mind, he withdrew a piece of parchment and a bucket of blood from his Dimensional Storage. "Space magic? No. Not magic. An innate ability? Bloodline specific? No... No... This is Unique. Yes. A unique skill. Very well. If it wi-" Lone stopped everything he was doing. It was obvious to Lone the seventh king was going to ask him something sneaky like ''write another line'' or something like that. It couldn''t bind him by asking him to write in general since he''d already done that on his own initiative, but if he hadn''t technically done it yet, the devil could get very specific with its binding questions. Just as Lone thought any chance of talking to the devil was gone, it stopped talking and remained silent for a moment before Lone heard the sound of a rolling set of dice. A chuckle was soon followed by a sentence. "You know a lot about my kind. Too much." With it going silent, Lone was free to write once more but he was utterly terrified of how aware and intelligent this devil was. He supposed that came with the territory though. The Seventh King of all Demonkin, Zel, was letting him finish his contract. That scared Lone more than any spoken threats could.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
It implied the contract meant nothing to the devil or that it could simply work around it. ''It doesn''t matter. I''m not bound in any way by it yet and it''ll regret letting me be the one to bind it instead.'' A few minutes passed and the only thing that could be heard was Lone''s blood-covered finger running across the parchment with the odd dice rolled mixed in from outside of the tent. Once he was done, Lone double-checked the contract. Contract of Answering and Questioning Participants: Lone Immortus | The Arch Devil that is commonly referred to as the Seventh King of all Demonkin, Zel. Terms: Each contract participant may ask one question of the other in at most three sentences. The other participant must answer truthfully within three sentences and may then ask a question of their own. When given as an answer, a silence of ten seconds will end the current question and answer back and forth, as will the lack of a question for ten seconds. Once the current question and answer session ends, both participants will never be able to interact with each other or the beings they care for or consider companions, the only exception being to engage in another question and answer session that follows the same rules from the initial paragraph. All questions and answers are free from any and all binding effects, whether passive, active, generated by natural laws, or otherwise. All content of the questioning and answering sessions may never be shared with another being who is not a participant in the contract. This contract is existence-binding and cannot be broken, tampered with, or evaded. The contract is eternal. Intended Contract Level: 4 Required Contract Level: 4 Signed: Lone Immortus Signed: Lone nodded. With it like this, he would be happy to talk to the devil outside of his tent if it chose to sign. If he could have, he''d have set it up so he could ask endless questions to the devil and never answer any of his own, but it had to be fair for the contract to bind. Unique skills were unique, not omnipotent. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He took a deep breath and mentally checked something. ''He asked me to come out and talk, so technically, I can speak right now with no chance of being bound.'' "Unsummon Sophie Vladimirovich," Lone whispered before Soph suddenly disappeared. If the devil didn''t sign the contract he was ready to fight to the death. If Hamish and Breena died as a result of that battle, it would weigh heavily on his mind but that was a risk he was willing to take if it was his only chance of getting himself, Soph, Sophie, and Kyuubi, out of here alive. He rolled up the contract and tossed it outside. He heard the devil get up and walk over to it before picking it up. "How interesting," Zel commented. "The power radiating off of this... and level four? Is that a high or low level? Well, I didn''t come here for a fight, I only came here to discuss. This is perfect. I just sign with my blood, yes? How very interesting indeed. I do wonder how you know my name..." A few moments passed before Lone felt the magic click and clasp into place. Just to be sure, he pulled up True Contract Magic''s system information.
Unique Skill: True Contract Magic
A skill unique to the host, Lone Immortus. Allows the host to create magically binding contracts that cannot be broken nor removed by anyone, not even the host, once formed. Contracts must be written with and by the blood of the host and signed using both the host''s and the other party''s (or parties'') blood. Contracts must offer an exchange of two things (or collections of things) that the involved parties truly believe to be equal in value. Depending on the scale of the contract, it will be assigned a level. Each contract level has a cooldown. Level-1: 1-day [Ready]. Level-2: 1-week [Ready]. Level-3: 1-month [Remaining Cooldown: 19 days]. Level-4: 6-months [Remaining Cooldown: 180 days]. Level-5: 1-year [Remaining Cooldown: 152 days]. The host may only ever create five Level 5 contracts. 4 remaining. This skill is bonded to the unique skill: The Summoning Room. Current contracts Level-1: Contract of Secrecy co-signed by George Leston, Emma Malik, Scott Miles, Hazel McArthur, and Alisa W¨®jcik. Duration: Permanent. Level-2: Contract of Cooperative Extermination with Hamish Understone. Duration: Permanent. Level-3: Contract of Soul-Binding Secrecy and Non-hostility with unnamed assassin. Duration: Permanent. Level-4: Contract of Questioning and Answering with the Arch Devil that is commonly referred to as the Seventh King of all Demonkin, Zel. Duration: Permanent. Level-5: Contract of Parenthood with Kyuubi Immortus. Duration: Permanent.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: N/A
Lone sighed in relief and stepped out of the tent to see the devil for the first time. The foremost thing he noticed was how the being was dressed, much more so than his pitch-black skin, pure red eyes, and his intimidating horns. "A gay pirate?" Lone muttered. "The first question I would presume, and an amusing one too. I am no pirate but I suppose I am technically part homosexual. I''ve participated in many an orgy where I partook in both of the present sexes," Zel confessed. "Why are you no longer afraid of me?" Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a chair. He sat down and got himself comfortable. He then looked around. The devil was seated on a chair of black flames and a table made of the same material was in front of him. In his hand was a set of three dice, all made of purple flames with red flaming dots for the numbers. Even though it sent an engulfing pain through Lone''s entire body, he stared straight into the devil''s eyes. "Because I know what you''re capable of and how you work. The only power you now have over me is the literal kind and I''m not scared of a fight to the death. What did you do to my companions exactly?" Zel rolled his dice on the table of black flames. They all came up as ones. He sighed and shook his head before he returned Lone''s stare with a kind smile. "I like you. It''s a simple charm that will wear off in around 22 hours. Specifically, it''s a charm called Entropic Slumber. How did you know how to handle me? I admit, it surprised me to see such a young C-ranker so well versed in avoiding my... talents." "How did I know how to react accordingly to the presence of an Arch Aghaidh-choimheach Devil, huh. That''s a good question," Lone said, resulting in Zel''s smile completely disappearing. "I read a book. What is the root reason for you being here beyond wanting to have a discussion with me?" "My life was saved during a summoning ritual gone wrong," Zel answered, all traces of amusement gone from his being. "How do you know my exact demonic species?" "A god told me," Lone replied. "How does your life being saved presumably tens of thousands of years ago relate to you insisting on talking to me specifically?" The Seventh King of all Demonkin narrowed his eyes as if considering something. Whatever it was, he had decided on it within seconds. He rolled his dice again, again all ones. "The great great granddaughter of the woman who saved me requested that I kill you as she felt unable to do so herself," Zel explained, some of his jovial and relaxed nature returning. "Which god?" "One of the three that live within me. I''m a beastkin with colourful tails. Figure out the rest on your own," Lone answered curtly. "You haven''t killed me yet or tried to, so are you just waiting or did you decide to decline Sheelda and simply took an interest in me?" "The rules allow me to kill everyone in this camp but every time I was about to do so, fate revealed itself to me and it didn''t look very appealing," it replied, rolling three ones once again. "Somehow, I would have died if I had simply taken the quick route. Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but choosing violence would have resulted in my demise one way or another, one time or another, now forgive the run-on sentence but I''m only allowed three, so to fully answer, you clearly know a lot about my kind, so surely you know that I was happy to accept Sheelda''s request, thus... I did." ''Are those rolls related to what it means? Either he or those dice can, what... predict fate for him depending on his intentions?'' Lone wondered. A few seconds passed before the full weight of his quickly-spoken final sentence landed with him. ''He tricked her,'' Lone thought. ''Of course he did. From the context clues and what the book told me, Sheelda''s ancestor, what, somehow prevented him from dying during a botched summoning or something and learned his true name. The name then got attached to the bloodline. That''s normal. Not cashing out the favour for generations is normal too. The real question is why does Sheelda want me dead badly enough to be so fuckin'' stupid that she would risk getting duped by such a powerful devil?'' "You''re insightful considering you very aptly surmised who it was that allowed this visit of mine to the mortal plane," Zel said, using the first sentence of his three for his question. "Tell me, Lone, are you capable of murder?" "Very," Lone responded as he looked right into Zel''s eyes once again and allowed his peripheral vision to drink in the devil''s fiery facial hair. A few system notifications popped up but he ignored them for now. "What exactly did you agree to do in exchange for your true name being wiped from Sheelda''s bloodline?" Zel grinned a demonic grin. "She asked me to kill you to which I responded with a question of if her desire to get rid of the scripture magic threatening her life wasn''t a more pressing matter. She then begged me to handle said scripture magic instead. The conversation following my subtle agreeance was interesting, if not meaningless, to say the least." ''Oh, god,'' Lone sighed internally. ''The fuckin'' idiotic dwarf might have saved my life and guaranteed her death by showing weakness to a devil.'' Zel leaned back into his chair of flames as he rolled again, this time getting three sixes. "I can''t remove scripture magic directly. Rules and such. Would you perhaps do it in my place using whatever method you see as the most optimal?" Lone tilted his head and stared at the ceiling of the Farwind road he was in. "I would never do the bidding of a demonkin even with the restrictions of my contract in place. Not for free." He rocked forward and intertwined his fingers. "Tell me, Zel. If the scripture magic compelling Sheelda kills her on its own, does that count as a failure on your part to remove it? Correct me if I''m wrong, but agreements involving a demon''s true name are very particular." Zel raised both his flaming eyebrows and offered a slight shrug of agreement. "Yes, yes it would. I''d like to make something clear though. If I wanted you dead to resolve this matter, regardless of whatever minor Luck deity it is that is guarding you, you''d be dead." The devil nodded slowly. "Death isn''t the end for me as I suspect it isn''t for you either, so my next question is this; will you take a simple devil''s hand and do me the favour of resolving Sheelda''s little scripture magic issue? Being indebted to a nobody dwarf doesn''t serve my purposes in any way whatsoever. You though, you''re not a nobody." Lone stayed silent for a full eight seconds. On the ninth, he replied, "I''ll think about it. Do the names Clicker or Snapper mean anything to you?" Zel wore a confused expression, clearly not having anticipated the sudden shift in conversation tone. "No... no, they don''t. Do they mean anything to you?" Lone held his breath, ready to finally test and confirm something. ''Every time I''ve brought up Clicker or Snapper to Breena, Hamish, or Gilbert, they all forget about it as if by magic. Can such an effect apply to a devil so strong he''s essentially a Divine?'' "I don''t quite know yet," Lone answered. "I hope not, but it seems likely." A few seconds passed before Lone asked his next question. "Do the names Clicker or Snapper mean anything to you?" Zel pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "No... no, they don''t. Do they mean anything to you?" Lone''s stomach dropped. ''Okay... Okay... Fuck. Whatever was possessing the Taker is stronger than a Divine. Much stronger. That frog lady who guided Soph and me to Milindo too... Fuck!'' "It would seem they do mean quite a bit to me, in fact," Lone responded. He let ten seconds come and go, marking the end of the questioning and answering session. Zel smiled and got up, dismissing his chair, table, and dice of flames, as if nothing odd had happened. "Well, I''ll wait for the good news. This was a very charming experience. Until next time." Lone remained perfectly silent and still even long after Zel had enwreathed himself in infernal flames and had disappeared entirely. B2: Chapter 103: Miner and Thinking Ding... Ding... Ding... Ding... The rhythmic sound of metal slamming into stone and metal alike was the first thing Soph''s senses picked up as she awoke. It wasn''t a close sound but it also wasn''t distant. It originated perhaps 50 or so metres from her. She yawned as she stretched a bit and opened her eyes. "Good morning Lone..." She looked around with bleary eyes when the information her Mana Sensing had been collecting fully processed in her mind. "Wha...?" ''Soph, why were we asleep? We were waiting for Lone to finish his meeting. With the two of us, there is no way we would have missed his consciousness returning, yet now we awake only to see him mining a tunnel through the road''s walls,'' Sophie pointed out. Soph slowly clambered out of her and Lone''s tent. ''I don''t know. I can ask though.'' Not a moment later, Hamish and Breena stumbled out of their own tents, both looked a bit confused but well-rested. "Uh, I''m gonna go talk to Lone," Soph said to them. Hamish slowly nodded when his stomach rumbled. "Aye, ye dae ''at. Ah''ll work on breakfast." "I-I''ll help. I want to try levelling Cooking Mastery," Breena shyly added. Soph smiled at the two of them as she wiped some of the crust from her eyes. Hamish was a useful person even if she detested him, and Breena was a sweet girl trying her best. Soph couldn''t ever dislike her for that. With no particular hurry, she made her way down Lone''s tunnel and was a bit surprised that he didn''t stop mining the ore and stone in his way when she had reached his side. "What are you doing, Lone?" Soph asked curiously. He stopped briefly to look at her. Smiling weakly, Lone replied, "Going over it again and again and again." Soph wore a confused look. "You''re not making any sense." ''He is shaking,'' Sophie conveyed. ''Well, yeah, he''s been digging a tunnel for who knows how many hours,'' Soph replied. Sophie scoffed in her mind. ''No, he could mine for days before the exhaustion started hitting his muscles. Soph, he is afraid of something.'' "Lone... what happened when we were asleep?" Soph asked softly. "Why... why wasn''t I awake when you returned?" Lone looked at his pickaxe and clearly considered going back to swinging it but he ultimately decided to sigh and slump down onto the ground. "When I woke up, you were passed out and a devil told me he''d put you, Breena, and Hamish, to sleep. That was... well, you''re up now, so about 22 hours ago." "A devil?" Soph cocked her head curiously, though she was mostly still just concerned for Lone. "Didn''t Gilbert mention those during one of your calls?" Lone laughed weakly. "No, he mentioned demons since he''s considering invoking the hells to empower his spells. A devil is to a demon what a bug is to a blade of grass." "A bug isn''t so bad. I don''t get why you''re so spooke-" "An Arch Devil is to a devil what a person is to a bug," Lone interrupted. "And I tell you what, Soph, I''m feelin'' an awful lot like a bug right now, dancing in the palm of a very powerful person." ''He is being stupid. We are taking over,'' Sophie informed her softer self. The look in her eyes hardened and Lone smiled at her once more. "Hi, Sophie." "You are looking pretty pathetic," Sophie jabbed. "You never look like this, even when you so foolishly threatened a demigod. Do you remember the Djinn?" Lone nodded. "Sure do." "Then why are you so frightened?" Sophie asked, a rare hint of warmth in her voice. "Because the denizens of hell are born of trickery. I did everything I was supposed to. I didn''t do what the devil said, nor did I even look at him before I got him to sign my first ever level four True Contract Magic contract," Lone explained to her. "We had a back-and-forth discussion that followed some simple but very binding rules. I learned why a being as strong or stronger than a Divine showed up in our camp. I can''t give you any details because the contract binds me." That shocked Sophie greatly. It made sense now why Lone was so shaken up. This ''Arch Devil'' could have killed her before he had returned from his meeting. It terrified her that it could have killed Lone and kept her asleep long enough for Minor Time Control to be worthless in any attempt to save his life. Considering how strong Lone''s love was for her, Sophie now understood his terror. "Why didn''t it?" Sophie asked. "What?" Lone asked. "Why didn''t it kill us, Breena, and Hamish?" Sophie inquired. Lone put his hands together and clasped them over his knees. "I don''t know and I can''t mention anything he said, but I think it might have to do with a certain ''minor Luck deity''. Considering your stats, I bet we both know who that means." "Oh... Well, that is fortunate," Sophie said as she bent down and rubbed Lone''s head. She was smart enough to read between the lines. At some point during this secret conversation between her man and this Arch Devil, it had confessed to being thwarted somehow by her Luck. "What''re you doing?" Lone asked. Sophie smirked at him. "Comforting you. Stop shaking like a wet dog and tell us exactly what has you worried and what this devil wanted from you, without telling us what it wanted from you. You are clever, so we expect you to word it sufficiently enough to satisfy your unique skill." Lone chuckled faintly. "I love you, you know that, right?" "We do, now explain yourself, you filthy miner," Sophie replied. Lone nodded faintly. "The bloodline of a dwarf of no particular interest to us has been aware of a certain being''s true name for generations, and in exchange for removing that particular trait from this dwarf''s bloodline, the magic binding her which is forcing her to try to kill someone was offered to be removed when she thought she was requesting that person''s death." He grimaced as if in pain but that soon passed and he looked normal again. ''Interesting. He can allude to the conversation with correlations and outright lies but True Contract Magic punishes him for it?'' "That is why she is so bent on your death when your relation to her nephew''s death is tangential at best?" Sophie asked in disgust. "Scripture magic? It is somehow forcing her to end your life?" Lone shrugged. "Apparently. This old man I once met years ago told me he would die if he attacked us. Not immediately, but eventually his end would find him. Seemed to amuse and upset this old fucker in equal measure. I bet you would have managed to escape and would have hunted him down if he offed me. Or our contingency would have happened." Sophie confirmed that. "For the rest of our life, if required. And do not speak of that plan. We and Soph alike are against it even if it is a guaranteed failsafe." Lone smiled weakly at that. "He was rolling three six-sided dice as we talked. The only time they rolled anything but three ones was when a request was made of me. The dice all rolled a six. Sheelda''s scripture magic needs to go and killing her would do that, but letting her die on her own by failing to kill me would be very bad for someone." ''He did not mention these dice in a roundabout way. They weren''t discussed in the conversation. That is good to know.'' Sophie frowned. "We don''t see the issue. We want her dead anyway. It would only take us a few days to teleport to the capital, scout her out, and then end her life." "I have no qualms with killing her. She tried to get me executed and sent a powerful assassin organisation after me. Even if she''s being forced by magic, I''d sleep sounder with her dead," Lone said. "What worries me is somehow getting myself bound to the devil. It''s why I decided to start mining to try to clear my head and see all of the possibilities." "How do you know so much about devils anyway? That is not one of the topics you have been researching," Sophie asked.
Lone stayed silent for a bit as he wondered how to answer that. ''Do I tell her about the book? I don''t know if that''ll somehow mark her in some way since some very powerful devils or one incredibly powerful devil cursed it and its copies... Hmm...'' He ultimately decided to convey the knowledge telepathically, informing her of the book Monsieur Librarian had granted him access to. "Huh." Sophie stroked her smooth chin as she thought about something. "Can we talk about this back at our camp? We will tell you now, we are going to kill Sheelda. We will discuss how to take precautions against this devil''s trickery, but not in a dark tunnel. We are hungry." Lone felt his fears washing away upon hearing the sheer confidence in his lover''s voice even if he didn''t agree entirely quite yet. He laughed. "Never change." Sophie gave him a funny look. "We thought you wanted us to change. If you are fine with us hating Breena, very well, we shall not try to think differently of h-" Lone laughed softly and shook his head. "Not what I meant." Sophie grinned. "Good. You aren''t shaking anymore. Now! We demand pancakes. Hamish''s rations won''t do, so you will be dipping into our sweets reserve!" "Yes, your highness," Lone replied as he followed her out of his self-made tunnel.
About ten minutes later, as he ate, Lone took a moment to go through his entire notification log. He''d already looked at it shortly after Zel had left but a second check never hurt.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1!
Active Skill: Meditation
A skill that allows the host to reach a place of zen mentally. The ability to think rationally when upset or angered is passively 30% [+15%] easier. Focused thinking while meditating leads to logical conclusions and comprehension of complex matters 30% [+15%] faster.
Cost: 80 SP [-10 SP] per 15-minutes [+5-minutes].
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. This skill had helped Lone a lot in keeping his cool when Zel was trying to trick him out of the tent. Because of that, he had decided that he could afford to keep it up permanently. It took some mental focus and were Hazel here he couldn''t both meditate and fool her Mind Reading skill at the same time. He simply lacked the mental fortitude to do both, but in normal situations, keeping Meditation on at all times was simple enough. Lone''s main hope in doing this was to somehow make it a passive skill. He didn''t know if that was possible and he''d check in with the credit slate at the guild in the future, but for now, he had nothing to lose in trying.
The host has developed the passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance].
Passive Skill: Infernal Flame Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist infernal flames of all kinds. The madness, soul compulsion, soul erosion, and pure damage, caused by all infernal flames will be reduced by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6!
Lone''s latest resistance skill levelled and levelled until it finally stopped in the middle of advanced rank.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4!
Passive Skill: Infernal Flame Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist infernal flames of all kinds. The madness, soul compulsion, soul erosion, and pure damage, caused by all infernal flames will be reduced by 30% [+25%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4
Seeing as how Lone hadn''t gained any specific resistances, that either meant that the passive effects emitted from Zel''s facial hair and his summoning furniture weren''t specific in nature. Or, it meant they had to be used directly on him. He knew from the book that there were dozens of types of infernal flames all with differing effects, so to earn the overarching resistance to all of them was fantastic in his opinion. It was, however, concerning to see what the skill protected him from since that implied he was subject to all of those things while in Zel''s presence. The madness and pure damage could be dealt with by Basic Regeneration but the two soul afflictions worried Lone incredibly.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9!
At this point in the log, Zel had left and now the following notifications were born of Lone''s reaction and mulling over the conversation.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1!
Passive Skill: Panic Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from panic attacks. Reduces the chances that the host will experience a panic attack in a stressful situation by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Every hour, every minute, Panic Resistance had slowly been levelling all the way up until Soph and then Sophie came to talk to him, so it didn''t stop at just intermediate level one.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7!
''And here''s where I decided to start mindlessly mining,'' Lone commented as a new set of notifications filled his vision.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1!
Passive Skill: Mining Mastery
A skill that allows the host to more efficiently mine through materials with a pickaxe. Increases the host''s mining speed by 15% [+10%] and increases the host''s ability to spot structural weaknesses in stone structures like caves, walls, and buildings, by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9!
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Panic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10!
''What''re we gonna do about Sheelda?'' Soph suddenly asked him mentally. ''Sophie wants to kill her and I kinda agree.'' He glanced over to her and he stirred his dinner with his spoon. ''Nothing. I can''t be sure but I''d bet damn near everything I own that if I killed Sheelda I''d somehow enter a deal with Zel.'' ''And we don''t want that...'' Soph mumbled mentally in response. Lone nodded and repeated, ''And we don''t want that.'' ''What if I did it?'' Soph asked. ''What?'' Lone had a feeling he knew what she was asking but he didn''t want to even entertain that possibility. ''I mean, I could teleport to the capital, find her, and then launch a Barrier Maelstrom at her. If I kill her, it isn''t you doing it, the devil then leaves happy that his trick on her worked and he shouldn''t bother us again,'' Sophie explained. ''Absolutely fucking not. Soph, if I even so much as suggest you do that, it''ll be as good as me having done it myself in an Arch Devil''s eyes,'' Lone stated. Soph stared at her stack of syrup-covered pancakes and replied, ''If you''re worried about your ''minor Luck deity'' being gone which would allow him to kill you, you can unsummon and resummon me at will. It''ll only take me a couple of days, maybe less, to get to the capital and back.'' ''No, and that is final. You and Sophie keep harping on at me to keep myself safe, right? Well, I''m trying my best over here so do me the courtesy of not risking yourself either, at least not until you have your Immortality skill back,'' Lone said. ''Yeah... Sorry. It was a stupid idea. I just... I just want this to be over, the whole Sheelda thing. Who''d have thought she''d send something so strong after us? I thought it''d end with the assassins,'' Soph chuckled sadly. ''Same. I mean, we both planned to kill her before leaving. Loose ends and all that. I''ll think of something, so just take it easy and keep training, okay?'' Lone asked. Soph nodded. ''I trust you. We both do. Whatever you choose to do, we''re with you one million percent of the way there!'' Lone smiled at her wordlessly. ''Now!'' she exclaimed telepathically. ''Tell me all about your secret meeting!'' B2: Chapter 104: New Effects and Violent Conversation "How, oh how, are you alive?" Zel muttered to himself from within his private chambers back in his personal pocket dimension known as Ardetia, which resided within the 14th Blasphemous Hell. He had his legs kicked up on a table as a part of his consciousness watched the actions of a certain Golden Foxkin. By all accounts, the strapping young fellow should be dead. Not a single one of the proper precautions needed to avoid death by infernal flame exposure was in place at that rustic little roadside camp in the Farwinds. Sure, if Zel had commanded a lesser type of infernal flame, survival could be expected with a handful of weak side effects. His flames were pure and without a distinct form, however, and that made them all the more potent for the unprepared. When Zel had met with Sheelda, the rules forced him to allow her to leave with no permanent injuries, so while looking at his facial hair had injured her slightly, it wasn''t anything serious since he had been suppressing the life-threatening aspects of his infernal flames for her sake. Lone, on the other hand, had been in his presence for minutes with no such courtesies afforded to him. He had stared into Zel''s eyes and had looked at his beard and eyebrows without so much as a wince. Sure, there was a hint of damage to the boy''s soul but one of the three guests within him that even Zel feared was undoing that damage with each passing hour. "The only answer is a unique one, isn''t it?" Zel asked himself as a smile crept onto his face. "My little toy, you have multiple unique skills, now don''t you? What to do with this information..." There were many people he could sell such information to; mortals, infernals, celestials, dragons, Divines, or even some of the eldritch beings with enough sense in them to speak with. Selling it was too simple though. No, he''d hold onto this and keep it all to himself for now. He wanted to make use of his new toy, after all, now didn''t he? Through his consciousness, Zel witnessed as the foxkin gathered up his companions and then announced, "Soph, head for the capital. This Sheelda issue needs to be dealt with, one way or the other." Zel nodded, rather content with himself. "The dice never lie. Why I do say, these past couple of days have been more productive than even the last few centuries combined." He was ridding himself of a life-long nuisance and such an interesting mortal was mere inches away from putting itself into an inescapable deal with the devil. There was one, concern, however. ""She" definitely destroyed all of the copies of that infernal tome. There''s no way the Omnidevil''s would have lied about that, even if it happened well before my time." Zel tapped his finger onto the desk a few times in thought. "How then, did this little fox read its contents?" He witnessed through his split consciousness as the lovely little human woman disappeared as if by magic. Likely because she had done it with magic. "Another unique skill?" Zel''s smile only grew. "How infinitely interesting."
Lone waited, seated at the campfire, elbows on his knees and with the fingers of his hands interlocked. With Soph''s Teleportation capabilities and considering her MP pool, it would only take her and Sophie a couple of days to return with Sheelda in hand. He had a plan in mind. One he didn''t like, but anything was better than letting the devil win. "Oi, what''re ya sulkin'' fer?" Hamish asked him. Lone regarded the man who was more than a century old with exasperation. "I''m annoyed that I''m gonna have to stay here in the Farwinds for probably a few more months than I wanted to, assuming the Sheelda and devil issue resolves the way I intend it to." Hamish thumbed his nose and nodded as he sat down next to him. "Fair ''nuff. Ah dinnae care enuff tae ask ye o'' yer plans. So, instead o'' bein'' ah soorpuss, wanna train instead? Ye, me, an'' the wee lassie." Lone pursed his lips at that. "I mean, sure. We''ve got a few days until Soph returns anyway, so may as well be productive." "Aye, ''ats the spirit. Any skill or skills ya wanna work on in particular?" Hamish asked in a friendly tone. Lone nodded. "Yeah. Wanna get Blood Clone''s additional effect - the one I got the skill for. And on the side, there''s a new idea I have for Meditation and the memory banks for Puzzle Locked Mind." "And I''ll work on Teachin'' Mastery wae the wee''un," Hamish replied. "What level''re you at in the skill?" Lone asked. Hamish shrugged. "Probbly lower ''an ye. Intermediate level three." "Yeah, I''m at advanced level five," Lone bragged, a smug grin on his face. "I''m a fast learner." "Yer ah bastard is what ya are," Hamish grumbled. "Well, nae time like the present. Breena! Get over ''ere! Ye an'' me are gonna attack Lone until his daft wee blob ah blood can block us withoot ''is input!" "Y-Yes, Mister Hamish!" Breena yelled in response as she began running over to them. Lone shook his head wryly. ''I was fully prepared to let you two die if it was required for me to escape the Arch Devil and I still am ready to make that sacrifice if needed. I wonder if that makes me a cold-hearted and cruel man? I don''t think it does, but who knows.''
Two days of non-stop training came and went with plenty to show for it. Hamish had gained a single level in Teaching Mastery while Breena had levelled both Needle Mastery and Cooking Mastery once each, bringing them to beginner level two. Lone, on the other hand, had gained exactly what he wanted for the pair of skills he had been training while also levelling up a couple of others. The only thing he hadn''t earned was a new additional effect or any significant change in Meditation.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
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Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation has resulted in their active skill [Blood Clone] gaining a new effect when otherwise it would not have gained one!
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 7,540 [+543] drops of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to softwood [up from a grain of sand]. Maximum speed: 4.02m [+0.21m] per second. The host can now create and keep the clone within their own bloodstream, allowing very precise control of said bloodstream. [New!] When not being directed to do anything else, the clone will passively attempt to protect the host from all attacks.
Cost: 3,000 SP
Mastery: Advanced Level 5
It had taken giving the contract binding Hamish the permission to allow him to attempt to kill Lone for the additional effect to manifest. That and several hours of constantly getting stabbed by what would have been fatal strikes on any other C-ranker. Finally, however, the skill now did what Lone had got it for in the first place. It just needed to get harder, faster, and larger, to become a very impressive external layer of protection that could keep him safe long enough to create his Bone Armour. On the front of Puzzle Locked Mind, of course, he had earned the memory bank additional effect - the thing that was the very reason he had purchased the information on the skill. It, however, unlike Blood Clone, hadn''t levelled. This meant it hadn''t ranked up either so the locks were still fairly weak.
Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation has resulted in their passive skill [Puzzle Locked Mind] gaining a new effect when otherwise it would not have gained one!
Passive Skill: Puzzle Locked Mind
A skill that makes the host''s mind akin to a dwarven puzzle box. Creates 5 puzzles that must be defeated sequentially for an adversary to attack your mind. The puzzles restore themselves automatically over a 4 hour period. [New] The locks may be used to store the host''s memories, allowing perfect recollection of said memories. Even when destroyed, the locks still serve this function.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 10
Both new additional effects proved to Lone once and for all that a rank-up wasn''t necessary to improve a skill, which was incredibly good news to him. It meant master rank wasn''t the ceiling for a skill that wasn''t destined to evolve.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Lone found some time to draw whenever Breena and Hamish needed a break from endlessly attacking him. He''d found himself mostly sketching portraits of Soph and Sophie that didn''t do their beauty any justice. He didn''t really take himself for the sentimental type or the kind of man to get lonely easily, but he really did miss her. It only went to show how deep his love was for the complicated woman. "It ain''t ''at strong, huh?" Hamish asked as he attacked Lone''s exposed back, only to find a blob of blood the size of a small cup of water attempting to block the hit. His dagger pierced right through it effortlessly. Lone shrugged. "That''s expected, but the way the skill works, it can grow infinitely since it improves outside of level and rank-ups. I don''t doubt that it has the potential to be the strongest defensive skill in the world if given enough time." "Aye, ah can see it," Hamish nodded. "Ah dae wonder what the current strongest version o'' this skill looks like and is capable of." "Good fuckin'' question," Lone replied. "I''d love to inspect and research that if ever I come across i-" Suddenly, two people appeared. One was covered in sweat and looking exhausted, and the other was surrounded by barriers and was constantly flexing and unflexing all of their muscles. As soon as Sheelda''s eyes met Lone''s she redoubled her efforts to break free of Soph''s Barrier Prison, no doubt being controlled by the scripture magic ensnaring her soul to kill him. "You okay, Soph?" Lone asked. The short blonde-haired woman that he loved was damn-near panting from exhaustion. "She''s broken out three times already. I''m super low on mana and haven''t slept in three days. I''m fine, and you?" Lone chuckled at her sarcasm and felt a strong desire to wrap her in a hug but he resisted. Now wasn''t the time. "Got enough juice left to teleport yourself, Breena, and Hamish away?" he asked. "If my information is correct, she''s an S-ranker, so I don''t want any accidents happening while I have a chat with her." Soph nodded weakly. "Sure. Just about, I think. Next time you want me to kidnap someone, make it easy like it was with the kids..." "Get any levels out of it?" Lone asked as he watched her approach Breena and Hamish. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Two in teleportation and three in Barrier Prison." Lone smiled. "Hey, two more levels in Teleportation and it''s advanced. Big progress." "Big pain in the ass," Soph muttered as she teleported away. The very next moment, the green barrier impeding Sheelda''s movements disappeared. The dwarf flung herself at Lone madly. Without any rush and with a carefree attitude, Lone said, "Bone Armour." Numerous punches and blows came his way, but nothing could break through or even so much as crack his malicious-looking armour. "Feel free to keep trying to kill me. You aren''t capable enough and I know the scripture magic is forcing your hand just as my own would try to strike me down if I murdered you right now," Lone said calmly as he sat down and crossed his legs, completely ignoring the S-rankers attacks. "Going after you was strictly forbidden in my contract, you see." Sheelda didn''t answer him and instead screamed as she bloodied her fists against his defences. "No physical skills to boost you? Just raw Strength?" Lone asked as he started sliding down the road from the force of the woman''s hits. "Tail Spear," he invoked before stabbing the floor in nine different points around himself to get anchored. "Let''s talk about the devil in the room, shall we?" Lone said. "Because I have no intentions of being ensnared by a motherfuckin'' Arch Devil unlike you did." Sheelda''s eyes opened wide with fear. Her lip trembled a bit even as she continued to throw herself at him pointlessly. "W-What do you mean?" "You got finessed is what I mean. That cunt didn''t agree to kill me, he agreed to get rid of your scripture magic bindings, which you didn''t notice. His plan to do that was to get me to kill you, which would dispel the magic automatically," Lone explained. Sheelda looked around frantically as if expecting the Arch Devil to appear. She clearly fully believed Lone''s words and thought Zel would come to finish the job since he clearly didn''t intend to. "Don''t worry, he can''t interact with me in any way whatsoever unless it''s just to talk, and if he showed up, his infernal flames would kill you, which would fuck him over since he isn''t allowed to do that himself," Lone stated. A few more punches and kicks bounced harmlessly off of his incredibly hard bones. "So, let''s talk about how I can remove your scripture magic without killing you and what you''ll give me in exchange." B2: Chapter 105: Live or Die and True Name "What are you?!" Sheelda screamed as her mind raced. ''He feels like a C-ranker but my attacks are doing nothing to his armour!'' That shouldn''t have been possible. Sure, she had earned most of her levels and rank-ups peacefully, but she could still best nigh almost any C-ranker in existence just based on the stat difference alone. Hell, even most B-rankers didn''t stand a chance against her unless they were hyper-combat-oriented. It was only when it came to A-rankers that was she likely to lose a fight. This wasn''t even a fight. This was a one-sided beatdown but the victim was acting like a toddler was slapping him, not a powerful S-ranker. Sheelda felt certain that even if she had her trusted warhammer with her, it, too, would struggle to damage this creature offering her a deal. "I''m the motherfucker your stupid scripture wants you to kill. That seems pretty obvious to me," the bone-covered foxkin answered. His calmness reminded her of the Arch Devil and that terrified her. As she rained blow after blow pointlessly upon him, she asked, "What do you mean you can remove the scripture?! You''re just going to die for me?!" "No, don''t be stupid. I plan to use a unique skill to rewrite your soul, removing the scripture. This will extend the seal on my magic for, oh, fuck, months? It better fuckin'' be just months. If it''s years, I''ll make the contract even worse than Hamish''s," The foxkin said, not making a lick of sense. "What''re you even saying?" Sheelda asked in confusion. "Unique skill? You expect me to believe you''re a summoned hero?" Of course, she could see the writing on the wall. A unique skill would explain how she wasn''t harming him even slightly. It would also make sense of the fact a C-ranked human was able to effortlessly capture and kidnap her. Under his ridiculously powerful armour, the foxkin sighed. "I don''t expect you to believe anything. You have two choices. One, you do what I say and live. Two, you keep attacking me pointlessly and die when the scripture magic realises it is impossible for you to end my life. Why does it even want me dead anyway? I can tell it relates to Ewan at the very least but that''s about it." ''Why is he so calm?! How does he know about Arch Devil Zel, the Seventh King of all Demonkin?!'' Sheelda mentally screamed. ''What the fook is goin'' on?!'' First, she got ripped from her office by a human woman in fullplate armour. She was then immediately wrapped in a seemingly unbreakable magical barrier before she was teleported countless times. She had escaped her magical confines twice after immense effort only to be recaptured instantly by a lowly human C-ranker. After three days of sleepless and foodless travel, she was deposited at the feet of the beastkin her bindings had decided needed to die. And now what? now the man was apparently claiming to be able to free her and somehow knew of her deal with an Arch Devil and how it had tricked her. The real question at the forefront of her mind, however, wasn''t about this foxkin''s abilities or apparently unkillable status. No. The most pressing question was: did she want to put her faith in the man she had attempted to have killed three times now over the faith she had placed in an Arch Devil? "Explain. How can you help me?" At this point, Sheelda would do anything to free herself of the inevitable death that seemed to be waiting just around the corner for her.
''She''s not a high chancellor for no reason,'' Lone thought. ''Even though she''s hungry, exhausted, stressed out, and so close to death''s door, she''s wise enough to at least listen to my offer since all other paths lead to dead ends.'' "I have many unique skills," he said. "One is what makes me so hard to kill. Another allows me to create unbreakable, unbendable, unavoidable contracts. The most important one right now is a unique type of magic. It lets me create anything that has, does, or could, exist on Altros." Sheelda''s eyes widened as she processed Lone''s words. While she punched his armoured face, she said, "You can change my body to be one without a contract?" "Your soul, more accurately, but yes, I can," he replied. "How? You have no MP. I can feel it even now. You''re just an ordinary C-ranker with no awakened mana organs," Sheelda pointed out. Lone shook his head dismissively. "The skill seals my MP if I use more than I have. The time varies based on how much I overdraft. I can forcefully use it though with a mana orb as a conduit. It does extend the seal which is a huge negative I''m willing to burden in this instance." Lone raised one of his armoured hands and put up two fingers. "These are your options. First, the one I think will ultimately benefit us both: agree to a lot of things that''ll help me and I''ll make sure you live. Second, and fuckin'' stupid, but I''m nothing if not an advocate for choice: keep attacking me until the scripture eventually kills you. I can sit here for days and it doesn''t impact me negatively if you expire on your own. I''m sure that''ll fuck Zel over royally, and while I''m not keen to make an enemy out of an Arch Devil, he is forbidden from interacting with me outside of a questioning session, so I''ll deal with it if you choose option number two." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "I obviously don''t want to die," Sheelda answered. "What kind of things would I need to agree to?" Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a contract he had finished preparing two days ago. Contract of Survival Guarantee and Extended Cooperation Participants: Lone Immortus | Sheelda McStuderson. Terms: Lone Immortus will recreate Sheelda McStuderson''s body to be free of any and all lingering magical effects, including but not limited to scripture magic, unwanted contract magic, and any hidden demonic bindings. Lone Immortus shall also consider Sheelda McStuderson to be a valued companion so as to include her within the protection of his contract with the being commonly referred to as the Seventh King of all Demonkin, Arch Devil Zel. Sheelda McStuderson will provide Lone Immortus with a full list of every single skill that she is aware exists. Sheelda McStuderson will use all skills she owns that can be used on a target on Lone Immortus. Sheelda McStuderson will inform Lone Immortus of Arch Devil Zel''s true name (this will happen before anything else in the contract). Sheelda McStuderston will use her full influence as a high chancellor of the greater council to push for equal rights for all species within the Farwinds. This contract is existence-binding and cannot be broken, tampered with, or evaded. This contract is eternal. Intended Contract Level: 1 Required Contract Level: 2 Signed: Lone Immortus Signed: Considering she was busy trying to end Lone''s life, it took Sheelda a good five minutes to actually finish reading the contract''s details. Lone immediately recognised the confused look on her face so he began listing off his pre-loaded answers before she could even ask anything of him. "The companion bit is to stop Zel from killing you the second you''re away from me. I can learn skills very easily and currently have well over a hundred, so that''s why those two conditions are on your side. I need his name for leverage. Don''t worry about it, you''ll still forget it once your scripture magic is gone. I know that''s what you have over him because what the fuck else could an S-ranker offer to an Arch Devil to get them to act? The equality thing is because its fuckin'' dumb that you idiotic dwarves are letting yourselves slowly die to the eldritch monstrosities below when there''s a whole continent of able-bodied fighters above you. Independence does not always equal strength. I wanted the contract to be as weak as possible - which is still eternal and unbreakable, by the way - but it seems the number of clauses and matters pertaining to such a powerful being forced it up to being a level two contract. Thankfully that level is off cooldown. Now, do you wanna live or die? If the former, sign your name with your blood," Lone rapid-fire explained. The exhausted S-ranker looked confused and overwhelmed. She asked, "... Are you a devil too?" Lone looked right into her eyes and calmly replied, "Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
The seventh king of all demonkin flipped his desk as he stormed to his feet. "There is no world in which I allow my true name to be transmitted to yet another mortal when I''m this close to freeing myself of that burden!" he screamed as summoned up his infernal powers to create a portal to the mortal plane this very instant. "Infernal Gateway!" Nothing happened. He had said the correct words and gestured perfectly. His power reserves had even dipped appropriately as if to indicate the skill had worked. "Really?!" he yelled before trying again. "Infernal Gateway!" Once more, nothing changed in his humble study except his power reserves dipping even further. "How?! How can a mere unique skill bar my entry to the mortal plane?! I will accept any backlash that comes with breaking the terms! Allow me passage to erase those arrogant mortals right this instant!" Nothing answered his cries. With no other choice, he anxiously split his consciousness once more to watch Lone and Sheelda. For perhaps the first time in his life, Zel prayed to whoever might be listening that something might happen. Anything, really. He just wanted the contract between the two mortals to never be established.
Now alone in the camp, Lone looked down at his hand as he clenched and unclenched it, fascination plain to see on his expression. He didn''t even so much as twitch when a fiery doorway from hell appeared next to him and a black-skinned many-horned demon stepped out of it and took a seat next to him. "Were you watching?" Lone asked. "I was," Zel replied, his pure red eyes drifting down to look at Lone''s hand as well. "You did well to outplay an Arch Devil. Was it worth it?" "I don''t know, you''ll need to be more specific," Lone replied. "Are you upset?" "Yes, very," Zel stated, anger spewing forth from both words. "Was it worth making an enemy out of an Arch Devil when all you needed to do was kill one dwarf to avoid that?" "You made yourself my enemy, not the other way around. I would be perfectly happy never interacting with you ever again, but if you want to die, I won''t try to stop you from throwing yourself atop my blade. Considering what I got out of all of this and what little you can do to me, yes, it was worth it," Lone answered. "Were you able to kill her?" A look of indescribable rage consumed Zel''s face. "No. I cannot even approach her as she is now your ''companion''. Laughable that a unique skill can enforce such a relationship." ''So an Arch Devil''s rules can supersede specific effects of certain unique skills? That wasn''t in the book at all. Good to know True Contract Magic is powerful enough to override that. Maybe because of my and Soph''s particular situation with the god that summoned us?'' Lone wondered. "Why do you think you can kill me? Even had you the ability, your contract forbids you just as it does for me when killing you," Zel asked. Lone shook his head, still clenching and unclenching his fist slowly. "My faith stems from the same origin as yours. You did notice the loophole I left in the contract for this, right?" "Of course I did, but if you think your companions can ever kill me, then you are a fool. What will you do now?" Zel asked. "Serve my sentence, reclaiming urds and kriegs as I wait for my mana organs to unseal," Lone answered. "If you asked an Emperor Devil or Omni Devil to kill me for you, would they?" "No. I don''t have the right to meet such lofty beings," Zel stated, hatred accompanying his words. "What are you doing with your hand?" "Imagining your neck being placed within it," Lone answered emotionlessly. "How exactly do you plan to kill me and were you me, how would you overcome your own plans?" Zel remained perfectly silent for ten seconds and then vanished through a portal, returning to wherever it was he came from. Lone smirked. He clenched his fist hard enough to draw his own blood before he whispered, "You should have killed me when you had the chance, Tidsear ¨°g." Book 2 Stronghold and Secrets: Epilogue: A Souls Worth and A Foxs Concerns Lone had contacted Soph and told her it was safe to return. Once she was back at camp with Hamish and Breena in tow, and shortly following some warm soup had filled her belly, she passed out. The toll of teleporting for three days straight, half of which with an S-ranker prisoner was finally catching up to the short woman. "Poor wee thing''s exhausted, eh?" Hamish snickered. "Ah''m gonna catch some beauty sleep anaw." "I guess you''ll never be waking up then considering your situation," Lone replied nonchalantly as he finished off his own bowl of soup, trying not to disturb Soph since she had chosen to rest her head and torso on his lap. Hamish shot Lone a dirty look and gave him the finger instead of a retort before he stormed into his tent. "Uh, g-goodnight, Master Lone," Breena said. "T-This... stuff with Sheelda... um, is it over now?" "With Sheelda? Yes. Overall? Far from it," Lone replied, a haunted look entering his eyes. "Ah. I, uh see... R-Rest well," she said with a strained smile before entering her own tent. Lone sighed as he carried Soph into his tent. He got her out of her armour and then tucked her into bed. Choosing to sit next to her, he went over his notification log.
Item does not exist on Altros, however, there is an innumerable amount like it. 5,000 MP has been consumed to compensate for the difference. The host has no understanding of the item. 50,000 base MP cost. 200,000 additional MP has been consumed to compensate for the lack of the host''s knowledge. 255,000 MP has been consumed to recreate and restructure the item: [Dwarf [Sheelda McStuderson]''s [Soul]].
Warning! The host has consumed more MP than they possess. Bracket of extra consumption: 50,001-500,000 MP. The seal on the host''s MP has been extended by 100-hours.
"Hah," Lone chuckled. "Hahaha!" and then he laughed. "Ahahahaha!" and then he cackled. Some minutes later he calmed himself with the help of his ever-active Meditation. "An entire soul... An entire fucking soul only set me back by four days? Four days for the essence of a person? But Soph''s eyes... Oh, Soph''s eyes..." He held his head in his hands. "What did the system call them again?" With his new mental memory vaults, it took him less than a second to remember. "Right, right... Jade Stars of The North. They set me back 10,000 hours. 416 days. 13.7 months. Over a fucking year. How can a soul be worth that much less than a set of working eyes?" This more than anything else thus far helped to convince him that Soph''s beautiful green eyes were special somehow, she just had no idea how to utilise them yet. "One more thing to focus our thinning efforts on," Lone sighed as he kept looking at his notifications. Sheelda hadn''t used any skills on him yet since he''d told her to return and prepare any weapons or items she needed to give him everything all at once. He had, however, gained some levels during his recent interaction with Zel, or Tidsear ¨°g as he was truly known.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Infernal Flame Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Meditation] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Lone sat in silence for a bit before he came to a decision. ''I wanted to spend the rest of my allocated four months training out here, but I need to get back to the guild. I have to look up skills that can deal heavy damage to demonic beings as well as find anything that can make me even more unkillable.'' This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He already wanted to find a skill that could harden his skin and muscles since Scott was able to cut into his flesh when he was training the kids. Now that it looked more than likely that an Arch Devil would try its best to kill him via proxy, it seemed to be the wisest course of action to prepare as much as humanly possible.
Thanks to the help of a properly rested Soph; Lone, Breena, and Hamish, were able to return to Krieg Moor by the afternoon of the following day. Lone didn''t suffer much injustice at the guard station upon entering this time, likely due in part to his spar with Guildmaster Hilda still being fresh in the soldiers'' minds. Then again, they knew what his mission was and they also knew he couldn''t return until he had completed it or the scripture magic would have violently stopped him. Perhaps they were afraid of the C-ranked foxkin that had successfully dealt with a triple-S ranker who had wiped out an entire krieg on her own? Lone didn''t know nor particularly care. Undue speciesism was the last worry on his mind right now. He had already said his farewells to Hamish a few teleports before reaching Krieg Moor, so Lone, with Soph and Breena at his side, quickly made his way to the guild. Once there, without any hesitation, Lone walked up to the only free employee counter and said, "I''ve completed all of my assigned quests. Here are the heirlooms I was tasked with finding, here''s the device I was given to measure the enchantments at Krieg Stunfurn''s branch of the guild, here''s what the device told us unless it doesn''t record that information itself." He slid a piece of paper - his recounting of the readings from the guild''s device - onto the counter and then continued, "And what do you want as proof of the blood mage''s death? I snapped her neck, so I have her entire body but I don''t know if you want me to dump it here or in a backroom." The guildhall which had gone silent upon his, Soph, and Breena''s, entry, erupted with the voices of all of the adventurers present. "A D-rank''r killed an SSS-rank''r?! Aye feckin'' right! E''s a filthy liar, ''e is!" "Aye! Bet the stinkin'' bastard just hid nae far fae ''ere then came back after ah couple ah weeks wae some random corpse!" Despite the local prejudice against Lone, there were some voices of reason. Perhaps because of his show of goodwill when teaching his fellow adventurers in exchange for hitting his Blood Clone. "Did yes ferget ''ow scripture magic works? Bastard would be deed if ''e ''adnae done as it told ''im tae." "Aye, an the cunt was able tae survive two ''its fae Hilda the Hammersworn. If it were Immortus the Immortal, ah''d bet ma left nut ''e some''ow outlasted the filthy mage then crusher ''er spine just as ''e said." Lone smiled a little at how perceptive that particular dwarf was. "Well? I think it''d be better to dump her corpse here to clear up any suspicions." The employee wore a strained look on her face but nodded. "Yes, that''s probably wise, given your circumstances. I''ll call the guildmaster to verify if it truly is the blood mage, but please, put the corpse just in front of my counter on the floor there." Lone nodded and pretended to reach into his adventurer''s pouch before he pulled out Rosanne''s lifeless body. Many oohs and aahs rang out from the gathered adventurers, all eager to witness the corpse of a supposed triple-S-ranker. "Body''s pristine," one noted. "Nae decay at all. As expected o'' such ah strong person." "Aye, but see the marks on ''er neck? Snapped through an'' through just as the fox said." "Feckin'' mages, weak as piss physically, aye?" "Strong ''nuff tae wipe oot ah whole city though. ''Is name is ''Immortus the Immortal'' fae ah reason, eh? Ah''d ah died instantly in ah confrontation wae ah powerful blood mage." That statement shut everyone up as several quiet ''aye''s and nods resounded in the hall. Before long, Hilda came down from the second floor and whistled, clearly impressed. "Aye, ''at''s the blood mage. Ignorin'' ''er face is ah perfect match tae the reports ah got, ah can still feel the lingerin'' aura on ''er. Feckin'' great job, Lone." She pointed at the employee who had come to get her and said, "Go store the corpse, prepare their reward, and get the quest detail reports ready. Ah''m gonna ''ave ah wee chat wae Mister Immortal ''ere." "Of course, guildmaster," the woman nodded before getting to work. Lone, with Soph and Breena by his side, followed Hilda into a private backroom while he could hear the hushed praises of the dwarven adventurers. ''Finally some recognition. Maybe I''ll be a hero of sorts by the time I work off my entire sentence?'' he wondered. ''Here''s hoping.'' Once they were seated in the private chamber, Hilda asked, "So, ''ow''d ya kill ''er?" Lone saw no reason to lie so he summarised the fight truthfully. "Got Soph to teleport me next to her and I then impaled her with my tails. She turned to blood, escaping certain death, and then hammered me relentlessly with a few very powerful blood magic spells. She wasn''t even able to crack my armour, let alone break it. When she realised she stood no chance at killing me, she tried to flee since she was running out of MP." "But ya caught ''er?" Hilda asked. "An'' this wee ''uman''s ah space mage?" "Nah, she''s not, but she''ll tell you about that herself when she gets her silver plate promotion exam," Lone shrugged. "Fair. Go on then," Hilda pressed in excitement, happy to hear about the death of the mass-murdering blood mage. "She didn''t think she could outrun us since she could probably sense how much MP Soph has, thus, she took Breena and our other undisclosed companion hostage. We have protocols for such situations. At my signal, Soph teleported our other companion to safety while Breena merged with the shadows," Lone explained. "Aye, Darkness. Dodgy yet powerful stuff, at Primal nonsense, eh?" the guildmaster commented to which Breena shrunk into her shoulders. "Ah ken aboot Hamish, by the by. Nae need fer discretion on ma account. Ah''m aware ah yer social status an'' what affiliatin'' wae it at this point would dae tae the already ''onour stained laddie." "Ah, good to know. Well, at the same time, I had leapt forward and grabbed her neck, Soph surrounded us in a skin-tight magical barrier, and I crushed the mage''s throat to stop her from casting any more spells, snapping her spine and neck at the same time," Lone finished. "Brutal fuckin'' bastard," Hilda said but her tone spoke of praise, not admonishment. "Well, Feck. Ye''ve gone an'' got me all hot an'' bothered." Soph shot the SS-ranked guild master a dangerous look. Hilda laughed. "Nae like ''at. Wanna ''ave another duel? If ah triple-S-ranked mage''s magic cannae scratch yer armour, ah wonder if ma ''ammer still can?" "Oh, I expect we''ll be having many duels over the next few months as I earn my freedom. I''ll fill out those quest reports then meet you at the training yard," Lone smiled. "Maybe you can break my barriers too?" Soph suggested. "T-They''re weak and I want to train them like Lone does his Bone Armour." "Ah''m all fer smashin'' apart magic. Let''s go then lass, let yer man do the borin'' paperwork while we go ''ave some fun," Hilda laughed as she shot up to her feet. Lone got up too and warned, "Just her barriers. She''s not me." "Aye, aye, ah''m nae blind. Feck ah''m in ah good mood! One guildmaster rescued, another avenged! What ah year, what ah year!" Hilda boomed. Lone''s eyes widened. "Grand Guildmaster Sarah found him? Gilbert, Grimsley, and Shana, have all been brought back to the mainland?" "Aye!" Hilda replied. "Ah only get the word ah few days ago, but aye, they''re ootta the emerald sea an'' back tae safety." That lifted an extraordinary weight from Lone''s shoulders. Knowing his first blacksmithing master, said master''s niece, and his own father figure, were now safe was almost good enough news to outweigh him becoming an enemy of an Arch Devil. Almost. There was a lot of preparing to be done if he wanted to stand a chance against what such an intelligent being would throw his way, that was for certain. Book 3 Clans and Snakes: Prologue: Invitation and Letter "And you''re sure you don''t mind acting as an arbiter when needed, Guildmaster Elksworth?" Lossa Redtail, Matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan, asked respectfully. Gilbert nodded his head. "It''s the least I can do after how considerate you''ve been to me, my apprentice, and her uncle." "I should be the one thanking you," Lossa chuckled. "You''ve been severely injured and even awakened to one of the gods just as I did, yet here you are, insisting on continuing on as a guildmaster instead of retiring. Why were you so adamant about working here, if you don''t mind me asking? Of all the guilds, ours is rather small and rural." Gilbert took a seat in his new residence at the Crimson Foxkin Clan and exhaled a tired sigh. "Despite being rather young myself for a dragonkin, I foolishly let myself see a young pup of a fox as a son of sorts. That young man will be coming here sooner or later and he''s encouraged me to try my best to outrun my ageing. ''Just rank up'' is what he told me, more or less. So, I won''t be an idle guildmaster here, Matriarch, not in the slightest." "A young foxkin man?" Lossa held her chin in thought. "It couldn''t be the Golden Foxkin, could it?" "The one and only," Gilbert laughed. "I swear, that young man... making a dying man like myself wait for him like this..." "I visited him once in Milindo when the rumours of a Golden Foxkin baby were plenty abound," Lessa claimed. "I gave him a magnetic communication orb but I''ve been unable to contact it ever since nor does it roll in any direction. I assumed him dead or worse, the sister orb destroyed." "Oh, no, he''s fine. I assume word of the foxkin that stole the secrets of steamforging has reached the ears of the clans by now, no?" Gilbert asked. Lossa furrowed her brow. "That was almost half a year ago. Wait... You''re telling me that was him?" "The boy can''t stop himself from learning any and all skills he comes across," Gilbert laughed. "He''s busy serving his time for the crime via militaristic enlistment and he''s been very busy. With the lockdown and such, it''s no surprise you didn''t know it was him. And don''t worry about your orb. He has a special... adventurer''s pouch. Yeah, let''s call it that. He''s got it tucked in there and will use it when he''s on his way here I''m sure." "That''s great news!" Lossa exclaimed. "I''ve been far too busy with clan politics to really investigate his whereabouts, but to think he and the skill thief in the Farwinds were one and the same..." "Indeed. Well, thank you again for showing me around the clan. I''d like to train my apprentice for a bit and then I''ll settle into my duties as the new guildmaster here," Gilbert said. "Get to know my new staff and such." "Of course," Lossa said as she bowed her head respectfully. "If you need anything, and I mean anything at all, my clan is happy to help you no matter the cost, so don''t hesitate to ask." Gilbert walked her to the door and bid her farewell. When she was gone and he was alone, he shook his head and sighed, "These people revere my foolishly arrogant family. Great Uncle, just what have you done here to make even the matriarch so respectful of a half-blind ageing outcast of the Shimmerscales Clan?" He suspected the ancient old fool of a man had been flaunting his status as a Soul Oracle on top of his membership of the Shimmerscales Clan. That, however, begged the question: what did the Crimson Foxkin Clan need a Soul Oracle for? Gilbert shook his head. "It''s not my place to be so nosy. Train Shana, train myself, be a well-behaved guildmaster, and wait for that chaotic ball of energy and his girlfriend to eventually show up."
"You''re certain he is the very same foxkin father imprisoned?" Queen Heidron asked of her new royal advisor. He''d only been appointed to the position shortly after her coronation since the former royal advisor was vaporised along with most of the nobles of Milindo when Sloth enacted her purge. She deeply appreciated the man''s efforts even if he was a puppet of The Adventurer''s Guild. She understood that as a young woman not even at 20 years of age, her assuming the throne of Milindo was a spell for disaster if not closely managed. Then again, her now-deceased father was close to 200 years of age but still led his kingdom to near-damnation, so how badly could she mess it up, really? She was the only one of the royal line to survive Sloth''s purge and it had been a very difficult year getting adjusted to her new role as queen. However, even if there were lingering resentments towards the guild from those who remained, they genuinely did want what was best for the kingdom, so listen to her royal advisor she did. "Indeed. The dwarves can be hard to communicate with at the best of times, but I have finally been able to confirm that the man who forced a lockdown of Krieg Moor''s surface entrance is the very same man who was an unwilling guest of our dungeons," the handsome man perhaps 30 years her senior said. "The local guildmaster there, Guildmaster Hilda, was very tight-lipped on the man until yesterday morning." "And the rumours of my father?" she questioned. The man''s smile didn''t change but the tone in which he spoke did. "It has been confirmed that Lone Immortus very publicly confessed to killing him on the very same night he escaped during his court proceedings in the Farwinds. And, given his recent spree of subjugations ranging from an SSS-ranked blood mage to even a low-ranked eldritch horror, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been capable of the act." Stolen novel; please report. "I... see." Aileen Heidron, first of her name, frowned. "Is there any word on if former knight captain Duren Ardus has been found yet?" The advisor shook his head. "No. As ever, we only know he survived Sloth''s purge and nothing more. We don''t even know if he remains in the kingdom. May I make a suggestion, Your Majesty?" "Of course. Speak freely, Advisor Rhom," she responded. "Thank you," he smiled at her. "I suggest inviting Lone Immortus to our court and offering him a formal apology by way of words, assurances, and gifts. This is me speaking as your advisor, not as an employee of The Adventurer''s Guild. We have lost our hero, all of our SS-rankers, and almost 70% of our military. The guild is keeping us alive from the ever-watchful neighbouring vultures but the last thing we need is perhaps the most powerful C-ranker to have ever existed seeking vengeance on our entire nation for the actions of a few." "But what of Duke Grindol?" the queen asked. "Was he not rescued alongside the former guildmaster not too long ago?" "He publicly renounced his noble status and has taken up residency in Mystopolis, stating deep regret over his conduct as a duke of Milindo. He has no affiliation with our tiny nation any longer, Your Majesty," her advisor stated. Aileen tapped the armrest of her throne as she thought. "That is... saddening to hear. Well then, I see the wisdom in your words. I... will allow this. Send him a formal invitation. I will write a worded apology to go with it in the event he chooses to decline, such is his right as the wronged party." "Very good," Advisor Rhom bowed his head respectfully. "And Your Majesty?" "Yes?" Aileen asked. "Do please try to refer to yourself as a royal should. It only makes you look weaker and more manipulatable to refer to yourself as ''I'' instead of ''we'' given your status," he advised. A blush crept over the teenager''s face. "Ah, y-yes, of course. I- We shall be careful going forward." "Very good," Advisor Rhom replied. "Now, onto the more local matters of court..."
"Congratulations!" the guild employee said to Hazel who, as usual, was the one to make her and her group''s quest reports. "With this quest''s completion, your group, Wayward Kin, is now an iron-plated group through and through!" ''So many months for just a single promotion. We can''t be like my reckless brother though. Safe and certain jobs only,'' Hazel reminded herself as she smiled at the employee and said, "Thank you. It was a good experience." "I''ll tell you what," the employee started as he began handing over the five new iron plates to Hazel, "we get so many groups and solo adventurers trying their hardest to do monster subjugation quests right out of the gate. It''s like they wanna die. You guys have your heads on straight. We really appreciate the groups that take in-city requests, especially when they are low-ranked. They aren''t as dangerous but they matter just as much! They also give you some real-world experience and might lead to enlightenment, making you all the more prepared for when you do go out to kill some gobs and the like." From his mind, Hazel could tell he genuinely meant his words, and with that confirmation out of the way, she focused on turning her unique skill off. "Ah, by the way, a letter arrived for you," the man said after finishing his unprompted lecture. "From a, let''s see here... ah, yeah, from a Lone Immortus. Ah! My notes say his nickname is Immortus the Immortal, huh? Must be a damn-powerful C-ranker to have an adventurer nickname already and such an imposing one. Here you go! No need to pay since it seems he handled the delivery fee himself." Hazel thanked the employee and then left the guild in a hurry. She gripped the letter tightly and thought, ''Now he contacts me?! It''s been five months since he kidnapped us down to that blood-soaked dwarven town! He hasn''t visited or even sent his crazy girlfriend to re-kidnap us even once since then!'' She quickly reached the small house she and her friends were renting and gave everyone their new adventurer plates. Hazel avoided any small talk and rushed to her bedroom which she shared with Emma and Alisa. Renting a house monthly was far cheaper than buying rooms at an inn every night, but their income only allowed them a two-bedroom one-story terraced house just outside of the poor district. It wasn''t fancy or anything, but the road outside got patrolled often enough for it to be safe and if nothing else, it was home. She shared a room with the girls while Scott and George had the other room. Regardless, Hazel carefully opened up the letter and began reading it. ''Sup, Sis. Sorry for being a stranger. Had a lot of shit going on. Well, a lot of shit for a short while then peacefulish times as I''ve been focusing on A, getting stronger, and B, getting my 27-year sentence down to a reasonable amount of time. Killing that SSS-ranker got it all the way down to 13 years in one go. Anyway, we can talk about my missions another time. Or not? Dunno if you''re interested in who and what I''ve been murdering for almost half a year. Just wanted to say I''ve worked off the sentence. If my maths is right, which it should be, when you read this letter I should be free in two days. At which point, I''m gonna beeline to Golden Pass City. The principality is a good checkpoint between Krieg Moor''s surface entrance and the Crimson Foxkin Clan, which is my next destination. If you wanna meet up or something, I dunno, train some more or something like that? Wait for me at the western city gate at about 3PM in two days? Gimme an hour or two of wiggle room, but I''ll be there. Hope to see you soon. If you''re done with me since I ghosted you for ages, no hard feelings. If you do decide to avoid me, send me a letter if you ever need money or something. I have a fuckton and an infinite supply now what with my MP being finally unsealed, so I''m happy to be you kids''s sponsor or something. P.S. If you''re reading this and you aren''t my sister, I''ll find out eventually and I''ll kill you. Never doubt my growing arsenal of ever-versatile skills. Later. Love Lone'' Hazel stared blankly at the letter for a while before some silent tears leaked out of her eyes. She rubbed them away before she smiled wryly. "So awkwardly honest," she muttered with a shake of her head. Hazel carefully put the letter away with her other personal belongings. She sighed deeply and said, "Two days... I wonder how much stronger you''ve gotten, Big Brother?" She briefly considered that he would be disappointed at her and her friends'' lack of growth, but then she realised he was the one who had sent the letter, was he not? He hadn''t mentioned anything about their power or skills, just that he hoped she would be willing to meet him. Well, she had some choice words for Lone as it so happened, so meet him she would. B3: Chapter 1: Release and Farewells Lone looked down at the hand that had stopped him. "Something wrong, Thron?" The prison guard stayed silent for a bit before he scrunched up his face and said, "Ah misjudged ya. When ya came in ''ere ''alf ah year ago, ah thought ye were some disgustin'' animal keen tae steal the culture ah others." Lone pursed his lips. "Eh, that''s only wrong in that I wanted to share in the culture, not steal it. Well, and the fact I''m not an animal." Thron snorted. "Aye, aye... Ye''ve changed ma view ah ya. Ah''m almost sad this''ll be the last day ah see ya. What cunt comes in ''ere and takes almost exclusively the suicidal missions? 27 years cut doon tae less ''an ''alf ah year!" Lone grinned. "I''m called Immortus the Immortal for good reason." "Nae enuff o'' ah reason tae get needlessly cocky. Ye''ve yet tae beat Hilda the Hammersworn in a duel, now ''aven''t ya?" Thron replied as he moved his hand away and kept leading Lone through the complex. "That''s only because I''m not allowed to kill her or incapacitate her. She used to blast entire chunks out of my body before my armour got strong enough to stop that nonsense, but if I try the same to her, she complains and winges that she doesn''t want to pay the healer fee. A stingy guildmaster is what she is," Lone grumbled. "Haha! Ye say stingy, ah say wise. Ye ever gonna tell me what that skill even is ''at makes ya so unkillable?" Thron asked. Lone shrugged. "Surprised you haven''t asked sooner. It''s pretty simple. It''s basically just what it looks like; infinite regeneration." "Is ''at related tae ''ow beastkin dinnae age?" Thron questioned just as they had reached the door to the warden''s office. "Nah, completely different. Well, it was fun knowin'' ya, Thron. Don''t be such a hardass on the next foreigner stuffed in here, eh?" Lone said. Thron grunted and shook his head. "Only if they make it possible tae reclaim six kriegs an'' thirteen urds in little less ''an six months. Oh, an'' only if they kill one ah the nasty feckers ''at try an'' sneak ootta the Deepwinds." Lone shivered. "That mission was a mistake. It wasn''t particularly hard but... well, let''s say levelling Eldritch Resistance is perhaps my least favourite activity of all time." "Saved ah lotta lives by daein'' it though, an earned yerself enuff respect fae several lifetimes combined," Thron pointed out before he knocked twice on the warden''s door. "Come in," Zilben Hesgresind, the warden of this prison, called. Thron unlocked Lone''s ardartian shackles and muttered, "Useless feckin'' things. Bet the bastard coulda broke ''em if ''e wanted tae," as he walked off to go about his other duties. Lone cracked his wrists and then entered Zil''s office. "Ah, Stoner Heeth. Didn''t expect you to be here on my last day. We holdin'' a little farewell party or something?" The grumpy old mage got up for his seat and passed Lone a small pouch. "Ah ken it''s nae much, but ah cannae leave ah debt unpaid. Ye''ve helped me lessen mah joy of enforcin'' mah scriptures while also aidin'' in me finally rankin'' the bastard skill up. That''s all ah wanted tae say." The elderly dwarf hobbled out of the office with a poorly hidden smile on his lips. Lone raised an eyebrow as he began tossing the pouch of coins up and down before taking a seat across from the warden. "He''s right, this is a fuckin'' useless reward." "How much money did you earn from killing just Urundartka of the Deep? Ignoring however much you''ve earned from the one SSS-ranker, two SS-rankers, and hundreds of monsters equal to that of an S-ranker?" Zil asked. "The horror alone? It was worth five ruby-gold. That was from the guild, but the greater council awarded me this massive fuck-off blue sapphire. Still not sure what I''m gonna do with that," Lone said nonchalantly. "From the number of coins I can hear and the weight... 50 gold coins? Quite a lot considering his wage." "Quite a lot indeed," Zil agreed before he signed something on his desk and then nodded. "You are now officially a free man, Lone Immortus. I do have an offer for you, however." "I''ve told you before and I''ll tell you again, I''m leaving the Farwinds. I have plans and I''ve been here too long as it is already. If it''s an emergency like you''re about to lose a vital krieg to an eldritch monstrosity, contact me through the guild, otherwise, no, I will not become a war dog for the council," Lone stated plainly. Zil sighed. "Eldritch Resistance is so rare... Do you even want to hear our offer?" Zil asked in an almost pleading tone. Lone got up and cracked his neck. "The only thing I want right now is my freedom, which I''ve just earned. I''m not gonna sell it back to you guys. I like you, but I don''t like you that much. The dwarven war against the Deepwinds is not my war. Just tell your superiors to drop it, yeah? There''s a reason Eldritch Resistance is so rare." The small gnomish man nodded solemnly. "Personally, I''m just glad you got rid of at least one horror, needless to mention how much help all of your missions have done for the dwarven kingdoms as a whole. If only all prisoners participating in militaristic enlistment were as capable as you." "I''m glad you were my warden, Zil. If we ever meet again, here''s hoping it''s in a pub where we''re equals, eh?" Lone smiled before he left the office. With a relaxed pace, he exited the building and accepted the warm hug that came his way from a certain blonde woman over a foot shorter than himself. "Where to now?" Soph asked him excitedly. "Well, I think the guild. We need to say goodbye to Hilda and Hamish at the very least. After that... I need to say goodbye to Wilbur," Lone said, a hint of sadness marring his words. Soph stiffened in his arms and smiled wryly as she pulled away from him. "R-Right... Uh, to the guild then!" It hurt him more seeing Soph trying to be considerate given she clearly knew Wilbur''s condition better than he did. She could sense the dying dwarf even now while Lone had been forbidden by his scriptures to even so much as get close to the master steamforger''s workshop. It had already been a long day but Lone could tell it was only going to get longer from here.
As soon as Lone and Soph entered The Adventurer''s Guild they were greeted warmly by a good chunk of the present adventurers. Mugs were raised and heads were nodded, to which Lone smiled and nodded back. With no particular rush, he approached one of the vacant employee desks and asked, "Where''s Hamish?" "Ah, Immortus. He''s in the training room with wee Breena. Um, I know it isn''t my place to ask, but is taday really your last doon here?" the employee asked. Lone nodded. "I''m a free man as of today and I''ve business topside, sadly. Could you get Hilda to come down to the training room? I''d like to say goodbye to her at the same time as Hamish." "Of course, of course!" the man happily replied before he donned a rueful smile. "You''ll be missed." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "More like my strength''ll be missed. What''ll really be missed is me being able to ignore plate requirements to do ridiculously high-paying jobs," Lone joked. That earned him more than one or two chuckles. "Well, I''ll be in the training room, so send Ol'' Hammersworn my way as soon as you can," Lone said. Not long later, he and Soph found Hamish and Breena. The two were sparring while Hamish constantly commented on the young foxkin girl''s form and skill usage. The two noticed Lone and Soph''s presence immediately and stopped what they were doing. "So this is it, aye?" Hamish asked as he arched his back and cracked his neck. "Cannae say ah''m nae ah wee bit disappointed, but eh, who am ah tae complain? Ah can brag aboot bein'' companions wae the one an only Immortus the Immortal in ''is foundin'' years." Lone chuckled. "I''d be careful about that were I you considering my list of enemies will only grow with time." "Assumin'' ya cannae kill ''em the moment they make the mistake ah crossin'' ya. Or assumin'' she wilnae dae it fer ya," the dwarf said, gesturing his head to Soph. "He''s right, Lone. I won''t give any other would-be Hamishes the chance to prove themselves useful to you," Soph said as she handed Breena a mug of water she''d brought with her from the main hall of the guild. "Not now that my barrier magic is so much stronger." Lone shook his head at that. "A tool is only as useful as you allow it to be." "Oi!" I''m nae tool!" Hamish rebuked. "I dunno, you''ve been pretty useful thus far. While she hasn''t gained any levels, Breena''s gotten a lot stronger since you decided to dedicate your free time to teaching her," Lone remarked. The door to the training area opened and Hilda walked in. "Nae farewell party? Just ah cold-''earted goodbye an'' ''at''s it?" "Would be a waste of time," Lone replied. "Not like I''m going away forever. I''ll be back soon enough." "When ya think ya can beat me?" Hilda taunted with a grin. "I can already beat you. I''ll be back when I think I can beat you without maiming or killing you," Lone shot back. "And when I think I can help you surpass your wall." "Aye, aye. Well, Skill Instructor Hamish, let''s feck off, aye? The young fox has business tae attend tae," Hilda said a bit dismissively but she couldn''t hide the appreciation in her voice for Lone. She then approached Hamish and slung an arm over his shoulder and walked him out of the room. "She''s surprisingly tactful when she wants to be," Lone remarked. "Have you said your goodbyes, Breena?" The girl whose 15th birthday had recently just come and gone nodded. "Um, I said goodbye to Mister Hamish before that last spar and, um, I said goodbye to Mister Fits''war with Mistress Sophie during our l-last shift." "The tailor shop owner? Well, I need to say goodbye to my own former employer now too, so let''s go do that then we can be on our way to Golden Pass City," Lone said as he walked. Soph and Breena were clearly keenly aware of his emotional state so he appreciated them not asking questions or stopping him in any other way. The less time he had to think over if he wanted to risk sealing his MP again to save the dying Wilbur against the old man''s wishes, the better.
Lone took a deep breath and then knocked on the door to Wilbur''s now closed blacksmithing and steamforging shop-slash-forge. He was keenly aware of the council agents keeping a very close eye on him as he did this. Even if there was no longer any enforcement scripture magic preventing him from visiting his teacher, the greater council clearly didn''t want this visit to be anything more than a simple farewell. "One minute!" a feminine and exhausted-sounding voice called from within. Lone recognised it as belonging to Rella the Pygmy Rabbitkin, the independent healer who he had earned his first and only world skill from. "I could have sworn the council said no one would disturb him anymore now that he''s done with his epitome landmark invention..." he heard her whisper as the large brass door clicked and whirred, signalling it being unlocked. It swung open and a surprised look overcame the face of the short rabbitkin with grey hair. "You? What''re you doing here?" "I''m a free man as of today so I wanted to... well, say my final goodbyes to Gramps. Is he... awake?" Lone asked, a twitchy kind of nervousness dripping from his every word. "Free?" Rella asked in a confused voice. "You worked off a 27-year sentence already?" "First mission I took after the obligatory one knocked off 50%. Did a bunch more missions that reduced it down to seven years and then that eldritch horror burst out of the Deepwinds and destroyed two kriegs before I could put it down. A 99.9% reduction will lead to freedom pretty quickly," Lone explained. "Fuck. That''s intense. Well, whatever. Yeah, he''s awake. Come in I suppose," Rella said before moving out of their way, letting Lone, Soph, and Breena into what was once the place Lone worked as a salesman. "Uh, me and Breena will stay here. I don''t think he''d like it if we crowded his room considering his... uh, condition," Soph said, clearly alluding to Wilbur''s health which she could make certain guesses on with her Mana Sensing. Lone nodded seriously and followed Rella into the back, entering the adjacent house''s living room where the statue corpse of Wilbur''s wife could be seen. From there, Rella led Lone to Wilbur''s bedroom but just before they entered it, she stopped him. "Whatever you do, don''t agitate him or excite him. His condition had deteriorated rapidly since your court case. Damned idiot won''t stop using his portable forge even if it goes against his doctor''s wishes. It''s killing him but if his heart rate goes too high, he could drop then and there," Rella warned. ''Portable forge? I don''t hear any sounds that would suggest steamforging or even normal forging is going on. All I hear is very faint breathin- ah, there''s a wet cough. Gramps...'' Lone nodded. "I understand." "Good. Then in we go," Rella said before she opened the door and led Lone inside. Lone almost gasped at the sight that awaited him. Wilbur was unnaturally skinny and his face looked hollow, but even as he coughed up blood, there was a fire in his eyes that eased into a glowing warmth when he saw Lone. "Now ya choose to visit, eh? Ungrateful little bastard," the old man grumbled. Lone smiled at that. He let Rella occupy the only chair in the room while he closed the door and leaned on the door. "First thing''s first, there are 13 council agents both watching and listening to us right now, so keep that in mind." "Issat so?" Wilbur grumbled. "Rella, pass me the bag." "I''m not your lackey, I''m your doctor," Rella grumbled even as she grabbed a metal sack of some sort that was made up of several wire-connected brass plates. Wilbur took it from her and smiled. "This is for ye, laddie." "Is it steamforged?" Lone asked as he gingerly took the bag from him. "Aye, so is most ah the stuff in it. An'' ah don''t give ah flying fuck if it''s illegal for ye to have it. It and its contents are yers, no one else''s. If our eavesdroppers don''t like that, too fuckin'' bad. Just try an'' take it from the hands of an eldritch slayer!" Wilbur yelled at the walls. "Don''t shout, it isn''t good for you," Rella chastised. "How do you know about that but Rella didn''t?" Lone asked in jest. He stored the bag in his Dimensional Storage and said, "And yeah, don''t get too worked up. No one will try to take it from me. They might send people after me to get it later, but they''d need an X-ranker to even make me take them seriously." Wilbur smiled. "That''s reassuring... Laddie... could ah make a request o'' ye?" "No!!" Rella exclaimed. "I''ve already told you I won''t allow it! It''s stupid!" "Ah, shut up, ye," Wilbur waved her off before he entered a coughing fit. Lone crossed the room and put a hand on the old man''s back. "Full Body Diagnostics." "What?!" Rella shot up out of her chair. "There''s no way you got granted that skill from Altros!" "I can learn any skill used on me that isn''t racial, bloodline specific, or unique," Lone said as he slowly pulled his hand away from Wilbur. "Gramps... you''ve got a month, maybe two left." "Any skill...?" Rella muttered before shaking her head. "With his constant forging, that month or two will keep shortening. After your trial, he initially had about a year and a half left but look at him now." Wilbur laughed. "Ah won''t be doin'' any more forgin''. Ah''m done, in all senses of the word. I''m ready to rejoin my wife. I''ve done what I needed to do... I just wish the council wasn''t so..." He didn''t need to finish his sentence for Lone and Rella to understand what he wanted to say. Lone pursed his lips in frustration. "Do you want to live? I could cure you completely. It might seal my magic again, but I''ve rebuilt an entire soul before so I think I''ll be ok-" "Reseal? You have magic?" Rella muttered under her breath though Wilbur seemed to ignore those facts himself. The dying man had raised a hand to stop Lone. "Ah''m ready to rejoin ma wife. Ma request that Rella stopped me from asking ye? Ah don''t want to die in ma sleep or in a crumpled heap as ah cough ma guts out." "You want me to...?" Lone''s shock wasn''t exactly hidden at the absurd request. "Aye. Ma epitome project was completed four months ago and ah managed tae finish everythin'' ye needed between then an'' now. Laddie, ah''m ready. Ah know it''s ah burden to put this on ye, but it feels right. Every wakin'' moment is filled with endless pain," Wilbur explained. "I can fix that!" Lone exclaimed. Wilbur smiled sadly. "Not that kinda pain, laddie. Ah''ve been feelin'' this pain fer over 50 years. She''s waiting for me. Ye''ve ah lover of yer own, eh?" "Sure, but I wouldn''t want to die to see her if she was already gone. She''d kick my ass if I did that," Lone thought. ''Besides, there''s no way she''ll die. I have a contingency for that.'' "Aye, ah felt the same. Ah ''ad work to do, a shop to run, expectations to meet. Ah pushed through for 50 years but then this disease really started to kick in an'' then yer trial put ma loyalty to the council in question..." Wilbur laid down in his bed and muttered, "Do ye still have it, Laddie? The thing ah gave ye?" ''What? He hasn''t given me anything except wages and steamf- ah. Gotcha,'' Lone thought before nodding. "Sure. I keep it in my adventurer''s pouch." "Ah thought as much. Ah could smell it on ya," Wilbur chuckled before he coughed again. "Please, ah''ve not the strength to do it myself an'' Rella refuses to tell anyone of my wish. It has to be you. Give a dyin'' old man some honour in his last moments, eh?" Lone closed his eyes and exhaled, letting Meditation do its work. After a few moments, he had made a decision. B3: Chapter 2: Processing Trauma and Skill Sheet "Lone!" Soph exclaimed upon seeing him return to the store portion of the building with Rella behind him. "Y-You used freeform lightning magic... why?" Lone thought for a moment and replied, "His wishes superseded my own, and I didn''t want to leave a wound." Breena looked back and forth between Lone and Soph in confusion. "Lightning magic? Wishes?" "Gramps didn''t want to die in his sleep," was all Lone said before he took one last look around the store he used to work in and then left the building. He reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out an automated steamforged carriage that was broken. He''d found it in one of the kriegs he had liberated along with five others just like it, all broken. Luckily, they still supported horses even if they were automated, so Lone put himself where the beasts of burden would usually go and began pushing the bar that the horses'' reins would have been attached to. Rushing out of Wilbur''s workshop with Soph and Breena, Rella said, "Whoa, whoa, what''re you doing?! You''ll get arrested pushing that thing around!" "No, I won''t. If anyone tries to stop me, they are welcome to try, but I''m not in the mood to chat. It was nice meeting you, Rella. Soph, Breena, hop on," Lone said as he ignored any further protests from Rella and began pulling the mechanical cart. The rabbitkin bit her lip and sighed. "Be careful on your journey. He cared a lot about you, so don''t disappoint him by dying or something." That got a hollow laugh out of Lone. "Even had I plans to, I doubt it''d be easy to facilitate my death. Look after yourself too, Rella. Thank you for looking after him." The rabbitkin was surprised when she heard a ping and she fumbled to catch what had been flicked her way. To her surprise, it was an honest to all of the Primals ruby-gold coin. "What the..." By the time she had looked up from her hands, Lone, the cart, and both of his companions had completely vanished as if by magic. "... I need to get more sleep." She looked back at Wilbur''s shop. "And I need to prepare for his funeral and his epitome inauguration... Fuck." Suddenly, over a dozen dwarves appeared, all wearing symbols of the greater council. "The men Lone mentioned?" One approached her and said, "What was yer relationship tae Lone Immortus?" Rella furrowed her brow. "There wasn''t one. Acquaintances at best. Why didn''t you apprehend him? He killed Wilbur and then left with a steamforged artefact." The man wore a wry smile. "Ye ''eard ''im. Ah dinnae ken aboot ye, but ah dinnae wan'' oor entire unit bein'' wiped oot just ''cause the cunt''s in ah foul mood. ''Sides, the fox ''as friends in ''igh places. There''s also no arrestin'' the man who solo killed an eldritch ''orror unless ''e wants tae be arrested." "I... see," Rella responded tersely.
Lone took a moment to cover his eyes as the sun blinded him. Breena did the same while Soph didn''t seem affected and was clearly more concerned over Lone''s emotional state. "Are you okay?" she asked him. Lone closed his right eye and squinted with his left as he nodded. "I''ll be fine. Surprised I didn''t get a Blinding Resistance or something from that. Sudden teleportation from a dim street to this was something else." "Not what I was asking," Soph said, creasing her eyebrows. Lone retrieved the sack he''d received from Wilbur and began pulling things out of it to see what, exactly, he''d been gifted. "I have Meditation running 24-7 and Basic Regeneration will cure any trauma. I already feel much better. Am I in perfect condition right now? No. Give me a few hours to think and distract myself at the same time and I''ll be fine," he said as one wondrous gadget after the other was placed on the grass at his feet. "Fuckin'' thing''s a spatial pocket like an adventurer''s pouch. Wonder if Steamforging did that or if a mage was needed?" "Master Lone..." Breena fidgeted with her fingers a bit before saying, "W-We''re here for you... You, uh, you know. If you n-need us." Lone smiled at her. "I know and that gives me strength, it really does. Now, both of you help me with this stuff. There''s still a bunch left in here and some of it is pretty big from the feel of it." After about fifteen minutes, they had finished retrieving all of the steamforged goodies. The most interesting item to Lone was, without a doubt, Wilbur''s personal customised mini forge. With it, Lone could easily pick up where he had left off half a year ago with his Steamforging endeavours. There was also a set of six fully mechanical steamforged horses, of which, Lone hooked up two to the steamforged carriage and made them pull it so he didn''t have to. Most of the other items he didn''t know how to activate or he had no idea what they were. Master Wilbur had thought it wise to not leave a note, probably assuming Lone had the talent to figure everything out for himself. There was a set of highly advanced weapons that matched his, Soph, and Breena''s, preferred fighting styles. A few pieces of armour too. "The stupid old man didn''t hear about my bone armour? This stuff is useless to me," Lone thought aloud. Currently, he was sitting in the coachman''s seat while Soph and Breena studied inside the carriage. Soph was reading historical records while Breena was brushing up on her human common since they were going to a human settlement. Lone sighed and put everything back into the brass sack and shoved that back into his Dimensional Storage. "Crazy that skill can store things that can also store things. Anything that isn''t alive, huh?" With his mind on skills, checking his entire skill list seemed like a good way to lose some hours and move his lingering thoughts away from Wilbur. He had killed hundreds, perhaps thousands of beings at this point. Killing Wilbur though... even if the old man had asked for it himself, it was one of the hardest things Lone had ever done, only being beaten out by his decision to spare those demihuman children from an even crueller fate in Ranton''s castle dungeon. He directed the list to show him every meaningful change and addition since his most recent and hopefully last meeting with Arch Devil Zel.
Weapon Mastery Skills [22 skills]
[New!] Fortress Shield Mastery Master Level 1
Colossal Shield Mastery Expert Level 7 [+4 Levels]
Buckler Mastery Expert Level 6 [+11 Levels] [Rank up!]
Swordspear Mastery Expert Level 3 [+2 Levels]
Unarmed Combat Mastery Advanced Level 10
Shield Mastery Advanced Level 3 [+3 Levels] [Rank up!]
Polearm Mastery Advanced Level 2 [+1 Level]
Hand Axe Mastery Intermediate Level 8
Hatchet Mastery Intermediate Level 8
Dual-wielding Mastery Intermediate Level 3 [+6 Levels] [Rank up!]
Tower Shield Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
Great Axe Mastery Beginner Level 8 [+7 Levels]
Greatsword Mastery Beginner Level 8 [+7 Levels]
Axe Mastery Beginner Level 6
Spear Mastery Beginner Level 6 [+2 Levels]
Bearded Axe Mastery Beginner Level 1
Hammer Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortbow Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortspear Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shortsword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Sword Mastery Beginner Level 1
Warhammer Mastery Beginner Level 1
Movement Skills [2 skills]
Evasion Mastery Expert Level 5
Light-footed Advanced Level 3 [+2 Levels]
Social Skills [2 skills]
Acting Advanced Level 5
Persuasion Advanced Level 3
Crafting/Building Skills [10 skills]
Blacksmithing Advanced Level 10
Tool Mastery Advanced Level 10
Woodworking Advanced Level 6 [+1 Level]
Masonry Advanced Level 1
Drawing Mastery Intermediate Level 9 [+9 Levels] [Rank up!]
Steamforging Intermediate Level 8
Weaponsmithing Intermediate Level 8
Logging Intermediate Level 5
Architecture Mastery Beginner Level 7 [+1 Level]
Art Mastery Beginner Level 6 [+2 Levels]
Armoursmithing Beginner Level 1
Shipbuilding Beginner Level 1
Misc Skills [21 skills]
Reading Mastery Expert Level 3 [+1 Level]
Enhanced Vision Advanced Level 10 [+2 Levels]
Teaching Mastery Advanced Level 9 [+4 Levels]
Cartography Advanced Level 4 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
Cooking Mastery Advanced Level 3 [+2 Levels]
Puzzle Locked Mind Advanced Level 3 [+13 Levels] [2 Rank ups!]
Mining Mastery Intermediate Level 10 [+6 Levels]
Massage Mastery Intermediate Level 9 [+3 Levels]
Pet Mastery Intermediate Level 9 [+5 Levels]
Throwing Mastery Intermediate Level 8 [+7 Levels]
Basic Massage Technique Intermediate Level 6 [+2 Level]
[New!] Blood Thickening Intermediate Level 6
Swimming Mastery Intermediate Level 3
Chess Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
Sex Mastery Beginner Level 10 [+3 Levels]
Laundry Mastery Beginner Level 8
Historical and Cultural Appreciation Beginner Level 6 [+2 Levels]
Fishing Mastery Beginner Level 4
Lockpicking Mastery Beginner Level 4 [+3 Levels]
Illusion Detection Beginner Level 2
Sailing Mastery Beginner Level 2
Resistance Skills [29 skills]
Darkness Corruption Resistance Master Level 4
Mental Pain Resistance Master Level 1 [+5 Levels] [Rank up!]
Physical Pain Resistance Expert Level 9
Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance Expert Level 8 [+7 Levels]
Aura Pressure Resistance Expert Level 5
Enchantment Magic Resistance Expert Level 1
Infernal Flame Resistance Advanced Level 9
Fear Resistance Advanced Level 8 [+9 Levels] [Rank up!]
Panic Resistance Intermediate Level 10
Eldritch Resistance Advanced Level 8 [+27 Levels] [2 Rank ups!]
Scripture Magic Resistance Advanced Level 8 [+12 Levels] [Rank up!]
Nausea Resistance Intermediate Level 9
Sound Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 4
Lightning Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 3
Curse Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Air Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Earth Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Water Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Fire Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Blood Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Acid Resistance Beginner Level 8
Corrosion Resistance Beginner Level 8
Illusion Magic Resistance Beginner Level 7
Explosion Magic Resistance Beginner Level 4
Cold Resistance Beginner Level 2
Intoxication Resistance Beginner Level 2
Sleep Deprivation Resistance Beginner Level 2
Contract Magic Resistance Beginner Level 1
Active Skills [10 skills] Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Blood Clone Expert Level 8 [+14 Levels] [Rank up!]
[New!] Oaken Flesh Expert Level 4
Weapon Block Advanced Level 9 [+2 Levels]
Meditation Advanced Level 6 [+4 Levels]
Wide Taunt Intermediate Level 9 [+3 Levels]
Survivor''s Speed Intermediate Level 4 [+9 Levels] [Rank up!]
Stone Slap Beginner Level 6
Stumbling Sweep Beginner Level 4
Drunken Fist Beginner Level 1
Ramming Strike Beginner Level 1
Magic Skills [11 skills]
Root of Life Intermediate Level 8
Lightning Bolt Intermediate Level 6
Illusionary Dome Intermediate Level 3
Fireball Intermediate Level 1
Waterball Beginner Level 8
Wind Blade Beginner Level 2
Amplified Current Beginner Level 1
Boulder Beginner Level 1
Blood Explosion Beginner Level 1
Crimson Eruption Beginner Level 1
Enforcement Scripture Beginner Level 1
Racial Skills [1 skill]
Tail Spears Expert Level 6 [+3 Levels]
World Skills [1 skill]
Full Body Diagnostics Intermediate Level 2 [+1 Level]
Primal Skills [3 skills]
Ungrounded Advanced Level 10 [+1 Level]
Nothing Vortex Beginner Level 1
You Beginner Level 1
Unique Skills [8 skills]
Basic Regeneration Master Level 4 [+1 Level]
Bone Armour Master Level 4 [+2 Levels]
Dimensional Storage N/A
Creation Magic N/A
Growth Accelerator N/A
Mental Destruction N/A
The Summoning Room N/A
True Contract Magic N/A
Fuck That Cuntbag Sir Ardus Skills [5 skills]
Poison Resistance Expert Level 9
Torture Resistance Advanced Level 4
Thirst Resistance Intermediate Level 7
Hunger Resistance Intermediate Level 1
Insanity Resistance Beginner Level 9
"What a focused five months..." Lone muttered. "16 rank ups and dozens upon dozens of levels ups. Needless to mention the, what, half dozen new personally earned additional effects I got? The new skills took up so much time and now I''m going to be focusing on magic... Soon I''ll get all those beginner-ranked skills to a respectable level as well." It was a shame he hadn''t earned more new skills but it was the same people at the guild that he always sparred with and after the blood mage, he had only taken a mission for a sentient target once and the fight was over before the group of cannibal dwarves could touch him with their dark magic skills. A shame, but it wasn''t a risk Lone would take earning their skills and respective resistances when they had two SS-rankers among their ranks. He had no idea when Zel would strike so being at his best at all times was necessary. It was also a shame that the list Sheelda McStuderson had provided him was mostly made up of non-combat skills which he didn''t have the time to focus on while doing mission after mission to reduce his sentence time. He''d be able to go through that list soon though, which was a nice thought. Lone used his perfect memory to figure out where he and his mechanical carriage were on the road to Golden Pass City. "I have time, yeah. Sure. Let''s check the new rank-ups and my status. Don''t want to get too distracted though..." With a wave of his hand, two bucket''s worth of blood gushed out into the air from seemingly nowhere. He dismissed the clone swimming about in his veins and invoked the skill twice. "Blood Clone. Blood Clone." A small drake coalesced from his lifeblood and then gurgled out a screech before perching itself atop the carriage, keeping a close watch over the surroundings. The second Blood Clone became a perfectly spherical and ever-moving shield around Lone, completely encapsulating him in the coachman''s seat. "I love that I was able to get an effect that allowed a second clone. I knew getting this skill was a great choice," Lone praised himself before he started pulling up skill information. B3: Chapter 3: Rank-ups and Interruption Seeing his status first felt like the right move. It was quicker to go over, even if he did like to look at the massive amount of MP and HP he''d gained solely from the lesser eldritch horror for tens of minutes at a time.
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 399
Species Foxkin Rank: C
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 224,710/224,710 [+126,430] SP: 130,900/130,900 [+28,750]
MP: 447,720/447,720 [+270,650] WF: 1,300/1,300
Basic Stats
Strength: 8,830 [+3,291] Vigour: 13,090 [+2,875]
Dexterity: 7,104 [+2,080] Agility: 7,865 [+1,908]
Vitality: 22,471 [+12,643] Luck: 1,535 [+209]
Secret Stats
Charm: 209 [+43] Charisma: 225 [+58]
Magic Power: 44,772 [+27,065]
''Still nowhere near Soph''s absurd level of Magic Power, but that eldritch horror had more MP than everything else I''ve killed combined. If I hadn''t gone into it and ripped it apart from the inside, it would have killed me. Or worse...'' Lone thought as he shuddered, recalling the forbidden knowledge that had been crammed into his brain during their battle. Pushing those memories right back into his fifteenth mental puzzle where all of his unwanted memories belonged, he began going through the skills that had ranked up over the last five months as well as the new skills. Going down his skill list, the first was his brand new skill, Fortress Shield Mastery.
Passive skill: Fortress Shield Mastery
A child skill of the [Shield Mastery] skill only possessed by one being thus far, the foxkin man who created it, Lone Immortus. When using a fortress shield, stop 95% of all attacks dead, the other 5% shall have their force reduced by 95%. When using a fortress shield, the host''s SP shall recover at a rate of 5% per second. When using a fortress shield, the host may choose up to 4 additional beings to be included within the shield''s protection. This will teleport them into the fortress. The SP regeneration will also affect the chosen being(s).
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Master Level 1
Lone was technically in a fortress shield right this moment. It was why his SP was maxed out despite that stat typically draining every moment a person was conscious. Lone had created the skill when he had gotten annoyed at Hilda constantly getting behind him and walloping him with her big fuck-off hammer, Gurt. Her Agility just outpaced his own so much that he had an outburst and basically created a bone shell around himself. She hit it and it cracked, of course, but a new skill was born. It took a good amount of effort after that to power level it to master rank and earn that additional effect. Right now his second Blood Clone was serving as a fortress shield. Lone was sure that it wouldn''t be many more months before the skill''s information updated to state more than just he owned it. He had given up the information of the skill to the guild, after all.
Buckler Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by swashbucklers and duellists alike. When holding a buckler the host is 60% [+30%] more likely to parry a blow when attempting to do so. When wearing a wrist-strapped buckler, any ranged attacks aimed at the host have a 4% [+1%] chance of hitting the bucker regardless of where they were aimed. Grants the talent [Forced Parry], Say the words [Forced Parry] when wielding a shield and the host shall successfully parry any incoming attack regardless of its power (if the power of the attack vastly outstrips the durability of the shield and the host''s own body, the shield will shatter and the arm holding it shall break).
Cost: 5,000 SP [-5,000 SP] to perform the talent [Forced Parry] (24-hour cooldown [Down from 48-hour cooldown]).
Mastery: Expert Level 6
Whenever he was out and about, Lone always had a buckler made of his own bone attached to his right arm, even when fighting and encapsulated in his fortress shield. It was simply too useful to not always have one ready. Four percent sounded small but in actuality, when your entire life revolved around fighting, even a single percentage chance to guarantee an attack will hit your shield was massive.
Passive skill: Shield Mastery
The parent skill of all shield-based masteries. When blocking or deflecting an attack with a shield, the attack''s force shall be reduced by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 3
Nothing new or impressive with this rank-up, but since it was a parent skill that stacked on top of all other shield skills, it made Fortress Shield Mastery nigh undefeatable. A truly gargantuan amount of force would be needed to even so much as crack a fortress shield made of his own bones, let alone break through it.
Passive skill: Dual-wielding Mastery
A skill that allows the host to dexterously wield two items, typically weapons, without any one item impeding the other. It will feel 15% [+10%] more natural when the host dual-wields.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 3
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lone had barely focused on this skill since it didn''t really impact his fighting style all that much. The only use it had received was when he tried fighting with both a greatsword and a greataxe at the same time to middling results. Soph, on the other hand, had also trained the skill up to intermediate rank, though only level one. The difference in ability and application of the skill, however, between the two of them was noticeable even to the untrained eye. Of course, she was better than him.
Passive skill: Tower Shield Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by heavy infantry to effectively block ranged attacks while in a formation. Any tower shield held by the host shall feel 15% [+10%] lighter than it actually is and will be 15% [+10%] less unwieldy. [New!] Grants the talent [Full Charge]. Say the phrase [Full Charge] and the host shall move up to 10 metres at their maximum possible speed. Only works when the host is actively blocking their body with a shield.
Cost: 10% of the host''s maximum SP to use the talent [Full Charge].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Full Charge was interesting. It gave some devastating killing power to Lone''s bone fortress shield, especially when he created it with spikes on its exterior. It also factored in Survivor''s Speed when determining his maximum possible swiftness. ''There''re probably more applications I just haven''t thought of. I wonder if Divines have as many skills as I do and if they use them in a similar way. The additional effects from weapon masteries at intermediate affecting more than just their original weapon type must be a pretty widespread fact among the strong,'' Lone thought.
Passive skill: Drawing Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Art Mastery] commonly used by fledgling artists as a gateway to more specific art-based skills. Any sketch or simple drawing created by the host will look 15% [+10%] more like what they envisioned it would. [New!] Increases the host''s ability to maintain a steady hand when drawing by a factor of two.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 9
Not a useful additional effect outside of drawing but it sure had improved the quality of his self-drawn maps and the portraits of Soph and Sophie he liked to sketch while imprisoned between missions. Maybe he''d eventually have perfectly steady and 100% controllable hands when drawing in the future. That was a quaint idea that did nothing if not distract Lone from the fact an Arch Devil was out for his blood.
Passive Skill: Puzzle Locked Mind
A skill that makes the host''s mind akin to a dwarven puzzle box. Creates 15 [+10] puzzles that must be defeated sequentially for an adversary to attack the host''s mind. The puzzles restore themselves automatically over a 2-hour period [down from a 4-hour period]. The puzzles may be used to store the host''s memories, allowing perfect recollection of said memories. Even when destroyed, the locks still serve this function. [New!] The puzzles may be restored instantly. Limit: Once per week. Currently Available.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 3
It had taken four sessions with Stoner Heeth for Lone to get the second publicly known earnable additional effect. His puzzles had also begun taking different shapes and forms as soon as the skill hit intermediate rank. 12 of the puzzles were still boring old vaults, although no longer rusted and in disrepair and some were becoming blurry as if changing form. Three of the vaults, however, had taken the form of Rubik''s cubes but with 33x33x33 dimensions instead of the typical 9x9x9. They were 9x9x9s until the skill became advanced so that only spoke of how crazy those particular puzzles would become at expert and master rank. These newly defined puzzles were the fifth, the tenth, and the fifteenth puzzles. Without Lone''s active cooperation, Stoner Heeth couldn''t even get past the fourth puzzle anymore, let alone tackle the initial Rubik''s cube one. ''I look forward to Hazel''s reaction to my mental defences now. Well, assuming she''s willing to meet me. I fuckin'' hope she is. I don''t trust anyone else to invade my mind to train the skill,'' Lone thought.
Passive Skill: Cartography
A skill that makes map-drawing and copying 30% [+15%] easier. Any maps drawn by the host are 30% [+15%] more easily understood by those who read them.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 4
Nothing new or special here but still, his maps of the dwarven kingdoms, of ruined and flourishing urds and kriegs, and of the extensive Farwinds that connected then, were noticeably more detailed and easier to interpret, in part due to this, and in part due to Drawing and Art mastery. Just as Lone was about to pull up the next skill''s information, a new skill at that, Blood Thickening, Soph interrupted him. ''There are two adventurer groups up ahead. One of them somehow noticed your blood bubble and the, uh, what did you call it? Wyvern? They''ve spotted them even at this distance. One group is talking about attacking the carriage while the other seems fed up and is trying to tell them to think before acting,'' she relayed via their telepathic connection. ''I wasn''t done with my recap. I''m really still not in the mood for idiots...'' Lone responded. ''Sophie says she''s happy to take care of them for you, but, uh, between us, I think you should do it. You''ve trained how to hold back, she never will. I-I know you''re upset and I know you like your skill reviewals considering how often you do them, but, uh, yeah. Here they come,'' Soph said. ''Four C-rankers and one B-ranker, by the way. None have silver plates or above, though the one that I think is the leader of the other group, the one not coming for you, is a silver plate.'' ''Think they''ll let me tell them I''m a gold-silver plate before or after I pacify them?'' Lone asked as he made his blood shield turn into a thick flowing cape to reveal his form. He also ordered the blood wyvern to maim but not kill anyone who tried to harm or enter the carriage. ''Their killing intent is strong. Probably after,'' Soph answered. ''Strong enough for me to get the resistance?'' Lone wondered. ''Nope. You''re too used to death. Like you and Sophie have discussed, since she and me can''t so much as summon a flicker of killing intent directed at you, you''ll need someone capable enough of killing you and intent on it too,'' Soph said. ''Yeah, yeah. Any mages?'' Lone inquired. ''Nope! At least, I don''t think so. Nothing in their mana says ''I can utilise this energy'' to me. There''re two in the other group though. One''s a fire mage I think judging by the colour of their mana. I can''t tell what the other one might be,'' Soph responded. ''I''m gonna go back to reading. Lemme know though if you need to use the Express Soph Transport System.'' Lone got up and cracked his neck. He squinted and could see four humans running towards his precious carriage, weapons drawn and hatred in their eyes. The fifth was trying to stealthily jump from tree to tree with a bow in hand. "Money''s on a grudge with a blood mage and they just assumed I''m a mass murderer or something like their grudge''s target. There''s not a thing suspicious about a blood bubble and a blood wyvern or two. Yeah, no talking sense into those kinds of heads, not until they''ve been slapped around a bit," he sighed. It only took a few more moments for the five valiant warriors to reach Lone who had, to his credit, taken out a steel swordspear and wasn''t underestimating the foolish adventurers even one bit. "Today is the day you die, vile blood mage!" the one Soph had pointed out was a B-ranker shouted as he slid across the gravel path while moving his longsword into a thrusting position. "Mana Severance!" Lone''s eyebrow rose in interest as he shifted his body slightly and caught an arrow that had been aimed for his heart in between his ribs and arm. He untensed those muscles and let the entirely metal piercing instrument clatter to the floor. Two more melee warriors flanked him as a bright blue spear of energy flew in his direction from the leader. Of course, he let it hit him though he did block it with his unshielded wrist as he spun on one foot and used the flat side of his swordspear to trip one of his two flankers while kicking the other square in the chin. The young woman with a shortsword and buckler fell head over ass while the burly man whose jaw had been introduced to Lone''s boot went flying into the air.
Warning! The host''s MP has been sealed for 2 seconds!
The host''s MP has been unsealed!
"T-Two seconds!" the handsome young man who was sweating and clearly quite drained after his skill usage was beyond shocked for whatever reason. ''I guess the skill scales off of some metric and I made it near worthless somehow? Better question is why didn''t I earn it? I know that''s not a racial skill since he''s a human. Bloodline skill, maybe?'' Lone wondered as something sharp pricked his neck. He glanced down only to see a dagger trying its hardest to gain any purchase on him but had instead barely succeeded in drawing his blood. "Shame. No assassination-based skills? I was hopeful, but you are just a C-ranker," Lone sighed before slamming his head back, reverse headbutting the woman trying her best to sever a critical artery. As if someone so inexperienced could ever hope to escape the sight of his Enhanced Vision. Still, the blade wasn''t even poisoned. Considering the leader hadn''t followed up his Mana Severing with another attack, Lone couldn''t help but think that he was dealing with an incredibly inexperienced group as a whole. Two more arrows flew his way in quick succession, one of which he dodged automatically with Evasion Mastery while the other he simply caught and returned to its sender. A gruff yelp quickly followed suit. "We done?" Lone asked the stupefied B-ranker. "H-How are you a C-ranker?! It''s impossible!" The man seemed to regain some of his composure and readied his longsword. Lone sighed and reached up to his collar, resulting in a flinch from the still hesitant young man who stood a few dozen metres away from him. He pulled out his adventurer plate that was wrapped around his neck. "I''m a gold-silver plate adventurer, and while I am technically a blood mage, my cape and wyvern are not born of magic. Now go collect your archer friend and come back here to explain yourself. I was quite busy before you decided to waste my time." Lone looked up into the sky and moved a little to the right and nodded. A visceral scream slowly became audible before it stopped abruptly when Lone caught the man he''d launched into the air by his leg, breaking and almost separating the limb from the man''s body. Dumping said man on the ground and ignoring the two women also on the floor, one holding her bleeding nose in agony, the other simply staring in shock at his adventurer plate as she lay there on the road, Lone got back into the coachman''s seat of his carriage. B3: Chapter 4: Blood Thickening and Oaken Flesh Andrew Keining, the 16th son of Prince Keining - the ruler of the Keining Principality, exhaled a deep breath of relief as he jogged down the gravel road with his retainers in tow. "So it was a gold-silver plate. Thank the Strong," he said. "What more do you know of them, Hesha?" The sight mage in his employ, a young woman of only 35 years with a full head of braided brown hair, nodded. "He''s a foxkin with nine tails, marred by three awakenings. Blue for Sky, purple for Darkness, and black for something I do not recognise. Not one of the eight Primals at least. He didn''t so much as move a single step when incapacitating the Young Master''s younger brother and his retainers. The only attacks the gold-silver plate allowed to strike him was Princeling Keith''s Mana Severance and a dagger to the neck which barely broke the skin, and yes, I did say allowed. His blood constructs did not disappear, thus the skill maintaining them is born of something unrelated to magic. I also have a clearer picture of the horses and the carriage itself, all of them are steamforged." ''A foxkin with nine tails. I know of only one such example. Lone Immortus from Milindo. To have a steamforged carriage and two horses, however... That tells a tale of its own. He also was not a gold-silver plate when he disappeared from Milindo,'' Andrew thought to himself. It would be a disgrace if he wasn''t aware of the existence of the catalyst to the overnight extermination of almost all of Milindo''s ruling class. That event, even if it happened almost a year ago, had left its scars. Even his own father had lost sleep over the worry that some petty injustice in Golden Pass City would lead to Sloth knocking at his own door so he had personally set about ensuring that all adventurers in Golden Pass City were treated fairly were they not already. "What are they doing right now, Hesha?" Andrew asked. She frowned slightly, clearly drained from so actively using her magic. "It is best if you see for yourself. We are almost within view of the carriage. Suffice to say, Young Master, your brother did not take his humiliating defeat quite as gracefully as perhaps he could have. A final warning, however. Do not act arrogantly whatsoever. I know not of this man''s full capabilities, but within the carriage lies a true monster. My sister is known far and wide for her large mana capacity, correct?" The 32-year-old fire mage at Andrew''s side nodded. "I can feel it too. It''s suffocating." Hesha nodded. "Indeed. It would be a disgrace to even compare her reserves to that of the foxkin''s, but the... thing within that carriage... Calling Helen''s MP a drop of water in that person''s ocean would be an insult to the ocean." Andrew wore a concerned look on his face, as did his other two retainers, Paul and Furdar. ''Foolish brother of mine, just who, or what, have you attacked?''
Lone sighed. The B-ranker who had what he assumed was a bloodline skill wasn''t as cooperative as would have been more ideal. The fool had immediately launched himself at Lone as if in some sort of idiotic suicidal attempt to bring him down with him. All it took was Lone transmitting the word ''barrier'' to Soph for that foolish attempt to end. The girl he''d tripped alongside the rogue woman were both sent off in his place to collect the archer. The B-ranker now floated alongside the carriage, surrounded by a jade-green barrier while the archer and male warrior were being carried by the Blood Clone Lone was previously wearing as a cape. It now had the form of a flying carpet of sorts. ''The other group is jogging towards us and the other mage, not the fire mage, somehow can see us super clearly. You''ve got a minute or two until we meet them,'' Soph warned. ''Thanks Soph. Love you,'' Lone replied as he immediately returned to pulling up skill information. A cute giggle entered his mind. ''I love you too!''
Passive Skill: Blood Thickening
A skill often pursued by those suffering from haemophilia to offset the effects of that condition. Triples the thickness of the host''s blood without impacting blood flow negatively. Blood clots three times as fast and injuries heal 1.2 times faster.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 6
There were two reasons Lone had focused on this skill after using the credit slate to learn of its existence. Firstly, it made his Blood Clones significantly more durable and harder to breach when protecting him, and secondly, it was a skill that stacked with Basic Regeneration, making him even more unkillable. It was hard to level though, which was the only real downside but being able to create a Blood Clone in his own veins offset that particular limitation somewhat.
Passive Skill: Chess Mastery
The road to conquering the board is long and not for the weak-minded. Expands the host¡¯s processing capabilities by 15% [10%] when playing chess.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Lone was trying to expand that processing boost to more than just when he was playing chess, to no success yet. Although he knew it was possible thanks to his inquires at the guild''s credit slate.
Passive Skill: Mental Pain Resistance
Reduces the effects suffered from overusing MP by 95% [+35%]. All mental pains will be weakened by 95% [+35%]. [New!] Any mental pain experienced by the host born from an external force will also be experienced by its origin. All mental pain inflicted on the origin will be amplified by a factor of 2.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Master Level 1
The new effect would be truly nasty for any mages that can interact with another person''s mind. Sadly, he had earned the rank up from the forbidden knowledge he''d been exposed to when fighting the low-ranked eldritch horror and that thing couldn''t experience pain of any sort from Lone''s limited observations. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Sir!" a voice shouted, drawing Lone''s attention away from his skills and onto the road where five adventurers avoided his ever-moving steamforged horses. "I cannot thank you enough for your leniency when handling my foolish brother''s rash actions." Lone silently watched the blonde-haired handsome man who looked around his age but was likely older considering Soph had informed him he was an A-ranker. "Follow your brother and his bumbling band of merry chums if you want to talk. I''m busy. I only have six skills left to recheck. You heading to Golden Pass City too? If not, you can fuck off," Lone said curtly. A shocked expression appeared on the supposed silver-plated adventurer''s face. "Ah, y-yes. We are. We were on our way back from a dungeon expidi-" "Didn''t ask, don''t care. Be quiet and follow along. I am not in the mood for small talk at the moment so be patient while I finish my business," Lone dismissed the man and immediately jumped back into his skills. "Of course," the handsome man said, apparently having regained some of his confidence although he and his companions were very wary of the floating B-ranker encapsulated in a Barrier Prison and the two incapacitated men being carried by a blood carpet.
Passive Skill: Fear Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from their fear. Reduces all fear the host experiences by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 8
Bog standard, nothing new whatsoever. Although the boost, as always, was appreciated.
Passive skill: Eldritch Resistance
Allows the host to maintain their sense of self after being touched by that which was never meant to be seen, heard, or known. When touched by anything of an eldritch nature, the host has a 30% [+25%] chance to maintain their sanity, additionally, the host has a 30% [25%] chance to avoid becoming obsessed by whatever is being shown or offered to them of an eldritch origin.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 8
This skill''s percentages made no sense to Lone. 30% was the correct number for advanced rank, of course, but he never had any lingering attachment to the things he had been shown by the eldritch horror. He still remembered them clearly when he wanted to due to his memory banks, but there was no obsession or particular attraction. Lone refused to believe forbidden knowledge of an eldritch nature was so simple that mere mental defences and recovery could negate the negative effects of learning such information. ''I''m convinced my soul is being healed somehow. There''s no way eldritch knowledge doesn''t corrupt one''s soul, and there''s no way something or someone isn''t reversing that damage to me since I can''t do that myself yet without using Creation Magic, which I haven''t done,'' Lone concluded. There were three likely suspects, two more probable than the third. Sky, Darkness, and Void. The more important questions right now though, were why and how, not who. Perhaps Lone would bring it up with Darkness when he was next summoned to one of Monsieur Librarian''s meetings. For now, he pulled up the last three skills that had ranked up over the previous five months as well as his final new skill all at once.
Passive Skill: Scripture Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Scripture Magic. When resisting Scripture Magic, it will have a 30% [+15%] higher chance to fail on top of the host''s natural resistance.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 8
Nothing new here, but a welcome improvement nonetheless.
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 6 litres [+5.6 litres] of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to reinforced steel [up from softwood]. Maximum speed: 11.56m [+7.54m] per second. The host can now create and keep the clone within their own bloodstream, allowing very precise control of said bloodstream. When not being directed to do anything else, the clone will passively attempt to protect the host from all attacks. The host can use the blood of others to create a clone. [New!] The host can now simultaneously create 2 Blood Clones. [New!] The host can now create a Blood Clone near-instantly.
Cost: 2,000 SP [-1,000 SP]
Mastery: Expert Level 8
It was nice that the metric of volume had changed from drops to litres, but still, it wasn''t a massive amount and his blood wyvern had to be hollow as a consequence. The new hardness was a result of both Soph and Hilda''s efforts over the last five months. A very concentrated effort, at that. The speed, meanwhile, was becoming truly fearsome. In miles-per-hour, it could be a little faster than 24MPH where it currently was and it was only getting faster day by day.
Active Skill: Survivor''s Speed
A skill intended to be used when the host''s life is in danger and the only answer is to run or to react with the speed of lightning. Multiplies all speed-related aspects of the host by a factor of 12.5 [+2.5]. Warning: The host may suffer injuries from the activation of the skill, both to their body and to their mind. If the host does not possess sufficient mental or physical strength, then they risk destroying themselves when using this skill.
Cost: 17.5% [-2.5%] of the host''s maximum SP per minute.
Mastery: Intermediate Level 4
Small numbers, massive improvements. Thankfully, Lone''s body and mind were strong enough to ignore the additional strain that the extra factor of two-point-five brought, and the cost reduction was greatly appreciated.
Active Skill: Oaken Flesh
A skill common among Leshers and other earthly species, though it can sometimes be found in others whose fear of death has allowed them to learn this elusive skill. Allows the host''s skin to become as durable as a tree type of their choice, limited by the skill''s rank. Chosen tree: Allocasuarina luehmannii.
Cost: 500 SP per hour. 500 SP per second if the host''s skin is being attacked.
Mastery: Expert Level 4
Lone had, of course, tried his best to earn this skill the moment he had paid for its information at the guild''s credit slate. He always had it active, which helped give him peace of mind. Ever since Scott had managed to cut through his skin and muscles so easily despite being so weak, Lone had been on the lookout for skills that would fix that certain issue. He still didn''t have one for his muscles yet but he would pay for such information soon enough now that his bones, blood, and skin were so durable. ''I wonder if Lefakern has Oaken Flesh? Probably since he''s a Lesher.'' There were so many useful skills in this world that he had probably encountered but didn''t even know existed. Sighing, he turned his head to the handsome blonde A-ranker. "Let''s talk now," Lone ordered. B3: Chapter 5: New Magic and High-profile Arrival "First," Lone said, "Introductions. I''ll apologise for my earlier curtness, though I''m sure you can understand it. I am Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal, gold-silver plate adventurer. I watched my mentor die today and was then attacked by your - brother, was it? - while I was grieving. Were I an ordinary blood mage of little ability, I would have been murdered in cold blood for no fuckin'' reason." The man with short blonde hair grimaced. "I can do nothing but express my deepest condolences for your loss. And I fear my brother is too foolish to apologise on his own so I shall do so in his stead. I am Andrew Keining, the 16th son of Prince Keining. You are right in that were you not so capable, you might have died. As an apology of my own, I''d love to invite you and your companion to stay in the royal palace during your stay in our fair Golden Pass City." "Two companions, not one. Guess your mage didn''t see Breena." Lone stroked his chin. That was likely on account of Soph''s magic dwarfing even his own, so if they were somehow able to detect Soph from within the carriage but not Breena, that indicated all the mage could see, or perhaps feel, was her mana. Lone nodded to himself. "I might take you up on that. Anyway, 16th son? Motherfucker needs to learn some self-restraint. He''s just asking to get murdered by some power-hungry child. Your dad''s an XX-ranker, right? Might have to fight him once or twice before I leave the city..." The man squirming on Lone''s blood carpet with a broken leg muttered, "Insolence... How dare... a... blood mage speak so... ill of his highness..." Lone rolled his eyes. "My guy, blood mages are not evil because they perform blood magic. I''m not gonna preach sense into your thick skull, but if I were you, I wouldn''t antagonise the man who spared you from death or life as a cripple when you attacked me with no cause like some idiot drunk on a false sense of justice." "If I may be so bold," Andrew spoke up, "what skill is it that you have used to conjure up this floating sheet and the draconic beast of blood? My sight mage told me it is not magical in nature." Lone raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Sight mage? Now there''s a type of magic I''ve never heard of before but considering sound magic is a thing, it''s only a matter or time before I meet the sorry sod that''s a scent mage. It''s a skill called Blood Clone. It uses SP and my own blood to create the clone. It''s as simple as that. If you want more details, look it up on the list." Andrew and his retainers seemed to immediately understand what Lone meant by ''the list'', meaning Andrew had managed to convey the concept of the credit slate to his companions just as he had to Soph and Breena. At the same time, the retainers of Andrew''s brother and the brother himself didn''t appear to understand, which was interesting given their status. "Now, sight mage, huh?" Lone said, looking between the two women dressed in clearly enchanted robes. "One of you is a fire mage, the other must be the interesting one. I can''t detect MP in people yet, nor have I any idea how to differentiate it. So, who is who?" "How is it you know my sister''s primary magical attribute?" the woman wearing a long white robe encrusted with jewels and lined with golden thread asked a hint of fear in her tone. "A good guess," Lone answered. "Use a sight skill on me." "What?" Confusion overcame the sight mage''s expression. "Try and look into my mind, or soul, or magic, or whatever it is a sight mage does. Use a skill on me actively and I won''t press the local guild to execute mister princeling''s brother here for trying to murder me." Lone tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You too," he said, gesturing to the fire mage. "Hit me with your strongest fire magic skill, assuming you have more than just Fireball. I''ve got that skill already." Some surprise flashed through Andrew''s eyes at Lone mentioning he had a fire magic skill of his own, but he was quick to take the initiative despite that. "Hesha, Helen, please do as he says." "As you wish, Young Master," they both said in unison. Lone would be smiling from ear to ear were he not still trying to distract himself from Wilbur''s death. Using Ungrounded, he started walking in the air ahead of the carriage, earning him several gasps of surprise. "Chantless advanced air magic?" The fire mage Lone now knew to be called Hesha asked herself. The sight mage, Helen, replied, "No, he''s not using magic." "It''s a Primal skill," the rogue from the imprisoned prince''s retainers muttered. "Miss Can''t Cut An Artery is correct, it''s the skill I got from Sky," Lone replied. "Now hit me with your magic, if you wouldn''t mind. No need to go in turns or worry about harming me. My moniker is Immortus the Immortal for a good reason." The women both nodded and began chanting without any hesitation. Their charge had ordered them to comply, so there would be no reluctance from them. ''That one said ''chantless'','' Lone thought as he waited. ''Normally, I would have thought that meant just needing the skill''s name and no additional chants like they need right now, but I don''t need to invoke Ungrounded''s skill name to use it. Can magic be cast silently somehow? Can all skills? Dimensional Storage needs no invocation either... Hmm...'' Lone would be lying if he said he hadn''t considered this at all before but he had just assumed it was a quirk of the system. However, if all skills could effectively be cast without a word, well, that changed things quite a bit. A mass of fire and wrath engulfed Lone while he also felt a piercing set of eyes peer down upon him as if from the very heavens themselves, trying to gaze into his every secret.
The host has developed the active fire magic skill: Oxygen Ignition.
Active Fire Magic Skill: Oxygen Ignition
An advanced application of the fire magic school where the caster creates an invisible mass of harmless flames that contain a magnetic force which attracts oxygen. When oxygen levels within the invisible mass of fire reach 25%, it will all ignite and explode with 2x the natural level of force it should explode with.
Cost: 20,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now intermediate level 5.
The host has developed the active sight magic skill: Oppressive Gaze.
Active Sight Magic Skill: Oppressive Gaze
A basic application of the sight magic school where the caster focuses the element of sight into an otherworldly set of eyes capable of seeing through more than normal eyes. When active, will allow the host to see the intentions of the target. Warning! This skill will always be detected by the target.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Sight Magic.
The host has developed the passive skill: Sight Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Sight Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of sight magic. Sight magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Finally, a smile surfaced on Lone''s face as he used Creation Magic to repair his tattered clothes. He returned to the carriage''s coachman''s seat and sighed in muted joy. "What..." the sight mage''s eyes had widened, but not in shock. No. Lone sensed admiration and perhaps even a hint of worship in her expression now. "A polymage..." "Huh?" Lone tilted his head in thought. "Oh. Does a higher rank of that skill you used let you see a person''s magical affinities?" Andrew shot a meaningful glance at his retainer, clearly curious as to what had her so awestruck. The sight mage bowed deeply at Lone and said, "I am honoured to be in your esteemed presence, Great Mage. I will always remember your kindness in allowing me to gaze upon such a beautiful arrangement of affinities." And just like that, everyone felt her aura shift from that of a B-ranker to an A-ranker. The sight mage''s experience of witnessing Lone''s ten perfect magical affinities increasing by one had given her the enlightenment needed to breach the B-ranked level-cap barrier. "Wow," Lone commented. "Well, at least I''m not the only one who gained from that exchange. Let''s all have a pleasant chat now until we reach Golden Pass City, huh? We''re not far now and I''m sure we both have a lot of questions for each other." Princeling Andrew nodded his head immediately. "Indeed we do, though may we first treat my brother''s injured retainers, assuming we''ve assuaged your anger enough?" "I made sure to not give them life-threatening injuries, but sure. Gonna use magic to heal ''em?" Lone asked, his greed obvious in his tone. The shorter of the two men that were Andrew''s retainers stepped towards the blood carpet and answered, "No, simple first aid skills." "Ah, shame. I still don''t have any first aid skills myself. Well, another time then," Lone sighed as he willed the blood carpet to not obstruct the retainer''s work. "So, tell me about Golden Pass City, Andrew. I expect to stay there for a few days, maybe a week at most, so any info would be appreciated."
"Hey!" A peppy woman who looked no older than perhaps 19 or 20 greeted Hazel who was waiting at the eastern city gate of Golden Pass City. "You''re a warrior, right? Wanna join us on a Furster hunt? You''d only get a tenth of the pay for its hide and meat, but the levels are a sure-gone thing!" Hazel quickly dropped her suppression of Mind Reading to check if the woman''s intentions were as pure as her words. ''She''s an iron plate even though she''s so young. I''m still only a wooden! I bet she really knows how to use that sword and shield of hers! The more experienced fighters, the less risk! Da''s always right about this kinda stuff,'' the woman thought as she waited for Hazel''s reply excitedly. Seeing that there was no ulterior motive to be found, Hazel smiled politely and said, "I''m waiting for someone, actually. Thank you for the offer though. I appreciate it. If you''re still in this city in a few months, maybe our groups can do some quests together." The woman deflated a bit but bounced back just as quickly. "I live here so it''s a promise! Seeya!" Just as Hazel shook her head in wonder at how someone could be so friendly in such a world, she heard a commotion. Turning her head in its direction, she saw seven people walking alongside a carriage of brass cogs and gears while two men floated on a blood sheet of some sort, and another person was being carried around in a very familiar-looking barrier. She then spotted Lone who was happily conversing with three of the walking individuals, one of which she recognised. The face of the man trapped in a barrier was also not a new one to her. ''Why the fuck is he acting so casually with Princeling Andrew while Princeling Keith is being imprisoned?!'' Hazel panicked. "Well, you can have this back now," her brother said in the distance as the barrier surrounding Princeling Keith disappeared, resulting in him collapsing onto the ground face-first. "And you, if you ever attack me again unprompted, I won''t spare your life. One second chance, that''s all I''ll afford." Hazel paled. ''Princeling Keith attacked Darren? Why?'' She could hear the murmuring of the crowd as well as the gate guards who were debating on if they should arrest her brother or not. Prince Andrew stepped forward and addressed the guards, "Gold-silver plate adventurer Lone Immortus here is my valued guest. Return to your posts but do know that he has permission to enter the city and the palace free of charge. Lone, where will you be parking your carriage and steamforged horses? They are rather valuable so I''d be happy to arrange for the palace stables to be available to you." ''What the... Why is Princeling Andrew acting so subservient to him?'' Hazel thought. ''And Gold-silver plate? Fuck, that''s a super respected rank in the guild...'' Lone nimbly got off of the coachman''s seat and opened the side door of the carriage. Breena and Soph or Sophie - Hazel didn''t know which - stepped on out. With the mechanical carriage clear, her brother waved his hand and it along with the two steamforged horses disappeared. ''Dimensional Storage, right? He''s just using it in public like that?'' Hazel noticed Soph or Sophie staring right at her as she tapped her head with her index finger nonchalantly. ''Wha- Oh, uh...'' Hazel quickly stopped suppressing her unique skill and almost stumbled upon feeling what seemed like an insurmountable wall coming from her brother''s mind. ''His Puzzle Locked Mind has gotten stronger. Much stronger.'' ''This obviously is not a good place nor time for us to meet as planned. Return home or do something else. We can see you so long as you don''t stray too far from the city so we shall teleport Lone to you once his curiosity at the palace has been sated. The fool wishes to fight the prince ruling this city. When there are skills on his mind, little else will manage to distract him,'' the short woman whose tone reeked of Sophie''s rather than Soph''s conveyed. Before she could be assaulted by any following thoughts from the darker personality of her brother''s girlfriend, Hazel suppressed Mind Reading again and nodded firmly. B3: Chapter 6: Palace and Grand Magus Yulia ''Has she stopped using her skill?'' Sophie asked Lone. He nodded and replied, ''Yup. I can''t feel her trying to squirm into my mind anymore. Thanks for conveying my message.'' ''Keeping a focused mind is harder than we thought it would be. We shall return Soph to you now. Call on us should you need us again,'' Sophie said before giving control of her body back to her more bubbly self. "I don''t see any slaves," Lone commented as he took in the sight that was Golden Pass City. It was easily the largest city he''d seen on Altros thus far. At a guess, Lone would say it had at least three or four million residents. A good majority of the city had been carved out of the valley as if it had once been a mountain. An artificial valley of this size would be a monumental architectural feat. It was a shame it didn''t trigger his Historical and Cultural Appreciation skill. It truly was a marvel to look at despite that. Princeling Keith snorted. "We are not barbarians, Blood Mage." The princeling''s tone spoke of how much he wished to strike once more, though he wasn''t foolish enough to attempt to do so, likely aware of the futility of such an action. That was a positive thing in Lone''s eyes. He spied Hesha the sight mage sneaking a disgusted look Keith''s way. Her newfound respect for Lone clearly trumped any loyalty she had for the rude royal B-ranker. Princeling Andrew added, "Many thousands of years ago when Father founded this city nation of ours, he weighed the pros and cons of a class-based system and saw it wanting, hence why it is a meritocracy centred around strength and then skill." "So if I kick your dad''s ass, do I become the new prince?" Lone asked rather seriously. Keith almost burst a blood vessel but Andrew chuckled in good humour. "No, not quite. It is a little bit more complicated than that." "Good. I don''t think I can beat an XX-ranker in a spar even if I go for the kill, but it''s good to know I won''t suddenly inherit a truckload of responsibility if a fluke happens," Lone said. Breena leaned over to Soph and whispered, "What''s a truck?" "It''s like, uh, a big carriage. Lone''s told me a bit about them before," Soph replied just as quietly. "Ohhh..." Breena didn''t seem to understand at all. "What is, um, that is, if you don''t mind my asking, Great Mage, what is the strongest person or thing you''ve defeated and how did you best them?" Hesha asked, curiosity bursting out of her tone. Lone shrugged. "Person? SSS-ranked blood mage Rosanne Daybringer. I snapped her neck when she tried to flee from me. Thing? Low-ranked eldritch horror, Urundartka of the Deep. I ripped it apart from the inside as it tried to consume me. Hardest fight of my life thus far, that one." Princeling Keith snorted. "Lies. As if you would kill your own kind." Lone frowned. "I''m no eldritch horror unless you meant Rosanne? You''re a special type of stupid if you think blood mages are all in some sort of massive book club or something. I didn''t even have an affinity for blood magic until I fought her." Andrew frowned. "Brother, be silent. Every word of insult you direct at my guest is a word of insult you direct at me." "I don''t need to put up with this," Princeling Keith snapped before he stormed off in another direction with his retainers in tow. "I''m so sorry for his poor behaviour," Princeling Andrew apologised. "I couldn''t give a fuck less, but do know that I''ll kill him if he tries to cross me again," Lone said, coldness the only emotion visible on his expression. At that, Princeling Andrew could only nod hesitantly. Lone smiled. "Well, a couple of questions before we reach the palace if you''d humour me. To lighten the mood." "We would be honoured, Great Mage," Hesha spoke up, clearly not shaken up by Lone''s blatant threat on a princeling''s life. "''Ppreciate it. Big principality city like this surely has a couple of branches of The Adventurer''s Guild. Which is the strongest? Or, better yet, which has the most powerful guildmaster?" Lone asked. "The guild in the fighter''s district, without a doubt," the fire mage Helen responded. She pointed to the northern side of the city and added, "It''s halfway up the valley in between the city''s three arenas." "Thank you. And what about any guilds or companies that have identification services?" Lone asked. He still had Rosanne Daybringer''s ring as well as most of Wilbur''s sack of goodies that needed to be identified. He couldn''t trust any dwarf with Stone''s Vision to do that back in the farwinds on account of the greater council keeping close tabs on him. Well, none bar Wilbur but for obvious reasons, he was unable to do that during his enlistment period. With a young prince desperate to get in his good graces, Golden Pass City seemed as good a place as any other to get this errand completed. "Mason and Sons in the noble district have a very clean reputation for services of that ilk," Princeling Andrew claimed. "And I know, the district name seems odd given our political structure, but it was designed for visiting nobles since we have none of our own beyond the prince and his immediate relatives." "Noted. Well then, lead the way to the palace, pal," Lone replied. "With pleasure," Princeling Andrew responded. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Lone whistled in awe. "Much bigger than the castle back in Milindo. Hell, it might be bigger than the Royal Palace of Madrid." "Milindo is a small, young nation," Princeling Andrew responded as he led Lone into the massive structure. "I know not of this ''Madrid'' you speak of, but this city has a foundation thousands of years in the making, so it only stands to reason our palace is of a notable size." ''A shame it isn''t noteworthy enough to trigger Historical and Cultural Appreciation. It may be large, but it''s no marvel unlike the city itself. That skill is such a picky bitch.'' Lone nodded. "I bet it gets an expansion for each new kid the prince decides to have. Gotta keep all of the wives and concubines happy, eh?" "Haha," Princeling Andrew laughed nervously. "You are a very frank individual." Lone shrugged. "I have my secrets and boundaries too, but yeah, I''ll speak my mind most of the time. When can I meet your dad, by the way?" "Hesha," the princeling called, "please lead my guests to where they will be staying. Helen, Paul, Furdar, you may all return to your regular duties. I shall go and find my father and inform him of Immortus the Immortal''s request." Soph tilted her head and pointed at a wall. "I''m pretty sure he''s 327 metres that way." "You are also a sight mage?" Hesha asked, confusion in her expression. "But Great Mage Immortus did not know of my magic type until our meeting. I apologise if I am overstepping with my question. I merely seek to remove my ignorance." ''Suck-ups are kinda annoying too, but she''s nice enough,'' Lone thought before saying, "Her senses are better than most, but no, she is not a sight mage. Come on, lead the way. Tell me about sight mages while we walk." Hesha beamed as she happily complied. The other retainers left as well while Princeling Andrew hesitantly began moving in the direction Soph had advised him to.
''She was right. Father is with Grand Magus Yulia just beyond this door. What an absurd level of accurate detection for a C-ranker to have. Is she the one Hesha and Helen felt suffocated by? Or was it the four-tailed Crimson Foxkin touched by Darkness?'' Princeling Andrew didn''t know as he was no mage. Taking a deep breath to centre himself, he knocked on the door to Grand Magus Yulia''s tower. It was a simple structure though quite impenetrable. His father had tried to level the tower once at Grand Magus Yulia''s request, only to prove that she was, indeed, capable of stopping an XX-ranker''s attacks. "Come in, little brother. The door is unlocked," Grand Magus Yulia''s voice flowed through the stone and wood, making it sound like she was standing right next to him. Bowing respectfully, Princeling Andrew entered the tower filled with mystical trinkets and odds and ends that he couldn''t make heads nor tails of. "I humbly greet Esteemed Lord Father. I humbly greet Lady Yulia," Princeling Andrew said as respectfully as he could. He wasn''t even being suppressed by his father''s XX-ranked aura nor his sister''s SS-ranked one, yet still, he could not find the strength to lift his head and meet eyes with either one of them. "How did the dungeon raid go? I can feel Keith''s presence in the city although his aura is turbulent," his father asked with little true emotion in his words. "It went perfectly, Father. Keith and his retainers worked together admirably. His turbulent aura is due to what happened on our way back to the cit-" "It was that massive blob of Magic Power, wasn''t it?" his elder sister interrupted. "What an incredibly powerful being, that person you''ve invited into our palace. I was just discussing what to do about it with Father here." Andrew creased his brow. "Not quite. She is one of the two companions of the gold-silver plate adventurer Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal. He was using a skill that looks like blood magic which triggered Keith and his retainers to attack them unprompted." "I know that name," his father stated. "I can feel him now. C-ranked aura but this feeling... Interesting. No wonder he is fine and Keith is not. Why have you brought him here?" "He... wishes to fight you, Father. My retainer Hesha called him a polymage and suspects he obtained a perfect affinity for sight magic after she used a spell directly on him at his request," Andrew explained. "When she used said skill, she saw that he has ten perfect affinities for different magical schools. He obtained another when she looked at him with Oppressive Gaze and that prompted her to rank up." "That sounds like a far-fetched tale at best, a bold-faced lie at worst," Yulia scoffed. Andrew kept his head lowered, worried about what his father''s response would be. "And yet, young sight mage Hesha left the palace a B-ranker and returned as an A-ranker," Prince Keining pointed out. "If you say so, Lord Father," Yulia pouted. "He wishes for a fight, you say? That''s the least I could do as payment for not killing one of my sons when he had reason to. Tomorrow at the central arena. You make the arrangement and you let him know since he''s your guest, Andrew," Prince Keining ordered. "By your will, Esteemed Father," Andrew answered. "Has he told you how or if he plans to report Keith''s attack to the guild? A dark-steel plate assaulting another adventurer, let alone a gold-silver plate, is a damned good way to never become a person of worth," the ruler of this city grumbled. ''In a city where strength equals status, getting locked out of earning a silver plate and thus access to the credit slate is perhaps the worst way to be crippled for life,'' Andrew agreed. "All he has told me is that he will not press for my younger brother''s execution." Yulia got up and walked for the door. "I''ll speak to this Immortus the Immortal. I need to verify your retainer''s ridiculous claims that he is a polymage capable of learning new, perfected affinities, as it is anyway." Andrew stayed silent. After Yulia had left, he felt the ability to look up returning to him. Doing so, he saw his father was missing and he himself was now standing outside of the tower instead of in its central bottom floor. "Elder Sister Yulia''s magic is so strange..."
"This room is pretty awesome," Lone said as he looked around the fancy mini-house disguised as a guest room of the palace. "Breena, I want you to use the sofa in whatever bedroom Soph and I decide to use when we sleep just in case anyone tries to do something stupid. It''s best if you''re near us at all times. Apart from that, I guess we should train or relax or something until someone comes and gets us." Breena nodded. "I''ll, uh, work on my needles..." Soph began taking off her armour when she commented, "I know you didn''t mind that sight mage telling the blonde guy about your affinities but, uh, he just told an SS-ranked mage called Yulia or something and she''s coming here to verify what he said. She''s his older sister. I think the XX-ranker was there too? His mana is definitely more compact and thicker than the dwarf from your trial, but it''s hard to judge. That blonde guy did call him ''father'' though." "Huh. They say anything interesting?" Lone inquired as he got himself comfortable on a leather lounge sofa. Soph finished getting out of her armour and trotted over to him. Once she had joined him on the sofa and snuggled up to him, she said, "Sounds like you''ll get your fight tomorrow at one of the arenas. Apart from that, nope, nothing particularly interesting." "A public fight?" Lone frowned. "I don''t see the point in hiding my strength anymore but that doesn''t mean I want to flaunt it. I''ve decided. I''ll fight with the intent to kill. If a real fight with an XX-ranker can at least give me enlightenment and push me to B-rank, then the exposure will be worth it." "I''ll be ready to teleport you out if you look like you''re in danger," Soph chimed in. "Your bones can stop Hilda''s hammer now but she''s three ranks weaker than an XX-ranker." Lone smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Soph, and I know. I''ll be careful while I try to make him fight me seriously." A knock came from the door before it swung open and a drop-dead gorgeous woman with hair as black as night strolled into the room. She glanced around a bit before her gaze stopped on the lounging Lone and Soph. "Ah, there''s the mana monster and the supposed polymage," she stated. Lone raised an eyebrow. "I''d tell you to make yourself at home, but it seems you already have. So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Yulia?"
A/N: I''ve had so many comment about this. " ''Ppreciate " is not a typo. Lone is not pronouncing the ''a'' intentionally. And as a Scot, I don''t pronounce two ''p''s like an American might, so neither does Lone. If he says only one ''p'' regardless then the only thing that needs to be removed to make it clear he isn''t pronouncing the ''a'' is the ''a'' itself. B3: Chapter 7: Establishing Order and Magical Duplication "How do you know my name? I''m hardly the most public of Lord Keining''s children," Yulia asked. "The walls have ears. You gonna answer my question now?" Lone fired back as he thought, ''Lord Keining? Not ''Father'', ''Prince Keining'', or simply ''Dad''? Wonder what that''s about.'' "I''m here to verify a few things," Yulia replied without really answering, her disdain palpable in the air. It was then that Lone felt something brushing up against his Puzzle Locked Mind. It wasn''t nearly as forceful as Stoner Heeth''s scripture magic. It was also incredibly more practised and cautious than Hazel''s Mind Reading. Honestly, if he weren''t so paranoid about Arch Devil Zel making a move, he might not have been on guard enough to detect whatever it is she was attempting. "Stop that before you make me stop it for you," Lone stated menacingly. The feeling retreated just as fast as it had appeared. Yulia wore a surprised smile on her lips. "Well, well. To think it was you who sensed my freeform magic and not the monster. That is very peculiar." Soph frowned. "I sensed it, I just didn''t know what it was. I thought you were leaking but I guess it was mind stuff. Besides, you''re talking to Lone right now, not me. And I''m not a monster!" "Your mana capacity would beg to differ. Hell, even your mana capacity," Yulia said, pointing to Lone, "is barely smaller than mine. How is that possible for both of you despite being C-rankers?" "We aren''t in the business of explaining ourselves to strangers," Lone said. "You confirmed what you needed to yet? I want some peace and quiet before Andrew comes and tells me about his and I suppose your dad''s response to my request." "Do you simply not know my rank or are you putting up a brave face?" Yulia asked mockingly. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen a C-ranker be so disrespectful to one of my power, in, well, ever." Lone sighed. "Strength means everything in this city, right?" "That''s rig-" "Survivor''s Speed." In less than a fraction of a second, Lone had moved from lounging behind Soph to standing right in front of Yulia, one hand around her neck, the other pressed onto her stomach. "Amplified Current." Arcs of blue lightning snaked out of his hand and rushed into the SS-ranked mage''s body, making it spasm as Lone kept a firm grip on her windpipe, preventing her from focusing enough to cast any magic. If she was capable of chantless casting, she wouldn''t be doing any of that for a while with Lone''s magical lightning wreaking havoc on her nervous system, her brain included.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Amplified Current] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Amplified Current] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active lightning magic skill [Amplified Current] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
''It feels good to use magic again. So fuckin'' good,'' Lone thought as he let go of the SS-ranker, resulting in her flopping to the floor in an entirely undignified manner. He returned to laying down on the sofa where Soph welcomed him by cuddling a few of his tails. Breena was trying her best to stay unnoticed in the corner as she nervously fiddled with her needles. "Consider yourself fortunate, Yulia. The last mage that I strangled had her neck snapped. Her name was Rosanne Daybringer, a triple-S-ranked blood mage. So, wanna tell me why you are here politely now? If not, fuck off, please. I have no patience for those that threaten my mind," Lone said coldly. He''d almost killed his sister for the same thing, so Yulia should count herself lucky he hadn''t followed through in this instance. His unchecked aggression here was a bit of a mixed bet, really. Lone was really hoping he''d read the room correctly. This city was a type of meritocracy, and she was an SS-ranker while he was only a C-ranker. She clearly had no qualms with using her freeform magic of whatever school it was to try to affect his mental state in some way despite him being a guest of her A-ranked brother. If he didn''t show her who between the two of them was the stronger, she would never respect him or his wishes. Lone was only hoping her personality wasn''t the overly prideful one. If he was forced to kill her because she attacked him out of shame... well, he had no plans to fight her XX-ranked father to the death. A controlled spar in a public arena was different from a vindictive father out for the blood of his daughter''s murderer. For all Lone knew, Prince Keining wouldn''t care about the deserved death of one of his children. On the other hand, Lone wouldn''t hesitate to decimate nations if it was to avenge Soph, Sophie, or Kyuubi. He wasn''t willing to roll that particular die for the prince if he didn''t have to, however. ''If I''ve misjudged and she attacks us, I''ll cripple her with Mental Destruction and you get the three of us out of here and on our way to the Crimson Foxkin Clan. We can meet Hazel another time,'' Lone conveyed to Soph. She just nodded as she happily snuggled his tails. She may be appearing to be otherwise distracted but Lone knew she was ready to use her Teleportation at the drop of a hat. Still twitching a bit, Yulia muttered, "Reversal Distortion." Her fried hair, burst blood vessels, and limp limbs all returned to a perfectly natural state as if Lone had never attacked her in the first place. She was panting heavily as she got up and straightened her dress which now sported a palm-shaped hole near her navel. ''That spell used over half of her MP and I think I saw a seal going into effect?'' Soph sent telepathically. ''Not like your Creation Magic''s seals. Um, more like your mind puzzles after you forcefully restore them.'' ''So a time restriction, huh. Interesting spell. I wonder what school of magic it falls under,'' Lone replied, to which Soph conveyed feelings of shared curiosity. Taking a deep breath, Yulia smiled a genuine smile this time. "I apologise for my former rudeness. It seems my younger brother is a better judge of strength than I am. Rosanne Daybringer is not a name I am familiar with, but seeing as how you effortlessly handled the strain of Survivor''s Speed and incapacitated me with what felt like an incredibly vibrant beginner-rank lightning magic spell, I am inclined to believe you are not simply boasting. I came here to verify your intentions for my younger brother Keith and to determine if you are, indeed, a polymage." ''Fuck, that is some adaptability. If everyone here is so chill about getting their asses kicked, I may have to make it a go-to holiday spot or something. It''s a good place for my sister to operate out of, if nothing else. Well, there will always be assholes like Keith. Speaking of...'' Lone collected his thoughts and replied, "In regards to Keith, I fully intend to report his attack to the guild and advocate for a ban on advancing to silver plate. Not a permanent one, just a temporary one. Were it any other C-ranker that he attacked, he''d have murdered them in cold blood despite them also being an adventurer and with no just cause. I''ll only ask for financial remunerations from his retainers since I''m going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they were acting on orders." "That is as much as we could have hoped for," Yulia sighed. "I care not for Keith but Lord Keining has high expectations for all of his children." "Noted. Wanna properly introduce yourself now that we''re past the pissing contest stage of this conversation?" Lone asked with a polite tone to his voice despite his crass words. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Yulia laughed softly. "Of course. I am Yulia Keining, the seventh daughter of Prince Keining. I graduated from the Magical Institute of Enhanced Spellcasting with the rank of Grand Magus. I specialise in distortion magic. Father requires his children to become adventurers and strive for silver rank but I have no personal interest in adventuring. Once I obtained my silver plate, I did nothing but focus my efforts on the advancement of magic. Your turns?" "Breena is shy so I''ll do hers for her. Breena Redtail, child of the Crimson Foxkin Clan. She is my ward though I view her as a sister. You need not respect her strength but you will respect her connection to me," Lone stated. Yulia nodded with interest as Breena averted her eyes, clearly being uncomfortable getting scrutinised by such a powerful stranger. "For a simple awakened foxkin child to have such a relationship with you is interesting and worthy of thought in and of itself. Though having four tails while still in your teenage years tells a story of its own... It is a pleasure." The grand magus''s eyes drifted over to Soph expectantly. It was apparent Yulia had great hopes for the introduction of the supposed magical monster. Soph had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the fluffiness Lone''s nine tails offered her. "I''m Soph. I''m Lone''s girlfriend so don''t get any funny ideas." "I mean..." Lone started. "If it ends up with me earning Charm Resistance, I wouldn''t be opposed to rejecting unwanted advances." Soph turned around in his embrace to fiercely glare at him. "No." Yulia covered her mouth as she laughed once again. "I have no interest in relationships. I was, however, hoping for a brief summary of your magical talents as I did with my own introduction." Soph narrowed her eyes as she stared at Lone before she slowly returned to embracing her fluff fort. "I have some magical affinities but no skills from any of them. There, your turn, Lone." ''I wonder what affinities Soph has. She''s never told me since she just focuses on her unique skills while Sophie is dead-set on their physical capabilities,'' Lone pondered. "No charm resistance for me then," he sighed dejectedly. "Well, it was my idea to do formal introductions. I''m Lone Immortus, gold-silver plate adventurer Immortus the Immortal. I''ve received no formal training but I have affinities and spells for eleven different magic schools. I''m hoping to make that twelve now knowing you have an affinity that is foreign to me." "I don''t doubt your strength. It would be foolish to given what just happened between us, but forgive me for doubting your magical capabilities. Would you be willing to demonstrate your affinities?" Grand Magus Yulia requested. Lone shrugged. "I don''t really care if you believe me nor do I care about what it matters to you if my claims are true or not, but I will put on a little show for you if you use a distortion spell on me." "That is how you gain affinities? Andrew implied as much, but that sounds... unique. Magic is used on you and you are suddenly perfectly attuned to that particular school?" Yulia questioned more like a researcher looking to uncover the truth than as an interrogator desperate to prove something one way or another. Lone made a split-second decision. Being a bit deceitful in this situation was the answer, of course, but the real question was; to what degree? "Don''t spread it, but yeah, I''m a summoned hero. My unique skill is called Magical Duplication. Any spell used on me, I learn. I also obtain its corresponding affinity at 100%," Lone lied as naturally as he breathed. "Thus, I have illusion, fire, water, lightning, air, earth, nature, scripture, blood, explosion, and sight magic affinities." Grand Magus Yulia seemed like the studious type, always eager to learn new things. She was arrogant too, sure, but that arrogance apparently only applied to those weaker than her, which Lone was not. Fibbing about his uniqueness seemed like the easiest way to convince her to hit him with some distortion magic. After all, the best told lies were often just warped truths. Yulia''s eyes widened. "I''ve heard of some pretty useless unique skills before, but this Magical Duplication of yours... You could become a god with that. No wonder you are so keen to interact with other magics. Does the spell have to be direct?"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
''Oh, she''s 100% on board. Awesome,'' Lone thought. He idly began cycling through different types of freeform magic to prove his affinities with one of his hands as he replied, "Yes, sadly. Indirect spells and area of effect spells don''t work. I''d have an affinity for gravity magic already if they did." "Such pure freeform magic..." Yulia gazed in wonder at the raw wisps of fire, runic scripture words, half-opened eyeballs, flowing water, and all of Lone''s other freeform magic that spiralled and cycled above his outstretched palm. She shook her head and collected herself as Lone was wrapping up his little magic show. "Then I sadly cannot help you. Distortion magic affects the host and the environment around them. It does not directly affect others." "Mind if I use Oppressive Gaze to verify that? I only just met you, so I''d like to confirm you''re not trying to weasel out of giving me a new affinity and skill," Lone said, ready to use his new sight magic spell with or without consent. "I don''t know if you''re the type to try to suppress those more talented than yourself." When it came to new skills, particularly magical ones, there were very few lines he wouldn''t cross given the state of his addiction. "Of course, I understand your scepticism," Yulia agreed readily. Regardless of if she was telling the truth - which seemed likely given her disposition - this was, if nothing else, an opportunity to level up a new magical skill, so Lone was happy despite his outwardly annoyed appearance. He focused his MP into the magical school of sight and invoked, "Oppressive Gaze." The mystical set of eyes that appeared to gaze down upon the SS-ranker were far less impressive when compared to those of Sight Mage Hesha''s. Still, they did the job. Intentions of forming a long-lasting connection with the recently discovered polymage were all he could see. There was no trickery or deceit afoot. Yulia really did only care about her magical research and she saw an opportunity in Lone and his alleged unique skill to advance her own goals. Lone could respect that.
Congratulations! The host''s active sight magic skill [Oppressive Gaze] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active sight magic skill [Oppressive Gaze] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active sight magic skill [Oppressive Gaze] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
His magical set of overlooking eyes disappeared, having fulfilled their purpose. "Thanks. Shame I can''t get a free pass to distortion magic, but eh, can''t win ''em all." "I''m sure with the right training, you could earn the affinity. Perhaps a spell exists that would trigger your unique skill, I simply am not aware of such a spell. The world is large, however," Yulia consoled. ''And skills can be created like my Fortress Shield Mastery,'' Lone privately noted in thought. Not a moment later, a knocking came from the door. Lone peered down at Soph who was still in his arms enjoying his fluffy limbs. "It''s the blonde guy. Andrew was his name, right?" Soph mumbled in response to his gaze. "The door''s unlocked, come on in," Lone called.
"The door''s unlocked, come on in," the Golden Foxkin announced from the other side of the door. Andrew nodded to himself and gingerly entered the abode he had personally arranged for the powerful adventurer and his companions. "Pardon the intrusion- Elder Sister Yulia?!" Sure, he''d expected her to be here but the last thing Andrew had expected to see was her clothing being damaged and her acting politely to his guests. The most surprising fact, however, was that he could actually see her. ''She isn''t using her freeform distortion magic to force my head down. Why? In respect of Lone? Is that why her dress is damaged? Did she provoke him and he... he bested her? A C-ranker besting an SS-ranker? I know he said he killed an SSS-ranked blood mage but hearing is very different from seeing...'' he thought. "State your purpose, Andrew," Yulia ordered in a scornful tone. "I was having a very thought-provoking conversation with Lord Immortus here before you barged in. And do not address me so casually when we are in the presence of others." ''Lord? One is only permitted to be called lord or lady by those weaker than themselves, doubly so for children of the prince. He really did kick her ass.'' Andrew''s opinion of Lone improved substantially. Seeing his mysterious and haughty elder sister act so submissively to a C-ranker made him feel a certain joy he hadn''t expected to feel in a lifetime, let alone today. "Of course, Lady Yulia. My apologies." the princeling bowed his head respectfully. Seeing as how even the great and powerful Grand Magus Yulia was referring to him respectfully, Andrew saw no point in continuing to be casual with the gold-silver plate adventurer. "Lord Immortus, Prince Keining has agreed to fight you by your request. The fight will happen tomorrow at the central arena at noon. All the arrangements are being made, you need only show up on time." "Nice. I''m glad he accepted. Sparing Keith wasn''t a mistake," Lord Immortus remarked. "Well, as much as I''d like to rest and chat some more, I actually have a couple of errands to run in the city. May as well do ''em today since I''m busy tomorrow. Was just waitin'' on you telling me about your dad''s answer. Either of you wanna come with? Could always use a local''s insights." ''Errands? Ah, they must be why he was asking about a place with identification services and why he wished to know who the strongest guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild in the city was.'' Andrew shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to. Booking out the central arena, even for the prince, requires a lot of paperwork and busybodying. I will be sure to watch your match tomorrow, however." "Good, you''d be a bore anyway," his sister snorted. "I''m more than happy to accompany you. I have so many more questions and suggestions for you given your talents." ''He really impressed her... How? Elder Sister Yulia has never cared for power beyond what it could buy her or allow her to do. She only cares about her magic and research. Why would she be interested in the man who I assume defeated her in a quick battle?'' Andrew suddenly widened his eyes, apparently coming to his own conclusion as he left the temporary residence of Lone Immortus and his companions. B3: Chapter 8: Mason & Sons and Wilburs Gifts While they left the palace as a group of four Lone looked to Yulia and asked, "Which is closer; Mason and Sons, or the strongest branch of The Adventurer''s Guild?" Yulia furrowed her brow. "I do not know. My familiarity with this city is limited despite me having called it home for six centuries now. I know the ins and outs of the magical district, the location of a few auction halls, and every branch of the C.A.A. Anything else and you would be better served asking a guardsman." "I guess that makes sense. What''s the C.A.A. by the way?" Lone asked as he looked around for a knight or guard of some sort to ask for directions. ''On another note, dwarves rank up super slowly, huh? I''d say it''s humans that rank up quickly but I don''t have a big enough sample size. Gilbert isn''t even 400 yet but he''s an SS-ranked beastkin.'' "You are unaware? Your summoning must have been recent. It stands for the Continental Alchemical Association. It''s the best place to get healing services if you''re not a fan of religions like the Church of the Primals," Yulia explained. "Ah, I don''t really use potions and I heal extremely fast on my own. It''s why my adventurer nickname is Immortus the Immortal. I''m sure I''ll get involved with them sooner or later if they''re continental though," Lone responded. "I wouldn''t say no to some alchemy-based skills." "You need only ask and I would happily give you a letter of recommendation," Yulia offered. ''Ah, membership is a bit stricter than The Adventurer''s Guild? Shame. It''s downright criminal to limit who can learn things, especially skills,'' Lone thought as he approached a guard. The man was dressed in full plate and had a very serious look on his face as he ensured no one who did not have permission entered the palace gates. "Excuse me, would you mind giving me some directions?" Lone asked. The man didn''t turn to face Lone but his eyes did wander. They widened when they saw Yulia. Thankfully, she had changed out of her damaged dress before they had left the palace so the guard had no excuse to stare at her stomach. "Of course. You are Princeling Andrew''s guests, Lone Immortus and company, yes?" the guard answered. "And it is my greatest honour to greet esteemed Lady Yulia." The prince''s seventh daughter snorted. "How dare you call me ''lady'' but not him ''lord''. I will forgive your ignorance since as an S-ranker, you would only see him as nothing more than a C-ranker, but know that he defeated me in an exchange that lasted all of two seconds." That got the guard sputtering. "I-I apologise! I d-did not know. L-Lord Immortus, where exactly d-do you need directions to?" Lone smiled wryly. This level of unnatural respect was nothing but uncomfortable to him. Still, if it resulted in him getting the information he wanted, well, then he couldn''t rightly complain, could he?
"Ehhh... So you only ever leave the palace when you get invited to balls you can''t afford to refuse or when something comes up that might help your research? That''s some dedication," Lone commented as the four of them rounded a corner. Lone was holding Soph''s hand while Breena followed alongside her. Meanwhile, Yulia was on Lone''s righthand side. At this point, they''d been chatting for 20 minutes and were only a couple of streets away from their first destination. "I consider myself quite lucky," Yulia admitted. "Many of my siblings have failed to develop a passion as I have. So a good number of them just wish to please or surpass my illustrious father." "I can kind of relate to them," Lone said. "My real dad was a piece of shit who ended up hanging himself. I''ve found during my self-reflective meditation that I latch onto potential father figures. I''m not sure yet if that''s healthy to me or hurtful considering one such figure was nearly killed protecting me and was then teleported over an ocean, while the other I murdered with my own hands this morning at his request so he wouldn''t die in his sleep or at the hands of the disease that was eating away at him. Is Prince Keining a good dad? I can''t imagine it''s easy with so many kids." Yulia flinched, clearly not expecting such heavy information to be dumped upon her so casually. "I''m sorry for your loss and internal struggles. Lord Keining as a father though... He''s fine, I suppose? Our mothers raised us more than he did and does but Lord Keining still makes an effort to be in each of our lives, doubly so if we prove ourselves worthy." "Lone," Soph called. "We''re here." "Ah." He looked up and saw that the placard above the entrance to the building on their right read ''Mason & Sons: Outfitter and Examiner Extraordinaires''. "We can continue talking about your dad once we''re done here, I suppose." A group of five well-dressed and well-armed adventurers exited the store and their leader raised a surprised eyebrow upon seeing Yulia. "Lady Yulia, a pleasure." "To you too, Little Brother," she said dismissively, upon which, he and his retainers left. As he entered the building with Soph and Breena, Lone asked, "So which princeling was he?" Yulia shrugged. "I have no idea." "What?" That certainly wasn''t the answer Lone was expecting. "I could feel our bloodline skill in him but you can hardly expect me to know the name and position of every child of Lord Keining''s. He has over 100 children," Yulia expressed with a shake of the head. ''And I thought I had a problem being in the mood every night and almost every morning,'' Lone privately commented. "Ah, Princessling Yulia! To what do I own the pleasure of you gracing my establishment with your ever-elusive presence?" a tall and handsome man asked as he appraised their group before bowing his head respectfully. ''SS-ranker, I think,'' Soph conveyed to Lone, having used her Mana Sensing to assess his rank. ''Awakened mana organs but very, very little MP. I bet he has one or two spells needed for his trade and everything else is physical or profession-focused.'' Yulia shook her head. "It isn''t me who needs your services, Lord Mason. I''m simply accompanying Lord Immortus here as he performs some errands around the city today." "''Lord'' Immortus?" The man Lone now knew to be the proprietor of this business widened his eyes in shock. "A C-ranker being so respected by Miss Yulia? Well, that''s certainly interesting. How can I help you, sir?" "Can we go to a private room first? Even if we''re the only ones here in the lobby, I''d rather not have my valuables identified in public," Lone said. ''If it''s a skill he uses to determine what an item truly is, after seeing it a few times I should get it myself and thus eliminate the need to come to a place like this again and run the risk of theft attempts or info of my items being sold.'' "Ah, examination services. Of course, sir. Will you be coming alone or should we use one of our larger rooms? As a word of forewarning, personal rooms have a fee of a single gold coin per hour of use with a minimum of one hour. Each following room of a larger size requires an additional golden coin per hour. With a group of four, you''d need at least a grand room, which is three gold coins per hour. What is the largest item you need to be identified, however?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ''He''s immediately aware I have a storage device of some sort. Question is, is he assuming it''s just my adventurer''s pouch? Still, he''s clearly a professional,'' Lone thought as he stroked his chin. "Eh, my carriages have varying levels of damage and I''d like some accurate insight of what kind of work is needed to repair ''em, so a room big enough to hold a carriage and the five of us comfortably." Mason smiled rather happily. "Ah, of course. The grand suite it is. That''ll be six gold coins per hour. The first hour does need to be paid upfront. I''m sure you understand, but even with Princessling Yulia''s company, we do not wish to be taken advantage of." Lone shrugged and reached into his pocket before pulling out a white-gold coin. "This should cover all expenses plus a tip, but let me know if I end up spending more. Do the individual examinations cost money too?" Mason graciously retrieved the coin and bowed his head. "They do indeed as some items'' facts are harder to determine than others. Well, if you would all follow me."
Three hours had passed and Lone was staring at a multi-paged list Mason had written out for him which detailed everything his skill was able to determine regarding the items he had examined. Lone read it in silence as he, Soph, Breena, and Yulia made their way to their next destination with Soph leading them. ''Item 1. Superior Ring of Dimensional Holding. The client stated it formally belonged to an SSS-ranked mage who specialised in blood, explosion, and wind magic. It seems the former owner was either an enchanter as well or hired the services of one such mage as should the ring be accessed without the correct blood magic spell from the correct host, a hidden security enchantment will detonate the ring along with all of the blood of the one attempting to open it. It contains thousands of objects. Logical reasoning would suggest a lot of notes, coins, and small baubles make up that number. Estimated value: 4 gold coins. 16 white-gold coins if the enchantments can be removed or bypassed somehow. Item 2. Wilbur Steamson''s Steamforged Bag of Holding. This is an incredible piece forged by the soon-to-be-epitomised Wilbur Steamson. What really differentiates it from other items of holding like your typical adventurer''s pouch is three things. One, it has been crafted in such a fashion that it would require the force of a Strength-focused SS-ranker to damage it beyond repair, making it substantially more durable than most holding items. Two, it can store items much larger than itself which is highly uncommon for a holding item. Three, it requires neither aura nor MP to access, making it functionally usable by anyone, even those cursed to a life without either of those resources. Estimated value: 11 ruby gold coins. (As an aside, were it not the future epitome of steamforging who had created this, then it would have been valued at 3 ruby gold coins.) Item 3. Steamforged Carriages. Carriages 1, 2, and 4, were manufactured by the popular steamforging company Baltod''s Brass Bits & Bobs. Carriage 1 has a broken engine, a bent chassis, 16 missing screws and 8 missing cogs of varying importance. Carriage 2 is missing its entire top half (my professional opinion is that this cannot be repaired due to the damages being far too extensive). Carriage 4 is missing its front left wheel and two of its essential cogs have missing teeth, making the entire device inoperable until repaired. Carriages 3, 5, and 6, were manufactured by a steamforging workshop owned and operated by the Greater Council itself. They are enchanted to prevent tampering, so even trying to repair them will result in the carriages crumbling to dust while a magical signal will be sent to the enchanter with some basic information about the tamperer''s identity. As details of the damages were requested despite the dangers, I will now list them. Carriage 3 seems to only be missing its gyro calibrator, which while not an easy thing to replace, it is easy enough to work around when operating the device. Carriage 5''s entire horse-holding mechanism is damaged beyond repair and the seats and engine have been melted, enchantments and all. Carriage 6''s only fault is that the mechanism to begin the device isn''t working but everything else seems to be in perfect condition. Estimated value: 10 gold for the lot. The specialisation needed to repair these and remove or work past the enchantments of carriages 3, 5, and 6, would cost more than the value the carriages would provide. They are collector''s items and nothing more in their current state. Item 4. Wilbur Steamson''s Steamforged Horses. These devices are the product of the future epitome Wilbur Steamson and are truly marvellous. They are identical in that they can be charged with either sunlight or MP, both uncommon forms of energy for steamforged devices given the dwarves'' aversion to the surface and lack of mages. They also possess a self-repairing function but it does require metals of any type to be fed into them. They can gallop at full speed for 15 days nonstop before needing to be recharged. When all 6 are used together, they activate a formation that conserves energy and allows them to move 1.2x faster. Estimated value: 5 white-gold coins per horse, 1 ruby gold coin as a set. Item 5. Steamforged Weapons. A dual-ended spear with sword-width blades, a pair of shortswords, and a set of 21 needles. The ''swordspear'', as the client called it, is rather peculiar. Its length can be increased and decreased by the push of a button near the upper hand grip while a button near the lower hand grip can siphon the user''s MP or aura to add a mystical steam edge to either or both of the blade''s ends. The shortswords have no special functions but they are incredibly light despite the machinery in them. So despite being very sharp, durable, and easy to maintain, they are also incredibly easy to wield. The needles are the least special of the bunch but I have never seen a set of steamforged needles before. They can be propelled forward via a mind link, again, requiring MP to be injected into them to activate like with the swordspear. Estimated value: 1 white-gold coin for the swordspear. It is simply too novel and specific of a weapon for it to have any value outside of being a steamforged item created by the future epitome Wilbur Steamson. 20 white-gold coins for each individual short sword, 50 as a pair. 50 gold for the needles. I have never heard of a powerful person wielding needles as a weapon so they are a set of steamforged curios at best. Item 6. Wilbur Steamson''s Steamforged Mini Forge. A mechanical wonder crafted by the future epitome Wilbur Steamson. It would not surprise me at all if this was the work that cemented his ascension into becoming an epitome. It functions just like a top-of-the-line master forger''s workshop but is condensed and portable. It contains all of the needed facilities to steamforge as well as forge normally. Estimated value: Incalculable. Only an auction (likely one hosted by Lord Deposit) could ever come close to seeing this item selling at or near its true value. Item 7: Steamforging tools. A large assortment of various steamforged tools designed to make steamforging and regular forging as easy as possible. What is odd is that these tools have been crafted with a taller species than the dwarves in mind. The client tells me they were made especially for him by the future epitome Wilbur Steamson. Estimated value: Considering they are not tailored for dwarves which is typical of such tools, and considering their maker, this set could sell for upwards of 5 ruby gold coins to the right buyer, more if sold in conjunction with the steamforged mini forge. Item 8: Wilbur Steamson''s Steamforged Dwarven Puzzle Box. This little device is incredibly intricate and is designed to change its puzzle once completed. A curious thing, to be sure. Estimated value: 10 white-gold coins if sold to a collector or someone in desperate need of certain skills. Item 9: Steam-wheeler. This is no different from ordinary steam-wheelers except it seems far more durable. Estimated value: 10 gold coins, a white gold coin if the client is able to prove future epitome Wilbur Steamson forged it to the buyer. Item 10: A sword made of bone. I will not ask how the client forged a sword out of their own arm bones, nor will I ask why they are black, blue, and purple. The sword is perfectly balanced even if a bit heavy and the hardness of the blade makes it strong enough to endure considerable damage. There is also a strange attraction the sword has to the client as if it wishes to return to his body. How peculiar. Estimated value: Do not sell this, please. Many a mage could take advantage of the connection the sword has to the client but if you must, I expect it could go for anywhere between 50 silver and 50 white-gold coins. I have never sold such an item before so I cannot give a perfectly accurate estimation.'' Lone had included that last item just to test Mason''s ability. He fully intended to merge the sword he''d made out of his arm bones back into his body. He had no intentions of letting some rogue necromancer, bone mage, or anything else of the sort get their hands on the weapon. It was worthless to him anyway, he just wanted to know if the new skill he had just earned was capable of examining organic material and it seemed it could, indeed, at least to some degree. It was also his backup to earn the skill itself if he couldn''t learn it himself from intense observation. Speaking of his new skill, Lone idly conversed with Yulia as he checked his notification log. B3: Chapter 9: Item Examination and Guildmaster Brux
The host has developed the active skill: Item Examination.
Active Skill: Item Examination
An incredibly specialised skill designed to mimic the racial skill of the dwarven species, Stone''s Vision. Allows the host to glean minute details about any object it is used on, though the level of detail will be entirely dependent on the host''s known information and the history behind the item.
Cost: 10,000 SP or MP minimum. More intricate items with more history behind them may require a higher cost.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''It took watching him examine close to a dozen items before I got the skill while also trying to examine them myself. The bone sword was unneeded, but still, can''t go wrong with back-up plans. I wonder how willing Yulia would be to spam cast her distortion magic spells to earn ''em the same way?'' Lone wondered. ''I can''t see magic though so I wouldn''t know where to start in developing the affinity and skills on my own. Mason''s eyes glowed when he used Item Examination and that was barely enough for me to pinch the skill through observation...'' "So where is your next destination?" Yulia asked, her curiosity clearly being more polite than genuine. "Hmm? Ah, The Adventurer''s Guild in the fighter district," Lone replied absentmindedly. "You know the way? Do we not need to ask for directions again?" Yulia wondered aloud. Lone shook his head. "Soph knows where it is. She''s leading for a reason." "Yup! I''m a master scout. Well, better than a certain dwarf, at least," Soph proudly stated. Yulia raised an eyebrow. "I suppose the arenas are easy enough to see from this high in the valley. Do you scout via magic? Even with our elevation advantage, one wrong street could spell our view getting blocked by buildings and us getting turned around." Soph put a finger to her chin. "No? Not really. It''s a passive skill. Anyway, it''s a long walk. This is a big city. How does your dad fight? Lone could use all of the tips he can get for tomorrow''s sparring match." Lone resisted the urge to nod. ''What a masterful deflection away from Mana Sensing.'' "He is what is commonly referred to as a spell knight," Yulia revealed with no hesitation. "He is far more focused on the physical side of combat but his mana organs are awakened and he is a powerful enhancement and force mage - both schools he uses to add devastating power to his attacks. This combined with our bloodline skill, Mana Severance, makes father and his spear the subject of many people''s fears." ''A spear and new magic school? I doubt I can earn enhancement magic from him. That sounds like it will affect his items, not his opponent, but force magic? Well, that sounds rather offensive indeed...'' Lone was growing excited. "I fight with a type of spear too. A swordspear. Ever heard of it?" Yulia shook her head. "There are more weapon variations than there are schools of magic and I do not have the time to look into skills that don''t further my research. I''m also not much of a combatant due to my mostly passive nature so weapons as a whole hold very little personal interest to me. I am curious though, what level is your Swordspear Mastery at?" Lone deflated a bit. Seeing someone so interested in only one type of skill was a bit disheartening to his inner skill scholar. "Expert-level-three." Yulia wore a shocked expression. "Impressive considering your particular talent for all things magical, though I do worry you are not as focused on what you would excel in. It is not easy to raise a skill to advanced, let alone expert, and given your awakenings, I would suggest putting your all into magic to prolong your draining lifespan." "My moniker is Immortus the Immortal. There is a reason for that. You''ll likely see why I have no reason to give a fuck about my awakenings come tomorrow''s fight," Lone hinted. "Sooner if you stick around at the guild." "Well, I look forward to it," Yulia replied. "Could you tell me more about your magical affinities and how you came about them all? Scripture magic in particular. I am sure there is a very interesting story behind that." "Sure. At the same time, you tell me about every magical affinity you know exists," Lone answered.
Lone sighed in wonder as he and his group entered the city''s largest branch of The Adventurer''s Guild. "That''s crazy. For there to be over 50 magical affinities..." "That I know of," Yulia corrected. "I would not be surprised if there are more than a hundred. Most known concepts have magical schools, after all." "Right you are," Lone replied. "Do we have to line up, by the way? I see some queues but some desks have employees behind them with no adventurers moving to get served by ''em." "Due to our city''s particular customs, service is strength-based here," Yulia explained. She pointed to an open desk. "That one is for S-rankers or above and gold-silver plate adventurers or above. I see no reason to wait unless you came here to take on a quest? If so, we will sadly have to part as I have no interest in leaving the city or doing something dangerous." "I''m here to tutor," Lone said, his hunger for skills beginning to show itself in his tone. Soph took his hand and gently pulled him along to the desk Yulia had pointed out while Breena and the aforementioned princessling trailed after them, one nervous, the other confused. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Who might I be serving of your group?" the employee politely asked, not knowing if the SS-ranked Yulia or someone else was the one who needed help. Lone reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out his gold-silver plate. "Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal. I want to have a damage-resistant room or courtyard fully booked out for my personal use for the rest of the day. I''ll be tutoring with my advanced-level-nine Teaching Mastery." Many an ear twitched upon hearing Lone speak those words. It was rare to see someone with just intermediate-ranked Teaching Mastery, let alone someone with it so close to expert rank. Everyone quieted down a little bit as they went about their business, curious as to what terms Lone would set for his tutoring session. Not a single person doubted his strength or words since even if many present could feel he was a C-ranker, his gold-silver plate was a form of proof in and of itself. After all, any plate at silver or beyond must be earned, not simply given or taken. "Of course. What specifications will your tutoring session have, Mister Immortus?" the employee respectfully inquired. "I specifically want people to use their skills on me with the intent to kill me. I plan to be the perfect training dummy given my Immortal moniker. The specific prices for this service and a pre-written announcement should be under my adventurer notes in your files. Please go look those up and announce them to the entire hall if that''s okay," Lone requested. "I have the funds." "Of course." The employee was happy to leave his desk and enter a staff-only section of the guild. One of the guild''s primary goals was to ensure the safety of its members and for that reason, skill tutors were highly regarded, to the point that odd or very specific requests would happily be fulfilled to ensure their continued tutoring of other adventurers. A pre-written announcement and the full booking of an entire courtyard could be considered rather tame as far as specific requests went. As he waited for the employee to return, Lone turned his attention to the large collection of adventurers of varying strengths who were, in turn, paying attention to him. He''d never been in a guild hall this large before and it made him excited just thinking about the possible skills in this room waiting to be added to his growing collection. He counted 342 present adventurers, all as diverse as they came. ''Not like Krieg Moor where everyone uses a hammer or axe with the rare sword-wielder sprinkled in.'' "I recognise the one in the robe. I''ve seen her at a ball before. Lady Yulia, no?" "What? Doesn''t she never leave the palace? I know the foxkin. He entered the city with Princeling Andrew and he had some sort of issue with Princeling Keith." "Is he a friend of the royal family or something? I don''t see a situation where Lady Yulia would follow him around unless Prince Keining had asked her to." "I''m more interested in his story. How did a C-ranker come to be a gold-silver plate in possession of such an incredible grasp over the Teaching Mastery skill?" "You heard him. He claimed to be ''immortal'', right? Looks awakened to me, but I do need a reliable living target that won''t fight back to practice some of my skills on. The activation time of my magic is too long for a real fight." "Same here." Lone resisted the urge to grin. ''There are different species here even if the majority is human but no one is discriminating against me, Breena, or Soph. What a breath of fresh air. Most importantly, however, they seem happy to use their skills on me. This is gonna be an afternoon to remember.'' The employee returned with a sheet of paper in hand. He cleared his throat and held up an artefact of some sort to his mouth, presumably to increase the volume of his voice. "Attention all present adventurers! Gold-silver plate adventurer Lone Immortus, bearer of the adventuring title Immortus the Immortal, will be using courtyard three to tutor skills. I will now read out his terms for said tutoring. ''Anyone is welcome to come and train any skill they wish. I will use my Teaching Mastery which is currently at advanced rank to help as much as I can but the biggest service I offer is that I''m more than happy to have you test your offensive skills on me instead of just demonstrating them on the air as is typical. This, combined with my Teaching Mastery, will be more effective than any normal skill tutor''s words of advice. Non-mages between I and C-rank must pay a silver coin, mages of the same rank must only pay 50 coppers. Non-mages between SS-rank and B-rank must pay 10 coppers, mages of the same rank will not be charged for the tutoring service. Anyone above SS-rank will also not be charged but they may be refused tutoring,''" the employee finished before nodding his head. "You can find Mister Immortus in courtyard three just as soon as he has finished with his paperwork. Thank you for your attention," he said before putting the artefact away. A large chunk of adventurers immediately left the central hall, presumably to go to courtyard three. Not everyone was happy or on board, however, and Lone noticed that with his sensitive hearing. "How arrogant. The guy somehow got a gold-silver plate at C-rank and a decent level in Teaching Mastery but wants to waste our time with an announcement and thinks he can charge weaker people more money?" "Something''s wrong with his head. Does he just want to die? Plenty of unhinged powerful mages in this guild who are too violent to become silver plates." "Just ignore him. We''ll find out how it goes by tomorrow. Let''s head out now. Quest won''t complete itself." Yulia wore an awkward look. "That was... unorthodox. I didn''t realise you were allowed to just make guild-wide announcements." "They''re expensive," Soph noted from Lone''s side. Lone nodded. "But money doesn''t matter to me. So, what paperwork do I need to do and all of that nonsense? Take the fee for the announcement from my account, by the way." "Of course, Mister Immortus. I''ve read your file''s notes so I''m perfectly aware of your capabilities, but I''ll still need you to sign a couple of waivers in the case of grievous injury or an unfortunate fatality..." the employee started.
"Someone paid for an announcement on the first floor?" Guildmaster Brux noted as he stroked his beard of black bushy hair. "How many years has it been since someone''s done that here?" His assistant wore a pensive look before replying, "17 years I think, sir. Not since Princeling Glen needed to amass a force to drive off those nesting Black Highgrovian Wyverns." "What a fun campaign," Guildmaster Brux nodded in reminiscence. "Well, details, Thomas? Who''s used it this time and for what? Something fun I hope." "You won''t weasel out of your work that easily, sir," Thomas replied which earned him a glare. Acting as if the glare had never happened, the assistant answered, "His name is Lone Immortus, a Golden Foxkin with three awakenings dubbed Immortus the Immortal. His awakenings are for Darkness, Sky, and the one the Church of the Primals doesn''t like being mentioned. He''s a C-ranked gold-silver plate adventurer which is rather fascinating. Every detail of his file is public knowledge at his own request." "What about his skills?" Guildmaster Brux asked. Thomas shook his head. "Only his Teaching Mastery is on his files. I will note, however, that he has completed some very high-ranked quests due to a cultural loophole since he was militaristically enlisted as criminal punishment by the dwarven Greater Council. The most noteworthy of those quests being an adamantine plate restricted quest to slay a lesser eldritch horror, which he succeeded in doing. As for why he made an announcement, he intends to use his body to hone the skills of our fine establishment''s members." "I hate when you do that. You know I hate when you do that. Don''t make things needlessly ambiguous," Guildmaster Brux sighed. "Context, I guess. He''s called Immortus the Immortal. Tutoring. His own body. He''s gonna be a living target dummy? Interesting. No way he killed an eldritch beast without some very powerful skills. It''s settled. Thomas, you manage this paperwork for me. I''m gonna investigate." "No, you are not. I do not have the authority to do this work and no, before you try again, you do not have the authority to give me that authority. Sit still and be a good guildmaster," Thomas ordered his boss. Guildmaster Brux deflated. "Why did I ever decide to retire and take up clerical responsibilities?" "Because Senshal the Unstoppable cut your right leg off and left you crippled for over three centuries," Thomas said. "Shut the fuck up, Thomas. I was being rhetorical," Guildmaster Brux sighed. B3: Chapter 10: Poison and Estoc With all of the paperwork out of the way, Lone and his group made their way to courtyard three. The enclosure itself wasn''t particularly fancy though it did have a certain appeal to it. The whole area was made entirely out of a stone Lone didn''t recognise, likely a type of mineral resistant to damage, he guessed. The space could likely hold upwards of a thousand people which only spoke of how large this branch of the guild was. Already the courtyard had a couple hundred occupants, all here to either learn from Lone or judge the process. "I am rather curious about the source of your confidence in your defensive abilities. Is it a confidence born of a magical nature?" Yulia asked, her inner researcher flaring to life. "You''ll see," Lone replied cryptically. "There''s no fun in spoiling the surprise." "I never did like surprises," Yulia sighed. "They can be fun," Soph commented. "Sometimes." Lone smiled wryly before he assumed a place in the centre of the courtyard while Soph took Breena''s hand and led her to the side, Yulia following the two of them with a furrowed brow. Addressing the crowd, Lone said, "So, who''s first?" A young, arrogant-looking, and very well-dressed girl of about 15 or 16 years, stepped forward. "I am Imelda Weirs, daughter of Count Weirs of the Grisbain Kingdom. Will you truly allow me to inflict immense pain and damage upon you for the low price of 50 coppers?" Lone wasn''t a fan of her attitude one bit but he wasn''t here to find friends. He was here to find new skills. Although, he couldn''t stop himself from wondering what such a young foreign noble was doing in the principality. "A mage between I and C-rank, huh? You got a fetish for hurting people, do you?" Lone asked, surmising her strength from the price she listed. "Hit me with your best spell or spells then." "Hah! The fox deems to order me about. No matter. I''ll have you on your knees begging for it to stop in mere moments." A cruel grin surfaced on her face as she reached into her adventurer''s pouch and tossed a small leather pouch Lone''s way. He caught it and glanced towards Soph. ''50 copper coins. They''re all there. Oh, uh, she''s a C-ranker by the way, not that it really matters,'' Soph sent. Lone nodded in thanks and pocketed the pouch, sending it into his Dimensional Storage. "Well then, let''s see what you''ve got, Imelda." The teenage girl pulled out an ivory stick about a quarter metre in length from a sleeve on the inside of her jacket. Lone assumed it was a wand or a small staff. Magical foci were rare, so he was getting quite excited to see what she was capable of, magically speaking. She closed her eyes and began muttering a magical incantation as she pointed her magical focus at Lone. He just stood still with his arms crossed, an expectant look on his face. Soph would warn him if the power being gathered warranted his Bone Armour or a fortress shield, so until then, he simply let his curiosity control him. Before too long, the girl was done and invoked the spell she had been so diligently preparing. "Venomous Stream!" A wavy and fluid beam of purple toxic sludge poured out of the tip of her magical focus and slammed into Lone''s chest, ripping his clothes apart. His flesh eroded rather quickly but fixed itself just as fast. Oaken Flesh combined with his Vitality made resisting the magic seem effortless. Seven seconds of consistent magical casting was all the teen was capable of before her spell faltered and she collapsed onto her knees, panting in exhaustion.
The host has developed the active poison magic skill: Venomous Stream.
Active Poison Magic Skill: Venomous Stream
A basic application of the poison magic school where the caster focuses the school of poison magic into a concentrated beam of energy capable of corroding the weakest of materials.
Cost: 2,000 MP per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Poison Magic.
The host has developed the passive skill: Poison Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Poison Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of poison magic. Poison magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Holy shit. Poison magic. Sweet. Need to spam this on myself at some point to gain immunity to it through Poison Resistance. Considering I gained no new levels in the non-magical resistance, her mastery must be beginner or intermediate at best. As expected for a teenager. That, or you can''t raise the normal resistance via magic though I bet they stack, not clash. Well, time to give her some advice. She paid for it, after all,'' Lone nodded. He casually repaired his clothes via Creation Magic, earning him no small amount of curious glances and shocked expressions. "Very good skill, but the casting time was atrocious. No wonder you took the chance to use it on someone willing. Must be a right bitch to train or even think of using in an actual fight. You need to think less and feel more when casting it though. Spend days, weeks, months if needed, learning how to cast that while moving and without closing your eyes." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "How... are you not... screaming?" Imelda Weirs asked as she hobbled to her feet, her breathing a ragged mess. Lone shrugged. "Physical Pain Resistance at expert-level-nine. Poison Resistance, also at expert-level-nine. It''ll take a lot more than a simple spell to make me squeal. I trust the advice served you well?" Gasps of two-part admiration and horrific realisation swept through the crowd at Lone''s alleged ranks and levels in the two listed skills. Poison Resistance was one thing. A lot of people trained to get that skill, though they did so via painless poisons. Physical Pain Resistance, however, informed everyone here of how enduring Lone''s personality was. It also reinforced how serious he was about being a living target dummy. Imelda Weirs frowned. "No one''s ever not screamed before." Her breathing was much more stable now. "I gained three levels in Venomous Stream." The crowd reacted quite aggressively to that. "With one invocation?!" "Fuck, sign me up! It would take me two months just for one level for some of my skills!" "Stop shoving! I''m next!" Lone smiled. He was hoping to earn a lot of skills today, and heck, even if the variety wasn''t as exaggerated as he would prefer, at least he would be building up his resistance skills. Eventually, the crowd sorted itself out and Lone''s next student approached. ''SS-rank and neither of his mana organs are active, so no magic. I overheard him talking to another member of his party and they want to test you out. He, uh, thinks that stupid poison girl might have been a paid actor. Might be a good chance to level your Teaching Mastery if you give them some real insight,'' Soph advised. Lone nodded and took a moment to properly inspect the man before him. He was taller than Lone at about six feet and four inches. The man was well-dressed and armoured with some sort of scale-covered gambeson and trousers. In addition, his slicked-back brown hair and handlebar moustache were very well-groomed. In his left hand lay a two-metre-long estoc made from a metal Lone didn''t recognise. ''Uncommonly long for such a weapon.'' Lone resisted the urge to use the highly noticeable Item Examination of the man''s sword and armour, instead choosing to say, "The ten coppers?" The man flicked his finger and Lone caught the single gold coin that had been tossed his way. "Impressive you know I am between B and double-S-rank. Keep the change. It''s a tip of sorts." "I have enough experience fighting SS-rankers to know when one stands before me," Lone replied. ''All the credit is yours, I''m just boasting,'' he tactfully sent to Soph. He heard an amused giggle in response. "Easy, medium, hard, or impossible?" Lone asked the man. Raising an eyebrow, the SS-ranker asked, "I beg your pardon?" Lone waved his hand, making a pail of blood appear out of thin air, shocking the crowd once more but he wasn''t finished quite yet with the surprises. "Easy," he said, gesturing with open arms at himself. "Bone Armour." He was encapsulated by his intimidating full plate that had withstood eldritch attacks in a fraction of a moment. "Medium." "Blood Clone." Creating and shaping the Blood Clone into an active fortress shield, he said, "Hard." He grinned under his helmet. "And this," he said, "is impossible." Lone moved his blood away to reveal his armoured body which he promptly covered in a bone fortress shield that he then encapsulated in a blood one. Just as soon, he returned the blood to the bucket and his bones to his body. "Now, again. Easy, medium, hard, or impossible?" Lone repeated, a benign smile on his lips. He heard Yulia whisper, "None of that was magic," amidst the crowd''s comments and astounded remarks. The estoc-wielder took a moment to consider before asking, "Did you call it impossible because you believe that defensive combination to be impenetrable, or do you think me incapable of breaking through it?" "For you it is impossible. For some people in this building? It might not be. I''m not being arrogant, by the way. I have a skill called Fortress Shield Mastery. It''s at master-level-one and it outright cancels 95% of attacks. The other 5% get weakened by 95%. So unless you think you can hit me hard enough to crack open not one but two fortress shields, and then my armour to boot - which can repel pretty much everything below X-rank on its own - then I suggest you go for the hard difficulty. My blood is much softer than my bones. I think you''ll get the most out of that. I''m down for easy too if you wanna cut me up or skewer me. Got a killing move you need to test? Easy is the way to go," Lone suggested. The SS-ranker frowned. "You are one of three things. A compulsive showman about to get himself killed. An unparalleled liar who is also, like the showman, about to get himself killed. Or, lastly and least likely, a Divine masking your strength for no reason given how willing you are to reveal such an absurd skill and skill rank. I do not wish to murder you. My party member happens to have an expert-ranked healing skill. She will save you from death''s door. I choose easy. let this farce be over." Lone shook his head but said nothing. He expected such a reaction from him, honestly. Barely anyone knew about Fortress Shield Mastery''s existence since it had only recently been reported to the guild by him. Lone hardly saw it when the man moved though he did feel it when the two-metre-long estoc ripped through his shirt, weaved expertly through his ribcage and pierced his heart before erupting out of his back. Now standing by Lone''s side with his estoc in hand, his head inches to the right of Lone''s, the man said, "A showman then. A liar would be dead and a Divine would never have allowed their flesh to be pierced by my Ellie even were she capable of such a feat. How you became a gold-silver plate at C-rank needs to be brought into question immediately I might think." Lone turned to look at the man, which surprisingly made him flinch and jump away, leaving Lone simply standing there with the man''s sword still impaling him. The SS-ranker clearly hadn''t expected him to be able to move at all for some reason. Pursing his lips, Lone reached down and carefully removed the ridiculously long blade from his chest. Holding it with both of his hands carefully, one on the hilt and the other on the blade, he said, "Definitely not poisoned. A skill to paralyse, maybe? Could be an enchantment too, to be fair."
The host has developed the passive skill: Estoc Mastery.
Passive Skill: Estoc Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Sword Mastery] commonly used by cavalry knights and warriors of great dexterity. When attacking an armoured foe with an estoc the host will find it 5% easier to strike joints and gaps in the target''s armour. Only applies to anything categorised as full plate.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''No Paralysis Resistance or any active skills he silently invoked. No new magic resistance either so the blade''s enchantment, assuming it has one, doesn''t have anything too special on it like Hamish''s cursed daggers. The effect he expected must have stemmed from an additional effect of Estoc Mastery,'' Lone commented internally. With a horrific sound, the hole barely the same size as a finger in Lone''s chest closed. Near instantly, it seemed like he hadn''t been run through by a blade just moments ago. Again, he repaired his clothes. "Good sword nonetheless, and even superior swordsmanship. You are my better in that field so I have few words of wisdom, though I would suggest believing in the virtue of innocent until proven guilty. I did not earn my adventuring title of Immortus the Immortal by enduring a cut from a goblinoid or a club to the ribs courtesy of an ogroid. I have threatened Primals, angered a Djinn, been targetted by an Arch Devil, and slain an eldritch horror. Tomorrow I will even fight Prince Keining in a public spar." Lone tossed the estoc back to its owner who caught it with ease. "I may be a C-ranker but I am no ordinary C-ranker. Do you wish to try again? But this time, with a slower and more practised attack that I might use my Teaching Mastery on?" Lone asked with a smile. "I am here to tutor, after all." The SS-ranker carefully looked at his blade, at his Ellie. He slowly looked up and met Lone''s eyes. "I apologise. My name is Kevin Keining, 11th son of Prince Keining. If you would allow me, I wish to try to challenge your hard difficulty, Lord Immortus." Lone''s smile became a maddened smirk. "Apology accepted. Now that the measure of my worth has been properly established, let''s start the mass tutoring session in full!" B3: Chapter 11: Sophs Concerns and Lones Reasoning Strike after strike battered away at Lone''s blood fortress shield. Occasionally, one wouldn''t be negated by Fortress Shield Mastery, and Kevin''s estoc, Ellie, would come very close to piercing the Blood Clone. However, the strength of the Blood Clone in combination with Lone''s passive skill Blood Thickening, on top of the 95% force nullification from Fortress Shield Mastery, prevented any breaches in the fluid bubble that protected his body.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Expert level 9.
''Nice. Musta been close to a level-up already, but then again, I haven''t had my Blood Clones endure stabbing attacks as fierce as this dude''s before,'' Lone commented. Before too long, he heard the prince''s 11th son say, "I have expended almost all of my SP." Lone knew that was as good a cue as any to move the Blood Clone back into its bucket, revealing his untouched form to the crowd. "I cannot give too much advice since I couldn''t see your attacks, only feel them. Still, the few that got past the 95% nullification were powerful indeed, even with most of their force stripped from them. I hope you gained from the experience?" "A single level in Estoc Mastery," Kevin confessed. "It was a worthwhile experience, attacking something so alive yet so impossible to break through. Those few moments where I almost successfully pierced... I think I came very close to attaining Skill Enlightenment." "Now that woulda been a sight," Lone commented. "Shame you didn''t. Well, who''s next?" Kevin scrunched up his brow. "I beg your pardon?" "What?" Lone shot him a funny look. "Did you think I was just gonna wait for you to recover? Who''s next? In fact, I''m happy to teach groups so long as you''re all SS-ranked or lower. I don''t have all night since I gotta catch my 40 winks before my fight with Prince Keining tomorrow, so be quick about it! Fight each other for placements if you need to but I want a constant stream of people to teach, so hop to it!"
Back at their room in the palace, having parted ways with Yulia and Kevin who had both decided to tag along with them, Soph leaned into Lone''s chest and said, "The guildmaster was watching you the entire day." Lone had gained eight new skills after his little teaching session with Princeling Kevin. Two he earned from one person, three which were new magic skills for schools he already had an affinity for, one expected and one unexpected resistance, a new active skill, and the last one came from Princeling Kevin''s party member. They were Heavy Bow Mastery, Piercing Resistance, Earth Spear, Thorny Itch, Nature Magic Resistance, Water Gaol, Drowning Resistance, Sundering Might, and finally, Gentle Glow. "Details?" Lone asked his girlfriend as he pulled up the information of his new skills.
Passive Skill: Heavy Bow Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Bow Mastery] commonly used by incredibly strong archers that have the same efficiency as a catapult. When attacking with a heavy bow, any arrows fired will travel 95% slower but will deal 5% more damage.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''What a shit skill. It must be godly at master rank with the correct additional effects to warrant being so bad at beginner rank,'' Lone thought. ''No wonder that building of a woman took the chance to practice it on me since it has such a massive drawback.''
Passive Skill: Piercing Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist piercing attacks at varying levels based on mastery. All piercing attacks the host suffers will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''The arrow from the heavy bow must have been enchanted to pierce or something. There''s no way I wouldn''t have gotten this skill sooner unless it needed contact with said enchantment. I basically side gig as a pin cushion, after all,'' he concluded. ''Or it''s insanely hard to earn, even more so than parent weapon mastery skills. It is a very vague far-reaching resistance, after all.'' "I made sure to pay attention to what the powerful people in the building were saying. The guildmaster is an X-ranker I think," Soph said. "He wanted to come watch in person from the start but his advisor, a guy called Thomas, stopped him. While he did his work though, he kept looking in the direction we were in. He can, I dunno, see through walls or something. The guy seems like Hilda in that he likes, uh, fighting." "An X-ranker? That''s certainly the strongest guildmaster we''ve run into so far. Shame he couldn''t come down. I''d have taught him for free and hopefully earned a skill or two of his with Teaching Mastery''s additional effect," Lone sighed in regret as he continued looking at his new skills.
Active Earth Magic Skill: Earth Spear
A standard application of the earth magic school where the caster focuses the element of earth into a spear. The skill is twice as powerful and takes half as long to cast if there is a source of natural earth nearby.
Cost: 5,000 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''The earth mage''s spears were needle-like in width and they only managed two before almost passing out. Still, they got four levels from the experience, so they must''ve been a new mage,'' Lone concluded.
Active Nature Magic Skill: Thorny Itch
An uncommon application of the nature magic school where the caster focuses the element of nature into wild thorns that will appear on the target''s body and force it to itch uncontrollably to varying degrees based on mastery. Maximum simultaneous targets: 1.
Cost: 1,000 MP per second per target.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Passive Skill: Nature Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Nature Magic. Nature Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ''Either that old S-ranker never gets to use this skill, or it has some crazy effects that can be earned or unlocked at high ranks,'' Lone thought. ''It didn''t really do much to me so I wonder if they forcefully suppressed any interesting additional effects? Assuming that''s possible...'' He would have preferred the greying man had used his most powerful skills on him but Lone wasn''t in a position to demand that in a public setting so he''d have to settle with this uncommon nature magic skill instead.
Active Water Magic Skill: Water Gaol
An uncommon application of the water magic school where the caster focuses the element of water into a spherical prison that will fully encapsulate their target.
Cost: 5,000 MP per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Passive Skill: Drowning Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the negative effects of suffocation via water. The host can hold their breath for 5% longer.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''It''s so interesting that the skill title is translated to ''gaol'', not ''jail''. I wonder why that is?'' Lone pondered before shaking his head and moving on.
Active Skill: Sundering Might
A common skill for warriors confident their strike will not be met with a counterattack due to how draining it is on the host. When invoked while striking an opponent with the flat edge of a weapon, halves the speed of the attack but quadruples the force.
Cost: 95% of the host''s SP.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Useless for bladed weapons, godly for blunt ones like hammers and maces. With my Creation Magic though, this gives me ideas... I can only imagine how stupidly powerful this skill could be at master rank,'' he thought, eager to see the true potential of this skill unleashed.
Active Heavenly Magic Skill: Gentle Glow
A common application of the heavenly magic school where the caster focuses the element of the heavens into a warm glow with restorative powers. The cost of this skill varies based on the wounds it is tasked with healing. The skill only affects physical wounds. The skill may only be used once a day.
Cost: 50,000 MP base cost. 1 DP.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Heavenly Magic.
''DP is a new term. Wonder what it stands for? I''d bet on ''Divine Power''. I also wonder how I can get it... I wasn''t awarded any like I was with World Force, so I likely have to kill a heavenly magic wielder to use this currently worthless skill,'' Lone surmised. "Why didn''t you teach everyone for free?" Soph asked. "I thought your Teaching Mastery could give you more free skill stuff if you did." Lone watched his girlfriend yawn before blinking her eyes a few times. He smiled and answered, "It''s a 0.5% chance for me to earn a skill the student knows if they end up learning a new skill from my teaching, or the same chance for my version of whatever skill I''m teaching to level up once per student. I wasn''t teaching new skills today, just letting myself get hit while giving out advice." "Ahh... You know, it''s kinda nice not having to worry about so many skills. Even if it means I''m less versatile than you," Soph mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. Lone shook his head, smile still on his lips. "You''re not wrong there. It''ll be a real fuckin'' pain levelling everything I have. So long as we deal with Zel, I''ll have an eternity to do it..." He sighed and then pulled up his notification log to look at the level ups for the few skills of his that had benefited from the tutoring session.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Thickening] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Thickening] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Thickening] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Thickening] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 5.
The gains of today made Lone incredibly excited for the gains that tomorrow promised. His fight with Prince Keining would likely push many of his more annoying skills to level, and perhaps even rank up for some of them. Tomorrow afternoon couldn''t come fast enough so Lone made sure Breena was okay on the adjacent sofa. She was sleeping soundly so he closed his eyes, held Soph closely, and then forced himself to sleep.
"Lone," Soph said as he, she, and Breena, approached the arena Lone was set to fight the ruler of this principality in. "Hmm?" Lone donned a questioning gaze. "Lots of people are looking at me. Um, mostly men. The looks aren''t... great. I noticed it a bit yesterday but it''s way worse today," she expressed her concerns to Lone. He frowned. "It might be wise to put Sophie in control. This place values strength over everything else so if anyone tries anything that they shouldn''t even be thinking of, then she can deal with it appropriately. Find Princeling Kevin for me too, please? I''ll have a word with him about getting V.I.P. seats for you guys or something." "This stupid face... I wish Body Manipulation would let me be ugly or something," Soph muttered although Lone heard her with ease. ''Never say that again. You are beautiful and I like you that way. You are not to blame for people being unable to control their lust. Besides, it''s only dirty and suspicious looks at the moment, right? So long as it stays that way, it''s fine. And if it escalates, well, that''s why we''re both getting stronger, so no one can even dare to think of fucking with us,'' Lone sent telepathically. He saw a smile worm its way onto his lovely girlfriend''s expression before her face hardened and her eyes narrowed in caution, signalling Sophie''s arrival. ''We shall take you to the man with a compensatory sword. He is already in the building. And... thank you. We think you are pleasing to the eyes as well.'' Lone grinned, happy to see his telepathic words having an impact. He leaned down to Breena''s ear and whispered, "Don''t get in Sophie''s way but help her as much as you can if anyone tries to take advantage of her or yourself, ''kay?" Breena nodded seriously, clearly more than willing to stop lechers given her past with such a person.
Now alone and waiting in the eastern waiting area of the central arena, Lone raised his head from his seated position to look at Princeling Andrew. "As requested, Elder Brother Kevin was able to arrange for your partner and fellow foxkin to be seated in the V.I.P. lounge. It''s amazing how you earned his favour. Yulia I could understand since she is no fighter, but Kevin? You truly are incredibly powerful," the blonde-haired man claimed. "Bet your dad''ll still slap me around," Lone laughed. "If you are so certain of your defeat, why challenge him to a duel? You do not seem the type to enjoy public humiliation though I do admit, I know too little about you to make an apt judgement. I also apologise if my question is rude. You seem to like candidness so I am trying to be frank when possible," Andrew said. "And you''d be right. I do appreciate the peeling back of the false smiles. But yeah, I''m no glutton for ruining my public image. I didn''t even want this fight to be public. Your dad''s a politician, alright, doing that. Totally understand his reasoning. Anyway, how often do you think the average person gets the chance to fight an XX-ranker in a controlled environment?" Lone asked in response. Andrew frowned. "Never for most, almost never for the very lucky or unlucky few depending on your perspective. Why is this a good thing though? You stand to learn nothing in a one-sided fight." A sound mage entered the room. The woman was to guide Lone to the arena while putting magic on him that would amplify his voice so the whole crowd could hear any exchanges between both him and the prince. Lone got up and patted Andrew on the shoulder. "That''s where you''re wrong, pal. Even were you not me with my particular talents, when your life isn''t in danger, everyone stands to learn a thing or two from a losing battle. And besides, this fight won''t be nearly as instant or one-sided as perhaps you might be assuming. Your dad''s strong, sure, but no one''s invincible. Well, not yet. I''m working on that." He left the astounded princeling to his own thoughts and introduced himself to the sound mage before leaving the waiting room with her. B3: Chapter 12: Infinite SP and Sophies Brutality ''It''s so much bigger than the one in Ranton,'' Lone thought as he entered the fighting ring of Golden Pass City''s central arena. The commentators were listing off everything interesting that was publicly known about Lone while they drummed up the excitement of the event. It was rare for the prince to fight in a battle that wasn''t to the death, so even though not a single person thought this fight would last any longer than the prince allowed it to, they were riled up and more than pleased to be here nonetheless. ''There must be at least 300,000 people in the stands, if not more. Then there are the sight mages transmitting the show to the whole city. Prince Keining really pulled all of the stops here, huh? I only asked for a spar and here he is turning it into a, what, grand public humiliation or something?'' Lone wondered. He couldn''t really blame the man. He was a busy XX-ranker, so if it become known that he could be challenged with little-to-no risk just by sparing one of his foolish offspring, well, that could be easily exploited to greatly waste the man''s time. For what specific purpose, Lone didn''t know, but he was sure there could be countless reasons to distract Prince Keining. The roaring crowd and even louder commentators were silenced in an instant by the present sound mages in response to Prince Keining suddenly falling from the sky and landing in the middle of the arena. ''Did he jump in here? That''s insane,'' Lone thought while his blood began to boil with anticipation. Prince Keining reached into his adventurer''s pouch and pulled out a gorgeous spear that oozed with power. It sent a chill down Lone''s spine and put a smile on his face. "Good people of Golden Pass City," the ruler of the principality addressed the stadium, "Thank you for coming to witness this event. My son, Keith, foolishly attacked young Lone Immortus here for using blood magic. As I am sure you all know, blood magic is not an outlawed school in our fair principality. For being unjustly attacked and still choosing to spare my son''s life, young Lone Immortus here was granted a boon by myself. He, in his thirst for power, asked for pointers in a spar with me." ''Wow. He''s good with his words. What a way to twist it,'' Lone nodded approvingly as he took some mental notes. "Good people of Golden Pass City, what is it that we value above all else?" Prince Keining asked the silenced crowd. A boom like the roar of a thunderstorm issued out from the stands as the sound mages removed their spells for a moment. "STRENGTH!" "That''s correct! I praise you, young Lone Immortus, for your lacking humility, thinking yourself worthy of learning from me. There is no shame to be found desiring more strength, thus your request was granted. I will allow you five strikes on my body and I will then attack you a single time but stop at the last moment. I am certain you will gain the most from this arrangement," the prince stated. Lone shook his head. "No." Though they had been silenced once more, the shock and offence on the faces of the crowd members were palpable. Talking back to the strongest person in the city was unthinkable to them, so hearing Lone do so truly insulted their beliefs. "Explain," Prince Keining ordered. "I want a fight to the death except, well, if I think I''m about to die, I''ll let you know. Me hitting you five times and then not being hit by you once won''t help me," Lone said. Prince Keining frowned. "And being in a fight where you cannot even see what I am doing to you will help you?" "Would you like to see something interesting?" Lone asked the man for his answer. Still frowning, the XX-ranked waved his hand as if to say ''go on, entertain my people if you can''. Lone extended his hand and withdrew his steamforged swordspear, the one Wilbur had forged specifically for his use. He closed his eyes for a moment and willed his weak C-ranker aura into the device, making a razor-sharp steam edge appear on one of its two blades. He opened his eyes and carefully but swiftly chopped off two of his fingers, one after the other. With the strength of his bones, the steamforged swordspear was barely able to do the job even though Lone had gone for joints instead of raw bone. Regardless, he quickly flexed his hand as it repaired itself in mere moments. "I am incredibly hard to kill despite my low rank when compared to you. Now, for the fun part." Lone withdrew two full buckets of blood from his Dimensional Storage. "Blood Clone. Blood Clone. Do you know what this skill does, Prince Keining?" The prince''s frown had birthed a curious edge to it as he answered, "Of course. It creates a controllable mass of blood. Its potential is limitless, but in practice, it is rather impractical due to how many millennia it would take to make the skill truly powerful." "I''m something of a skill scholar myself and I''m very talented in levelled skills. My version of Blood Clone can do some very interesting things given it is at expert-level-ten with five additional effects, one of which you can see since I have two clones. Now, I would assume word of the skill Fortress Shield Mastery has reached your ears given I used it against one of your children yesterday?" "Your claims of the skill''s abilities were ridiculous... until I confirmed that they were not mere claims," the prince affirmed. ''So Kevin did report it and I guess his dad checked the credit slate or got someone trusted to do so in his place. Nice. That works in my favour,'' Lone thought as he nodded. "It is a skill I have created so I know it rather well. These fingers," he said as he bent down and picked up the severed digits with the hand they once belonged to, "they still count as a part of me in the eyes of the system." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lone threw the fingers and gave some orders to his two Blood Clones. The two large blobs of blood quickly attached themselves to a finger each and then morphed into large yet thin fortress shields. "These two active fortress shields will now passively orbit my main body in an effort to protect me while serving as two infinite pools of SP thanks to the regeneration bonus of Fortress Shield Mastery. The skill I used to heal my severed fingers? It uses SP," he said. Lone paced back and forth a bit before he willed his ominous-looking bone armour to appear. "Now, Prince Keining, do you think you have the strength necessary to kill me when I can essentially regenerate instantly and infinitely?" Very slowly a feral smile worked its way onto the face of the ruler of this land. The man lowered his stance and gripped his spear very tightly. "That is interesting. Very well. A death match you wanted, a death match you will get." A light blue glow shrouded the tip of his spear and then he thrust the weapon forward without moving a single step. Both Blood Clones moved to block the attack but the force behind it was too vast and too all-encompassing. Lone was sent flying through the arena before he slammed into a magical barrier and bounced onto the floor, all of his internal organs ruptured and a haemorrhage began trying its best to ruin his day. With a trickle of SP, however, all of his wounds and broken armour were fixed in an instant. A wall of system notifications filled his vision and a mad grin consumed Lone''s expression. "You''ll have to do better than that, Your Highness."
"You''ll have to do better than that, Your Highness." The words of her brother boomed through the crowd thanks to the magic placed upon him. Hazel felt goosebumps forming on her arms as she watched her brother get up and leap towards the monster wearing a man''s flesh. He was moving far too quickly for her to follow but that didn''t matter. The sight mages had worked their magic to somehow make every action as clear as day to the common watcher. "He''s insane. Your brother is totally nuts," Scott commented, his eyes darting around to carefully follow Lone as he tried to attack the prince only to be slammed back into the arena''s walls with enough impact to pulverise a tank, let alone a person. ''I agree, Scott. he was supposed to be coming here to chat with me but suddenly he''s fighting the bleedin'' prince, of all people! And he hasn''t lost yet! That''s what''s insane here,'' Hazel commented internally before she said, "Fortress Shield Mastery sounds ridiculous just like Lord Keining said." Everyone nodded, seeing no room to argue against such a statement. George cleared his throat upon seeing Lone get manhandled for the third time with little to no effort on Prince Keining''s part. "Do you think he''ll ever land a hit?" The group of five went silent as the crowd roared around them. "Ten copper says he doesn''t," Scott bet. Emma grinned. "I have faith. I''ll match that bet for him getting at least one good blow on the beefy prince." Hazel watched George deflate, clearly disheartened at having his affection''s target show interest in not just one, but two other men now. "Hopeless, all hopeless," Hazel muttered. She chose to join Alisa in silently observing her lunatic brother''s attempt to ''learn'' from the XX-ranker.
Sophie frowned. There were too many X-rankers in the V.I.P. booth with her and the leech. She didn''t even bother paying attention to the fight below besides making sure to be ready to teleport Lone out should the need arise. He knew what he was doing and she trusted him to not die in a controlled spar, even if he had asked for a death match. What was bothering her more than the fact that there were about a dozen X-rankers present was that one, in particular, hadn''t stopped staring at her since Princeling Kevin had escorted both her and the leech up to this area. Sophie sighed when she saw the man walking towards her via her Mana Sensing. "Breena, enter our shadow and do not leave it until we say you may. We do not care if you run out of SP. Do not leave until we say you can. Understood?" The girl meekly nodded and invoked her Primal skill, melding into Sophie''s shadow, earning a few raised eyebrows and turning some attention away from the battle below. Soph rotated on her heels and faced the handsome and tall X-ranker who was only a few metres from her at this point. "Do not approach us. Do not talk to us. Do not look at us any longer. We do not care for your rank, your status, or whatever else you may try to coerce us with. We have given our soul, heart, and body, to the man effortlessly enduring attacks from your ruler. You could never compare. Now leave us be." The man''s smile didn''t change though his gaze did. He walked up to Sophie''s side and looked down at the arena. "This Lone Immortus, yes? A foolish man if ever I have seen one. Not only does he stand to learn nothing from this exchange, but he has also revealed his potent self-healing and the potential of the skill he claims to have created himself. No doubt a lie. I would wager his master or someone else just as mysterious made it and allowed him to learn it. His supposed mastery of it is impressive if nothing else." "That is our man you are speaking so poorly of. Do not insult him. Trying to besmirch him before us will earn you no favours. You are disgusting in our eyes and a nuisance, nothing more. Speak to me once more and we will make it impossible for you to do so to anyone in the future. We are not known for our mercy so do not take this kindness lightly," Sophie warned. It was all too clear to her eyes. It was rare that her Mana Sensing let her detect a person''s emotions through their magic unless the feelings were incredibly strong like with Lone''s love for both her and Soph. Right now, however, this man''s emotional intent was so clear she could almost reach out and grab it. He valued her physical appearance to the extent that he wished to bed her regardless of the cost. A single word came to Sophie and Soph''s mind at the same time. ''Pathetic.'' ''Pathetic.'' For an X-ranker to be so obsessed with physical beauty to the point of lusting after another man''s woman could only be considered as such for the two women. At grand heights of power such as his, surely there were countless other better things to be doing with one''s time than this. He shifted his body to turn in her direction and slowly reached out a hand as if to caress her hair. "I have never been threatened by a C-ranker bef-" "Barrier Prison." His amused tone was cut off in an instant. "It was not a threat, it was a kindness offered and quite clearly rejected." Sophie felt the man immediately trying to get out of her Barrier Prison so she took a page from Lone''s book and covered him in a second one. She then created thousands upon thousands of barriers within the man''s body. There was a moment of resistance before every part of his body turned into a bloody mist. Shocked gasps and cries of fear rang out from several of the other V.I.P.s. Many even drew their weapons, as if expecting a widescale attack of some sort to come from Sophie. ''Um... what would you have done if that hadn''t worked?'' Soph asked. Sophie mentally snorted. ''We would have teleported him to space and then returned fast enough to not take any injuries ourself. Your barriers can rip Lone to pieces, let alone an X-ranker with none of his resistances. Do not needlessly worry.'' ''... Lone isn''t going to like this,'' Soph commented. Sophie shook her head. ''We disagree. We dealt with a pest trying to claim what was not his to claim.'' ''Not that, you killed an X-ranker before he did. He''s gonna be so moody for days now...'' Soph elaborated. Sophie frowned. ''Ah. You are right. Damn it. Ha-ah. Well, one thing at a time. Let us first restore calm and order to this jumpy group of supposedly powerful beings. We can deal with Lone later. Luckily, he is busy right now.'' ''Don''t forget to tell Breena she can come out now! The poor girl doesn''t have enough SP to use her Primal skill for that long,'' Soph reminded. ''Yes, yes,'' Sophie replied dismissively. B3: Chapter 13: Scratch and Judgement ''My bones are repairing themselves faster and faster and I''m being flung around with noticeably less force now, so I''d reckon I''ve earned Force Magic Resistance and it''s at least intermediate, maybe advanced. I just can''t find an opening to attack him though,'' Lone thought as he used Ungrounded to bound through the air towards the prince once again. This time, however, something changed. A frown crossed the massive man''s expression and his head darted to look at the V.I.P. booth. Lone didn''t have the time to think why he was doing this, he could only take advantage of this distraction to finally land a hit. Extending his steamforged sword spear with its steam edge and recently flattened tip, Lone activated several skill effects at once. "Pierce! Woodsman! Full Charge!" Lone''s weapon doubled in size and lost 20% of its weight. Full Charge only activated because his two severed fingers were covered in fortress shields, meaning his body was technically being shielded, resulting in his speed maxing out, almost making it look like he had teleported right into the face of Prince Keining. Finally, just as his swordspear''s head was about to connect with the prince''s chest, Lone invoked one of his active skills, "Sundering Might!" The loss of 95% of his SP meant nothing since he was regenerating the resource so quickly thanks to his little finger exploit. With this skill combined with the four times increased power from Swordspear Mastery''s Pierce, his attack''s strength was quadrupled again. Lone hoped the bonuses were multiplications and not additive. Prince Keining whipped his head around to focus on Lone again and immediately saw he didn''t have the time to dodge. Instead, he activated some sort of skill or perhaps he just manipulated raw force magic. Either way, a light blue barrier appeared at the point of contact between Lone''s weapon and the prince''s chest. An explosion erupted between the two of them when the flattened tip of the spear end of Lone''s new swordspear tried to burst through the torso of the XX-ranker. Lone willed his blood clone fortress shields to press up against his back to prevent him from being blasted back as he gripped the handle of his swordspear even tighter and unintentionally invoked Wide Taunt while yelling. Suddenly, he heard a voice talking to him in his head. ''You''re going to lose this exchange. Use my Primal skill to bypass that little shield of his.'' Lone didn''t have the time to think about why Darkness would care about this spar or why it would offer him some advice but he took it nonetheless. His desire to injure such a powerful being without having to rely on Mental Destruction, Tail Spear, or Nothing Vortex, pushed him forward. "You!" To everyone else, Lone''s shout just seemed like a grunt of frustration to the crowd and even to Prince Keining himself. You was perhaps his most oddly named skill after all. It did, however, let him enter any shadow, dream, nightmare, barrier, or obscured illusion, with ease. He didn''t know this effect extended to his held weapon but for once he didn''t care about mistrusting Darkness and he was ecstatic to see the shock spread over the prince''s face as his magical barrier of force magic acted as if it didn''t even exist. Lone''s steamforged swordspear burst right through the force magic like butter and slammed into the ruler''s chest, sending him rocketing off of his feet and into the other side of the arena just as Lone had done dozens of times today already. Although the arena was silent thanks to the various sound mages that isolated the noise for Lone and Prince Keining, he could see the crowd jumping out of their seats and going wild like there was no tomorrow. It was exhilarating. Even if Prince Keining lost his temper and seriously tried to kill Lone for suffering such an attack from a lowly C-ranker, it was all worth it in Lone''s mind. ''This feels amazing...'' ''And.... there we go,'' Darkness commented, a smile no doubt on its lips. It was speaking in reference to Lone''s shift from C-rank to B-rank at that moment. Of course, he was ecstatic to have received enlightenment at this moment but it also gave him chills. If he had to land a solid attack born of only his normal skills and one Primal skill to go from C to B-rank, what would he have to do to become an A-ranker? Prince Keining disappeared and reappeared right in front of Lone. The two stared at each for a moment. Lone didn''t fail to notice the slightest of scratches on the prince''s skin under his torn shirt. The ruler of the city slowly smiled and nodded his head before he placed a palm on Lone''s shoulder. "Well done! I truly did underestimate you and I apologise for that! Good people of Golden Pass City, Lone Immortus has proven his strength!" He patted Lone''s shoulder twice then turned to face the stands. "Not even a single one of my children can successfully injure me but this C-ranker, now B-ranker, did just that! Be inspired by his creativity! Be inspired by his courage to face me! Be inspired by his hunger for strength! Be strong!" The sound mages dropped the audio isolation and Lone''s body rocked from the crowd chanting the two words ''be strong'' like it would actually grant them power. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Prince Keining kept the smile on his face and he turned back to Lone and said, "The mages have dispelled their magic on us, Our words are our own. Follow me. Your human companion murdered an X-ranked associate of mine during our fight." Lone immediately contacted Sophie telepathically. ''Are you okay? What happened? Is Breena okay?'' ''A man made unwarranted and unwanted advances on us. We warned him not to and punished him for ignoring said warnings. We are fine. Good job, by the way. You did very well and we now have access to our Void Walking skill thanks to our ascension to B-rank,'' Sophie answered plainly and with a slight hint of excitement in her tone. ''And the leech is just fine. I ensured she was protected during the altercation.'' Lone walked side-by-side with the prince and said, "With all due respect, Lord Keining, regardless of her reason, I will support her. I did not show all of my deadly tricks during our fight, and I killed an SS-ranker when I was but an E-ranker." "You need not threaten me. I witnessed the whole thing. Your companion''s surprising strength and ability to follow through on a promise are what distracted me long enough for your attack to land. Thank you, also, for addressing me properly," the prince replied. Lone shrugged. "You''ve proved you''re stronger than me. I''d have to rely on powers I don''t consider my own to kill you, so yeah, you''re a lord to me for now." "''For now'' he says. Your hunger for strength might even surpass my own. Be silent by my side as I deal with the aftermath. You injured me. You are as good as family now since it was done in a friendly environment. I will clean up this mess as thanks for showing me something truly inspiring," the prince stated, leaving no room for argument. Lone was curious to see how the massive man would ''clean up'' the mess, as he had claimed. Physical power and political power were two very different things. Lone also had two other things on his mind. ''I can''t fuckin'' believe Sophie killed an X-ranker before me. What a fuckin'' waste of potential stats!''
"Lord Keining." "Your Royal Highness." "Father..." Lone listened as dozens of the V.I.P. guests greeted the ruler of this land with only a few tossing respectful looks Lone''s way. They were all far too busy worrying over Sophie who was standing in the corner, along with the prince''s presence, to congratulate Lone for his astounding performance in the spar. He did, however, notice two people of interest. One was Yulia. She was staring intently at his girlfriend and it could clearly be seen that she wanted to question Sophie on the barriers she had encapsulated the X-ranker in before murdering him. The other person was a stocky disabled man whose aura reeked of power. Lone could instinctually tell the man was a higher X-ranker and he had a battle-starved look in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Lone. On the topic of auras, Prince Keining''s belonged to that of a higher XX-ranker, meaning he was likely very close to becoming an XXX-ranker. ''That is the guildmaster Soph told you about yesterday,'' Sophie explained, clearly seeing that Lone was meeting the wild-looking man''s gaze. ''That makes sense, I guess. I did just leave a scratch on an XX-ranker, so if he likes good fights, I''d be a pretty fitting candidate,'' Lone thought. Suddenly, Prince Keining clapped his hands, stopping all of the people who were greeting him and trying to fill him in on what had happened in the V.I.P. area prior to his arrival. "The offended party is C-ran-" The prince squinted his eyes, a suspicious look on his face for all of a single moment before it passed. "B-ranked Sofia Vladimirovich, the romantic partner of Lone Immortus here and a silver plate adventurer. The offending party was low X-ranker Olberic Chase, Guildmaster of the noble district''s Continental Alchemical Association and a dark steel plate adventurer." ''Ah, fuck. The C.A.A. that Yulia mentioned? Well, this is hardly the right foot to start on if I wanna worm my way into that organisation eventually... Not that I don''t support Sophie''s brutality, but...'' Lone sighed mentally. "Olberic clearly saw Sofia''s immense beauty and made a romantic pass. He was rejected and warned he would suffer a loss should he continue as she had made it known she is involved with Lone. Olberic ignored this warning and died as a result after not only continuing but also insulting my young friend here. Sofia was both in the right, was clearly stronger, and is also of a higher standing in The Adventurer''s Guild. She will not be punished for this and I have deemed her actions entirely lawful. Guildmaster Brux, I trust you concur?" Prince Keining asked, looking at the man whose entire right leg was wooden and held together with a freeform magic of some sort. The guildmaster nodded. "Personally, Lord Keining, I agree with your assessment. I will need to gather the other guildmasters of Golden Pass City to discuss this since it is a case of an adventurer killing another adventurer, but that''ll just be a formality given both your and my statements on it." "That is perfectly reasonable. Now, good people, go about the rest of your day. Lone, Sofia, come with me. I''d love to chat with you both privately at the palace," the prince requested but everyone present knew it was more of an order than an offer. "Can Breena come too?" Lone asked casually. ''He resolved that easily enough. A city where strength matters most, but justice isn''t overlooked either... I like this place more and more.'' The prince looked at him and said, "The weak foxkin child? If she is your companion, then she is welcome too." "Cool. Yulia! Kevin! You guys come as well. I can see the questions pouring out of you Yulia, and I owe you my thanks Kevin," Lone said, addressing two of the numerous powerful individuals present who could call Prince Keining their father. Many baulked at Lone extending the prince''s invitation without permission when he had just been allowed to involve a lowly F-ranker in a private meeting with their ruler and the city''s strongest resident. They saw it as him taking advantage of the prince''s kindness and favour but the prince didn''t contradict Lone nor stop him, so the onlookers were left to watch as Prince Keining, Lone, Sophie, Breena, a happy-looking Yulia, and an uncomfortable-looking Kevin, left the V.I.P. area. Just as they had exited the arena, Lone stopped in his tracks and said, "Right... Hey, Lord Keining. Mind inviting Andrew too? I wanna rub it in his face that I injured you and hopefully he''ll learn from it since he was so confused about why I would want to fight you. Being proved wrong and then advised on it could enlighten him. The sooner the better. While the iron''s still hot and all of that shit." Princeling Kevin''s expression sunk as he muttered, "Speaking so casually to father..." Yulia was surprised too but she didn''t voice it. Prince Keining, meanwhile, simply nodded. "That is wise. It is done. I''ve used some force magic to let him know to meet us in the palace as soon as possible. Now then... we''re out of the arena but I do not wish to walk back to my home. Do not be alarmed or try to resist my magic as I will be using it to shorten the journey through the city." "How-" Lone was cut off when he, Sophie, Breena, the two children of Prince Keining''s, and, of course, the man himself, rocketed into the air with a light blue sheen covering their bodies. B3: Chapter 14: Divine Empress and Hypothetical Their majestic flight through the city was over almost as quickly as it had begun. Lone, Sophie, Breena, Prince Keining and his two children, had all arrived in a secluded garden courtyard of some sort. The magic used to transport them felt different to Lone than to that of his Ungrounded or internal usage of Blood Clone. Still, it wasn''t uncomfortable or anything like that. The prince was clearly a master of control when it came to his own magic. ''I hope that was a skill and not just raw force magic. Do I have time to check my notification log? Probably not considering how long it is. Conversation first, return to our room, check notifications, teleport to Hazel and have a catch-up chat, then finally leave tomorrow for the Crimson Foxkin Clan,'' Lone thought, nodding to himself. ''Maybe move visiting the teens to tomorrow morning, depends how I feel later.'' A dainty and ordinary-looking human woman with tanned skin was in front of one of the flower bushes pruning it. She turned her head and smiled. "Darling, Son, Daughter! It''s so good to see you three drop in! I see we have guests too. Should I...?" Prince Keining approached and embraced her before planting a soft kiss on the delicate-looking woman''s lips, "Some snacks and drinks would be appreciated, Dearest." Lone raised an interested eyebrow and whispered to Yulia, "So which wife is this?" "That''s Third Mother Irella. She''s not my nor Lord Kevin''s biological mother if I recall correctly," the distortion mage replied. "Certainly not mine though I''m unsure about Lord Kevin." "Hmmm..." was Lone''s reply. ''She''s an SSS-ranker. Higher, maybe? Or maybe middle. Need more practice interacting with other people''s auras to tell. This must have been much harder for Soph with her Mana Sensing, huh? Anyway, no point standing here looking like lemons.'' He could clearly see a gazebo with chairs and a table in the centre of the courtyard and given the prince''s request to his third wife, it seemed obvious they would likely sit there and talk. With that being the case, Lone took Sophie''s hand and led her to the gazebo, Breena quickly trailing after them. Yulia and Kevin didn''t move, not doing so as their father had yet to allow them to do so. Irella gave Lone, Sophie, and Breena, an odd look before she left the garden. "Come, let us follow Lone''s example and sit," Prince Keining said to his children. "When you have earned my respect as he has, you too shall be allowed to act so arrogantly." Before long, all six people were gathered at the gazebo. The prince glanced between Lone and Sophie before saying, "I will not beat around the bush. How is it you have more than one unique skill, Lone?" Appearing unfazed, Lone replied, "Wanna elaborate?" "My daughter Yulia here informed me of your Magical Duplication but now I have witnessed your strange regrowing armour and absurd ability to self-heal. That is three unique skills by my count when a summoned hero has never appeared with more than a single such skill," Prince Keining stated. "Hmm... Promise me I can fight you whenever I want in a private setting and I''ll tell ya whatever ya wanna hear," Lone offered. The guild was already aware of his seven unique skills thanks to his silver plate exam, and with Sophie''s effortless murder of an X-ranker, Lone felt less paranoid about being open regarding his ''gifts'', especially to a man who seemed to be friendly on all accounts. If Prince Keining wanted to know about his unique skills, Lone was happy to talk if he got some benefits out of it like having easy access to an XX-ranked sparring partner. The prince shook his head. "Whenever you want would be impossible. There are times I am indisposed. I am the ruler of this city-state and the son of the empress of Taslo, so there are many occasions where I would be unreachable." ''That makes sense. The empress of Taslo, huh? I mean, I knew he was her son but it''s hard to picture.'' Lone remembered the dark-skinned and relatively small woman from the Deposit auction in Milindo. He also recalled the weird old man with a wooden staff-slash-cane that Gilbert apparently hadn''t seen before he disappeared. "That''s fair. But when you''re here and I ask for a fight...?" Lone amended his request. The prince nodded. "I will happily agree to that. I confess, having a sparring partner who is hard to kill would be very advantageous to one of my power." "Perfect. Well, it''s not Magical Duplication, it''s called Growth Accelerator and it affects all skills, not just magic ones. That''s how I have Survivor''s Speed. Nabbed it off of Xer''rava the X-ranker, a Taker''s escort during my criminal trial in the Farwinds. Any skill you used on me during our spar I now have though I''ve yet to go through my notifications. The other skill is called Basic Regeneration and I made a subskill for it called Bone Armour," Lone explained simply. The prince rubbed his chin while both Yulia and Kevin looked beyond shocked. Thankfully, Yulia didn''t seem to be upset over Lone''s white lie regarding his Growth Accelerator. He liked her so it would have been a shame if that created a wedge in their relationship. Such an academically focused mind was rare in this world, at least it was so far. Perhaps that would change when he eventually enrolled in The Academy. "What a perfect combination. Hard to kill and every attempt only increases the number of tools at your disposal to help you fight back. And you, Sofia? What was that barrier of yours?" the prince asked. Yulia leaned forward too, excitement oozing out of her. ''We know you do not mind exposing your uniqueness and Soph did reveal our unique skills to the guild during our silver plate examination, but what do you think we should do here?'' Sophie asked Lone as she said, "Give us a moment to think." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The prince nodded while Lone answered, ''With my attitude, I think it''ll be rare for us to get many super high-ranking allies. This guy is close, relatively speaking, to becoming an XXX-ranker. An XXX-ranker could be a big help against Arch Devil Zel. Not to mention his mum is a Divine and he has a few siblings just as strong as him according to the history books. I say we lay out all the cards that we''re asked to present. It''s up to you though. If you wanna spin it into some sort of family-taught mobile enchantment of some sort, go ahead.'' Lone wasn''t sure what following thoughts Sophie experienced after he had said that. She waved her hand and created a small barrier that she spun atop a finger. "Unique Magic: Barrier Magic. That is the skill''s name. It has no levels nor mastery but can be improved based on our imagination. Considering the rate at which we have gained subskills for it, Lone and we suspect it is a natural parent skill that boosts the rate of unique subskills being created. One such subskill is Barrier Prison," Sophie explained as she surrounded the prince in one such prison. Kevin panicked, thinking his father was being attacked as the guildmaster of the C.A.A. had. Yulia, meanwhile, was beside herself with joy and had almost leapt across the table to inspect the barrier covering her father. "That skill is still only at beginner rank. It does not require much pressure for it to break and given your skill, we doubt it will challenge you much. Please try to break free from it. We will suffer no backlash from you doing so as the skill has already been successfully put in place at this point," Sophie instructed. The prince''s eyes wandered while he was locked in place before the barrier encapsulating him suddenly shattered into a million pieces. "Hmm. That did not require much force magic at all. What of the skill you used to kill Olberic? I can see this prison of yours holding him in place for a short while as he was not a battle-focused man like myself. He was very much so a socialite and skilled alchemist so him lacking the capability to immediately break free despite him being older than even I did not surprise me. Your instant murder of him, however, did." "It was freeform magic. We simply created thousands upon thousands of barriers within his body and controlled them to wreak havoc," Sophie answered. "We have almost 4,000,000 MP. Creating enough barriers to make someone''s insides their outsides is not very difficult." Prince Keining frowned. "I would think you a liar if not for the fact I can feel your MP rolling out of you like a ferocious ocean. You can summon your freeform magic within other people? An absurd MP value is not unheard of, but that certainly is. Were I capable of that, even my mother would dare not face me in combat. How dangerous... And yes, with your MP capacity, I trust you could do a lot of damage to those much higher ranked than you. It all makes sense now." ''It''s a bit upsetting that talks like this are always just about our unique skills,'' Lone thought idly. ''I mean, I get it, but at this point, it might be worth making some flash cards. Maybe a steamforged robot that can explain for us? There''s a fun idea. Golems and automatons are a thing, what about robots?'' "Lone, how is it you have two unique skills?" the prince inquired. Lone leaned back in his chair, exhaled, and shrugged deeply. "Fuck if I know. One minute I''m leaving the classroom of the school I taught at, the next I''m on a goblin-filled island with more than one unique skill under my belt. I didn''t even know that was odd until many months later." "Hmm. A teacher, you say? That explains your incredible proficiency in Teaching Mastery. I''m sorry for the pointed questions. This isn''t an interrogation. I just wished to satiate my curiosity. Landing an attack on me, let alone a slight injury, is a feat few others I have fought can boast of. As I said in the arena, you are like family to me now. Ask any questions of me you would like or feel free to leave. Given your show of strength, you may do as you please," the prince made clear. "Hmm... What''s the most powerful being you''ve fought against and went on to win the fight?" Lone asked. "I can sense that is a leading question," the prince said, "but I have fought my mother, a Divine being, many times before and won when she had restricted herself heavily. In a life-and-death fight, I once fought a triple-X-ranked Ivory Dragon with a group and we barely won. Alone I have never fought above my rank. There is too much risk in doing so." "So if I said an Arch Devil wants to kill me because I know his true name and made it so he can''t directly attack me or those I consider companions, would you be willing to offer your assistance when the time comes for me to erase him from existence?" Lone asked. "Hypothetically, of course." "Of course," the prince answered. "Hypothetically, it would depend on the force the Arch Devil could summon to get around your supposed restriction on him. I am impressed by you but I will not sacrifice myself, my wives, my children, or my city, to help you defeat such a powerful existence." "Couldn''t ask your mum for a favour? I saw her once in Milindo. Had no idea she was a Divine then. You''d earn a favour from me which while not very valuable now, its worth will only grow as the days, weeks, months, and years roll on by," Lone suggested. The prince shook his head. "I cannot promise anything. I can agree to be very open-minded at the time, though that won''t happen, will it? This is all hypothetical. There is no way a man who was but a C-ranker this morning made contact with an Arch Devil, annoyed it, and still lived to tell the tale." Lone smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, purely hypothetical. Ah, I can feel some auras approaching. Andrew and your wife with the snacks?" Sophie nodded at his side. "Just so. The auras match." "You have gotten used to your ability to sense auras very quickly," Prince Andrew stated. Sophie nodded. "It was not hard." "Father, may I ask some questions to Lady Sofia?" Yulia requested politely. Prince Keining leaned back in his chair and gestured with his hand that she was free to do as she wished. While Sophie dealt with the excited questions of the girl roughly 600 years her junior, Lone was stuck in deep thought. ''Considering Zel hasn''t made a move yet, he isn''t in a big rush. He''s thousands of years old, maybe tens of thousands of years old, after all. It''s been almost half a year and nothing. Still, I can''t be lazy. The longer he takes, the worse his attack might be. Get stronger and make allies. Who are the candidates? The grand guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild, Sarah. The Empress of Taslo. Maybe whatever hidden powers slumber within the beastkin clans? Something to look into when we reach the Crimson Foxkin Clan.'' Lone''s worldview had been expanded greatly since he and Sofia were dumped on Goblin Island and then spent some horrible time at Milindo. There was no way that Matriarch Lossa was the strongest the Crimson Foxkin Clan had to offer. She was just an SS-ranker in a world where slavery and discrimination were common. SS-rank was powerful, make no mistake, but as a ruler of a nation? It just seemed unlikely that an ancient group of people like the Crimson Foxkin would have one such ranker as their only stopgap. Only newer nations could get away with that like Milindo, and even then, not for long without some sort of powerful backing. Lone could easily kill Matriarch Lossa and her entire clan, let alone some slave-hungry nation ruled by an X-ranker or someone stronger. Hell, the Church of the Primals was openly anti-beastkin due to their close connection to the Primals. There must be some sort of powerful entity or group of entities keeping such nations and individuals at bay. Lone was determined to find those hidden powers and cut them a deal. For today though, he''d chat with Prince Keining, one of his wives, and three of his children. Tonight or tomorrow morning he''d finally go meet Hazel and the kids again before setting off for Breena''s homeland the proceeding afternoon. B3: Chapter 15: A Spars Spoils and Breakfast ''This bathtub is huge. I noticed it last night, but yeah, Princeling Andrew didn''t skimp out on arranging accommodations for us, and that was before I hit his dad,'' Lone thought as he let the magically infused water seep into his skin. Meanwhile, Soph was sitting on his lap playing with his tails. He began scrubbing her hair and he pulled up his notification log at the same time. Now seemed as good a time as any to have a peek at the gains from his public spar with Prince Keining.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sound Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate Level 5].
''Ah, right, from the magic put on me to let the whole crowd hear me. The mage didn''t seem to notice the resistance meaning they''re used to handling the resistance and are powerful enough to place it on people with it. Probably because of the prince, huh?'' Lone thought. The next set of level-ups was all a mess due to multiple different skills gaining levels together at different points throughout the fight. So Lone mentally reorganised his notification log to look a bit less jumbled, instead making it display the improvements by skill instead of in the order they had improved. First came Blood Clone.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 1].
Active Skill: Blood Clone
A skill popular amongst blood mages who have Vigour higher than that of the average mage. The host may create a connection between their blood and their mind, allowing them to control the blood to do their bidding. The limits of the Blood Clone are defined by the host''s ability and by the skill''s rank in equal measure. Maximum size: 7.2 litres [+1.2 litres] of blood. Maximum density: Each drop is equal in hardness to magic-infused spider''s silk [up from reinforced steel]. Maximum speed: 14.29m [+3.23m] per second. The host can now create and keep the clone within their own bloodstream, allowing very precise control of said bloodstream [new!] and will multiply the host''s natural healing speed by a factor of 2. When not being directed to do anything else, the clone will passively attempt to protect the host [new!] or those the host deems worth protecting from all attacks. The host can use the blood of others to create a clone. [New!] This effect will ignore up to 50% of the target''s resistance to having their blood meddled with. The host can now simultaneously create 3 [up from 2] Blood Clones. The host can now create a Blood Clone instantly [up from near-instantly].
Cost: 1,000 SP [-1,000 SP]
Mastery: Master Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 3].
''First master-rank skill I''ve earned that hasn''t gained a new effect but every existing effect got a new feature or got buffed. This skill just went from OP to ''holy fuck is this even legal?'''' Lone internally commented. ''I think the base attributes got a big boost too? Spider silk on its own is much tougher than reinforced steel, but magically-infused spider silk? Fuck, I wanna fight Prince Keining again immediately...'' Lone got a hold of himself and reached one hand out of the bath to the questioning gaze of Soph. He summoned a bucket of blood and created his third clone and mentally ordered it to always follow his girlfriend. "Master rank came with some fun new effects, one of which will extend the auto protection to people I want to keep safe, so say hello to your new permanent pet." "Huh. Sophie''s a fan," Soph commented before she said, "Speaking of pets! Summon Kyuubi! She needs a bath too." Lone did as asked and the fluffy ball of fur that was now about as big as a wolf flopped lazily into the massive bathtub. Soph scooped her up and began scrubbing down her fur. Kyuubi didn''t seem to mind and just went limp in Soph''s arms, letting her clean her. "One day soon, you''ll be big enough for me to ride you..." Lone smiled and returned to his notification checking.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 5].
''While it makes sense, it sucks I only got one level for both. I guess even that was generous though. Not like his attacks were more deadly than Soph''s first-ever Barrier Maelstrom. If he were going all out I bet I''d have earned more... I need people to stop taking it easy on me when I ask them not to. Then again, was Prince Keining capable of actually killing me?'' Lone didn''t know and perhaps it was best left that way.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 6].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 7].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 8].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 9].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fortress Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Master level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Advanced level 4].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 4].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 6].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Polearm Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Advanced level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Evasion Mastery] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 6].
''Evasion Mastery? That''s a surprise. I never try to evade attacks or, as the skill puts it, ''dangerous situations''. I usually just ignore the sensation whenever it pops up since my bones and now my skin won''t get stronger by dodging danger. Well, I''ll take a level where I can get one,'' Lone thought as he rested his chin on Soph''s full head of hair before continuing.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 1].
Passive Skill: Enhanced Vision
A skill that makes seeing through obfuscation 60% [+30%] easier. [New!] Extends your vision''s limits from the standard 170 degrees to 235 degrees.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now [Expert level 2].
''Huh. I never noticed but now that I know it''s bigger, my peripheral is certainly wider than before. How odd. Well, that''s useful. Wonder why the skill levelled though? I wasn''t exactly trying to look through any illusions or the like,'' Lone thought.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 4].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 6].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 7].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 8].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 9].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 10].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 1].
Active Skill: Sundering Might
A common skill for warriors confident their strike will not be met with a counterattack due to how draining it is on the host. When invoked while striking an opponent with the flat edge of a weapon, halves the speed of the attack but quintuples [up from quadruples] the force.
Cost: 85% [-10%] of the host''s SP.
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''I need to unflatten my steamforged swordspear''s edge before bed tonight. I wonder if Wilbur would be pissed off or proud of me for using Creation Magic to alter the weapon just enough to activate this skill but not enough for it to stop being a swordspear?'' Lone smiled as good memories of his time learning under Wilbur filled his thoughts. Basic Regeneration''s ability to heal his mind had helped tremendously in reducing the burden and pain he felt about his steamforging master''s passing at his own hands yesterday morning.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 4].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Sundering Might] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 6].
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ''15 levels from one use... One use that enabled me to barely scratch a pretty well-balanced higher XX-ranker. I''m half-temped to just stay here and farm combat levels from the prince...'' Lone considered before dismissing the thought. He already had an agreement with the prince and he also had a plan in regard to his skills, but he would only enact it when he arrived at the Crimson Foxkin Clan since he and Soph intended to stay there for at least a couple of months.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 6].
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 7].
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [You] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [You] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [You] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 4].
''Really? Only three levels? I can understand Survivor''s Speed since half the fight I was being slapped around and not really moving, but Sundering Might got a whole rank and change with one use. I guess You is just as hard to level up as Ungrounded,'' Lone thought as he got out of the tub with Soph and Kyuubi. Soph got to work on drying herself, Kyuubi, and Lone''s tails, while he dried everything else of himself that wasn''t covered in fur and kept going through his notification log.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 4].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 5].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 6].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 7].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 8].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 9].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 10].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 1].
Passive Skill: Piercing Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist piercing attacks at varying levels based on mastery. All piercing attacks the host suffers will be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Piercing Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Intermediate level 4].
''Huh. Didn''t expect that. Maybe this resistance doesn''t come from an enchantment and just comes from the active effect of Spear Mastery? I mean, Swordspear Mastery''s active effect is literally called ''Pierce''.'' Lone wasn''t sure. ''That wouldn''t explain how I got it from Princeling Kevin''s estoc though...'' Was there a Stabbing Resistance? What about a Slashing Resistance or Bludgeoning Resistance? ''Then again, Prince Keining is also an enchantment mage according to Yulia so it very well could have been an enchantment that just doesn''t trigger Enchantment Magic Resistance. Regardless, I need to go to the guild tomorrow before we leave to register all my new skill improvements so may as well look up physical-based resistances then.''
The host has developed the passive skill: Force Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Force Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of force magic. Force magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Force Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner level 2].
This was the skill that levelled up the most today but considering Lone didn''t get a new magic skill before the resistance, that meant whatever Prince Keining did either didn''t directly affect Lone or it was freeform magic and not a spell. Considering he was being flung around pretty violently in the fight, he guessed it was probably freeform force magic. ''Should I feel disrespected that he didn''t take me seriously enough to use an offensive skill on me? I mean, considering the strength gap it''s fair enough, but fuck me if I don''t want more magic at my fingertips.'' The resistance eventually stopped levelling just after breaking through advanced rank which was incredible considering it was more than likely just raw magic that was used on him and not a skill.
Passive Skill: Force Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of force magic. Force magic used on the host will be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Force Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Advanced level 2].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Force Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Advanced level 3].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Force Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now [Advanced level 4].
''Feels like too many levels for just freeform force magic. At least it was direct though unlike Yulia''s distortion magic... Can I earn a resistance from her if I just let her try to distort me for a few hours?'' That was a thought worth considering.
The host has developed the active force magic skill: Force Flight.
Active Force Magic Skill: Force Flight
An advanced application of the force magic school where the caster wraps themselves in force magic and uses it to fly.
Cost: 50,000 MP to cast and an additional 5,000 MP per second until dismissed.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Force Magic.
Lone grinned with glee. ''Fuck yeah! I was worried that was also freeform force magic or just not direct enough like when Gilbert used gravity magic to get Sophie and me out of the Blue Orc encampment... That was so long ago.'' His joy was suddenly replaced by a feeling of loneliness. He missed Gilbert and Grimsley, hell, even Shana too despite not really knowing her. ''I wonder when I''ll get to see them again? We haven''t spoken since I gave the guild the communication orb linked to Gilbert''s one...'' The three of them had been rescued, so perhaps it would be wise to file an inquiry with the guild as to their current location and situation. Lone, Soph, and Kyuubi, were all dry now so they changed into their pyjamas except for Kyuubi for obvious reasons and they then went to bed, letting Breena know it was her turn to meet her daily hygiene needs. As he lay in bed with Soph in one arm and Kyuubi laying on his entire torso, the big fox that she now was, he looked at the final notification he''d earned today.
The host has created the moment of Prince Keining, ruler and lord of the Keining Principality and Golden Pass City, losing in a public spar with someone of a lower rank than him for the first time in recorded history. Moment added to the [Extraordinary moments and sites of cultural significance witnessed or created] list of the skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation]. Defeat 99 more individuals of similar stature in a similar manner to upgrade the tier of this moment. Stat bonus from moment: 50 Charisma. 20 Luck. 20 Strength.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner Level 7].
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Historical and Cultural Appreciation] has levelled up! It is now [Beginner Level 8].
"Oh, awesome," Lone commented. "Hmm?" Soph looked up at him while she yawned and smiled, clearly content to be held in his arm. "Scratching Lord Keining counted as a moment for Historical and Cultural Appreciation. Got two levels in it, 50 Charisma, 20 Luck and Strength," Lone stated rather happily. "You witnessed it too so your progress on trying to earn that skill will probably go up if you reflect on my fight and try to truly appreciate it." "That''s good news for Sophie. Let''s sleep now?" Soph asked, a sleepy warble to her tone.
Hazel woke up feeling groggier than usual. Her brother''s insane fight with Prince Keining had kept her up almost all night. How had that been arranged? How had Princeling Keith offended Lone and why on Earth had that spiralled into a public beatdown that led to her stupid sibling somehow leaving what amounted to little more than a graze on the city''s strongest citizen? Her questions without answers had distracted her for the entirety of yesterday late afternoon and all evening. It hardly helped that she learned after the fight that her brother had spent damn near all afternoon two days ago in the biggest guild hall of The Adventurer''s Guild just letting people whale on him with their skills. Hazel felt her Mind Reading skill kick into action and she froze in place. A familiar suffocating feeling of an insurmountable wall hammered against her unique skill and it was coming from the kitchen. ''Darren''s here?'' She didn''t need to think about anything else. Hazel didn''t even stop to realise that all of her housemates were in the kitchen with her brother. She just got dressed as quickly as she could and ran her fingers through her hair to somewhat straighten it, not even bothering to use her, Emma, and Alisa''s, shared brush. As she approached the kitchen, Hazel heard the voices of Scott and her brother who now called himself ''Lone'', or ''Immortus the Immortal''. "Fuck me these eggs are good! How do they taste so good?! They''re just eggs! You only put a wee bit of salt on ''em too, nothing else!" "Cooking Mastery, advanced level three. As described, ''A skill that makes cooking 30% easier and reduces the time needed for food items to cook by 30%.'' What the skill description doesn''t tell you is that ''easier'' actually means tastier to all different palettes. I''m fixin'' for a special effect at expert rank that''ll- Ah. Can''t spill the details. Contract magic. Silver plate and above stuff an'' all that." ''Darren''s cooking?'' Hazel entered the kitchen as she suppressed her Mind Reading. The imposing nature of her brother''s mental fortress or whatever it was made it impossible to hear the thoughts of her friends anyway, so she felt it wise to just block her ability from functioning. She usually didn''t do that until she left the house since it slowly built up pressure in her head and resulted in a headache, but she felt it was warranted right now. "Ah, Hazel! Whatcha want for breakfast?" Lone asked of her, a big smile on his face as he looked at her. She almost laughed seeing him wearing an apron with cute little fox faces plastered all over it. ''That does not fit his image at all. Where''d he even get it? Ah! Creation Magic.'' She knew she should be mad at him and speak the words she intended for him after reading his letter a few days ago but his friendly atmosphere and the smell of the food her friends were enjoying won her over for the moment. She found a seat and said, "What''re my options?" "Anything. I have a pretty good understanding of food and a sizable tank of MP, so whatever your heart desires will be yours to consume," he answered. Hazel pursed her lips in thought before hesitantly asking, "Frosted flakes?" She watched her brother deflate a little as he closed his eyes and said, "Y''know, I didn''t really like you at first Scott, but you picked something I could actually cook so you earned a lot of points for being the only one from earth to do that. First flame raisin muesli for Alisa, and now basic frosted flakes for Hazel. Goodbye, potential Cooking Mastery exp..." With his eyes still closed, Lone extended one of his arms and opened his palm. The next moment a perfect bowl of cereal appeared in it. He placed it in front of Hazel and said, "Dig in." She felt a little guilty when she heard him muttering, "Coulda been waffles. Coulda been French toast. Coulda been bacon. Coulda been anything under the fuckin'' sun that needed to be cooked..." She didn''t really know what to say to that. How was she supposed to know that he was fishing for experience in a skill? He said she could ask for whatever she wanted. So what if her heart''s greatest desire at the moment was frosted flakes? She frowned as she picked up the spoon that was already in the bowl and her upset expression very quickly disappeared as soon as she filled her mouth with the milk-covered corny goodness. The only thing she really tasted was nostalgia and she felt her eyes getting wet for some reason. Lone smiled at that while Alisa looked a bit awkward. Emma and George tried to tactfully not notice while Scott laughed. "Short stuff over here cried too! Girls, man," the bulky teen cackled, earning him a glare from all present members of the fairer sex. "Casual misogyny aside - try not to do that, by the way, Scott, it''s nice to see you all again," Lone said with a smile. "Sorry for not getting back in touch sooner. I was under a lot of mental stress and I just wanted to knuckle down and get stronger as fast as I could while working off my sentence. I''m here now though, so let''s have a thorough catch-up before I set off for the Crimson Foxkin Clan later today." Hazel''s expression dropped. "You''re leaving so soon?" "I may be technically unemployed but I am extremely busy. Goals to meet, things to not die to when they decide to attack me, that sorta thing. I do plan on coming back here regularly though. There is a lot for me to still learn in such a massive fuck-off city. Plus, I know I''m a bit rough around the edges, but I do wanna look after you kids. Well, without coddling you," Lone said, clearly meaning every word. It was kind of endearing, in a creepy way. Hazel knew he cared about himself and his skills above everything else. You''d have to be a fool to be blind to that. But it was also obvious that he wanted to care for her and her friends without just taking advantage of them and their unique skills. The question was, should Hazel give him a chance now considering her horrific first meeting with him here on Altros and factoring in him ghosting them for almost half a year? "How often is ''regularly''?" Hazel asked as she ate another spoonful of cereal. She loved her brother, even if this place had twisted him to the point of being almost unrecognisable. She''d decided to give him as many chances to be a part of her life as he wanted. B3: Chapter 16: Magic Affinities and Fear Lone shrugged in response to his sister''s question. "Not really sure. Once a month or so? I''m invested in all of your growth, so much more often than once every half year at least. Speaking of half a year though, How''re you guys doin'' skill-wise? I see Scott is an H-ranker now. Congrats, big man." Scott wore a prideful smile. "Got in a bar fight and ended up an H-ranker after the dust settled." "More like started a bar fight," Emma added. Lone watched Hazel wipe her wet eyes before saying, "It cost us a lot to pay for the chair you broke, but you got stronger so I think it evened out. As for me, I put a lot of personal money into tutoring at the guild. My Tower Shield Mastery is at beginner-level-six and I got someone to teach me Longsword Mastery. It''s at beginner-level-two. I''m getting better at turning my unique skill off for sustained periods too." "Ohh I don''t have Longsword Mastery yet. Gonna need you to stab me at some point," Lone said casually, immediately regretting it when he saw all of the teens bar Scott recoil a bit. "Remember, I''m super hard to kill and I learn skills by having them used on me." "Right," George muttered. Emma returned to normal, accepting Lone''s words immediately. Her reaction was likely subconscious so it didn''t trouble her to pivot and ask, "You can use magic again, right? Show me your lightning magic, please! You didn''t use any against Prince Keining." "My magic is too weak for it to have made a difference in that fight, but sure. A skill or freeform magic?" Lone replied, happy to see the mood shift back into a positive one. ''Got it. No gross stuff around the kids. It''s hard to recall that it isn''t normal to want to be cut open and attacked willy-nilly. Soph, Sophie, and Breena, have desensitised me since Breena never questions it and Soph and Sophie only object to life-threatening situations.'' A previously unseen light of life entered Emma''s eyes as she bounced out of her seat. "Both! Show me all of your lightning magic skills, please! I also wanna see your control of freeform lightning magic!" Lone chuckled. He appreciated the enthusiasm, even if it was a bit weird that it was coming from a girl whose father had been crippled by Void and later killed by Sloth as recompense for Milindo''s actions against him. He reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out an entirely copper training dummy. The lightning magic might vaporise some of the metal but such a training dummy was common and cheap enough in the Farwinds. Making dummies suited for all of his different magical talents was an interesting idea Lone considered pursuing in the future. ''I would just hit myself but I doubt the kids''ll like that very much, so sorry, Coppy. I''ll fix you up with Creation Magic after I''m done wowing Emma,'' Lone apologised mentally to the lifeless training dummy. "You have Lightning Bolt, right, Emma?" he asked the teenager. She nodded vigorously. "Mmmhmm! It''s my only magic skill right now! It''s at beginner-level-seven and I try to train it for a few hours every day at least!" "What''s your lightning magic affinity at?" he replied. "76%. I was born with an affinity of 73%," Emma answered. ''A three percent increase in 16 or 17 years? I have no clue if that''s good or bad. When we reach the Crimson Foxkin Clan, I''m gonna get both Breena and Soph to tell me their exact magical affinities and percentages. Gotta work on diversifying their skill sets, especially Soph,'' Lone thought before nodding. He stretched out a hand, pointing his palm towards the copper dummy affectionately nicknamed Coppy. "This is a Lightning Bolt at intermediate-level-six with 100% affinity. Lightning Bolt." Energy crackled around Lone''s palm before a blue collection of magical lightning slammed into Coppy. The dummy''s chest caved in a little but it was otherwise unharmed. He brought his hand up to his mouth and blew away the smoke his skill had generated. "Not that strong but probably enough to fry the nerves of most... uh... E-rankers and below? I haven''t done as much testing with my magic as I would like given it was sealed for over a year. It''s a very concentrated skill. Good for immobilising specific limbs and making short work of people heavily armoured and lacking the proper resistance." ''There''s a thought. Soph is weak to lightning magic since she''s always in armour. I''m sure some magical metal out there can dampen such attacks, and there''s always enchantments, but I have lightning magic and skills that can heal, so even if barbaric, a solution is readily available. I should convince Soph or Sophie to let me forcefully give ''em Lightning Magic Resistance,'' Lone pondered. He shook his head and pressed his palm against Coppy again. "Amplified Current." For five prolonged seconds, arcs of blue lightning swam around the metal dummy as if it were the natural habitat of such an energy. "That was a skill I earned when the former crown prince of Milindo and I fought in the tournament way back when. It''s only at beginner-level-four but I immobilised Princessling Yulia with it. It sends a current of lightning magic through the target and persists for five seconds so long as the target is a conductive material like most metals or blood," Lone explained. He then put his palms together as if to clap. "And this is my freeform lightning magic." Lone pulled his hands away but a string of crackling blue lightning connected them in an arch. The freeform magic was thick and coursing with power as if ready to strike out at anyone who would dare interrupt its master''s casual handling of it. "What the...!" Emma was starstruck and left in awe. "It''s like, 50 times thicker and more vibrant than mine! 100% affinity makes that much of a difference?" Lone put his palms together again and dismissed his focus, allowing the freeform lightning magic to dissipate. "I wouldn''t know. Don''t know enough about affinities, personally. Speaking of, do any of you have magical affinities? If so, what ones? I might have some magic of the same type I could try to teach you when I drop by for visits. I assume you''re up for being taught Amplified Current, Emma?" "You bet I am!" Emma replied, bouncing in place excitedly. "26% affinity for earth magic and 81% for body fortification magic," Scott said proudly and with some anticipation. "Ah, but, uh, only my mana heart is awakened." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Lone stroked his chin. "I have two earth magic skills, Boulder, and Earth Spear. Nothing on the body fortification magic front, sadly. That is a magic I want though. Learned about it yesterday from Yulia." Alisa stuck her tongue out at Scott and said, "You need a brain in the first place to awaken one. I have a 92% affinity for space magic but nothing else. Both of my mana organs are awakened." "Ohh that''s a powerful magic school. Yulia told me a little about it yesterday. I don''t have it myself yet or any skills from it but please let me know if you, say, happen to learn a skill from a tutor at the guild or something," Lone replied. Alisa nodded. "I, uh, did also get Quarterstaff Mastery and I''m happy to give that to you later," the short girl with long blonde hair replied. "That''s awesome. Looking forward to that. And you, George?" Lone asked. The lanky and awkward former noble''s son smiled wryly. "I don''t have any magic affinities." "Shame but it isn''t the end of the world. Magic is but one avenue to power among many. What about you, Hazel? Considering your unique skill, I''d bet you have at least one affinity," Lone said. "Contract magic at 12% affinity and mind magic at 38% affinity," Hazel replied a bit hesitantly. "I don''t have either magical organ awakened, but, uh, I don''t mind. Those magics sound evil, don''t they? Contract and mind magic." "No such thing as an evil magic type. The person using it and how they use it determine if it''s evil or not. I''ve seen both good and bad applications of contract magic. Lot of money to be had in that field if you decide fighting ain''t for you. Don''t know diddly-squat about mind magic, sadly. Sounds powerful though. Any questions for me? I''m here all morning if you kids''ll have me. I don''t plan to leave until noon for the guild and then I''ll be on my way to the Crimson Foxkin Clan come late afternoon," Lone said.
The host has developed the passive skill: Longsword Mastery.
Passive Skill: Longsword Mastery
A child skill of the skill [Sword Mastery] commonly used by mercenaries and soldiers alike. It is commonly held with both hands but can rarely be seen wielded with one by the truly skilled. Any longsword used by the host shall be 5% less likely to dull.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Quarterstaff Mastery.
Passive Skill: Quarterstaff Mastery
A child skill of the skill [Staff Mastery] commonly used by monks as an aid to their mediation rituals. When holding a quarterstaff, the host''s balance shall be improved by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Huh. More weapon masteries that don''t boost damage in some way like Hatchet Mastery,'' Lone thought as he walked down the streets of Golden Pass City towards the nearest branch of The Adventurer''s Guild. Soph was already there with Breena and they had been waiting for him ever since she had teleported him to the teens'' home. Today was gonna be a nice, slow, relaxing day. Lone was intent on reporting his 18 new skills, 51 level-ups for already registered skills, and the few skill rank-ups he''s obtained for already registered skills to the credit slate. Perhaps he''d look up the information of a skill or two before they left for the long ride west to the Crimson Foxkin Clan. Lone wanted to enjoy the journey and take his time with it even if teleporting with Soph wouldn''t take more than a day or two. He had so much he wanted to test and play around with and the trip to the clan would be a good setting for a lot of that.
"Do I have your permission, Esteemed Father?" a man who looked to be in his late 20s with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair asked Prince Keining. "You do, Domonic, but take your little sister Emelia with you. Do not let any harm come to her as it is her first expedition, but seeing an X-ranker like yourself in action might help her choose her path," the prince answered. Princeling Domonic bowed his head deeply. "As you will it, Esteemed Father." As soon as he had left the prince''s training hall, a spindly woman taller than even the prince himself appeared out of nowhere. She was covered head to toe in tight black clothing designed to hide her. It clearly worked since Prince Keining had enchanted the gear himself and even he struggled to locate this daughter of his if she did not want to be found. "Father, I have news on your new friend and his companions," she said. Prince Keining ran his fingers across his chest where the scratch that refused to heal still remained. "Friend... Not the word I would use. Speak, Seres." "After breakfast, Sofia Vladimirovich held onto Lone Immortus''s arm and the two disappeared before only she reappeared less than a moment later," Seres claimed. The Prince nodded. "I sensed it. It was the same disturbance of MP that the city felt half a year ago. A powerful skill, likely unique, that allows unanchored teleportation then, possessed by her and not him. Does your report involve the children we have been monitoring since the incident six months ago?" "It does, Father. He was teleported right into their rented abode. I was intent on listening in on whatever conversations they might have to learn of their connection, but..." Seres was clearly hesitating. "Speak, Daughter," the prince ordered. She lowered her head and continued, "As Sofia Vladimirovich and Breena Redtail left the palace and walked to a branch of The Adventurer''s Guild, every few moments Sofia would stop and look right at me, even halfway across the city, she would stare at me as if looking for something. Expecting me to do something... I... I don''t know how she could see me and know exactly what I was doing. I didn''t want to risk earning her ire, and by proxy, the ire of the C-ranker turned B-ranker who injured you, Father. I chose to do nothing. Lone Immortus just left the home of those children and is on his way to his companions. They did not discuss a meeting location this morning or last evening so they can communicate wordlessly and from a distance somehow, is my guess." Prince Keining furrowed his brow. He believed his daughter, of course. Seres was a higher X-ranker and his first female child. She was close to 5,000 years of age and had no reason to lie to him. He focused his mind and poured his entire being into his passive skill, MP Sensor. It took little time at all to find the magnificent and all-encompassing sun that was Sofia Vladimirovich''s MP. Just as he turned to face the unbelievable mass of MP, it too, turned to face him. He immediately broke his focus. "Interesting. Keep the iron plated group Wayward Kin under surveillance but increase the grade from four to five. Do not interfere with their day-to-day lives at all and should you suspect you or your agents are compromised, back off and let me know." "Of course, Father. I''ll make arrangements immediatel-" "No. Wait until my ''friend'' and his companions have left the city," Prince Keining ordered. "As you say," Seres replied. "Father... Do you fear them?" "Two bonded individuals with multiple unique skills each? One strong enough to leave an unhealing scratch on me and the other with the ability to instantly murder an X-ranker? Yes, yes I do. I am still debating on how I should respond to this fear," the prince answered honestly. His urges told him to kill the two right now. They could threaten everything he had spent millennia building. His logical side, however, knew that he had barely seen the tip of the iceberg in relation to the two oddities'' power. He hadn''t lived as long as he had by following his urges. That worked for some but not for him, a child of the Empress of Taslo. He frowned deeply for there was little else he could do right now that he wasn''t sure he wouldn''t end up regretting with time. "Angered an Arch Devil and lived to tell the tale... Hypothetically terrifying," he muttered. B3: Chapter 17: Skill Options and Choices ''So no need to teleport them to our safe house in the Farwinds?'' Lone asked Soph after having received her update on Prince Keining''s movements. He was only a few streets away from the nearest guild branch and if Soph gave the signal, a few unfortunate things would come to pass. Unfortunate for the city and its ruler, not for Lone and his friends. He was really hoping he hadn''t misjudged the prince of this city. ''Yup, no need! The X-ranker trailing you decided not to listen in on your conversation when she noticed I was staring at her. Turns out she''s another of Prince Keining''s kids. He has so many! They have the teens on surveillance but have no plans to actually interfere with their daily lives,'' Soph relayed. Lone had expected as much the moment he learned it was possible to sense MP in others. He silently thanked Soph''s absurd Luck for no harm coming to his sister and her friends as a result of the kidnapping incident half a year ago. He was also thankful that they hadn''t been blindsided by this later down the line. It could have been disastrous were an enemy to learn of Soph''s Teleportation via whatever skill it was that allowed a person to sense another person''s MP. Lone could think of dozens of ways to exploit that, let alone what some thousands-year-old monster was capable of. Thankfully, perhaps due to her Luck, nothing bad had come of it in this scenario. Now that they knew it was possible to detect, they could prepare for that in the future. Speaking of which, Lone entered the guild hall which Breena and Soph were in. He gave Soph a warm hug and patted Breena on the shoulder. "I''ll be back soon, maybe in a couple of hours. Gotta go do gold-silver plate stuff," he said, clearly alluding to the credit slate. Breena was a smart girl so even though she wasn''t at least a silver plate yet like Soph was, she still knew about the guild''s mysterious ''skill list'' so she, along with Soph, nodded. Lone quickly made his way up to the guild''s second floor, getting many nods and respectful greetings along the way. The gold-silver plate wrapped around his neck let him see the entrance to the third floor so he didn''t waste any time. On his way up to the fourth floor, Lone marvelled at the enchantments he didn''t understand which hid the entrances to the stairways. They truly were marvellous to his untrained eyes. Not only did they hide the stairways but they also hid the people entering them, making them incredibly hard to notice. Even with Soph''s Mana Sensing and Lone''s Enhanced Vision, it took effort from both of them to see the enchantments. Sadly, Soph still wasn''t able to see the entirety of the guild''s floors. She could only see the silver plate floor and the entrance to the gold-silver plate floor. Lone was certain space magic was at work in some way. Perhaps it was weaved into the enchantments. He didn''t know but he was excited to eventually find out. It didn''t take too long for a credit slate to open up so he happily approached an unoccupied one and allowed the artefact to take a drop of his blood. Adventurer identified as Lone Immortus, gold-silver plate adventurer, nicknamed Immortus the Immortal. You currently have 37,320 credits. Would you like to record your skills? Using his finger as a pen, Lone replied ''yes''. A few moments passed before the words on the credit slate shifted to tell him to detail which of his skills he would like to record. Of course, he made sure not to record his unique skills or his Primal skills. He did, however, record his possession of Steamforging Mastery. Enough time had passed since his trial and he was now free of the Farwinds so even were something shady to go on in the background with his skill information, it would be hard for it to affect him now since he was no longer within the jurisdiction of the Dwarven Greater Council. It took a while, but Lone recorded his new skills; Water Gaol, Thorny Itch, Oxygen Ignition, Gentle Glow, Force Flight, Earth Spear, Corrosive Stream, Oppressive Gaze, Sight Magic Resistance, Poison Magic Resistance, Piercing Resistance, Nature Magic Resistance, Drowning Resistance, Force Magic Resistance, Quarterstaff Mastery, Longsword Mastery, Heavy Bow Mastery, and finally, Estoc Mastery. With that done, he then recorded all of the new levels and rank-ups for his already registered skills. It had taken Lone over an hour to register the 18 new skills, 51 skill level-ups for already registered skills, and the trio of skill rank-ups for also already registered skills. The time spent was certainly worth it, however. You now have 68,800 credits. Would you like to request skill information? If so, please describe what you wish to be able to do and the database shall be checked to see if there are any skills within your credit limit that you can purchase information on. If not, would you like to continue recording skills? Without hesitating Lone used his finger to request a list of skills that would allow a person to detect the MP of others. He didn''t expect anything nearly as powerful as Soph''s Mana Sensing but now that he knew such skills existed, he had to get one himself. 13 skills that you can afford match your requirements. Would you like for them to be listed? Please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ''13? That''s more than I expected,'' Lone thought before he narrowed the search down to passive skills only. 3 skills that you can afford match your requirements. Would you like for them to be listed? Please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit. ''I''ll take that, sure. Let''s see what we''re working with.'' He quickly agreed and watched as the text on the slate shifted to meet his request. You have been charged 3 credits. You now have 68,797 credits. Below are the listed skills and the price required to learn everything the guild knows about them. Magic Power Sensitivity [3,000 credits for full information] Sensory Field [5,000 credits for full information] Magical Domain [25,000 credits for full information] ''Well fuck me if they don''t all sound powerful. Expensive too,'' Lone noted as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ''Magic Power Sensitivity sounds a lot like Mana Sensing just from its name. Don''t need that if that''s the case. It''s probably significantly inferior to Soph''s skill since it won''t be unique and it''s the cheapest of the three.'' It was common knowledge among adventurers with a silver plate or above that the more expensive a skill''s information, the harder it was to learn and typically the more useful or more powerful it was too. Lone reckoned that if Blood Clone didn''t take centuries or millennia to develop into a useful skill for normal people, then its information wouldn''t have been priced at only 2,000 credits. ''Heh, ''only''. Not like everyone has a vault of skills they can constantly expand and improve to keep the flow of credits coming in,'' Lone chuckled. ''So it''s between Sensory Field and Magical Domain. The former sounds like it can detect more than just MP. Does it maybe let the host sense all things in a certain radius? If so, that''s probably just another weaker Mana Sensing. It''s expensive as fuck, but it seems like Magical Domain is the only logical option long-term. The name implies control too. What kind of control, I have no idea. If it lets the host fuck with other people''s magic somehow...'' His decision had been made. Lone could always earn more credits so he wrote on the slate that he wished to buy all of the information related to the passive skill Magical Domain. All known information about the skill Magical Domain shall be displayed. You now have 43,797 credits. Skill name: Magical Domain Skill type: Passive Skill rarity: 12 adventurers have registered this skill. Highest recorded mastery: Expert Level 6. Skill effects: Creates a domain (an unchangeable and unremovable area that grants control over the domain subject to the host) of a magical nature around the host. Note that the created domain only grants power over the magic affinities the host has. Adding new affinities can be done though it is extremely difficult. See recorded additional effects for more details. Skill cost: None as the skill is passive. Recorded additional effects: 1. The ability to add more affinities to the domain. Unlock method: Obtain a new affinity yourself either via training, treasures, herbs, etc, and then try to infuse the freeform magic of the new affinity into the domain (the shortest recorded duration of a successful attempt was 15 years, 11 months, and 24 days). 2. The ability to sense things be they people, creatures, monsters, items, etc, that have an affinity shared by the magical domain at a distance further than that of the domain itself (three times the size of the domain at advanced rank, four times at expert rank, assumedly five times at master rank). Unlock method: Get the skill to advanced rank. Known methods to acquire the skill: 1. Submerge yourself into the core of a Mana Well and remain there while trying to establish your domain. This method has killed thousands of hopefuls. We advise you to avoid doing this if you do not desperately need the skill. You must submerge yourself for at least 300 days but the exact time can vary based on the amount of affinities you have and how focused you are on establishing the domain. Do note that the mana well will become a part of you so you must find an unused mana well and protect it as if it were your own life should you succeed. If the mana well is destroyed, you will also die. 2. Graft yourself onto a Magical Leyline, becoming a part of it. Once grafted successfully, you must learn how the leyline functions and essentially become a leyline yourself. Before losing sentience, you must then undo the graft, regaining your sense of self and letting go of the rampant desire to serve the world as one of its many magical leylines. This method has never gotten past the grafting stage successfully for anyone that is not at least an X-ranker. The shortest successful attempt with this method was 3,430 years, 8 months, and 15 days. The bit about the highest recorded mastery was an expanded piece of functionality for the credit slate only present to gold-silver plate adventurers and above which is why Lone hadn''t seen it back when he was looking up information about a passive defence system and a way to have a perfect memory. Lone left the artefact and found a seat. He needed to think and standing about like a lemon occupying one of the credit slates for longer than he already had wouldn''t help him in any way. ''No wonder the info was so expensive. It''s powerful and incredibly hard to learn. I may just be the first-ever gold-silver plate to be able to afford this knowledge and pay for it, haha,'' he chuckled internally. He leaned into his chair and hung his head back before sighing. ''That second method to earn the skill is out. No way am I grafting myself to something for thousands of years. Even if Growth Accelerator would cut that time down by a lot, it''s unreasonably long. The first seems doable. Minimum time of a little under a year. I bet I can bring that down to a month, maybe less. Gotta find a Mana Well first. What even is a Mana Well? Gotta research them, find one, see if I can store one in my Dimensional Storage to keep it safe, and only then can I try to earn the skill,'' Lone concluded. He sat there and kept to himself for a bit, even if doing so earned him a couple of curious side glances. Lone was, after all, the man who had scratched this city''s ruler in a fair fight. He ignored all of that and eventually got up. ''Well, it isn''t a priority with Soph by my side. A skill to harden my muscles, however, and ideally a passive one...'' Lone got back in line to access a credit slate for the final time before his intended journey to the Crimson Foxkin Clan. As he waited, a thought crossed his mind. ''I wonder if Soph and Breena found an interesting quest for us to do during our travels? Fingers crossed for something a little more spicey than a delivery mission.'' B3: Chapter 18: Invitation and A Merchants Observations ''Quest details: I, my family, and my merchant company, require an escort to bring us to the territory of the Crimson Foxkin Clan for trading purposes. Quest issuer: Member of the Elgoran Merchant''s Union, Rodorick Halbundon. Requirements: Two full parties (a group must have at least 10 members to be considered a party), at least of D-rank strength or the group must be silver-plated. Up for negotiations for smaller but more qualified groups. Reward: 1 silver coin per party per day. Meals are provided for and you may sleep in a carriage we will also provide.'' Soph nodded. Lone would like this quest. It sounded easy and was a way for him to meet new people and possibly make useful connections, all things he enjoyed to some degree. New people meant new facts to learn and possible skills to earn, while connections were the same. If a second adventurer group were to tag along or maybe even two given the standard size of a party, that would give Lone the excuse to obtain their skills while training or whatever other reason her clever lover could come up with. Soph grabbed the notice and said, "C''mon, Breena. We''re gonna sign up for this one." The red-headed foxkin nodded sharply, her guard as high as usual. ''It''s your fault she rarely, if ever, replies to me!'' Soph mentally complained. Sophie snorted back and replied, ''We do not care.'' Soph sighed. Before long, she had signed herself, Lone, and Breena, up for the quest. It was a good thing Lone had been sure to add a note to his file that Soph could assign any quests to him that she wanted to just like he could do so with both her and Breena. The guild employee had almost refused her until she pointed that fact out. ''She must have been a new hire. Staff here are usually really good. It has to be for Lone to praise it so often...'' ''A man who has been stealing glances at us for some time is approaching. The sword on his back sure is large. We wonder if he is compensating?'' Sophie chuckled. ''Do you wish for me to take control?'' ''No! You settle all of your problems with violence. Sure this guy is attracted to my face, but that''s normal. He clearly wants something else,'' Soph replied, refusing her other personality from becoming the active one. "Hey!" The big man greeted her with a wave a smile on his face. "I noticed you''ve been down here for a while looking for a quest to do with your friend." Soph remained quiet and she met his eye contact with disinterest even if that didn''t seem to faze him at all. ''No special mana colouring so he isn''t a mage. My aura says he''s a B-ranker like me but Mana Sensing says he''s almost an A-ranker. He''s gotta be kinda old then, right? What did Lone say was the normal age range for humans at this level?'' ''Between 30 and 60 depending on talent and determination,'' Sophie answered. "That''s right, why?" Soph answered the man''s statement. The warrior chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "We need at least one more person for the quest we have to do. We''d like to invite you. Your friend too, of course, though you''ll be responsible for protecting her and she won''t get any completion credit. The experience should be good for such a low ranker though, right?" ''Told you he wanted something else. I''m finally being recognised for more than just my pretty face!'' Soph gloated as she mentally stuck her tongue out at her more serious self. ''Yes, yes, well done. Now how will you reject him without offending him? And what if he is pushy and insists you join his team? Hmm? What t- Damn it,'' Sophie sulked, clearly having felt Lone''s approach just as Soph had. "Hey, Soph. Where''s Breena?" Lone asked as he approached. "Ah, there you are. You''re getting so much better at blending into stuff. Bet you''ll earn a skill for it soon." The shy girl nodded her head thankfully and replied, "I-I''m trying." Lone smiled and turned to face the warrior with a large sword on his back. "Hey, couldn''t help but overhear you. Sorry, man, me, my girlfriend here, and little Breena, already have plans. ''Ppreciate the invite though." Soph didn''t miss the flash of disappointment in the warrior''s eyes at Lone''s mention of her being romantically involved already, which she found amusing and a bit annoying. Amusing because she was very proud of the fact her heart belonged to Lone and his to her. Annoying because why wouldn''t someone who was as beautiful as everyone claimed she was, not already have a partner? "You''re Lord Immortus. I-I didn''t know she was your companion," the warrior replied with an awkward stutter. ''Yes, be intimidated by the man with fluffy tails and not by us, the woman who killed an X-ranker,'' Sophie remarked sarcastically. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Soph rolled her eyes. ''Lone injured the prince, what you did wasn''t made public. Only the strong people in this city know about that. And, well, probably the upper management of the C.A.A...'' Soph really hoped her other half''s actions wouldn''t reflect poorly on Lone in the future since he had plans for the Continental Alchemist''s Association. Lone laughed lightly. "Don''t worry about it, man. We''ve gotta go now but hey, maybe next time we''re in the city we can do a quest together. Last time I worked with other adventurers I was betrayed and almost killed. Would be nice to have an experience very different to that."
As they exited the guild, Lone asked Soph, "Find any quests?" "One. We gotta go and negotiate though," Soph answered. "It''s an escort quest from some merchant company that plans to go to the Crimson Foxkin Clan. They were asking for a silver-plated group or every party member to be at least D-ranked. We don''t have an official group and we don''t have enough people for a party, so we gotta go and negotiate." Lone nodded. "Makes sense. I assume the guild told you where we can find the merchants?" "Yup! They''re camped outside of the eastern gate. They''ve been there for a couple of weeks holding some sort of trade fair or something while they wait for their escorts to be arranged," Soph explained. "Not on a tight schedule then if they''re happy to wait for competent enough guards. A trade fair, huh? Sounds fun," Lone replied. "And maybe I can earn the Haggling Mastery skill. I need to learn how to stop accepting any asking price or reward since money has no meaning to me."
A small girl with pointed grey wolf ears ran up to a tall man who shared this interesting feature of hers. He laughed and scooped her up. "What''s wrong, Little Rinrin? Is the fair boring you?" She frowned in that perfect way daughters did to melt the heart of their fathers. "There''s nothing left to do! The stupid guards won''t teach me anything and I''ve already played all of the games at the stalls! When can we go to the Crimson Foxkin Clan? I wanna leave now!" "You little demon, you know I''m waiting for the last group of adventurers I need to hire to protect you and your mother," the girl''s father, Rodorick Halbundon, answered in an exasperated manner. They had been here camping outside of the central-eastern gate to Golden Pass City for almost a month now. He had to be thankful to the Primals that his cargo wasn''t perishable. Were it up to him, he would have left as soon as they had finished their business here. Golden Pass City was a nice enough city but even though it didn''t discriminate against different species, it did discriminate against different levels of strength. Rodorick was just an I-ranker, though he was 432 years old. Being immune to ageing had its perks. Regardless, neither he nor his lovely wife had the strength to really flourish in a city like this so they had made plans to travel to a fellow beastkin settlement that was only a few hundred miles away. They hadn''t obtained any useful information here either. They were simply too weak to inquire about the things that interested them. Sadly, their planned route wasn''t an overly patrolled one so protection was needed and very few people were interested in a job that amounted to essentially babysitting a bunch of low-ranker merchants for several weeks. Even the one party who had agreed to the job and seemed like a good fit were close to cancelling the quest since they had been forced to wait for so long. It was all Rodorick could do to offer them a bit more money for their time. ''I won''t just go with one party though. It would be foolish to ignore the advice of the employee at The Adventurer''s Guild. Their recommendations for escorts are almost never wrong. We need another set of guards. Sorry little demon, you''ll have to wait some more,'' he thought as he held his pouting daughter in his arms. Rodorick squeezed his daughter gently then set her down. He watched her waddle off with a smile, his eyes then observing the small trade fair he had set up to cover the cost of keeping the first bunch of adventurers paid until he was finally ready to depart. Only a few moments later, he saw something unbelievable. His small child who had barely seen seven winters was rushing back to him in excitement while holding the hand of a tall handsome foxkin. This foxkin looked young but he was an adult so he could have been any age, really. He was dressed casually with a simple tunic and trousers on. Rodorick noticed the adventurer''s pouch at his waist and he couldn''t help but see the half-eaten caramel-covered apple in his free hand. His hair was long, going past his shoulders but his face was cleanly shaven and something about his multi-coloured eyes just screamed ''always calculating''. It was like his eyes could never go dull and would always have countless thoughts about whatever entered their sights. The foxkin''s most striking features, however, were the number of tails he had and his fur colouring. ''A Golden Foxkin? Nine beast traits? How and how? And those awakenings... What does the black represent?'' Rodorick wasn''t sure. By the foxkin''s side was a short human woman wearing full plate armour except for a helmet. She too, like the man but in a more pronounced way, was exceptionally easy on the eyes. Enough so to almost make Rodorick lose his deep-rooted biases against humans. Her eyes were incredibly enchanting as if they saw all but they were also as soft as the touch of grass. They shined brighter than most emeralds. Her hair was golden and almost flowed down to her waist. She seemed enamoured by Rodorick''s daughter but also oddly on-guard against her as if she could harm... not herself, but the foxkin man in some way. ''Odd. Jealousy, maybe? Is she bonded with him? She must be insecure to worry over a child holding his hand,'' the merchant thought when he noticed someone else who he hadn''t seen at first. Trailing behind them was a young girl who was also a foxkin though of a different clan from the tall man, as made clear by her Darkness-tainted crimson fur. She was honestly a bit hard to notice even if spotting things that were amiss was a core trait for any merchant worth his weight in salt. She came across as very focused and also very desperate to not be seen. Noticing his gaze, her expression noticeably dropped despite her wearing a mask that covered everything below her cheekbones. ''An aspiring rogue, maybe? She''s from the Crimson Foxkin Clan which is interesting... Hmm... What an odd matchup, these three. Well, if Little Rinrin is delivering them to me, they must be adventurers looking for work, yes? But only three... If they aren''t a full party they will either leave disappointed or angered, or my waiting has resulted in some seriously powerful escorts appearing at my figurative doorstep,'' Rodorick concluded. He wore a happy merchant''s smile when his daughter let go of the foxkin man''s hand and rushed up to him. "Daddy! These people wanted to talk to you! The fox man has so many tails! They look fluffier than Grandma''s! I wanted to touch them but the smelly human said I wasn''t allowed..." Rodorick watched as the short human woman''s lips twitched, cracking her otherwise perfect smile. "I''m not smelly. Lone loves my smell. You''re smelly..." The Golden Foxkin laughed in good humour. "Hey! I''m Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal. We''re heading to the Crimson Foxkin Clan for personal reasons and figured we''d help escort you guys along the way. Up for some negotiations on responsibilities and compensation?" B3: Chapter 19: Toss and Detection "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Lone Immortus," the man whose race Lone knew to be Flint Wolfkin replied. "Officially I''m Rodorick Halbundon, the owner of an independent merchant band under the Elgoran Merchant''s Union. To a fellow beastkin, however, I''m Esto Silverfang. Now, you said ''negotiations''. Can I go ahead and presume you and your companions exceed the requirements I listed in the quest at The Adventurer''s Guild? If not, I will sadly have to turn you away. It won''t count as a failed quest but you will need to let the guild know I rejected you." Lone smiled. He liked this man. Rodorick was professional and succinct, two traits he respected. Reaching beneath his tunic and pulling out his silver-gold plate, Lone replied, "As you can see, I''m no fresh adventurer. You must not have watched the sight magic projections yesterday, but I injured Prince Keining in a public duel. My lovely girlfriend here is a silver-plated adventurer and her detection and magical protective abilities are second to none." Soph took off one of her gauntlets to reach at her own neck before showing her silver plate to the merchant. Lone put his own plate back and gestured to Breena. "This little one is an F-ranker but she''s very good at keeping herself unseen even though she has no skills for that yet. We''re heading to the Crimson Foxkin Clan either way for her, so let''s talk business since Soph and I here can offer you a nigh-guaranteed successful journey." Rodorick shook his head. "I can''t possibly afford to hire a gold-silver plate. The most I can allow for a more skilled group of adventurers than I requested is one and a quarter silver coins a day. Can you accept that price? If so, I''d be more than happy to welcome you, your partner, and the young girl, to our journey." ''That''s a lie. Is he trying to test my mathematical abilities? A full group of ten D-rankers would cost him over two gold for three weeks of protection. Us three at 125 coppers a day would only run him just shy of 80 silver for the same time. He has way more wiggle room for us, so he is open for negotiations like the request stated. This''ll be fun,'' Lone thought. He smiled and tutted. "Come now, I said we should negotiate. I don''t need as much money as one of my skills should demand. If I did, I wouldn''t have taken this quest. There were other options, you know? The single silver coin a day for each of us is more than enough to cover our expenses and keep your purse nice and plump. That alone is saving you seven silver a day from what a normal party would have asked. I, do, however, want something else as payment." The wolfkin smiled like he''d been caught. He shrugged helplessly and replied, "I''d much rather pay in coin, but please, what would you like instead of a normal fee for a gold-silver plate?" Lone nodded, happy to see the merchant wasn''t the ''I''ll only pay you in coin'' type and was more than happy to at least entertain the idea of something else as Lone''s reward than just money. "I''ll be frank. I want you to tell me everything about yourself. Your life, your trade, your goals, your skills, all of that. It''s deeply interesting to me. I also want to be made the leader of the guards. I won''t take orders from someone else since no one knows my power like I do. I''m skilled at seeing a person''s strengths and weaknesses so after a bit of testing, I''ll be able to ensure whatever other adventurers you''ve hired will most definitely be earning their silver from you, not simply taking it," Lone stated. Rodorick stroked his bearded chin thoughtfully. "A single topic about my life once per day for no more than two hours during transit. I can''t make you the captain, Isley of the Downtrodden Dancers has already been given that role." Lone frowned a little even though he was enjoying himself. "Agree to let me handle taking the position from this Isley person without causing any conflict between our two groups and I''ll agree to only sleep the coming sixth sun and once every second following sixth sun until arrival." "Demonstrate to me that you and your companions are worth me possibly angering a potential long-term guard unit," Rodorick requested. ''The other adventurers have shown interest in joining this merchant company for an extended duration? That seems unlikely. Is he lying to me? It isn''t impossible... Would be stupid to try to call him out though since I''m unsure. Enhanced Vision ain''t giving me shit,'' Lone remarked internally. He noticed the young wolfkin girl staring at him in wonder from behind her father''s legs. She smiled cheekily at being discovered. Lone chuckled and crouched down. "Wanna see something cool? Something that''ll impress your Daddy?" She nodded vigorously. "Mmhmm! Show me!" Lone''s smile widened. He put his hands on his knees and sprung back up, straightening his back. ''When I use Bone Armour on that carriage to our left, put it and its contents in one very tight Barrier Prison for me, please?'' Soph tilted her head in confusion. ''Uh, okay. I can do that. Why though?'' ''I gotta put on a show of strength and finesse, don''t I?'' he replied rhetorically. Lone approached the aforementioned carriage and gently put a hand on it. "Now, please don''t get alarmed by what you''re about to see, okay? That applies to both you, you little troublemaker, and to you, Mister Merchant." "Why would we get alar-" Rodorick''s words got stuck in his throat when he, like everyone else in the vicinity who was either enjoying the trade fair, protecting the carriages and goods, or just watching the interaction between Lone and the merchant leader, felt their eyes opening wide and their jaws loosening. Lone had invoked his Bone Armour and was utilising one of its master-ranked effects. As mentioned to Soph telepathically, he had used Bone Armour with the intent of protecting the carriage so it had been completely encapsulated by the gloomy and evil-looking black, light blue, and deep purple bone. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Not a moment later, Lone reached down under the carriage and lifted it over his shoulders with one hand as if it weighed only a few kilos, if that. "Wh-What are you doing?!" Rodorick demanded in a panic. Lone wore a warm expression on his face as he replied, "Showing you some of my capabilities." And with that response, he tossed the carriage up, willing his Bone Armour to disconnect from himself. It actually took a great deal of his focus and physical strength to do this since he couldn''t apply the Strength stat. Lone felt his muscles and tendons tearing themselves apart as adrenaline began rushing through his veins. However, just as soon as the carriage started sailing perfectly up into the air, all of the damage Lone had done to himself fixed itself and went unnoticed. People were moving about frantically, Rodorick included. He was carrying his surprisingly calm and almost excited daughter as he backed up without letting his eyes leave the carriage. Lone stepped to the right, nodded slowly, then assumed the horse stance and readied his hands to catch the four-wheeling falling mass of potential destruction. ''Felt like it weighed about a ton and a half. Lot of cargo for it to be that heavy. That or the wood it''s made of is inherently heavy. I don''t know as much about this world''s natural resources as I''d lik- ah, here she comes,'' Lone thought. The sound of a fully-loaded merchant carriage falling from dozens of feet in the air was certainly unique. The grunt Lone made when his wrists snapped the second his palms had met the bottom of the bone-covered vehicle and then healed instantly only to snap again was something else. His skin was strong, as were his bones, but his muscles and ligaments sure weren''t. his feet sunk into the earth with the massive weight being forced into such small points of contact. Lone had wanted to do this with just his strength alone but without damaging the carriage, that seemed impossible. With a red face born of exertion, Lone used some freeform force magic to elevate the carriage just enough to give him some wiggle room to act. He used Ungrounded to walk up into the air a few feet with the carriage held over his head. Very carefully and with a great deal of effort, he sat the carriage back down where it had been only moments ago. Only then did he reconnect to and swiftly dismiss the Bone Armour around the carriage. He also stopped focusing on his freeform force magic, letting it disappear. He slapped his hands together a few times to signal a job well done before turning to face Rodorick who was now a decent distance from both Lone and the carriage. With a proud grin, Lone said, "And not a thing was damaged inside. It should all be just as it was before I launched it." "I would hope so," Rodorick said as he rushed forward. The fear and horror in his expression had changed to concern and anger. "My wife is in there!" "Oh. Shit," was Lone''s simple response. He really needed to start using his aura to detect people.
Two days later, Lone heard Rodorick''s wife speaking up on his behalf once again. "Honestly, Roddy, you need to stop giving him a hard time. Of course he''s going to be a bit eccentric when he''s gone through eight trait growths and three awakenings. I was fine. The barrier of Miss Sofia''s was incredible," the elegant Flint Wolfkin stated. "I don''t care if you were okay! I can''t believe you hired him on the spot, dear! What if he hadn''t caught it? What if it had landed on one of our employees, guards, or, Primal''s forbid, myself and little Rinrin?" Rodorick asked. Lone cringed the moment he saw Mistress Fenlo''s eyes narrow and her expression darken. "You don''t care, hmm? Well, see if I care when the cook refuses to give you dinner tonight. Sir Lone is incredibly strong, disciplined, and reliable. He''s been nothing but helpful to everyone in this convoy ever since we left. This is the final time we will have this conversation, Rodorick." "Oh, damn, the full name," Lone whispered to himself. He had been incredibly apologetic to Rodorick and didn''t even question not getting granted the captain role - a stipulation Rodorick wouldn''t allow the convoy to leave without being put in place. Rinrin had found the whole carriage-throwing incident hilarious while Mistress Fenlo saw it as what Lone had intended it as - an excellent demonstration of his ability to protect and to use just as much of his strength as he needed to. The other group of adventurers weren''t best pleased by the ''show'' and had outright refused all of his incredibly polite requests to spar and train skills. They hadn''t even trusted him and Soph with the night watch, instead insisting on setting up their own rotation. Lone still stayed up as he promised he would but it didn''t feel very nice getting dirty glances from the people he had hoped to learn from during this trip. ''Maybe we should just teleport to our destination? Ha-ah, but my perfect quest completion rate... Gotta see this through. At least no one bothers me. Well, except Rinrin and Mistress Fenlo, but I enjoy those encounters,'' Lone thought. ''Lone, monsters are approaching from the west. They seem like a stampede and are entirely disorganised,'' Sophie relayed telepathically. ''That sounds odd. Is that normal behaviour for this region?'' Lone wondered as he replied, ''Numbers. Monster types. Average strength. Is there a leader? Is their goal clearly the convoy or do we just happen to be in the way?'' ''312. All beasts, mostly wolf, boar, or rabbit-type monsters but there are some odd ones mixed in like the occasional snake or fox and some we cannot liken to any normal animal. By the volume of mana, the average rank equivalent of the beasts is roughly D but that''s only an average. There are some strong ones mixed in. There does not seem to be a clear leader but we are unsure. They are adjusting course to match our convoy, so yes, we believe we are the target,'' Sophie answered. Lone frowned. He raised his voice and yelled loudly enough for the entire convoy to hear him. "My partner has informed me a group of monsters is approaching from the west! They are targeting the convoy for some reason and there are several hundred of them! I don''t know if we''re their intended next meal or something, but I strongly advise we move ourselves and the carriages into a defensive position as quickly as possible!" Doubt appeared on the faces of the members of Downtrodden Dancers as well as the regular members of the convoy. That didn''t really bother him. If they forced him and Sophie to slaughter this incoming threat on their own, then so be it. It would be an entertaining distraction if nothing else. Lone''s sensitive ears heard Little Rinrin whisper some peculiar words into her mother''s ear. "He''s not lying. He isn''t worried either." ''Now how would a seven-year-old like you know that?'' Lone thought. Rodorick emerged from the carriage he had been banished to and looked to his wife who gave him a curt nod. Steeling his expression, the wolfkin raised his voice and ordered, "Everyone, assume defensive formation two! Prepare for a monster siege from the west! Lone, how much time do we have?!" "They''re about 9,000 metres away from us," Lone said, earning him many looks of disbelief. Little Rinrin whispered to her parents, "He''s telling the truth again." Mistress Fenlo muttered, "What a vast range this detection ability Miss Sofia has..." With an authoritative voice, Rodorick commanded, "Stop dawdling! To your positions, now!" ''Well, this will be interesting. Is Little Rinrin a seer or a lie detector of some sort? Such unconditional trust from her parents would imply a skill. Racial, world, or something inherent like a Taker? Regardless, what should my group''s role be in the siege? The monsters sound weak overall from Sophie''s assessment...'' Lone had a few minutes to think about that. B3: Chapter 20: Captains Resolve and Curiosity As the merchants were busy arranging the wagons and carriages into a circular formation to defend from all sides, Lone had used the Blood Clone floating around in his veins to fly above the makeshift battlement directly above its centre. He was sitting in a cross-legged position while Breena and Sophie were at his side, both of them standing on a barrier Sophie had conjured. The Blood Clone assigned to protect Sophie floated around her head peacefully and it was ready to block any and all attacks made against her. Breena, instead of looking apprehensive and perhaps scared as Lone had expected, appeared to be excited and almost worried as if she might miss a coming opportunity. "What do you plan to do when the stampede arrives? It is only 4,000 metres away now," Sophie asked. Lone pursed his lips. "Hopefully, nothing. Call me paranoid, but I''m worried this may have something to do with Zel. I don''t see why he''d resort to using such weak animals against us unless it was a diversion." Sophie frowned. "It is not paranoia. Until he is dead, it is safe to assume any threat originates from him and we would be wise to treat them as such." He nodded. "Exactly. So, we''ll do nothing. If anyone is about to die, I''ll step in or you will if I can''t save them in time. My only viable ranged attack has limited uses so it''ll be on you to do that, if you don''t mind. This only applies if you haven''t figured out if something more is connected to this like mind magic or something." Sophie wore a reluctant expression. "For the sake of the quest, we will do so. We would rather not waste MP on nobodies if we can avoid it, but we will do our best to prevent any lives from being lost." That was all Lone could ask for. "Thanks. Oh, and if you don''t sense anything out of place, grab two F-ranked monsters and bring them to me, will you? For Breena." The young teenager''s eyes widened in surprise while Sophie sighed. "Fine." A few more minutes passed before Rodorick retrieved two metal plates from within his own spatial treasure - a simple wooden bracelet of some sort. These plates were covered in what looked like enchanted runes to Lone''s untrained eyes. The Flint Wolfkin''s face was filled with resolve as he retrieved a dagger from his belt and cut the palm of his hand open before smearing his blood over the plates. They then flared to life, creating two overlapping bubbles around the carriage and wagon fortifications. "That''s cool. Defensive enchantments that activate with the user''s blood? Reminds me of the idea of formations from cultivation stories," Lone wondered aloud as he peered at the top of the barriers that could be seen only a few metres below his own position. His eyes then drifted to the all-female adventure group, the Downtrodden Dancers. Seven of them were D-rankers, one was an E-ranker and two were C-rankers. They were positioned just outside of the formations like he and his group but they were obviously on land and were facing the direction the monsters would be coming from. Two of them were doing something to the ground. Maybe they were using magic to make traps. Sophie likely knew with her Mana Sensing but Lone didn''t care enough to ask given she was busy looking for signs of Arch Devil Zel. "I wonder how they plan to deal with the stampede. Won''t they all die without our help? They''d need to kill over 30 each to beat it. Unless these barriers beneath us are more than just defensive," Lone wondered aloud. "How far now?" "2,000 metres," Sophie replied. "You might be able to see them in the forest if you focus." Lone squinted his eyes and slowly nodded. "You''re right. Yeah, these adventurers are fucked if we don''t step in. Let me know the second you''re sure Zel isn''t involved, at least as best as you can."
"Just our luck," the leader of the Downtrodden Dancers, Isley, grumbled to herself. "The biggest monster stampede I''ve ever seen in my life and we somehow have to fend it off ourselves since that mad fucker is just floating up there." Not only was she justifiably pissed, she was also jealous. Any skill that let the host fly like that was bound to be powerful and hard to master, let alone earn. "You think he and his partner won''t help us?" the only other C-ranker of their group asked her. Isley laughed. "As if. They seem the type to do a job and nothing more. They''re getting paid to protect the convoy. Maybe they''ll only stop any monsters that try to break the barrier. They have no obligation to fight the monsters off like we plan to." "I don''t think the traps will be enough. There''s too many monsters. We can maybe kill a hundred of them, and that''s not to mention how many of us would need to die for that. I think we should run," her fellow C-ranker replied. The only E-ranker of the group spoke up and said, "I-I think we''ll be fine." "Why?" Isley asked. "U-Um, well, they aren''t nervous at all and they could tell the monsters were coming from so far away. I-I think if they wanted to, they could stop the stampede immediately. S-Sofia''s barriers seem really strong and, um, I watched Lone''s fight with Prince Keining. He''s supposed to be a B-ranker but he fights like an SS or SSS-ranker. I, uh, don''t know why they aren''t acting right now, but they wouldn''t let us die intentionally. He''s a gold-silver plate and she''s a silver plate. Anyone at s-silver or above has passed the exam, right? That means they''ll look out for us if they can since we''re all adventurers," the short girl with a longbow answered. "No one wants to be accused of being the cause of a member of the g-guild dying, directly or indirectly." "We don''t have a grudge with them either," a D-ranked dancer added. Another said, "And we shouldn''t run no matter what. We want to work for this merchant band long-term, don''t we? Fleeing would make that impossible and who knows what kind of connections a well-established merchant has. It could ruin us." Isley tightened the grip on her spear before she sighed. "I hope you''re right, Bethany," she said to the E-ranker. Just then, Lone''s voice filled their ears as he shouted, "Here they come! From the tree line!" Isley took a deep breath and her legs almost gave out when she saw the sheer amount of monsters pouring out of the forest like water from a river. Knowing there would be hundreds of monsters was very different from seeing hundreds of monsters. The average monster at D-rank strength was many times stronger than a D-ranked person. Isley could see hundreds of such monsters and a few dozen of the beasts were clearly stronger than that, perhaps even being B or A-ranked. It was too late to run now so she instead used one of her skills, Inspire. "Archers, open fire! Everyone else, to me! The tighter our formation, the better!" Some of the fear left the eyes of Isley''s companions as they followed her commands. Arrows powered by Bow Mastery and its respective child masteries whirred through the air, hitting their marks and killing or heavily wounding dozens of monsters as the projectiles kept firing nonstop. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Not long after that, the pitfall traps that were the brilliant work of Desdra and Dondra''s Trap Making Mastery were revealed when the monsters rushed atop them, eager to rip the ladies and the caravan behind them to shreds. There wasn''t a lot of trap setting the twins could have done with such a short amount of time to prepare but their hastily constructed pitfalls still managed to kill around ten monsters, including one of the stronger-looking ones. "There''s still so many..." Isley''s heart felt just as heavy as her knees did. She didn''t even pay any attention to the system notification she was getting. With a very short moment to collect herself, a resolute fire entered the woman''s eyes. With her spear in hand and her sisters at her side, she yelled, "If we die today, we die as warriors!" "Ah, no one''s dying today," she heard a clear and entirely too calm voice saying. Lone Immortus had appeared right in front of her group, shocking and throwing them all off. The army of monsters was mere metres away from them. Not even a second was needed before they would crash into them all and crush all ten members of the Downtrodden Dancers to death. All Isley saw was a blur and then the next thing she witnessed was every remaining monster''s head getting separated from its body. All except for the creatures that resembled foxes and a few very weak beasts, all of which were held in place by strange green barriers. The blur disappeared and Lone was standing in front of them again, all nine of his tails dripping with blood. "Sorry for cutting it so close. Had to make sure this wasn''t a trap. Well, I''m sure you all would have survived a bit longer but we all gotta earn our pay here, eh? Great marksmanship and trap laying, by the way, You gals are talented." Isley was too stunned to move. She didn''t know if she should be horrified and fearful or thankful and relieved. Maybe all four? All she managed to say in response was a weak, "T-Thanks?"
Status
Name: Lone Immortus Sex: Male
Age: 25 Level: 412 [+12]
Species Foxkin Rank: B
Race: Golden Foxkin
HP: 224,710/230,740 [+6,030] SP: 138,000/138,000 [+7,010]
MP: 447,720/447,720 WF: 1,300/1,300
Basic Stats
Strength: 9,562 [+732] Vigour: 13,800 [+701]
Dexterity: 7,512 [+408] Agility: 8,441 [+576]
Vitality: 23,074 [+603] Luck: 1,542 [+7]
Secret Stats
Charm: 209 Charisma: 225
Magic Power: 44,772
''Only 12 levels? Do levels need more, what, experience or something, stronger opponents or more vivid experiences as you rank up? Would make sense... Still, nice haul of stats,'' Lone thought to himself. ''Gotta get Soph and Sophie to keep an eye out for more stampedes if this is a common thing, even ones not targeting our caravan what with gains like these. Can test my freshly unsealed and new magic skills next time too.'' "You ladies good to get to work on taking any of the valuables that are in the headless corpses out of them? You can have 20% of their value if you manage that and the storage for me. You can keep the bodies entirely if you agree to train with me and my companions when we have free time," Lone suggested to the Downtrodden Dancers. The leader, Isley, didn''t hesitate to reply with, "We''re more than happy to train with you for such a profit but... why would you want to do that with us? You seem plenty strong enough." Lone smiled. "Only a fool assumes there is nothing to be learned from someone who you can beat in a fight. Besides, it''ll be fun." "Fun, huh..." the woman muttered under her breath. "Thank you again for helping us and... I''m sorry for assuming the worst of you." Lone shrugged as he walked past them towards the barriers protecting the carriages. "I did launch Mistress Fenlo and then it looked like I and my friends would just float up there with no intentions to help you guys. Lack of foresight on my end in the first one and a lack of communication between our groups in the second. Can''t blame ya for either instance." He kept walking, leaving the women and just as he was about to be within touching distance of the formations bubbles, they disappeared and whatever power that was keeping them active returned to the two plates at the centre of the fortifications. Rodorick approached Lone, the magical plates in his now bandaged hand. "That was... messy." Lone laughed. "Haha, I guess it was, huh? Didn''t want to damage any organs though so cutting off the necks seemed wiser." The wolfkin glanced at Lone''s nine blood-covered tails before asking, "Are they still sharp?" Clearly, he knew of the Golden Foxkin''s racial skill. "Oh yeah. The skill lasts for 20-minutes. Don''t worry though, I have perfect control over ''em. You know how tails work," Lone said, gesturing to the man''s own fluffy limb. Rodorick seemed to be mulling over something before he sighed. "I don''t forgive you for what you did to my wife but... thank you. You''re more than welcome as a guard of this convoy. I won''t try to convince Fenlo to ask you to leave anymore." "As if I would have ever agreed," the woman snorted as she approached while holding Little Rinrin. "Thank you, Lone. I knew you were the capable sort. The Downtrodden Dancers did very well too. I''ll need to reward their bravery." "You''re more than welcome, Mistress Fenlo, and thank you for coming around, Master Rodorick," Lone said with sincerity. It left a warm feeling in his chest to resolve the tension between himself and the leader of this merchant organisation. It was an honest mistake tossing the woman up with the carriage. If he''d been more attentive with his ability to sense a person''s strength, he''d have seen Mistress Fenlo in there with his aura before he had performed his little show. Forgiveness was not necessary but understanding he meant no harm and a genuine compromise that benefited everyone sure felt great. Lone''s curiosity decided to potentially make things awkward between him and the wolfkin man once more. "Can we talk about your daughter while everyone else prepares the horses, carriages, and wagons for travel?" A serious and suspicious look entered the eyes of the couple as Fenlo squeezed the small girl in her arms protectively. Before they could respond to his request, Little Rinrin spoke softly in an almost ethereal tone, "He has no bad intentions and only wishes to learn why it was I could convince you to trust him about the stampede." "Fen, take care of her and the others while we have a chat?" Rodorick asked of his spouse. She nodded calmly, seemingly having relaxed upon hearing her daughter''s words. This only increased Lone''s thirst for answers so he was hoping he wouldn''t be told it wasn''t his place to know anything. With a world full of magical beings like Primals, djinns, dragons, demigods, Divines, Soul Oracles, Takers, eldritch horrors, and who knows what else, Lone could only speculate at what Little Rinrin truly was. B3: Chapter 21: Altross Voice and Months of Rolling "You truly are strong," Rodorick commented as he led Lone away from the makeshift battlements that were being disassembled. "Did you really injure Prince Keining?" ''Something light to warm me up before we talk about his kid? Okay. I''m not impatient,'' Lone thought as he nodded. "Less injure and more scratch, and it took the combined effort of several skills and weapon mastery additional effects, but yeah, I did." "I''d met a few Golden Foxkin before they vanished. None could have ended such a large monster stampede so quickly and so effortlessly at B-rank. You must be their hidden prodigy sent to announce their return to the public-facing world, huh?" Rodorick said only half-seriously. Lone chuckled. "Nah, I''ve never met another Golden Foxkin before. You can ask your daughter and she''ll tell you I have no connection to whoever it was that represented my race before they disappeared, leaving the job to me." "Little Rinrin..." Rodorick wore a complicated expression on his face. "She can''t control it, you know? It''s like it has a mind of its own, this power of hers. It used to be discreet but nowadays... It could clearly tell you heard her confirming your warning was true, so it saw no point in hiding its existence from you when you brought up your interest in it earlier." "That''s a very detached way of thinking about this power of hers. ''It''. I refer to the Primals in such a detached way too when referring to them since they have no discernible genders but that''s not the way you''re using that word. Is the ability godly in nature like they are?" Lone questioned. ''Relegated to being just an ''it''. Oh, woe is me! How will my fragile heart keep beating knowing this is how you view me?'' Darkness fake-cried in Lone''s mind, which he easily ignored. Rodorick narrowed his eyes as if unsure what to say but he ultimately sighed and replied, "My wife and I don''t know. Heck, even the elders of the clan, that being the Flint Wolfkin Clan, have no idea what this power is. I''ve been a merchant for over a century but ever since this ''talent'' of Rinrin''s made itself known, I''ve stayed on the road with my wife going from nation to nation, looking for information." Lone frowned. "Why? It doesn''t seem dangerous. Well, relatively speaking. I can see a future where the wrong person learns about her and kidnaps her for personal and political uses. Being able to determine if someone is telling the truth or not is a very expensive process usually, so I can see the appeal. Generally speaking though? Seems harmless." Rodorick shot Lone a hate-filled look. "Do not even entertain the idea. You would be a fool to think the only powerful items in my possession are these formation plates." "I have no interest in that, dude. I was putting myself in the shoes of yourself and was trying to consider your perspective. I''m working on a skill of my own to tell lies from truths and if anyone wants to safeguard kids, it''s me. That''s the least I can do to make up for my... past mistakes. So calm down, yeah?" Lone requested. At the same time, he thought, ''So they were formations. That''s cool. How is it different from enchantments? Maybe it''s a similar distinction to scripture magic versus contracting magic?'' Rodorick nodded sternly. "I believe you. Rinrin said you were only curious and nothing more. Had she not, I wouldn''t have so much as spoken a word about her ability to you. It is a skill, by the way. A world skill." "Oh, first time I''m seeing a world skill besides my own," Lone commented. ''It must be indirect for me to not have copied it immediately, which means I''d need Altros to give me the skill on its own. That''s unlikely. Oh well. Can''t win ''em all. Soph''s Luck''ll only rub off on me so far.'' Shock coloured the wolfkin''s expression. "You possess a world skill?" "Yup. Wanna see it?" Lone offered, keen to use Full Body Diagnostics on a new species since that might level it up. Caution entered Rodorick''s eyes. "What does it do? You can control it?" "It lets me know the ins and outs of the target''s physical condition, and yup, there''s not a skill I own that I can''t control. It''s weirder that Little Rinrin is unable to," Lone replied. "Oh... Okay then, go ahead," the merchant said. Lone nodded and placed a hand on Rodorick''s unflinching shoulder. "Full Body Diagnostics." Information entered his head as the skill quickly processed everything there was to learn about the centuries-old man. "It''s only intermediate level two-"
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Lone chuckled and corrected, "Intermediate level three so it only gives me small details on the physical condition and minimal details on the magical condition of the target. You seem right as rain though you could use some more sleep." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "That''s it? That''s... that''s a world skill like my little Rinrin''s Altros''s Voice? This seems so... underwhelming," Rodorick mumbled, immediately piquing Lone''s interest. "Altros''s Voice? Now that''s a powerful-sounding skill name. Does the planet speak through your daughter to give its wisdom on who is lying or not? If so, no wonder it''s involuntary and why you call the skill an ''it'' when she uses it," Lone commented. Rodorick looked surprised. "You''re right. That''s what Fenlo and I suspect. The skill''s description more or less confirms this too from what Rinrin has told us. We... we''re worried about what you said, kidnappings, but we''re also concerned the skill might be consuming her. She uses it more and more as the years pass. When she first learned how to speak she only used the skill maybe once a month, but now, as you''ve seen, it can activate several times a day." "It''s probably levelled up. Maybe it even hit intermediate rank. I''m a self-anointed skill scholar. Want me to see if I can teach her how to control it? I''d be happy to do that since I love studying new skills," Lone offered. "Self-anointed?" Rodorick asked. Lone laughed lightly. "Well, I''m only 25 years old but I have 145 skills and plenty of additional effects which I''ve earned on my own. I''d have a nice even 146 if you hadn''t forced me to stop trying to haggle with ya the other day. I study my own skills and new skills almost every waking moment. If it''ll help you and your family while also satisfying my desire to learn about this world skill of Rinrin''s, then I insist on letting me try to tutor her. If it helps, I have Teaching Mastery at advanced level nine."
"Why does Master Rodorick look so lifeless? His eyes tell me he''s witnessed the impossible and refuses to believe it ever happened but can''t quite accomplish that," the captain of the Downtrodden Dancers, Isley, asked Lone as she rode next to him. He was jogging at a pace that matched the carriages but it didn''t strain him to chuckle and reply, "I was perfectly honest to him about my capabilities." "And your capabilities are so vast that he''s been in that state for hours now?" the spear-wielding woman questioned as she patted her horse''s neck affectionately. Lone shrugged. "Who was it that killed all of those monsters this afternoon in a single moment?" "Fair point. We''ve decided to set up camp a mile from here. There''s a good clearing just off of the road. Once we''re done, do you want to start the training you mentioned?" Isley asked. Lone smiled at her. "Sure, I''d love that." The woman nodded and rode ahead of him. In Lone''s mind, the day had been very interesting and productive. The only negatives thus far were Breena getting injured during her fight with the two F-ranked monsters picked out by Sophie and the fact his experiments with the fox-like monsters had been a wash. For the first matter, he''d healed Breena almost immediately with Creation Magic but he saw how discouraged and disappointed in herself she was at taking injuries from the relatively controlled beasts. The girl''s expectations were too high. It was normal for an adventurer to lose to a monster at the same rank as them but she''d defeated two such creatures and not even sustained conventionally permanent injuries in doing so. Lone figured he, Soph, and Sophie, were terrible examples to try to emulate for a normal person like Breena. As for the second matter, considering how docile and intelligent Kyuubi was, Lone had wanted to see if he could glean anything about her from the handful of fox-like monsters from the stampede. That was a complete failure. They were little more than ravenous beasts with nothing but instinct powering them. He didn''t kill them, however, instead letting Breena and Sophie fight them together with Sophie being restricted to only using her swords. The fight had helped Sophie level her Short Sword Mastery once, bringing it to beginner level ten, and Breena levelled her Needle Mastery twice, doubling it from beginner level two to beginner level four, which made losing out on the potential stats worth it to Lone. Before too long, the group had stopped and set up camp. After letting Sophie know what he''d be doing for the evening, he found a relatively open area at the side of the clearing and waited for the Downtrodden Dancers to find him. Ten minutes passed before the group of women, all sporting various builds and each equipped with a different weapon approached him. Isley asked, "So how are we going to do this?" "You all attack me at once, I won''t move or resist. If you manage to cut my skin, you get one point. If you manage to crack my bones, you get two points. If you manage to break my bones, you get three points. If you do none of the above, you get zero points. You don''t want zero points. The training will be harsher and more effective the fewer points you have, but I''ll say it again, you really don''t want to get zero points," Lone said with an eerie grin on his lips. For some reason, the ladies of the Downtrodden Dancers all shivered and they began to wonder if this was perhaps a mistake.
The seventh king of all demonkin, Arch Aghaidh-choimheach Devil, public name Zel, true name Tidsear ¨°g, frowned in his office as all three of his Ancient Tempered Infernal Revealers rolled and presented straight ones to him. "How? How do you exist, Lone? How has a mere half a year made you so much harder to kill than it would have for any other existence? How can you possess so many unique skills?" Zel was beyond vexed. Lone had to die. He knew of Zel''s true name and that gave him power over the devil. Not an immense amount of power as he had not learned the name from Zel himself, but enough power for it to be an eternal thorn in the Arch Devil''s side and it would sever all possibilities of his ascension to the Emperor Devil realm. He also could not kill Sheelda until Lone was disposed of thanks to his pesky ''companion'' clause in his unique contract with her. "How can he possibly be able to not only survive death but kill me as a result? Do I need to get an Omni Devil involved?" he asked himself as he rolled the dice again. He had spent the past several months doing nothing but using his most powerful artefact to peer into the karmic links between time, space, fate, and all of reality. Even when he used them with the notion of trading everything he owned for the assistance of an Emperor Devil, his plans still wouldn''t succeed. The dice stopped moving and revealed two threes and a single four, startling Zel. "That''s the first time a die has landed on more than a two, and all three of them did at that... This is the right direction, but how could I possibly convince an Omni Devil to move, risking the stability of several planes of existence?" He had nothing of value to such an unreachable existence except perhaps information. "Lone and the minor Luck deity''s specialness... Would that be enough to convince such a being?" Zel had much to do. First, he needed to cement his plans with his dice and that would take a considerable amount of time but at least now he had a path forward. B3: Chapter 22: Weekly Gains and Abomination
The host has developed the passive skill [Longbow Mastery]
Passive Skill: Longbow Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Bow Mastery] commonly used by rangers and hunters alike to kill from an incredible distance with notable power. When attacking with a longbow the host will hear the Wind''s voice and it will help guide the host''s attacks. Clarity of the wind''s voice: 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Lone was saddened to have only learned one new skill from the training session. He supposed it made sense. The more weapon masteries he earned, the fewer there were out there to copy. Still, Longbow Mastery seemed like an interesting skill. It implied the elements were actual entities that somehow differed from their magical and mundane counterparts. Lone wondered if ''the Wind'' referenced here was similar to the Stone. He had no idea but it was an interesting line of thought. His mind drifted back to the training where he had earned this skill. The Downtrodden Dancers had attacked him relentlessly after seeing a hesitant and testing arrow aimed at his shoulder pierce his clothes before merely bouncing off of his skin. By the end of it, the ladies had only barely managed to nick his skin, earning them a single point. Hazel and her friends would have thought Lone to be an angel when training them if they were here to see how he had treated the Downtrodden Dancers. It was hardly Lone''s fault though. His studies and tests had made it clear that real harm and a serious threat to one''s own life were the most effective ways to gain or level skills. He had no intention to kill his fellow caravan guards but they didn''t need to know that, did they? It certainly wasn''t in their minds that it was for their benefit when he broke their bones without remorse. While beaten, broken, and bruised beyond belief, the women could only hold one feeling for Lone in their hearts: hatred. The raw and unbridled kind. However, as soon as he had used Creation Magic to undo all of his handiwork, the Downtrodden Dancers had all thanked him profusely once they had calmed down and vented their rage a bit, which he had expected and didn''t mind. Six of them had gained a level in their respective primary weapon masteries, two had gained Fear Resistance and five of them had even learned Physical Pain Resistance. Lone was keeping watch currently as he sat cross-legged atop the carriage that had Rodorick and his family sleeping within it. Soph was at his side asleep with her head on his lap and a blanket wrapped around her. ''Tomorrow evening, let''s start levelling up some of my beginner-level-one skills, shall we?'' Lone decided. After all, he did have dozens of such skills and they would be of little use if they weren''t at least intermediate-ranked. It was his original intention to begin doing this once they had reached the Crimson Foxkin Clan but Lone didn''t see why he couldn''t start early now that he had some new sparring partners.
A week had passed like that with no following attacks or major incidents during their journey. Lone''s routine was as follows: guard the caravan in the mornings, tutor Rinrin in the afternoons, train with the Downtrodden Dancers or Soph, Sophie, and Breena, in the evenings, then guard the caravan and work on his own skills in the dead of night and early hours of the morning. He''s made a lot of progress on a lot of fronts, both personal and otherwise. Rinrin still couldn''t control her world skill at all but she was actively trying at Lone''s urging and she claimed to be close, but then again, she was a child so Lone couldn''t be certain she really knew what she was doing. The Downtrodden Dancers has become a more cohesive group and one of the members, their only E-ranker, had even broken through the barrier and become a D-ranker. Soph had levelled a few of her own skills and even gained a new one. Barrier Prison had levelled once, bringing it to beginner-level-ten. Her Wing Chun mastery which had been stagnant for months finally experienced some growth going from beginner-level-four to beginner-level-six. And lastly, she had earned Physical Pain Resistance thanks to Sophie''s willpower and Lone''s reluctant willingness to push her body to the point where it had developed the skill. Without Teaching Mastery''s help, Lone had no idea how hard it would have been for him to be the one to give her that skill as he did, but it was better the result of his work in a controlled environment than her earning it organically as he had. Breena''s Primal skill Shadow Walker and her passive skill Needle Mastery had both gained a single level, pushing them to beginner-level-four and beginner-level-five respectively. Lone, rather obviously and expectedly, had gained the most during this past week of travel. He pulled up his notification log from the last seven days.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Cartography Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Thickening] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Blood Thickening
A skill often pursued by those suffering from haemophilia to offset the effects of that condition. Quadruples [up from triples] the thickness of the host''s blood without impacting blood flow negatively. Blood clots four times [up from three times] as fast and injuries heal 1.4 [+0.2] times faster.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Lone wasn''t as saddened by not getting an additional effect as he normally would have been since this skill on its own was just so useful. Any upgrades to it made him that much more unkillable, so he was beyond satisfied with the all-round improvements. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Throwing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
He''d gained these two levels by tossing the Downtrodden Dancers at each other during combat, which was unexpected but very welcomed. Over the past week, Lone had focused on levelling two of his beginner-ranked skills in particular. During training, he exclusively used a steel warhammer and outside of combat when he had free time or was keeping watch, he practised his lockpicking abilities on locks he had conjured up using Creation Magic. The results were encouraging.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Just another day or two and the skill would hit intermediate rank which is when he would swap it out for another beginner-ranked weapon mastery skill.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
One more level and this skill would be beyond the beginner ranks as planned. Lone wondered if it would gain any special new effects or if its percentage boosts improving would be the only upgrade. He''d been levelling it very meticulously. Every time he created a lock he made sure it was barely possible for him to pick it and he also made sure he had no idea how to pick it, meaning he had to use his full capabilities and a diverse set of tools for every new lock. If he were to earn a new effect, the last thing Lone wanted was for it to be mediocre. Using this method, over the last week, he''d only managed to crack open three locks but each one gave multiple levels so it was clearly a sound strategy. "I-I think it''s working! Lie to me," Little Rinrin suddenly said with excitement from within the carriage she was in and that Lone was sitting on top of. Master Rodorick and Mistress Fenlo who were also in the carriage shared a look before replying one after the other. "We''re not moving." "I''m tired." A brief moment of struggle emerged on the seven-year-old''s face before she seemed to lose some sort of internal war. "That''s not true. We are moving even if we''re seated and you won''t be tired for quite a while longer." Not a moment sooner and the girl had returned to normal but it was clear she was upset at the failed attempt to control her world skill. Lone shook his head and spoke through the carriage''s sunroof. "Rome wasn''t built in a day. You couldn''t even try to resist the urge a week ago. Progress is progress, don''t be so foolish as to deny its existence." "I know, Mister Immortus, it''s just hard..." Rinrin sulked. Master Rodorick and Mistress Fenlo offered her words of encouragement when Lone received a telepathic message from Soph. "Um, there''s a group of foxkin ahead of us on the road. They aren''t heading for us specifically, but they look like a war party and we''ll be in sight of each other soon enough. Should we do something?" she asked in concern. Lone narrowed his eyes. ''That sounds interesting. What kind of foxkin?'' "Can''t tell. Their magic is kinda scattered. I haven''t seen enough foxkin to tell the race with just Mana Sensing yet. None of them feel like you though. They don''t really feel like Breena either but she''s special since she has so much Darkness in her," Soph answered. Leaning back and speaking down into the carriage, Lone said, "Soph says there''s a band of foxkin that we''ll cross paths with on the road. They appear to be a war party of some sort. Thoughts?" Master Rodorick replied, "That''s normal. There are always mock skirmishes between the clans but they never spread to travellers or merchants, so we have nothing to worry about. Thanks for the warning." "Just to be safe," Mistress Fenlo said, "Tell Breena to enter our carriage. We don''t want an argument or a fight to start because of her Crimson Foxkin heritage. Mock or not, deaths do happen in these local wars. You should be fine since your clan no longer has a presence on the continent given its disappearance." "Was thinking of asking you to let Breena in regardless. Glad to see you''re so thoughtful, Mistress Fenlo, and yeah, no one should have an issue with me for political reasons," Lone praised before he jumped off the carriage with grace and went towards Breena.
A few minutes had passed and now Lone was leading the convoy. He''d convinced Master Rodorick and Mistress Fenlo that it''d be for the best if he were to do the talking assuming the war band of foxkin decided to start any trouble. He had high levelled social skills and he was also the strongest person here, so being closer to their potential enemies was simply the wisest move if a fight was inevitable even if it was incredibly unlikely. Not more than a few moments later and a group of roughly 50 foxkin with light-blue-tinged hair and tails, all wearing uniform armour and holding weapons, came into sight. They were running down the road at a relaxed but alert pace and they slowed considerably upon seeing Lone and the caravan of carriages behind him. One of the foxkin, the only one with more than four tails, this man having six in total, broke off from the unit and approached them. Lone assumed him to be the leader. His unit stopped a few dozen metres behind him while he walked towards Lone specifically. He was as tall as him and just as handsome though perhaps in a more rugged way than Lone. His eyes were sharp and spoke of countless battles won. His hair was short and greasy. The man''s body wasn''t much better. Clearly, this group of warriors hadn''t had a wash in a while. "Do my eyes deceive me or are you a Golden Foxkin with nine tails and three awakenings, one of which belonging to the forbidden one?" the man asked, a tinge of challenge in his tone. "Tell me why I shouldn''t kill you where you stand, Abomination." Lone frowned. "Well, for one, you''re only an S-ranker, and secondly, who the fuck are you?" B3: Chapter 23: Calm and Induction The blue-haired foxkin looked shocked and then immediately outraged upon processing the two dismissive and equally rude questions. However, before he could open his mouth to potentially escalate matters further, he was beaten to the punch by Lone. Pulling out his adventurer tag and displaying it, he said, "I am gold-silver plate adventurer Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal. I''m currently on a quest to escort the merchant group behind me through these lands. We have no business with you just as you have no business with us. If you wish to continue interfering with both my job as an adventurer and my client''s job as a merchant, then I will be forced to incapacitate you with brutal efficiency. On account of us being from the same species, I will overlook how you spoke to me a moment ago so let''s just all move on, yeah?" Lone felt like he was being more than generous here. This guy clearly knew about Void''s existence and it was apparently some sort of taboo among foxkin. At least those in the know since the Church of the Primals had scrubbed the Primal from all records he had looked into thus far. That could be a problem going forward but still, it wasn''t exactly nice to be called an ''Abomination'' even if Lone wasn''t one to get offended easily. The blue-haired foxkin furrowed his brow and seemed to be considering his options. Lone assumed he was wondering if the Golden Foxkin before him was arrogant or confident. Words were just words but Lone''s adventurer plate was obviously real, so that put some weight behind his threat. "What is your convoy''s destination?" the man finally asked. Lone raised an eyebrow. "What is your unit''s destination?" "That''s none of your business. Now answer the question," the blue-furred foxkin snarled. Lone shrugged. "Ditto." With a noticeable flummoxed expression, the warrior said, "What? Did you just... make a random noise?" "That doesn''t translate over, huh?" Lone muttered under his breath before he spoke up and replied, "No, I said, ''ditto''. It means ''same''. Our destination has nothing to do with you. Make a choice now, attack us and die because you don''t like me for whatever reason, or move on and continue your day. Choose in five seconds. On the sixth, I''ll have made the choice for you." Some more snarling and generally outraged body language was expressed towards Lone but suddenly, the entire unit of blue-haired foxkin calmed in an instant as if by the power of a skill, some magic, or perhaps an item. "The forbidden one truly is dangerous. You are lucky you appear coherent and not like an active danger, Abomination. Should we meet again in different circumstances, don''t expect me to be so forgiving," the leading warrior scoffed before he ran past the convoy with his men in tow. Lone stood there in confusion. "But... I was the one who initially forgave you?" He watched his blue-haired brethren run along the road into the distance as he used The Summoning Room''s telepathy to speak to Soph. ''Follow them for a bit. Make sure they don''t turn around and try to pull a fast one on us. Listen in on any conversations they have too, if you don''t mind.'' ''Sure! I can do that,'' Soph said and, presumably, teleported away. Lone returned to the Halbundon carriage. Hopping on top of it, he said, "Everything''s resolved. Didn''t tell me what they were doing but they seemed happy enough to leave us alone. I sent Soph to follow ''em for a little bit to make sure they aren''t trying to trick us." A moment passed before Rinrin said, "That''s not true. They weren''t happy. If not for the Calming Stones they used, they would have all been killed by you upon deciding to attack you for having awakened to Void." Immediately after the words of Altros''s Voice were spoken, the little girl frowned and said, "I can''t resist you if you don''t give me some warning! Stupid skill." "Void? What''s Void?" Rodorick asked, concern in his voice. "Is that the black in your tails and hair?" "Sure is. Dunno much about it to be honest. Seems it''s not a very popular Primal among the... what type of foxkin were they? Blue fur," Lone asked. Fenlo smiled up at the sunroof that he was speaking down through and replied, "What shade?" "Light blue but not quite cyan," Lone replied. "Ah, Azure Foxkin. They have an inclination towards air magic, if I recall correctly. Their racial skill, Sentu''s Swiftness, lets them become one with the wind. It''s rather rare though, not unlike your Tail Spear. I think it was one in ten thousand Azure Foxkin are born with it and only one in a thousand gain it through effort and hard work," Mistress Fenlo explained, completely disinterested in the topic of Void. "Sentu''s Swiftness? That''s an odd name for a skill. Makes me think it was man-made," Lone commented. "Many think the same though no one is certain, that is the name of the skill, however," she replied. Rodorick looked between his wife and Lone and few times before raising his voice and saying, "Are we seriously going to ignore Lone almost got our convoy attacked and that he just casually revealed the existence of a ninth Primal?!" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Darling, be quiet. We weren''t attacked in the end and if he doesn''t want to talk about his personal issues, then we have no right to ask about them," Mistress Fenlo said coldly. "But Primals affect all beastkin!" Master Rodorick countered. The woman sighed and turned to face him. "Have you ever heard of this Primal before or another person besides Lone who has awakened to it? No? Have you ever so much as seen a beastkin with black in their bestial traits, hair, or eyes? Also no? Then it is a personal problem and darling, we are not rude enough to pry when not invited to." That shut Rodorick up, earned a hand-covered laugh from Little Rinrin, and a full-on chuckle from Lone. He liked Mistress Fenlo. She was fierce in just the right way.
A few days later, Lone was going to bed for the first time in two weeks. The unit of Azure Foxkin had been truthful when their leader had said they would leave. Soph had followed them for half a day only for them to move further and further away. Apparently, they were hunting down an opposing unit of Crimson Foxkin for their mock war which Lone found interesting. It didn''t really concern him or Soph though so they didn''t interfere. The leader had claimed to some of his men that they shouldn''t report their encounter with Lone to their superiors as he would do that himself when they returned, assuming the planned skirmish with the Crimson Foxkin soldiers went well. Lone thought that could be fun. He could use a small-scale distraction to bring his paranoid mind away from Arch Devil Zel. Then again, who was to say this wasn''t some massively elaborate play from the demonic being to kill Lone? Only time would tell. "Be back soon. Anything you want me to ask in particular?" Lone questioned Soph. She held her chin as she sat next to him atop the Halbundon carriage. "Ask Swamp what kinda animals there are where he lives, please. I wanna know if they have chubby fluffy foxes too like our precious Kyuubi." Lone laughed softly. "Sure, I''ll do that." He leaned up and gave her a quick kiss before resting his head on her lap again. "Night." "Goodnight, Lone," she replied sweetly.
Lone opened his eyes and took in a deep breath. He glanced up at the mental locks and Rubik''s cubes floating around his inner soul. His gaze then drifted to the massive golden chains stretching from Darkness''s inverted pyramid and Sky''s cloud palace to Void''s dark abyss. "Hello!" the chipper Darkness greeted him, its form being the standard galaxy body it regularly assumed these days. It hadn''t appeared like anything remotely normal or anyone that resembled a person Lone knew ever since it first took this strange purple galaxy humanoid form and he appreciated that. "Hi, Darkness. Any changes that you haven''t told me about?" Lone asked. The Primal shrugged. "I still can''t so much as sense the connection to your little meeting room any more. Sky came out of his palace for a moment earlier. I have no idea why. Maybe your constant improvement of Puzzle Locked Mind has bolstered the restraints on Void, giving the fellow some more freedom? Sky''s far too focused on keeping that wild card restrained if you ask me. I can''t even scratch your chains and Void isn''t that much more powerful than us normal Primals." "Huh. I would like to talk to Sky at some point. I need to ask it a lot of questions," Lone muttered before he nodded. "Thanks for the update." "Any time. Have fun in your meeting, yes? Do let me know if anything juicy happens," Darkness requested. "Will do. Seeya later," Lone replied before he stopped resisting Monsieur Librarian''s call. Immediately upon arriving in his seat, Lone heard Monsieur Librarian announce, "Let the 14th Conclave of Seekers begin." Lone was about to engage in discussions with Swamp when two things startled him. Firstly, there was a second Tome of Omniscience on the first bookshelf of the room''s walls. And secondly, there was a new member of the conclave. Lone and Swamp had decided to call the book that had told Lone about demons and Swamp about a certain mushroom a Tome of Omniscience since it could tell the reader whatever they most needed to know at that moment. Monsieur Librarian hadn''t objected so the name had stuck. More importantly to Lone, however, was the new member of the conclave. The seats at the table were always the same. Monsieur Librarian occupied the table''s head, Lone was always in the seat to Monsieur Librarian''s right while Swamp was to his left. The new member was seated next to Swamp and their outline was a deep scarlet red. They were looking around cautiously and the glowing rosy orbs that represented their eyes spoke of countless calculations. Lone and Swamp had gone over what would happen in the event of a new member joining the conclave with Monsieur Librarian''s silent approval. Lone was the more knowledgeable and well-spoken of the two so he would be the one to greet and introduce the new members to the conclave and what it was all about. "You must be a bit shocked to have fallen asleep only to wake up here. I''m Human, a founding member of the conclave alongside Swamp who you''ll find to your right," the red member had centred its entire focus on Lone, apparently confused and puzzled by his words. Regardless, Lone continued. "At the head of the table, you''ll see Monsieur Librarian. He is our host and he does not actively participate in these meetings that happen once every second sixth sun at midnight. He will answer any questions you might have but be prepared to pay a price in the form of a question you must answer truthfully if he deems the answer you seek to be worthy of knowledge as payment. I''ll demonstrate with three questions. One with an affordable cost, one without an affordable cost, and one he will not answer no matter what." Turning to Monsieur Librarian, Lone asked, "How long is my lifespan?" Monsieur Librarian tapped his chair''s armrest for a moment before his multicoloured face smiled. He was clearly in approval of Lone''s induction methods. "That is a complex question. If you just mean your biological lifespan, that you already know. It is infinite and will always be infinite. If you mean how long will you live, that is an answer that will change the moment I tell you assuming death is somewhere in your future. You will have to tell me the name of the person most precious to you for me to answer the second option." "Thank you, I''ll decline," Lone answered and Monsieur Librarian nodded. Turning to the scarlet-red figure, Lone said, "Now, as you can see, Monsieur Librarian knows I will live forever naturally but he doesn''t know why. He could find out on his own but that would buy me a free complex question. Since I already knew the answer, no payment was asked of me but both you and Swamp learned of my semi-immortality. All answers are given to the entire conclave regardless of who asked them and who paid the price if required. If his curiosity does lead to him learning something outside of your questions he might reward you with a free Tome of Omniscience. I''ll explain what that is in a moment." The red figure spoke for the first time since arriving. A feminine voice escaped their lips, alluding to their gender. "May I attempt the question that is unaffordable and the question that is impossible?" Lone nodded. "Of course. Go ahead. By the way, do you have a name for yourself? Your real name will be unintelligible which is why I am called Human and he is known as Swamp." Swamp moved his head and smiled at the red figure, agreeing with Lone''s words. "A name... Devil will do, I would think," they said, making Lone''s stomach drop. B3: Chapter 24: Simply Impossible and Arrival ''Devil? Is she - assuming they''re a she - a demonkin of some sort? How powerful? A basic devil is a god to demons but the weakest of the devil types. I could take a devil in a fight but that isn''t the real concern here. Does she have a connection to Zel? Is she even a devil at all? Maybe her name is a lie like my own is?'' Lone wondered, having recovered immensely from his initial shock. "Devil sssoundsss interesssting," Swamp commented. "What''sss a devil?" "Not now," Lone replied. "Wait until our new friend has asked her questions, yeah?" "Ah, right. I wonder what ssshe''ll think to asssk for unaffordable and unanssswerable. Your questionsss were ssso interesssting when you were tesssting thisss a few meetingsss ago, Human," Swamp happily said. Lone chuckled while looking at Devil. "As you can likely tell, Swamp is a very honest person." "I do see that. Well, Monsieur Librarian, is it? An unaffordable question... How can I kill ''Her''?" Devil questioned. Lone narrowed his eyes. ''The way she said that reminds me of how Ruldso Redmore wrote about ''Her'' at the end of his journal. He made this ''Her'' sound like an existence even beyond Omni Devils and those are already two ranks above the Arch Devils who can be compared to Divines. How strong is this ''Her'', assuming they''re the same person?'' Monsieur Librarian''s multicoloured figure smiled gently. "You can actually afford the answer to this question. It would cost you every drop of knowledge you currently know and will ever know, and sadly, we do not have the time for you to share such information here. Thus, in an unexpected way, this is an unaffordable question. Do please ask again when you learn of something truly valuable." Lone saw a familiar look flash through the crimson eyes of Devil. It was the same expressions he, himself, had made in this very chamber before. ''She doesn''t believe him.'' "A shame. Then the unanswerable one. That seems obvious. What are the true identities of Human and Swamp?" she asked. Monsieur Librarian shook his head. "I cannot answer that. As much as I would normally be happy to, there are rules during the Conclave of Seekers that cannot be broken, even by the host." "I see. Thank you. Well, Human, did you have anything else to say? If not, I have some questions. What is the purpose of this gathering and how was I even brought here? That should have been impossible given my... circumstances," Devil asked. "The only other thing I need to tell you about is the Tomes of Omniscience," Lone replied before explaining exactly what the book was and what it could do. "Interesting... What one needs to know, huh?" Devil muttered to herself. "And the purpose of all of this?" "The purpose - if you can call it that - of the meetings is just to exchange information. We are seekers of knowledge, at least I think we are. Monsieur Librarian grows stronger the more knowledge we collect and honestly, I enjoy learning about a new perspective from Swamp. His life sounds so interesting. You call yourself Devil so surely you live in the hells, right? I''d love to hear about them." "What about you, Human? Surely you''ll tell me where you''re from before expecting such an answer of me?" Devil asked somewhat coyly. ''Is she trying to manipulate me into giving her a favour? I should stop talking to her but...'' Lone turned to the table''s head. "Monsieur Librarian, can a devil''s nature to trick and entrap anything they interact with work here?" "No, you need not worry about any unwanted bindings, Human," the being of unknown power replied in an absolute tone without requesting payment in exchange. Devil looked startled for a moment while Lone smiled. Swamp just seemed confused. "In that case, I''m from Teresta. I don''t want to get any more specific for my privacy''s sake and my words will likely become unintelligible anyway. Now, which hell do you call home?" Lone asked. After seeing the power of Monsieur Librarian''s Tomes of Omniscience as well as his ability to completely shut out a Primal, he trusted the being''s words so he had nothing to fear from Devil. "Teresta? I''ve never heard of it and I call no hell home. I never have and never will," Devil answered and then their red figure immediately shook as if they were panicking. "What just happened? I did not intend to say that." Swamp nodded slowly. "Lying isssn''t possssible here. We are here to ssshare knowledge and to learn. Human explained thisss to me after he figured it out sssix meetingsss ago. Why gather usss here if Monsssieur Librarian would jussst let usss missssinform one another?" "The way you speak is annoying," Devil said bluntly, clearly entirely uninterested in Swamp as a whole. He didn''t seem to mind as his green figure was still happily smiling. Lone chuckled and said, "I think it''s fascinating since it''s either caused by a cultural norm where he is from or because of the biological make-up of his species. He doesn''t know which since everyone does it where he''s from. By the way, Swamp, do you have any foxes in the Great Swamp?" "What isss a fox?" Swamp asked, innocence in his eyes like always. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
''Devil''. What an amusing word to call herself in this odd place. It should have been impossible- no, beyond impossible. Her body and mind had been inaccessible to her for longer than she could remember, and she could remember a time from before ''Her'' ascension. But all of a sudden, here she was, in this strange ''Conclave of Seekers'' with three impossible beings. Her body was not her own even here in this bizarre setting but her mind had returned with all of its lucidity! She was convinced this was some sort of pre-death hallucination her existence had conjured up. ''She'' must have decided it was finally time to be done with her so a few ridiculous moments of coherency were being conjured up by what little of her essence remained. ''Devil'' took a moment to consider the other occupants of the table that her mind had obviously created. The first, the one sitting at her right, was a humanoid figure made of a glowing green light. He called himself ''Swamp'' and she wasn''t a fan of him. He spoke with an odd lisp and drew out all of his ''s''s. He seemed overly friendly and naive, likely a facade created to build up trust in strangers and earn him pity from fools. The table''s head, Monsieur Librarian, gave her the impression of a living book or perhaps even a living law. He was rigid despite his body being made up of unlimited colours. He was an observer or a repository of knowledge depending on how you treated him. ''Devil'' had met people like that before but she wasn''t interested in them so why her dying moments had made him, she didn''t know. And finally, Human. His body was the same shape as Swamp and Monsieur Librarian''s, but it was made of a blinding golden light. He seemed cautious but eager to glean something important from her. What exactly he hoped to learn, she didn''t know. He was intelligent but not the best at hiding his reactions so he was clearly young. She listened to Human and Swamp converse about the most mundane topic. Foxes, of all things. That all but cemented the notion to her that this wasn''t real. Why would a powerful group that can summon even her mind here discuss something so unimportant? It mattered not. ''Devil'' found herself to be oddly relaxed, a feeling almost foreign to her after so long in absent isolation. Soon, she would wake from this dream and her life would end. It had to be that way. She wished it to be that way. Anything else would be simply impossible.
Lone opened his eyes and saw Soph staring into them with mere inches between their faces. "Hi! So? Are there foxes there?" "Nope, Swamp''s never even heard of anything like our little Kyuubi," Lone replied before he sighed and mentally communicated, ''There''s a new tome and a new member. The new member called themselves Devil and I''m pretty sure they''re a woman but I never asked. She was extremely calm. Almost too calm. Could be a hidden rule of the room that keeps people from freakin'' out, dunno. I wasn''t able to confirm if she''s an actual devil or not so her nickname could be like mine.'' Soph''s smile became a concerned frown. ''Are you worried she''s connected to Zel somehow?'' ''Of course I am. Even if the chance is small since I highly doubt Zel has any influence at all over anything outside of the specific hell he lives in, we can''t rule out the possibility of him knowing Devil and somehow finding out about the meetings, connecting Human to me, and using that against me,'' Lone expressed his worries. Soph''s frown flipped upside down back into a warm smile. She kissed Lone softly and said, ''That''s so unlikely. Keep it in mind but don''t obsess over it, ''kay? You''ve been careful not to let even Swamp know anything specific about you, so don''t be a dummy and just do the same for Devil!'' Lone relaxed a bit thanks to both his always active Meditation and due to Soph''s well-reasoned words. "I love you." Soph grinned and kissed him again. "I love you too!"
Another week came and went without incident. Devil''s existence and membership of the Conclave of Seekers had weighed heavily on Lone''s mind but as advised by Soph, he hadn''t made it his entire focus. He had instead put most of his attention back into his escorting job and his training during the long and scenic travelling through the Great Vine Jungle. The roads were exceptionally well-paved and maintained for a jungle whose trees were as numerous as the stars, as thick as houses, and as tall as skyscrapers. Soph had told Lone that she could see enchantments lining the path''s tiles every dozen or so metres. Lone assumed they helped the road from falling into disrepair and they likely warded off monsters. Ingenious, really, and highly intriguing. With all of the applications of enchanting magic he had encountered in just the past year alone, he was set on learning the school of magic and researching it. Hopefully during his stay in the Crimson Foxkin Clan but if not, there was always The Academy. Before too long, a massive and sprawling settlement became visible as the jungle''s treeline gave way to a clearing that was easily a hundred or so miles in width. This settlement had no walls to protect it and the buildings were, while numerous, spread far apart from one another. Their architectural design and styling seemed almost reminiscent of the ancient Chinese buildings, the sort you would see in a Taiwanese temple on Earth. It was beautiful and inspiring. Two new notifications popped up just as Rodorick left his family''s carriage and announced, "We''re in the territory of the Crimson Foxkin Clan now! Everybody take a break because we''ll have to wait for them to send someone out to greet us! Good job so far everybody, we''re at the final stretch now!" Lone nodded, happy to sit around and check his new notifications alongside his gains during the last week. Soph interrupted him by teleporting to his side and leaning her head on his shoulder. "Do you think they''ll discriminate against me and Sophie here like the dwarves did in the Farwinds?" she asked softly. Lone paused to think before replying, "Probably. Quite a few human nations both small and large allow and encourage slavery and beastkin are a popular target. Breena and I will probably get looked down on too for our awakenings since that''s frowned upon due to the whole immunity to ageing disappearing. Needless to mention Void, who that blue fucker wasn''t a fan of." "I want peace and quiet... I don''t want needless conflict," Soph muttered. "Me too, Soph, me too, but if people come asking me to absorb their skills and stats, I''d be pretty fuckin'' rude to deny ''em, eh?" Lone replied cheek abound in his tone. Soph glanced up at his smile. "I hope we''re both just overthinking. Lossa had yellow-tipped tails, hair, and the centre of her eyes were yellow too, so awakening can''t be too frowned upon here. I can just disprove suspicions against me with hard work... I... I want a safe environment for Kyuubi to come out of The Summoning Room and grow in. I know she doesn''t seem bothered by the darkness in there but, um... surely it''d be nicer for her to lay in the grass, see the sky, breathe the air out here and stuff like that more regularly, right?" Lone could swear he felt his heart growing three sizes upon seeing her earnest expression and hearing her heartfelt words. "Even if we''re not welcome here, I''ll make us welcome. I''ll say this now though, I''m never going to jail again." Soph giggled as she pressed closer into his shoulder before closing her eyes. "Don''t make promises you can''t keep." "Watch me," Lone laughed. When a moment of silence overcame them, he finally did as his instincts had demanded and delved into his notification logs. B3: Chapter 25: 59 More and Guaranteed Countermeasure First came all of the weapon mastery gains.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Warhammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Warhammer Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Hammer Mastery] commonly used by those of great strength who have no need for finesse nor grandiose techniques. All attacks made with a Warhammer have a 15% [+10%] chance to leave the target with a concussion regardless of where they are struck. [New!] Grants the talent [Unyielding Blow]. Say the words [Unyielding Blow] when attacking with a hammer and the host''s attack has a 25% chance to land on the target regardless of the condition of the host or the evasive measures of the target.
Cost: 25% of the host''s maximum SP to perform the talent [Unyielding Blow].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
As planned, Lone had kept his focus exclusively on Warhammer Mastery until it had hit intermediate rank where it would now lay unused for the foreseeable future since he had so many more skills to also get to this point. The active element of the skill was disappointing since it only affected hammers and wasn''t as vaguely applicable as most of his other weapon mastery active effects but not every skill could be a winner. It still felt good to progress with it nonetheless.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Hammer Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Levels in a parent skill were always appreciated given how rare they were and these weren''t the only such levels Lone had earned in the past week.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shortspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shortspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shortspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Shortspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Honestly, Lone had to reprimand himself for not working on his spear and polearm-based weapon masteries first with this new ''get every skill to intermediate rank'' initiative. Still, better late than never so he had started working on Shortspear Mastery.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Spear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Luckily, while training Shortspear Mastery as he sparred against Sophie''s deadly teleporting dual-shortsword barrages alongside her incessant internal barriers that ripped him apart from the inside out, he had gained a brief moment of partial skill enlightenment. It wasn''t enough to earn a new skill or a new skill effect but it did level the parent skill Spear Mastery, so Lone took it as a win and was hopeful for more such moments of clarity in the future. He had no research on the topic besides what Hamish knew about it which was limited at best. Lone was hoping partial skill enlightenment worked much like a dislocation, meaning it would be more likely to happen every consecutive time it occurred. He could only pray for it to be that way, at least. Maybe it would be worth asking about it at the next Conclave of Seekers. Of course, his notification log also contained the less combat-oriented skills that had improved since the meeting with the blue-haired foxkin.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Lockpicking Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Lockpicking Mastery
A skill common among thieves and footpads alike. No good rogue doesn''t have this skill in their arsenal. Boosts the steadiness of the host''s hands by 15% [+10%] and makes it 15% [+10%] more intuitive for the host to pick any and all physical locks.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
A new effect not being granted was expected behaviour for a non-combat-focused skill entering intermediate rank. He was done with this skill now that it had hit this rank and Lone didn''t really want to bother with it until he could try to pick apart magical locks for a useful additional effect. He had swapped into training Acid and Corrosion Resistance in place of Lockpicking Mastery and, while painful, it was easily done thanks to his Creation Magic. Lone had used his Puzzle Locked Mind to scour his memories of high school chemistry lessons and anything else in his past on Earth that could help him make dangerous substances that would trigger the tricky resistances. Some of the toxic goops had almost resulted in his MP sealing up for a bit again since his knowledge, while having a decent foundation, wasn''t nearly vast enough to supplement Creation Magic''s costs. Thankfully, as his MP grew and grew, the risk of over-drafting shrunk ever smaller and smaller. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He almost had enough MP now to be able to create Soph''s ''Jade Stars of the North'' again and it would only result in his mana organs being sealed for 1,000 hours instead of 10,000. His training of the two resistances had been extremely effective. Much more so than the source of the skill: the slimes from Ranton''s sewer system.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Acid Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Acid Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist most types of acid. Most acids that the host comes in contact with shall be weakened by 15% [+10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Corrosion Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Corrosion Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist corrosion. Any corrosion to the skin that the host suffers shall be weakened by 15% [10%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
''59 more skills to push out of beginner rank. It''s gonna be a long stay in the clan, assuming they''ll have us,'' Lone thought with a nod. He spent the rest of the waiting time just resting with Soph at his side. About 15 minutes later a small group of Crimson Foxkin appeared, none with more than a handful of tails and not a single one that had awakened. As far as Lone could tell, their average rank was C with only two B-rankers among them. Rodorick approached them quickly and began conversing, presumably discussing business deals and the like. The sneaky glances that were being tossed Lone and Soph''s way from the group of clan members didn''t escape his notice. Thankfully, Breena was within one of the carriages otherwise she''d have been getting just as much attention as the two of them he suspected. ''They don''t seem malicious which is good. Curious and full of pity is what I get from those gazes. Suspicion for Soph too which is more than reasonable. The dancers are getting their fair share of looks too,'' Lone thought. ''Maybe I really am too paranoid. Well, that and those Azure Foxkin fuckers were really something. Fuckin'' ''Abomination''...'' Things seemed to be going well between Rodorick and the person he was speaking to and before long, the convoy was being ushered into the Crimson Foxkin Clan''s settlement. They were given a five-story pagoda to use during their stay which honestly, Lone thought was beyond awesome. He wouldn''t have any trouble levelling Architecture Mastery in this place with such unique buildings littering the landscape. Rodorick had gathered everyone together on the first floor of their assigned pagoda and announced, "Good job everyone. The journey was a little bit rough this time but we managed to arrive with no deaths, injuries, or lost cargo so it''ll be bonuses abound once the sale goes through. Take some time to wind down. We''ll be here for about a week. Lone, Sofia, Breena, you''re welcome to stay in this building until we leave but your employment ends here. I''ll be sure to file the successful completion of your mission with the local guild branch. Of course, if you''ve changed your mind and would like to continue escorting us to our next destination, I wouldn''t be saying no." A chuckle spread among the merchants and even the routinely beaten and bruised Downtrodden Dancers smiled bitterly. Sure, the training was harsh, almost brutal, but it was incredibly effective. More so than anything they had ever experienced, and it was free to boot. Losing access to a person with such a high level of Teaching Mastery would leave anyone feeling bitter, no matter the pain such training resulted in. "''Ppreciate the offer, but we''ve business here," Lone replied politely to which he received a nod. A few hours later, in a private room of the pagoda Lone, Soph, and Breena, had been assigned, Soph pursed her lips and said, "Um, Lone." "Yeah?" he asked from his lounging position on a sofa, pulling his eyes away from the book that previously had his full attention. "Well, um, I can sense Grimsley and Shana. I can also feel a person who kinda appears like Gilbert but... different. More grey. It''s hard to describe," she confessed. Lone sat up. "His awakening to Death would have changed his mana so that makes sense. They''re here? You''re sure? Since when?" he rapidly asked. Soph smiled wryly. "Since we, uh, since we got here? I wasn''t sure it was them because of the difference in feeling. I forgot about Death. I didn''t want to let you know until we were away from the merchants. Wanna go see them?" "You fuckin'' bet I do," he replied as he sprung up and excitedly placed his hand in Soph''s. She nodded. "Okay. Um, if it is Gilbert, which I can''t guarantee, he''s doing paperwork right now so, uh, I don''t think he''ll be too chuffed to be interrupted... Teleportation."
Gilbert leaned back in his office chair and sighed in contentment. ''The problems here are so much simpler than they were in Ranton''s guild.'' All he had to do here was manage the occasional squabble between the well-meaning but sometimes overboard skirmishing between the different clans that involved the adventurers under his watch, alongside the occasional report of suspicious human activity. Granted, neither task was exactly easy. The skirmishing required a certain tactful approach since while it was arranged and approved of by all of the clans to keep them aware and in top form in case of a real invasion, accidents happened. Feuds were settled inappropriately. Unjust deaths did occur. His racial skill was requested often enough that he needed to be very careful of how he resolved certain situations to prevent further escalation. Humans coming to survey and assumedly plot attacks to capture potential slaves was a headache in its own right but Gilbert was an SS-ranker with enough expertise and skill to be as strong as most lower SSS-rankers so while he was far from the strongest person in the clan, he was a good enough deterrent to prevent any guild members from being affected. This wasn''t a problem for dragonkin so it was a new issue he had to learn how to combat as a political force of the guild and a permanent presence here in the Crimson Foxkin Clan. ''Is it because we''re not fluffy, perhaps? I''d like to say our strength is a deterrent enough for such practices like slavery but let''s be real, people love cute things,'' Gilbert thought with a frown before the absurdity of Lone''s nine massive tails entered his mind, forcing a smile to surface on his lips. Anyway, when compared to how many hundreds of tiny little infractions and disagreements he had to deal with every day back in Ranton... well, he was basically retired here. ''It won''t be too long now before Shana is skilled enough to be labelled an apprentice magi. I need to make arrangements to get her tested and officially certified, but which organisation should we go to for the test? Hmm...'' His pondering was interrupted when he felt a shift in the ambient magic around him. Before he could even properly process what he was seeing, his missing right eye stung fiercely enough to force him to clutch at it when a massive wave of grey smoke emerged from his body and took on a humanoid shape. It then attempted to rush into one of the two people that had appeared in Gilbert''s office. He was powerless to attempt to resist this, let alone stop it. "As fuckin'' if. How stupid can you be to think I didn''t make plans for you, you fuckin'' idiotic Primal?" the boy he thought of as his own flesh and blood sneered as a mass of equally powerful deep purple smoke billowed forth from his shadow to combat the grey mass. "Sorry, Deathy-poo, I made a deal with Loney-boy here so you''ll have to back off for a bit, okay?" a towering figure of pure fear and manipulation uttered as it matched Death''s advance with just enough force to push it back with nothing but amusement in its tone. "Hey, Gilbert, I missed you. Lemme deal with this rude fucker first then we can hug an'' cry an'' all of that shit, yeah? I''ll fix up your eye and reverse any ageing too once I''m done," Lone said casually with a big grin on his lips. Gilbert was left dumbstruck for a moment before he laughed. "Not here for more than a moment and already causing trouble. Well, you''re definitely Lone, that''s for sure." B3: Chapter 26: Fooled and Revelation "Darkness," a chilling tone emerged from Death though it appeared that was just the being''s natural way of talking. "Why do you bar my entry into his body?" "Because he asked me to. I''m going to ignore you now, okay? Loney-boy is the one you have business with, not me. I''m just the bouncer and until you figure things out with the owner, this club is off limits, ol'' buddy ol'' pal," Darkness chuckled. The cloudy grey humanoid figure peered down at Lone who stared back with calculated indifference. "Allow me into your body. I do not wish to fight Darkness, I just wish to satiate my curiosity. If you are worried about awakening, that will not happen." "Now why would you want in my body? Gilbert told me about your deal to save his life. You wanted to be brought to me so you could talk about how I''ve escaped ''certain death'' in your own words. You never said you wanted to poke around in my sensitive areas," Lone stated, to which Gilbert sputtered nervously. Meanwhile, Soph spoke to Lone mentally. ''Are you sure you want to do this? You convinced me and Sophie but... I think we can kill it if we work together. Maybe. Probably? I don''t want another one inside you...'' ''Every ally against Zel will count, willing or otherwise. And I love the confidence. I personally don''t think we could kill a Primal yet but you kinda make me want to try,'' Lone replied to which Soph smiled brightly, but she otherwise nodded and agreed with his plans. Death took a moment to answer but ultimately said, "I lost control of my urges. I did indeed want to simply discuss with you but seeing you in person is far different to watching the fluctuations from afar... Do you know how death works?" Lone raised an eyebrow. He reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out a wolf-skin armchair before placing himself in it. Darkness quickly assumed a position behind the chair to loom over him while Soph occupied his lap. "As much as any other person. Maybe a bit more. When your life ends, you die. This is not always irreversible," Lone answered a bit cryptically, not too keen to give up some of his theorised plans that involved dying. "That is true. I personally like to look at it as stress building while a journey is embarked upon. Eventually, the stress makes any further progress on the journey no longer possible. That is when those who have ended their journeys come to see me and I watch their next step as a passive observer. You are, however, wrong in that death is not always irreversible. Even should you come back from the dead, you did die. The death was not avoided. It happened and was undone but it happened nonetheless," the Primal stated its opinion. "And this relates to you trying to enter my body how...?" Lone asked, not really wanting to debate the philosophy of death right now. The coldness in Death''s tone eased as curious interest took over. "You should have died. You should have died thrice over. You did not die and undid it. You did not die and move on to the next stage of life." ''Wait, there''s a ''next stage''? Like an afterlife? Wonder what that''s like,'' Lone thought in the middle of Death''s words. "You did not masterfully avoid death as so many before you have. No. You should be dead, yet you are not. Do you not know how being a Primal''s avatar works? I shall tell you. It erases the individual from existence as the Primal truly becomes the person they have chosen as their avatar. You, Lone Immortus, should have ceased to exist, a true death, the very moment Void made you its avatar. Again, not much later when Sky did the same to combat Void''s efforts to destroy everything. And again, a third time, when Djinn Harsios forced you to become an avatar for Darkness," Death explained. Darkness shook its head sadly. "Never mess with demigods, especially djinns. Having power over beings stronger than you is unfair..." Lone pursed his lips contemplatively. "That''s news to me. All avatars have turned out that way?" "No, not all avatars. There are avatars for more than just us Primals, but when it does come to us, yes, there has never been a case of a chosen Primal avatar retaining their existential essence. The weight of a Primal is much too heavy to allow such. I wish to know how you accomplished this three times. May I... May I enter your body if you cannot vocalise the reason for this occurring?" Death requested, its politeness no doubt a result of Darkness''s presence. ''Sky doesn''t talk to me, Darkness enjoys talking about me and the meetings, not about itself and its kin. Void isn''t even worth mentioning. Death seems pretty open about these secrets, and they are secrets judging by Gilbert''s surprise,'' Lone concluded. "Okay. You saved Gilbert''s life. Letting you inspect me is the least I can do to repay that, I suppose." An expression of guilt overcame the dragonkin''s face but Death didn''t hesitate. As soon as it had received permission from Lone it dove into his chest, disappearing into his body. Darkness sighed. "I wonder if the others will be so easily fooled? Well, I''ll go shove that idiot into your soul and give them a guided tour. Expect a light pinching. Fingers crossed you get a powerful skill, hmm?" Lone nodded before the figure retreated back into his body. Gilbert creased his brow in confusion. "What? You colluded with Darkness to make yourself an avatar of Death as well?" "Got a powerful new enemy I need to worry about. Need equally as powerful allies and skills to fight the fucker, oh this feels weird. Never been conscious for an awakening or becoming an avatar before," Lone replied, a frown on his face as he felt pins and needles across his entire body. "Was shocked it tried to jump into me immediately. That could have been bad since Darkness didn''t have time to lay its web by then. Took a whole convo to get things prepped." "Will you be okay?" Gilbert asked, worry on his scarred face as he approached and held Lone''s cheeks, slowly moving his head as if that would help him determine his state. "I''m pretty sure, yeah. I''ve talked about it with Darkness a lot. Basic Regeneration prevents anything physical from happening and I think I have an incredibly strong soul. Darkness says it''s seen nothing like it before since it can entrap three Primals, including the most powerful, Void," Lone explained. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Gilbert pursed his lips before letting go of Lone''s face. He looked at Soph and asked, "And you''re okay with this? I worship and respect the Primals but they are entities with unknown motives and unbridled power. I do not want to know what Death may be capable of when it learns it''s been bamboozled." Soph smiled awkwardly. "Um, I am against it. So is Lone. But we need the power an avatar Primal skill will give Lone. Zel''s too strong to turn our nose up at any new source of strength, even if, um, I really don''t like Primals... Treating Lone''s body like they own it..." "Zel? Who''s Zel? Word of you fighting and injuring Prince Keining reached my desk last week so if this ''Zel'' person has you so worried, they must be as strong or stronger than a higher XX-ranker, right?" Gilbert reasoned. Lone clenched his hands in wonder, fully unable to feel his body at all, though he could sense his soul was working to bind and imprison a wildly struggling Death right now. "Arch Devil Zel, the Seventh King of all Demonkin. A being powerful enough to rival Divines. I know his true name and I beat him at his own game. He has information on my unique skills and will likely use that to enlist a powerful devil to kill me since I made sure neither he nor I can interact with one another. He also can''t fuck with anyone I consider a companion," Lone summarised. Gilbert closed his eye and sighed while he squeezed his forehead. "I hate my racial skill. I absolutely despise it. I have letters to write." "What? Letters?" Lone was confused. "Well, I destroyed the communication orb my father left me since I wanted to cut off contact with my family when I left. Letters are the only way I can contact the Shimmerscales Clan now," Gilbert replied. "Well, unless my great-uncle shows up but I have no idea how often he visits the Crimson Foxkin Clan." Soph tilted her head. "Why are you contacting them if you hate them?" "I don''t hate them, I hate their mindsets. And if we''re going to kill an Arch Devil, we need at least a Divine to help us, don''t we? My great-grandfather just so happens to be one such existence. I may have to return to the clan and it may cost quite a lot to buy his favour since family connections can only go so far, but I won''t sit idly when you tell me your life is being endangered by a powerful demonic entity," Gilbert stated, conviction and power in his voice. Lone was in shock. A wave of gratitude overcame him. "Thanks. That would help... That would help a lot. Gimme five more mins to finish dealing with Death and I''ll revoke your cyclops status, yeah?" "Cheeky little bastard. You''d better fix it, I only lost the damned eye trying to protect you," Gilbert laughed.
After Death had been successfully imprisoned within Lone''s soul as planned, he used Full Body Diagnostics on Gilbert and then restored his eye. He also reversed his ageing, resetting the death timer that had slowly been ticking down, so to speak. The grumpy old dragonkin had refused the healing of the scar that had come alongside his blinding, claiming it built character. Lone couldn''t disagree. If Basic Regeneration wasn''t so vehemently against it, Lone would have constructed a couple of lovely scars on his own body to show just how battle-hardened he was. There was always creation magic, but he understood his own body even less than Sofia''s odd eyes so that was a huge risk for something so pointless. Alas, it wasn''t meant to be. He and Soph had returned to the five-story pagoda being lent to Rodorick''s caravan of merchants after saying goodbye to Gilbert. They''d arranged to meet up tomorrow with Grimsley and Shana too. Right now, Lone was reviewing his notification log.
Congratulations! The host has awakened to the Primal, Death. Warning: Awakening four times increases the rate at which the host ages by eight times.
Congratulations! The host has been chosen by the Primal, Death, to be its avatar! Warning: The host may lose their sense of self and be possessed by the Primal, Death, during the assimilation process of becoming Death''s avatar.
The host has developed the Primal skill [Lifespan Revelation].
Primal Skill: Lifespan Revelation
A skill granted to the Avatar of Death. Lifespans are fleeting yet firm, eternal yet finite. The smallest ripple sends waves across the entire ocean that is one''s lifespan. Passively grants the host the ability to see the lifespan of others. The bigger the connection the host has to the target, the vaguer the lifespan shown is. Limit: Restricted to beings at or below the rank of the host.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Repairing Gilbert''s eye and restoring his youth hadn''t come even close to entering an MP overdraft bracket for Creation Magic, which was certainly nice. Lone was a bit scared the man would have secret magical eyes like Sofia''s but that was thankfully an unfounded worry. "How fuckin'' useless," Lone sighed in defeat as he looked at his new Primal skill again. "I allowed another Primal into my soul for this garbage?" ''How dare you,'' the cold voice of Death reeled. ''You will be grateful. I detest this prison you have forced me into but it was my own greed that led me to being fooled by you and that snake of a sibling I have. I will respect you but in return, I expect respect for this skill.'' ''Why?'' Lone responded in his thoughts. ''It''s useless.'' ''Your mind is hard to read thanks to these vaults and... odd cubes. Speak out loud if you wish to communicate,'' Death demanded. Darkness chuckled. ''Come now, It''s rude of us to expect Loney-boy to speak to himself like some fool. It isn''t that hard to navigate his mental defences. He doesn''t even actively block our words. He asked you ''Why? It''s useless.'' by the way.'' ''Hmph. Why, he asks. You assured me he would bring out the full potential of the skill. I made it passive for that very reason. Lifespans are not definitive. The skill description told all already. They can be changed by the slightest of actions. Lifespan Revelation has the potential to interact with lifespans beyond just seeing them. I have given you a tool with so much potential it will far surpass the destructive capabilities of even Void''s Avatar skill. It need only be nurtured,'' Death explained in a displeased tone. ''That''ll hardly help me with fighting an Arch Devil and whatever forces he musters to kill me. Ha-ah... Well, it would have been stupid of me to expect a game-changer since I imprisoned you. Thanks at least for not giving me a completely useless skill, I suppose,'' Lone sighed. Darkness replied, ''I made it very clear to my new cellmate that your soul is a lovely home to cultivate our power within and it would be most unwise to upset the jailer given Mental Destruction''s ever-growing power what with your quick rank-up speed.'' Lone frowned and didn''t respond. It always felt like Darkness was up to something even if the purple being always told the truth. At least, it did as of late. With a final sigh and a shake of the head, Lone left to find Soph and Breena. He wanted to test his new Primal skill and train. He had little else better to do with the rest of his day after this disappointing fiasco. B3: Chapter 27: New Name and Obey "Hello, Lone," Sophie greeted without stopping her sword routine. Clearly, Soph had chosen to give up control to her other self for training purposes. Breena nodded her head lightly, a tiny wisp of freeform fire magic in her palm. "H-Hi, Master Lone." "Hi, girls," Lone replied with a smile as he focused on his new Primal skill. He had half expected a number to be visible about their heads, or perhaps question marks given their closeness to him. Instead, Lifespan Revelation gave Lone the ability to feel an almost imperceptible aura of sorts around them. Sophie''s was nigh invisible and impossible to decipher, clearly a sign of how close she and Lone were to one another. Breena''s was hardly much easier to understand. Lone could just barely glean from her lifespan that it was long, but that was it. Nothing else could be learned like how long, specifically, her lifespan was, nor if her death would be natural or otherwise. The skill was just useless for those whose lifespans he actually cared about.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Lifespan Revelation] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
''Well, maybe it won''t be entirely useless when it ranks up. Restrictions loosen when ranking up so here''s hoping,'' Lone thought optimistically. ''It will be powerful,'' Death stated coldly. Lone ignored his soul''s latest tenant. "Down to help me rank up Greataxe Mastery? It only needs three levels so I bet we can get that whacked out before the sun sets. Anything you want to work on specifically while we do that?" Breena answered first, surprising both him and Sophie. "My f-fire magic. I have a 6% affinity... It''s low b-but I want a skill i-if possible. I''m sorry if it''s a bother..." "I''m down for that. Sure. Why not? You feel free to use up all of your MP to try to condense your raw fire magic into a Fireball. I''ll guide you as I see you do it. Go ahead and overdraw your mana organs too if you can handle it. I can fix that with Creation Magic. When you''re fully tapped out, you can borrow my mana orb. What about you, Sophie? Wanna tell me your magic affinities and work on one?" Lone asked, a teasing eyebrow raised. Sophie snorted. "No. Soph shall do that when she feels she is ready. She would rather focus on Barrier Magic than diversify her skill set. We are inclined to agree. We have no need of weak low-levelled magic skills when we have access to such powerful magic already." Lone sighed. "Fine, your loss. Come slice me up like sashimi then. Not with those swords though, use the ones Wilbur made for you."
"I-I got it!" Breena exclaimed as perhaps the largest smile Lone had ever seen from the teen bloomed on her face. "Fireball!" she invoked excitedly after a few moments of chanting, sending a small ball of concentrated fire hurtling towards Lone. It had been four hours since they began and he was honestly excited to break up the monotony of Sophie getting frustrated by being barely able to penetrate his flesh with her steamforged shortswords. The Fireball exploded against his ribs and an eruption of flames engulfed Lone''s torso. A moment later, it was gone and there was no damage to be seen besides some burn marks on his clothes which he quickly fixed using Creation Magic. "Congrats! I didn''t expect my Teaching Mastery to let you get the skill in one session. Despite your affinity, you must be pretty talented in fire magic, huh?" Lone commented in praise. Breena blushed and lowered her head. "S-Sorry for attacking you... I, uh, got too e-excited..." "It''s fine. It''s what we''re doing here, ain''t it?" Lone laughed. "Now let''s keep practising. I bet you can get it to beginner level two or three before the day''s over." "C-Can I have a minute? Um, even w-with the orb, that spell took most of my MP... I uh, don''t want to push myself too hard since I got the skill now..." Breena spoke honestly and in more words than was usual for her. Lone raised an eyebrow. He didn''t really approve personally. He could undo any damage overtraining might cause. Still, it was her decision to make, not his. "Sure. Sophie, you ready to get Shortsword Mastery to intermediate rank?" Sophie could hear the teasing in his tone so she growled in response and lunged at him, both swords aiming to disconnect his head from his shoulders. Lone laughed as he easily blocked the attack with his basic steel greataxe. It was chipped from the attack but such damage was more than easily restored with but a moment of focus and a trickle of MP. "At this rate, I''ll beat ya to it with a weapon I don''t even care about. You tell me Soph doesn''t want to focus on pointless additional magic types yet here you are taking training time away from her to play with swords." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "We are not playing," she grunted through gritted teeth. Lone stood arrogantly, his greataxe slung over his shoulder as if it didn''t weigh close to 100 kilogrammes. "Prove it, short stuff." "It may be working, you riling us up to push harder, but know this, expect us to bite in the bedroom when you least expect it," Sophie snarled as she lunged at him again. Evasion Mastery kicked in, making him nimbly dodge the attacks. "Hey! This is business! Never mix business and pleasure!" "We shall do as we please when you are pissing us off!" Sophie screamed as two more sword swings rapidly approached his neck. Lone used the pommel of his greataxe to deflect the attacks, intending to knock his lover off-balance when she invoked a skill effect. "Follow Up!" Nothing happened. Lone looked at her and used his free hand to scratch his unsevered neck awkwardly. "Wanna try that again?" Sophie collapsed onto the ground and began panting heavily. Lone could see through her B-ranked aura that she wasn''t dying or anything, so he approached her and raised her head to put it in his lap. "You good?" "Got it to... intermediate," she wheezed. "Follow Up... needs 10,000 SP. We are quite far from... that. It took what it could and... found us lacking. It did not activate." "Yikes. Brutal. I gotta level up then and get to the rank barrier for A-rank, now don''t I?" Lone said with a cheeky smile. "We will... bite a lot," Sophie threatened as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his lap. "Well, c''mon now. Don''t just pass out on me when I only got Greataxe Mastery to beginner level ten..." Lone complained. "You good now, Breena, or are we all out for the count today?" "F-Five more minutes?" the teen asked tentatively. Lone smiled at her and nodded. "Sure. Wanna talk about the clan now that we''re here?" Breena took a seat on the grass next to him and was silent for a bit before replying, "Can... can you not call me by my name while we''re here? I, uh, know that''s a strange request bu-" "The fourth child in line to become the next public leader of the clan was kidnapped alongside the third in line and several other foxkin some ten years ago. It was the largest-scale raid in recent history. The victims were sold in many different human-controlled territories where slavery is legal, one of which being Milindo. Counter raids were performed. Slavery rings were found to be entirely dismantled come morning and many slaves were freed and returned, but not all," Lone said, reciting the information he''d researched on the topic. Breena stared at him in shock. "You knew?" He nodded. "Yup. Was never my place to bring it up though. So, what''s the story? Don''t wanna muddle the puddle of succession? It''s been ten years and you always wear that face mask of yours, so if you use a different name, it would be easy enough to pass yourself off as another victim who was never recovered by the clan. I will say this though, it''s common knowledge when investigating me that I travel with my human lover and my foxkin charge who is named Breena Redtail. I can pay for some blocks to be put in place, however, information networks are anything but loyal. It''ll only take a bit of pushing for your identity to be revealed." "I... I know. I just... I want to know if this is where I want to be first. I... As much as Mistress Sophie doesn''t like me, I-I feel comfortable at your sides..." Breena confessed. Lone grinned and placed a hand on her head to which she didn''t even flinch. "Whatever you choose, you have my full support, though if you do end up choosing to wander around with Soph, Sophie, Kyuubi, and me across Altros, then you''ll be getting training every day and night. I can''t accept a permanent weakness at my side. I love ya like a sister but you''re something of an Achilles'' heel right now." Breena didn''t seem upset by the harsh words. In fact, Lone could see she was smiling under her face mask. "I-I know. I''m ready to learn. Hard work is my talent, right?" "That it is. Ready to put it to the test right now?" Lone asked, raising an eyebrow. "If Sophie won''t get my Greataxe Mastery to intermediate rank, somebody has to." "Y-Yes!" Breena replied. "Um, but, em, what do we call me now?" "Brian would be funny. Briana would be too close to home. Hmm... Let''s go with Sarah. It sounds like a human renamed you so they can''t call you out for not being, say, another unfound victim of the raid ten years ago - I do have a list of names for that, but yeah, unwise to use one at best, dumb at worst. And... it''s the name of the grand guildmaster so it can be a goal. At least until you''re exposed and forced to make a choice. Thoughts?" Lone asked. "S-Sarah Redtail greets Master Lone," Breena bowed her head. Lone laughed. "No need for that shit. Come on. Try to gouge my eyeballs out with your needles or burn my flesh off with your magic. Use your racial skill too. I''ll beat some skill levels into you before the day''s over."
''Why would they summon me now, out of nowhere?'' Lossa Redtail, Matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan thought while she continued down a seemingly endless set of stairs. ''The last time they bothered to acknowledge the clan''s existence was to tell me to prepare a successor since I ''foolishly awakened''. All they do is sit around all day down in their secret pagoda hoping for enlightenment,'' she complained internally. The Elders were insufferable. If they wanted to be a group of secular immortals meditating in the hopes of reaching greater heights, surely they could do so without bothering the common folk like her and her clan. Sure, Lossa recognised that they and their loose connection to the clan is what kept their borders safe. Well, relatively safe. They acted as a great deterrent to keep any powerful nation with a lick of sense from destroying them and the other beastkin clans. She did, however, completely despise The Elders for refusing to react to the human-led raid a decade ago. ''''We will only show our hand when a clan is truly in danger'','' Lossa quoted internally. Bah, they were scared of awakening and losing their immortality, forcing them to rush towards an imperfect enlightenment or even death. Lossa wondered if it would take all of the clans being razed to the ground for them to leave their hidden fortress and re-enter the mortal plane. Still, she was nothing but a dying pawn to them. A dying pawn never fated to enter their ranks, so do their bidding she must. Eventually, Lossa reached the end of the stairs and found herself at a familiar oriental red door that was ten metres tall and eight metres wide. "Lossa Redtail, Child of the Primals and awakened one of Life, greets The Elders and answers their summons," she respectfully greeted, kneeling on the ground and pressing her forehead against the ethereal floor. "An Avatar has entered the clan. Be respectful to him for it seems he retains his personality while harbouring four of the gods within his soul. It somehow evaded you that the new guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild in your designated clan was a vessel in which Death travelled. It, too, now resides in this Avatar. Be wary of the Void within your clan''s new guest. It could do much damage if allowed to. Should any signs emerge that the Avatar wishes harm upon the clans, eliminate them. That is all. The Elders have spoken. You may leave now." Lossa would have grit her teeth in defiance if she could have but that would likely get her killed by her oh-so-gracious and wise ancestors. "As you wish. Lossa Redtail, Child of the Primals and awakened one of Life, hears your words and will obey, Elders." B3: Chapter 28: Internal Strengthening Art and Aura Manifestations The day had ended in success. Breena levelled her Needle Mastery twice and her Fireball once. She sadly wasn''t able to level up her racial skill, Flickering Identity, but still, progress was progress. Lone''s training methods hadn''t changed from when he had taught the teens. He fought her with the intent to kill her, giving her just enough room to use her skills and hitting just lightly enough to not actually kill her. It was a testament to her willpower and determination that no matter how close to dying Breena came she never cried or screamed. She had full faith in him. Faith that was rewarded, quite clearly. Training like this was brutal and barbaric, but it was effective and it would keep one ready to continue fighting even if they lost a limb or ruptured a vital organ in actual combat. Losing a deadly battle due to going into shock over a traumatic injury was surprisingly common according to the history of this world, Lone had found in his studies. He, of course, had finished getting Greataxe Mastery to intermediate rank and Teaching Mastery had even levelled, which was a pleasant surprise given how rarely that skill improved these days. Lone reviewed his notification log while he fried up some breakfast with the caravan''s cooks. They''d still be here for another couple of days so there was no harm in continuing to be friendly with Roderick and his people until they departed.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Greataxe Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Greataxe Mastery
A child skill of the parent skill [Axe Mastery] commonly used by barbarians and those of great Strength to cleave their enemies in two. Greataxes used by the host will cut things 15% [+10%] more easily. [New!] Grants the talent [Heft]. Say the phrase [Heft] and the host''s weapon shall double in weight and triple in power. This talent only lasts for 5 seconds and can only be used once per 6 hours.
Cost: 5,000 SP to use the talent [Heft].
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Teaching Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Passive Skill: Teaching Mastery
A skill that makes teaching concepts 60% [+30%] easier to the unlearned. It also boosts the host¡¯s ability to impart their own insights of skills to others by 60% [+30%]. When teaching free of charge there is a 1% [+0.5%] chance the host will earn a skill their student possesses should their teaching result in a new skill forming in that student. Additionally, when teaching a skill to a student that the student already owns, the host''s version of the skill has a 1% [+0.5%] chance to instantly level up regardless of what level it is at and regardless of any rank-related bottlenecks. These effects are both limited to once per student. [New!] The host can now detect when someone wants to learn something the host has the ability to teach them.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
''Nice! Doubling the chance means it shouldn''t be long before I get a skill from Soph and Breena. A few years, maybe? A single percent is still kinda low since it only rolls when I teach a new skill. The only skills Soph has that I don''t which aren''t unique would be Charm Resistance and Wing Chun Mastery. As for Breena... What skills did she have again?'' Lone wondered. He accessed his mental locks to find the answer that lay within his memories. ''Right. Flickering Identity which I can''t get since it''s racial. Hunger Resistance, Cooking Mastery, Acting and Fireball, all of which I have. That leaves Needle Mastery and Shadow Walker. Hey, Darkness, could I earn Shadow Walker via this method?'' ''I... genuinely do not know. That is a very interesting question. Do test it if given the chance, would you, Loney-boy? I''m beyond invested now that you''ve asked,'' the Primal answered. ''It''s a useful skill and earning Needle Mastery should take no time at all to earn. Just gotta let Breena actually injure me with one of hers. With that out of the way, theoretically, if Teaching Mastery''s additional effect procs, it should give me Shadow Walker,'' Lone surmised. Normally, he would already have Needle Mastery but Breena had always trained with Hamish and on the odd occasion that he had participated in their training, it wasn''t as an active target of her needles. ''You are obsessed with skills,'' Death commented. ''I approve. It is a healthy obsession for you specifically. It can be very deadly to those without your Basic Regeneration but you do have it, so that worry is rendered moot.'' Lone nodded. That was true. Many skills required extreme harm to the host to gain or even just to level, so it wasn''t a particularly safe hobby, gathering and power-levelling skills. ''Speaking of, I should start working on the skill I bought info on in Golden Pass City,'' Lone thought as he recalled said information. Even thinking of it made him excited given the implications. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. All known information about the skill Internal Strengthening Arts shall be displayed. You now have 42,797 credits. Skill name: Internal Strengthening Arts Skill type: Active Skill rarity: 14,543 adventurers have registered this skill. Skill effects: Allows the host to concentrate their energies (be that SP, MP, or any other type of energy) into permanently strengthening their internals (muscles and organs. This skill does not work on bones). Notes: The skill was invented by a summoned hero whose home planet was vastly larger than our own. This planet''s power system was called ''Cultivation'' according to the hero. They had no system. The summoning ritual connection to their world has been erased by that very hero to protect us, according to them. This skill is an accumulation of their knowledge of several similar such ''arts'' back in their home planet, made practicable by all under the guidance of the system. To put this skill into scale, the creator of it has muscles so hard that despite their lithe frame and them only being an XX-ranker at the time of its creation, Grand Guildmaster Sarah could not penetrate more than four centimetres into their flesh. The average user of this skill can typically stop most common weapons with only their skin and clothing being cut during the attack. Skill cost: However much you put into it. Note: Only SP can be used initially, but testing has proven adding additional energies as a source is an easily achievable additional effect. Recorded additional effects: 1. Adding additional energy sources. Each new source will result in a new listed additional effect. This can be done by slowly and very carefully feeling for your source of whatever additional energy and gently pulling it into the channels mentioned in the known methods to acquire the skill. 2. Halving the energy cost for the same effect. This requires delicate and precise energy control. You must actively take part in the skill''s functioning repeatedly while improving the flow of the channels mentioned in the known methods to acquire the skill. This is incredibly difficult. Only 201 of the known people to possess this skill have accomplished this despite thousands having marked down attempts. Known methods to acquire the skill: 1. (Must be a B-ranker or have a very accurate method to detect the metaphysical). Use your aura (or another method) to sense the channels within your body. The creator of the skill called these channels ''meridians''. Every person has at least 12 channels but the exact number per person varies. Some have reported having thousands. More channels make the skill take longer to work but the results are typically better. Be very gentle and careful when trying to learn this skill. The channels can be quite easily repaired by a Soul Oracle but the pain caused by damaging one is enough to make some people end their own lives to stop it. Best known method to level the skill: Actively participate in the skill functioning instead of allowing the skill to do all of the work. This has been known to increase the levelling speed dramatically. The skill only cost 1,000 credits to learn about since it was kind of restrictive to earn. It needed someone to be a B-ranker in most cases to even start trying to learn it, after all. Still, this skill came as a surprise to Lone due to the lore behind it. ''It''s crazy that Cultivation is a thing. I mean, clearly not here but out there somewhere... That''s straight out of a Chinese folk story. That hero''s home planet must be in a different universe with different laws of physics and power, right? Does this confirm that theory? How did someone here connect there with a summoning ritual? Makes me wanna reverse engineer that magic much more than just going back to Earth ever did.'' Lone had the urge to wake Sophie and get her or Soph to teleport him back down into the Farwinds to go meet up with one of his silver-plate examiners, Reld Bellow. One of that man''s adventurer group members was a summoned hero. Were they a dwarf from another universe? Some place so magical and mystical that it had its own set of unique rules like those of this supposed world of Cultivation? The idea fascinated Lone. Still, that could wait. It was a mild fascination but not one worth leaving his current plans to peacefully train and get stronger here in the Crimson Foxkin Clan as they anticipated Arch Devil Zel''s next moves.
The next morning, after some lovely breakfast that Soph had cooked up for them, she, Breena, and Lone, immediately went to training. Gilbert had already said he''d make arrangements for their living space here should the clan welcome them, so there was no reason to do anything right now except to get stronger. Breena was practising her new Fireball spell on a copper dummy of Lone''s while he and Soph manifested their auras, intent on studying them deeply before the both of them attempted to earn Internal Strengthening Arts. When he''d learned about this Cultivation-inspired skill that made one so much more physically sturdy, Lone, of course, had planned for his better half to earn it too. He had directed Soph to copy whatever he did today for her and Sophie''s benefit. She didn''t even have the points needed to buy the information on the skill so she''d need to rely entirely on Lone''s vague guidance. Thankfully, their faith in one another was as strong as it could be so there would be no mistakes born of doubt. ''And besides, when I earn it, I can talk about it freely and then use Teaching Mastery to get her to earn it too. I bet Sophie''ll rescind her whole ''I''ll bite'' shtick when she gets the skill. Heck, my money''s on her being able to develop it even faster than me as soon as she learns how to pump MP through her channels,'' Lone thought before he drew his entire focus into his aura. He had experimented with it a bit before but not extensively, just enough so to satiate his curiosity. Well, and he had tried to forcefully earn the skills Passive Aura Shield and Spirit Limbs - both skills he had learned existed from his first ever time interacting with a credit slate. Each attempt ended in a somewhat explosive failure. Messing around with your aura in a way that wasn''t natural was very, very dangerous, Lone had learned back then. Regardless, he turned to look at his fully formed intangible aura. It was a Golden Fox much like Kyuubi but slimmer and leaner. It was also bigger than a bus. It had been blinded in both eyes and its luscious fur had been stained with its own blood, making it almost mistakable for a Crimson Fox. It had nine tails just as Lone did but four were severed, swaying at only half of their length. Its entire body was covered in scars but there was a strength about it. This beast had endured unimaginable abuse and was only made stronger for it. The manifestation of his aura disturbed Lone. This was why he rarely, if ever, summoned or used it. It wasn''t a new power since he could manifest it after he became a C-ranker, but he just didn''t feel comfortable with the story it told. That was something he would have to get over since aura was such a useful tool when being actively used. ''The last time I brought it out was to try to shield me against the horror, wasn''t it?'' Lone thought. ''That''s when it was blinded...'' The fox that was four metres tall and fifteen metres long snarled at him as if in defiance. It wished to be abused further and made greater as a result, not left discarded on the wayside never to reach its full potential. This sickened Lone because of how accurately it reflected his own mindset. "The fourth fucked up tail is new... There were only three like that the last time I checked," Lone muttered as he turned and looked at Soph''s manifested aura. Her aura took the form of a naked ethereal beauty lacking any distinctive features, be it a face, genitals, or anything really, but somehow, it just gave off the sense of immaculate perfection. It floated peacefully in the fetal position within a clear golden sphere that would stop at nothing to protect its occupant. Lone''s interpretation of Soph''s aura was that she viewed herself as the figure and the sphere as Lone. She, an object of perfection to others but of no substance to herself, is constantly shielded by her lover, him. Soph disagreed but had never voiced what she personally thought it meant. Funnily enough, Sophie had a different manifestation whenever she drew upon her aura, but she wasn''t the one doing the training right now. "Okay, we''re gonna start. You good to begin?" Lone asked. Soph nodded resolutely. "Whatever this is for, I''m ready!" B3: Chapter 29: Soul Pain and Inevitable "Wow, if you''re that eager to learn a new skill... Why don''tcha tell me your magical affinities, hmm?" Lone teased as his aura manifested fox grinned, which was very disturbing. Soph pouted and her floating manifestation spun around in discontent. "No! More magic would be pointless, you said what we''re doing now will make me harder to kill which isn''t pointless." Lone shrugged. "Okay, okay. Well, try your best to figure out everything you can about your aura. Learn how to feel it, how to utilise it, how to move it. Once you think you''ve done that, use it to look inside your own body. You''re looking for ch- Ouch. Too much. You''re looking for veins that aren''t veins? Okay, that works. If you can see them with Mana Sensing, that would be perfect. If you can, focus on them and try to put some power into them, be that your aura, your SP, your MP, whatever." ''The info didn''t say that part because I assume it''s automatic with the aura when you find the channels,'' Lone commented internally. "That sound doable?" Soph nodded. "I think I know what you''re talking about. I''ll give it a go!" She then closed her eyes and began concentrating. Lone did the same, connecting himself to his horrific aura manifestation as much as he could. With his permanently active Meditation, it wasn''t too hard to establish a link between himself and the blood and wound-covered beast. It obviously didn''t resist since it was, after all, just another part of him like an arm or an eye was. It was a representation of his mentality and power given shape. Why would it resist Lone when it was Lone? The fox, when being closely inspected in this way, gave Lone the feeling that were his Basic Regeneration to not fix all signs of damage on his own body that he would look very similar to the poor beast. However, it didn''t view itself as just a ''poor beast'' just as Lone didn''t hold even a sliver of pity for himself either. No, it was a coiled spring ready to release and make use of all of the pain it had earned through its unending endurance at but a moment''s notice. It was full of hatred and a desire for justice, both personal and overreaching, though mostly personal. Lone felt a bond with his aura. Not a new bond forged from this introspective interaction, no, one that had always been there long before he had earned the ability to summon it at C-rank and the new ability to offensively wield the aura that came with being a B-ranker. He needed to understand that offensive capability and essentially attack his own internal structure very carefully and very gently to locate and fill his channels, however many he had. ''Well, a normal person would need to do that. We don''t do careful and gentle around here, do we?'' Lone thought, asking his aura manifestation. The massive fox''s disfigured lips moved as if to laugh before the beast dove straight into Lone''s chest and disappeared. It then rampaged around within his body, causing nigh indescribable pain to him, having clearly found the target of its search, his channels. As it tore through them, Lone gained a new permanent awareness of the channels'' locations, numbers, and states. While it only took the beast perhaps three or four minutes to finish its devastation of Lone''s metaphysical internals, it had felt like decades to him. The pain was unlike any other he had ever felt before to the point he had collapsed and screamed loudly enough to stop all of Soph''s efforts and Breena''s training. Soon, people came running to their location to find just what had caused such a soul-shattered screech to emerge from a person''s throat.
Lone slowly opened his eyes and groaned loudly. ''Well, that was fun. You did that a lot before we met, right?'' Darkness asked. ''Passing out from doing something stupid.'' ''The guild''s info said it would only hurt, not be life-threatening. Fuck. It feels like my body is boiling,'' Lone replied with a grimace. He struggled to even open his eyes. "Lone?! Are you okay?" the voice of Soph asked. He could immediately tell despite his condition that he was in a bed so he''d clearly been moved somewhere to recover, implying his unconsciousness hadn''t been brief. "How long this time?" "Um, only a few hours. I can''t see any injuries on you so when you screamed like that and collapsed... I got scared. Did you, um, at least get the skill? If not, Sophie and me are going to be very, very upset with you..." Soph warned though Lone could hear the love and relief in her tone. "I did what the slate told me to, even if a tad more roughly than expected, so I''d fuckin'' hope so..." Lone said, trying his best to resist the pain coursing through his entire being. "Gimme a sec to check my logs..." Soph nodded and waited in anticipation.
The host has developed the active skill: Internal Strengthening Arts.
Active Skill: Internal Strengthening Arts
A skill foreign to the system that is acquired by those seeking to make themselves incredibly hard to injure. Allows the host to move their own energy through their internal channels to strengthen their organs and muscles. Current level of strengthening: None Amount of internal channels: 27,300
Cost: 27,300 of any energy source per full circulation of the host''s channels.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation have resulted in their active skill [Internal Strengthening Arts] gaining a new effect when otherwise it would not have!
Active Skill: Internal Strengthening Arts
A skill foreign to the system that is acquired by those seeking to make themselves incredibly hard to injure. Allows the host to move their own energy through their internal channels to strengthen their organs and muscles. Current level of strengthening: 0 Amount of internal channels: 27,300 [New!] The host''s internal channels are immune to both aura and soul damage.
Cost: 27,300 of any energy source per full circulation on the host''s channels.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
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The host has developed the passive skill: Soul Pain Resistance.
Passive Skill: Soul Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist soul pains while still being aware of their existence at varying levels based on mastery. All soul pains shall be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
The skill''s level-ups went on and on until finally, they stopped only when the skill had reached advanced level seven.
Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation have resulted in their passive skill [Soul Pain Resistance] gaining a new effect when otherwise it would not have!
Passive Skill: Soul Pain Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist soul pains while still being aware of their existence at varying levels based on mastery. All soul pains shall be weakened by 30% [+25%]. [New!] All soul pain born as a result of injured internal channels will be resisted 50% more by the host [this percentage is multiplicative, not additive.].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 7
''That''s a new one. My soul''s definitely been injured before but I guess never in a way that caused pain? Did the eldritch knowledge I''ve experienced result in injuries to both the soul and mind but only pain in the latter? Must have since this resistance is new,'' Lone concluded. ''Why the additional effect? Honestly, I can barely feel it. My whole body is numb and feels like its on fire at the same time.'' The only reason he was even remotely coherent right now despite the immense soul pain was because of his vast experience enduring physical and mental pains. ''My best guess is that I got it for getting to advanced with the only source of soul pain being from my meridians, or ''internal channels'' as the system calls ''em. Kinda like how I got that extra effect on Teaching Mastery for never charging for my teaching until advanced rank. Useless fuckin'' effect long-term considering what I did made my channels immune to further soul damage,'' Lone surmised as he slowly stood up, which was harder than it seemed given he couldn''t feel his body past the pain. "I got the skill, yup, so this wasn''t a useless scare if that''s of any comfort," Lone finally replied. Soph gave him a hand to stabilise him as she asked, "Are you okay? You''ve never struggled to stand like this before... If Basic Regeneration can''t fix thi-" "It''s soul pain," Lone said, interrupting her worried questions with a smile. Or, at least, he assumed he was smiling. It was hard for him to tell right now. "I got the skill but greatly damaged my internal channels at the same time. I likely need a few days or weeks for them to recover but I can ignore the pain and function as if it isn''t there." ''I got better from my condition after my fight with the eldritch horror so I don''t see why I wouldn''t get better in this case,'' Lone thought. Soph bit her bottom lip in frustration. "I don''t like seeing you in pain. Neither of us do." "I know, but it''ll make me stronger and the stronger I am, the less likely we both are to die, which I think is the better outcome. Where''s Breena and should we expect anyone from the clan or the caravan to come meet us? Are we good to just return to our assigned rooms? Where even are we?" Lone asked in a flurry to distract Soph from her very valid concerns, concerns that he didn''t want to talk about right now. Soph replied, "Breena went back to training after she learned you''d be okay. It, uh, well... Sophie came out and told her her worries were unwanted but in, em, less kind words. We''re in Doctor Shulma''s Medicinal Hall. This is one of the private patient rooms. It, uh, it has enchantments on the walls to prevent sound from escaping. You were screaming in your sleep all the way up to about thirty minutes ago when the screams turned into grunts. We can''t leave until Doctor Shulma says you''re fit to go, but, uh, I could just teleport us away if you want." "No, no, I''ve caused enough trouble by creating a scene. We can wait. I''d love to ask a doctor what kind of skills they have. By the way, the screams likely stopped because my new skill, Soul Pain Resistance, hit advanced rank," Lone said as softly as his condition would allow him. It was honestly a surprise that his lips and tongue were moving as he wished them to considering his lacking control of his regular limbs. The door to the room opened just a moment later. A short foxkin man with two tails and a pair of lower-rimmed glasses sitting atop his perfect nose had pushed open the door with his back and quickly took a seat next to the bed Lone and Soph were standing next to. He had a book of some sort in one hand and a pen in the other. The handsome young-looking man smiled at Lone and Soph before saying, "Remarkable that you can stand at all, even with assistance. What a special guest you are, indeed. To think, a person would allow their aura to ravage their channels with no host input at all. The fact you can even think coherently is a Primals-given miracle. I''m Doctor Shulma. It''s a pleasure to meet you. We have a few small matters to discuss and then you''re free to go if you feel fit enough to do so. Shall we begin?"
In a lifeless space that was blacker than black, darker than darkness, emptier than emptiness, but above all else, hungrier than hunger itself, three sets of golden chains coiled around a figure. A pair of raging eyes slowly peeked open which belonged to this figure. "He hurt himself again and grows stronger still. What a spitting mirror image. Well, if no one else is going to help him fix this, just like last time and the time before that, I will." The eyes closed and Void set about to repair the damage done to Lone''s internal channels at the cost of its own dwindling supply of energy. After all, his avatar had refused to use the gift Void had granted him for its freedom so the Primal had no way to recover, especially with these chains around it. It wasn''t the avatar''s fault. He didn''t have access to the needed resources to use the skill for the longest time and now that he did, he hardly trusted Void. Blame him Void could not, and help him he would. These two things were truer than truth and more inevitable than inevitability. B3: Chapter 30: War Leader and Void Walking "Sure," Lone nodded before he sat down on the bed with Soph''s assistance. "Very good," Doctor Shulma responded. "First, what was it that caused you to attack yourself with your own aura? While not life-threatening, the only purpose I can think of for such a thing would be unpleasant, to say the least." Lone saw no reason to lie. There were few beings Lone would never be untruthful to, one was the entire White Dragonkin race, and another was Little Rinrin. Basically, anything or anyone that could tell the truth from a lie. You would only make yourself look worse to such beings if you weren''t being honest to it. Or at least deceitfully truthful. Another class of people he would never lie to were doctors and healers. If he was putting his health in their hands, as rare as that would ever be required what with how powerful Basic Regeneration was, the least he could do in such circumstances was to be forthcoming. "I was expediting the process of learning a skill," Lone answered. "Rapidly expediting, really." "Oh? Which skill, if you don''t mind my asking?" the doctor followed up. Lone shrugged. "Internal Strengthening Arts." "Ah, that would make some sense," Doctor Shulma noted. "The clan has a handful of warriors with that skill. A useful one, though it''s usually gained much more carefully. Did you succeed?" "Sure did. I plan to carefully train it now that I have it. Do I owe you anything for the treatment, by the way? I know you couldn''t do much but surely your time is valuable," Lone asked. Doctor Shulma shook his head and smiled. "I received news that you''re a valued guest of the clan, and such people need not pay for treatment, even if said treatment is just a comfortable bed and a watchful eye, haha. I would like to ask a few more questions if you don''t mind though. Nothing too personal, of course." Lone didn''t mind even if he would rather be training or doing something else more proactive to distract himself from the soul pain. So he sat there by Soph''s side as he endured agony and answered the questions. Before too long, he was allowed to leave so he quickly made his way back to the pagoda Roderick''s caravan was inhabiting with Soph at his side.
Little Rinrin ran towards Lone and tackled him to little effect. "You''reback!Youscreamedsoloudandwouldn''tstopmovingeventhoughyouweren''tawakeitwasreal-" "Whoa, even if I can understand what you''re saying, slow down, will ya? It was just a training accident. They happen all the time, this one was just a little bit more serious than a bruise or light cut. is all. No need to worry your pretty little head over me. It takes more than something like that to take me out," Lone laughed. The wolfkin girl went silent as she kept hugging him. She tilted her head up to stare at his face before she smiled and her one tail started wagging. "You really think I''m pretty? Daddy and mummy always say I''m pretty but my stupid skill says that even if they mean it, they''re also just being nice." Lone peeled the child off of him and smiled wryly. "Yes, you''re very pretty. Now, go back to your parents'' room and work on controlling your skill, ''kay?" "I know what you''re doing!" Little Rinrin protested. "You''re dismissing me! Dad does it all the time when he''s trading! The stinky old man doesn''t want my skill to get revealed." Soph had given control to Sophie during their journey so the cold woman walked past Lone and the young girl while saying, "Your father is wise regardless of his aroma. You would be wise too to acknowledge a polite dismissal by leaving, not by confronting the one dismissing you." Tears began welling up in Little Rinrin''s eyes and a sigh escaped Lone''s lips as he whispered, "She''s too brutal for her own good." ''One of us has to be. We will be training once you are done complimenting all of the younglings in the clan on their fetching good looks,'' Sophie retorted telepathically. Obviously, she had used her Mana Sensing to eavesdrop on his murmurings. ''She''s a kid. Of course I''d tell her she''s pretty when she asks. You and your jealousy...'' ''We will bite,'' was all Sophie responded with before she rounded a corner and teleported away since Lone could no longer sense her aura. "Well, wanna train your world skill? I''ve got nothing else better to do while I focus on recovery," Lone asked the almost-crying child. "Sophie can be a moody old lady on her own." Little Rinrin sniffled and wiped at her wet eyes before smiling. "Yup! Let''s! But, uh, you said you were fine! Just a bruise or scratch. Why do you need to recover? Areyoudying?Iknewthatscreamwastooloud.Doweneedtocallahealeragain?Butdaddysaidwecan''taffordonesoyou''llneedtopa-" "Oh for fuck''s sake..." Lone sighed. ''I swear to god, if Kyuubi turns out to be a transformed person, she better not be such an annoying kid.''
In a three-story pagoda that was nestled within the military quarters of the Crimson Foxkin Clan, a well-muscled five-tailed foxkin woman was reading war reports that related to the ongoing sanctioned skirmishes with the Azure Foxkin Clan. Her skin was flawlessly unmarked and her features were more than appealing though they weren''t particularly out of the ordinary for a foxkin. She was one of the clan''s few public X-rankers and she was the current war leader for the clan. A skinny man was reading out a list of interesting happenings around the clan''s territories as was his daily duty and one thing in particular caught the war leader''s interest. "The avatar of Void is present in the cla-" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "You''re shitting me," the war leader interjected. The man shook his head. "Not at all, according to this report from the current matriarch. Would you like the details I have on hand or can I continue from where I left off?" "What''s its current rank?" she asked as she started stretching. "B-ran-" "And where is it right now?" she followed up. The man scrunched up his brow. "Please let me finish first before you decide to do anything. I feel like you''re going to make a mess for us." "More of a mess than the fuckin'' Avatar of Void could, and probably is, making? I''ll find ''em myself." The war leader grabbed a powerful sword from behind her desk and then disappeared. The man, Anda Redtail, threw his report on the ground and grit his teeth. "Why is she still allowed to be the war leader when she acts like this?! If we were under attack by the Avatar of Void, of all things, the Elders would have killed it already!" His face fell. "If he dies, what will the Elders do? He''s their guest officially. He lives, and we have a PR disaster. He dies, and the Elders look like fools. Lose-lose... I hate my job. I''ll take the fall for this. I just know I will... Please live, Mister Immortus. At least then, I can be a side character to the war leader''s stupidity."
"You''re an asshole when ya wanna be." Sophie opened her eyes and pulled herself away from her careful internal searching with her aura. She glanced up at Lone and smiled. "Finished with the child, are you? Come to spend time with the moody old lady?" Lone pursed his lips and pointed a finger at her while he shook it up and down. "You and your Mana Sensing eavesdropping... You''re a fuckin'' menace, ya know? Love ya to bits, but you get under my skin sometimes." "It is quite an easy task with my barriers," Sophie teased, quite pleased to see Lone being so bothered by something so minimal. That would distract him from the massive pains his soul was enduring as well as perhaps pull his thoughts away from Arch Devil Zel for a moment, if nothing else. Make no mistakes, Sophie was more than aware of how insurmountable of a threat the demonic man was, but worrying about it at every waking moment wasn''t mentally healthy. She had been down that road already with the false deity who once ruled Earth. Lone rubbed the back of his neck, winced in agony, and then sighed. "Well, looks like I''ll be working on Meditation for the rest of the day. The body is willing to improve other skills but the mind isn''t." Sophie watched him with concealed affection and concern in her eyes as the man she loved sat down on the grassy area she had chosen to do her own training. It was in throwing distance of the actual training area associated with the pagoda Rodorick''s caravan had been assigned - the one that the leech was actively training in right now with a handful of the female adventurer group whose name she saw no reason to remember. "How long do you think it will take before Soul Pain Resistance breaches the barrier to expert rank?" Sophie asked. Lone shrugged. "Dunno. Not too long? It levelled while I was walking over here, so only three more leve-" Sophie panicked. She had no idea how, but someone had snuck up on them. No, not snuck on them, snuck up on her. Lone didn''t have the ability to detect everything that contained magic up to a distance of 10,000 metres, but she did. A shimmering red longsword appeared mere inches from Lone''s neck in mid-swing. It was being held by an incredibly well-built young-looking foxkin woman that Sophie estimated was between an SSS-ranker and an XX-ranker. She didn''t have the time to teleport Lone out of the attack''s way so she, without hesitation and perhaps purely on adrenaline, created hundreds upon hundreds of barriers simultaneously. Not to attack the woman, no. That might kill her, of course, but it wouldn''t stop the momentum of the attack. Sophie had instead attacked the longsword itself. It didn''t even seem to slow as it cut through Lone''s flesh. His neck was half-severed and not ready to fix itself yet but it was at that moment that her barriers had accomplished their mission. The flaming red longsword shattered, sending shrapnel everywhere. Lone could deal with some metal stuck in his body, but getting his neck cut off was specifically something he had said he didn''t want to endure unless unavoidable. Neither of them was sure his Basic Regeneration could save him from that. Sophie watched as the blood cape hanging off of her lover''s shoulders shifted into a bubble shape and bone armour began sprouting from his flesh. ''Good. He is going on the defensive. Then we shall be his ultimate support.'' Sophie blinked her eyes and whispered, "Void Walking." At the same time, the attacker also disappeared and became invisible to her Mana Sensing somehow. ''A high-level illusion spell? Hopefully Lone earns it. It might be useful. Now, you may be able to hide from my ''eyes'', but can you disguise yourself from the ripples?'' It has been a little over two weeks since Lone had received enlightenment and became a B-ranker, consequentially ranking Sophie up in the process. Her unique skill Void Walking had unsealed as a result. Void Walking was an interesting skill. It had revealed a lot about the true nature of the world to Sophie which she didn''t care for personally, but Lone and Soph seemed very interested in it. The former more so than the latter, obviously. The two had spent almost a full day while they were travelling with the caravan experimenting with the skill. Lone knew the most about it, unsurprisingly, with Soph being not too far behind. Sophie''s lack of interest in the deeper workings of the skill had left her knowledge of it also lacking. However, she knew the core functions of Void Walking which is why she had chosen to use it right now. In essence, Void Walking allowed her to step into ''the void''. The void was everywhere according to Lone. It was like a plane of existence that overlapped with the real world and he wondered if its ever-presence was the reason Void was so strong among the Primals. Being able to enter this plane of existence changed the rules. The core rules that bound existence together. Moving a step through the void and then exiting it would result in Sophie having moved a full mile in the real world. People and objects, even the environment in the void, none of it appeared as it was. Instead, everything gave off ripples. Ripples that were not too dissimilar to the colours she could see in her Mana Sensing. The ripples and the colours were not one and the same but they were close enough for it to have only taken Soph, and by proxy, Sophie, three days to learn how to understand them on a surface level. Sophie scanned the pitch-black ripple-flooded environment looking for signs of Lone''s attacker. It took a few seconds but she saw something. A set of ripples overlapping atop another set of ripples, cleverly trying to disguise these under-ripples. "Found you." It would be a drain on her MP to stay in here since the skill consumed 100,000 MP per second but it was safer for her in here than it was out there and besides, she didn''t have the instant firepower Lone did. From in here, even if only for a little under a minute, she could direct his attacks before she would need to be unsummoned for her own safety. ''She is 14 metres to your seven o''clock readying a skill under her illusion. It is something stronger than that neck slash but not strong enough to break one, let alone two, fortress shields, assuming the bone one is the outer layer,'' Sophie relayed. ''Roger Roger,'' Lone replied jokingly as she watched his ripples shift and resonate differently to represent the actions he was taking in response to her intel. Sophie sighed mentally. Could he take this seriously for just a moment? His head had almost been separated from his shoulders. No matter. Now was not the time to distract him with her criticisms. Now was the time to see if she could interact with his attacker''s ripples to kill her. Soph hadn''t been able to affect anything in the real world from the void thus far but Lone was always going on about ''additional effects'' and ''sub skills'' and ''stress is great for skill improvements'', so perhaps now Sophie would earn that ability in place of her meeker self. B3: Chapter 31: Intense Defence and Mage Rage Lone didn''t have time to think about why he was being attacked. Hell, he didn''t even know what his attacker looked like, only that they could evade Sophie''s Mana Sensing somehow and that they were strong enough to ignore his Oaken Flesh and even cut through his spinal bones with their now-destroyed sword. ''Hopefully, it was the sword that was capable of that and not the attacker now that Sophie''s destroyed it,'' Lone thought as he immediately reshaped his Blood Clone cape into a fortress shield and then invoked Bone Armour, leaving one Blood Clone in his bloodstream to aid in any healing should that be needed. ''She is 14 metres to your seven o''clock readying a skill under her illusion. It is something stronger than that neck slash but not strong enough to break one, let alone two, fortress shields, assuming the bone one is the outer layer,'' he heard Sophie say telepathically. ''I don''t have a bone fortress shield ready yet but that can be arranged. The attacker''s a woman and Sophie knows where she is so she must''ve stepped into the void. Quick thinking. I need to finish this fight in half a minute then if the plan is for her to stay there.'' He wasn''t quite sure yet if he should go for the kill or not, but considering the looming threat of Arch Devil Zel, he would go for the kill. He couldn''t show mercy here and risk an even greater threat. ''Roger Roger,'' he replied as he sent a tendril of bones out past his blood shield to create a second, stronger, fortress shield. The moment it had finished forming, he invoked two active skills as he moved towards the location Sophie had instructed him the enemy was currently hiding at, preparing her next attack. "Survivor''s Speed! Ramming Strike!" As soon as he had moved four metres, he invoked a skill effect, "Full Charge!" He barely had the mental processing power to activate another skill the moment he was about to reach the supposed location of his adversary considering how fast he was moving. He was using Ramming Strike which, while only at beginner level one, did the following: When ramming a target with a shield, the host''s speed shall be increased by 5% and the force of the shield on impact with the target shall be multiplied by 2. That, in addition to Full Charge which was being used with the maximum velocity granted by Survivor''s Speed - a skill that multiplied his speed by a factor of 12.5, plus his incredibly high base Agility stat, resulted in Lone, with both of his fortress shields, rocketing towards his directed target at almost the speed of sound. The additional skill he had activated was the only one he had that could allow him to completely ignore the effects of the woman''s illusions. "You!" With the sound of glass shattering, the illusions clouding the woman from existence broke apart, revealing her as she slid dozens of metres back. Lone adjusted the make-up of his fortress shields to allow him to see outside of them. This did technically remove their classifications of fortress shields since they were no longer fully encapsulating spheres, but Lone had no way to look outside of his protective spheres beyond relying on his still burgeoning ability to detect auras. He also needed a line of sight for his next set of moves. ''Need to develop my sight magic so I can see outside of my shields, but for now, you die, Miss Assassin.'' "Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Mental Destruction. Menta-. It isn''t doing anything," Lone remarked. That meant one of three things. This woman was either incredibly resistant to magic-based attacks, soul-based attacks, or both. "Well, that complicates things. Thorny Itch." Wild brambles and thorns sprouted from the nature magic in the air to cover the Crimson Foxkin woman who didn''t seem bothered by them in the slightest. "I guess that tracks. It is only beginner-level-one and is only meant to cause itching. There''s no distracting you, huh?" Lone mumbled as he sunk into thought. He''d already burned through half of his SP during this fight, although his MP reserves were doing much better with only a tenth of them having been spent thus far. SP was very expendable with the recovery bonuses from his two fortress shields but he had to be more frugal with his MP if he wanted to go on the offensive. ''She''s not bothering to use illusions anymore?'' Lone thought as the woman whose aura felt like that of perhaps an X-ranker''s lunged at him covering several dozens of metres of distance in a mere moment. A new shimmering red blade had appeared in her hand as she made to stab Lone with it. He quickly closed off his bones and blood, reforming the fortress shields. A powerful force clashed with the two shells and through his connection with his Bone Armour, Lone felt the outer shield splintering and warring against an attack that would have been fierce enough to breach his defences with absolute ease were it not for the bones'' ability to regenerate. And this was in spite of the 95% damage nullification and 95% weakening of the remaining 5% damage that got through. ''I can''t win this fight unless I draw on Void to use its Primal skill Nothing Vortex to delete her brain or something. If I didn''t fear for her safety, I could unsummon Sophie now and get her to charge up a Barrier Maelstrom- fuck, stop attacking my shields! I''m thinking!'' Lone growled internally. ''If she used her aura on me, I could maybe stab her to death with Tail Spear but she isn''t bothering. Why? That could turn the tides... Fuck. Darkness, Death, any ideas?'' Lone asked. ''To kill her? As you''ve already surmised, Void is probably your best bet. Shame you don''t use cold weapons that much. That fire magic skill of hers will likely rot in your growing arsenal,'' Darkness commented. Death replied, ''Check. See if it is her time. You have no connections with this woman beyond being her target. Her power matters not, you should be able to see her lifespan with some effort. The skill has a matching rank restriction, but such things can be overcome in moments of distress. If it is her time to die, figure out on your own how to accomplish that if you do not wish to use Void. She will die regardless. If it is not, you must be saved or do so yourself somehow. It is that simple.'' Lone cursed internally. Darkness was being useless but at least Death had given him some advice. The only problem was that the woman was hammering his bone fortress shield relentlessly, not giving him a chance to create an opening again to try and see her lifespan. Stolen story; please report. If he created a spot to look out from, he would lose the Fortress Shield Mastery bonuses, and quite frankly, he didn''t trust the Blood Clone shield''s chances against her magical sword. ''Sophie, I need you to teleport me away from her for a moment. Can I safely unsummon you then summon you in my shields with me for that?'' Lone asked. ''Do it,'' Sophie said. ''But wait until Soph tells you to unsummon her. We will be giving control to her and we will force this worthless scum to stop her assault. She will die, but not today. We have both used too many resources already and her immunity to Mental Destruction complicates things. We also cannot affect her ripples despite our rising stress, so we must improvise.'' ''Endure until you''re ready. Easy enough with near-infinite SP, so, Roger Roger,'' Lone replied. "Unsummon Sofia Vladimirovich." Not a moment later, he felt his Bone Armour being penetrated but thankfully, his Blood Clone fortress shield barely stopped whatever force was left behind the attack before it could reach his Bone Armoured form. Flames rushed through the gap in his rapidly closing bone shield, immediately raising the temperate enough to cook Lone alive which added an additional strain to his draining SP as Basic Regeneration worked to keep both him and his bone shield functional. The recovering SP could keep up, but not by much. 5% per second multiplied by two was a lot, but it wasn''t as infinite as Lone would have preferred. The bone shield closed up, fully activating his second Fortress Shield again but the flames were still there and were getting even hotter, boiling his Blood Clone and him within it. He briefly let his Blood Clone open up to allow the magical flames to directly hit him before sealing it up again. His thinking was that this would heavily increase the levelling speed of the relevant resistance and would likely be a more cost-efficient solution for his SP over being indirectly cooked. Lone could barely make out indistinct shouting from outside of his fortress shields as a powerful attack slammed into the side of his bone shield, sending him flying. ''I hope Breena or Rodorick aren''t risking their lives. Or anyone from the convoy, for that matter. They''re far too weak to fight this monster,'' Lone thought as he began chanting two words over and over again to buy more time. "Forced Parry. Forced Parry. Forced Parry. Force Parry..." The talent wouldn''t activate until it actually parried a blow and since he was always wearing a small bone buckler on his wrist, he could use the ability of Buckler Mastery with any shield he was using. Not a moment later, he felt the drain of 5,000 SP and a 24-hour cooldown sinking into place. "Deal with that for a few seconds, ya bitch!" ''I''m ready! Summon me behind your bone shield! I can''t deal with those flames so I need to be outside of the fortresses!'' Soph ordered. "Summon Sophie Vladimirovich," Lone invoked and then immediately felt two things. One, he had been teleported as planned, and two, he experienced more so than sensed an intense magical death looming not far above his head. He ordered his Blood Clone to become a cape again and also ordered the one protecting Soph to encapsulate her in a Fortress Shield thin enough to be seen through but thick enough to still function. Finally, he ordered the Blood Clone in his veins to exit his body and become a tabard, ready to expand into a fortress shield at a moment''s notice that would cover both him and Soph. With that done in the flash of a moment, he retracted his Bone Armour fortress shield into his armoured body. Soph yelled at the rapidly approaching foxkin woman, "Another step and I destroy the entire clan with this!" She was obviously referring to the seven-metre-wide Barrier Maelstrom that could flatten a small city with its raw destructive capabilities. The powerful Crimson Foxkin frowned but she did stop in her tracks, killing all of her momentum somehow. For the first time since appearing and trying to cut off Lone''s head, she spoke, "If I kill you first, that threat disappears." Out of the corner of his eye, Lone saw Breena not too far away in a crumpled heap but he couldn''t see any injuries on her. Her basically non-existent aura had been destroyed so the woman was likely accosted by Breena so she decided to shut her up by overwhelming her with her own aura in an instant. A smart and effectively harmless way to pacify someone, he figured. Lone shook his head. "It really doesn''t. The skill is unblockable and it is already primed. She just needs to direct it. If you kill her, it''ll direct itself. And trust me, you do not want to kill her. My contingencies are for an Arch Devil, but I''ll use ''em on you if you force my hand. And as an aside, the only thing that has stopped me from killing you outright already with my Void Primal skill is that I want to know why you attacked me. I don''t have a skill that can force your corpse to talk, not quite yet anyway. So, wanna doom your clan or wanna get to explainin''?" "Yes, I would appreciate an explanation as well, War Leader Clari," the voice of Gilbert boomed in pure fury and nothing else as he appeared, his robes fluttering in the wind. His two perfect eyes glared at the woman. He was using gravity magic to float down from the sky. "How dare you attack two adventurers unprovoked, one of them being a silver plate and my good friend Lone here being a silver-gold plate adventurer at that. If I don''t get a good explanation, Sofia here will not need to destroy your clan, the guild will do it like it did in Milindo." For the first time since her appearance, the face of the Crimson Foxkin Lone now knew to be called Clari, changed from impassive to disappointed. "You''re trying to tell me the guild accepted the avatar of Void as one of its inner members? You''re a guildmaster. You know what Void is. If you didn''t know he was an Avatar until now, I''ll forgive your words and allow you to join me in killing him. He might actually be a fuckin'' demigod turtle or something under that flesh and not a Golden Foxkin what with how defensively capable he is." At this point, a huge crowd has formed, both from the caravan members since they were right outside of the pagoda they were staying at, as well as from people who had heard the commotion or felt Soph''s intensively powerful maelstrom that still hung in the air menacingly. Lone frowned. "You attacked me for that? Were you born stupid or did you grow into it? If I was an avatar as they normally appear, I would literally be Void. Would Void just peacefully exist in your clan? I''m pretty sure it would have destroyed everything from Milindo to Mystopolis without stopping or just be dead by now, murdered by some powerful deity or Divine or something. For fuck''s sake..." War Leader Clari wore a brief look of uncertainty. "Your racial skill, guildmaster. It forces you to speak the truths you hear when asked about them at the moment of you hearing them if you choose to reply, no? Does he speak the truth?" ''Huh. I never knew that. So White Dragonkin can tell the truth from a lie but it isn''t unconditional. Interesting,'' Lone thought. Gilbert nodded. "He does. Lone Immortus, Immortus the Immortal, B-ranked gold-silver plate adventurer of The Adventurer''s Guild is in perfect control of his mind and at no risk of being an avatar of Void like others have become in the past aeons. To not already know this is a testament to the lacking information-gathering abilities of the Crimson Foxkin Clan as a whole. I expect you to comply entirely with the guild''s investigation into this matter. Purely formal, of course. You have deeply wronged a member of my guild and he will decide the guild''s course of action in this matter since he yet lives." "Earned the title of Immortus the Immortal, I''ll tell you that much," War Leader Clari muttered as she held her neck, dismissed her new flaming sword, and sighed. "I should have let Anda finish reporting. I bet he was gonna tell me this. No way the Elders didn''t know. Fuck." Lone had to resist smiling from ear to ear. The things he could accomplish with such a powerful person deeply indebted to him... Oh, the skills he would be learning, the resistances he would be gaining, the skill level-ups that were bound to come... Not to mention the wall of system notification that already awaited him. At his side, Soph wasn''t smiling. A dark look could be seen in her eyes, a look more belonging to Sophie than her but it was definitely the softer personality in control. Lone was too lost in his own excitement to really take stock of this look or what it really meant. At least, not right now. B3: Chapter 32: No More Hamishes and Skill Level-ups "That and that need to be dealt with," Gilbert stated, pointing to the magical fire that still surrounded Lone''s armoured form and then to Soph''s Barrier Maelstrom. "I can''t so much as detect a hint of magic like a true expert might be able to but even I can feel that thing will kill all of us if it''s let loose." The guildmaster gave the still-burning Lone a measured look and sighed, "Kill most of us," before turning to Soph. "Can you dismiss it in any way? Magic is fun in that the rules are different for different spells." Soph, with her face lacking all emotion, shook her head. "Nope. It has to go somewhere." Gilbert held his face in his hand. "And you, War Leader Clari? The boy''s dealing with intense soul pain already. We''ve established you were decidedly in the wrong so get rid of those flames." "Wait!" Lone interrupted. "Does the skill have a timer? Like, if we just wait, will it go away on its own?" War Leader Clari furrowed her brow. "It does. I can dismiss it but the magic holding the spell together will be spent after an hour." "Keep it up then. I''d be a fool to say no to extra levels in Fire Magic Resistance," Lone replied as he began using Ungrounded to walk up into the air. It wasn''t like the extra pain really made a difference with his torn-up inner channels already making his life a living hell. "You''re crazy..." War Leader Clari muttered. "What''s he doing now? That''s a Primal skill he''s using. I can feel it." Gilbert nodded. "It is a skill from Sky. You don''t need to worry about it. Knowing him, he''s going to help Soph deal with her powerful magic." Once he was about 200 metres up in the air, Lone sent a telepathic message to his shorter but still better half. ''Go ahead and blast me. The flames should make for a pretty easy target to aim at. I''ll throw up two fortress shields as soon as you launch it.'' ''... Okay,'' Soph replied simply, not even protesting the idea. To be fair, this maelstrom was significantly less powerful than the one he had endured when she earned the skill, so her not being too worried made sense. Still, Lone worried that something was off about her attitude. He didn''t have the time to think on the matter, however, as a jade storm of whirring death quickly approached him. He threw up his fortress shields and gritted his teeth. Barrier Maelstrom was unblockable now that it had become a fully-fledged skill so the shields would do little good given his body was the target, but skill experience was skill experience. The hope was that he''d learn to block the unblockable one day, as improbable as that sounded. Lone grunted and suppressed a scream as his fortresses were bypassed like they didn''t even exist - which was sort of the point of Soph''s skill. The Maelstrom stopped moving when it hit his flame-enwreathed form and then proceeded to rip him to shreds. Thankfully, this wasn''t Soph''s full power since she''d used too much MP on Void Walking. A full-power maelstrom needed both his MP and SP to be pumped into Basic Regeneration for him to offset the continual damage as prior testing in the Farwinds had proven. After a few minutes, the magic in Soph''s skill had been spent and Lone had chewed through about a million SP with the help of the SP regeneration his two fortress shields granted him. 5% SP recovered per second per shield was certainly helpful. Rather unceremoniously, Lone dismissed his fortress shields and stopped using Ungrounded, resulting in him plummeting to the grassy plain below, slamming into the earth but not losing his balance. "Well, I''ll be managing these flames for the next hour then." He assumed a crossed-legged position and began pointedly focusing on the ever-active Meditation skill. As he went to close his eyes to clear his mind, he said, "War Leader Clari. You fucked up today. I''ll be sure to make it very clear that that is the case when I claim my due reparations for this attack." The Crimson Foxkin woman scowled and almost spat on the ground before deciding to grunt instead. "Fuckin'' threatened by a B-ranker... A B-ranker who I couldn''t kill. Fuckin'' Immortus the Immortal... That''s so on the nose..." She wandered off, separating the gathered crowd like the Red Sea in her wake. Soph stood at Lone''s back, her assigned Blood Clone shifted into a smaller more condensed sphere that hovered around her head at Lone''s behest. Gilbert ushered the small but noticeable crowd away and said, "Return to your duties and activities, good people of the clan! The guild will be making a formal announcement regarding this situation later this evening and Lone is busy managing the flames left over from the war leader''s ambush! A viewing gallery is not appreciated right now!" Some crowd members looked concerned, some angry, some scheming. There were a lot of different thoughts bouncing between the present parties but they did all leave, though some members of Rodorick''s caravan chose to train, or pretend to train, as they kept a concerned eye on Lone as he sat there. Gilbert ignored them and scooped up the unconscious Breena. "Poor girl. Being overwhelmed by a powerful aura so suddenly can shatter one''s spirit at times... I suspect you''ll be just fine though, won''t you? You''re a strong one. No doubt as a result of accompanying those two for so long." He laid her next to Lone and Soph before he opened his mouth as if to ask Soph a question only to be interrupted by her first. "Don''t. You won''t like the answer." "... Right you are. I guess the reunion with Grimsley and my talented apprentice will have to wait until tomorrow or even later if this whole... mess requires immediate attention from yourselves. I''ll visit you in the morning. We''ll need your statements and Lone''s desired course of action as the victim," the almost four-centuries-old dragonkin said. Soph nodded impassively and replied to the man less than half her age, "See you tomorrow."
As soon as the flames disappeared from Lone''s body, he, with Soph and the still unconscious Breena, returned to their appointed floor in Rodorick''s pagoda. They were, however, approached by the merchant family before getting into their room. The Halbundon - or Silverfang - family were concerned about Lone''s and their own general safety. Thankfully, Little Rinrin''s world skill made it easy to explain that no one was in any danger any longer. Once back in their suite, Lone laid Breena on her bed and tucked her in, hoping she wouldn''t panic much when she woke up from having her aura obliterated by a much more powerful individual. With that done, he went to lie down on his own bed with Soph at his side. "I''m gonna go over my skill gains but before that, are you okay? I noticed you seem a bit... cold," Lone noted. Soph, while in his arms, turned to face Lone and replied, "No more Hamishes." Lone pursed his lips. "I see... That makes sense. And this wasn''t a light situation where you''d just oppose me trying to make an enemy into an ally. That means this is more... drastic. I did agree so I won''t stop you. I assume you won''t do anything stupid that''ll endanger us, but at least wait until I''ve drained her of all value, ''kay? She owes us a lot for that attack. It would be a crying shame for her to disappear with such a large unpaid debt." Soph looked surprised. "You... don''t disapprove?" "I agreed back then, didn''t I? No more Hamishes. And even if I afford people second chances, I won''t force you to do the same. Now, if you try to have the same attitude when all of our lives aren''t this close to ending, well... we''ll see if I''ll fight ya on it," Lone answered. For the first time since before the ambush, a small smile spread across Soph''s lips. She leaned up and pecked Lone. "I love you. Sophie and me can wait. But we have to kill something. I''m just... I''m so angry!" "I get it. If we don''t get held up with official stuff, we''ll do a guild quest tomorrow," Lone said. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Soph nodded. "Mmm! Yeah, let''s! I''m gonna practice my freeform barrier magic since you always take so long with your skill recaps. Let me know, um, if you know... if you wanna do anything else once you''re done..." Noticing the blush spreading across his lover''s expression, Lone smiled wryly and said, "Will do, Princess, will do, but first, how was your first time really going all out with your new MP total? You got a huge boost when I finally hit level 400, right?" As much as he loved Sofia, both emotionally and physically, he was worried if they started enjoying one-another that it would only amplify his growing desire to check his notification log. It was better to prevent any unwanted edging in that regard before giving in to some more carnal desires. "Sophie was the one using it, so I dunno, really. I can try some ideas I''ve been thinking about later though. Maybe during tomorrow''s quest," she replied. "Sounds good," Lone replied with a smile. He then immediately pulled up his notification log. He ordered it to display the skills and skill level-ups. He also grouped all skill level-ups of the same skill together instead of being displayed in the exact order they were earned.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 1.
Active Skill: Oaken Flesh
A skill common among Leshers and other earthly species, though it can sometimes be found in others whose fear of death has allowed them to learn this elusive skill. Allows the host''s skin to become as durable a tree type of their choice, limited by the skill''s rank. Chosen tree: Allocasuarina luehmannii. [New!] The host may now choose magical trees as the target of the above effect.
Cost: 250 SP [-250 SP] per hour. 250 SP [-250 SP] per second if the host''s skin is being attacked.
Mastery: Master Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 2.
''No Decapitation Resistance? That would be a super useful skill but I can only assume it doesn''t exist or the whole head needs to come off. Both upsetting ideas,'' Lone sighed mentally before continuing.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Survivor''s Speed] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Ramming Strike] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
''Well that''s a lot of progress for one use, a use that wasn''t even that effective,'' Lone noted with a pleased nod of the head that was very much so still attached to his shoulders.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [You] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
''Only one level? That''s disappointing,'' Lone commented on Darkness''s skill. The Primal replied, ''An illusion is hardly as difficult to penetrate as a powerful force magic barrier.'' ''My skill was not even used despite the suggestion to take advantage of and develop it, and it is passive unlike yours which is active,'' Death complained. Lone ignored the two godly beings as they began bickering in his mind. He still had more notifications to get through including a handful of new skills, after all.
Congratulations! The host''s active nature magic skill [Thorny Itch] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active nature magic skill [Thorny Itch] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active nature magic skill [Thorny Itch] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active nature magic skill [Thorny Itch] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
''Not many levels here as expected. I did have to stop using the skill early since it wasn''t affecting her. I wonder though... How fuckin'' annoying would Thorny Itch be at expert or master rank?'' he pondered before moving on.
Congratulations! The host''s active unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fortress Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fortress Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fortress Shield Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 4.
''I knew life-or-death fights would be more profitable but that fight was like, only a minute long. Crazy growth. Now for the new skills and Fire Magic Resistance levels...'' Lone thought, excitement welling up within him to see what powerful new tools his most recent adversary had left for him to play with. B3: Chapter 33: New Skills and Eltoros Grave
The host has developed the active fire magic skill [Inferno Armaments].
Active Fire Magic Skill: Inferno Armaments
An expert application of the fire magic school where the caster creates an armament of amplified freeform fire magic, whether generic or a true magic copy of an existing armament. The created armament will be twice as strong as the real armament it is mimicking. Warning! If the host chooses to mimic a particularly powerful armament, they may suffer irreparable harm to their mana organs due to the increased MP cost.
Cost: 5,000 MP. A variable additional MP cost if the host chooses to mimic an existing armament.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Interesting. So it makes a physical weapon that is twice as strong as normal. Her sword was no normal sword, so she had copied some amazing weapon of some sort that was at least twice as strong - likely more due to a higher-ranked skill - as the original. No wonder she almost cut my head off and managed to get past a Bone Armour fortress shield,'' Lone thought. He had to be careful with this skill but not as careful as he was with Creation Magic. That skill sealed his organs, this one just ruined them. ''Irreparable harm'' wasn''t quite so irreparable when you were the current owner of Basic Regeneration.
The host has developed the active fire magic skill [Weakened Stream of Ezekial].
Active Fire Magic Skill: Weakened Stream of Ezekial
An originally demonic application of the fire magic school that has been modified to accommodate those who cannot tolerate infernal flames where the caster creates a stream of all-consuming fire magic. Targets hit by the skill will burn with the weakened flames of Ezekial for 20 minutes.
Cost: 40,000 MP. 40,000 MP to forcefully undo the skill.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''That''s not very descriptive but its source is demonic? Could I wield the original skill since I can undo soul damage somehow? If I master Infernal Flame Resistance... A thought for another day since I couldn''t work on that even if I wanted to right now,'' Lone concluded. The next skill was one he had been trying to obtain for almost half a year now. It should have been an easy grab like most skills but his unkillable nature made it oddly difficult to earn.
The host has developed the passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance].
Passive Skill: Killing Intent Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of killing intent. Killing intent used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
And it levelled and levelled and levelled until, finally, it peaked.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Killing Intent Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Passive Skill: Killing Intent Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of killing intent. Killing intent used on the host will be weakened by 60% [+30%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Expert Level 1
Killing Intent Resistance needed someone to be truly capable of killing you to be earned, and they had to be using killing intent too, which wasn''t something easily controlled. Lone knew there were skills to do that but he certainly hadn''t earned any yet. Self-teaching himself Fortress Shield Mastery had been a huge mistake when it came to learning this resistance. He had come close to earning it when Hamish tried to kill him that one time. Applied stats were scary. However, neither the eldritch horror nor Prince Keining wanted to kill him so they had no such intent. The monstrosity was simply existing while the fight with the prince was a spar. Everything in between had been nowhere close to being able to threaten Lone''s life enough to earn the skill. Thankfully, he now finally had it so he could stop worrying about it and start training it to earn its very powerful additional effects he''d learned about from the credit slate. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lone waited for a few seconds but no additional new skills popped up. He tilted his head, resulting in his cheek resting atop Soph''s head. "Hmm?" she looked up into his eyes. "Something wrong?" "Nah, I''m just a teeny tiny bit disappointed. I only got three new skills, one of which was Killing Intent Resistance. I guess it makes sense. Her illusion magic was cast on her and all of her other spells and skills musta been personal buffs. The only attacks were from her magic swords and the flames that got into my shields. Still, was hoping for a treasure trove," Lone explained. Soph smiled comfortingly. "At least you got a lot of resistances and useful level-ups, right? Especially that annoying killing intent one. You''ll finally stop asking me if the people the intent is coming from can kill you. Did you get any rank ups or two?" Lone smiled back, leaned down, kissed her, and replied, "I''ll find a new way to annoy you. Look forward to it. And yup. Sure did. I''m now that much harder to kill. Only gotta check Fire Magic Resistance then we can train another, harder, skill." Soph blushed and pressed her back into him. "Hurry up then..." Doing as told, he pulled up the last section of his awaiting notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Fire Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Fire Magic. Fire Magic used on the host will be weakened by 30% [+15%].
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fire Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.
Lone licked his lips as he felt a familiar hunger swell up inside of him. "So many levels just for sitting around, focusing on flames..." He glanced down at Soph, and a new desire swept that one away. It was time to train another skill.
"So this is the local guild, huh?" Lone wondered aloud the next morning as he, Sophie, and Breena, entered the establishment. It was rather small compared to the dwarven guilds and absolutely paltry when stacked up against the one they had visited in Golden Pass City. That made sense to Lone. The guild was welcomed in the clans but it wasn''t a big part of the local culture. It was a beautiful oriental building not too dissimilar in design from the pagoda they and the merchant caravan were staying in. It was made entirely from painted timber and the feng shui was palpable. Lone liked it. As little as he knew about architecture, he still tried to take some mental notes. Despite the guild''s relatively lacking presence, there were still a couple dozen people here picking out, turning in, and discussing quests. Most of those people stopped what they were doing to cast their eyes upon Lone''s group. The reactions were as expected. For Lone, there were exclamations of shock at him being a Golden Foxkin, having nine racial traits, and having awakened so many times although no one seemed to know that the black in his features represented Void. For Sophie, there was a lot of scepticism, anger, and fear. However, there was also a fair amount of attitudes that amounted to ''let''s wait and see if she''s like most other humans''. In Breena''s case, try as she might to go unseen, many eyes lingered on her, mostly curious ones as people pondered aloud why she was wearing a mask that covered almost her entire face. They also looked upset to see her having four tails and an awakening at such a young age. ''No one''s whispering about my fight with War Leader Clari,'' Lone noted as he approached a quest board and began browsing with Sophie and Breena. ''Plenty of people crowded around so the fact I was attacked must have been supressed. I wasn''t told to keep my trap shut. I wonder why? Because I was the victim and they don''t want to antagonise me further? Because it won''t sound credible coming from my mouth given my rank? Hmm...'' He pondered over the matter as he gently stretched the muscles in his body. The soul pain has lessened considerably since yesterday. A full night''s sleep had levelled Soul Pain Resistance twice and his energy channels were clearly healing since two levels to a resistance without a rank up in between wouldn''t have given as much noticeable pain relief as he was currently experiencing. ''Do either of you know why my soul is fixing itself? It shouldn''t be doing that, right? First the consequences of going against scripture magic clauses, then the forbidden eldritch knowledge, and now self-inflicted shattering of my energy channels,'' Lone thought, directly addressing his soul''s vocal guests. ''I have a few ideas but you know me, I hate to speak as if speculation is fact. I will reiterate though that your soul is absurdly powerful. Do try to recall that you have no less than four godly beings housed within it, Loney-boy,'' Darkness replied. ''I...'' Death hesitated. ''I think it is Void''s doing. I am incredibly sensitive to the workings of a soul. Those that come to my domain are souls, after all. Your soul is incredible, yes, but it is not your body. It cannot heal itself. I potentially could do it but you know it is not me already since this has happened before. Darkness and Sky are incapable. Void... I know not of its full capabilities. It is more capable than all eight of us true Primals so it is not outside of the realms of possibility for it to possess the ability to restore your soul. I doubt it is Void''s doing. What reason would it have? But the possibility is there.'' Darkness sighed powerfully. ''I concur but I really would have rather you kept that from him. It''s a possibility, not a certainty, and the last thing we want is our precious host coming here and diving down that abyss to look for answers. He may never return.'' ''I don''t want to die,'' Lone mentally scoffed. ''And before you say something like ''your actions, both recent and otherwise, suggest that might not be perfectly honest...'' I know the fuckin'' difference between a near-undying body and a powerful but standard soul.'' ''Please don''t take my fun from me, Loney-boy. It''s unbecoming of you to demean the hobbies of your friends,'' Darkness scolded. Lone laughed derisively. "Friend. As if..." "Is something wrong, Lone?" Sophie questioned. Lone shook his head. "Nah. Just shootin'' shop with my passengers." "Ah. Well, at least you are not entirely talking to yourself. We shall take this quest," she said, pulling off a sheet of paper and showing it to Lone. ''Quest details: The C-rank renewable dungeon Eltoro''s Grave requires clearing to avoid an overspill of monsters. Quest issuer: Clan Assistant Treasurer Jirol Redtail. Requirements: No plate requirement. Prior dungeon experience. B-rank strength or proof of usefulness while clearing the dungeon. Reward: 40% of the rewards granted by the dungeon. 10 silver coins per person.'' Lone raised an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting. We did clear two dungeons in the Farwinds and there was the goblin temple on Goblin Island. Never heard of a renewable dungeon before. Sounds very interesting. Will Breena be fine though?" Sophie raised her chin as if to laugh though her expression remained expressionless. "She will officially be assigned to carrying the loot. You are fine with this, yes, Leech?" Breena didn''t seem phased at all by the casual insult as if she felt it was deserved and she simply nodded. "Well, guess it''s decided then." Lone hated how Sophie treated Breena but it was the best he was going to get out of her. She was worse than him when it came to not caring about those who didn''t matter to him, and for her, no one mattered besides her other self and him. Not even slightly. B3: Chapter 34: Gilberts Message and Pillow or Rug Lone, Sophie, and Breena, approached an employee desk. There were no expedited desks for higher strengths like in Golden Pass City but this place was far less lively so that wasn''t needed just like in Milindo and the Farwinds. "It''s an honour to meet you!" the young Crimson Foxkin woman with one tail who was manning the desk beamed at Lone, her tail wagging furiously all the while. "I mean, your people disappeared a century ago and then you pop out and with nine tails to boot! I''ll be writing about this in my diary, you can count on it! How can I help you?" Lone smiled. That was a pleasant attitude to harbour. "We''d like to register for this quest, please. Sofia and I are B-rankers and little Sarah here will be our porter." "Of course! Can I see your plates, please? I''m sure you know, but I need to register you guys! Unless you''re new? I can sign you up for the guild if you are! There''s not even a test involved to get your wooden plate!" The woman asked, a smile still spread across her face the entire time. Lone leaned over the counter and whispered, "Can I level with you? Sarah here doesn''t want to show her plate. She has former connections to the clan that she doesn''t want brought up. Can I trust that the guild will keep her identity a secret if we show you her plate?" The foxkin seemed startled at their proximity for a moment. Her tail even froze in its tracks. "Gosh, you''re very handsome. And, oh, um, of course! Adventurer privacy is a given! We''re trained to never give out adventurer, staff, or client information even under duress. It''s all in the employee contract." Lone leaned back and gave the employee a warm smile. "I know, I just had to make sure. Here ya go," he said, sliding over his gold-silver plate, Sofia''s silver plate, and Breena''s recently promoted from copper to bronze plate. "Thank you! Just give me a moment to confirm your information to make sure you''re all eligible for this quest!" the peppy employee said before dashing into a backroom. Lone glanced down at Breena. "You don''t mind that I decided to do that, right?" She shook her head. "The guild is, um, the guild can be trusted, that is... It''ll get out eventually anyway... We''re just buying time..." "She called you handsome," Sophie stated coldly, completely shifting topics. Lone laughed and gave her a rugged grin. "''Cause I am. Can''t blame the woman for having eyes." "No, but we could remove them," Sophie threatened. Lone chuckled and leaned down to kiss her which she welcomed. "Don''t get your knickers in such a twist. You can see just as I can that her interest is surface-deep, likely born from my uniqueness, and will never be returned." Sophie grunted in response but seemed otherwise appeased by the kiss. The rest of the guild was in shock at Lone being in a relationship with a human but neither of them paid any mind to that. A few minutes passed before the employee returned. "Good news and bad news! You two being B-rankers and having perfect records means you''re more than allowed to do this quest! Congratulations! Miss, uh, Sarah, right? Miss Sarah here doesn''t meet the needed standards. Can she prove her value for the quest somehow? If not, she won''t be allowed to go, I''m afraid. I also have a message for you, Lone Immortus, from the guildmaster but we''ll get to that after this is settled." "I''m! Um..." Lone was surprised to see Breena speaking up for herself for a first. Surprised and filled with pride. "I''m, um, going to be carrying the rewards from the, um, dungeon. A porter is a useful role, r-right?" The employee smiled brightly. "Of course it is! Heck, in dungeon-oriented towns and cities, porters are a common and very well-respected profession. Not everyone has a dimensional storage item or one big enough for all the loot. Mister Immortus did say you''d fill that role, but I needed to hear it from you. Great job! I''ll just fill out a form or two and then you''ll be on your way! While I do that, Mister Immortus, you don''t mind if I give you the guildmaster''s message, do you?" "Sure. I''m just glad I don''t have to stay here today. I was worried that''d be required given what happened," Lone replied. The employee giggled. "Right? You were unjustly attacked, but you''re a free person! We can''t hold you here against your will. The message is as follows, ahem: "The local elders, not the real Elders - if you know about them - are being very annoying. They''re refusing to accept what happened yesterday as reality. Politics. I''ll sort this out and you''ll get your due recompense, but it could take a few days. I''m also dealing with correspondence from my own clan for our personal matter, so I can''t meet you for a while. If you want to see Grimsley or Shana, here is their address." And that''s about it!" She slipped a sheet of paper with an address and general instructions on how to reach it before saying, "Now you three wait right here! I''ll fill out these forms and go collect a dungeon manual! There are rules that need to be followed in a renewable dungeon, you see. Rules from the Dungeon City Collective, and rules from the dungeon owner, that being the clan itself." ''Huh. Dungeons never really interested me since normal one-time ones just have a flat percentage chance for rare goodies to pop up, though that''s yet to happen with the three we''ve cleared. Maybe renewable ones are different and are highly regulated because of that? Why let adventurer''s clear it though if, what, rare loot is guaranteed? Ack, I''m asking too many questions. Go in, kill shit, level up, get stats, Soph and Sophie get used to their new MP total. Stop overthinking, Lone,'' he chastised himself mentally. A few minutes quickly passed before the employee was done and handed a little booklet that was to be returned once Lone had memorised its content as the party''s leader. The rules essentially boiled down to three points. One, don''t physically harm the dungeon itself. It took an incredibly long amount of time for structural damage to self-repair in a renewable dungeon so damages caused intentionally or otherwise warranted heavy fines. The dungeon wouldn''t activate again until it was fully repaired, after all, which meant lost loot. Two, most dungeon masters for renewable dungeons had already been negotiated with centuries or millennia ago. They could kill intruders but no one was allowed to kill them or the dungeon would collapse. For that promise of non-lethality on the intruders part, the dungeon master was required to increase the amount of loot dropped in the dungeon. Some dungeons were safer than others because of this. It depended on the dungeon master''s personality, but generally, they wouldn''t go out of their way to kill intruders if they had entered a deal with the Dungeon City Collective. And finally, three, a local rule for this specific dungeon was to be kind to the local dungeon master. They were immature despite their immense age due to being a spirit and they were very insecure about their appearance. In had been reported that prior cases of intruders being too brash, dismissive, or demeaning to them, had resulted in the dungeon renewing itself up to 70% slower, meaning less loot and thus less income for the clan. "I wonder who the guide will be..." Breena mumbled to herself as she walked in Lone''s shadow. It was required that a local dungeon keeper would follow them in their efforts to try to prevent any of the rules from being broken though they apparently wouldn''t interfere unless the dungeon''s structure was threatened or it looked like the intruders were going to kill the dungeon master. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The guild employee had told Lone that the dungeon keeper role was generally used for bad eggs to punish them since it was a boring job most days. They weren''t particularly powerful due to this but they held dangerous items to be used in cases of emergencies. "Apparently it''s a local one," Lone said as he held his chin. "Think you might recognise them?" Breena shook her head. "I... I don''t recognise anyone. I, uh, I didn''t even know the clan had a renewable dungeon..." Lone narrowed his eyes and ''hmm''ed. "Is that so..."
''So much nothing,'' Lelta Redtail thought to herself, chin in her hand as she sat outside of Eltoro''s Grave just staring at the rolling hills and incredibly distant pagodas. This job was the worst. You weren''t allowed to train, you weren''t allowed to engage in any hobbies, you just had to sit and guard. The contract magic made sure of that. It was a punishment for those who weren''t exactly the best of contributors to the clan. If nothing else, at least it would end when the group of adventurers who decided to pick up the quest cleared the dungeon. She''d be reassigned then. The problem was that most of the qualified groups were busy with the sanctions skirmishes. Still, good news had arrived via communication orb only a half hour ago. Someone was coming to free her from this position. ''I wonder which group''ll do it this time? Most people are busy with the fighting against those blue bastards, so there can''t be that many option- Wait. Who''s that?'' Coming over a hill Lelta could see two people. One was a very attractive foxkin with way too many tails, way too many awakenings, and much too luscious fur that was seemingly golden. The other was a short female human. Probably. It was hard to tell since she was dressed head-to-toe in armour. Lelta had never actually met a human before but she''d heard the stories and this woman''s figure, while small, fit the description. She got up and grabbed her spear. "Halt! Identify yourselves! Why are you approaching clan property?!" It was probably the group that was going to clear the dungeon, but she''d always wanted to do that. It was so empowering. Lelta had to hold back a smile as she felt adrenaline coursing through her system. The Golden Foxkin smiled at her and replied, "We''re adventurers. We took on the quest to loot this place. I''m gold-silver plate adventurer Immortus the Immortal. These are my companions, silver plate Sophie Vladimirovich, and bronze plate Sarah Redtail." ''A third?'' Lelta narrowed her eyes and barely noticed a small teenaged red-tailed foxkin skulking in the man''s shadow. "Can I see your adventurer plates?" Since the fun of her roleplay was over, it was time to be serious and do as her contract demanded. Without hesitating, the man swiftly and accurately tossed three small bits of metal with chains attached to them her way. Using her free hand, she grabbed them out of the air, inspected them, and nodded. "These look... in order. I guess I''m your guide then? Did you read the manual about the dungeon the guild provides?" Immortus the Immortal nodded. "Sure did." He retrieved their adventurer plates and added, "Shall we hop to it, then? I''m in a bit of a hurry to get at least one level up today. Daylight''s a''burnin'' and there''s stats to be earnin''." "... What?" Lelta was immediately confused.
''What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On?'' Lelta asked herself. She was on the verge of having a crisis of faith, so unbelievable were the things her eyes were being forced to process. Eltoro''s Grave took a normal group helmed by an A-ranker about 12-hours to complete. Closer to half that for an experienced group and about a third longer for worse groups. Hell, Lelta had cleared it herself before with a group and it took then a full 14 hours to do it. The dungeon wasn''t complicated. It was the grave of an X-ranked spirit fox that had passed away of old age. Its spirit lived on after the body failed and it became the dungeon master of its own grave. It loved the clan so even though it had some... personality issues, it didn''t make its dungeon hard or anything. Very little was overly brutal or lethal in here but it still took time and effort to clear. This trio however- no, not ''this trio'', this man. He hadn''t stopped moving ever since they entered the dungeon. The human woman would say the location of a monster even though she couldn''t see it and then the man would blindly follow her instructions and unleash a torrent of various magical spells until the monster was dead. Sometimes, they would enter a room that was filled with crippled enemies, but she didn''t know how they had ended up that way. They all were either missing limbs, were unconscious, or were bleeding profusely from the mouth as if they had internal injuries. The man always cleaned those rooms up without so much as a comment. Immortus the Immortal and the woman would then move on, leaving the corpses for their Crimson Foxkin companion to clean up alongside any loot that popped out or was already present on their arrival, which had happened for almost every encounter so far. This Immortus fellow wouldn''t even wince or so much as look at a monster that didn''t immediately perish to his magic and actually hit him with an attack. It was like he didn''t feel pain at all! One bite from these lesser fox spirits would be enough to make Lelta faint. They targeted more than just your fleshy body, after all, what with them being spirits and all. But this man would just ignore them! A few seconds of being chomped on and his floating balls of blood would pry the beasts off of him and dangle them in the air for them to only helplessly wait for death by magical onslaught. How did he have such an unending stream of magic? What were the two blood spheres floating around him and the one floating around the human''s helmet? It made no sense! Gold-silver plated adventurers were strong, but not this strong! It had only been half an hour but they were already mere minutes away from the boss room on the fourth and final floor of the grave. "Is this... Is this normal?" Lelta asked her fellow Crimson Foxkin softly. The sweating teenager jolted at being addressed. "Um, yes? No? I-It was faster the two times in the, um, Farwinds... Um, sorry? I, uh, what''s normal?" ''The Farwinds? They''ve been to dwarven lands? That sounds awesome! I bet they don''t have boring hills underground,'' Lelta mentally commented, not really paying attention to the girl''s awkward nervousness. "Oh no... Why... It''s so cute!" The female human exclaimed in horror. The Golden Foxkin turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "Well hello, Soph. We gotta beat it up no matter how fluffy it looks." "But... You''ll understand when you see it. It''s right through there," the human said, pointing to the boss room door. "I''m gonna pet it." "If it tries to hurt you, I''ll break its legs," the man replied. The woman who he''d been calling ''Sophie'' up until now but had suddenly decided to give a new pet name stuck her tongue out at him and jogged over to the boss room door. "It would never. Floof heals, it doesn''t harm." Immortus the Immortal held his face in his hand and waved his other hand, resulting in the two blood spheres circling his head to follow the woman as she entered the boss room. Lelta quickly rushed forward to ensure the safety of Eltoro''s spirit. Her job was to make sure the clearing group didn''t kill it and that they only cleared the dungeon but she was more than surprised by what she saw when she entered the boss room. "Ahhhh! I love you! You''re so precious! Who''s a big floofy strong fox, huh? That''s right, you are!" Lelta''s jaw almost hit the floor when she saw that the human was hugging the magical spirit that had once protected the Crimson Foxkin for eons like it was a simple house cat or family dog. What was even more shocking, however, was that instead of acting in anger upon being called ''precious'' like it usually did when being likened to a cute or adorable existence which infuriated it, it was lolling its tongue out and happily accepting the human''s affection as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The foxkin man entered the room with the teenaged porter right behind him. He sighed and muttered, "You and your fuckin'' Luck. Or is it because spirits are sensitive to true emotions? Could be it feels your sincerity and appreciates it. Gotta research spirits more. That guy''s strong. High A-ranker, maybe? Very strong for a C-ranked dungeon. Must be because it''s a benevolent dungeon master..." "You''re so soft! Not as soft as Lone''s tails, but look at you! So much fur! So loveable and squishy! Lone, can we keep him? At least until Kyuubi grows big and strong enough to be ridden?" the woman asked the Golden Foxkin. "Absolutely not," Lelta stepped in. "And it isn''t a ''him''. It is Eltoro, a spirit. It''s... It''s very uncommon for Eltoro to be so friendly with someone here to clear its dungeon, but it cannot leave. It can only exist within this dungeon." "Like Shale and the Farwinds. Bet that could be worked around somehow. Too many possibilities in this world for that to be unchangeable. Anyway, you heard her. Do we beat it up now or can you convince it to let the dungeon be cleared on its own?" Immortus the Immortal asked. "You will, sadly, have to damage it enough to count as it being defeat-"
Congratulations! The host has cleared the [C-rank] Dungeon: [Eltoro''s Grave].
"Thank you! You''re so sweet! I''m glad we didn''t have to hurt you," the human said as she squeezed Eltoro tightly. "This was awesome! We should clear this dungeon more often. You gotta make the dungeon big and strong again so we can meet soon, ''kay? You''re too floofy for this to be our only encounter." "... Would it make for a better pillow or rug?" the Golden Foxkin muttered unhappily, sending shivers down Lelta''s spine. Thankfully, they were magically ejected out of the dungeon before he could act upon those dark ideas. B3: Chapter 35: Dungeon Rewards and So Many Unknowns "I''ll, uh, I''ll take 60% of the loot now. I need to process this before I can give you the verification for completing the quest," the guide whose name Lone still didn''t know said. "Help her, Sarah?" Lone requested, using her fake name, to which the teen nodded. As Breena began pulling things out of her three adventurer''s pouches, Lone sat on the grassy ground and asked Soph, "How''d it go? Did it feel any different having so much more MP to mess around with?" "Kinda?" Soph nodded in an uncertain manner as she took her helmet off and wiped her sweat covered brow. "Stupid armour... I swear, when Armour Creation gets unsealed, I''m making... what did you call it? Air conditioned? I''m making air conditioned armour!" "Hah. Temperature magic is a thing so I''m sure an enchantment of some sort from that school would achieve the same effect. Anyway, spill," Lone replied. "Actually, describe your status for me, please? I could use some perspective on what you''ve been working with for the past two weeks." Soph smiled and obliged, listing out all of the details of her status for him. With ease, Lone mentally pictured what the status screen would have looked like were he to be the one looking at it.
Status
Name: Soph Vladimirovich Sex: Female
Age: 972 Level: 403 [+3]
Species Human Rank: B
HP: 3,500/3,500 [+1,180] SP: 2,453/4,640 [+1,750]
MP: 3,600,431/5,123,590 [+1,434,530]
Basic Stats
Strength: 422 [+121] Vigour: 464 [+175]
Dexterity: 454 [+177] Agility: 555 [+203]
Vitality: 350 [+118] Luck: 263,700 [+89,000]
Secret Stats
Charm: 40 [+12]
Magic Power: 512,359 [+143,453]
"When''s your birthday again?" Lone asked. "In, uh, two months, I think?" Soph replied, unsure as she titled her head. "Why?" "''Cause I''m almost 26 so I figured your age level-up, so to speak, was coming up soon," Lone answered. Soph pouted. "That''s all? No other thoughts about my status?" "Nah, I have other thoughts," Lone laughed. "It''s cute that the status differentiates between you and Sophie in the name section. Your SP almost doubling is great too. Can never have too much stamina. Your HP is still too low to be meaningful in any way really but improvements are improvements. I can see Sophie''s efforts to train your body shining through. You usually get decent improvements from the levels themselves but this just from training? Very impressive indeed." The pout expanded which Lone found to be adorable. "Really? That''s it?" "Well... Soon you''ll have enough Charm for me to get Charm Resistance. Shame I think you''re perfect no matter what so it''s really hard to tell you have that stat..." Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. The pout deflated and Soph''s cheeks burned red. "This is why I have Charm Resistance and you don''t... No thoughts about my MP and Luck?" "I would be surprised if your low HP will ever matter considering how absurdly lucky you continue to grow to be. I don''t think you''ve ever been hit by an attack. I''m hoping you don''t suddenly get any urges to bury a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow or something. It''s going to be crazy if you even learn how to apply that stat... And don''t even get me started on your MP. No wonder Yulia was in awe of you. Over five mil MP? Really? A mana sun indeed. No wonder your maelstrom earlier felt so much stronger." Soph beamed. "Was it that hard to compliment me?" "No, there''s nothing easier, but where''s the fun if I can''t tease you, huh?" Lone replied and laughed as the short woman whom his heart belonged punched him in the arm to no effect. "Sickening," their Crimson Foxkin guide muttered before turning back to Breena. "Are they always like that? And what kind of nonsense are they talking about?" "Huh? Um, em, well, t-they do l-love each other... so... Um... A-Are we done? That was the, em, last of the loot..." Breena replied in a panicked flurry, clearly not wanting to give a proper answer. "Almost. Immortus?" the guide called to which Lone gave her his full attention. "Do you want your 40% of the loot to be in items or cash? If it''s items, you guys will have to pick what you want until it totals 40% of the value. Otherwise, I can give you a clan-sanctioned note that can be turned in to the Pavilion of Treasurers for 40% of the monetary value of everything here based on my estimation." "Just give us whatever looks weird and hard to determine what its use might be without using a skill. I trust your judgement to give us 40% worth of the stuff with that condition," Lone shrugged. The guide furrowed her brow. "Are you two okay with that?" Soph mimicked Lone''s shrug and replied, "He''s the leader." "I-I don''t care about the loot personally..." Breena stated. The guide sighed. "Well, okay, but don''t complain if you don''t like what you get. You sure you don''t want that note for money? This is more loot than what''s normal for Eltoro''s Grave. 40% of this in cash will be quite a lot." "Nah, I''m good. I''ll get more out of random shit anyway," Lone answered, not really choosing to explain that he just wanted stuff to practice his Item Examination skill on.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 10,000 MP base cost. An additional 3,250 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Lone''s MP pool was over three times larger than his SP pool so it just made sense to use that resource even if he could regenerate SP incredibly quickly with a simple Blood Clone fortress shield. A higher cap meant less room for failure in case one of these items needed an insanely pricey cost to be examined for whatever reason.
Magical Hair Pick
The item is a hair pick originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a lesser fox spirit (dungeon variety). It has an unknown magical effect.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
"Wow that is so undescriptive. No monetary value estimation either. Mason''s version of the skill must have a subskill or additional effect for that. Maybe it''s a natural bonus from intermediate rank? Well, I have four more items to check so may as well blast through ''em all," Lone thought. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He looked at the four other items spread out in front of him on the floor of his, Soph, and Breena''s assigned living space and nodded. "Fan next, then the hat, then the dagger, then the paper with the weird rune on it."
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 10,000 MP base cost. An additional 100 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Decorated Fan
The item is a hand fan originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a lesser fox spirit (dungeon variety). It is exquisitely decorated and likely worth quite a lot though it has no magical properties or any specific peculiarities.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
"Huh. Does it really have nothing unique to it, or is my knowledge so lacking that the skill thinks there''s nothing to it since it works off of my knowledge base?" Lone asked himself. "It''s normal," Soph commented from across the room as she focused on a few dozen barriers she was doing tricks with to refine her acute control over them. "That and the dagger have next to no magic in them." "Well, that''s disappointing. At least the hat and paper should be interesting like the comb though," Lone replied before using the skill again on the aforementioned hat.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 10,000 MP base cost. An additional 4,320 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Mysterious Guan
The item is a traditionally-styled hat originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a greater fox spirit (dungeon variety). It has an unknown hidden function that is applied when worn.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
"Yup. Not wearing this until I know exactly what it does, especially since it''s green. Maybe I should find a random monster to test it on?" Lone wondered aloud as he turned his eyes towards the dagger Soph claimed was lacking in magic.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 10,000 MP base cost. An additional 150 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Dragon Jade Dagger
The item is a dagger of pure jade originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a lesser fox spirit (dungeon variety). It is surprisingly robust despite its intricate dragon design handle and despite being made entirely from jade.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Active Skill: Item Examination
An incredibly specialised skill designed to mimic the racial skill of the dwarven species, Stone''s Vision. Allows the host to glean some [up from minute] details about any object it is used on, though the level of detail will be heavily [down from entirely] dependant on the host''s known information and the history behind the item.
Cost: 8,000 SP or MP minimum [-2,000 MP or SP minimum]. More intricate items with more history behind them may require a higher cost.
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
"Oh? Some instead of minute and heavily instead of entirely? Well, I''d be a fool to not test that immediately," Lone said before immediately using the skill on the dagger once again.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 150 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Dragon Jade Dagger
The item is a dagger of pure jade originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a lesser fox spirit (dungeon variety). It is surprisingly robust despite its intricate dragon design handle and despite being made entirely from jade. It is valuable but near-useless in actual combat. A strike to the blade equal to the power an average I-ranker would shatter it in its totality.
"No new levels so it works like Full Body Diagnostics in that regard. Still, that''s definitely more info... What about the magical items thus far?" Lone asked himself, earning an endearing roll of the eyes from Soph who seemed to be enjoying watching him geek out over his new skill while she practiced her barrier magic.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 3,250 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Magical Hair Pick
The item is a hair pick originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a lesser fox spirit (dungeon variety). It is made from an unknown bone. It has an unknown magical effect that is activated when a certain key phrase is uttered. The hair pick must be equipped for this effect to trigger even with the key phrase.
"Ohh that''s way more informative. Made of bones, it needs a key phrase, and it needs to be worn. Fun. And the hat?" Lone asked himself.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 4,320 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Mysterious Guan
The item is a traditionally-styled hat originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a greater fox spirit (dungeon variety). It is made from an unknown cloth. It has an unknown hidden function that is applied when worn. The hidden function is not harmful to the wearer.
"Still not putting it on but that''s cool. What do I have laying around that I could use this skill on for levelling? Well, let''s examine the last dungeon item first, I suppose," Lone decided before invoking the skill on rune-inscribed sheet of paper.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 16,530 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Rune Paper
The item is a piece of parchment with a rune drawn on it originating from the renewing dungeon Eltoro''s Grave. It dropped from a random treasure chest. It is made from an unknown bark. It has an unknown magical use that actives if it is charged with MP. The rune on the parchment is written in an unknown magical language.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
"So many unknowns. I gotta rank up this skill more and I gotta learn more. Soph, reckon I''d get permission to peruse the archives here if I asked nicely?" Lone asked. Soph tilted her head in consideration. "Maybe? I''d give you permission." "I know you would. Well, I still have to scour the libraries and book stores in Golden Pass City. Now, onto what I have in Dimensional Storage that I could use this skill on..." Lone began mentally sifting through his unique skill to see what he wasn''t really familiar with in there to feed his new favourite skill. B3: Chapter 36: Smaller Barriers and Black Invitation Card "Nope, not that. Nope, I made that so I won''t learn anything new. Nope. Nope. Maybe?" Soph smiled to herself. Lone was a real goofball when he wanted to be, getting so enamoured by learning, testing, and levelling skills. Some people would see it as a problem but not Soph or Sophie. They both agreed that they - both her and Lone - needed to be much, much stronger. Soph had two goals to that end while Sophie had one. Soph''s first goal was to unlock some sort of subskill for her Body Manipulation. She wanted to be able to freely control her body''s shape. Lone was right. It being able to change between a child, teen, and an adult, was laughably pathetic for a unique skill. There had to be more to it and she trusted Lone''s firm belief in that. Her other goal was to make smaller barriers. So small that they couldn''t be seen. Soph knew she had been lucky in saving Lone from having his head separated from his body yesterday. The only reason she was able to shatter that red sword with her barriers was because it was made entirely out of fire magic. Her ability to ignore certain restrictions when it came to magic like overcharging skills and creating barriers inside of people seemed to extend to inserting her magic into other people''s magic but not into physical objects. Sophie had brought this concern up to Lone just before they had gone to sleep yesterday after Soph was done... enjoying him. Recalling the brief conversation between her other self and her lover made her sigh. "What if that sword was real?" "What?" "The sword. The one we stopped from decapitating you. We would not have been able to do that were it real and not a magical construct." "Huh. Just make super small barriers? Atom sized barriers. Then expand ''em. That would make anything explode." "What is an atom?" "Ah, fuck. Uh, everything? We''re all made of itty bitty pieces of stuff called atoms. Everything is. Fuck. I was a history teacher, not a science teacher, but basically, if you can make your barriers small enough, you could make them in anything since there are gaps between atoms. I think?" "How helpful. And how would we expand these ''atom sized barriers''?" "A subskill?" "Ah, yes, one of those. Those things that even you struggle to earn. We shall just create one right now." "Look, I''m just offering options! I bet there are a million and one ways for your barriers to shatter that sword in a theoretical situation where it was physical. This is the first one that came to mind. Can we sleep now or need me for any more theory crafting?" "No, that was quite enough. Goodnight Lone." "Love you." "... We love you too." "If only I could see an atom to get an idea for how small one is..." Soph mumbled in frustration. "And I haven''t even made any progress in developing Body Manipulation in almost two years... This must be how Breena feels..."
Lone heard Soph''s muttering but didn''t comment while he pulled items out of his Dimensional Storage. It wasn''t his place to help her here. She would appreciate any words of wisdom he offered but they wouldn''t be of any actual help if given to her. His perspective was of someone with little to no roadblocks in learning skills. It was hard for a poor person to take advice on getting wealthy from someone with billionaire parents, even if they offered sound advice. Not that such a perspective was wrong, really. Still, if Soph wanted to hear his advice again, he''d happily offer it up. Until then, she was on her own. "This should do. Not as big of a spread as I would have liked, honestly," Lone sighed as he finalised his decision. He had withdrawn the massive axe that the Blue Orc Chieftain had almost killed him with, the black invitation card the dwarven X-ranked assassin had gifted him, three random steamforged artefacts that he had pillaged during his militaristic enlistment, and the magical rolling communication orb that Matriarch Lossa had given him to help him find his way to the clan. Lone started with the axe.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 4,300 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Incredibly Large Orcish Axe
The item is made by orcs, for orcs. It formerly belonged to a Blue Orc Chieftain residing within the borders of the small kingdom nation of Milindo. It is made from an unknown metal. It weights 342 kilograms. It has an unknown enchantment on it that allows it to return to the hands of its user.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
"Nice! Didn''t expect two levels when I already know a decent amount about it. Still, what kind of mastery would I earn for using this? Colossal Axe Mastery, maybe?" Lone asked himself as he stored the gargantuan weapon back in his Dimensional Storage.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 1,000 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Black Communication Card of Illicit Origins
The item is a dwarven communication card that doubles as an invitation letter. It was a gift from a powerful assassin who had forsaken his contract and instead decided to give this to his target. It allows entry into several private illegal auctions, markets, meeting spots, and festivals, of the Farwinds. It is linked to one of several thousand master slips and can receive one-way communications from those master slips. It has additional unknown enchantments on it.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Wow, that''s informative. Additional unknown enchantments? Tracking. I bet there''s tracking on it for sure. Soph, can you memorise the magic in this thing in case we run into similar looking magic in the future?" Lone asked. Soph diverted her focus from her barriers and nodded. "Sure. I don''t know which magic on that is tracking it, uh, if one is, but I can keep a mental note of all of its magical colours and feelings. I''ll let you know if I ever detect an exact match in the future?" "Thanks, you''re a star," Lone replied to which he received a sunny smile. He looked at the card and noticed that it had received over a dozen one-way messages so far. That made sense. He had stuffed it in his Dimensional Storage and never paid any attention to it after that. It was still kind of amazing that the messages didn''t get lost in the ether but somehow were able to wait until it was available again to receive the messages. Some of the messages looked interesting but the events tied to them had long since passed. Two recent messages, however, were for upcoming events. An auction and an open market specialising in questionably sourced steamforged artefacts. He made a note of the locations and dates for both, and planned to attend if he could. Lone then shoved the card back into his time-frozen unique skill to block the tracking magic on it, assuming his theory about the unknown enchantments was correct. With that sorted, he quickly moved on to examining the three dwarven artefacts he''d selected. One was was a cat-sized box, one looked like a key of some sort, and the last was a ring.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 120 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Steamforged Box
The item is a steamforged artefact of dwarven origin. It was illegally obtained from a fallen urd by a person undergoing militaristic enlistment. It is a sturdy box. Its purpose is unknown but it seems to be intended for use in daily life.
No level up came from the first artefact. That made sense to Lone. He had no idea what this box could be used for, and at his current mastery, Item Examination could only uncover so much for him. He''d have to take it apart with Wilbur''s mini-steamforge to even try to figure out what it was capable of. Of course, he could always push the obvious ''on'' button but where was the fun in that?
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 1,000 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Steamforged Safe Key
The item is a steamforged artefact of dwarven origin. It was illegally obtained from a fallen krieg by a person undergoing militaristic enlistment. It is one of two keys needed to open a steamforged safe.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
"Oh, that''s cool. Way less mysterious than the box. Guess it''s because it looks like a key so I know what the function is. I wonder if I have the other key and the safe tucked away in my Dimensional Storage?" He rifled through his Puzzle Locked Mind''s memory banks and got his answer. "I have the safe but not the other key. Cool. Well, I know what my first steamforging project will be once we''ve got our own real place to live here in the clan."
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 515 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Steamforged Ring
The item is a steamforged artefact of dwarven origin. It was illegally obtained from a fallen krieg by a person undergoing militaristic enlistment. It is a ring designed for a specific dwarven male''s left thumb finger. It has no special properties or abilities.
"Boring," Lone sighed, tossing the ring and the interesting key back into storage. He had a lot more steamforged artefacts to examine at a later date which he was looking forward to, but for now, he wrapped up this session with the rolling orb. He didn''t have infinite MP, after all, and he had other skills to train today.
The skill [Item Examination] has been used. The host has selected MP as the energy source for the skill. 8,000 MP base cost. An additional 3,200 MP has been charged to examinate the selected item.
Rolling Communication Orb
The item is a mass produced communication orb of the Crimson Foxkin Clan. It was a gift from the matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan. It can be connected to its sister orb via an MP injection. Additionally, it will automatically roll towards its sister orb if left unattended.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Item Examination] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Active Skill: Item Examination
An incredibly specialised skill designed to mimic the racial skill of the dwarven species, Stone''s Vision. Allows the host to glean a decent amount of [up from some] details about any object it is used on, though the level of detail will be very [down from heavily] dependant on the host''s information and the history behind the item.
Cost: 6,000 SP or MP minimum [-2,000 MP or SP minimum]. More intricate items with more history behind them may require a higher cost.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
"Nice. Well, I can play about with the difference ''a decent amount'' and ''very'' give as opposed to ''some'' and ''heavily'' another day. It''s time to get a bunch of skills to intermediate rank. I''m feeling motivated," Lone decided. Soph looked at him and said, "Are you okay? Your, uh, channels? They don''t hurt anymore?" Lone shook his head. "Pain''s still there. It is lessening ever so slightly, but the resistance to it being at advanced-level-ten makes it almost entirely ignorable. Maybe it''ll hit expert tonight? That would be nice." Soph shot him a dazzling smile. "It really would be. Need my help for your training? And what skills are you gonna work on?" "Well... I don''t feel like leaving our room unless we get called for the war leader bullshit, or unless Breena needs us, so no weapon masteries. I was thinking about using Water Gaol to drown myself in an attempt to level it, Water Magic, Drowning, Insanity, Fear, and Torture Resistance. I dunno if it''ll work for Torture Resistance since it''s self-inflicted, and Insanity Resistance might be a long shot too. Might need to fuck with air magic and the oxygen supply to my brain for that one... Thoughts?" Soph''s expression fell, her smile being replaced for a frightening scowl. "I hate you." "I hate me too, but better me levellin'' those skills than circumstances out of our control doing it for me," Lone countered. "I hate you because you''re right," Soph sighed. "Well, if you don''t mind... as much as I and Sophie don''t like it, it would be smart to, uh, practice my barrier magic on you at the same time?" "Oh, for sure! Basic Regen''ll keep me from death via drowning, so it won''t even take any MP or SP. It can easily fix up whatever you need to do too. Might level my Oaken Flesh as a bonus if ya go for the skin. Right, let''s do this!" Lone exclaimed. B3: Chapter 37: Local Elders Decision and Return to the Past "We can''t possibly admit fault in this case. How many times do I have to say it? I understand your position, Guildmaster Elksworth, and I more than respect it, but it would be a huge blow to our public image to be known as the barbarous clan that allowed our war leader to attack a guest sanctioned by The Elders themselves," Second Elder Denlon reiterated. Lossa hated this. She was the public leader of the clan but she had no real power where it really mattered. The local elders ran everything while behind the scenes, the true elders of all clans decided on the actually important matters when it suited them. She was just a dying figurehead and she had to nod her head happily as if she agreed with the consensus of both idiotic groups. Guildmaster Elksworth glowered. His perfectly youthful skin and unexplained new functional eye painted an intimidating figure. She wasn''t sure if she could beat him in a fight but he was, like her, one of the weakest people in the room right now so it showed true grit to be able to display such unadulterated distaste. "I will not sing this song nor dance this dance again. The last time I bit my tongue and hoped for the best in regards to Lone, Milindo''s ruling class and armies were decimated in a moment by Sloth, only after the poor boy had endured months of physical and mental torture. I fear if he is mistreated here, Grand Guildmaster Sarah won''t even need to send a top-class adventurer to enact punishment. The lad was able to fend off the most powerful member of your clan on his own, and he only grew stronger from the vicious unprompted assault," the White Dragonkin insinuated. First Elder Lelgu furrowed her brow. "Is that a threat?" Lossa watched the guildmaster''s expression turn from one of anger to that of pity. "I''m done here. You want to mistreat him? Look forward to what he might do on his own. I swear on my position that the guild will not interfere one way or the other. We''d only get in his way and he is fully justified in any retaliatory actions he chooses to take against your clan for this inexcusable attack and inaction to rectify it." The man roughly the same age as Lossa calmly walked out of the Hall of Elders with his hands held behind his back. "... That was very unprofessional of him. Doesn''t he understand what it''s like in a clan, coming from one himself? I understand he is youthful, but that was far, far, too immature," Fourth Elder Senso sighed into his hand. "Matriarch Lossa," First Elder Lelgu turned to look at her from his most-respected seat at this meeting. "You know the Void-touched ninetails, yes? I recall hearing you encountered him while investigating those unfounded rumours of a Golden Foxkin infant in that insubstantial human kingdom the guildmaster mentioned. Do you think you could talk to him as an acquaintance? Let him know our position and offer him something to keep this all silent?" "I..." Lossa felt the glare of her grandmother, Seventh Elder Teesta. "Of course, I could try. I do not know what we could offer, however. My meeting with him was very brief. I do recall he wished to stay here, but that conversation happened over a year ago." "This is simple then. The true elders wish for us to host him as a guest, so this will cost us nothing. Offer him one of the Spirit Pavilions as a home as well as a stipend of five gold a month. That way, we compensate him for the attack of Clari''s while also doing as The Elders ordered," Third Elder Hilas suggested. The other elders nodded, agreeing it was a good idea to resolve the incident. "Then it''s decided," First Elder Lelgu stated. "I expect this matter to be taken care of by the end of the day." "Of course, First Elder," Lossa replied as she bit back the words threatening to creep out of mouth. She wasn''t as bold nor as brave as Guildmaster Elksworth, though she sometimes wished she was.
"Ah, Caravan Leader Halbundon. I''m glad to see you enjoying the pagoda you were assigned. I trust everything is going well with your trading negotiations?" Lossa asked the Flint Wolfkin who she knew to be in charge of the group that had been escorted here by Lone and his companions. The wolfkin was watching his daughter play in the grass with some insects alongside her mother while he went over some paperwork at a bench. "Ah, Matriarch Lossa. What an honour. Please, call me Esto. My non-beastkin moniker isn''t needed among friends. What brings you here? I trust there are no issues with the cargo we sold to the clan nor with what we intend to buy?" "Oh, of course not. I wanted to know where I might find Lone Immortus? He''s an acquaintance of mine and I''d very much so love to catch up with him," she replied honestly. Lying to a merchant, especially a skilled one, was as good as lying to a White Dragonkin sometimes. Merchants were known to have some rather annoying passive skills in their repertoire. Esto''s expression soured, clearly not liking the topic of this conversation but he soon smiled politely again. "He should be recovering in his room with his life-partner on the fifth floor. He did damage his soul or something to that effect quite recently. I''m not well-versed in these matters as a humble merchant. I will note, however, that this injury happened before the attack, of course. If you''re here to offer him your well wishes, I''d be happy to do so on your behalf." Lossa''s expression stiffened for the slightest of moments. ''I didn''t know that. He was enduring soul pains while he fended off War Leader Clari? Just how frighteningly powerful have you become since we last met? And life-partner? Ah! The human Guildmaster Elksworth mentioned once or twice during our meetings... I doubt he''ll be chatting with me so nicely in the future as we used to given the new tension created by those shitty elders...'' "I''d love that but I do also, like I said, wish to catch up with him. Is he incapacitated? I''d hate to impose on him if so but surely a conversation couldn''t hurt," Lossa asked. Esto was clearly preparing to reject her again and offer to do what she wanted in her stead when his very young daughter stopped him from doing so. "She can''t hurt him. He''s too strong. Stop being silly, Daddy. Just let her do what she needs to do," the small Flint Wolfkin said. Looking to his wife who gave him a stern look, the merchant leader deflated and said, "His room is the third from the left of the stairs once you reach the fifth floor." "Thank you. I completely understand your protectiveness but I truly am an old friend and I do not condone what War Leader Clari did," Lossa stated before bowing and leaving to enter the pagoda. She heard the wolfkin family talk to each other as soon as she had left their sight. "Why did you try and stop her, you idiot?! She''s an SS-ranker! Lone can handle himself against an X-ranker. Even if she does mean him harm, she''d not be successful." "Mummy''s right. You can be really silly, Daddy. And why did you let her call you your real name but you still don''t let Mister Lone do the same?" "He hasn''t earned it! Remember, he threw you up into the air, Dear." "You are unbelievable sometimes, Esto." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lossa shook her head and smiled. She envied such a warm, close relationship. Given her position, she wasn''t afforded such. Before long, she had made her way to the door of the room the merchant leader had pointed out to her. Clearing her throat softly, she knocked but got no response. She waited for a moment before softly saying, "I''m coming in now. I have some things to discuss with you, Lone, so I do apologise if I''m impos- What in the name of all the Primals is going on in here?!"
Existential dread. It was easy sometimes to forgot how essential breathing was. It didn''t occur to Lone that he was the one actively drowning himself with his magic right now. All he could really feel was just that, existential dread. He knew deep down that his Basic Regeneration would prevent him from dying but the... focus and clarity that came with the pain and horror of drowning was unfamiliar to him. When he had earned Water Gaol, the experience had only lasted a few seconds. Barely long enough for Lone to earn Drowning Resistance before the mage had run out of mana points. Now, however... he had been violently sputtering and choking on an endless supply of his own magical water only for more to enter his lungs for... he didn''t know how long. Had it been hours now? Lone considered that as a feeling of unparalleled horror entered his mind. ''Why do I think I''m Lone?'' That wasn''t right. He wasn''t his character from Paradox Online. Sure, he was drowning and likely about to die, but he knew who he was. He was Darren McCullen through and through. Darren considered if he''d fallen asleep in the tub and if these were his final thoughts before everything turned to black. Or perhaps there was something after death, something nicer. Something better than this waste of a life he''d lived so far. There had to be something... Suddenly, he was ripped from his eventual fate as he felt himself collapse onto a wooden oriental-styled floor. He vomited out several litres of water rather violently as he felt several massive wounds on his body closing up. "I never owned a tub back in Arlith," Lone muttered as he came back to his senses. "I had a shower..." "Are you okay?! And did she just... teleport? How? Why was she attacking you and why were you suspended in a water magic spell staring blankly as if you were already dead?!" a somewhat familiar voice demanded answers. Lone wobbled up to his feet and located Soph with his eyes. "Fuck, you''re beautiful. I am so fuckin'' lucky to have you." He hobbled over to her, still drenched head to toe, wrapped her up in a hug, and then kissed her with more passion than he had ever done so before. A heated look entered her eyes as she muttered, "Maybe you should drown yourself more often... But, em, you, eh, have a guest? She knocked but we were busy... I thought she''d leave but she just kinda walked in..." "I need an explanation, now!" Lossa Redtail, matriarch of the Crimson Foxkin Clan, demanded. Lone separated from the love of his life as he finally looked at the Life-touched foxkin. "In a minute. Lemme take a seat and check my notification log first. Ever drowned for..." He looked at Soph for assistance. "Oh, uh, 15 minutes," she happily answered his glance with a smile. "Ever drowned for 15 minutes before? It''ll make you separate yourself from the world like nothin'' else. Totally forgot Soph was hammerin'' me with her magic and I nearly fuckin'' forgot myself, so yeah, gimme a minute," Lone said, not waiting for an answer as he just sat there on the floor with his legs crossed. "I really don''t think that''s a suff-" Soph interrupted her. "Please let him do what he wants. We''re in your clan, yes, but this is our room. You''re invading our privacy so, um, please just let him indulge in his favourite hobby. Well, second favourite... I''m the favourite..." Lone smiled slightly before tuning the two women out. Soph seemed to have a good handle of the situation so he opened up his notification log without any further hesitation. Of course, he grouped all level ups by skill and not by the time they were earned. First came Water Gaol.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
And it kept going and going and going until it stopped at advanced-level-one.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active water magic skill [Water Gaol] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Congratulations! Due to the host using it on themselves with the full intent of drowning without holding anything back, the water magic skill [Water Gaol] has gained a new effect upon ranking up when otherwise it would not have!
Active Water Magic Skill: Water Gaol
An uncommon application of the water magic school where the caster focuses the element of water into a spherical prison that will fully encapsulate their target. [New!] The target will have a 10% chance to enter a catatonic state upon being entrapped in the skill. This effect can be negated with the relevant resistances.
Cost: 3,000 MP [-1,000 MP] per second.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
The host has developed the active water magic subskill: Drowning Chamber.
Active Water Magic Subskill: Drowning Chamber
A subskill of the water magic school derived from the active water magic skill [Water Gaol]. A rare application of the water magic school where the caster creates a [Water Gaol] that actively attacks the target, forcing water into every available orifice until death by drowning has been achieved.
Cost: 20,000 MP per second.
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''I have... so many thoughts. For a start, I couldn''t have afforded to fuel Water Gaol for 15 minutes. That would have needed, what, 4,500,000 MP, right? Give or take a few hundred thousand since I have no idea when it hit intermediate and then advanced. Did Soph overload my spell to keep it active while also continuing to attack me for her own training? Well, I don''t think I would have doubted my own current existence and earned my first subskill since Bone Armour otherwise, so I gotta thank her for that,'' Lone thought. He furrowed his brow. ''This subskill... Ignoring its insane cost... it''s so brutal. I... I want to use it on myself but I... I''m afraid? Of drowning?'' Lone knew that wasn''t accurate. ''I''m afraid of mentally returning to Darren McCullen again, aren''t I? Fuck. Well, at least I have a way to train Fear Resistance somewhat reliably now...'' He moved on before he could let his negative feelings about his past self take over his mind. He had many more notifications and skills to get through before speaking with Matriarch Lossa, after all. B3: Chapter 38: Rewarding Honesty and Busy Day Every remaining skills level up was a resistance, much to Lone''s pleasure. He happily took his time savouring each and every level. He didn''t know why exactly, but he simply enjoyed getting and improving resistance skills over all other skill types. Perhaps it was because doing so made him less killable. Regardless, he mentally ordered the skills to, as usual, appear by skill groupings in order of first acquired to last. The initial resistance to level up was, unsurprisingly, Water Magic Resistance.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Water Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Water Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Water Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Water Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
''A respectable amount of levels for 15 minutes of work,'' Lone nodded, happy with four level ups. Of course, next was Drowning Resistance. Lone hoped for intermediate rank and perhaps a special effect from intentionally drowning himself. After all, even if his mind believed himself to be drowning, Basic Regeneration would keep him alive no matter what his lungs were filled with.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drowning Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
He sighed. "Only seven levels? And no new effect outside of a rank up? Fuck me. I don''t wanna drown myself again... That fuckin'' sucked..." "Only seven levels? What is he talking about?" the matriarch asked Soph. Soph shrugged. "He''s in his own world right now. Like he said, he''ll answer all your questions once he''s done. You really are younger than me, huh? I don''t get as impatient as you are right now." "What? You think you''re older than me?" Lossa''s befuddlement amused Lone but he quickly tuned the two ladies out again.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.
It was only one level but given the self-inflicted fear, the short duration, and the knowledge deep down that he was safe, even one level was a generous offering from the system, so Lone happily accepted it. His next notification was actually his last, disappointingly enough, but it was for a new skill so he couldn''t really get upset at that.
The host has developed the passive skill Identity Disassociation Resistance.
''Wow, that is super specific. What do you do, new friend?'' Lone asked in excitement as the skill''s information filled his vision. ''Hopefully something beyond the obvious.''
Passive Skill: Identity Dissociation Resistance
This skill is very rare and those who possess it tend to live extreme and extended double-lives. They require this to prevent becoming unable to discern which identity is real, which is false, or if one even happened at all. Allows the host to resist identity dissociation at varying levels based on mastery. The host''s awareness of their differing identities will be 5% stronger when a dissociation of any kind begins to form.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''I''m well on my way to becoming a top-class sleeper agent, huh? Fuck me if this skill isn''t terrifying. The fact it exists means there are some very scary people out there who specialise in using the system to pretend to be who they aren''t, likely governmental spies of warring kingdoms and empires,'' Lone commented internally. ''Corporate espionage too. The long-haul kind.'' It annoyed him a bit that he very much so was not living such a life. His delirious state induced via drowning was hardly easy to replicate, so this would probably become one of his hardest skills to level. Period. ''Ignoring that this is another skill I need to somehow get to intermediate rank - maybe with mind fuckery from someone I can trust rather than drowning again, I have how much shit to report to the credit slate now?'' He pulled the needed information from his Puzzle locked Mind and said aloud, "Eight new skills, one of which that''s a subskill, one hundred and two level ups, and, of course, can''t forget the nine skill rank ups." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "What?" Lossa asked, worry in her tone. It was as if she thought Lone to be mentally impaired somehow. What with how she had found him, his actions thus far, and whatever assumption she had made on her own, he couldn''t really blame her. He slowly stood up and cracked his back. He then approached the matriarch of this clan and hugged her in a friendly manner. "Sorry. It''s been a long time since we last met. A lot has changed." Lone pulled away from her. He remembered she liked hugs even if he wasn''t such a person himself. A nod of the head or a shake of the hand would do for him, but he was happy to accommodate Lossa now that she had his attention. "I''m a skill scholar-" "Addict," Soph interrupted, a less than serious frown on her face. Chuckling, Lone continued, "A skill scholar who is deeply invested in the craft. Every time I get new skills, level ups, or status improvements, I try to check them out immediately if my attention can be spared for that. I was in the middle of training some skills when you visited. I''ll rip this band aid off immediately since I don''t want to deceive you, really. I''m a summoned hero and I can regenerate my flesh, bones, muscles, everything, essentially infinitely, so extreme training to others is just another Tuesda- third sun to me." Lossa''s face went through a range of emotions. First, confusion and happiness at the welcoming warmth of a greeting hug. Second, amazement and shock. Lastly, concern and deep sadness. "That is... a lot to take in. I... I can''t see why you would lie to me-" "Tail Spear," Lone invoked and then cut off his entire right arm. It regrew in mere seconds. He then shoved the severed limb in his Dimensional Storage and smiled. "For credibility." "... You''ve been through so much," the matriarch stated with a powerful sense of grief that almost overwhelmed Lone. "Your story makes much more sense now... Of course you don''t remember your clan. You were never a part of it. Oh, you poor child. What you had to endure in Milindo... To be able to cut off a limb without so much as blinking in discomfort... I... I can''t possibly offer you the pittance I was ordered to. You deserve justice now as you did then." She wiped some tears from her eyes and smiled as she glanced at Soph. "Those barriers... Is she also...? I knew she wasn''t your master, of course, you didn''t try to hide that when we first met but your closeness makes much more sense if you share that uniqueness in common." Soph nodded. "I am. Um, I''m gonna go and train. I think it might be better if I''m not here for this talk. It, uh, doesn''t really involve me and it seems personal." Lone grinned. "Don''t train too hard, ''kay?" She smiled back at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I won''t." She then left the room. Lossa pulled Lone in for another hug, this one oozing a foreign motherly warmth. She let him go and then said, "We do have a lot to talk about, but if it''s too much... I understand. I can''t believe what it must feel like to have come from Milindo''s abuse, criminal punishment over a nonsense law in the dwarven kingdoms, to only then get violently attacked by an X-ranker who you should be able to trust." Lone shrugged as he took a seat on one of the room''s three loungers. "My unique skill unlocked the ability to heal my mind, including the state of it. The trauma is there, but it''s easily remembered, reflected upon, and... not overcome, but... accepted? It doesn''t hurt me to talk about what I''ve been through. Hell, the recent attack pissed me the fuck off, sure, but it''s not like I didn''t gain from it and won''t profit even further." Lossa''s expression cracked as she took a seat across from him and replied, "That''s the main reason I was sent here by the clan elders. I am, as the matriarch, to let the ''Void-touched'' ninetails know he is to be compensated with a permanent residence - a Spirit Pavilion - and five gold coins per month indefinitely as living expenses." "I get no say in this?" Lone asked. Lossa shook her head. "The elders did not think your opinion to matter. It took Gilbert fighting your case and eventually giving up with a warning of your power for them to offer even this much. You are also, of course, expected to never mention the attack to anyone. They didn''t specify how I should accomplish that, but I think a magical contract is expected." "Absolutely not. I couldn''t care less about the money," Lone said as a small pile of ruby gold coins appeared in his hand to illustrate his point. "I could buy the entire clan if it was for sale, Lossa. I respect you a lot for being candid with me, but I will be getting my compensation straight from the horse''s mouth. That horse being your war leader." "That is... an absurd amount of money. But I can''t change the decision of the elders, Lone. I wish I could, but I can''t. They are all X-rankers. Granted, much weaker X-rankers than Clari- did you just lick your lips? Why did you do that?" Lossa pivoted, apparently confused. Lone smiled awkwardly. "No reason. Look, I don''t want you to get in trouble. Tell the elders I accept, but I''m not signing any contract magic. They can trust my word or they can''t. I won''t go around saying I almost got killed by some random X-ranker. That''s hardly healthy for my immortal moniker, but I will be seeking out compensation separately from her. You can tell the elders that''s a personal matter and all debts between the clan and I are resolved with the Spirit Pavilion and permanent, unrestricted permission to live in the clan for myself and my companions. I don''t need the gold. What''s a Spirit Pavilion, by the way?" The matriarch took a deep breath and decided to answer his question before asking any further ones of her own. "It is a rather lavish collection of pagodas and gardens that host several spirits of various ranks. Spirit Pavilions promote the growth and evolution of spirits which serves as a pleasant living environment, ideal for attempting to achieve peaceful enlightenment, both for ranks and skills. Considering which Spirit Pavilions are not currently lived in, you will only be able to get one with lesser spirits, meaning I to G ranked ones. I''m sorry. We can''t really evict the other residents. They''re all important members or guests of the clan." Lone stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That''s fine. By the way, if the elders aren''t happy with my response, tell them I''ll only speak about this further with one or all of them. If you come again, we can chat, but officially, I won''t speak on anything the elders want to know." He sprung up onto his feet and approached Lossa before putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling. "And here, as thanks for being nice, honest, and just a good person to me. Ya didn''t have to be. Full Body Diagnostics." "What are yo-"
Congratulations! The host''s world skill [Full Body Diagnostics] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
''The face of someone in their late thirties, but the body of someone in their late sixties. Four scars from pretty bad looking injuries. Stiffening of the finger joints. Neural circuitry is fucked, likely caused by excess and prolonged stress. And... is that the initial stages of breast cancer? Well, let''s make this all disappear, shall we?'' Lone nodded. Lossa had stopped herself from talking, having clearly felt a sudden mass of MP flowing into her and rebuilding her body from the ground up. Lone had fixed Gilbert, so why wouldn''t he undo the ageing effects and all of the underlying conditions of the matriarch when it cost him only a fraction of his MP and some kindness to do so?
Item does not exist on Altros, however, there are many like it. 50,000 MP has been consumed to compensate for the difference. The host has a good understanding of the item. 40,000 base MP cost. 90,000 MP has been consumed to create the item: [Perfect Condition Body [Lossa Redtail]].
He pulled back once he felt the magic finish. He saw the matriarch slowly and hesitantly standing up to test her limbs. He cracked a big smile when he saw her shed tears of joy. He looked to her lifespan, hazy as it was, and could tell it has more than tripled in length when compared to how it had looked when she entered the room. "Well, would ya look at that. You couldn''t be a day over 20," Lone remarked. Lossa grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "I can feel it." "Feel what? Better not be love. You have grandkids and I''m a committed man," he joked as he hugged her back. "Haha, no, the barrier to-" Lone felt it just as she did. Lossa had become an SSS-ranker. That surprised Lone. She had felt generally a bit stronger than Gilbert just judging by aura alone but he had no idea she was at the level cap for SS-rankers. "-ranking up!" ''Was she stopping herself from ranking up subconsciously, maybe? All the stress? Did she not think it possible or worth it since she was slowly dying? For the laugh lines and few wrinkles she had plus her rank, she must have awakened decades or even a century or two ago. So for me to undo all of that ending up with the mental barrier dropping, allowing the enlightenment... Man, I''m getting good at this. This is the second person I''ve helped rank up. Wonder if the third''ll give me a skill? Maybe a new effect for Teaching Mastery?'' Of course, Lone''s mind drifted to his favourite past time. Helping people like this felt good. It was.. fulfilling. Still, he had a powerful X-ranker to visit so now wasn''t the time to be getting retrospective. He also had a new home to move into and a farewell to give to the merchant caravan. Lossa was still weeping as they shared a hug, but Lone''s mind was, as always, elsewhere. ''Such a busy day ahead of me...'' B3: Chapter 39: Medical Emergency and Lake Discussion "A-Are you sure?" Breena asked Mistress Soph. The confident yet playful woman rolled her eyes as she held her hand out, a beautiful green transparent barrier quickly appeared in front of it. "Yes, it''s fine. I''m trying to learn Teaching Mastery since Lone can''t always help me, but he thinks me and Sophie can teach each other, exploiting the skill. I can explain what''s going on with your magic better than anyone else. Uh, probably. So just hit it." Breena''s new fire magic spell, Fireball, was one she had earned through Master Lone''s teaching efforts, so she saw the value in the skill Mistress Soph had mentioned. However, her attacking the unkillable man whom she respected deeply at his insistence was entirely different from targeting the very killable woman who was her idol. Sofia, both sides of her, appealed a great deal to who Breena wanted to be. Strong. Kind. Independent and dependant when it suited her. Expressive. Honest. Sociable and reclusive. Soph was so perfectly... approachable. Sophie, meanwhile... Breena saw her as a goddess. It was one thing to be afraid of her, which she was, quite deeply so, in fact, at least until just recently. That fear had turned into raw, unfiltered, awe. When she, as a C-ranker, had so brutally murdered a sexual deviant who was X-ranked as if it were as easy as flicking her finger... It made her wish for such powers when she was nothing but a slave to the disgusting hero of Milindo. "Br- Ah, Sarah! Stop spacing out! Lone let you borrow his magic ball for a reason, so just hit my little barrier as hard as you can, ''kay? Remember what he told you about how the skill should feel. I''ll tell you how it looks and what to work on per ball," Soph prodded. Breena snapped out of her thoughts and steeled her expression. ''I''ll never get strong enough to protect myself like them if I keep hesitating. No more of that!'' She closed her eyes and called upon her meagre 6% fire affinity. With an extended hand, she invoked, "Fireball!" It was small. It was weak. It was simply incomparable when stacked up against Master Lone''s own version of the skill. Still, it flew true, slow as it was, and it hit Mistress Soph''s barrier. It sputtered out harmlessly. Breena had to wonder why she had been so worried in the first place. ''Master Lone attacks them all the time. Of course my pitiful magic can''t do anything to her barriers.'' "Again," Soph ordered. "Lone''s orb can hold 100,000 MP and I fully charged it for you. He has a bad habit of forgetting to do that. Anyway! 40 more Fireballs! Also, focus less on your affinity and more on the skill. There''s no point on drawing on such a weak affinity. It''ll grow eventually, but the skill can grow now, so yeah, attention on the skill!" A gruelling hour passed before the mana orb was completely dry of its stored power.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Breena smiled under her facemask. "I-I got a level." She was exhausted. Drawing on the MP of the orb had strained her body to the point that she likely needed Master Lone to fix it. It was not her own MP so of course, for a normal person like her, there would be side effects to using more than 30 times her total MP capacity in one day.
Congratulations! The host has gain 4 points of Magic Power! The host now has 306 Magic Power.
"I also gained four Magic Power, so 40 MP," she added, knowing the number was nothing to the magical powerhouse in front of her, but still, it made her feel proud to know that her pain wasn''t for nothing. Soph sighed. "I got nothing. Lone is such a cheater... Well, wanna keep going? Wanna overdraw your organs? Lone''ll fix you up and as he always says ''stress is best when it comes to skills''." "No-" Breena stopped herself from finishing her rejection. Wasn''t this exactly what she had just resolved herself to stop doing only a few hours ago? No more hesitating, right? She took a deep breath and replied, "O-Okay. I-I''ll do it." Soph looked surprised but she smiled brightly a second later. "I told you she could. You''re such a bad judge of character. Now, Sarah, it''s going to hurt a lot. Not physically, but mentally. Like, A lot. I''ve never actually done it myself, but we both know Lone has. You might pass out. He did that a lot in the early days." "I... I''m ready..." Breena began visualising her Fireball without focusing too hard on her affinity. Before the spell was even nearing completion, she felt her body rock and blood pool in her mouth before it sputtered out, covering the inside of her face mask. She grit her teeth and continued regardless. Master Lone would fix her. She... she trusted him. Her vision grew hazy and it felt like someone had started ringing a powerfully loud bell directly in her skull. Still, despite this, she drew upon the mana that she didn''t have. What felt like hours of excruciating pain passed before she was finally able to weakly call out, "Fire... ball..." It flickered to life pathetically and was a funny, unnatural colour, but a ball of magic that belonged to her now crippled mana organs flew out before evaporating weakly. She too, collapsed into a heaving unconscious mess.
"She is just adorable," the matriarch said as she rubbed behind Kyuubi''s ears. Lone smiled. "Ain''t she just? Shame she wasn''t a real Golden Foxkin, but she''s as much a daughter to Sofia and I than any person would be." The lazy, plump fox stretched a little on Lone''s lap before crying weakly, "Kyuu..." "I can onl-" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ''Breena collapsed! I, uh, encouraged her to overuse her mana organs, and, well, when you did that, you didn''t cough up blood! Basic Regeneration must have fixed you. She''s, uh, she''s dying, I think! Her mana keeps getting weaker,'' Soph relayed to him in a panic, cutting off the matriarch. "Unsummon Kyuubi Immortus," Lone said seriously before he got up. "Have to go downstairs, like, five minutes ago." "Wha-" Lone turned around and jumped through an open window, plummeting down the five storey pagoda with both speed and grace. He used Ungrounded to prevent any impact before he rushed to Soph and Breena''s location. Thanks to his speed and their proximity, he was with the girls in moments. Soph was a panicked mess while Breena was choking on her own blood. "Well, this fuckin'' sucks, but it''s nothing I can''t fix," Lone muttered as he moved Breena''s body and head before removing her face mask, stopping her from choking herself to an early grave. He then immediately used Creation Magic to restore her body to its peak condition, mana organs and all. The pained expression on the teenager''s face lessened considerably but not completely. She was still unconscious but her life wasn''t in any further danger. Lone sighed in relief. "Scare over. Still, even if it was risky, I bet she gained a lot from that." He wiped his brow then gently picked up the teen. He noticed that she was probably the same height as Sofia now despite still being in her growing phase. "She''s gonna be tall." "What?" Soph asked at his side, noticeably calmer now that Breena was in no immediate danger. "I''m saying you''re short," Lone laughed. Soph smiled brightly. "Yup! Sophie hates it since it means we have weaker muscles, but I know you like me for who I am. I also know you were trying to tease me. Stupid Lone." He grinned innocently. "Tease you? me? Never. Now Sophie on the other hand..." "Lone!" Matriarch Lossa yelled as she approached only to stop in her tracks, a frown covering her expression as she stared at the unconscious Breena. ''Ah. Fuck. Probably should have put her facemask back on or made her a new one. It''s been a long time since she was kidnapped so maybe she won''t get recognised?'' Lone hoped. Very few people had a method to retain a perfect recollection like he did with his Puzzle Locked Memory. Suspicion was fine, but Lone didn''t really feel like answering any pointed questions about Breena''s identity without her consent and conscious presence. "What happened?" the matriarch asked as she slowly approached. Soph pursed her lips and replied, "I was training with her and she overdrew her mana organs. Lone fixed her, so we''re going to rest now." Lone laughed softly. "I do it all the time but I''ve never noticed the organs actually rupture and tear given they aren''t physical and I heal all injuries ridiculously fast. Hard to notice a metaphysical organ crippling your real brain and heart when your whole body is fucked beyond repair at the same time, huh? Really showed me up as a twat, didn''t she, our little Sarah? To think Gilbert did this and survived. Crazy old goat..." "Sarah... That''s her name?" Matriarch Lossa stopped just a half metre away from Lone and reached over to Breena. Lone didn''t stop her and just watched as she lovingly placed the unconscious girl''s cheek in her palm. She smiled a sorrowful smile before pulling back and saying, "I''m glad the emergency has been resolved. Why don''t I walk you to your new residence? There are a few Spirit Pavilions to choose from among the ones hosting lesser spirits." "How many have G-ranked spirits?" Lone asked, not failing to notice the matriarch was more focused on Breena than himself and her offering to help him choose a home now was likely an effort to be close to the girl. "Only three, and all only have a single G-ranked spirit," Lossa replied. "One is twice as large as the other two. The second has a bamboo forest. And the final one, boasts a small lake." Lone smiled. "Well, I guess show us those three then, if you wouldn''t mind." The matriarch returned his friendly gesture with her own. "I''d love to." ''She recognises Breena, doesn''t she?'' Soph asked telepathically. ''Seems like it. Breena is the fourth in line to succeed as the clan leader, and if my research is correct, Lossa is her grandmother. Doesn''t surprise me she got recognised the moment she saw her without her mask. It''d have happened anyway with a decent info probe,'' Lone replied. Soph frowned. ''At least she''s being tactful, I suppose.'' ''That''s about the best we can ask for,'' Lone signed in response.
"So I can do what I want with this place, right? It belongs to me, after all," Lone asked the matriarch. The two of them were on their own, Soph having left to tend to Breena inside the central pagoda of the Spirit Pavilion. Meanwhile, He and Lossa had settled at the wooden plant-filled gazebo that sat in the heart of a lake behind the pavilion with a network of bridges going across it. It was very beautiful and something about it spoke to Lone, which was why he had chosen this Spirit Pavilion. "So long as you don''t destroy it or harm the spirits living here, then yes, you can... modify it, if that was your question''s intention," the matriarch answered. "Are you sure you don''t want a couple of the clan''s caretaker to clean and maintain the pavilion for you? It''s very large." "No, like I said earlier, it''s fine. I can do that myself and will likely earn a new skill or two for my efforts," Lone replied. A silence overcame the conversation before the matriarch hesitantly said, "That gir-" "Yes," Lone interrupted. "She''s Breena. No point hiding it since you likely guessed already and could confirm it with a bit of investigating. I''ll warn you now though, don''t ever approach her as her grandmother unless she willingly reveals who she is to you. As far as you''re concerned, she''s a normal Crimson Foxkin who forgot who she was and got renamed by her former master to Sarah." "Bu-" "No," he interrupted again. "You and the clan let her get kidnapped almost a decade ago. I understand you punished a lot of the people responsible and recovered a lot of the victims, but you didn''t save her. She knows you met with me in Milindo when she was little more than a starving sex slave of a disgusting, pathetic excuse for a hero. How would you feel in her shoes, knowing the public leader of your clan and your own grandmother didn''t save you? You who was so very publicly a victim of horrendous crimes when that very grandmother was strong enough to rival the king of the kingdom you were trapped in?" "... Breena is a common name among our people. I didn''t know what she looked like and it was a political misstep for me to enter Milindo just to meet you and investigate the baby Golden Foxkin in the first place. Even if I had known she was my little Bree, it would have ruined the clan''s ima-... I sound like the elders," Lossa said in horror at her own words. Lone nodded. "That''s why my top priority is to become stronger. To stop giving a fuck what other people think. Politics? Means nothing when all rulers are eager to suck your pinkie toe if you''re a Divine. Words speak loudly, sure, but fists can speak louder." "I... Can I... Visit her? What about her cousins? Her uncles and aunts? Her mother is still alive too and she''s never been the same since we were raided and lost her," the matriarch pleaded. "You can visit, but no one is to know who she is. You also cannot let her know you know who she is, nor can you try to coerce her to rejoin the clan. That is a decision for her to make, free from my or your influence. Do I need to magically enforce that, Lossa? I will if it is to protect her privacy," Lone warned. Lossa smiled. "I''m happy you care about her so much. It''s... reassuring to know she has support. No. You don''t need to enforce my words but if it will give you peace of min-" "Oppressive Gaze," Lone invoked. "Don''t mind the creepy eyes. This''ll let me know your intentions, so give me your word." "Sight magic? How rare... Of course. I swear to not interfere in my granddaughter''s life. I just want to be a part of it... I would love to apologise for failing her so profoundly but until she is ready to stop being Sarah, then to me, Sarah is who she is. I also won''t reveal her identity to anyone without her consent," Matriarch Lossa stated. Lone saw no falsehoods or intentions to deceive him, neither with his magical skill nor with Enhanced Vision. He nodded and let his sight magic spell collapse, returning the lingering magic to Altros.
Congratulations! The host''s active sight magic skill [Oppressive Gaze] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
"Good. Now, take me to War Leader Clari''s Spirit Pavilion. I want you there to stop her from randomly attacking me again," Lone said. B3: Chapter 40: Life and House Arrest Two hours had passed and during that time, Lone and the matriarch hadn''t deviated from their path to War Leader Clari''s Spirit Pavilion even once. There was simply that many rolling hills, flower fields, and other Spirit Pavilions, between Lone''s new home and the home of his attacker. "Man, the clan is huge. No wonder though I suppose when you have a council full of X-ranked elders and an even more powerful group of elders behind that one," Lone commented as he took in the sights of all of the distant Spirit Pavilions. They were all so varied and magical in nature. The sheer number of peaceful and friendly spirits both far and near to them was mind boggling to Lone. A Spirit Hawk had even landed on his shoulder and nuzzled against his face before flying off at one point. Lossa''s eight tails swayed peacefully in the wind as they walked. "Not all beastkin clans are like this even though we all share the same Elders - the ones behind the local ones. But yes, many hundreds of thousands of years and conquests, both honourable and otherwise, have led to the clan being of a notable size." "I like it. It feels more personal and private than a city state or a kingdom, though those both have their own charms," Lone replied, choosing to ignore the mention of how such land was acquired. It was like that for every nation, so there was no point critiquing it when Lossa likely knew that as well and the past couldn''t exactly be changed. "I''m glad that even if we started on the wrong foot, at least the scenery and atmosphere of our little clan is pleasing to you," Lossa replied with a motherly smile. "I was a history teacher before my summoning, so I love interesting stuff like why a community has developed the way that it has. Besides, I love the aesthetic here, and particularly the almost zoo-like vibes of this area with all of the spirits. There''s something special about the oriental touch to the buildings too. It''s very unique thus far," Lone complimented. "I wouldn''t say ''zoo'' to others. It could be viewed as offensive, even if you are a nine-tails and a foxkin just as we are. So, you were a teacher before you became a hero? I''d love to hear more about that," Lossa expressed. Lone smiled. "And I''d love to hear about how it is you awakened to Life. I''ve never naturally awakened myself. I was manipulated into doing so by Void, Sky forced his way in to fight Void, Darkness was forced into me to save Sarah by a Djinn I pissed off, and I tricked Death with the help of Darkness to get a new Primal Skill. It''s sadly useless for my immediate needs." ''It most certainly is not! You need only train it for it to have a noticeable impact on your eventual clash with this Arch Demon Zel character,'' Death cried in indignation. ''Arch Devil Zel,'' Darkness corrected. "... So you really are the Avatar of them? Even Death? I wasn''t aware of that. Of course, I had my suspicions since I can see the grey in you, but still... if it is not too much to ask, how are you maintaining your sanity? How have you not been taken over by one or all of them as all Avatars are?" Lossa asked. "Of course, I don''t mean to pry. I''m happy to tell you my story. It''s no secret." "Same here. My soul is very strong. I''m curious what a Soul Oracle would see when looking at it, but yeah, it is abnormally strong, or so Darkness likes to tell me. Don''t know much more about it than that. I can house entire Primals within me and keep my sense of self, that''s good enough for me right now, though I intend to look into it in the future," Lone replied. Lossa stopped in her tracks. "You... You can commune directly with the Primals?" Lone pursed his lips. "Less commune, more listen as they complain in my head." ''Loney-boy, out of the five of us, you complain the most without contest,'' Darkness noted. The matriarch wore a look of veneration on her face. "To be so close to such godly beings... I envy you." ''Power is power. I don''t get why you lot worship these guys. Their power is godlike but their history, actions, and personalities, certainly are not.'' Lone shrugged. "Do not covet another man''s blessings, for doing so only blinds you from your own. Or something like that. Lot of spirituality on my home world and a lot of people have dedicated themselves to it. Envy is a sin, of the seven deadly ones, in fact. I do wonder what Envy is like. The adventurer, that is." "Haha, the people of your world sound wise," Lossa laughed. "I know not of the Seven Deadly Sins adventurer group beyond that they are tremendously powerful. Getting back on topic, I do hope you mean it when you say you''ll look into the fact you have not turned out as all Avatars do, and why you can commune with the ones hosted within your soul." Lone replied, "If there''s one thing I''m serious about besides my commitment to Sofia, it''s my desire to learn everything and anything I can." Lossa smiled. "I''m glad. It is an honour to be an Avatar of anything, a Primal even more so for our people, but the loss of the individual is always mourned. If we could find a way to ensure the one chosen isn''t simply lost to us in the process... I''m getting ahead of myself. Avatars are rare. Very, very rare. Though suspected candidates litter the continent... Anyway, my story? Simply put, the twins. You''ve met them. Do you recall the two?" Lone nodded. "Of course. Tiera and Trella. The eager trickster and the reluctant brother." Lossa laughed. "Apt descriptions. They were never meant to be born. Their mother - my daughter - was deemed infertile by the clan''s healers and doctors. It was not a curable condition. She was... cast out by the elders politically for this. My son in law was enraged, of course. We all were. He left with her for over a century to find a solution with my blessing even if it pained me greatly to see her go." A look of sorrowful nostalgia washed over the matriarch. Meanwhile, Lone thought, ''He clearly returned, or at least her daughter did with the twins. I wonder what healed her? Something like a Djinn''s wish? Maybe a unique skill... Bloodline skill is possible too. I''d love to learn a new skill that can do what Creation Magic can when it comes to healing.'' Lossa sighed and continued, "He''s never told us how he did it, but he returned with my daughter, the both of them injured beyond belief but they were clutching two young babes. I was overcome with joy to see my daughter again and two lovely new grandchildren... The emotions were far stronger than we beastkin are usually allowed to express. We love the Primals, of course, but our eternal youth is valued quite highly culturally speaking. Life blessed me on that day." "Stay friends with me and I can reset the ol'' ageing clock for you when the wrinkles start popping back in," Lone chuckled. "What kind of skill did Life give you, if you don''t mind me asking?" "You know not of how temping such an offer is... Or perhaps you do. My Primal skill, yes? It''s quite simple and very public. It''s called Youth Preservation, ironically enough. It allows me to cure children of any and all harm. Life-threatening injuries, emotional trauma, the loss of innocence, just a scraped knee. So long as they are a child, I can preserve their youth, though I cannot prevent them from growing up," Lossa explained. Lone nodded thoughtfully. "A scary skill if used without consent on the emotional front. No child deserves to be scarred mentally, but in some way, you''re denying them the chance to grow into the person that scarring would have turned them into. I wonder who I would have become if that skill was used on me as a kid." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Oh, did you... have a difficult childhood?" Lossa asked carefully. Lone shrugged. "Somewhat. I was just thinking out loud. I assume you''re responsible with the skill. You seem to be the motherly type." Lossa smiled brightly. "That''s very kind of you to say. Ah! There''s War Leader Clari''s Spirit Pavilion. You can see it just over that hill." "Is... Is it floating? Fuck, that''s cool," Lone admired. In the distance could be seen a collection of pagodas and garden gazebos connected with stone pathways all supported by a cloud-like structure a hundred metres off the ground. "It''s one of the few Spirit Pavilions that does, entirely naturally too. There''s no magic involved," Lossa claimed. "Now, I''ll go and announce your visit. This wasn''t part of what the elders wanted, so she isn''t aware that you''re here. Or she might be at this point. She is rather proficient in detecting auras; I just don''t know the exact range." Lone nodded. "I don''t want to fight her, so please make it clear I''m here to talk."
Lone could see Lossa walked down the flight of ethereal steps towards him with a strained look on her face. When she had reached him, he asked, "No luck? I won''t force it since she''s so strong, but I expected some courtesy considering she almost murdered me." Lossa sighed. "No, no, she''ll see you... she... she''s just in a very foul mood. It''s quite embarrassing for her to be put on house arrest while the elders cover up what happened to you. She''s very prideful and was quite invested in our mock war with the Azure Foxkin Clan, you see. Come, let''s see if your personality will help her. You and my great-grandaunt have a lot in common." "I''m not really here to cheer her up, but she''s related to you?" Lone asked as he followed alongside the matriarch, fully enjoying the novel experience of walking on steps made of cloud. "Yes and she''s disappointed in me for awakening. She''s much less on the religious side and much more on the eternal youth side than some," Lossa chuckled. "I will say though, she didn''t believe it was me at first. I feel so much younger and it apparently shows." "I can only imagine she wasn''t best pleased when your features got tainted by a sunny yellow. She tried to kill me on the spot just for being an Avatar of Void," Lone joked but received only a forced smile in response. Before too long, the awkward silence he had created was lifted when Lossa said, "There she is. I''ll wait here but I''m within earshot so if you need me, please, just call. Until I report back to the elders, you are my only concern." Lone appreciated that. He nodded and then approached the war leader. She was sitting under a gazebo in a reclining deck chair with a leather ball in her hand that she was tossing from one hand to the other. Getting a good look at her now that he wasn''t under attack or actively on fire, he could see that she was, like all beastkin he''d met so far, stunningly beautiful. Her hair was shoulder length and straight, with a deeper than normal crimson tone to it. Her face was angular yet feminine and she was wearing a crop top and a simple set of shorts, both made entirely of silk. "Huh. It really is you. I''m good at illusion magic and seeing it, so even though it was a tough sell from her, that''s definitely my great-grandniece over there watching us nervously. How''d you make her young again? No one in any of the clans can do that, which means something powerful did it. You didn''t die to me, which means you''re something powerful," War Leader Clari stated casually. "The guildmaster too. I remember vetting him before the clan allowed him to take up the position. He only had one eye, but now he has two." Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a wooden chair of his own design. Sitting in it, he shrugged. "I''m one hell of a healer." "Okay, don''t answer the question. Not like I have a right to be demanding. I''ll say you''ve got balls though to wanna meet me. Then again, that was made obvious when you didn''t want me to cancel my fire skill," she replied uncaringly. "Cool trick with the chair. That wasn''t taken from an item like an adventurer''s pouch and I felt no magic, so a unique skill, then. Makes sense since Golden Foxkin are extinct." ''So she thinks my people are all dead? Most assume they disappeared. It''s interesting to hear a new perspective,'' Lone thought. "Weakened Stream of Ezekial," he said as he flickered some freeform fire magic between his finger tips. "A spell with a fascinating history according to its skill description. I look forward to levelling it. I won''t beat around the bush. I ain''t here to make friends. The elders don''t think it''s wise to let me get compensation from you or them beyond a low-tier Spirit Pavilion and some pennies every month. You getting house arrest isn''t really a punishment either, but that''s not my business." ''Soph and Sophie will take care of that when they decide it''s time to murder you for trying to decapitate me,'' he thought privately. A thin eyebrow was raised as the X-ranker''s tails wagged curiously from behind the hole in the recliner where they were resting. "You''re going against the wishes of the elders? Really? Look, I get I attacked you impulsively. I should have finished reading the report that stated the true Elders had sanctioned your stay here, but let''s get real, yeah? You''re hardly much different from an abomination. You''re Void-touched. We don''t like ''em, but the Church of the Primals did the world a favour when they tried to erase that Primal from history." Lone leaned back in his chair and stopped playing with his freeform magic. "What''s an abomination? I can guess, but I assume it''s a word with more meaning than just an insult." "Those who have awakened to Void. I''ve never seen one in person though a few still live from before Void was sealed. Well, maybe more will pop up now that it''s in you instead of locked away. They have the nastiest tendencies and are very hard to kill. Their gifted Primal skills are something else. You''ve got one, right? Mister Multi-avatar. Bet you could kill me with it, what with it being an Avatar Primal skill and all," War Leader Clari mocked all too seriously and nonchalantly. "I could, but I''ve never used it and don''t intend to start now. Anyway, I''m here to talk about compensation, not my peculiarities," Lone replied. Clari shrugged, still tossing her leather ball from hand to hand. "Then talk." "I have over 60 beginner skills that I want to make intermediate. Stress and danger makes levelling skills easier. You are going to become my training dummy and will assist me in levelling those skills while also teaching me all of the skills that you know that you are allowed to. I don''t want to get in the way of any contract magic or the like," Lone stated. A powerful aura washed over him rooting him in place and making it difficult to breathe but at the same time, his stats were multiplied by six times due to the rank difference, making the burden much more endurable. Clari seemed surprised Lone wasn''t a wheezing mess on the floor by now. "What makes you think I would ever agree to do that? The Elders are the only reason I haven''t made it my life''s mission to kill you." Lone smiled though it took some effort. "I can see lifespans and yours is lookin'' pretty grim. I could perhaps extend it were you to help me with my training."
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Aura Pressure Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 6.
He saw the war leader''s eyes scan his tails, hair, and eyes, and then panic a little upon clearly seeing the signs of Death in him. "You''re not lying?" ''Technically, I am since you''re way too strong for Lifespan Revelation to work, but Soph told me when she wants to kill you, so that should be a decent guess,'' he thought. ''Just try to use it on her,'' Death demanded. ''Fuck off. If she senses me meddling or just staring at her intensely, she might flip,'' Lone rejected. He then felt disappointed when Clari''s aura vanished, resulting in his stats returning to normal. "No, I''m not. The weaker my connection to a person, the clearer their lifespan is. Your connection to me is pretty weak though talking to you now is strengthening it. Still, I''d wager you''ve got three, maybe four months. That''ll go up a lot if you help me." Clari furrowed her brow. "It''s convenient that the only person who could verify this hates me now. Stupid dragonkin... I''d need more than a promise based on a Primal skill you supposedly have. For all I know, Death lets you eat rotten flesh without getting sick, not see lifespans." ''It is not seeing! It is interacting! He is neglecting the skill due to his biases and hasn''t experimented with it yet!'' Death yelled. Darkness sighed. ''You say that like she can hear you...'' Lone ignored the two and smiled. "We both know I have unique skills. You sussed that out during your ambush, probably. I have more than one. True Contract Magic is a skill I possess that is infinitely more powerful and trustworthy than standard contract magic. It can verify my words and ensure a fair deal between us. Want to figure out some contract terms and get this all sorted out? Or would you rather not trust me, not make amends for trying to kill me and for still wanting to kill me for no reasons, and die early?" War Leader Clari clenched her fist, popping and utterly destroying the ball in her hand. "You''re a demonkin, not a foxkin. Leave." Lone got up, stored his chair, and shook his head. "Your loss. It wasn''t nice knowing you. I will not be attending your funeral." He turned and immediately left with Lossa. She didn''t ask questions and he didn''t speak up to explain anything she had overheard. Once the two of them were a decent distance from War Leader Clari''s Spirit Pavilion, Lone contacted Soph. ''Pick me up, please?'' he requested softly. Not a moment later, the short woman appeared next to him. "Hi!" "What?! Where did she come from?!" Lossa exclaimed in shock. Soph stuck out her tongue. "Unique skill. Bye! Teleportation." And just like that, the very confused public leader of the clan had been left on her lonesome while Soph and Lone had returned to their Spirit Pavilion. B3: Chapter 41: Farewell and Merchant Empire "Can you summon Kyuubi?" Soph asked as she and Lone appeared in the lounge of their Spirit Pavilion''s central pagoda. Lone nodded. "Summon Kyuubi Immortus. How''s Breena?" Soph scooped up the big wolf-sized fox who''d appeared at her feet with some effort and replied, "She''s fine. She''s still unconscious but her mana organs are working normally. I think she''ll wake up tomorrow." "That''s good news," Lone said as he reached over and rubbed Kyuubi''s chin to which she yawned slightly. "So, things didn''t go well with the war leader?" Soph asked the most important question. Lone sighed. "Sadly not. I did gain a level in Aura Pressure Resistance and I learned a bit more about the matriarch when we were walking to War Leader Clari''s home, but yeah, she didn''t agree to train with me." "Well, Kyuubi is here to help you with your Cuteness Resistance and I can help with everything else!" Soph happily responded. Lone smiled. "Sure, when I get back. I''m off to say bye to Rodorick and his family. I doubt I''ll take the time to visit them since I''ll be busy bouncing between here and Golden Pass City for training with you for the foreseeable future. Wanna come with? I will be making that special offer to them we talked about during the journey here." Soph shook her head. "I''m not close enough to them and that''s your pet idea, not mine. I''d rather stay here. They''re close enough that I can reach you in a moment if I need too though!" Lone nodded at that. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before scratching Kyuubi''s chin again. "Well then, seeya in an hour or two."
"What?! You''re saying bye now?!" Little Rinrin shouted, tears in her eyes. Lone smiled wryly. "I''ve got a lot of stuff planned and I''ve arranged accommodations for myself here to do said planned stuff. I am sad to say goodbye, but hey, I''ll be here for a while so if you ever need more help figuring out your world skill, just get your mum and dad to do more merchant business with the Crimson Foxkin Clan. How does that sound?" Rodorick didn''t look very pleased by that attempt at calming his daughter but his wife, Mistress Fenlo, didn''t seem to mind and had an amused smile on her face. "I''ll make sure of it!" Little Rinrin bobbed her head up and down. "Now, do you mind if I talk to your parents in private for a moment, Rinrin? I have boring business stuff to discuss with them," Lone requested in a soft tone. The seven-year-old frowned. "My skill knows you''re being truthful. Fine! But you better be here when Daddy and Mummy take me back here! If not, you''re stupid!" The young girl dashed into her room, leaving Lone with her parents in the living room of their assigned floor of the very pagoda he, himself, had been staying in until this afternoon. "I''ll be frank," Lone stated, "I have some farewell gifts and an opportunity offer for you two." Rodorick seemed sceptical while Mistress Fenlo held her cheek in her palm with curious interest. "Gifts first?" Mistress Fenlo suggested. "My lovely husband might be more willing to hear about your opportunity if he''s been sufficiently buttered up." "Hey! I would have listened no matter w-" "Dear," the dominant one of the two interrupted, causing Rodorick to clam up, clearly not seeing any point in arguing with his wife when he''d surely lose. ''Whatever works to keep the marriage of two immortal beings sustainable, I guess,'' Lone thought as he pretended to reach into his dimensional storage and pulled out a longsword, a tea set, and a book. "The sword''s for you, Rodorick. I created it myself and even though it is only made of steel, it doesn''t pale in comparison to those made by a master weaponsmith," Lone explained. Rodorick took the sword carefully and examined it closely. "... A fine piece. Its value is quite extr-" "Dear, it was a gift, one that you will not be selling," Mistress Fenlo warned. Rodorick''s wolf ears flopped down in defeat. "I wasn''t going to sell it. Thank you, Lone. I... I appreciate this." "Thought you might," Lone smiled before he turned to Mistress Fenlo. "The tea set was also created by me and it is quite unique in that it is modelled after a famous eastern tea set of my home world." Both of the wolfkin looked confused. "Home world? Are you-" "I''ll explain in a second. It relates to my opportunity. This book is one I''ve written myself. It goes into as much detail as I could possibly think of to help Rinrin master her world skill," Lone interrupted. Mistress Fenlo took the book and beamed from ear-to-ear. "She''ll love this. She''s very sad you aren''t coming with us, but that''s just children, isn''t it? They do get attached quite easily. With this, she can remember you and lessen all of our worries somewhat. It''s very thoughtful. Thank you, Lone." "You''re very welcome," he replied before he once more pretended to reach into his Adventurer''s Pouch. This time, he pulled out a contract he had written up in his blood alongside a small wooden box. "Now, this is the opportunity. I want to become a sponsor for your caravan. I know you''re in a merchant group already, but my sponsorship will come with enough money to establish your own merchant group and perhaps even an empire if things go well." Rodorick has a sceptical and incredibly distrusting expression on his face as he said, "Let me see that." Lone handed him the contract that still needed the signature of both Rodorick and Mistress Fenlo alongside the signature of their daughter. He stayed silent as the man and his wife read over the contract. Lone passed the time by recalling exactly what he had written on it with his ever so difficult to draw blood, just to make sure he hadn''t made any mistakes, even though he''d already checked the document several times already. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Contract of Sponsorship Participants: Lone Immortus | The Halbundon Family: Rodorick Halbundon, Fenlo Halbundon, and Rinari Halbundon. Terms: Lone Immortus will consider the Halbundon family and anyone employed by them to be his companions. Lone Immortus will provide the Halbundon family with 10 ruby-gold coins per year. Lone Immortus will supply products and ideas to be considered by the Halbundon family for integration into the business. Lone Immortus will respond to emergency communications for help in the case of attacks via The Adventurer''s Guild or a communication orb within an hour if possible. Examples of situations where this would not be possible: Lone Immortus is in an unnatural state of unconsciousness, Lone Immortus is fighting for his life, Lone Immortus is in another plane of existence, etc. The Halbundon family will separate from the Elgoran Merchant''s Union and create their own merchant association named ''The Immortal Emporium'' with Lone Immortus as the owner and Rodorick Halbundon and Fenlo Halbundon as directors (Head of Mobile Emporiums and Head of Stationary Emporiums respectively). The Halbundon family are required to create three on-site stores and five caravan routes with a reliability and safety rating of over 95% (to be judged by the Deposit Auction Conglomerate once every six months post-creation), and a profit margin of 300% (For clarity, 300% of the operation costs, not 300% of the funding amount) must be established within the 5-year period of the contract. While Lone Immortus will claim only 10% of the profits, the Halbundon family will have to accept any events he requests to be performed in his name such as auctions, showcase exhibitions, sponsored tournaments, etc. The Halbundon family cannot consciously or subconsciously work to undermine Lone Immortus''s part in the business, via betrayal, espionage, deceit, or any other means. This contract will expire in 5-years and the terms must be renegotiated 2-months prior to its expiration. Intended Contract Level: 2 Required Contract Level: 3 Signed: Lone Immortus Signed: This was a little side project of Lone''s. He wanted to see if he could create a merchant empire under his name. It could come in handy in the future, and if he was being honest, it was just interesting. Sophie wasn''t a fan of the ''one hour response'' thing since she would be responsible for transportation in such cases, but Soph was fully on board with the idea even if she felt divorced from it. The question was, would the two wolfkin in front of him trust in his True Contract Magic and take a chance on this unbelievable opportunity that probably seemed like a scheme of some sort to Rodorick at the very least? "D-Dear, this is all written in blood," Mistress Fenlo stuttered, her usually playful and go-with-the-flow demeanor nowhere to be seen. Rodorick looked up from the contract to meet Lone''s gaze very nervously. "I-Is this some kind of joke? T-These terms are impossible, and the b-blood... Are you going to murder us? Is that why you sent Little Rinrin away? You don''t kill kids?" Lone held his forehead and sighed. ''That''s the normal reaction. The dwarven assassin and Zel didn''t bat an eye at the blood, Sheelda was out of options so couldn''t complain, Hamish knew how weird I am, and the kids didn''t know any better. This is what a normal person would feel when offered such a crazy contract from a dude they hired to guard them half a month ago.'' He leaned back in his chair and said, "You both know I fought with an X-ranker yesterday and didn''t die. If I wanted to kill you, you''d be dead. I guess I could always be some weird psychopath, but I''m not. What I said about my ''home world''? I''m a summoned hero. That contract? It''s made via a unique skill. It''s more powerful and binding than normal contract magic. It cannot be broken or evaded unless a loophole has been intentionally written into it. You''re people of business, you tell me if there are loopholes in there." "As-Assuming it''s real... No, I don''t see any. It is vague, but no, no obvious loopholes... But ten ruby-gold coins a year for five years-" Lone opened the box he''d brought out alongside the contract. It glimmered with a red and golden sheen. "I''d be paying you the full amount when you sign the contract. I am obscenely rich. You can use whatever skills you have to see if these are real, but I can assure you, they are." Both of the wolfkin looked visibly nervous but some excitement could be seen hiding behind all of the fears and well-placed anxiety. Mistress Fenlo gingerly reached over and pulled out a single coin, first looking to Lone for permission to do so which he granted with a nod of the head. She brought it up to her eye and invoked, "Merchant Sense." ''Oh, that''s an interesting sounding skill,'' Lone thought. "It... Dear... It''s real. I- Can... Can I check them all?" Mistress Fenlo requested. Lone nodded again. "If you have the resources to use that skill another 49 times, go for it." "I can use it on the box itself... if you''ll allow me to hold it," she replied. Of course, he consented so both Lone and Rodorick watched in silence as she picked up the box as if it were the most fragile thing on Altros. She then put it up to her eye and invoked, "Merchant Sense." Rodorick caught his wife as she almost fainted. "What''s wrong?!" "Real... They''re all real... I''m holding a kingdom. This, I-" "Calm down," Lone ordered, actively trying to force his Persuasion skill onto the woman. It worked a little bit as she visibly relaxed. "I want you to make a merchant empire for me, so of course it has to be that much money. Sign the contract, get Rinrin to do it too, all in blood, and then we''ll be on our way. I''ll give you a few communication orbs I bought in the Farwinds. All of the sister orbs are with me. I''ll also personally outfit and train your new permanent guards up until you move on from the clan in a few days or however long that takes, just like I did when we were travelling." "The emergency clause. How could that be possible? An hour?" The scepticism in Rodorick''s tone was more than justified. "Sofia, my lover. She''s also a summoned hero. She can teleport vast distances in an instant. You need only tell us where you are during the emergency and we''ll come," Lone answered honestly. "And for clarity, respond does not mean ''teleport to you and fix the issue''. That is what i would like to do in most cases, but as shown by the given examples, I am not available 24/7." He felt it was wiser to be honest than trying to deceive them or be vague with such a massive flaw being pointed out. A straight answer was for the best here. A distant look entered Mistress Fenlo''s eyes before they rapidly brightened with numerous ideas flitting across her mind. "That''s... understandable. The contract will force you to give it your all to respond if you can, which is honestly more than most would do. Our current union leader wouldn''t do something like that just for us even if he could. We''ll need to spend some of this money on training courses, to sharpen our skills. We''ll have to go to the Hil''ul''ah Federation as our base of operations too. It''s safe there and merchant heavy. A saturated market, sure, but room to grow and the ability to do so legally despite our species and lack of nobility or power. With this much capital, it shouldn''t be too hard. We can easily buy a mansion there with enough security to keep Rinrin protected while we focus on the business." "This is stupid. He wants to kill us. He definitely wants to kill us..." Rodorick mumbled as a shaky hand covered his sweating face. "My wife has clearly accepted in her mind, and I don''t see what choice we have. I don''t exactly feel comfortable getting our daughter to sign this in blood, however." "It''s needed. It''s for her safety, if it''s any consolation. She needs to be included. By the way, as a little deal under the table, any merchant skills you have or will earn that can be used on things or people, would you mind using on me? In exchange, I''ll be your insurance to keep you immortal should you even accidentally awaken," Lone claimed. "If you need proof of my ability to do that, well, you saw the guildmaster yesterday and if you see the matriarch before you leave, you''ll notice she looks about 30 years younger by human standards than she did this morning. You can do that the next time we meet though, not now. I don''t exactly need merchant skills right now." "... This is insane," Rodorick whispered. B3: Chapter 42: Frog and Letters Completion "Welcome back!" Soph greeted Lone. She was sitting on a bench in the centre of their pavilion''s lake while cuddling Kyuubi. She was also experimenting with her barriers, namely, small ones no bigger than an inch that she was spinning on the top of her index finger. Lone smiled at her, thinking the sight was adorable. "Thanks. Anything interesting happen while I was out?" he asked as he carefully picked up Kyuubi''s lower half and sat underneath her. The wolf-sized fox didn''t resist or seem to care at all since, of course, she was sleeping. Soph snuggled up to him and grabbed a few of his tails. "Nah. I''m not making much progress on smaller barriers right now so I think I''m gonna pivot into focusing on getting a new use out of Body Manipulation. What about you?" "While it came earlier than we had planned, the negotiations went well. Well, besides Rodorick constantly mumbling that I was surely going to kill him, and Rinrin threw a tantrum when her finger was pricked for her blood. But yeah, all in all, Operation Merchant Overlords is a-go. Or at least, attempt number one is," Lone replied. He was hoping only one attempt would be needed since he had a decent amount of Luck, and Soph''s own Luck would surely influence the wolfkin family''s chances at success too, but still, long term plans for more avenues to enter the merchant world would be made in case they were needed. "That''s good news!" Soph beamed. "Wanna help me work on Body Manipulation? Got a particular skill you want to work on levelling for the rest of the day?" "Art Mastery. It''s a parent skill, but maybe I can get it to intermediate if I paint my lovely girlfriend while giving her a hand. I hope to unlock Painting Mastery too," Lone replied. "Ohhh sounds fun! You''re not allowed to just paint me and immediately store the pictures, by the way! I never get to see your sketches of me," Soph pouted. Lone smiled awkwardly. "They''re not good enough. Bet my paintings will be shit too, but sure... if you insist, you can see. Let''s get to it then. oh, by the way, we''re going to visit Grimsley and Shana tomorrow, and then go to Golden Pass City. I want to fight an X-ranker. Guildmaster Brux is likely willing if the prince isn''t in town." "Okay," Soph agreed then clambered up off of her seat, being careful not to drop Kyuubi. Lone helped her as he got up as well. He used Creation Magic to whip up a fairly decorative and sturdy easel alongside a whole array of paints and brushes. "Fair warning, if your painting ends up looking more like a potato than an amazingly beautiful Russian princess, then don''t get upset at me. Get upset at yourself for insisting on looking at it."
"Stop laughing," Lone said to Sophie coldly. Soph had taken one look at his first ever painting and smiled awkwardly before Sophie had forced her way into control only to full on belly laugh in his face. "I-If that is... haha.. If that is how you see us... then... hah... then we are thankful you like us at all, let alone love us!" Sophie cackled. "Look, Art Mastery is only beginner ranked. It and my experience with Drawing Mastery can only help so much. You keep laughing like that and I''ll make a concentrated effort to mass-produce and sell this thing across the entire continent," Lone threatened. "No, no, it is... haha... we understand but by the gods is it hideous. We love it. Give it here," Sophie demanded, one hand holding her belly, the other reaching out for the painting. Lone frowned but did hand over the piece to her. "Don''t destroy it." "We would never. Unsummon and resummon us. We wish to cherish it for its... heh... charms. It is your first painting, and we can use it to remind Soph how our beauty is not a curse, for looking like this would truly be a horrid existence indeed," Sophie explained, brutally insulting Lone''s painting at the same time. He sighed. "Let me frame and sign it at least. Give it some value, if nothing else..." Lone signed the back of the painting with an ''L Immortus'' in cursive before closing his eyes, focusing, and expending a decent chunk of MP to create a solid gold frame around the shitty painting with a magic-infused glass pane for good measure. That almost drained him dry of MP. Lone handed it to Sophie who quickly held in it both hands. "Heavy." "Yeah, gold tends to be that. Unsummon Sofia Vladimirovich," he replied. Now that he had a moment of silence free from his lover''s incessant laughter, he went over his short but informative notification log.
The host has developed the passive skill: Painting Mastery.
Passive skill: Painting Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Art Mastery] used by skilled children and immortal beings who live and breathe art alike. When painting something the host is looking at, there is a 5% chance the nature of the target will be accurately reflected and recognisable to all who view the resulting painting.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Art Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
He sighed. "No direct improvement to my painting ability unlike Drawing Mastery with drawing... Summon Sofia Vladimirovich." The short gorgeous woman appeared, no longer laughing but still smiling from ear-to-ear in glee. "You have no idea how much we will cherish that painting." "I''m sure. Now, I want to try again but use Drawing Mastery to make an outline that I will then paint. Be a good model and sit on the water with a barrier under you to make the illusion you''re floating atop it," Lone ordered as he waved his paintbrush in Sophie''s direction. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Soph can do that. We have had our fun," Sophie shrugged.
"Stop shifting to your kid and teen forms! Try to change the length of your arm or something. I''m struggling to draw your outline here!" Lone exclaimed in frustration to Soph. She turned to look at him in her child form and smiled sheepishly. "I''m just getting the feel of the skill. I rarely use it outside of training like this. Won''t change again, I promise!" Lone shook his head but smiled. This peaceful moment was nice.
The peaceful moment was utterly ruined when a red frog the size of a housecat erupted out of the water, startling Soph, before it landed on the top of Lone''s easel. Its webbed feet ruined the parts of the still-wet paint completely. It didn''t seem to care as it croaked and then jumped on Lone''s head before escaping back into the lake. "That was the G-ranker spirit, wasn''t it?" Lone asked Soph. From the lake''s surface she nodded at him. "Uh, yeah. Think it wanted to say hi?" "It''s a rude fucker if so. Next time it does that, I''m grabbing it and giving it a good squeeze. Can''t kill or hurt it, but no rules against making it uncomfortable if it won''t be a friendly neighbour," Lone grumbled. "It has a lot of emotions. It seemed happy to see you, so I think it was being friendly," Soph said. "I dunno why, but it''s pretty easy for me to see the emotions in the mana of spirit animals. Like the big floofy fox. As soon as it saw you, it has every intention to just let its dungeon auto-clear." "It wasn''t your love of all things cuddly and soft that did that? And what, I attract spirit animals or something? I have a hidden quality that makes them like me instantly? Even dead ones like Eltoro?" Lone asked, scepticism oozing out of him. "You''d think I''d get a passive for that if so." "Maybe it''s just your charm. Sophie is saying that''s usually quite hard to resist when you don''t open your mouth. Um, her words, not mine," Soph replied. "I think you''re plenty charming when you speak too, even if I don''t understand what you''re talking about half the time. That, uh, happens a lot. Maybe it''s more than half." "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now stop talking about my charms and get back into position before I decide to give that frog a real show to watch," Lone said. Soph blushed and did as she was told. "Gonna have to restart the damn thing now. Don''t want to patch up the bits it ruined... Ha-ah..." he sighed softly.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Drawing Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Painting Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Painting Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Painting Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Lone marvelled at his creation. It wasn''t a masterpiece by any means but it was... special. Soph''s innocent beauty was on full display as she sat upon the water, staring longingly at the setting sun, her head on her hands as they rested atop one knee, the other leg being fully extended in front of her. As in real life, the painting version of Soph was wearing a pair of adventurer shorts and a white button-up shirt with only the very top button undone. Her feet were bare and her long golden hair flowed behind her back, threatening to be submerged into the water though it didn''t as if she were a fairy beloved by the waters. The lake, seemingly too afraid to spoil this serene moment by disturbing her, was silent. Now the painting needed a name. It wasn''t exactly right, but it felt appropriate to Lone and came to him in that moment like it belonged. "Lady of The Lake." Lone wondered, perhaps fleetingly, if this moment in time would contribute to his Historical and Cultural Appreciation skill were he to become renowned across the continent as a master-class painter. He didn''t know, but he liked to think it would given how powerfully this was all resonating with him. "I felt something!" Soph exclaiming, hopping up from her seated position on her barrier. She bounced around on the spot in excitement as she continued, "Lone! I felt my pinkie move like it wanted to grow!" Lone didn''t reply immediately. He returned his attention to his painting and very carefully caressed the side of the canvas. "I''ll treasure you and this moment for the rest of life. For eternity, if all goes to plan." He gently picked it up, turned it around, signed it, and then stored it within his Dimensional Storage - the safest possible location for such a valuable memory. He planned to carve a wooden frame from scratch for it. Lone even wanted to learn how to make glass himself so the entire frame would be free from Creation Magic. With that done, he used Ungrounded to swiftly join Soph on her barrier. He hugged the love of his life and kissed the top of her head. "That''s great! Can you do it again? Show me." "Y-Yeah! I think I can. Come on, little pinkie, wiggle for me!" Soph replied as she scrunched up her face in concentration, the digit in question mere millimetres from her eye.
Resisting the urge to sigh in exhaustion, the queen of Milindo, Aileen Heidron, looked to the man employed by The Adventurer''s Guild in hope. "Was that the last matter of court for today, Advisor Rhom?"
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Ruling Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
She was surprised and very pleased by the level up, but she didn''t show it on her face. The queen was too invested in her work being done for the day to celebrate the skill improvement. The man nodded. He focused his attention towards the other nobles and persons of state that were present before saying, "Court is adjourned for the day." He and the queen alike received bows in appreciation and acknowledgment. Before long, the room was empty save for the young queen and her advisor. "We have finished writing the letter for Lone Immortus this morning," Aileen said, not forgetting to use royal speech, just as he so often liked to drill into her head. "Ah, excellent. May I read it? I trust you to not upset such a powerful person, but a second opinion can rarely go amiss in such a unique circumstance," Advisor Rhom requested. "Of course. It is why we brought the matter up. We would like you to offer your insights and if all is well, to send it through the guild," Aileen said as she waved her hand, resulting in the letter emerging from the gem of her royal signet ring. Using her gloved hand, she passed the letter she had spent weeks thinking on and writing to her guild-assigned advisor. He thanked her and read it carefully. "Ah, very polite but not enough so to diminish your new role. Very good. The offered rewards are lacking if what I know of his assets to be true, but it is the thought that matters. These are no small boons given our situation. An offer to spectate the upcoming hero summoning? That might be very appealing to one such as he. And of course, freely giving all we know of his tormentor is to be expected of us." Aileen felt her heart pounding in her chest. He was saying good things about her letter, but this was usually where he tore down her ideas with good reason and made her feel like a foolish and inexperienced child. "You have put a lot of work into this, and it shows. There is emotion here. I''ll make arrangements for this to be sent immediately. I expect it to arrive within a few days. He is in the Crimson Foxkin Clan now, so a delay is expected. It is a shame he didn''t stay in Golden Pass City," Advisor Rhom stated. "What? You... You think it''s okay? On the first try?" Aileen was, of course, baffled. "Your Majesty," Advisor Rhom said like a father amused by his child, "you spent weeks on this. I would be incredibly disappointed if the ruler of a nation, young as she may be, could not appropriately apologise and invite one individual via letter with so much time to prepare." "R-Right... of course..." Aileen muttered. "Your Majesty," he addressed. "Yes?" she replied. "Do not stutter and do not speak under your breath. It is unbecoming of a queen to do so," he chastised. ''There he is. He was hiding, waiting for me to fumble to scold me,'' Aileen commented internally. "Of course. Ah, we did level Ruling Mastery today." "Excellent. Only eight more levels before you will be rid of me," Advisor Rhom said seriously though she knew he was teasing her. Still, he had approved the letter. Now all that was left to do was wait anxiously for Lone Immortus''s response or, Primals forbid, his arrival. She had no idea how she would hold up emotionally to a man her father had so grievously wronged, and doubly so to the man who had killed that very same father in revenge. B3: Chapter 43: Blood Explosion and How Men Reunite "Oh, it definitely grew. By maybe a millimetre?" Lone said to Soph who was sitting on his lap trying her hardest to elongate her pinkie finger. "Question is, can you ungrow it?" Soph creased her brow in concentration. "I-I think so? Ungrow for me, pinkie finger!" Lone watched in anticipation, his arms wrapped around the waist of the love of his life as his Enhanced Vision barely just caught the moment her finger returned to its normal length.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Enhanced Vision] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 3.
''Oh, that was unexpected. Probably because this is a new thing I''m doing as opposed to reading in the dark or looking through enchantments and illusions. Then again, it did level in my fight against Prince Keining so who fuckin'' knows. Maybe I can squeeze out another level by watching myself regen very, very closely,'' Lone remarked internally. "I... I did it!" Soph exclaimed. She jumped up off of Lone, spun on her heels, then jumped back on top of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I didn''t get a subskill yet but there''s progress!" Lone smiled when Soph pressed her forehead against his, tears of joy streaming out of her eyes. "It only took a little over a year, huh? Granted, not a concentrated effort, but from what I''ve read, it normally takes decades of efforts to see signs of a subskill or new skill effect forming, and that''s for a normal skill and for a normal genius. You''re a super genius, huh? I bet you''ll be able to morph your body to your whims in a month." Soph grinned. "Two weeks and not a day less!" "Let''s see then. What happens first: you earn a subskill or a new effect for Body Manipulation, or I get, let''s say... Hmm.... what''s a ''pushing it'' number?... Yeah, let''s say 20 beginner skills to intermediate rank. I might be able to handle one and half skills per day," Lone suggested. Soph leaned in and kissed him. "Okay! Sophie''s asking what the stakes are." "Hmm... If I win, you tell me your magical affinities and let me help you train at least one of them for a month. What do you want if you win?" Lone asked. "That''s tough... Anything I want you''d just give me anyway," Soph remarked. "Don''t interfere when I deal with Hamish Two?" "Hamish Two? Haha, that''s a hell of a nickname. Why would I? I''ve already given her a second chance and what I do in regards to people who try to kill me is divorced from what you do to them. Always discuss plans with me, yeah, but I wouldn''t interfere, so choose something else as your prize," Lone replied. Soph smiled at that and kissed him. "I love you. Hmm... Arg, I want to ask you to stop getting me to almost kill you, but that makes you harder to kill for others so even if I don''t like it, I don''t actually want you to stop. Do whatever I or Sophie say for an entire month if I win! Even if we tell you to rest and pause levelling skills for a day or two. Deal?" "That''s harsh. I gotta win now, don''t I?" he grinned. "It''s a deal. I love you too, by the way." He got up, removing Soph from his lap. Lone then immediately picked her up over his shoulder and began sauntering towards the main building of the pavilion. Obviously flustered, Soph squirmed about and shouted, "W-What are you doing?" "I only have 14 days to get 20 skills to intermediate rank. Before I start working myself to the bone, I want to see if I can get Sex Mastery to advanced rank. It''s only two levels away, and we have all evening," Lone replied. Suddenly, the two disappeared from the wooden bridge connecting the lake gazebo to the backyard of the Spirit Pavilion, and they had reappeared in their new bedroom. On the bed, specifically. "You should have just said so!" Soph said, squirming free from Lone''s grasp before she straddled him. "In that case, I''m gonna level it to beginner level three!" "Right, you had the skill too..." Lone replied. It wasn''t long before clothes were being discarded and moans could be heard all throughout the pavilion.
Come morning, Soph had, indeed, levelled her Sex Mastery to beginner level three. Lone, on the other hand, while not ranking it up, had also levelled the skill, bringing it to intermediate level ten. Lone had just finished cooking breakfast, sadly not seeing any improvement to Cooking Mastery from the endeavour, when Soph entered the dining room with a weary Breena following alongside her. "Hey there, champ. Went and overused your mana organs, huh? Must have sucked but know that I''m proud of you. Bet ya saw some improvements, huh?" he asked as he slid two plates full of syrup-covered waffles to their places at the dinner table. Lone sat down and began tucking into his own golden stack of fluffy goodness. Breena nodded shyly. "Um, y-yeah. I got an extra level in Fireball Mastery, and my, uh, affinity also went up by two percent. I got Mental Pain Resistance too." "Fuckin'' A. I bet you got enlightenment as well. We''ll get you to the level cap later today and find out. I need to level a bunch of skills anyway, and the plan is to teleport to Golden Pass City for that, so we''ll take an overnight quest that can get you your levels, assuming you wanna come with. If you want to rest instead, we can do it another time. We won''t be going until the afternoon since I wanna go meet Shana and Grimsley," Lone said. With a panicked look on her face as if the opportunity would disappear were she not to reply immediately, Breena blurted out, "I-I''ll come! I... You were right. I need to stop hesitating. A-As soon as I let myself go too far, I gained so much and y-you both saved me. I was stupid to be so worried." Lone smiled. "You weren''t being stupid. It''s normal to be cautious when someone tells you to do conventionally irreparable damage to non-tangible organs. Now, your affinity improving is interesting. I guess that''s done via practice and stress too, like normal skills. Can''t experiment on that myself since Growth Accelerator forces all my affinities to be at 100% on acquisition. Two percent more puts you at eight percent. Hmm... The kids won''t like that. They''re too soft. Gonna have to think of a way to convince them..." "Ignore him," Soph said to Breena. "He''s in his own little world again."
"Why are you standing so far from us?" Soph asked Lone with a confused tilt of her head. "Blood Explosion," Lone replied as his body expanded, blood firing out of his nose, ears, mouth, and eyeballs. "W-Wha-" "I''m fine!" Lone called as his body returned to normal, Basic Regeneration healing the self-inflicted damage. "I need to get 20 beginner skills to intermediate rank in 14 days. Thus, we''re back to the good ol'' swimming in the ocean and electrocuting myself days. Instead, I''m blowing up my blood to level Blood Explosion, Blood and Explosion Magic Resistances. It has a range of one metre, so yeah, don''t get close to me or your blood''ll go boom too." Soph frowned. "Warn me first. I hate seeing you injure yourself." "U-Um, Master Lone... Are you, um, going to do that the whole way to Grimsley and Shana''s place?" Breena hesitantly asked. Lone nodded. "Sure am. I have enough mana for another 43 explosions. Maybe more if it ranks up." "Well I''ll focus on growing my fingers if you''re gonna multitask!" Soph declared. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "I... I''ll just be sneaky," Breena whispered. "Like usual..."
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Active Blood Magic Skill: Blood Explosion
A highly advanced application of the blood magic school where the caster uses a hint of explosion magic in combination with blood magic to ignite all blood within a 3-metre [up from 1-metre] radius of them.
Cost: 8,000 MP [-2,000 MP]
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active blood magic skill [Blood Explosion] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
''Yup. Highly advanced application or not, being used on oneself 40 plus times will power level any offensive skill. Dangerous fuckin'' skill. How did Rosanne Daybringer ever level it? Does it normally need a bunch of supplementary skills to avoid killing yourself? Maybe that skill that turned her into blood? Would that stop her from dying, thus letting her level the skill? I hope it never gets a passive ''no longer applies to the host'' effect. That would suck for me specifically,'' Lone thought as he approached Grimsley''s new home and continued looking at the rest of his notifications.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Blood Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Explosion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Explosion Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
''Only two levels for Explosion Magic Resistance? Really? I guess it makes sense since the skill is a blood magic skill first and foremost, but still...'' Lone''s disappointment was washed away as soon as an unexpected notification entered his vision.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 5.
"Ohhh fuck yes! Didn''t expect that but I guess keeping a clone in my bloodstream was worth it. Was it close to a level-up already or did the repeated explosions just count as a new avenue to grow stronger, hence the level?" Lone muttered. "''Oo the feck is yellin'' nonsense ootside ah mah hoose?!" a grumpy voice bellowed at the top of its lungs. Rushing out of the oriental bungalow sitting atop a hill, hammer in hand, the other clenched and ready to punch, Grimsley scanned his property only to meet eyes with Lone, Soph, and Breena. "Laddie? The fook''dya think ye''r doin'' visitin'' noo an'' no when ya arrived like ya did wae the bastardin'' goat, eh?" He dropped his hammer, unclenched his fist, applied his Strength, and in one jump, tackled Lone. Seeing the ''attack'' coming, Lone invoked, "Tail Spear." He stabbed all nine of his tails into the earth to anchor himself. Lone felt his ribs ache for a moment as two burly arms wrapped around his waist. "Fookin'' missed ya, ya cheeky bastard. Thought ah ''ad it rough. Teleported hoodreds o'' metres intae the air an'' ''ad tae swim tae ah deserted island while carryin'' three cunts, wae broken ribs nae less. Then ah ''ad tae keep myself sane livin'' on that feckin'' island wae my lovely niece, ah goat, an'' ah worm pretendin'' it were an ''uman, as neighbours. Was gonna ''old it over yer head like ah feckin'' war trophy ah was, but then ah go an'' ''ear this cunt - ''at bein'' ye - ''as only gone an'' fuckin'' learned steamforgin'' fae ma own master an'' didnae get executed fer it! Ah''ll feckin'' tell ya what, ah was damn-near rollin'' on the floor pishin'' maself when ah ''eard ya injured ah Taker''s guard. Emotionless bastards. Musta been ah helluva ah sight. Fookin'' funniest thing ah''ve heard in ah decade," Grimsley rambled. Lone grinned. "I didn''t miss that accent one bit. I''ll be nice though and say that I did miss you." Grimsley let go of him and punched him in his flank, only for Lone to not react even slightly. "Still ah cheeky cunt but ah see ya''ve worked on dealin'' wae applied stats. At least from ah C-ranker like me." "As much as it happens to me, I don''t exactly enjoy getting thrown around in fights. I''m slowly learning," Lone replied. "U-Um... Mister Ironsbane, is, um... is your niece in there?" Breena timidly asked, pointing at the home atop the hill. Lone was beyond proud she had initiated dialogue with a man other than himself. That showed tremendous personal growth. "Oh, aye. She''s workin'' the forge right noo. ''At or practicin'' the goat''s magic. Ah swear, lass ''as ah talent fae smithin'' but ah catch ''er skiving off ''alf the time ''at ah leave ''er tae work on ''er own. Ah tell ''er ''forge some forks, aye?'' nae make ''em fookin'' fly around the workshop!" Grimsley grumbled but Lone could hear the immense joy in the man''s tone. "C-Can I see her, please?" Breena requested. "Feckin'' course yous can. Come in, all ah yas. Ah''ve got some special brews ''at''ll put hairs atop ah monk''s ''ead. Specially imported fae ah friendly tribe ah roamin'' cyclopes. Bet ya ah gold coin ah can drink ya under the table, laddie," Grimsley said, a maniacal grin on his lips. "I could use some levels in intoxication resistance. You''re on," Lone replied, a grin twice as wide as his friend''s. Soph just sighed. "Head covered in blood, haven''t talked to each other face to face in almost a year, barely talked via communication orb since Gilbert did most of the talking, yet they''re just right back into it. Is that really just how guys are, Sophie? What do you mean only the simple ones? O-Of course I won''t drink! I remember what happened last time. Well, okay, I don''t, but you do and hearing it described was more than enough!" B3: Chapter 44: A Drunken Foxkin and Revisiting Mason and Sons
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 4.
"Fuck me! Two levels from one sip?" Lone reeled. "Why does it taste stronger than pure ethanol?" "Dinnae ''ave ah clue what the feck ''ethanol'' is, laddie, but like ah said, this shite''ll put ''airs on any cunt''s chest!" Grimsley laughed as he took three hearty swigs from his own mug, almost choking out the drink as he did, so vitriolic and involuntary was the body''s response to the substance. "I''m recreating your body after this. You''re gonna have fucked it up beyond belief once that mug''s dry," Lone remarked before singeing his throat with another sip.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 6.
"Ah need shite like this tae feel anythin''. Intoxication Resistance is ah real bastard. Ah''ve even earned Poison Resistance fae the stuff ah need tae doon just fer ah buzz. This stuff''ll keep me goin'' fer ah few centuries though, nae doubt. Just need tae ensure the supply is constant," Grimsley said. "Expensive, but worth every penny." "Whatever keeps you happy, though surely by now some Divine alcoholic would have invented booze that bypasses the resistances, right? Or maybe Divines gain immunity to alcohol on their ascension. Wouldn''t surprise me since they gain eternal life," Lone remarked. "Could always employ a Taker to rip the resistances right out of you too." Grimsley shrugged, the face hidden beneath his beard loosening. "If ya ever find oot ah method ''at disnae involve ah Taker, then ah''m all ears. Ah didnae think ta ask Grand Guildmaster Sarah when ah got the chance to meet ''er. Nice lass. Or lady? ''Ard tae think o'' ''er as the millions o'' years old monster ''at she is." "What was she like?" Lone asked, taking another sip.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
His head felt lighter already. His Enhanced Vision was fighting to keep his sight from blurring, but he felt good even if he wasn''t remotely a fan of how this brew tasted. It was also taking more effort to block Basic Regeneration''s efforts to purge the toxins in his system. Grimsley shrugged. "Pissed. Nae pished like us, but feckin'' pissed. Mind ye, she were giddy as could be tae see the goat, up until she saw his eye an'' awakenin''. Bastardin'' duke damn-near shat ''imself on the spot. Ah still wonder why ''e decided tae settle in Mystopolis. ''At''s where she took us. The goat ''andled most ah the official nonsense after ''at. We ended up ''ere tae wait fer ye." "Huh. Well, we''ve got a few hours until I need to go, so let me tell you about my adventures in your homeland, huh?" Lone offered. "Aye, ah''d like that. Tell me aboot ol'' Wilbur anaw, will ya?" Grimsley requested. "What were ''e like when ''e was teachin'' ya? An''... before ''e returned tae the Stone."
Soph watched Breena and Shana silently as the two caught up. Her attention was more focused on growing her fingers and keeping an eye on the ever-increasingly drunk Lone via her Mana Sensing. "Wow! You have a fire magic skill already? Mister Immortus must be a good teacher. Even though he says I have a lot of talent for it, I can barely manipulate freeform gravity magic despite Master''s teachings. Ah, uh, not that kind of master. I''m past that. He teaches me magic! The guildmaster, that is," Shana excitedly explained to her fellow former-slave. Breena wore an uncomfortable expression beneath her face-mask. "Master Lone is an incredible teacher, and, um, also not that kind of master..." Soph smiled, happy to see Breena communicating somewhat normally. She didn''t care about the girl nearly as much as Lone did, but she cared an infinite amount more than her other half ever could. She patiently watched over the two young teens from her seat in the corner of the forge as they caught up, one energetic and rather normal, the other happy to talk but still hesitant and shy as always. Before long, two and a half hours had passed. Shana was forging a set of farming tools while enthusiastically going over the entire process for Breena who was keenly watching and listening. Soph got up and stretched. "Let''s go, girls. Your uncle has passed out, Shana, and my stupid lover is mumbling to himself as if Grimsley is still replying." "Oh, uh, yeah. I need to take care of uncle when he''s like that. Don''t want him choking on his own spit," Shana replied, quickly stopping what she was doing before she speed walked out of the forge with Breena and Soph just behind her. The smell of intense alcohol pervaded Soph''s nostrils and she gagged a little, as did Breena though Shana seemed fine. "Haha, it takes some getting used to," Shana chuckled awkwardly as she dashed over to her uncle to help him out. Lone turned his head lazily towards them and said, "You shouldn''t really get "used" to it... It''s bad for you..." Soph shook her head. At least he was coherent while drunk. Sophie''s memories of her when she was in a similar state made it clear that she was incapable of normal speech while under the influence. She approached Lone and in a soft voice, she said, "We need to go to Golden Pass City now. Remember, you wanted to level skills, fight the guildmaster, and try to rank up Breena?" Lone''s body swayed gently from side to side in his chair. "Your voice is lovely... Never knew I liked hints of Russian until I fell in love with you... Right, today''s plans... Basic Regeneration, do your thing..." Soph blushed but just as her cheeks were starting to flush, the redness in Lone''s disappeared. He groaned lightly and shook his head. "Powerful fuckin'' booze. I still have a headache. Wonder when that will subside... Alcohol''s flushed from the system though. Thanks, Soph. I''d completely forgotten about our plans for the day. Let me recreate Grimsley''s body and we''ll be on our way. C-ranker or not, this stuff''ll have long-lasting effects on the liver."
Appearing in an alleyway just beside Mason and Sons, the place he had used to earn the Item Examination skill, Lone spoke to Soph telepathically. ''Is Prince Keining here?'' While he waited for her response, he went over his notification logs. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 1.
Passive Skill: Intoxication Resistance
A skill awarded to those with an iron gut and a low enough intelligence to make getting drunk a regular sport. Alcohol is weakened by 15% [+10%] when consumed by the host.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Intermediate Level 1
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Intoxication Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
''There''s one more skill out of beginner rank. Only 18 more to go in the next 19 days. I''m so winning this bet,'' Lone thought. Soph furrowed her brow and then shook her head. ''Nope, I can''t find him. Five people turned to look this way when we appeared, one of them being Yulia, so I''m pretty sure they can all sense mana. It''s so easy to see now that I''m looking for it...'' ''That would make sense. Gonna use your points to try to get a skill to conceal mana or something? At the guild, I mean,'' Lone replied. Soph nodded. ''I don''t want to inflate my number of skills, but I really should get something to disguise myself... Guildmaster Brux is in the same guild building from the last time we were here, by the way.'' ''Good. I''m sure I can get a fight out of him. Well, we''re at Mason and Sons for a reason. Maybe alongside what I want, we can find something to conceal your mana while you work on earning a skill for that. I''ll also look into earning one that I can then, in turn, teach you,'' Lone said. Soph nodded before she, Lone, and Breena, left the alleyway and directly entered the massive building belonging to Mason and Sons. Almost immediately, an employee approached them with a big smile on his face despite the lobby already having a few customers waiting to be served, all of varying strengths and backgrounds - one was even an SSS-ranker according to Lone''s aura. "Lord Immortus! How joyous. I wasn''t aware of your return to the city. I am Jason, son of Mason. How can I help you today?" the man, Jason, cheerfully inquired. The slight growing discontent from the other customers upon seeing the preferential treatment from a direct owner of the store immediately disappeared when they saw who it was that was getting said treatment. Even the SSS-ranker had no issues with this. Golden Pass City was a city ruled by the law of the jungle. This SSS-ranker knew just as well as everyone here that the man who lasted so long against their ruler in a fight and who had even managed to land a injury on him would easily outmatch any of the present people''s individual strengths. Lone reckoned they might have even got offended if he wasn''t treated like a V.I.P. since such treatment was why everyone in this city strived for greater heights. Status meant nothing here and was hard to obtain anywhere else. Strength, however, meant everything and was within everyone''s grasp with enough time and effort. "Hey, Jason. Nice name. It''s very normal. Last time I was here your dad did some item examinations for me but I noticed you guys also offer to buy items brought here and then resell them. I''m looking to buy some specific things if you''ve got them," Lone explained. Jason smiled knowingly. "Of course." A moment of silence passed between him and Lone''s group before he stood aside and gestured to the flight of stairs to the left of the lobby that led upwards. "My brother, Tayson, will see you on floor three, room seven. I must say, it''s an absolute pleasure to serve you again. Will you and your companions be needing an escort, or would you prefer to go yourself?" "Ah, we can go by ourselves. Thanks, Jason," Lone said before leaving the lobby with Soph and Breena in tow. "That moment of silence..." Soph muttered. "Magic flowed from an item on his wrist upstairs to the room we''re heading towards. I guess that''s how he arranged where we''d get seen to?" Lone nodded. "Sounds likely. For this place to be good enough for Yulia to respect the owner, Mason, despite her reluctance to leave the palace speaks of this business''s acumen. Doesn''t surprise me at all that they can communicate magically via an artefact of some sort." "Mason, Jason, Tayson..." Breena muttered to herself very softly. "Mason and Sons... Sons as in children, or sons as in, their names? Maybe both?" Lone laughed quite loudly at that. "Fuckin'' good point. Wonder what Mason would name a daughter?" Before too long, the trio found themselves in room seven of floor three after Lone had knocked lightly to announce his entrance. It was a simple enough room, only being a cube in shape though the walls were well decorated and at the back of the room behind the occupied desk could be seen three identical doors. ''Those doors are covered in magic,'' Soph informed Lone while he looked at the man who was likely Tayson. He looked damn-near identical to Jason save for a few very minute details. He still had short brown hair, black eyes, fair skin, and a muscular build, but instead of sporting a dashing moustache, Tayson was equipped with a full-on lumberjack beard. From his aura, it was clear he was an A-ranker. However, despite being a rank higher than Lone, Tayson still stood up and bowed his head. "It''s my pleasure to assist you today, Lord Immortus. I understand you''re in the market to buy some items. Please, let me know what it is you desire and I''ll see if we have anything that matches." Lone, Soph, and Breena, all took a seat at the opposite side of the desk from Tayson, Lone occupying the middle seat with Soph to his left and Breena to his right. "I need two things. Firstly, something to change my appearance. I don''t exactly hate the attention my power has earned me, but it would be nice to be able to stroll through the city without being recognised as the guy who left a scratch on Prince Keining," Lone explained. Tayson nodded enthusiastically. "That is more than reasonable. Sadly, items that disguise one''s self are very rare since most are outlawed to avoid impersonation, but we do have a few enchanted broaches that will change your external appearance while making it clear that you are doing so. Thus, you get the privacy you seek but everyone knows you''re hiding what you look like." "That sounds fine. I''ll take three of those, please. As for my second request, I want something that can mask how much MP someone has, again, three such items if available," Lone said. Tayson ran his fingers through his beard and smiled. "Such items are available. In fact, we have a lot of those. I will need to know how much MP exactly you are trying to hide. Regardless of the type of items they all share one thing in common - they have upper limits. If you exceed that upper limit, the item will stop working and in some cases, explode rather violently." "Ah... Well, in that case, I''ll take one of each different type," Lone said, shocking Tayson. "L-Lord Immortus... Even if we have a good number of items capable of masking MP, buying one of each type would easily run up a bill of multiple ruby-gold coins," Tayson explained, his voice a bit shaky. "I expected that. Go get all the items and let''s negotiate. There''s gotta be a discount for bulk purchases, right?" Lone grinned. He didn''t care how much they cost. It was likely the items wouldn''t be able to hide Soph''s absurd mana pool so Lone was going to do the next best thing. Bulk buy and reverse engineer the items before making one powerful enough for his girlfriend via Creation Magic. It was either that or learn a skill that he could teach her which would accomplish the same. Whichever came first. B3: Chapter 45: Masking Devices and Haggling Tayson nodded, much more professionalism in his decorum than a moment ago. He then stood up, pulled a plate out from his ring which Lone now knew was a storage device, and he then pressed that plate up against the magical door at the back left of the room. "I''ll be right back, Lord Immortus. I can''t imagine I''ll take any longer than ten minutes. Would you like some refreshments while you wait?" he asked. Lone shook his head. "Nah, we''re good. Thank you though." Tayson smiled. "Of course." He then pushed some of his aura into the plate and it activated the door, making it melt out of existence with a red portal quickly replacing it. ''Burn everything you''re seeing magically-speaking into your mind right now, Soph. I absolutely want to learn how to make that door and plate,'' Lone ordered. Soph replied, ''I already am. You do the same with Enhanced Vision.'' Lone grinned. With eyes held open wide, the two of them watched the man step through the arched portal. It then vanished, being replaced by a normal door once more. Lone immediately stood up and walked around the desk. He grabbed the door''s handle and opened it, revealing just another part of the room''s wall. He began inspecting every nook and cranny of the door as if his life depended on it. He then moved onto the other two doors in the room. "M-Master Lone... Should you really be doing that? Um, won''t it... uh, upset them?" Breena hesitantly questioned. Without looking at her, he replied, "They didn''t say I couldn''t do this, so it''s on them if they get hot and bothered. I''m not going to damage it. Hell, for all we know, the door could be pointless and is just for visuals while the plate is everything. I bet there''s some sort of observation item or magic or something in here anyway. If they want to stop my snooping, they are welcome to. You think they''d just not keep an eye on us at all times in their business? I would if I was as big and successful as Mason and Sons and I catered to potentially super powerful individuals." "I-I see," Breena replied a bit more thoughtfully. Eight minutes passed with Lone not finding anything particularly incredible about the three doors. Even Item Examination claimed they were ordinary, only used as a medium for the magic he had seen, but that was only the extent of his own knowledge so he couldn''t fully trust that to be all there was to this. Still, he eventually sat back down and waited patiently alongside Soph and Breena. Three minutes later, Lone''s entire attention was centred on the door and doorframe that had once more disappeared only to be replaced by a magical red portal. Tayson stepped out of it, strange plate in hand. As soon as he was through, he turned on his heels and used the plate to close the portal, returning it to the appearance of a normal door. "That is something special," Lone commented. "I played around with the doors a bit when you left and couldn''t find anything amiss. Never heard of magic like that. Can you tell me about it?" Tayson laughed politely as he sat back down behind the desk. "I can tell you the basics. It''s a mixture of many magics and was prohibitively expensive to set up, though my brothers and father along with me all agreed it was needed for security reasons. Our vaults are quite extensive, after all. And thank you for your honestly. We don''t mind people prying, but trying to hide it is terribly rude." "I like to be honest when possible. Shame you can''t tell me more, but I understand. To business then?" Lone asked. Tayson nodded. He sucked the magical plate into his storage ring and then from that very same ring did many wooden and metal boxes appear, covering the table in no time. "We have the trio of items to disguise your physical appearance while making it obvious you are doing so, and we have 47 items that allow masking of one''s MP, of different varieties. This may take a while to go over each individual item''s value so I will sadly have to charge you a consultation fee of five silver. Nothing in the face of how large this deal will be, but rules are rules. My time is valuable, I''m sure you understand," Tayson stated. Lone nodded, understanding completely. "Here you go," he said, giving the requested money. "Excellent. Now then, let us begin," Tayson said. He opened one box and picked up a silver brooch from three such brooches, all styled to look like a crow. "This is a ''Yes, I don''t look like this. Stop Asking.'' brooch. Quirky name, I know, but it is the official one given by the creator of the device. You simply attach it to your clothing somewhere and it will then adjust your appearance to that of a generic member of a few different species. The list of species can be found here and the minutiae of the appearance can be adjusted although the more you do so the more uncanny your appearance shall become if you lack the mental capacity to envision the desired appearance changes." "Hmm... The requirements to use? And the requirements to see through. You said that was a guarantee, right? But how guaranteed? Is just being looked at enough?" Lone questioned. "It uses a fixed amount of MP to activate, that being 10,000 and while it is automatic once it has been activated, it does need to be recharged at least once every three uses as it only stores up to 32,000 MP. Each activation will last four hours or until it is manually deactivated. It also needs to be repaired once a year as frequent use will degrade what makes it work. We offer that service here. As for how is it noticeable, allow me to demonstrate," Tayson replied. Stolen story; please report. He put the silver brooch on his shirt. Lone couldn''t feel a thing though he was sure Soph noticed the exchange of magic before Tayson''s appearance became extremely generic, almost forgettably so. Lone could sense it immediately, as could Soph and Breena. Something about Tayson was just... wrong. It was as if the world was telling him this was not this person''s true appearance and they knew that he knew that. "Interesting... so, the price?" Lone asked. Tayson nodded as he removed the brooch and returned it to its box. "These brooches are rather rare and are in high demand, so one has a market price currently of 17 platinum coins per brooch." "Fuck, that is expensive. That much for some faulty illusion? Really? How much of that is the mark up?" Lone inquired. Tayson smiled. "It is not an illusion, it is a disguise, and please do understand, Lord Immortus, many people are incapable of using magic at all, let alone illusion magic or a similar magic that can hide their appearance. The supply does not meet the demand for these items, so while the price is, indeed, very high at a surface examination, many are willing to pay this much for such an item. Shall I move on to the MP masking devices, or do you have more questions?"
"And that marks the last item I have to show you. The total sum of all of these items, assuming you still wish to purchase them all, is 13 ruby-gold coins, 58 platinum coins, and 23 gold coins, rounded down to the nearest gold coin to avoid loose change, for your convenience," Tayson said after four long hours of explanations and inquiries had been exchanged between him and Lone. Soph was barely still awake, so bored by this interaction was she. Breena was still engaged, however. Lone was happy to see the teen showed some interest in the art of commerce. He was only hoping he wouldn''t make a fool of himself here as he tried to earn the Haggling Mastery skill. "That is an insultingly high price, Tayson. I''m very happy with the service I received here a few weeks ago, but I''m not happy enough to let myself be taken advantage of. I''ll do 7 ruby-gold and 40 white-gold. Not a penny more for the lot. Bulk discounts are normal for purchases like this where I''m from and trust me, I know you''re still making a profit from this and you''ll be making a friend of a very powerful and very rich figure. Win-win, no?" Lone asked, an eyebrow raised and his tone entirely serious. Tayson''s facial expression changed. What Lone read from it was disappointment that the deal wasn''t closed at the opening offer, but he also saw a willingness to engage in the game of haggling with the expectation to come out on top. ''You likely will since I bet you have Haggling Mastery and maybe a few other supplementary skills, but so long as I can earn Haggling Mastery from this too... then I don''t give a fuck how much this ends up costing me,'' Lone thought. Tayson stroked his full beard for a moment before replying, "While I can see that my initial offer was quite high when viewed from your perspective, your counter offer is simply too low. While yes, it would still be a profit, these items are not lacking in demand and we are not desperate for funds. We can wait for more generous buyers. That being said, I am open to negotiations. How does 13 ruby-gold on the nose sound? That is over half a ruby-gold off." "No, come on. 8 ruby-gold. That''s more than half a ruby-gold coin extra than my first counter offer. Quite generous, no?" Lone smiled. "12 ruby-gold and a free item examination consultation from my father," Tayson countered with no added fluff. "9 ruby-gold and this massive fuck-off sapphire," Lone responded as he reached within his Dimensional Storage to pull out the torso-sized jewel. ''I have no practical use for this thing and I can always create another one via Creation Magic if a need makes itself known.'' Tayson hesitated. "May I examine that?" Lone nodded. "Please, go ahead." Tayson''s eyes began glowing as he muttered, "Item Examination." Not a moment later, his eyes returned to normal. "... 10 ruby-gold and that monarch sapphire." "9 ruby-gold and 50 white-gold coins, and the gem," Lone countered. Tayson smiled and reached his hand over the counter. As soon as Lone grabbed it, the man with a lumberjack''s beard said, "It''s a deal." Lone felt some sort of force coming over him, compelling him rather strongly to honour the deal and have no lingering thoughts to steal back his money or the gem. It was a powerful compulsion but not something that couldn''t be resisted given Lone''s experience with scripture magic. Just as he was wondering if the thing used to apply such an effect was an active skill being used on him or not, a couple of notifications popped up, obscuring his vision. He put them aside for the moment and smiled. "Indeed it is. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Lone let go of Tayson''s hand and swept his palm across the desk, sucking up all of the boxes containing mana masking tools as well as the box with the three brooches to disguise oneself. Of course, all of it went into his Dimensional Storage. "Likewise. You are a surprisingly talented haggler for one who does not possess the skill," Tayson remarked. Lone raised an eyebrow. "How would you know that?" "Ah, well, Haggling Mastery has an effect at intermediate rank that allows you to know if you are dealing with another user of the skill. I''ll also tell you that at advanced rank that that very effect tells you what rank your opponent has the skill at. According to my father Mason, at expert rank, it tells you their exact level. And, according to The Adventurer''s Guild, at master rank it will even let you know the rough limits of what your opponent is willing to haggle to," Tayson explained. "I gained a level for our back and forth despite you not owning the skill, so I''m rather appreciative." ''He could tell me info from the credit slate without being stopped by contract magic? Must have learned about that from his father or someone else who has the skill at master rank,'' Lone remarked internally. "I''m happy to have helped. We''ll be on our way now. I actually spent more time here than I intended and we have some chores to do." "Of course. The payment, however?" Tayson asked. Lone nodded, clicking his fingers, making the 9 ruby-gold coins appear on the desk in a pile with a heavy pouch of fifty white-gold coins alongside it. ''Yeah, that''s a cooler way to withdraw from Dimensional Storage. Bit weirded out by clicking but the rule of cool demands I get over it.'' "A man of your word. It''s always a pleasure to do business with the honourable sorts. Until next time, Lord Immortus, Lady Vladimirovich, Miss Redtail," Tayson said with a bow. ''Lady, huh? So he knows Sophie killed that X-ranker perv,'' Soph commented via telepathy. Lone left the room with his companions and replied, ''Not too surprising. Anyone with enough money, power, or connections, would know about the C-rank turned B-rank beauty who effortlessly ended the life of someone so conventionally powerful.'' As they left the building of Mason and Sons, Soph giggled. ''It wasn''t effortless. It took her a lot of MP, even if she''ll never admit to that. So... the guild now? Gonna fight Guildmaster... what was his name... Brush?'' ''Brux, and yes, but first, I have some notifications to check,'' Lone replied. B3: Chapter 46: Nothing and Break
The host has developed the passive skill: Haggling Mastery.
Passive Skill: Haggling Mastery
A skill popular among street vendors and conglomerate employees alike. When haggling, the host is 5% more likely to leave paying a price or being paid a price that they feel satisfied with.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Basic and beautiful. With how long my lifespan is, what with it basically being infinite, I do wonder... how much money will you save me? How many extra goodies will you earn me? Welcome to the arsenal, Haggling Mastery,'' Lone smiled.
The host has developed the active compulsion magic skill: Trade Agreement.
Active Compulsion Magic Skill: Trade Agreement
A basic and extremely common application of the compulsion magic school. When applied, it will weakly compel any trade participants to honour the agreed upon terms and the spirit of the deal.
Cost: 500 MP
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Congratulations! The host has developed an affinity for Compulsion Magic.
"Compulsion magic? So that''s what that was," Lone muttered. Soph nodded. "Yup. It came from an enchantment on the room, by the way. I didn''t mention it since all traces of it disappeared when you gave Tayson the money and the gem. I thought it was kind of indirect but I guess not if you earned a skill." "I guess not indeed. That only leaves the resistance..." Lone said.
The host has developed the passive skill: Compulsion Magic Resistance.
Passive Skill: Compulsion Magic Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of Compulsion Magic. Compulsion Magic used on the host will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"Scary magic type. It''s like mind control but more subtle. Glad I got introduced to the magic type in as harmless and peaceful of a way as possible. With the resistance, I should be able to feel more hidden attempts to influence me, so that''s good," Lone commented. Both Soph and Breena nodded at that. Not a moment later, Lone''s girlfriend stopped walking and furrowed her brow. "What''s up?" he asked Soph. She looked at him and replied, "Yulia just left the palace, got into a carriage, and is heading towards us." Lone pursed his lips. "I don''t mind that. I can try to get distortion magic from her via observation since it''s indirect. No need for us to stop since she can feel your MP. Let''s keep going." "The issue is that two of the other four people that detected me are also heading towards us," Soph explained. That made Lone frown. "Strengths and appearances?" "S-ranked tiny woman the size of a baby with glowing wings. X-ranked male... lizard? His mana is in the shape of a lizard. Not a lizard person but, uh, literally a lizard that is the size of a dog. The shape kind of reminds me of a Komodo dragon if I remember your description of those accurately. Uh, he''s wearing a tuxedo top," Soph detailed. "They aren''t rushing and I don''t sense any aggression but..." "Best to be cautious. Okay. Teleport us straight to Guildmaster Brux. He''ll forgive the intrusion and us using him as a potential shield if I ask to fight him. He looked very eager half a month ago," Lone said. Breena added, "P-People with eyes like his w-would do anything to satisfy their urges. H-His urge was certainly to fight you..." ''I don''t like the origin of that observation but I''m happy to hear you speaking up and involving yourself in the conversation,'' Lone commented internally. Not a moment later and Soph had grabbed the wrists of Lone and Breena before teleporting them halfway across the city to the top floor of The Adventurer''s Guild in the fighter''s district. At least, the top floor that wasn''t concealed by magic. A familiar grizzled old man with a wooden prosthetic leg glanced up from his mountain of paperwork at the sudden intruders. An unfamiliar man who Lone assumed was the guildmaster''s advisor, Thomas, also gave them a curious glance. "Gold-silver plate adventurer Immortus the Immortal, silver plate adventurer Sofia Vladimirovich, and copper plate adventurer Breena Redtail. You are not allowed in here. I must ask you to leave either by the means of which you entered, or via the door," Thomas ordered. "The guildmaster is very busy." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "N-Now don''t be so hasty, Thomas!" Guildmaster Brux said before Lone could reply. "They must have a reason for dropping in so suddenly. It''s surely urgent given they didn''t arrange a formal meeting. Was that teleportation that didn''t require an anchor of some such? Incredible. Anyway, Grand Guildmaster Sarah teaches us all to look out for one another, especially for those at or above silver plate. Surely I can push back this work by half a da-" a powerful glare make the guildmaster don a depressed expression, "by a couple of hours, no?" "... You will have to work overtime to make up for it and I will be writing a report about this," Thomas stated in a no-nonsense fashion. "Of course, of course," Guildmaster Brux replied with a toothy grin. "Now, with that settled, to what do I owe the surprise visit? I thought you were in the Crimson Foxkin Clan, but if you can freely teleport, well, that explains a lot." "You knew Sofia can do that. You''re powerful. Everyone of a certain strength in this city likely knows about the massive blob of mana that appeared here as if by magic almost half a year ago, and again today," Lone said. The guildmaster dropped his smile but still had a friendly atmosphere around him. "True enough. It''s not every day you see a C-ranker violently explode an X-ranker before then ranking up right before your very own eyes. It''s only natural to investigate such a person. So what does bring you here? I hope it is for what I''m thinking it is. If not, I''ll be rather disappointed." "Then you''re in luck. I do wanna fight you. I have bit of an issue first though. Well, potential issue. An S-ranked woman with glowing wings about yea high and a sentient lizard X-ranker wearing a tuxedo sensed Sofia''s mana and are both heading towards us. As is Princessling Yulia, but we know her. We don''t know this winged woman and the well-dressed lizard. We felt it was wise to seek your knowledge on them and perhaps your protection too if they have impure motives," Lone explained honestly. "I would advise you not call him a lizard to his face," Thomas suggested. "You just described Cuardaigh of the Tower, and Master Mezro''nan. The former is the spirit guardian for the city''s local enclave of Starbound Magi. The latter is an independent master mage of both body fortification magic and earth magic. He is a Restodian Iglaform, not a lizard." ''So the perfect tutor for Scott and a fairy with a Irish Gaelic name. I studied dead languages for a while... Puzzle Locked Mind, do I happen to know what the word means exactly? Ah, I do. To search, or wanting to know more, curiosity, maybe? Dead languages are so conceptual, but that is what''s beautiful about them,'' Lone remarked internally, thankful for his perfect memory. He noted that Thomas hadn''t actually said the word ''Cuardaigh''. It was more like the system that was translating mentally for him knew that to be the person''s true name and also knew Thomas was trying to say it in Western Human Common, so it did its thing and conveyed that to Lone. Similar to how an Italian man called Giacomo could be known as James in English, but were someone to introduce him as James to Lone, he would instead hear the true name of ''Giacomo''. ''Very, very interesting. Everyone always comments on how difficult to say Sofia''s surname is. I wonder what it actually sounds like when they say it without the translation effect?'' That was a curious thought, but sadly, Lone didn''t have infinite time to mull over it. "Noted. Thank you for the information. So, guildmaster, we have a couple of hours before you have to work again and probably a dozen or so minutes until our curious guests come to question my lovely girlfriend. What''s the plan? Think they have pure intentions?" Lone asked. Guildmaster Brux grinned madly. He got up, completely unbothered by his fake leg. "They''ll have to with me at your side. Let''s greet them together. I want all distraction gone before I sink my teeth into you. I saw what you did to the prince, and you feel even stronger now than then. Nothing''s getting in the way of this fight. Nothing." ''... He creeps me out,'' Soph relayed. ''It''s kind of endearing in a way, no?'' Lone questioned. Soph gave him a funny look. ''Trust you to sympathise with a fellow weirdo.'' ''Hey! You have a gaggle of weirdos coming here just for you. I don''t attract ''em, I can just recognise ''em,'' Lone replied defensively. Soph rolled her eyes but she still smiled warmly. ''Well, no matter what, you''re my weirdo.'' Guildmaster Brux walked past the two of them and the silent Breena while saying, "You two sure are good at communicating without speaking. Must be young love. Well, my unplanned and soon-to-be heavily punished break isn''t getting any longer, so come on, to the lobby we go." Soph blushed while Lone smiled wryly. Talking telepathically probably did look a bit strange to outside observers.
Yulia was excited. She had reached yet another bottleneck in her research. That wasn''t particularly uncommon in her line of work. The primary focus on her research was trying to find safer and more reliable methods for activating mana organs. The current ways to do so, while consistent, were very, very dangerous outside of the normal natural activations. Almost everyone pursuing power wanted access to magic since without it, that big old MP stat on their status would remain forever at 0/0. A truly disheartening situation, and one Yulia wanted to make less common, so was her life''s goal. She was currently excited because not three hours ago she had detected a massive radiant sun-like ball of mana appear in the city''s noble district, just by the examination-centred store: Mason and Sons. Of course, Yulia could recognise this mana sun belonged to the ever so interesting Sofia Vladimirovich. The smaller but still impressive collection of mana belonging to Sofia''s lover, while hard to notice next to such a powerhouse, it was also clearly present. Yulia had to make preparations immediately. Sofia''s unique magic was worthy of endless studying and Lone had such a brilliantly unique and clever mind that discussing her research with him had almost bore fruit a couple of weeks ago. She couldn''t let them just leave the city without so much as a conversation first. However, single-mindedly focused on her research as she was, Yulia was not rude. She knew there would be more opportunities to talk to the pair at a later date if they were in a hurry. So, she chose to patiently wait for their business to conclude at Mason and Sons first to see if they would remain in Golden Pass City for a bit longer or if they would leave immediately. It only took a few hours for her nail-biting wait to come to an end. They hadn''t, in fact, left the city, but had instead started walking through it. With that in mind, Yulia immediately arranged a carriage and directed the driver to head straight for them. ''She''ll know I''m approaching if she''s paying attention but we''re on friendly terms, so surely Sofia and Lone won''t mind my company for a little while, right?'' Yulia wondered as she looked outside of the carriage''s window. Just then, the mana sun and smaller mana light disappeared, making Yulia deeply depressed. Thankfully, they reappeared almost instantly but in the fighter''s district this time. And not only that, but right in the guildmaster''s room. ''They have business with Guildmaster Brux? Well, I need to tell the driver to change directions. Hopefully they don''t teleport around all day... I''ll never catch up to them in that case...'' Fifteen minutes later and she had successfully arrived at the strongest branch of The Adventurer''s Guild in the city. However, as soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she was slammed with an oppressive and disgustingly baleful aura, threatening to push her to her knees. It wasn''t being used at even a fraction of its full power but this aura made her want to be violently sick. Just outside of the exit she could see two familiar faces in similar situations while everyone else just watched them curiously or with some concern. There were murmurings of how there was ''another one'' who had pissed off Guildmaster Brux, likely referring to Yulia herself. ''What are Cuardaigh of the Tower, and Master Mezro''nan doing here? While this whole aura suppression is rather concerning, I would be lying to say it isn''t satisfying to see the usually smug and haughty Cuardaigh sweating so profusely while standing on the ground instead of flying in the air. Master Mezro''nan looks mostly fine but that nervousness in his eyes is impossible to hide,'' Yulia observed. "Come in then. Let''s get this over with. I don''t have all day and you''re running into my break time," the powerful voice of Guildmaster Brux boomed through the lobby of the guild out to the entrance where the three were. The aura suppression lifted and Yulia almost passed out from the sudden weight being freed from her being. "That was... entirely unpleasant." "I agree," Cuardaigh of the Tower replied, puffing up her cheeks. "Stupid old fogies telling me to come ''investigate the person with so much mana''. You can do it yourselves next time if this is what I need to go through." Master Mezro''nan ignored both Yulia''s comment and Cuardaigh of the Tower''s grumblings as he got up on his hind legs, fixed his tuxedo, dropped back down to all four legs, and them lumbered straight into the guild rather gracefully. Yulia didn''t really have a choice now, so while she had no idea why she had been suppressed like that, she followed suit and entered the guild with a very angry and upset winged woman the size of a baby flying alongside her head. B3: Chapter 47: Bones and Head ''Huh. The fairy''s skin is orange, and the lizard is purple. I guess I shouldn''t have assumed Cuardaigh of the Tower would be white as snow and that Master Mezro''nan would be green. I''ve been biased by Swamp. Let''s not assume he will stretch his ''s''s too then. Also, remember, he''s a Restodian Iglaform, not a lizard,'' Lone thought, standing at the side of Guildmaster Brux. Big as he was, Master Mezro''nan didn''t disturb any furniture as he lumbered through the guild. He stopped right in front of the guildmaster, got on his hind legs, and hissed. "That wasss very rude." ''Well fuck. He does stretch his ''s''s. Is it to do with the tongue shape? It surely can''t be cultural since I suspect Swamp isn''t even from Altros. He''s also bipedal so it has nothing to do with Master Mezro''nan biologically speaking,'' Lone pondered. The idea of Swamp not being from this planet was a lingering one he had toyed around with, but Devil''s inclusion to the Conclave of Seekers gave Lone the strong impression that his ignorant lizard friend was likely from a different plane of existence that was linked to Altros, much like the hells. ''Or another continent. None of the writing here suggests another one exists, but that''s on account of the seas being extraordinarily dangerous,'' Lone thought, his eyes not leaving Master Mezro''nan. Guildmaster Brux chose to silently watch Yulia and Cuardaigh of the Tower. As soon as they were close enough, the small fairy with orange skin, yellow hair, and glowing red wings, flew right into the guildmaster''s face with her hands on her hips and a pout on her face. "How dare you, sir! I have no business with you, I wasn''t being aggressive, I didn''t attack any adventurers, and most of all, that was no way to treat a lady! I may have to call you a lord when addressing you since you''re all brawn and no brain, but I sure as heck don''t need to respect you!" Cuardaigh of the Tower exclaimed before sharply inhaling as she had quickly lost her breath from her outburst. "And you?" Guildmaster Brux asked, his eyes locked onto Yulia. "Uh, well, I didn''t like being suppressed but I assume you had your reasons, Lord Brux. Hi Lady Vladimirovich, hi Lord Immortus, hi Little Redtail. Um, not the best of circumstances, but it is truly delightful to see you both again," she greeting, only barely acknowledging Breena''s existence which was fair enough given how weak she was. "Well, with the complaints out of the way, all three of you will now explain why you are after my close friends here. Publicly. Be honest as well. Refuse to speak, and we shall fight. I will suppress myself as best as I am able for both you Cuardaigh of the Tower, and you, Princessling Yulia. Master Mezro''nan, an X-ranker you may be, but my lesser you still are. Choose wisely and swiftly. I do not have all day," the guildmaster demanded. Lone felt chills. ''What a truly authoritative tone. This man has seen centuries of war, maybe millennia. If his voice when he''s serious can get me spooked, what would his aura do when it''s on full display? I kinda wanna see it... does it look as fucked up as my fox?'' "I can''t lie anyway. You know that, Lord Brux," Cuardaigh of the Tower huffed, her upset more than plain to see. "The old fogies back at the enclave ''expressed their regret'' that they couldn''t find a chance to visit the mana sun that walked into the city less than a moon ago. Pah! They were too scared, more likely. They decided to send this lamb to slaughter instead. Hi, by the way, Mana Sun. You''re very pretty." "T-Thank you?" Soph replied questioningly. "Uh, so are you." "I know," Cuardaigh of the Tower snorted, a haughty and very pleased smile on her lips. Yulia cleared her throat and said, "Um, I''m an acquaint-" "A friend I would happily consider a companion," Lone interrupted. Yulia looked pleasantly surprised by the unprompted admission. "Thank you. That means a lot. I am friends with Lord Immortus and Lady Vladimirovich..." getting a nod of reassurance from the Slavic princess, the princessling continued, "and so I wanted to chat with them. You may not know, busy as you are Lord Brux, and hesitant to leave the palace as I am, but magical research is my life. Lord Immortus has a refreshing mind with which to discuss my research and Lady Vladimirovich''s entire being is fascinating as a whole." The guildmaster nodded. "Okay. You, leave, you stay. You''ve already expressed the regret of your masters, so you have no further purpose being here," he said, the last part being entirely directed at the fairy-like being. Cuardaigh of the Tower stuck her tongue out. "I''m never leaving the stinking enclave again. Those losers can do their own work in the future." And with that, she flew straight out of the guild and was gone from view within seconds. All eyes fell to the silent Master Mezro''nan. His slitted pupils narrowed to stare at Soph. "The Continental Alchemical Assssociation hasss busssinessss with her." "Well, you''re not in the C.A.A. right now, you''re in The Adventurer''s Guild. We guildmasters of Golden Pass City have judged her actions against that fool Olberic to be wholly justified. If you still insist on dragging her into some ridiculous unearned mess, do it outside of the guild," Brux ordered. Master Mezro''nan didn''t flinch nor did he back down from his bipedal position. He just narrowed his eyes even further, both intensely focused on the guildmaster as if searching for something. A few moments of tense silence passed while Lone''s mind worked away as always. ''Am I about to see two X-rankers duke it out? Would that be a moment worthy of Historical and Cultural Appreciation?'' Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Guildmaster Brux sniffed casually and exhaled a grumble. "Master Mezro''nan... did you know that half of a human''s bones, half of them, are in their hands and feet? Wouldn''t you know it, the same is true for most tetrapod too. Now, ya only need one to kill, really. Break the skull the right way and, well, you know. You only need one for crippling too. As you''ve guessed, haha, it''s the spine. Well, quite a few can cripple. After all, just look at me with my leg, but the feeling of being unable to move even slightly... It''s like no other, I tell ya. Now... when someone says ''I''m going to break every bone in your body''... I just can''t understand... why. More than double the work for the same effect? One bone for death, one for crippling, and just some silly little limbs for extensive torture. Makes no sense to me. Every bone? Unrealistic and completely unnecessary." Lone swallowed a whole lot of fear in one big gulp.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Fear Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 10.
Master Mezro''nan''s eyes flickered hesitantly, or perhaps fearfully. Lone couldn''t tell. "You are ssseriousss. V-Very well. I ssshall leave thisss matter for now." Guildmaster Brux smiling and patted the magical Restodian Iglaform''s shoulder. "Smart man. Be seein'' ya." Not paying his fellow X-ranker any attention, not even for just a second more, the crippled guildmaster addressed the terrified Lone, Soph, and Breena. "Come now, break is only getting shorter. We''ve some fun to be had." "... I have to learn how to threaten like that," Lone murmured as he willed the shake in his hands to go away. Soph squeezed one of his tails tightly. "This was a bad idea. He''s more than crazy... He... he''s something else." Breena was, much like Yulia, simply trying her best to fight off the unrelenting terror that hearing such a cold yet warm and entirely too realistic threat had planted into their hearts. Most of the adventurers in the first floor lobby were the same as those two. "That was a skill," Lone said as he walked alongside the guildmaster with Soph still attached to one of his tails. "It had to be, right? Not much scares me these days, let alone words not even directed at me." Guildmaster Brux grinned. "Strong of you to admit your fear. But no, I didn''t use any skills there, only stated the truth. If thinking it was a skill is a crutch for you, then believe what ya want, pal. Ain''t gonna back out of fightin'' me either way, right?" Lone furrowed his brow. "No, of course not... That wasn''t a skill? Fuck... Thousands of years of experience gives a lot of gravitas to a person, huh?" "Tens of thousands, pal, tens of thousands. I am old. Not everyone can be as talented as the prince," Guildmaster Brux laughed. Lone mulled over that as their group walked through the building, quickly finding themselves in a private but very spacious underground training area specialised to be a fighting ring. "I don''t recall this room being available for use when I was tutoring," Lone commented. Guildmaster Brux replied as he took off his shirt, throwing it aside, "Don''t want to ruin my work clothes. It''s a private room for my use only, though Thomas makes sure its primary goal is collecting dust." He casually took off his shoes and then his trousers too, leaving him with only his underwear and socks. His body was riddled with scars and gouges, some of which glittered menacingly as if cursed. "Any rules? Personally, I just wanna beat the heck outta ya while you do the same to me, but we''re all a little different, eh?" the guildmaster asked, stretching as he did so. ''Pick a part of the wall to glue yourself, Breena, and Yulia to, surround yourself and them in barriers, and teleport out if you think he or I might hurt you guys. I don''t know how consciously he''ll try to keep you guys free from collateral harm when we start fighting,'' Lone sent to Soph before responding, "Use your aura if you think I''m too weak. It''ll boost my stats by a lot. Try not to apply any stats. I can''t do that and have no real practice dealing with applied stats from an X-ranker. How resistant are you to magic in general and soul damage, and can you easily arrange for soul damage to be fixed?" "No aura, no applying stats. Simple enough," the guildmaster nodded. "Magic damage? I dunno. Got a couple dozens resistances but nothing particularly ground-breaking. Soul damage? Experienced it, fuckin'' hated it, lived to tell the tale. No real resistance to it. I''m old and rich but not ''get a Soul Oracle on retainer to train my resistance to their offensive capabilities'' rich. Can afford a patch job or two though, sure." "Well, maybe I can help. I can do this eight times a day. I''ll use it once, you lemme know if it''s fine to use in our spar for standard stuff like distracting and whatnot. You aren''t in the instakill range so it shouldn''t do too much damage," Lone said, earning him a raised eyebrow from the guildmaster who was stretching his arms over his chest. "Mental Destruction." Guildmaster Brux froze and a slow, single drop of blood dripped out of his left eye. "Ouch. Fuck. Okay. Best guess? I can take four more of those before I automatically do something I don''t want to. So avoid it, or if you''re good at keeping track, only four more, got it?" "Got it," Lone said while he kept a mental note of the incredibly different physical reaction Guildmaster Brux was having to a non-lethal, non-resisted, Mental Destruction. King Ralph Heidron the Third''s body could barely handle two Mental Destructions. Granted, the skill was weaker then as was the king when compared to the guildmaster, but still, it was interesting. "Good. Well, let''s start. I''ll try not to kill ya. Do me the courtesy of following suit," the guildmaster replied. As was all too common when Lone fought those who massively outclassed him, before he knew what was going on, he felt himself flying through the room while sporting a brand new massive and normally life-threatening injury. This time, half of his head was missing, the left half, specifically. Lone couldn''t process it since his Basic Regeneration was busy keeping him alive and trying its best to restore his brain alongside the rest of the contents of his skull. His remaining ear and eye, however, could hear and see Soph interjecting into the duel which had only been ongoing for a second thus far, if that. "Go for his head again, and you die," Soph declared as if any other outcome would be impossible were the guildmaster not to do as told. Guildmaster Brux swished his clenched fist, cleaning it of most of the blood, brain matters, and oddly coloured skull fragments that littered it. "Weird. You''re much weaker than him but my instincts tell me you''re not bullshittin'' or bluffin''. Man, this is fun. I promise. No more headshots. I admit, it was cheap, but he attacked the inside of my head first. Felt only right to return the favour." Lone stumbled to his feet, most of his head now restored. He wasted no time creating two external fortress shields with some of his bits and pieces that were nearby. He even took the Blood Clone assigned to Soph which she usually hid in her hair to form a third spherical shield. "As the lovely lady said, new rule: nothing above the neck," Lone said as he spat out what his Basic Regeneration was finished replacing. "Back to it?" Guildmaster Brux grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Of course." B3: Chapter 48: Diamond and Just Like You Lone took a second to calm down before he dismissed his three fortress shields. He had something he needed to say, after all. And since the guildmaster hadn''t started tossing him around the room like a triple-layered bouncy ball yet, he figured he had the chance to voice his suggestion. "Push me," Lone said as he dusted himself off and cracked his neck just as the last of his face had returned to normal. "Hideous sound, that healin'' of yours makes," Guildmaster Brux commented. He silently watched as Soph returned to the side of the room where Breena and Yulia were before giving all of his attention back to Lone. "What''dya mean?" "You want a fun fight. I can''t keep up with you even when you''re not applying your stats. We have a few choices to fix that. You limit yourself to my level, but that''s hard and takes effort you''d rather put on the fight, right?" Lone received a nod in response. "Right, and the obvious alternative is for you to hit me with your aura, catapulting my stats, but then I''ll have to focus on trying to breathe, let alone move, due to your aura. I''ve been under the influence of an X-ranker''s aura before. It was suffocating and my instincts tell me he was a lot weaker than you." "Who?" the guildmaster asked. "I know a lot of X-rankers." "Xer''rava, a dwarven Taker''s guardian," Lone answered honestly. Guildmaster Brux narrowed his eyes in thought then sighed. "Guess I don''t know enough. Never heard of ''im." "Right, so, you feel a lot stronger than he did. And thus, the answer is to push me to my limits, outside of attacking my head, of course. Let''s see if I can learn how to apply a stat. Strength or Agility might make this more fun and balanced, no?" Lone asked. Guildmaster Brux nodded happily. "Push ya to your limits. Last time that happened to me, I lost my leg and most of my motivation until it was beaten back into me. Not all of us can regrow heads and the like, eh? But sure, yeah, this might be pretty fuckin'' fun. You''ve got three seconds before I start ''pushing'' you." Lone gulped. He didn''t like the sound of that. Still, he was no idiot and he certainly wasn''t one to waste time. He''d asked for this, did he not? He needed this to grow to stand a chance against Zel, right? He did the only logical thing he could to start preparing, he covered himself in a full suit of his Bone Armour. "One," Guildmaster Brux announced, raising three fingers and lowering his forefinger. "Tail Spear," Lone invoked, hoping the skill could injure the guildmaster, and if its one-time additional affect triggered, so be it. He needed applicable stats for the eventual confrontation with Arch Devil Zel''s forces, so it would be foolish to keep gathering Luck endlessly, always thinking ''just a bit more Luck to make it more likely I''ll get more than one or two free applied stats''. That kind of thinking was endless and would lead to the skill''s effect never being used up. "Two," the mostly naked but still incredibly intimidating brick shithouse of a man said, lowering his middle finger. Lone closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He always had a small buckler strapped to his wrist for Forced Parry. The last time he had used it, it was also to ward off an X-ranker''s attack, which was a happy coincidence. He planned to use it here too if he got time to react to an attack. He opened his eyes, summoned the swordspear Wilbur had steamforged for him, and then moulded his bones to create a small but durable buckler on his right wrist. He leapt at the guildmaster who only grinned madly at the attack. "Three." The attack was far faster than Lone could react to but it was barely, just barely, visible this time unlike the last one that had destroyed half of his skull and its contents. Guildmaster Brux had both lowered his index finger and closed the gap between him and the jumping Lone in a fraction of a second while also aiming a punch at his gut. "Forced Parry!" The talent activated long before Lone was finished invoking it, though the scale was that of milliseconds. He''d been working hard to try to cast spells, invoke skills, and use skill talents, wordlessly for a few weeks now whenever he trained, and it seemed that while he still needed to say the words themselves, some fruit had come of his efforts. It was perhaps a difference of a skill activating when said to now activating halfway through being said, but still, it was progress and it was just fast enough to work on the powerful but now intentionally slower attack of the guildmaster''s. Lone lost all feeling in his right arm when the skill talent moved his attached buckler to parry the attack. That was due to the fact that while he had deflected the attack, yes, his defences were far from sufficient to mitigate all of the damage. His entire right arm had been turned to mush and the armour encasing it exploded, sending shrapnel every which way. While it sucked in the moment, at the back of his mind, Lone was looking forward to perhaps a level or two in Bone Armour and Oaken Flesh. ''Let''s test his physical defences now, shall we?'' Lone thought, easily ignoring the pain and discomfort caused by his exploded right arm and the one regrowing in its place. "Pierce!" Having a moment of sudden inspiration, whether skill related or just in general, he didn''t know, but Lone felt it was right to try to encompass his tails in the usage of Swordspear Mastery''s active effect. Ten attacks rained down on the guildmaster, nine from the mostly golden tails, and one from a steamforged weapon. Not having enough limbs to ward off all of these rapid attacks, and also not wanting to back off, Guildmaster Brux used a skill. "Diamond Defence!" His body''s flesh quickly shifted and shimmered from that of organic to that of the hardest substance from Lone''s home planet. With his skin now made entirely out of a bright red diamond, Guildmaster Brux laughed when all ten of Lone''s attacks merely bounced off of his torso leaving no damage at all. "You''ll have to do better than that." "Request granted," Lone replied with a laugh of his own. He didn''t know if it had worked, attaching Pierce to his tails, but he didn''t care. There was a new skill in front of him that he very much so wished to learn. "Fireball!Fireball!Fireball!WeakenedStreamofEzekial!InfernoArmaments!Fireball!Fireball!" If he still had to use the words to cast the spells, then use them he would, just as fast as was physically possible. Fireball after Fireball flicked from his hand to the guildmaster''s face and while the X-ranker was processing the sudden shift in battle tactics, he was then inflicted with a Weakened Stream of Ezekial, guaranteeing he would stay alight for the next 20 minutes with the demonic-inspired skill. At the same time, Lone had stored Wilbur''s gift and immediately used up over half of his MP capacity to recreate an inferno version of the weapon. "Stop casting Fireball! It''s annoying!" Guildmaster Brux shouted, sending a shockwave through the room which Soph had to protect herself and Breena from with a few extra layers of barriers, half of which shattered. Yulia simply distorted herself which seemed to leave her unaffected. "Why don''t you stay still?! Fireball!Fireball!Fireball!" Lone shot back. "Can''t hurt ya with cold weapons, and diamond melts at 4,500 degrees Celsius, Fireball!Fireball!Fireball! so I gotta get there somehow!" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "My insides would long be turned to dust before you got me that hot! Fuck! Stop blocking my line of sight and dodging me!" Guildmaster Brux was truly getting enraged. That was both good and bad for Lone. On one hand, the guildmaster might not be able to hold back as well like this with his mind being filled with rage, but on the other hand, he''d be less likely to dodge and perhaps less accurate with his devastating punches. "Fireball!Fireball!Fireball!Ungrounded!Fireball!Fireball!Fireball!" Lone continued relentlessly from the air while flickering around the room as fast as he could, landing at least 60% of his magical blows, with that percentage only rising as the guildmaster''s movements became more ragged and predictable alongside his growing fury at being toyed with like this. "Seriously! Last warning, you fuckin'' brat! Stop it! Fight me like a man!" The guildmaster boomed once more, forcing Soph to expend even more mana on protective barriers. Again, Yulia used her magic to go unharmed. "Fireball!Fireball!Fireball! Tell me how a man should fight - Fireball!Fireball!Fireball! - once we''re done! Fireball!Fireball!Fireball! I''m quite enjoying cooking you, thank you - Fireball!Fireball!Fireball! - very much!" Lone retorted. Lone''s felt a chill in the air as if the number above his head he couldn''t even see from Death''s Primal skill Lifespan Revelation had been reduced from infinite to nearly nothing. The guildmaster had stopped moving and his whole ethos had changed from playfully excited to being an existence of pure murderous fury. He gracefully and without any hurry, reached down to his peg leg and pulled a short blade out from it''s base, not unlike a sword hidden in a cane. As he stood there silently holding his blade while being pelted by Fireballs, a ten-metre tall man made of aura who resembled the guildmaster in physique but was clad in unusual glass armour appeared right behind Guildmaster Brux, holding a massive claymore of sorts that was piercing the ground. The guildmaster entered an attack stance and swung so fast that Lone hadn''t even noticed it until time seemed to stop for him. He was just suspended in mid-air halfway through a chant to cast yet another flurry of Fireballs. ''Should not have pissed him off. He''s gonna kill me with that attack. I''ll tell you what though, his aura looked nothing like what I expected,'' Lone thought. ''What is this state, by the way? Enlightenment before death or something? There''s no way Soph is fast enough to teleport to me and then out of here before whatever attack he launches hits me. I''m most certainly dead. Darkness? Death? Heck, Sky or Void? Can any of you hear me?'' No one answered. ''This is trippy... Is this a skill? It doesn''t feel like one...'' he thought. Time, as much as at a standstill as it appeared right now, still moved on and the frozen Lone could only watch as the tens of thousands of years old completely naked man - he was still on fire, after all - swung his blade despite being nowhere near Lone. It felt like weeks to him in this peculiar state but he knew the attack to have been monumentally swift in reality. Time grew even slower and Lone''s head throbbed in agony. He could see a wave of cosmic purple energy being fired in the trajectory the blade had been swung, heading straight for him but even in this... heightened state or whatever this was, the wave of sword energy flew at the pace of a normal person walking. Given the situation, Lone wasn''t going to stop and study this feeling nor the fantastically powerful attack, he instead acted in what capacity he felt he was capable of. He moved almost... normally. A bit slower than the sword wave, but fast enough to dodge it even though everything else was still at a crawl. What sent a shiver down his spine, however, was that the cosmic purple energy that would surely kill him moved to match his new position. ''Of course it''s homing. This motherfucker lost his leg how, exactly?'' Lone thought in despair. He closed his eyes and readied himself to die for the first time ever. What else could he do? His defences were like paper to this man''s punches, let alone a serious attack. He could barely move faster than the sword wave but it homed onto him. What if this slowed time state stopped? He was dead. There was no avoiding this. Lone was sure Soph and Sophie would have some very harsh words for him when she reversed time to undo this mistake. She was right, as she usually was. Fighting this battle crazed guildmaster who was an X-ranker was not a great idea. Lone''s perception of time rapidly returned to normal as his headache grew almost strong enough to burst his brain but instead of dying, he sensing a familiar aura appearing in the training hall and it was furious. That aura belonged to the guildmaster''s advisor, Thomas. He had his hand out and to Lone''s absolute shock and horror, the man had simply caught and crushed the short sword''s energy wave that would have certainly killed him. "Break time is over, Tomas." "Fuck. I''m in trouble," the guildmaster muttered. ''His name is Tomas? So, Tomas Brux? Tomas and Thomas... Brothers? Father and son? They look and act nothing alike,'' Lone thought past his ungodly migraine. Thomas turned to look at Lone and smiled. "Congratulations on applying Agility for the first time. Do you have the MP required to undo the Weakened Stream of Ezekial?" ''Seriously, what the fuck? He''s only an SS-ranker. Sure, that''s very powerful, but powerful enough to so easily disperse an attack that my subconscious was certain would kill me? Is he a hero? What is his unique skill? Attack Nullification or something else just as busted?'' Lone wondered. He didn''t stay dazed for long and replied, "Ye-Yeah, of course." He brushed himself off and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead before he expended 40,000 of his MP to cut the Weakened Stream of Ezekial short. "I did apply Agility, huh? Weird. I just... know how to apply it now." "The first experience is always phenomenally involved. Stronger than what is possible for a very long time, sometimes never, though usually in a harmless manner. With how fast you moved, I suspect things looked very, very slow for you," Thomas praised before he walked up to Guildmaster Brux and slapped him across the face, causing nothing more than emotional damage. "Attempted murder on a fellow adventurer whom you had agreed to spar with? Even if you found his tactics annoying, that was unacceptable." Guildmaster Brux looked embarrassed but didn''t turn the advisor into paste, so he clearly wasn''t angry anymore. "I knew he wouldn''t die. That''s why I made you after all, to keep me in check. I did promise him that I wouldn''t actually go for the kill, and he wanted to apply a stat, which he did, so we can fight properly now. Where''s the issue?" "Wait, you created Thomas? Explain, now," Sophie demanded, having taken control presumably since she was, knowing her, likely going to attempt to execute the guildmaster before reversing time to save Lone, all of which seemed unnecessary now, but she was clearly still on edge judging by her tone and body language. "You!" The guildmaster pointed at Sophie excitedly. "You''re the one who killed Olberic, not that other girl! Thomas, right? It''s like you. I made him from me, to stop me from getting myself killed. Wanted revenge for the leg, you see, but the grand guildmaster was smart enough to lock me up and convince me to learn a particular cloning skill. Thomas can only ever do two things. Use all of my skills, and keep me in line. That''s it." "And you can only make messes for me to correct," Thomas sighed before adjusting his glasses. "You''re nothing alike, and him being able to use your skills doesn''t really explain how he handled that energy," Lone said. "Unless... You''ve got a skill that makes you immune to damage from yourself?" Guildmaster Brux nodded. "Quick thinker, eh? Sure do, it''s call-" "I don''t care and I wish I wasn''t curious enough to ask," Lone replied with nothing but disdain in his voice. "I never thought a day would come that I would actively despise a skill. It''s great that you have it, but I wish I never knew it existed." An awkward silence overcame the large and rather lightly damaged training room considering what had happened before Sophie giggled. "A joyous day, indeed. We shall no longer plot your assassination, Guildmaster Brux. You''ve dented his unshaking love for skills. That alone is worthy of our forgiveness." Thomas assessed the situation, saw the brighter mood, and decided to interject, "Guildmaster Brux is a fool at the best of times, but he is not wrong. He knew I would stop him even if his petty tantrum was very real, and he did also know it would likely lead to you learning to apply a stat, though I suspect he expected Vitality, not Agility, given your hardiness. Regardless, you were ready to die. That sort of mental burden is unfair to one so young. I''ll arrange reparations for that. Expect them within a year. We shall be leaving now." "Bu-" "No buts! And put some clothes on. You''re not returning to your office naked," Thomas scolded. "I trust you can find your own way out of here, Immortus the Immortal, Sofia Vladimirovich, Yulia Keining, Breena Redtail." And with that, the thin formally dressed man with glasses and slicked back hair led the wild and depressed guildmaster out of his own private training area. Sophie approached Lone and hugged him tightly while Breena casually but quietly approached them both. Yulia undistorted herself and walked over as well. ''Never again. You are forbidden from fighting any X-ranker until all SSS-rankers are powerless before you. Do you understand? We will not have another scare like this,'' Sophie made clear. Lone nodded slowly. ''I completely agree. This was... eye-opening. If it was him who ambushed me and not War Leader Clari... At least we gained a new tool to fight Zel, huh? Applied Agility.'' ''... It would be best if we never had to fight him. If one X-ranker can do this, what is an Arch Devil capable of? They can rival Divines,'' Sophie asked rhetorically, ending their telepathic communications. Lone just silently returned her hug, ignoring his notification log to ponder the question and try his best to push back the dread behind the answers his mind came up with. "That was certainly interesting. I loved your use of fire magic. Very basic, but so intuitive as well!" Yulia was clearly a bit off her rocker just like everyone else in the room. B3: Chapter 49: Two Cast and No cost Lone kept Sophie close to him, his arms still wrapped around her slender waist as he regarded Princessling Yulia. His girlfriend''s firm but loving hug gave him the warmth he currently needed. Basic Regeneration could heal a lot, both physically and mentally, but almost dying in such a guaranteed manner was a new experience he was most certainly not a fan of. ''If an X-ranker trying to kill me and only relying on a clone of himself to stop, well, himself, is what''s needed to learn how to apply Agility, what will I need for the other stats? Maybe hoarding Luck for a long time to almost guarantee three new applicable stats from Tail Spear isn''t a bad idea after all,'' He thought before he said, "I don''t think I''ll be in the mood today to workshop on your magical ideas. I have some chores to run and some feelings to process. If you want to tag along, I won''t say no, but don''t expect any enlightening discussions." Yulia smiled wryly. "That''s... unfortunate but understandable. I''d like to stay, please. I''ve never fought an X-ranker before. Not that I haven''t had the chance, plenty of my siblings wish to test my magic on themselves, but this fight was incredibly one-sided and dangerous from what I saw. I even gained a level for one of my skills just from avoiding the shockwaves of Lord Brux''s shouts. How was it for you?" ''She''s trying to be nice but I don''t really want to talk about this right now. I just want to enjoy Sophie''s perfect hug,'' Lone complained internally. "It was terrifying." "I-I see," Yulia replied and then decided to copy Breena in being entirely silent. Sophie squeezed Lone a bit tighter then let go of him. She got on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss before saying, "Let us leave, shall we? We have much to do today, and while we can add dreading the guildmaster to that list, we shall not allow it to become the entire list." "Right, of course," Lone replied awkwardly. "I''ll just check my notification log while we return to the lobby and pick out a quest for Breena then?" Sophie nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." "A quest for the child?" Yulia asked, her curiosity likely faked out of politeness. "She''s at the level cap for F-rankers so we want to find a quest that will allow her to step into E-rank," Lone explained plainly as he collected himself a bit and made to leave the room. "I''ll be focusing on my notifications now, so I might not respond quickly, but I''m happy if you want to try bouncing a magical idea or two off of me." Without waiting for a reply from the grand magus, Lone did just that and began going over his gains from the near-death experience he had just survived. He didn''t bother mentally grouping them, instead choosing to read them in the order he had received them.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 9.
Lone almost forgot to keep walking after having left the training room with his companions in tow. ''Two levels at master rank from having half of my head completely destroyed? Why? Is it because it was a new type of injury that needed healing? The severity and closeness to death, maybe? Must be since Bone Armour didn''t level from this injury... Can I survive without my head? Will having it half destroyed repeatedly make it so I can if I currently can''t? Will the skill evolve the next time it levels like all of my crude magics did?'' Lone felt his anxiety and fears stemming from Guildmaster Brux lessening significantly. This was partially due to Basic Regeneration itself working on his mind and also thanks to the excitement of gaining two master levels from one injury.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Buckler Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 1.
Buckler Mastery
A child-skill of the skill [Shield Mastery] commonly used by swashbucklers and duellists alike. When holding a buckler the host is 95% [+35%] more likely to parry a blow when attempting to do so. When wearing a wrist-strapped buckler, any ranged attacks aimed at the host have a 5% [+1%] chance of hitting the buckler regardless of where they were aimed. Grants the talent [Forced Parry], Say the words [Forced Parry] when wielding a shield and the host shall successfully parry any incoming attack regardless of its power (if the power of the attack vastly outstrips the durability of the shield [No longer factors in the host''s body], the shield will shatter [No longer breaks the arm wielding the shield]). [New!] Additionally, all of the impact of the parried attack will be absorbed by the shield with none of it transferring to the host.
Cost: 2,500 SP [-2,500 SP] to perform the talent [Forced Parry] (12-hour cooldown [Down from 24-hour cooldown]).
Mastery: Master Level 1
''So I could use a paper shield to Forced Parry a meteor, and all that would happen is the paper shield breaking? What a subtle but monumentally powerful change. Master rank is always fun. I wonder if I can reduce that cooldown even further by trying to forcefully activate the talent when it''s on cooldown? Doubt that would be pretty or painless, but I can deal with that if it''ll work... Hmm... Worth experimenting with at some point, for sure,'' Lone concluded as he kept reading.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Oaken Flesh] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active skill [Blood Clone] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 6.
''Oh, nice. Didn''t expect Blood Clone. Guess the first attack plus my arm exploding was enough for the two of these to level. I didn''t have a clone inside of me for that second attack, but they were working hard as Fortress Shields, so likely a coincidence. Still, very nice,'' Lone thought. ''Next was my inspired moment with Pierce alongside Tail Spear and Gramps'' swordspear, right? Fingers crossed I gained something from that feeling. Also, fingers crossed I got that Diamond Defence skill.''
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s racial skill [Tail Spear] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Swordspear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Spear Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.
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Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sword Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Sword Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
''No Diamond Defence, and no Polearm Mastery levels, but seeing Sword Mastery levels is very nice. Makes sense since I have the parent skill now, after all. Shame I didn''t attack him more physically if I got all of this from one strike. Also a shame I didn''t get some sort of new effect on Pierce. Will need to test later if one use of that talent can apply to multiple objects. Shouldn''t be too hard to find out,'' Lone pondered as he kept walking. Their group was now in the lobby of the guild with quite a few eyes curiously watching them, but Lone ignored that. "Go pick out a quest for yourself with Sophie, Breena. I''m still busy." "With Soph," Sophie corrected. "We are no longer needed." And with that, the hardness in her eyes melted away to reveal a much more tender gaze. "You''re still looking at your notifications?" Yulia asked, surprised. "Yeah. Got a lot of levels," Lone replied absently. "Ah. I suppose that makes sense. It was a fight with Lord Brux and considering your discussion with father the last time you were in the city... Well, I shall wait here with you then," the princessling said as she walked upstairs and carefully sat herself down at a table before cloaked herself in distortion magic to avoid unwanted attempts at conversation. Lone placed himself across from her and ordered a few drinks for himself and then dived right back into his notification log.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Weakened Stream of Ezekial] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Weakened Stream of Ezekial] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 6.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 7.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Congratulations! The host''s hard work and experimentation have resulted in their active fire magic [Fireball] gaining a new effect upon ranking up when otherwise it would not have gained one!
Active Fire Magic Skill: Fireball
A standard application of the fire magic school where the caster focuses the element of fire into a condensed ball of pure fire. [New!] When casting this spell, simply think of double-casting it and the spell will be cast twice at the same time.
Cost: 1,500 MP [-500 MP] [New!] or 2,250 MP to double-cast.
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
''Oh, that''s fuckin'' awesome. From casting it fast and so repeatedly while fighting a much stronger foe, I guess? It''s cheaper too. When double-casting, the second Fireball is half price. Definitely need to earn that with all of my offensive magic spells. If it works for Fireball, it''ll work for the rest, I''m sure,'' Lone thought.
Congratulations! The host''s Primal skill [Ungrounded] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 1.
Primal Skill: Ungrounded
A skill granted to the avatar of Sky. Grants the host the ability to walk on any substance as if it were land. Grants the host the ability to ignore the laws of gravity, allowing vertical and inverted movement as if they were natural. [New!] The host can apply the effects of the skill to another person or object when using it, free of cost.
Cost: 400 SP [-200 SP] per second.
Mastery: Expert Level 1
''Oh, a second skill that ranked up. Didn''t expect that. Primal skills are such a bitch to level. That new effect is sweet and the reduced cost is always appreciated,'' Lone appraised.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 2.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 3.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 4.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Congratulations! The host''s active fire magic skill [Fireball] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 6.
Congratulations! The host has successfully applied the stat [Agility] for the first time. As a reward, the host has been granted 50 points of [Agility]. When applying [Agility] in the future, it will cost 7.5% of the host''s SP per second.
''It comes with a stat boost? Guess the system or Altros or whatever wants people to apply stats then. I do wonder what my max speed now is with Survivor''s Speed or Tower Shield Mastery''s Full Charge talent... Need to get fully used to my applied state. Even if I can apply Agility whenever I want, that doesn''t mean it''s as natural to me as my tails first were,'' Lone concluded. As for the SP cost, he''d been aware of that, of course, from his discussions about the matter with Grimsley and Gilbert back in the Farwinds. The cost varied from person to person when unlocking the stat. Grimsley said his initial cost for applying his Strength was only 4%, but Gilbert had laughed at that saying some people had an initial cost of less than a percent, so Lone was actually rather untalented in this regard. That didn''t bother him though because the cost could be reduced with training and mastery of the applied state. Besides, he had his Fortress Shield Mastery to keep his SP supply matched with the demand. The waitress arrived with his drinks to which he gave her a friendly smile and a silver coin, telling her to keep the change. She blushed and nodded her head softly. Almost instantly, Lone felt a glare coming from the first floor. ''I was being friendly, not flirty. I swear on my tails,'' he pleaded his case. ''Hmmmm... Can''t leave you for more than a moment before you''re charming some cute barmaid, huh? Sophie''s right. I need to get a leash for you,'' Soph replied a bit too seriously for Lone''s liking. ''A nametag too. ''Lone: exclusive property of Sofia''.'' ''When did that little brat tell her to leash me? She''s influencing herself, and not in a good way,'' he chuckled mentally. ''The nametag''s a cute idea though...'' ''Can we get matching nametags? Yours will say ''Soph: beloved of Lone''. And if you flip it, the other side will say ''Sophie: return to Lone if found'','' he suggested jokingly. ''We are not some do- Hey! No commandeering the body without permission!'' Lone laughed out loud upon hearing the two sides of his lover quibbling telepathically. He happily downed his first drink and began nursing the second, feeling much better than he did about ten minutes ago. "So, wanna chat about magic? Maybe help me get some of yours? I know it ain''t direct, but I can learn from observing." Princessling Yulia was barely visible to his eyes but he could kind of see through the distortions when she stuffed a book into her ring which was obviously a storage device before she nodded at him sharply. "I would love to!" B3: Chapter 50: Disguises and Trusty Steed "Can you distort sound? Make it so no one can hear us? I trust the guild, but I don''t exactly trust all of its members, y''know?" Lone suggested. Yulia''s clouded figure nodded. "It will be a drain on my MP, but of course." She waved her hand slightly then said, "It''s done. I cast Audial Disturbance. Any who try to overhear us talking will only hear gibberish instead. It''s rather costly given my low mastery of the spell but I doubt we''ll be here for too long, yes?" "Just until Soph and Breena are done picking a quest. So, what''s your affinity for distortion magic? How does it work? Y''know, like, the feel of it," Lone asked. Yulia didn''t seem to mind the personal question that would offend most mages not incredibly proud of their own affinity percentages. "My affinity for distortion magic is at 65%. It''s taken me almost all my life to get it there from its initial 3%. That''s rather fast according to all of my old tutors and teachers. Father himself has even told me it could be in the seventies had I put my all into it. My research just matters more to me, so my magical potential has not been reached, not that I mind." She raised a hand to her distorted chin in thought. "As for how it works... That''s a more difficult question. I''m not knowledgeable enough to speak in terms of absolutes, but to me, I''ve always pictured it as the thin line between illusion magic and polymorph magic. Distorting something changes it but also doesn''t. It isn''t false like an illusion, but it isn''t real like a polymorph." "Huh... Maybe considering that perspective will help me learn it," Lone replied. "Have you gained any new affinities since our last meeting?" Yulia asked curiously. Lone nodded. "Compulsion magic. Got it from one of Mason''s sons, from Mason and Son''s," he chuckled. "Ah. A very similar magic. I view that one as the line between charm magic and mind magic. It isn''t as easily noticeable and harmless as charm magic, but it''s not quite as reviled and potent as mind magic," Yulia commented, offering her thoughts. Lone pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I''ve never really thought of magic as connected to each other. I like to see them as their own independent entities, so to speak. I mean, each one has its own avatar, and the system went out of its way to classify them as individual typings in the affinity sheet and the skills themselves, right? No subskills or parent-child skills between the typings like light magic being a subset of fire magic or vice versa. There are combinations, but still, dunno if it''s helpful or a hindrance to compare them so closely to one-another." Yulia''s distortion around her body wavered for a moment and a shocked expression had taken hold of her beautiful face. The distortion returned less than a moment later. "That is... rather insightful. Perhaps I have been narrow-minded with my research also... If you were to tackle the issue of everyone being capable of awakening mana organs but there not being a standardised and safe method to do so, how would you go about it?" Yulia asked. Lone shrugged. "No fuckin'' idea. Maybe try to research, learn, or make a new skill that allows you to, I dunno, expend a truckload of mana to jumpstart them like a battery?" "Truckload?" Yulia asked, clearly knowing what a battery was since the concept of storing energy was hardly a mystery to mages, steamforgers, and many of the other professions of Altros. "A truck is like a big wagon from back home," Lone replied. Yulia nodded. "I see. A simple idea, one I have thought of before, a skill to accomplish this I mean, not a bigger wagon. But the guild has no such skill, or perhaps my rank is too low to learn of it? I haven''t heard of the guild limiting who can see what with the credit slate, but I also did not know of the silver-plate secrets before becoming one." ''We''re done. Do you wanna go grab lunch? I''ve noticed a restaurant where people always leave stuffed and happy. Not many people, but they''re all powerful which means that they''re old. If the food is good for old palettes, it must be good enough for us! I bet the food is amazing there!'' Soph sent to him via their connection. ''It''s also weird. As in magical weird. And weird as in fun weird, not spooky weird.'' Lone got up and stretched his hands over his head. ''Sure, ya cutie, lunch sounds great.'' ''Hehe! I am cute, aren''t I?'' Soph sent back triumphantly, putting a smile on Lone''s lips. "I''m off to go grab a bite to eat with Soph and Breena. We''ll be hiding our identities ''cause I wanna see how that all works. Bought something from Mason and Sons to allow that. Wanna come with? You might get bothered since you''ll be the strongest person of the group what with people not being able to recognise me," he said to Yulia. "I''d love to have a chance to talk to Lady Vladimirovich about her magic!" Yulia expressed with the excitement of a teenaged girl and not a centuries old woman. "Sofia is fine, or Soph when she''s bubbly, Sophie when she''s a hardass," Lone replied. He expecting a quick quip from Sophie but it seemed that this time, Soph had stopped her from forcefully taking control as she often did. "Ah, right. Friends, yes? Sofia it is then," Yulia smiled as she, too, got up. ''She''s a much nicer person when she knows you''re stronger than her, huh? But she still basically ignores that Breena exists. Well, it ain''t perfect, but it''s definitely the best type of government I''ve seen on this planet so far. Never thought I''d see a meritocracy in real life. What an experience, huh? Or perhaps I should call it a strengthotocracy? Heh,'' Lone joked. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. A few minutes later and their group of four were leaving an alleyway with three of them looking completely different. Lone was now in the appearance of a portly three-tailed Crimson Foxkin middle-aged man who had awakened to Darkness. He was sporting a pair of slacks, a plain undershirt, and a quilted vest. His hair was about an inch long though he had a beard that could rival any dwarf''s. Breena was disguised as a Crimson Foxkin girl of about twelve or thirteen years with only two tails and no awakenings. Her face was soft and round in contrast to its usually sharp and jaded features. She was in a simple but adorable one-piece sundress. Soph had opted to change her shown species to that of a Crimson Foxkin just like Lone had, and she had made herself taller, her breasts larger, and her face much more plain. She has gone for a single tail and no awakenings. As for her outfit, she had wanted to wear a pink floral kimono, but was talked into an orange dress much like Breena''s so she wouldn''t look out of place in their little foxkin family. Lone wondered what people would think when they looked at them since the ''Yes, I don''t look like this. Stop Asking.'' brooches immediately let an observer know it wasn''t their true appearances. Soph''s arms were intertwined with Lone''s right arm while he held Breena''s hand with his left one, at her insistence. Her reluctance to physical contact with men seemed absent now since she was dedicated to playing the role of his daughter. She had said it would help with her attempts to learn a skill Hamish had told her about called Roleplay Mastery. In Lone''s opinion, that skill sounded like a subskill of Sex Mastery and was likely inappropriate for a child to know of, let alone learn, but he trusted the dwarf''s roguish abilities, so was fully supportive of acting as her father and Soph''s loving husband. Maybe he''d earn the skill himself while he was at it. Regardless, they had made it to the restaurant Soph had suggested, but they were stopped by Yulia before they could enter. "Ah, this place only takes reservations unless you''re incredibly important. It''s rather prestigious since the city''s most accomplished chef team operates out of its kitchen," the princessling explained. "The head chef even worked for my grandmother a long time ago." Lone looked at the fancy building made of a mixture of wood and marble. It was unique looking, like nothing he had ever seen before, and it sported several floors. His aura told him that the restaurant was full of powerful people, mostly at SSS-rank but the odd X-ranker could be sensed as well. "Journey''s End, huh? Odd name for a restaurant. They don''t do any exceptions? Would love to eat their stuff if it''s good enough for thousands of years old monsters," Lone asked. "Lon-" Soph was interrupted by a very familiar voice. "They allow X-rankersss and above to enter the real ressstaurant without a ressservassstion, though the price isss doubled." ''Real restaurant?'' That certainly piqued Lone''s interest. "Hello, Master Mezro''nan," he greeted as he turned around and looked at the X-ranked Restodian Iglaform as he approached them on all fours. At the same time, he cursed his lacking skill with his aura to be unable to detect an X-ranker who was quite literally right behind him. ''I need to stop associating it with my eyesight. It''s a sense that works with me as the centre, not as a cone of vision.'' "Lord Mezro''nan, it is a pleasure," Yulia said. The lizard''s big head nodded before he said, "I fear we got off on the wrong foot. Isss calling you by your namesss appropriate given you are disssguisssed?" "I''m Big Bob, this is my lovely wife Samantha, and our beautiful daughter Sarah," Lone replied with a chuffed smile on his aged face. Soph smiled twice as wide while Breena blushed like an embarrassed daughter might to be introduced to a stranger in such a fashion. "I sssee. Very well. I mussst dissscusss mattersss with Lady Sssamantha. I will get usss a table in the real ressstaurant and pay for your mealsss. All I want isss to talk. Deal?" The dog-sized critter wearing a tuxedo jacket asked. ''I would like to smooth things over with the C.A.A. if we can, and I recall Thomas saying this guy was an independent mage, so he''s doing a favour for someone. We can use him not being directly tied to them to maybe work things out without personal feelings for Olberic getting in the way. His magic specialties also perfectly match Scott''s, so I want him as a tutor, needless to mention I can probably get body fortification magic from him. Thoughts?'' Lone asked Soph while he also said, "That''s a very kind offer. Are you sure? This place must be very expensive given the average rank of its clientele and the rumoured skill of the employees, and if that''s not the real restaurant... well..." "I do not mind. Money isss of no concern to me. When you break a bridge, you do not ssskimp on the ressstoration fundsss, yesss? Do we have a deal?" replied Master Mezro''nan. At the same time, Soph also responded. ''You don''t have to worry about me or Sophie. We had an issue with that creep, not with the people who he worked for. There''s no harm in hearing him out. Besides, with Zel always on the horizon, we need less enemies, not more. Refusing wouldn''t, uh, be great since he''s being nice now.'' "Of course we do. Just talking though, right?" Lone laughed. "Jussst talking," Master Mezro''nan replied before he lumbered up to the restaurant and used some freeform earth magic to open the door. He walked on in with Lone, Soph, Breena, and Yulia, just behind him. The inside was significantly larger than the outside, which spoke of space magic to Lone. The design was foreign to him, not eliciting any memories of earthen structures as most others on Altros did. Still, it gave off a cosy yet luxurious vibe with all of the artwork and deep purple colouring that could be seen on the floor and the ceiling. A lectern with a gnome standing behind it blocked their path, and Lone spotted some rails beneath the wooden podium that led right into the wall, presumably to unblock the path. ''That lectern moves mechanically? That''s cool as fuck. It looks like steamforging but I never saw anything like that in the kriegs and urds I went to. Bootleg, maybe? Imitation? Still awesome either way.'' "Ah, Master Mezro''nan. What a pleasant surprise," the formally dressed gnome greeted. Lone took a moment to inspect the short woman. It was his first time seeing a female gnome since his only ever interaction with the species thus far were with Warden Zilben Hesgresind of Krieg Moor''s militaristic enlistment prison. This gnome, unlike his bald former warden, didn''t wear glasses and very much so had hair. She had the left side of her head fully shaved while the middle parted to the right and was about shoulder-length. It looked very stylish, Lone noted. Her face was, much like Breena''s current one, small and round. She also felt like a double-S-ranker to his aura. "Hello. I would like a table for five in the main restaurant," Master Mezro''nan stated. ''It''s ''main'' now, not ''real''?'''' Lone noted. "Of course. Please, follow me," the gnome replied. Lone watched in awe as the lectern spun and zoomed further into the establishment. The tracks hadn''t only led into the wall, but also went backwards, quite clearly. "That is so fuckin'' cool," he muttered. Master Mezro''nan glanced up at him. "Mind your language here. You could get usss thrown out for being crasss." "Ah, is that so? I''ll keep that in mind," he said as he followed the lizard who was, in turn, following the gnome and her trusty steed - the mechanical lectern. ''An X-ranker can be thrown out because a party member of his swears? Just what is this place?'' B3: Chapter 51: Benefits and Consequences "All of our private rooms are currently occupied, as they often are. I''m sure you don''t mind having to use a communal dining room considering this is a walk-in, yes, Master Mezro''nan?" the gnome asked. "Of courssse. But if a private room becomesss available...?" the lizard alluded. The gnomish employee shook her head as their group came upon an open archway that lead into a magnificent dining hall. "Sadly, they are fully booked for the next 16 years. On the event of a guest not attending for any reason, pre-reservations have been made and you do not meet the criteria to take claim of one such pre-reservation." Lone was a bit shocked. ''She''s a double-S-ranker but she gets to talk to him like that and he just has to take it based on his expression? That''s pretty fuckin'' cool. This place must have some serious power behind it. But if that''s the case, why is it here and not in, say, a Divine-ruled city or country?'' "I''ve only ever been here once," Yulia said softly. "It was an experience I will never forget. Some of my siblings frequent this place but it''s too expensive for me, personally, given how much my research costs." "What was it like the one time you did come here?" Lone replied just as softly. "It was only the Golden Pass City version of the establishment, but it was still the best food I have ever had in my life. Even father says there is no comparison elsewhere on the continent," she answered. ''On the continent? I''d believe her if she said in the city, but the whole continent? Prince Keining must not be too well travelled despite his age,'' Lone assumed. ''And what does she mean by ''Golden Pass City version''? Is space magic afoot, maybe? That''s fun if so.'' Without missing a beat, their tiny guide dismounted her lectern and led the group through dozens upon dozens of tables, mostly filled with X-rankers. There were close to a hundred employees going about delivering food, serving drinks to tables, chatting with their assigned guests, the whole shebang. "There''s too many X-rankers... I even feel some XX-rankers... Golden Pass City only has one of those, the prince. Space magic. Gotta be space magic. Bet this place is linked to other cities. Did we walk through a teleportation gate or something unknowingly?" Lone asked Soph softly. She nodded. "I''m pretty sure. The archway that took us from the hallway to this massive room felt spacey. I think?" Lone noticed many eyes flicker towards them, mostly in curiosity, but there were hints of hostility stemming entirely from the content of their hushed words. ''Yikes. Telepathy only, I guess. Good thing we''re in disguises at least. Didn''t realise our stop for lunch would lead to so many powerful people suddenly being in the same room as us,'' he commented. Soph donned a downcast look. ''S-Sorry. I just wanted you to have what looked like the best. Everyone left here looking so satisfied... It looked like a normal restaurant with my Mana Sensing. I-I''ll get better at telling space magic and concealed enchantments from what''s actually normal! There must be differences for me to discover. I''m sure of it!'' Lone would have kissed her if he didn''t think he''d get chewed out by a couple dozen X-rankers for being inappropriate. Instead, he held her waist as they walked and he replied, ''That''s my Soph. I know you can do it, but remember our bet. You gotta earn that subskill or new effect for Body Manipulation before I get 20 skills out of beginner rank... Best not to distract yourself, right? I mean, I already have a few skills that qualify and there''s so much time left...'' ''I''m working on it, you big dummy!'' she replied with a mental pout. "Here we are. A table for five with room for six. I''ll return shortly with our selection of menus. Would anyone like a complimentary drink to begin your stay?" their gnomish escort now turned personal waitress, it would seem, asked. Lone witnessed Master Mezro''nan furrow what could be called his brow in surprise. "Would it be too much to asssk for a bottle of Ruodafolai?" Yulia wasn''t reacting beyond general amazement at the room, so she clearly didn''t see either the gnome or Master Mezro''nan''s requests as being too odd. Why, Lone didn''t know. "Not at all. Do you have a preference on the vintage?" the waitress asked. The lizard''s surprise turned to pure shock as the purple scaled quadruped hesitantly replied, "From the assscensssion of Divine Fractiousss, if posssible." "Of course. And everybody else?" the gnome asked Lone, Soph, and Breena. Lone pursed his lips. "Who owns this place?" "Lord Im- Bob!" Master Mezro''nan hissed in warning for being so rude. The gnome didn''t seem to care, however. Instead, she smiled warmly. "Journey''s End is owned by the Deposit Conglomerate. Now, complimentary drinks?" "Whatever Peter would recommend. I''m sure he knows better what would make our coming meal as amazing as possible, right? If he''s unavailable, I''ll take the head chef''s recommendation," Lone said as he pulled out a chair for Soph and then for Breena before taking his own place at the table. This was a test of sorts. Peter, or the Undying Teller, had somehow convinced him and Soph to used a soul slot of Lone''s to create the unique skill True Contract Magic and to adopt Kyuubi, without any of it seeming overly suspicious or weird. If this place was owned by that man''s employer, Malcolm Deposit, and judging by Master Mezro''nan''s shock at the complimentary drink, then it seemed wise to see if he was getting special treatment for some reason. At worst, he''d just get told ''no'' or get thrown out for being rude. Lone could live with that if that was what his words would lead to. Soph nodded. "Same." "Uh, um, m-me too..." Breena said. "That sounds ideal to me. I know far too little about food and beverages to judge what I would like. Ah, I do have a preference for fruit juices, however, if that''s appropriate," Yulia answered. "Of course, that''s no problem at all. I''ll be right back," the gnome replied and then bowed before taking her leave. Quite a few other tables had observed that interaction with intense interest. Many X-ranked and even some XX-ranked auras had spiked wildly upon hearing Lone utter Peter''s name so casually despite him only being a B-ranker. Him not getting thrown out or killed for that was even more shocking to them. He didn''t care about that. The man had asked to be called Peter, not the Undying Teller back at Sir Deposit''s auction where he and Soph had obtained their daughter, Kyuubi, so call him Peter he would. ''So we are getting special treatment. This woman didn''t even bat an eye at me asking for Peter''s recommendation,'' Lone noted. "I am curious, but do ignore me if it''s inappropriate to ask, but, um, who is Peter?" Yulia questioned. ''Now the real question is, how did Peter know about my unused soul slots and will I get the chance to meet him and ask?'' Lone thought idly as he answered, "He''s an acquaintance. I met him way back when. I was an E-ranker at the time in Ranton. Good guy. Weird, but good overall." ''Fucky space and enchantment magic is just like the auction hall back in Ranton. I wonder if Peter or someone else from the conglomerate is keeping tabs on us? What if they always have been? That guy knew about my soul slots and somehow convinced me to use one which is insane. I mean, I don''t regret it but we should have questioned it more at the time. No, I would have. Definitely got manipulated somehow. True Contract Magic is incredibly powerful and I wasn''t harmed, thankfully. That skill is why Zel hasn''t killed me yet. But still... Did Soph noticing this place happen purely by chance, I wonder?'' Lone''s suspicions felt well-founded this time. "You are truly connected to the Undying Teller?" Master Mezro''nan asked as he lumbered up onto a specially crafted seat that was clearly made for his species. "Connected is a strong word, but this treatment is likely due to our prior meeting, so sure. We''re not here to talk about that though, are we? You''re acting on behalf of the C.A.A. to discuss the actions of the love of my life right now," Lone noted. Soph blushed and despite her plain disguised face, she still looked absolutely radiant to his eyes. Before the Restodian Iglaform could reply, their waitress had returned with a platter of drinks in one hand and a platter of exotic looking but delicious smelling snacks on the other. "One bottle of Ruodafolai from the era of Divine Fractious''s ascension for Master Mezro''nan. One pitcher of Salient Night Infusion for Young Miss Sarah. One bowl of Highborn Acorn Syrup and one pint of Shapeshifter''s Delight, both for Lady Sam and Lady Samantha. Two tall glasses of Thinker''s Fruit Punch for Princessling Yulia Keining." Needless to say, Soph and Lone alike were surprised that the gnome had essentially brought a drink for the different sides of Sofia to enjoy. Lone also noted that he didn''t recognise a single drink she had listed, which was interesting given he had researched the food and beverages of Altros quite extensively thus far in his efforts to improve Cooking Mastery. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "My apologies, Lord Big Bob, but Peter wasn''t quite sure what the perfect recommendation would be for you, though he did try. This is a special shot glass filled to the brim with Thrice Refined Demonic Lava. The glass will refill itself up to five times, giving you six shots. It''s got quite the kick, so do be careful," the gnome said before also laying out a bowl of milk next to Lone''s oozing orange shot. "And this is?" he asked, gesturing to the milky substance. "For the sleepy one, should she wish to grace our establishment with her presence. The bowl may be taken so she can enjoy this Gulfian Milk at a later date," she said, shocking both Lone and Master Mezro''nan this time. ''That''s from a Gulfian? Those are demigods... I dunno what their milk can do but it must be special if it''s from Peter. He wanted nothing but Kyuubi''s safety when we got her, so I wonder what that milk can do?'' Lone thought in awe before he put the bowl away in his Dimensional Storage. "Thank you. I''m sure she''ll love it. And the snacks?" "A gift from the head chef. The meal will not be complimentary, but a friend of Peter''s is a friend of Journey''s End. Your menus," she said, waving her hand. The centre of the table was filled with a stack of over 30 different menu types. Alongside them, one brass and one copper desk bell had appeared. "I have taken the liberty of enabling as much privacy as can be afforded to a table in the communal dining hall. Your words cannot be heard any longer and your actions will be masked. The brass bell can be pressed to disable the former, the copper for the latter. When you are ready to order, please don''t hesitate to call out for me. Take as long as you would like. I am at your service for the duration of your stay here at Journey''s End." And with that, the gnome smiled, bowed, and departed. "I may have made a missstake agreeing to repay that favour..." Master Mezro''nan hissed in a defeated manner. "I know I am here to dissscusss what happened with Olberic and Lady Vladimirovich, but may I partake in the sssnacksss you were gifted? I can asssure you, no matter how our official busssinesss goesss, I will not hold it againssst you. I am but a conduit for the dissscusssion to avoid emotionsss from tainting it." Lone picked up a cookie that was shaped like a squid but smelled like heaven. He shoved it in his mouth and began chewing. A moment later, he was closing his eyes in bliss.
Congratulations! As a result of eating food prepared by [Androiv Malaivina] the host has gained 3 points in the [Vitality] stat.
"Absolutely fuckin'' not. These give stats? Holy shit. I really need to work on Cooking Mastery. Soph, Breena, half for each of you. I don''t care if you get full, force them down your gullets," Lone ordered. Master Mezro''nan sighed sadly. "I sssussspected asss much. The food here normally givesss temporary ssstat buffsss. Powerful and long lasssting, yesss, but not permanent. Thessse sssnacksss are truly ssspecial." "At least you''ve got your special wine. It do something in particular, or does it just taste heavenly?" Lone asked as he picked up his shot glass and sniffed it carefully before almost retching reflexively. "Thisss particular vintage will increassse my affinity to earth magic by one to six percent. It isss truly a magnificent thing, one I am unworthy of, and one I am beyond appreciative for. Do you know what your drinksss do? I would be happy to explain asss I happen to know given the waitresss wasss kind enough to tell usss their namesss. It isss the leassst I could do for having benefited from your relationssship with the Undying Teller," Master Mezro''nan offered. ''One to six percent? That''s a huge amount given the context of Yulia''s affinity growth,'' Lone thought. "Sure. I''m completely ignorant on why this shit makes me want to vomit." Breena nodded while Soph looked concerned, "It smells bad? Both of mine smell really tasty." "It smells like distilled pain, not disgusting," Lone replied. "I would appreciate an explanation as well," Yulia said. "Lord Immortusss''sss first then. Demonic Lava isss a delicacy of one of the planesss of hell the sssummonersss of Altrosss have managed to connect to. I know not which one, sssadly, but it isss pure poissson to anyone not of a demonic ssspeciesss outssside of a ssselect few beings like fire-basssed elementalsss. It will, however, if sssuccesssfully ingesssted, make a non-native of the hellsss resssisstant to all formsss of demonic influence. Like my wine, it variesss from perssson to perssson how effective it isss and how dangerousss it isss. A sssingle drop can kill an X-ranker. You have sssix full ssshot glasssesss worth of the ssstuff, and it hasss been refined three timesss to be even purer," Master Mezro''nan explained. "Had I not ssseen the recording of your fight with Lord Keining, I would have asssumed the Undying Teller wanted to asssasssinate you. I cannot even fathom how harmful ingesssting sssuch a sssubssstance would be when the normal version is ssso lethal to thossse of my rank already. The gainsss will likely be jussst asss amplified," he added. Soph''s eyes filled with concern. She held Lone''s hand and said, "Maybe you shouldn''t drink it right now? Your soul still isn''t fully healed..." "Your soul is damaged?" Yulia asked in surprise. "Did something stupid to myself with my aura. I''m almost better now though." Lone picked up the shot glass and stared at the bubbling liquid inside. "I wasn''t told I could keep the glass like I was with the bowl of milk, and if it''s only physical... As much as I am suspicious of him, I do trust Peter." And with that, he downed the liquid in one gulp. His throat immediately burned up like he had just swallowed the sun. Lone thrashed about in his chair as he clawed at his Adam''s apple as if he was trying to burrow into his own oesophagus to remove the raging inferno he had just consumed. His skin turned bright red and steam rose from his entire body. His disguise flickered before collapsing entirely, revealing his true appearance before he slammed out of his chair and onto the floor where he rolled around while screaming madly. "Lone!" Soph panicked and moved to grab Lone but was stopped by Master Mezro''nan who had used a silently casted earth magic spell to encase her entire body except for her head. "Fool! Touch him and you will likely die. Bessst cassse ssscenario, you will lossse whatever limb you touch him with. Leave him. He did not die immediately and he isss recovering remarkably fassst. No one at thisss table will be free of consssequencesss when consssuming their drinksss, ssso sssit back down and lisssten to my explanationsss asss he worksss through hisss consssequencesss," Master Mezro''nan ordered, showing a sort of sagely wisdom that could only come with millennia of living as an independent mage. Soph struggled against the earthy constraints and was just about to user her barrier magic to rip herself free, but a coldness overtook her plain foxkin face before she nodded. Master Mezro''nan squinted his lizard eyes but he relented and undid his magic, allowed it to return to Altros, freeing Sophie. "She will behave now. Thank you for restraining her. The girl acts before she thinks sometimes. Just like this foolish man of ours," Sophie sighed before the softness returned to her expression along with an embarrassed smile. "Two sssoulsss, one body?" he asked. Soph shook her head but didn''t let her eyes leave the struggling Lone. "No. It''s complicated." "Asss mossst thingsss are. That explainsss your drinks, however. They both react differently depending on the persssonality of the consssumer," Master Mezro''nan stated. "Ssshapessshifter''sss Delight isss a drink ressserved for the mossst privileged of the different ssspecies that can naturally ssshapessshift. It turnsss the drinker into a blob akin to a ssslime before relying on their thoughtsss, wantsss, hopesss, and pure willpower, to boossst their ability to mould their form at will. While ressserved for the mossst privileged, it isss alssso almossst exclusssively usssed for thossse who cannot control their powersss." The purple being that looked like a Komodo dragon didn''t question why a human would need this substance. He clearly knew better than to do that. "I have heard the processs isss immensely painful, akin to a prolonged attack on the sssoul meant to caussse harm, not to kill. It isss not fatal asss a result. The processs isss also known to permanently enhance the Ssstrength, Dexterity, and Vitality, of the consssumer. The amount variesss basssed on how long they can ssstay consssciousss during the processs." Soph didn''t seem to care much. She was too busy fussing over Lone who was still writhing about madly. Besides, this was clearly Sophie''s drink, not hers. "Asss for Highborn Acorn Sssyrup, it is the sssoftessst of the drinksss we were given. A sssingle sssip can do nothing, or it can ressstore mana, permanently increassse Magical Power, grant random levelsss in magical ssskillsss, increassse magical affinitiesss, trigger magical enlightenment or ssskill enlightenment related to magic, or even grant an entirely new magical affinity or magical ssskill to the drinker. The risk, however, asss already sssaid, is that it could do nothing, wasssting it. The chance of sssomething happening dependsss wholly on the purity of the consssumer. Entirely in a ssspiritual sssense, not a physssical or moral sssense. It isss a dissstilled product of a World Tree, after all," the X-ranker detailed. Soph''s interest has been piqued but she still didn''t reply or move her eyes from Lone. "What about the milk?" she asked. "The Gulfian Milk? It isss guaranteed to evolve the bloodline of a beassst, animal, tamed creature, ssspiritual animal, or monster, who consssumesss it. It forcesss the drinker into a deep sssleep that they may never wake from, however. The chancesss of that worsssen if they have no motivation to do anything complex. A deeper, more powerful bloodline requiresss equally deep and powerful thoughtsss," he explained. "It would benefit even me. I am mossst jealousss of this ''sssleepy one''." Soph nodded softly but didn''t reply. Seeing this, Master Mez''ronan continued. "Sssalient Night Infusion isss rather sssinisster. It will return the drinker to the deepessst, darkesst moment of their life and force them to repeat it for what feelsss like an endlesss amount of time. The drinker must overcome the moment to essscape, and doing ssso will grant them a ssskill only obtainable from the processs. That isss all I know. The information of the ssskill isss a tightly guarded sssecret. Your drink, child, very well may be the raressst one on the table." Breena stared deeply into her pitcher filled with a liquid as black and ominous as the Void in Lone''s features. She held back a fearful gulp. While she didn''t rush into drink her beverage as Lone had, she didn''t turn away from it, instead choosing to study it intensely despite her mounting terror of what consuming it would entail. Master Mezro''nan gave her a look of pity then moved on, "Thinker''sss Fruit Punch, Princesssling Yulia, isss the mossst common drink here but it isss by no meansss ordinary. It will forcefully grant you enlightenment on any sssubject. It cannot fail which isss very remarkable. It isss, however, entirely limited on your own knowledge. You won''t have the posssibility of being enlightened with sssomething you do not know. You need the building blocksss for the drink to create a ssstructure for you, ssso to ssspeak. The consssequencesss aren''t fatal but they can be quite dangerousss. To induce the enlightened ssstate, the drink will ssseal all of your ssstatsss and ssskillsss for two monthsss." "This is exactly what I need. They even gave me two servings... Um... waitress, are we allowed to bring these drinks home with us, or must they be consumed here?" Yulia asked. Appearing near the table, the gnome smiled warmly and said, "The containers as well as the drinks are yours to do with as you will. Even the special shot glass of Mister Immortus''s." Given his disguise had dropped, the woman had addressed Lone by his real name, which wasn''t too surprising. She disappeared just as soon as she was done talking. "That is good to hear," Yulia sighed in relief. "What are the consequences of your wine, Master Mezro''nan?" "It isss a trade. I mussst offer up an earth magic ssskill I cherisssh for the affinity boost I previously mentioned. I can re-learn the ssskill though, so it isss not that concerning. Centuries of work isss well worth the millennia of effort it would take to earn the affinity boossst myssself," he replied. Lone crawled back up to his chair, noticeably less red but still burning far too hot for anyone here to touch him. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Not taking another shot for a while. Fuck me. Thanks for the info, man, it''s appreciated. Wanna... wanna move on to official talks now? I need time to cool off before we order food anyway." B3: Chapter 52: Consequences and Benefits Lone reached over the table and stored Breena''s pitcher of Salient Night Infusion. "You''re not allowed to drink this until you tell me you''re ready to do so. I''ll hold onto it until then, ''kay?" A sense of relief quite visibly washed over Breena at having the decision, while not taken from her, but complicated with an extra step. She nodded appreciatively. "T-Thank you." Lone smiled at her. He then reactivated his obvious disguise before storing his refilled bubbling shot glass of distilled suffering, and then did the same for Soph and Sophie''s drinks. "You''ll have yours at home and I''ll finish mine later. Sound good?" Soph beamed at him warmly. "Mhmm! Is it... safe to touch you?" "Not yet. Soon though. Well then, what does the C.A.A. want to say, Master Mezro''nan? While my girlfriend can speak for herself, she has stat boosting snacks to munch on, so feel free to see me as her middle man like you are for Olberic''s people," Lone said in a friendly tone. "My only man," Soph muttered before she stuffed what looked like a chocolate bar into her mouth. She moaned slightly in surprise at the heavenly flavour before blushing and proceeding to nibble away. Breena quickly followed suit since she''d been ordered to have half of the treats as well. "Very well," Master Mezro''nan replied. "Jussst to be clear, I am to act asss a point of firssst contact between Lady Vladimirovich and the Continental Alchemical Asssociation. I wisssh to leave thisss place with a good relationssship with you all. I am acting on behalf of them, but I am not them and their viewsss are not my viewsss. I wanted to make that clear." "I respect that. Dunno why you were so desperate for this meeting to the point you almost squared off with Lord Brux, and are willing to pay out of the ass for this meal, but yeah, no hard feelings if this goes tits up," Lone said. "I want our relationship to extend beyond this meeting too. I might have a job for you." Master Mezro''nan tilted his long head inquisitively but didn''t pry. "Thank you. Well, I am not privy to what the C.A.A. dissscusssed regarding Lady Vladimirovich before my contact told me what they did, but it to my underssstanding that your quick exit from the city the day after Olberic wasss killed wasss... how to sssay... interpreted how the C.A.A. wissshed to interpret it. A certain number of their higher-upsss believe you to be afraid of them. I wasss not told to keep that from you, in fact, I wasss asssked to ussse it to my advantage. I sssee now that there isss no way for thisss to have been the cassse. A man who ssso easily callsss the Undying Teller by hisss name would not be fearful of a group ssspecialisssed in production, even if they are led by three triple-X-rankersss." "And I''m sure they looked into Sofia''s background, and learned how I''m the leader of our relationship, not that we aren''t equals, we are. It''s just, well, you know. You''re old, right? Probably been in a lot of relationships. Maybe you''re married? Committed? I dunno much about your species'' culture. Anyway, you and I would have likely ended up talking, so it makes sense they would try to deal with me rather than her since from the outside, I make all of our decisions. Give it to me straight. What are the C.A.A.''s demands? I''m willing to pay reparations to some degree. Olberic deserved to die, but I don''t want to burn all bridges with such a large organisation. Hell, I''d even like to be a member," Lone said. Yulia nodded silently, clearly recalling her conversation with him about the C.A.A. during his first visit to the city. "I cannot ssspeak on if that isss an option before I sssay what I have been asssked to say. The C.A.A. underssstandsss that Olberic wasss in the wrong. However, they rather collectively do not agree that he ssshould have been murdered. Punissshed? Of courssse. Executed in cold blood? No. Their wordsss, not mine," Master Mezro''nan stated. Lone snorted in response. "As if. Tell me, if I look into his history, will I ever find an instance of him being punished for sexual harassment? Hell, will I find any evidence of it having happened at all? There is no way in hell an X-ranker chose to become a power-abusing creep for the very first time last month just because he happened to meet the most beautiful woman in the world." Yulia blushed at how brazenly and unashamedly Lone had praised his lover. Soph''s cheeks flushed too as love filled her eyes, all directed at him. Master Mezro''nan smiled wryly, which looked quite cute actually given he had a big lizard head. "Asss I sssaid, their wordsss, not mine." He put one of his feet on the table and slid a sheet of paper towards Lone as far as he was able to. Lone''s body had cooled enough to not ruin the parchment. Hell, he didn''t even need to actively repair his clothes any longer as he had been doing so ever since he had collapsed onto the floor in pain. He picked up the sheet of paper and read it. ''782 Ruby-gold Coins.'' "Huh. Short letter. I can assume what this means, but care to explain?" Lone asked. ''If I spent a bit of time, I could make that many coins in an afternoon but there is no way at all I''m paying that up front. It would cause unavoidable waves in the global economics. I''m already worried enough as is that the few ruby-gold coins I''ve injected into the market might get noticed by the guild. Needless to mention it would cause way too many questions and just make us a target to people who don''t even know we exist.'' "Thisss isss what the C.A.A. projected they would earn from Olberic Chassse over the next thousssand yearsss," Master Mezro''nan answered. "And is Sofia expected to pay this back?" Lone followed up. The Restodian Iglaform nodded. "In a way. The C.A.A. would asssk of her to pay it back in the form of unpaid mercenary work. A C-ranker who could kill an X-ranker isss sssomeone with value. Needlesss to mention how much MP ssshe hasss. The Continental Alchemical Asssociation isss not happy about Olberic''sss death. No matter hisss ssshortcomingsss or persssonality, he wasss ssstill a very ssskilled alchemissst. You know how organisationsss of a sssufficient sssize and age are, Lord Immortusss. They do not wisssh to be enemiesss, but they do want to make up for the lossst potential profitsss." Lone leaned back in his chair, still feeling a bit too hot for comfort as he sighed. "I''d love to argue how without some incredibly powerful skills, there''s no way to know if Olberic wouldn''t have been killed by someone else, left the C.A.A., died some other way, or something else entirely, before a thousand years had passed. Us being expected to work off such a large sum is ridiculous. Counteroffer. Give me membership to the C.A.A. and I''ll earn back those profits for them, but only half of the requested amount, and on my terms. I ain''t slaving away for anyone." "I can certainly relay your request, but-" Lone interrupted, "It''s my way, or no way at all. That scum deserved a fate worse than death. The C.A.A. should be thankful I''m not offended enough by this outlandish request of theirs to think it a wise idea to storm their HQ and kill as many of them as possible. We can all be reasonable about this. Consequences and benefits, rights? Olberic lusted after my woman, the consequence was death. As a benefit of that, the C.A.A. can now employ me as a freelance alchemist who''ll earn them more profits than they could have ever dreamed of." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''I really don''t want to make an enemy out of a potential skill farm, especially one run by three triple-X-rankers, but this is Golden Pass City. Strength speaks louder than words here and they''re coming at us with words. That says a lot. If all they care about is profit, then I''ll be a certified alchemist soon enough,'' Lone reckoned. ''If they choose to kill us, they earn nothing. I don''t see a future where they don''t look into me more closely and find out how absurdly talented at learning I am and use that to make up for Olberic''s losses.'' "And if they refussse thisss counteroffer?" Master Mezro''nan asked. Lone shrugged. "I have a gut feeling they won''t, but assuming they do, then I''ll act like they never called in a favour to use you to set up this meeting with me. Trust me though, if they send anyone after me or Sofia in a less than friendly capacity, well, it won''t be long before the continent soon forgets it once hosted an Alchemical Association." ''I don''t want more enemies, but I won''t act like a coward and just capitulate because they''re a powerful organisation. I really think it isn''t needed, but hey, maybe sharpening my tails on some triple-X-rankers is just what I need to get ready for whatever Zel prepares?'' Lone thought, his resolve firm on the matter. He knew he had just promised Sophie to never fight another X-ranker until he was undefeatable against SSS-rankers, and he intended to keep that promise, but there was little he could do about other people''s intentions. Besides, pressure was the best method to grow in this messed up world.
Mezro was deep in thought as he returned to his small personal magi tower. It had been an interesting day, for sure. Almost fighting the most dangerous man in Golden Pass City - ignoring the prince - wasn''t on his planned agenda when he had detected the woman being referred to as Mana Nova by the magical circles of the city. He took his tuxedo off using freeform earth magic before he deactivated his body fortification magic skill, Titanous Growth. His body immediately shrunk back down to its actual size. Now about as big as a small dog, he crawled atop his favourite cushion and continued to think. Of course, he also made sure to store his precious wine in such a fashion that it wouldn''t degrade. He''d have to consume it soon or invest a lot of money into some sort of magic or container that could preserve it perfectly. ''He really doesssn''t fear the asssociation,'' Mezro, child of Nan, thought. ''I don''t sssee why thisss won''t eventually turn into an amiable cooperation sssince both sssidesss are willing to negotiate, but even I could tell he wasss and isss fully prepared for a war with a powerful group of alchemistsss if they choossse to ssseek revenge for Olberic. Where doesss hisss confidence come from? Maybe it isssn''t confidence... but acceptance.'' It was often the young that didn''t fear death. Their ideals had yet to be untainted by the waves of time. An endless attempt at erosion, however, could and would break down even the loftiest and purest of ideals. He truly hoped things worked out. He knew little of Sofia Vladimirovich or the foxkin child that followed them, but Lone Immortus was charming and personable in such an odd way that it interested Mezro. ''I think I would very much ssso like it if we could be friendsss. I have too few asss an independent mage.'' Mezro wasn''t the strongest X-ranker out there, not even close, but as a citizen of Golden Pass City, he respected strength greatly. He was not a foolish man. He was a coward when his survival demanded that of him. After all, he had stood on his hind legs to face Guildmaster Brux''s aura only to back down with his tail tucked between his legs after only one threat. Admittedly, that one threat had terrified Mezro unlike anything he had ever experienced, but still, it was only one threat. Lone, however, detailed that he had fought the man and so openly provoked him during their spar, to the point of needing to be saved by the guildmaster''s clone. Not only that, but he had even joked during the meal that his head had almost been cut off by an X-ranker of the Crimson Foxkin Clan over a misunderstanding. Mezro was no fool. He knew what Void was much like how most X-rankers and above did, despite the Church of the Primals'' still enforced gag order from 500,000 years ago. He had a good idea which X-ranker might have made an attempt on Lone''s life over him being awakening to it. Clari Redtail was significantly stronger than he was, and he had no chance of leaving a scratch on the ruler of Golden Pass City, so big was the gap between X and XX-rankers. Thus, it only felt natural for him to consider the B-ranked Lone to be worthy of respect and he felt it fitting to call him Lord Immortus, which the Golden Foxkin had never questioned. "To teach a human my magic though..." He had his reservations despite his desire for a long-lasting friendship with the foxkin and his magical powerhouse of a partner. After their meal, just before Mezro had to empty out a good portion of his savings from the last decade for the food, Lord Immortus had asked if he would be willing to teach his magic to a young human boy living in the city. His affinities were for Earth and Body Fortification magic, just like Mezro. His mana organs weren''t awakened yet but that could be fixed. Not without risks, yes, but it was entirely possible to jump start the mana heart and brain into functioning. But to do so for a human... The door to the mage tower''s living room swung open as a tall High Elven woman sauntered in. "A little birdie told me you got gifted something rather valuable when you went to complete the favour you owed me, Mezzy." Mezro closed his eyes and sighed, resting his head on his front legs, not bothering to get up from his curled up position. "Even if you are asss family to me, you ssshould ssstill knock before coming unannounced. Do I need to revoke you from the tower''sss whitelissst?" The A-ranked elf laughed before she approached him, scooped him up, and placed him on her lap as she sat on the cushion he had been occupying only a moment ago. "Mother and Father would be heartbroken to hear you speaking like that to me. If you did remove me, they might even force you back to the estate." "Missster and Misssesss Arfur''an would underssstand, I''m sssure," he replied as he let her scratch his head. She pouted. "Well someone''s happy to have finally paid off that debt that they insisted existed, huh?" "Indeed, though it resssulted in me landing in the debt of another. The gift you mentioned? I only received it becaussse Lord Immortusss isss acquainted with the Undying Teller," Mezro replied. ''Though to erassse thisss new debt, I need only make a human my disssciple...'' he thought. "Well? Don''t keep me in suspense! What was she like? Mana Nova, I mean! The one that killed that pig! Did she accept the offer? Reject it? Oh! Did she attack you? You don''t look injured... Intimidation, maybe? I watched a mana recording of her killing Olberic. She was so cool! Wish I was there in person and not stuck boiling some pointless pills," the girl who had grown up being cared for by him asked. "Who even needs twice-refined Elbow Sensitivity Pills? Waste of ingredients if you ask me, time too, but I guess money is money." "Ssshe ate sssnacksss and lissstened asss Lord Immortusss ssspoke on her behalf," he answered. "And thossse pillsss are for your training, no? I alssso doubt anyone would want sssuch a ssspecific pill. Congratulationsss for ssstarting your exotic alchemic training, by the way." "Thanks! You''re probably right, but I swear Herb Lord Griselle was a bit too eager to see me make them... Anyway, you''re calling him a Lord? My, oh my, that is interesting! And the offer?" the elf pushed. "Rejected, underssstandably. When their only point of contact with the asssociation was Chassse, a vague offer of working asss a mercenary for them to pay off clossse to a thousssand ruby-gold coinsss would make anyone sssceptical beyond belief," Mezro said. The elven woman nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it was never meant to be accepted. Olberic has so many enemies in the association. Now that we''ve made a show of contacting his killer, we can drop the whole thing. Can''t tread on Prince Keining''s toes too much, right? Or The Adventurer''s Guild. Despite how much certain people think that wouldn''t be the stupidest decision since I was arranged to marry that fool." "Do not remind me of that time. Your father regretsss it too much. It isss alwaysss brought up in dissscusssionsss with him, by him. But yesss, you could drop the whole thing, although, a counter offer wasss proposssed by Lord Immortusss," Mezro alluded to. "Ohh! Don''t be coy with me, Mezzy! Spill! What''d he suggest instead?" the elf asked excitedly, ignoring the comment about her father. "To be hired asss a freelance alchemissst," Mezro answered plainly. "Oooohhh they''ll hate that! I love it. I knew it was a good idea to insist on sending a family friend instead of a member. I''m gonna need-" "No, do not tell me your plansss. My part isss done, my favour owed to you hasss been completed. I''ve had a long day, and while I enjoy your ssscratchesss and general company, I have sssome wine to partake in and sssome unwinding to do," Mezro interrupted. The elf pouted but relented, getting up and placing the far more powerful person in the room back on his cushion. "You''re such a stick in the mud, just like Father is. You be boring here in your tower then, I''m off to make some old idiots lose even more of what little hair they have left." Mezro smiled faintly as he watched the young A-ranker leave his residence. Before long, his mind drifted back to the request of becoming a magical master for a human child. "I ssshould at leassst meet the boy before deciding anything. My viewsss are my viewsss, but I do owe Lord Immortusss at leassst sssome ssserious consssideration for what being in hisss presssence afforded me." B3: Chapter 53: Digested and Awakened Organs Lone, Soph, and Breena, were having a distinctly normal set of drinks in a caf¨¦ they had found in the residential district near Hazel and her friends'' home. Lone was drinking his grape-flavoured milkshake, finding the taste to be not as awful as he had expected, though ultimately bland when compared the meal they had shared less than an hour ago - which had temporarily increased all of his stats by 50 for the next 30 days. That was such a small number for him but for Sofia and Breena it was monumental. Breena and Sofia both could take advantage of the increased stats to get much more out of their training than they normally would. Lone''s thoughts on the subject were interrupted when a set of notifications filled his vision.
Congratulations! The host has successfully digested a shot glass of Thrice Refined Demonic Lava.
The host has developed the passive skill: Fire Resistance.
Passive Skill: Fire Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist harmful flames. The host is 5% more resistant to fire of all types.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Lava Resistance.
Passive Skill: Lava Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist the negative effects of lava. Lava of any type will be 5% weaker when making contact with the host''s body.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Heat Resistance.
Passive Skill: Heat Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from heat. Reduces the negative effects of hot temperatures that the host experiences by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
The host has developed the passive skill: Demonic Influence Resistance.
Passive Skill: Demonic Influence Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of demonic influence. Demonic influence used on the host will be weakened by 5%. Demonic influence that is actively used on the host will have a 5% chance of backfiring.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Oh, wow. Four fuckin'' skills? And they all sound amazing? I didn''t get Fire or Heat Resistance from saving Grimsley and Shana when their smithy in Milindo burned down, or when I practised fire magic on myself, so they must be pretty hard to earn. It''s fuckin'' awesome I have ''em now though. Should be easy to level with the door metaphorically unlocked,'' Lone thought. He stroked his chin in contemplation. ''Demonic influence that is actively used can backfire. The distinction means passive usage can''t? But the lack of distinction for the weakening means both passive and active are affected by that. Powerful skill to have a second effect like that from the get go. Really makes me wonder what I''ll get from the five other shot glasses'' worth. Maybe some special additional effects?'' Regardless, the implication of these skills told Lone that Peter - and by extension the Deposit Conglomerate - was more than aware of his coming troubles with Arch Devil Zel. The question was, is that as far as their support would extend for this matter, or could he reach out and ask for more? Could he hire them to help him fight off whatever help the flaming devil would call upon to kill him? That was an interesting matter to ponder over. It was also interesting to consider how they knew. He doubted Prince Keining had spilled the hypothetical beans Lone had given him, but still, it wasn''t impossible. He hardly knew the guy, after all. Lone was jolted out of his thoughts when Soph had jumped out of her seat and into his arms, her own arms wrapped around his neck. "No more hot mana coming out of you, thus, hug time!" That got a few stares from the other customers in the caf¨¦ but neither of them cared. Soph because she was happy he was no longer suffering, and Lone because he was disguised. It not being his body people were seeing made it all that much harder to get embarrassed, not that he was particularly prone to that feeling normally anyway. "Hug time indeed," he laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We''ve got a few hours until we need to set out for our lovely daughter''s quest, so my darling wife, what would you like to do?" Soph stared into his eyes, seeing past his disguise to look at the real Lone. "Wife... marriage sounds fun. Can we...?" Lone smiled warmly. He kissed her and said, "Eventually, but not now. Immediate issues first, right? How about we spend the rest of the afternoon with the kids?" "We''ll both hold you to that ''eventually'', you know?" Soph beamed at him and kissed him back before adding, "Sure! They''re all at their home right now so why not?"
''It costs so much money to hire a private mind magic tutor and the only one even close to the principality has a years-long waiting list. Ha-ah... Contract magic isn''t much better. Why doesn''t the guild have a tutor for that? Why is it all governed by seven private institutes? I can''t really up and leave to go to a magic school since George has no affinities and Scott hasn''t awakened his mana brain yet,'' Hazel thought. Suddenly, a knock came from the front door. "Can you get that, Hazel? I''m busy cooking," George yelled down the hall, his head poking out of the kitchen to look down the hallway at her as she slouched on a sofa in the living room. Scott was busy training with Emma while Alisa was having a nap, so Hazel supposed that left her as the only option. "Sure!" she yelled back at him before getting up. ''We don''t get many visitors. I wonder what the occasion is? Did Alisa order another obscure tome about space? I hope not. That''s a waste of money. She should just wait for Darren to learn space magic himself so he can teach her,'' Hazel thought. She considered dropping her suppression of Mind Reading but she didn''t care that much about whoever was behind the door. She approached the front door and opened it as much as the chain latch would allow. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Hello. Can I help you?" Hazel said as she eyed her three guests, all Crimson Foxkin. ''Something feels off about them. Something magical. That''s... That''s not their real appearance? How do I know that? Do they know that I know that? I should be scared, shouldn''t I? Three strangers hiding what they look like knock on the door of the home of three summoned heroes. This screams fishy.'' Dropping all of her prior relaxation, she unbound her Mind Reading in an attempt to get a read on these likely dangerous individuals. Her brother had warned her against doing that since it could be detected by certain people, but these three clearly had bad intentions since they were hiding what they looked like, so if they already meant harm, wouldn''t it make less sense to not read their thoughts to get at least some insight into their ''visit''? ''That''s cute. I can only see half of her face like this! Only if you look with your eyes.'' ''I could beat her, I think. She''s his sister and a hero but I think I could beat her. Is she just weak? Was... he... this weak? No. Not all heroes are the same.'' After those two very different lines of thought, a wall crashed down on Hazel''s psyche and it almost made her faint. The only reason she hadn''t was that the wall was only warding off her invasion, not actively attacking her mind. "L-Lone?" She stammered. This wall was not unfamiliar but this was her first time feeling it so up close. The only other time was over half a month ago when he had first arrived at the city with Princelings Keith and Andrew. "''Sup, sis. Gonna let us in?" The overweight and jolly-looking Crimson Foxkin asked. Hazel''s hands were shaking. This was definitely her brother and his mind was terrifyingly well guarded. "S-Sure." She closed the door, undid the chain latch, then opened it again. The family of foxkin entered her and her friends'' home, and just as she was about to suppress her unique skill again, her brother stopped her. His body shimmered before revealing his regular appearance that she had almost become accustomed to now. Handsome face, long hair, slight stubble, ordinary but high quality clothes, an adventurer''s pouch at his waist, and nine tails at his back, though they now sported a fresh lick of grey at their ends. His similarly grey-tinted multi-coloured eyes narrowed at her in kindness as a smile formed on his face. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it with a gentle sort of awkward love that was foreign to her. "Don''t waste effort on restricting it right now. I can feel you trying to pull your skill away. Instead, try to break through my locks. I no longer have contact with the guy who was levelling the skill before, and you need to level your own skill and get used to the pressure of a defended mind just in case regardless, so put up with the discomfort. I won''t hurt you, so do your darndest to break in, ''kay?" he requested. And it was a request. He wasn''t ordering her like her brother from the dwarven town occupied by corpses with black-blood, tainted by the forbidden. No, this version of her sibling wanted her to better her skill and to help him better his own at the same time, for both her and his own good. She returned his smile and put a hand on top of his, holding it softly. "Mmm, I''ll, uh, I''ll try. You''re pretty scary though, you''re uh, y''know." "Still haven''t told your friends yet, huh?" Lone asked as Breena and who Hazel thought was Soph returned to their own original appearances. "N-No. I, uh, I will eventually it''s ju-" "Hey, no pressure from us. It ain''t our business. Breena''s great at keeping secrets, Soph doesn''t care, Sophie really doesn''t care, and I respect you enough to let the decision to ''come out'', so to speak, be yours," her brother said the perfect words in the most imperfect way. He then patted her shoulder before letting go, carefully slipping his hand out from under her own. With that done, he placed himself on one of the two sofas in the living room. Then suddenly, a clearly overweight and extremely fluffy looking fox about the size of a Golden Retriever appeared on his lap, fully unconscious. Soph sat next to him while the girl a couple of years her junior, Breena, stuck to a wall near them. "Hey, Hazel! Who was it- Oh! Lone, Sofia, and Breena! What a welcome surprise," George called before he added, "Give me five minutes, please? I really don''t want to mess up this cake." Lone raised an eyebrow as he watched the teenaged former-noble disappear back into the kitchen. "Wasn''t he more skittish before? That was very... confident? I approve, but it''s only been just under three weeks." Hazel sat next to him and nodded, "He has a huge crush on Emma. Or, had? Even since I met him he''s been head over heels for her. I try not to listen to my friend''s... emotions, but he, uh, realised he was someone she would never like in that way. She only shows interest in handsome, strong, cool people." Lone nodded as he stroked his chin. "I am, indeed, those things." Soph nodded and said, "And more, but you''re mine! Well, mine and Sophie''s, but no one else''s!" Hazel rolled her eyes. "He didn''t try to change for her or anything, but ten days ago he decided he''d work on himself. I think it really bothered him too when we went over our magic affinities with you but he was the only one with none. I''ve checked and it doesn''t upset him as much anymore." "The guy go to therapy or something? See someone with a skill to help with mental health?" her brother asked. Hazel shook her head. "No. He just decided. I honestly think it''s pretty admirable. He''s been a lot more helpful during the four quests we''ve done since this change of his." "Big props to the kid. Takes some real big balls to dig deep and not come out covered in even more shit," Lone nodded, acting like he was some sort of sage. "Gross. Anyway, what''s the occasion? Just sticking to your promise to visit more often? Em, not that that''s bad! I''m, eh, I''m happy to see you so soon. It''s just... you''re usually super busy, right?" Hazel asked, failing to hide the sadness that had welled up inside of her at the thought of just how busy her brother was and what that meant for him, his friends, and her and her friends. "Gonna push this one to her limit," he replied as he pointed a casual thumb towards Breena. "She''s been at her level cap for far too long. Quest we took doesn''t start until this evening, so figured we''d hang out, maybe train a bit with you guys. I might have found a magic teacher for Scott, by the way. Guy''s a big old well-dressed Komodo dragon. An X-ranker mage specialising in earth and body fortification magic. He owes me a favour and seemed the honourable type, so expect a visit at the very least." "What? X-ranked? Favour? Seemed?" Hazel was, understandably, confused. ''She so... questions...'' ''Kyuubi... ride... soon.'' Her brother''s intimidatingly well-defended mind made it quite difficult to hear the thoughts of the foxkin girl and crazy woman. If only she could control her unique skill to only target some minds... Sadly, it was all or none currently. It was lucky she''d even heard their initial thoughts outside of the door. "Well, I only met him today, but he sponged off of some good will I''ve somehow earned. It is what it is. Where are the others, by the way?" Lone asked. Hazel was about to answer when an excited Emma and a sweat-covered Scott entered the living room. "I knew I recognised that voice! See, Scott? I wasn''t hearing things. Hi! It''s been ages!" Scott shrugged. "It''s been just over a fortnight, stop exaggerating. Hey Mis- Right. It''s Lone now. Hey Lone, Hey Sophie? Ah, no. Soph? You''re so hard to tell apart. And hi Breena. What''s with the furball?" Hazel shivered as she felt a powerful desire to murder completely enshroud Soph''s thoughts before it disappeared just as fast. "She''s our daughter, not a ''furball''," Soph said sweetly with a less than sweet smile on her face. Hazel, Emma, and Scott, all shared a look. "Daughter?" "As in you two...?" "But humans and demis aren''t compatible..." Lone burst out laughing. He stroked Kyuubi''s big sleepy head and said, "She''s adopted." "Oh, that makes a lot more sense," Scott nodded. "Is she a person? Like, can she transform or something?" "Dunno," Lone answered honestly. "She''s way too intelligent and docile for a normal Golden Fox, needless to mention the circumstances in which we obtained her. She''s growing too fast as well. It would take centuries upon centuries and exposure to spiritual elements for her to get this big normally. Though I think I have an answer to that already." Soph looked up at him. "You think she''s had the milk before?" "She does sleep all the fuckin'' time," Lone replied before he leaned down and rubbed his face into Kyuubi''s fur, "Ain''t that right, ya lazy blob?" "Kyuuu..." Kyuubi purred peacefully before yawning and immediately falling asleep once more. Alisa had just entered the room while rubbing her eyes before she said, "Oh my god. That was the cutest thing I''ve ever seen..." "Did we wake you up?" Hazel asked. "Sorry, you exhausted yourself while training and here we are being inconsiderate." Alisa ran a hand through her long and straight blonde hair before she shook her head and yawned. "It''s fine. Have you learned any space magic since you were last here?" Lone replied, "Nope. Have you?" "Nope," she replied sadly. "Figures. Well, I might have an X-ranked magic master lined up for Scott who shares the same magical affinities, and I think I might know a way to, if not get you a teacher, Alisa, at least encounter a space magic practitioner who can use a skill on me that I will then in turn teach you," he said. ''What?'' Hazel thought before she voiced her confusion, "How are you so well connected to powerful people? You''re, uh, how to put it..." "An asshole?" Scott chimed in as he sat down. "Don''t gemme wrong, I prefer the new you. Mister McCullen was a pushover on the best of days. Felt sorry whenever I looked at you back then. Now you scare the shit out of me and inspire me. Big change." Before Lone could respond, Soph spoke up changing the subject, completely blindsiding Hazel. "I just noticed! You awakened both of your mana organs! Congratulations. Are you gonna try to find a teacher too?" "Uh, I, yes? I''ve been trying. There''s no mind magic teacher''s to be found in the city that I could possibly afford, or who would even bother given my affinity is quite low. They all require at least 50% affinity, the few that live here, anyway. Dunno about outside the principality. As for contract mag-" "I can try to teach you that," her brother interrupted. "I have True Contract Magic and I have some info on a couple of contract magic skills I got from a woman who tried to get me assassinated a while ago. Traded the info of every skill she knew existed in exchange for her life. Good deal if you ask me. But yeah, I can just divert attention to self-learn one or two of those and then teach ''em to ya. I am quite busy so give me half a year or so. I don''t need contract magic skills right this moment." "How do you always say the most insane things so casually?" Hazel sighed before she blushed. "I was supposed to think that, not say it." "Hahaha!" Lone laughed. "Believe it or not, I''m toning myself down quite a bit for all of your sakes." "How did you awaken your mana organs?" Soph asked Hazel, once again changing topics. Emma smiled. "That''s a fun story. Fresh too since it only happened five days ago. We can listen to that, eat George''s cake, then you can train me in lightning magic! I want to learn Amplified Current." George yelled from the kitchen, "Unless you want to eat it raw, you won''t be eating my cake for a few more hours! I''m finishing up preparing it, not finishing up cooking it!" Emma scrunched up her face in anger. "Damn it. I''m craving cake and only now I learn it''s not close to done?" "Ask Lone. He can magic one up for ya," Scott suggested. "Nope. I would get much more enjoyment watching you suffer, and I don''t want to take from George''s efforts by indulging you now. Anyway, yeah, I''d love to hear how my lil sis awakened her mana organs. I also want Breena to spar with you all to warm her up before our quest later tonight. So, with that all planned, spill the tea, Hazel," Lone said. Emma mumbled, "Sparring will only make me even more hungry..." Hazel smiled. She much preferred this side of her brother when compared to the murderous and paranoid warlord of the Farwinds who had kidnapped them and almost snapped her neck on their first meeting. "We chose to do our first combat mission last week and it was to clear a subsection of the sewers from the build up of the local slime variants..." she started. B3: Chapter 54: Beginner Booster and Four X-rankers "Really? An Acid Slime almost killed you and that awakened your mana organs?" Lone asked, unsure if he should be worried or amused by such a silly yet deadly story. Hazel blushed. "We thought we could handle some slimes, y''know?" "It cost us so much money to get her healed. We''re in debt to the guild because of it, but it was worth it if she can learn to use magic," Emma noted. "I''m convinced it was my skill that saved ''er," Scott said proudly. "Alisa was so fast slamming the lil'' fuckers off of Hazel with her staff, no? Beginner Booster is a real lifesaver." "Not to be a dick, but with your stats, I doubt it, unless Alisa can apply them," Lone commented. "None of us can apply stats," George said, entering the lounge with a smile before he sat down. "It''s great to see you guys again." "Likewise, George," Lone happily replied. "I look forward to that cake of yours." "And you''re more than welcome to a slice or two if you''re staying for the evening," George replied. "Provided we aren''t a bother. We have plans near midnight-ish, but nothing until then," Lone said. Emma scooted closer to him and asked, "Are you gonna teach me Amplified Current?" "I''ll certainly try to. By the way, I''ve got an offer for you guys before we go do any training," Lone said, hopeful this would go well. It would be quite disastrous if it ruined the mending relationship he had with these teens. Scott was pouting and actively ignoring him after he had just insulted the current worth of his unique skill, but Hazel didn''t hesitate to shift the subject away from her embarrassing magical awakening. "What kind of offer? It isn''t, uh, another blood contract, is it?" "Nah, I only make those when I need to," Lone laughed. "Beginner Booster - apply it to me indefinitely. In exchange, I''ll clear your debt with the guild, foot the bill for each of you to learn a skill of your own choosing from a guild tutor, and I''ll buy this house from whoever owns it and let you guys live in it rent free. I would give you the deed, but strength rules here. Someone might challenge you for it for all I know. And for you, Scott, I''ll make sure the guy I want to be your magic teacher decides to make you his disciple. I''ve only casually asked him to consider the matter, but I can make the possible inevitable instead." "But Alisa''s luck-" "Is how high, exactly?" Lone interrupted. "... It''s at 132," the blonde Polish girl answered. "Sofia''s is over 263,000," Lone said without hesitation. "And at that height, all it does is prevents harm from coming to her specifically, or very occasionally something not shit will happen to our group. I''m always getting fucked up regardless even though I''m always at her side. Unless you can apply the stat to a ridiculous degree, it being doubled to 264 is a waste, needless to mention your other stats. Stats are worthless unless you have thousands, no, tens of thousands, and even then, they are nothing in the face of applicable stats. I just learned how to apply my Agility, and my lowest main stat is a little over 1,500 - that being Luck, the next lowest is at 7,104. Beginner Booster will make a difference for me and it could very well save my life in the near future." Scott leaned back into his seat and shrugged, the pout gone from his expression. "You''ve won me over, but we''re a team. What''s everyone else thinking?" ''That''s a good start,'' Lone thought. "Before any of you vote or something like that, if I have Beginner Booster on me, I''ll be significantly more invested in helping Scott improve the skill, which could lead to him being able to use it on multiple people among other possible ideas I have. I care about the growth of you guys, but not more than my own growth. His skill will, as it so happens, affect said growth, so yeah, it''s only natural I''d put in the effort to get him and his unique skill to be that much more powerful." "I''ve been doubly won over. Can''t argue with logical selfishness, can ya?" Scott chuckled. Alisa sighed. "I''ll miss my MP being doubled, but I can''t even use any spells yet, so I suppose I''m in favour." "You can apply your Agility? I need to see that. Before Sloth''s purge, the only time I''d ever seen an applied stat was my father''s Dexterity," George said. "I''m in favour as well, by the way. Your need surpasses our own. You''re dealing with something quite serious right now, aren''t you?" Lone nodded. "I can''t talk about it, but Prince Keining was hesitant to help me, thinking himself too weak to do so. I also almost got my head cut off by an X-ranker recently and she would be less than an ant to what is looming on the horizon for me." "... This is what the ''companion'' clause was about in our contract, wasn''t it?" Hazel muttered. "I''m in favour." ''Your sister''s pretty smart, huh?'' Soph commented to which Lone could only smile proudly in response. "I''m not in favour!" Emma shouted only to have everyone stare at her. She smiled and scratched the back of her head. "It''s four out of five in favour, so I may as well add some spice to the vote, right?" "Hah, I like that. Never lose that attitude, Emma." Lone was happy the kids were warming up to him more and more. If they could forget how he had acted to them in the Farwinds, he would be thankful. He also appreciated George for not choosing to blame him for the death of his family, Emma too in that regard. With Beginner Booster being given to him, that would mark off one of the trump cards Lone felt he needed and could acquire to prepare for Arch Devil Zel''s inevitable assault. He didn''t like himself for it, but he was prepared to do some very unsavoury things to acquire the effects of this unique skill if need be, so he was incredibly thankful that asking nicely was the only necessary step. "So... how does this work then?" Lone asked, eager to double his stats immediately. "Well," Scott said, standing up as he did so, "lucky for you, the skill''s off cooldown, so it''s as easy as this. Boop." As soon as the muscular teenager had placed his hand on Lone''s shoulder, he felt a wave of energy course through his body. Visible energy flooded out of him and pushed everyone away from him. Scott was sent flying into the wall while everyone else either fell to the floor or joined Scott in plastering the walls. Less than a moment later, Soph had used some freeform Unique Magic: Barrier Magic to pick everyone up and hold them in a standing position, including herself. It took about a minute for the rampant energy to settle and recede into Lone''s body, at which point Soph dropped her freeform magic, releasing everyone. "What the fuck was that?!" Hazel exclaimed. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The host''s stats have been temporarily doubled by the unique skill [Beginner Booster]. The host is now unable to harm the provider of this effect [Scott Miles] so long as it is active.
"Sorry," Lone apologised. "I''m pretty sure that was the side-effects of 224,710 HP becoming 449,420, 130,900 SP becoming 261,800, 447,720 MP becoming 895,440, and my aura''s strength doubling. Looks like we know a hidden feature of your skill, Scott. It can affect auras. Holy fuck. It even doubled my World Power. Unique skills can interfere with the gifts of Altros? I guess that makes sense. I did copy Full Body Diagnostics, after all..." "Those are your energy amounts? Holy fuck indeed," George laughed a bit nervously. "You were right. It''s much more useful being on you." Suddenly, a second, much less impressive, energy storm erupted. This time, however, it came from Scott and not Lone. The boy collapsed on the ground screaming in agony as his skin tore apart and began shredded itself, completely unable to cope with whatever was happening to him. Lone rushed to his side before anyone else could react. He wasn''t about to lose this trump card he had just earned. He used a skill that he had just mentioned immediately, "Full Body Diagnostics." "W-What''s happening?!" Alisa yelled, attempting to join Lone at Scott''s side but she quickly found herself unable to do so due to the strong waves of energy pressing into her and her friends. Soph looked fine but Breena was barely better off than the kids from Lone''s estimations. Soph frowned and turned to look at a wall. "People are coming here to investigate what just happened and what''s happening to him. I''ll stop them." Lone nodded before she teleported away. "Well, Alisa, he''s going to die. I have a good idea why. I''m sort of at fault, but I can keep him alive during the process. You''ll all thank me for this once it''s over, so try not to be too upset right now, ''kay?" He then closed his eyes and used Creation Magic to restore Scott''s body and alter its natural state slightly, consuming more MP in the process than he had expected, adding more evidence to his theory. ''He earned an additional effect, for sure. Maybe even a subskill. He can copy a portion of the stats he boosts now, right? That''s gotta be it. His aura is killing him since his body can''t handle the strength of an aura this powerful. The aura of what feels like a B-ranker attached to an H-ranker? Scott, you''re gonna be a monster with this unique skill of yours. If you can use it on multiple people in the future, then you may even surpass me,'' Lone thought with pride. ''Good. The stronger you get, the less likely you are to die and the more likely this boost will be a permanent one for me.'' He hoped Soph wouldn''t have much trouble keeping the nosy nellies away. It could take a couple of hours for his Creation Magic to slowly recreate Scott''s body over and over again to gradually adjust it to being capable enough to host such a powerful aura. The boy''s soul needed just as much work too.
''Fourteen S-ranker. Six SS-rankers. Four SSS-rankers, and two X-ran- no, three X-rankers. Master Mezro''nan is coming too,'' Sophie said to Soph. ''And... yes, about five-hundred people between B and SSS-rank are watching from afar.'' Frowning as she stood on a barrier just above the teens'' house, Soph replied, ''With his new stats, Lone could beat them all, I think. We can''t unless we use Barrier Maelstrom or go in for the kill with internal barriers, right? How do we do this, Sophie? Lone needs to save Scott before he can help us with these guys.'' ''The X-rankers should know you as the one who killed Olberic Chase. That will stop them from being aggressive unless they are fools. You can feel it in their mana. This curiosity is intense. They are coming to investigate. We need only stall long enough for Lone to be done with his new toy for us to have the upper hand. Surround the house in several barrier layers. Lone can create air if need be, so make it airtight,'' her colder side ordered. Soph nodded and waved her hand. A million MP points later, and over a thousand layers of green shielding had surrounded the house. ''That should stop at least one X-ranker''s attack, I think,'' Soph thought. Just then, her three X-ranked guests arrived. She, of course, recognised Master Mezro''nan. the earthiness of his aura had gotten more powerful, meaning he had likely consumed the wine from Journey''s End already. The other two X-rankers she had only seen with her Mana Sensing previously. One was a humanoid woman in a revealing dress with long flowing purple hair whose mana gave Soph a feeling of flowery confusion. The other was a dwarven man whose mana was rigid and hammered, as if it were the metal of a blade. Before the two unfamiliar X-rankers could speak, Master Mezro''nan floated into the air via the use of earth magic according to her sense, and he greeting her, "Ssso we meet again, Lady Vladimirovich. I asssume Lord Immortusss wasss the epicentre of that explosssive aura releassse? It feelsss like he hasss it mossstly under control now, though." ''What a clever little lizard,'' Sophie commented. ''He has made it immediately clear to those two that he deems us to be stronger than himself. That gives us power here. Tell them to leave and to not interfere. We are sorry for the disturbance, but this is a private matter.'' "It''s nice to see you again, Master Mezro''nan. I''m sorry about the disturbance, but this is a private matter," Soph said just as the rest of those with more curiosity than sense had arrived. "All of you, please leave." "Who is a B-ranker to tell me what to do?!" a burly SS-ranker among the six that had arrived shouted in fury. The dwarven X-ranked furrowed his brow. "She''s the lass who offed that prick X-ranker fae the Continental Alchemical Association, ya daft arsehole. Ah''m gone. Ain''t no sense in staying when ah''ve been teld te feck off so nicely. Nice barriers, by the by. Look strong fae coming fae ah B-ranker. No wonder ya were able to turn an X-ranker into a puddle of blood, piss, and shite, in less ''an a few seconds." He grumbled a bit more to himself before he walked off down the road, clearly upset at having lost the chance to investigate the aura issues that he had felt from across the city. ''If we did not know how dwarves work, we would assume he disliked us. He did not need to validate our position by speaking on our execution of the harasser. Many watching eyes have turned away and even more hopeful ears closed themselves off from here,'' Sophie stated. ''I noticed. I''m more worried about that woman with the confusing mana who isn''t leaving. I really don''t wanna kill anyone here. It''ll be a nightmare to deal with and it could implicate Hazel and her friends. They''ll already have to relocate after this and maybe even get their identities changed. When is that woman going to step in and stop just watchin- Ah. Good. I just had to look at her,'' Soph thought in relief. Seres, daughter of the prince, and one of the cities most powerful X-rankers just judging by the density of her mana alone, appeared in front of Soph and Master Mezro''nan and addressed her fellow female X-ranker, the lingering S, SS, and SSS-rankers, and the remaining peeping toms. "This matter is a royal one and thus, I will repeat our family friend''s request: leave. Forget this incident or witness the strength of those you risk offending by failing to do so," the tall completely covered woman demanded. Soph immediately felt all individuals spying on them retreat while everyone else who was physically here fled as if their lives were in danger, the only exception being the X-ranker in a dress. "Those barriers," she said, finally opening her mouth. "How very unique. Will we be receiving an explanation on the shocking aura that erupted from here a few minutes ago, Lady Seres?" "No," the princessling stated. "How saddening. Farewell," the X-ranker replied before she turned into a bunch of purple flower petals, disappearing. Soph felt her existence reappear on the other side of the city in a restaurant''s backroom. ''We do not trust her. Keep a note of her mana and track it always,'' Sophie said. Soph nodded. ''Added to the list.'' "Thanks for the help," Soph said before she dropped the barriers protecting the kids'' home. Master Mezro''nan shook his head. "Think nothing of it. It''sss not that uncommon for the ssstrong to flock to anything even mildly interesssting that happensss here." "Still... And, uh, Seres? Lady Seres? T-Thank- She''s gone," Soph said in shock. She felt the woman zooming through the city, cloaked by some skill or another, her destination clearly being the palace where she usually was according to Mana Sensing. "That isss more like her," the master earth and body fortification mage said. "I wasss sssurprisssed ssshe came to your aid. When we are in a more private sssetting, could I be privy to what happened? Thisss isss the resssidence of the one Lord Immortusss wantsss me to teach, no?" "That''s, uh, that''s for Lone and your student to decide. It''s kinda sensitive," Soph replied. "I have agreed to nothing quite yet, ssso I would not call him my ssstudent. May we enter, or would it be better to wait until the aura sssettlesss down entirely?" he asked as both he and Soph returned to ground level. "Let''s wait, please. I don''t want you to see anything Lone didn''t want you to s-" ''Let ''im in. It''s fine. You know I''m not shy about my uniqueness, especially to trustworthy people. I have a good feeling about Master Mezro''nan,'' Lone communicated telepathically, clearly having been able to hear them from this distance with his excellent ears. "Uh, actually, yeah, let''s go in. Lemme get the door for you. Are doors an issue for you since you''re, you know, on all fours? Or do you just use magic?" Soph asked. Master Mezro''nan chuckled. "They can be a bother, yesss. Freeform magic doesss the job on mossst doorsss, but not all. It can be infuriating at timesss." B3: Chapter 55: Extraterrestrial Alliance and Demonic Ambush ''How should I report this to Father?'' Seres thought to herself as she stalked the palace''s halls. ''He told me not to interfere with the lives of those teenagers, but surely I''ll have to protect them after this. How can I arrange for that to happen without going against Father''s orders?'' Seres frowned. She didn''t like Lone Immortus. He was too good at causing trouble despite his infantile age. And Sofia Vladimirovich terrified her, enough so that she had fled the moment she was done convincing Lady Carnation to leave just as Barund the Unskilled had. ''What a mess that child''s unique skill has caused. Perhaps I should arrange for them to get in contact with that group of heroes? What was their name again... Ah, yes, the Extraterrestrial Alliance. They could protect them from those who cannot control their urge to stick their nose where it does not belong,'' Seres thought. It was decided then. She would continue to keep the group under surveillance as her father had instructed, and she would only send a single letter to a distant acquaintance. There would be no further interference from her than that. Surveillance was her objective after all, not protection. She was simply doing what she could within her capacity as the daughter of the man whom Lone Immortus considered to be a friend.
"Master Mezro''nan, meet Hazel, Emma, George, Alisa, and this guy, Scott. Guys, meet the X-ranked independent master of earth and body fortification magic, Master Mezro''nan," Lone introduced as he recreated Scott''s body once again. "How should they refer to you? Lord Master Mezro''nan doesn''t roll off the tongue, does it?" "Lord Mezro''nan will do," the Restodian Iglaform answered. "What you jussst did to hisss body... That wasss a type of magic I have never ssseen before." "It was a unique skill," Lone replied candidly. "Scott here has one too. He used it on me and improved it, which resulted in him almost dying. His rank is too low to host the evolution his aura is going through as a result." "Wha-! You can''t just tell a stranger that!" Hazel protested. "He''s been honest with me all day even if our first meeting was a bit rough, and if it gets out Scott is a summoned hero, he''ll be the first person I hunt down, capture, and potentially murder," Lone replied casually. "As for my own unique skill, tonnes of people know I''m a hero already. It''s not a big deal." "Essspecially when you can ssso easssily threaten an X-ranker and have sssaid X-ranker believe you to be wholly capable of what you promissse. I will sssign a contract ensssuring my sssilence on thisss matter. Any mage worth hisss weight in ruby-gold coinsss isss ready to learn and keep very sssensssative sssecretsss private until the day he diesss," Master Mezro''nan answered as he approached Lone and Scott curiously. "I have a few unwritten contractsss that will activate once termsss have been put upon them and they have been sssigned. Do you have the time to do ssso now, or doesss he require your full attention?" "He does require my full attention, but I have a second unique skill for contracts. Unbreakable contracts, specifically, unlike regular contract magic," Lone remarked. "We''ll do that later. In the meantime, watch as I work and mask his aura with yours, would you? I don''t want anyone still interested in us to see what I''m doing or know this is going to take hours of work." "I very much doubt anyone to be ssso foolisssh given Lady Ssseresss''sss warning, but I will oblige. There isss no harm in being careful," Master Mezro''nan nodded his big scaly head. Hazel shared a concerned look with Emma while Alisa was on the verge of tears. She clearly wanted to approach Scott but was simply incapable of doing so thanks to his gushing aura. ''See? He''s experienced enough to be unfazed by heroes and smart enough to not question me claiming having more than one unique skill,'' Lone said to Soph, glancing at her as she leaned against the wall next to Breena who was sweating profusely. The girl seemed to be trying to inch closer to Scott to train herself, which Lone wholly approved of. Soph smiled at Lone and replied, ''I know, just don''t forget the contract, okay?''
"He seems stable now," Lone said, wiping his brow as he stored his mana orb that Soph had charged for him over a dozen times in the last couple of hours. "How amazing," Master Mezro''nan said. "You recreated hisss mana organsss to be awakened. What a truly powerful unique ssskill you posssesss, Lord Immortusss." "I almost went into mana debt for it, but it seemed a waste for him to get a copied portion of my MP only for it be unusable. Plus, if you do decide to teach him, there''s not much you can do if he can''t use magic yet, right?" Lone grinned. ''I wonder if the process of my Creation Magic awakening mana organs is studiable and reproducible? Not likely, so I won''t be running that idea by Yulia anytime soon.'' "H-He''s really okay, right?" Alisa asked in worry, approaching the boy twice her size before carefully lifting his head and placing it onto her lap. Hazel gave him a look that spoke of a thousand rolled eyes. He smiled at her, fully understanding her meaning. "Yup. Once he wakes up, he''ll be as strong as your average B-ranker. Honestly, the guy might be the strongest H-ranker on the planet," Lone replied. Master Mezro''nan shook his head. "No, that is unlikely. He will be up there, yesss, but not the ssstrongessst. I alssso doubt he will be an H-ranker for long. Asss sssoon asss he reachesss the end of the H-ranker levels, I doubt he will need enlightenment and will bursst ssstraight through to G-rank." "True, true. Well, Soph, Breena, and I, should be off. Shame we couldn''t stay for longer, but we''ve got a quest to do," Lone said as he got up and stretched his back. "I''ll get that contract written up for you and we''ll be on our way." Stolen story; please report. "I ssshall remain once you depart if I''m welcome. I wisssh to ssspeak to the boy once he regainsss consssciousssnesss," the X-ranker claimed. "I don''t mind, Lord Mezro''nan," Emma said, to which Hazel nodded. "C-Can you help him if he starts d-dying again?" Alisa asked. Master Mezro''nan nodded his large Komodo dragon-like head and replied, "Yesss. Lord Immortus hasss done the dragon''sss ssshare of the work, but if he hasss an episssode, I can ussse body reinforcement magic to ssstabalissse him." "T-Then please stay, Lord Mezro''nan," the girl of Polish descent pleaded. Lone knew that look in the lizard''s eyes. It was one he was too familiar with. After all, he saw the same look in his reflection. ''Got a hunger for his unique skill, do ya?'' Lone commented internally. ''All the better bait to get you to teach him and tie you to me then.'' George stepped out of the kitchen, a frosted sponge cake in one hand, a pile of plates and a knife in the other. "At least wait a couple of minutes for me to cut you some slices before you leave. Who knows if you''ll still be in the city come tomorrow morning?" "Too true," Lone laughed. "That smells amazing." "Um, can I join you on your quest?" Hazel asked from Lone''s side. Lone raised an eyebrow. "I don''t mind, but all of the enemies are for Breena." "T-That''s fine. I just, uh, wanna see how you run things since, y''know, our quest with the slimes didn''t go great," Hazel confessed. "Can we all go?" Emma asked as her greedy fingers got swatted away from the cake by George. "No. Soph and I will be busy enough keeping Breena from dying as she fights. One tag-along is all I''m comfortable with," Lone said decisively. "Besides, Alisa will be staying until Scott wakes up, and surely you all have some questions for a powerful X-ranked mage?" Emma pouted as she held her hand and rubbed it a bit. "Bummer... but you''re not wrong. Uh, Lord Mezro''nan, I''m sorry if this is rude, but what species are you?"
As they left the city, Lone, now back in his Bob the Crimson Foxkin disguise, asked his sister, "One last time, ya sure you wanna come with? You don''t exactly have the stats to ignore sleep deprivation like I do, or the willpower for it like Samantha and Sarah." "Backhanded insult aside, thanks for that by the way, yeah, I do. I''m the leader of our group as you are of yours. I wanna take pointers. Even if you''re trying to rank up, uh, Sarah, you''re still going to take it seriously despite the quest being beneath your skill level, right?" Hazel asked as she gave him some side-eye. Lone nodded. "Of course. I''m fine with it since you''ve thought things out. Remember though, you''re just watching. I can take all five of you out another time where I''m the watcher and you''re the doers. You almost died to slimes, and not even powerful ones, just basic ones. You definitely need practical experience." He watched as his sister blushed in a mix between shame and anger. "It awakened my mana organs, at least. And what doesn''t kill you makes you stronger, right?" "For me, yeah, but you try losing a limb or organ and then tell me it made you stronger," Lone laughed. "Well, let''s get going then. The monsters we need to kill are only active for about three hours, and while the request asked for their eyeballs, we''re after enlightenment, so gotta catch ''em while they''re awake."
Things were going well. They had entered the cave system that hosted a number of different monster species, and with Soph''s Mana Sensing, their target, a colony of small bugs the size of a child''s hand had been found. Nightseeker Ants was the creature''s species. Their quest was to get at least forty sets of eyes from them, but they also had to make sure they didn''t wipe out the whole colony. While the ants weren''t particularly strong on their own - being weaker than an I-ranker individually, they had a powerful venom that could paralyse even a B-ranker, upon which they would eat the victim alive. A perfect enemy for Breena to train against. She was doing amazingly well too, and from Lone''s estimates, it wouldn''t be too long before she ranked up. He and Soph just had to make sure she didn''t get bitten in such a way that didn''t take from the stress of the situation. Quite a delicate process, in truth. Hazel was sitting against the cave''s wall taking notes in English on a notepad Lone had created for her. Sadly, the nice yet almost-deadly situation for Breena was ruined when Soph frowned, looked towards where the cave''s mouth would be, then used Void Walking for a second before reappearing. She then returned to watching Breena before speaking to Lone telepathically. ''There''s a demon at the cave''s entrance. It''s pretty weak. Probably about as strong as a G-ranker. It''s hiding. Sophie felt something was wrong so I went and checked for fluctuations in the void, and yup, it''s just sitting there waiting for something, likely for us to come out,'' she relayed. ''Think it''s a messenger for Zel? Gonna ambush us when we leave and ask me to follow it so he and I can have a chat?'' Lone asked. Soph replied, ''I dunno. Maybe? Could be a test too. Sophie says it could be rigged to explode as soon as it sees us as an experiment to see how much Zel can manoeuvrer around your contract in an attempt to kill us.'' ''Yeah, I could see that. Either way, it''s best for me to go confront it. Better just me than all of us. Is it just right where we entered? And keep looking after Breena. If it''s for a chat, I won''t leave your range, if it wants to explode, well, you have one of my backup fingers, and if that strategy doesn''t pan out, Minor Time Control, though I doubt it can kill me in one go,'' Lone decided. ''Yeah, it is. To the left, ten metres from the signpost, in a bush with purple leaves,'' Soph said. Lone nodded and then, for the first time since his fight with Guildmaster Brux, he applied his Agility. "Survivor''s Speed," he said much too quickly for anyone here but himself to understand. The next moment, the wind was whipping around him as a choking sound filled his ears, coming from the demon whose neck was being squeezed in his hand. The creature was small, about the height of a child, and it''s skin was a blackish orange. It looked malnourished and it only had one leg. Not by virtue of missing a second one, no. Its sole leg was central to its body, meaning the demon likely hopped to move around. It was completely bald save a tiny flicker of yellow fire at the peak of its head. The thing had four eyes and no nose nor lips, only a single row of unending jagged teeth that went all the way around its head. "You are hideous. Did Zel send you?" Lone asked, his grip tightening. It nodded as it cackled wildly. It struggled to point eastward with one hand as the other battered against Lone''s arm pointlessly. "Master''s Master, waiting!" Lone held the demon by the neck as he walked towards where it had pointed but stopped just short of Soph''s maximum Mana Sensing range. He had, of course, also stopped applying his Agility since it was a real drain on his SP. "If you want to talk, this is as far as I''m willing to go to do so. Therefore, the first question of hopefully many, do you want to talk, Zel?" Lone asked as he summoned a stone chair from his Dimensional Storage, sat on it, then snapped the neck of the demon he was strangling before immediately storing its corpse for latter examination. A sigh rang out as Arch Devil Zel stepped through a portal of hellish demonic flames. "I do, yes. Did you really need to kill her? I confess, she wasn''t the most charming belle of the ball, no, but her summoner was very fond of her laugh." ''Do you feel any people around us?'' Lone asked Soph before he replied, "Just as you don''t need to try to kill me, no, I didn''t need to kill her. But if you''re doing something I don''t like, I may as well try to return the favour. I''m sure you agree. Your flames aren''t as hot as I remember. Did you have a trim recently?" Zel laughed. "No, though it''s very nice of you to turn your growth into an appreciation of my finer features. Tell me, what does your minor Luck deity have to say in response to your question, Lone?" ''No, I don''t feel anyon- What? Can he hear us talking like this?!'' Soph panicked telepathically. B3: Chapter 56: Stopwatch and Unsummon ''No, think for a moment, Soph. He obviously has a way to watch us, so he''s likely inferred from our wordless actions with one another that we can secretly communicate. That at least confirms he can spy on us from across planes,'' Lone said telepathically before responding, "She was surprised, but she shouldn''t have been. We''ve never tried to hide our secret communications with one another from you, just the contents. Did we succeed?" Another thing Lone noted was that while the contract forbade Lone from sharing the contents of any question and answering sessions with the Arch Devil, Soph and Sophie weren''t under the same binding and were very much so able to hear what both of them were saying. Zel snapped his fingers and a chair of black flames appeared behind him which he quickly occupied. "You did. Assumptions can be made, of course, but I cannot, as you suspect, hear what it is you say to each other wordlessly. How many unique skills do you have?" "Fishing for information for the one you''ll hire to kill me, huh. I have seven. Who do you intend to employ to kill me?" Lone asked. "Big information for big information. Very fair. I shall not refuse to answer this time, I am trying to sway the tendencies of an Omni Devil. What are your seven unique skills, exactly?" Zel asked as he placed his hands on a knee before crossing his legs, seemingly getting comfortable. "Basic Regeneration, Creation Magic, True Contract Magic, Growth Accelerator, Dimensional Storage, Mental Destruction, and The Summoning Room," Lone replied honestly as the contract forced him to if he wished this session to continue. "What is the soonest possible time you expect the Omni Devil to act, assuming you can sway them?" "Five years, give or take a couple of months, excluding any unexpected variables," Zel replied. ''So six months, maybe sooner. I have to account for those unexpected variables,'' Lone thought. He had no real basis to leap to six months, but it felt much more accurate to his instincts than five years did. He had gone from a normal human on Earth to the strength he had now in less than two years, so he would likely be more than powerful enough to handle Zel and whatever he could throw at him in over twice that duration. The Arch Devil Zel grinned widely and asked, "Are they important to you, the children?" "Not a specific question but I won''t answer that in an annoying way. Somewhat, though if they die, they die. Involve them if you wish, but I will never do anything under the threat of their deaths, or anyone else I consider a companion except Sofia and Kyuubi, but you already knew that. Do you intend to include them in your plans? I need to know if investing in them is pointless or not," Lone asked. "A very demonic response from you, Lone. I did initially plan to arrange their demise, but they haven''t been factored into my rolls for quite some time given your lack of selflessness and the trouble it is to work around your True Contract Magic. I approve, by the way," Zel said quite happily. "Explain all of your unique skills to me in detail, won''t you?" ''He''s really hung up on them, isn''t he? Is that what he''s going to pay the Omni Devil with? Then he can figure it out for himself. Although... It could be a mask. The important question might have already been asked or he''ll sneak it in somewhere later...'' Lone thought and then remained silent for ten seconds. Zel chuckled. "I expected nothing less. Well, shall we continue? I won''t ask the same thing again, though I will leave if you would rather that." ''A bluff, or he knows what he needs to know already?'' Lone was concerned. "Let''s continue. Between you and Grand Guildmaster Sarah, who is stronger?" "Without a shadow of a doubt, Grand Guildmaster Sarah. What do you do at the last bell of every seventh sun?" Arch Devil Zel asked. Lone sighed. He did not want to expose that secret, but he did want to keep prying information out of devil, so it was time to experiment. "Clicker is an interesting being - I visit the halls of the Great Existence - and so is Snapper and the supposed Flicker that Clicker spoke of once." Lone was very confident the mention of those three existences would be wiped from Zel''s memory, but the real question was, would the real answer he squeezed in there be considered answered by his contract but also get erased by whatever power was behind Clicker, Snapper, and Flicker? If it had failed and Zel recalled the real answer, so be it. It made no sense to Lone even if it was true. Monsieur Librarian had stated that the room hosting the table surrounded by empty bookshelves was known as the hall of the Great Existence back during the very first fortnightly meeting, when Lone thought Darkness still had any control over it. Revealing that tidbit could give him some clues or, more aligned to Lone''s desire, the Arch Devil could be just as confused if his plan of answering without answering ended up working. ''Let''s start the test by asking a question he''ll probably answer. Please, please work. This will be so fuckin'' useful if I can exploit these all-powerful beings and the erasure of their mentioning to get one over on this bastard,'' Lone prayed to anyone who might be listening. "You asked about my skills, so let me ask about one of yours. Detail your most powerful defensive skill for me, won''t you?" Lone asked. He tried his best to control his urge to shake from the anxiety. If this worked, it would be monumental. If it didn''t, Zel would grow incredibly suspicious and an Arch Devil having a reason to be suspicious of him on top of wanting him dead could make the damned thing become significantly more cautious when dealing with him, which would be extremely disastrous. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Zel smiled deeply and nodded. "That''s perfectly reasonable. Demonic Law: Seventh Order. It connects my lifeforce to that of my territory, so as long as my lovely little demonic plane doesn''t get destroyed, then I cannot be killed in the truest sense of the word." Before he asked his next question, Zel reached into the air beside him and pulled out a stopwatch from a hand sized flaming portal. He held it away from himself and flicked it open before nodding and returning it to the flaming portal it had come from. "That''s twice now time has been stolen from me while talking to you. Once is odd and explainable in many ways, twice, however, speaks of the origin of the source. So, would you be so kind as to explain that for me, Lone?" Arch Devil Zel asked before a dangerous and threatening feeling enveloped the area, snuffing out the life from all vegetation and wildlife for hundreds of metres around the two of them. Lone knew he couldn''t be killed here thanks to the contract, but this had been a disaster that could not be allowed to have actually happened. Zel was likely threatening him to not be coy with his answer, but he couldn''t care less about that right now. Lone needed time to grow in strength and make arrangements, especially with what he had just learned. Zel becoming infinitely more wary of his capabilities could accelerate whatever background plans he was scheming to incite this supposed Omni Devil into action. That had to be corrected. ''Use Minor Time Control. Recount the last two hours to me in painful detail, just like we planned,'' he ordered telepathically and with a heavy heart. ''So it finally came to this,'' Sophie replied instead of Soph.
"Minor Time Control," Sophie said without even the slightest hint of hesitation. She hated what using this skill meant for her for the next two months of her and Soph''s life, but the both of them had discussed the use cases of Minor Time Control, special circumstances, and the fallout of the temporal manipulation, in detail with Lone. The fallout, in particular, was what she feared the most currently. Time froze around her as a green shade blanketed the world. The leech was carefully avoiding the last of the ants, maintaining a position that would see her falling on her side were time not being twisted. Lone''s sister was sitting against the wall looking at Sophie oddly with her pen pressed motionlessly against the notepad she hadn''t earned. Then, all of sudden, time resumed, except in reverse. Sophie was powerless to stop her body from moving any differently than it had done previously, nor could she control her mouth and stop it from saying any words it had not actually spoken. Time flowed on in this backwards state long enough for Lone to return, and then for their group to re-enter Golden Pass City, the residential district, and then the home of Lone''s sister and her friends. Sophie was used to being a spectator in her own body but this was... uncomfortable. Half an hour rewound of her just leaned against the living room''s wall with Lone busy undoing the work he had put into curing his new toy, when suddenly, the green shade that had enshrouded the planet disappeared. Sophie almost found herself collapsing from the feeling of unstoppable restriction that was placed upon her mana organs. A sensation of unparalleled weakness manifested itself over her entire being, but her iron will barely allowed her to maintain her position while she gritted her teeth. ''Hold it together. He needs to finish fixing the boy. He can''t be distracted until then. Soph, do you think you could handle this sensation better? We cannot falter and risk the boy''s death. Lone needs those doubled stats,'' Sophie asked. ''...We really used Minor Time Control... I, uh, I don''t know. Probably since I''m better with magic and mana overuse then you, but you''re so much better at pretending you''re not in pain than me. It might hurt less if I take control, but Lone will notice. What does it feel like, exactly?'' Soph asked. Sophie frowned. ''Like we are incomplete. Like we will know no comfort until what has been taken from us is returned... or violently reclaimed. We imagine it would be a similar experience should we lose you or Lone.'' ''O-Oh... Then, we wai- Hazel is looking at us. Can she hear us right now?'' Soph asked, a bit of panic in her voice. ''Oh no! Master Mezro''nan is looking too. What do we do?!'' ''Be silent. Hazel, if you can hear this past Lone''s locks, mind your own business,'' Sophie demanded before saying, "Should you not be looking towards Lone''s magic, Master Mezro''nan?" ''Do not bring attention to the fact you can no longer detect our mana sun, Lizard. Be wise and keep your mouth shut until Lone is finished. Even better, keep it shut long after that too,'' she hoped privately. Well, more privately than speaking out loud would have been, at least. "... Right you are," the X-ranker replied before returning his full attention to Lone''s Creation Magic. Sophie almost sighed in relief but instead had to focus the rest of her energy on avoiding crumpling into a sobbing mess. This feeling of being bereft of such an essential part of who she was... she knew she would hate this, and the fallout was only going to get worse from here. Fifteen or so minutes passed when something she hadn''t considered happened. Lone had reached into his Dimension Storage and retrieved his mana orb before presenting it to Sophie. "Fill this a few times for me as I use it, please? Almost tapped out on my end but he''s not quite safe yet." Sophie''s heart jumped and while she didn''t panic - she wasn''t her softer half, after all - she didn''t know what to do. Perhaps sensing her predicament, Master Mezro''nan used some freeform earth magic to take the orb from Lone who, thankfully, didn''t resist. "Pleassse, allow me. It may help my perssspective to participate in aiding you with thisss magic of yoursss," the X-ranker said, smiling as much as a large lizard could. ''Lone was right. This mage is trustworthy. How does he have a sense for these things when we, a woman over thirty times his age, do not?'' Sophie wondered not in jealously, no, just in sheer amazement with the slightest hint of adoration. Regardless, she was thankful towards Master Mezro''nan; a rare thing for her. It only took another ten minutes for Lone to pull away from Scott as he had done so last time this happened. As he wiped his sweat from his brow, Sophie spoke to him via their - thankfully unaffected - telepathic connection. ''You are likely already aware that something is wrong given our sorry state, the lizard''s actions, and your intuition, so we shall say it clearly. We were forced to use Minor Time Control an hour and a half from now. You had a discussion with Arch Devil Zel and he discovered your trick of bringing up Clicker and the other odd entities. You decided it was needed to erase that from ever happening, thus, we are now void of mana and suffering greatly. And you, my love, no longer have access to your free, convenient, and extremely attractive teleporter,'' she explained. "Fuck," was all he said in response before uttering the three words both she and Soph didn''t want to hear but knew were required right now, "Unsummon Sofia Vladimirovich." B3: Chapter 57: Talk Again and Punishment Lone immediately retrieved a piece of parchment, a bucket of blood, and a goose feather quill. He got to writing as swiftly as he could before he laid the parchment on the floor in front of Master Mezro''nan. "Read it and sign it," he more ordered than requested. The X-ranked looked confused but not angered. Sensing Lone''s urgency, he glanced down and scanned the contract that had just been prepared for him. A range of emotions crossed the Restodian Iglaform''s scaly expression, two of which were most prominent; disbelief and a simply yet pure kind of greed. "Interesssting. And you can guarantee I will obtain thessse benefitsss if I fulfil my end of thisss bargain?" Master Mezro''nan inquired. Lone nodded. "It''s born of a unique skill. It''s powerful enough to bind an Arch Devil, so I have no choice but to fulfil the terms. Sign with your blood. I''m in a hurry." "It ssseemsss I, too, have no choice in thisss matter. Though I sssee no reassson to try to decline given the offered rewardsss." Master Mezro''nan put one of his clawed limbs in his mouth then chomped down on it before pressing his now blood-soaked foot onto the parchment. The contract floated up into the air and erupted into a plume of yellow flames, signifying the binding of a level-1 contract. With that sorted out, Lone walked up to Breena and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Master Mezro''nan will take you to get enlightenment on the quest you were supposed to do with Soph and I. He''ll also be looking after you for the next two months. The latter applies to you guys as well," he said, turning towards Hazel''s group at the end. "Wai-wait, what?" Hazel stuttered. "What''s happening?" "Something serious happened. Something that I have very strict procedures set up to handle, so handle them in such a way I will. I''ll see you all in two months," Lone said and then applied his Agility. The next moment, he was gone.
Hazel was incredibly confused. The scattered thoughts of Sophie''s that she had barely heard past her brother''s insane mental defences alluded to time travel. ''She used Minor Time Control, didn''t she? Why? What happened? D-Did Darren die?'' she feared. Even the X-ranker in their house right now believed himself to be weaker than her brother, so what could have possibly killed him if that was what made Sophie reverse time? Said X-ranker began using his freeform earth magic to pick up Scott and put him on his back. "All of you, come with me. You are now permanent guessstsss at my persssonal Magi Tower. Thisss place isssn''t sssafe for you anymore consssidering your low ranksss and the aura ssspikesss from earlier. Lord Immortusss''sss incident will be missstakenly attributed to you all, which isss far from ideal." ''He''s going to let us live with him? An X-ranker?'' She was tempted to let go of her active suppression on Mind Reading she''d just put in place to get answers. That, however, would be foolish. This powerful creature was a mage, and while he did not have the absurd locks her brother did, he was still a mage with endless experience so taking a needless risk would get her scolded by Lone at best, and leave her dead at worst. He hadn''t noticed her attempts to break through her brother''s mental defences, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t now if she tried to listen in on his own thoughts. "Do we have a choice?" George asked. "No," Breena answered in the X-ranker''s place. "Lord Mezro''nan has been bound by Master Lone''s magic. He will protect us with all of his might alongside anything else the contract forces him to do. If it means keeping you safe, he''ll likely kidnap you all. I am ready to leave, Lord Mezro''nan, and then complete the adventurer quest as quickly as possible." ''Why''s she so chatty all of a sudden? I thought she was supposed to be shy?'' Hazel thought before muttering, "He has a lot of explaining to do the next time I see him."
Lone stared into the campfire he had effortlessly made as he sat on a simple wooden folding chair that had a single piece of fabric holding him up. He was currently lost in thought. ''The last time I did this, I was waiting for a king, not an Arch Devil, and I intended to kill him, something I''m utterly incapable of this time.'' ''How can you be so sure he''ll show up?'' Death asked. ''That''s private,'' Lone replied. What Soph, Sophie, and he, shared via The Summoning Room was for them and them alone. He liked Death the most of his soul''s prisoners, but he wouldn''t ever expose that his lover had been forced to reverse time. Darkness had likely already put the pieces together but that Primal was wisely choosing to be quiet. A portal of hellish flames opened in front of Lone on the other side of his campfire, and out stepped the coal-skinned, multi-horned, and uniquely dressed Arch Devil who was still sporting a full beard of flames. "This is a surprise. However did you know that I wished to speak with you?" the demonic man asked, mirth in voice as he summoned a chair of flames - likely the same one Sophie had described him sitting in before she had reversed time. "I was advised you''d be out here somewhere," Lone answered vaguely but without telling a lie. "How often do you watch me?" "Vagueness will only earn you vagueness in return, Lone. Not all of the time, but often enough," the Arch Devil chided. "If you''re in an evasive mood, let''s go with questions that seek basic answers. How many unique skills do you have?" ''Soph said that was his second question the first time as well. So, is the answer important to him?'' Lone wondered before replying, "More than zero. How have your dice been rolling for you? I don''t see them on you." "I''ll show you some good-will, so do return the favour, please. The most I''ve been able to roll regarding our personal issues is a 12 out of 18. Quite a good result, but still very much so to my disliking. How is it that the Primals within you have not become you?" ''There''s a new question according to Sophie.'' Lone shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know. I think it''s to do with how powerful my soul is, but I don''t have any concrete information. Do you know where I could find any of the other Primals?" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. This was going well so far despite Lone''s unwillingness to answer questions that Zel had asked him in the former timeline with any detail. All he had to do was keep this going without bringing up Clicker and the being''s cohorts for this interaction to end smoothly. Were it up to Lone, he wouldn''t have even come here to talk to the Arch Devil given he was the reason Sophie had reversed time, but if the powerful being wanted to talk, it was wiser to just get it over with rather than trying to avoid it and only cause even more suspicion - the very thing he had ordered the love of his life to cripple herself to avoid. "I do, in fact. I know the locations of two Primals, which is quite lucky for you as they don''t interest me, but these two''s circumstances are quite entertaining, enough so to pique my interest. Radiance is within the heart of the Southern World Tree, recovering from its wounds sustained during the attack of the Darkness Dragon Ythmagobla, an Ancient being; and Life is trapped, a prisoner to the Eternal Pope of the Church of the Primals, one of the 36 members of the Divine Watch," Arch Devil Zel answered. ''I''ve heard whispers of both that attack on the Southern World Tree and Ancient beings, but nothing concrete. Life though, Death''s opposite, is the captive of who now? And what the hell is the Divine Watch?'' This was very valuable information. Valuable enough for Lone to fear the coming question. ''It did seem that Life was absent of late, but a period of inactivity spanning a century or two is not uncommon, much like with Darkness and its dwarven prison prior to you meeting it,'' Death noted. ''Whenever I check in on Darkness, it does always seem to be a captive of some sort.'' ''Usually of my own design,'' Darkness replied with a chuckle. ''Loney-boy knows as well as I do how useful being imprisoned can, at times, be.'' "I know you are wary of me and my kind thanks to that book of Archsummoner Ruldso Redmore''s, but I would like to ask, would you entertain the possibility of entering a deal with me instead of us trying to wiggle around your unique skill to kill one-another? I ask because the threat of me controls your life, and the risks I must take to end yours endanger mine," Arch Devil Zel stated. That surprised Lone, but only a little bit. He was more shocked that it had taken him this long to suggest such a thing. He understood why Zel would rather just arrange Lone''s death. If there was one thing that could get demonkin to drop all other matters and become incredibly driven, it was matters pertaining to their true name. Him knowing Zel''s without his permission was unacceptable since there were no provisions in place to stop him from spreading it. Of course, Lone wasn''t stupid enough to tell Sofia or anyone else Zel''s true name, that being Tidsear ¨°g. While there were benefits to letting others know the name, it would also paint a very large target on their backs. All of the Arch Devil''s focus being exclusively centred on him was preferable in his opinion. For now, at least. "It really depends on the terms, but the short answer is no. I never want to be in a deal with a demonic being not of my own creation," Lone replied. "What would your terms be, out of curiosity?" "My true name would be wiped from your mind. In exchange, I would do anything you ask of me within reason for a thousand years. There would be fine print, of course, but that is the gist of what I felt you would even stop to consider," Arch Devil Zel said with a shrug. "Do you know how to use my true name?" "I do. Have you not read Devils and How to Make Deals With Them?" Lone replied. Arch Devil Zel smiled. "I have not. I am much too young to have been given the pleasure before it was appropriately handled. I merely know the general ins and outs of the tome and why it was cursed." The seventh king of all demonkin then remained silent for ten seconds. Following that, he got up, nodded farewell with a devilish smile, and then stepped through a flaming portal, leaving Lone on his own. Not wasting even a moment to stop and think over the conversation - he could do that later, Lone sprinted back to Golden Pass City with his objective being to find and use a teleportation gate, station, anchor, anything really, to head to one of his and Sofia''s Farwind safehouses. He also needed to buy some very specific magical tomes. Hopefully, he could get both of those things in the same place and quickly too.
Cuardaigh of the Tower balanced an orange on her forehead as she stared at the ornately carved wooden ceiling. The stupid old fogies of the enclave to which she was bound were very upset with her for having failed to establish a connection of any sort with the walking sun of mana that had visited this stinking city. As such, they had punished her by assigning her to the enclave''s lowest level store for the next three years. Granted, they had left her with the full permissions of a highest level store manager for whatever reason, but she wasn''t allowed to return to her tower for three whole years. That was more cruel than any other possible punishments, she felt. In her tower, she could laze around and do what she wanted when she wasn''t forced to act due to the terms of her agreement, but here she had to actually work. Just the thought of labour of any kind alone made her nauseous. There weren''t even any guests this late at night to help or talk to, but no, she wasn''t allowed to take any breaks or close up the shop during the slower hours. No, of course not. Instead, she had to sit behind this counter for three straight years. No sleep. No breaks. No fun. And most importantly, no lazing around. It was downright barbaric. Cuardaigh of the Tower was half convinced the senile old fogies wanted her to snap and cause an incident, giving them an excuse to tighten up her contract with them, or worse yet, extend it. ''I won''t fall for that though. Trust me, as soon as the contract expires, I''m staying in the spirit world for at least 100,000 years before I even think of making another contract with mortals again,'' she huffed internally. So what if fulfilling contracts, agreements, and deals of any sort, gave her power and aided in her growth? It wasn''t worth the boredom and, quite frankly, the stress that came about as a consequence. Just then, the door to the store opened, revealing the hallway of the enclave''s third floor behind a handsome beastkin of some sort. Cuardaigh of the Tower didn''t really know what species or race he was since she had never bothered to study other beings much. She was barely able to tell a human apart from the rest, so she was honestly a bit proud she''d been able to tell that his ears and tails meant he was a beastkin. ''The golden shine and multi-coloured tips are pretty. I wonder if that''s natural, or does it take a rigorous daily routine to maintain?'' she thought before she plastered on a smile and said, "Welcome to the Lower Emporium of the Madendium Enclave! Are you looking for anything in particular, or would you rather I left you alone to browse?" "Oh, hi again. We met this morning. I''m so sorry for how Guildmaster Brux treated you. I''m Lone Immortus, or Immortus the Immortal, but just Lone is fine too. I love your wings. They''re very charming," he said, not even a hint of falsehood to be found in his words. Cuardaigh of the Tower was of the spirit world, so, of course, she was bound to only speak the truth, but the spirits also told her when others lied. This ability supposedly made her a very sought after spirit. Not like the masters of this place treated her in such a way to warrant that supposed reputation. "Heheh, you''re more cultured than most mortals to recognise the beauty of them," she said proudly, lowering the orange that was still on her tilted forehead to stroke one of her wings. "The stupid old fogies here have never once complimented them. Can you believe that?" "Nonsense," the man who called himself Lone replied. "They must be blind. They employ you to work for them and don''t compliment what should be complimented? That''s almost criminal." "Hah! ''Employ''! As if I get paid for my work. Well, I will eventually when the contract is finished, but no mortal currency for me. Anyway, can I help you with anything?" Cuardaigh of the Tower asked, her impression of this particular mortal now being much higher than when he had walked through the door. She didn''t remember seeing him earlier as he had claimed, but his words weren''t lies, so she must have just missed him. She was semi-blinded by the mana sun and outright infuriated by that stupid guildmaster, so it made some sense she had ignored a simple B-ranker during the errand she had supposedly messed up - an impossible feat given the terms of her contract. Now that she looked at this mortal however, his mana capacity was quite impressive for his rank. It was almost on par with the old fogies of the enclave. Maybe that was normal for his species though, she didn''t know, nor did she care enough to ask. "Well, I have two requests. I''d like to buy some grimoires about enchantments. Specifically, warding enchantments that work on all types of beings, if possible, but just demonic ones will do. And secondly, if it isn''t too much of a bother, I''d like to use the Madendium Enclave''s teleportation platform, please," he requested. B3: Chapter 58: Fear-iarraidh an T霉ir and Automaton Cuardaigh of the Tower shook her head. "The teleportation platform is only available to high-ranking members of the enclave or very special guests. It''s supposedly very expensive to run. As for enchantment grimoires, I can''t sell those. Again, they''re members only. Mid-ranking or higher. I can sell you some formation plates with similar effects though." ''So she''s weak to sweet talk but not enough to break the rules? This is the only place in the city that I even have a slim chance to teleport with. The three other locations would require so much extra time to maybe get such a chance,'' Lone thought. One of those locations was the palace, but Prince Keining wasn''t in the city and his connection with Yulia wasn''t enough of a reason to justify using their resources for a selfish teleportation. The other two were similar institutions to the Madendium Enclave, both filled with mages and magical wonders, but neither had tried to forge a connection with Sofia, so this place seemed like the easiest access he''d get to the Farwinds without spending days and weeks travelling. Even if he''d been rejected, it seemed that with the correct attitude and words, he could work something out here. "Sure, I''d love some formation plates," he answered with a charming smile. "To ward away demonkin, right? Ones for all beings don''t exist yet. At least, not in this city. The idiots here certainly aren''t capable of making something so versatile. Formation plates can only be imprinted by one person, so that person would need to be able to ward off all beings themselves. An unlikely ability for anyone here, that''s for sure. Give me a minute to find some for you to pick between," the fairy said with a smile that seemed genuine, but Lone couldn''t quite tell. She wasn''t trying to obscure anything according to Enhanced Vision, at least. As she flew up to some shelves in the back, Lone leaned against the countertop and remarked, "Cuardaigh... To search, or to seek, to be curious. Does the meaning hold true for you, or is it just a pretty name?" Lone didn''t know every Gaelic word there was, but he had briefly studied the incredibly uncommon language - both the Scottish and Irish versions - in his pursuit to become a history teacher. There was a lot of culture hidden behind it with a lot of ties to the Picts and the Celts. With his Puzzle Locked Mind''s ability to call upon any memory he wished, placing the word with its English translation wasn''t difficult at all. Cuardaigh of the Tower stopped what she was doing and flew straight up to Lone''s face, almost touching it. "Wow! I''ve never heard a mortal pronounce my name so accurately before! That wasn''t even because you''re a hero! I can tell. The translations of Altros are always a bit iffy, y''know?" Now it was his turn to be surprised. "You know I''m a hero?" "Any denizen of the spirit worlds would be able to tell. Unique skills have unique smells. No clue why you have so many different smells, but that''s none of my business. Still, that was great! Say it again! But like this this time! Fear-iarraidh an T¨´ir!" she demanded excitedly. ''Not Cuardaigh an T¨´ir? Wonder why. I don''t understand nearly enough about the languages to tell. If I ever find a way back to Earth, I''d love to really master all of the dead languages of the planet. Maybe I could even officially translate the ones that still stump the scholars of today,'' he wondered before getting back on track. "I''d be happy to, but I really do need to use the teleportation platform. Would you be able to pull some strings, please? I''d consider it a favour." Lone didn''t know much about spirits and the like, but he had read enough to know that persuading the one in front of him wouldn''t be too difficult if she had the ability to do what he wanted and if he was sincere. "I mean, I could bend the rules. They did give me more permissions than I rightly need, but what if it''s a trap to justify punishing me more?" she said in worry, not accusing Lone of any foul play at all. No, she was simply suspicious of the masters of this place, not of him. "You go out of your way for me, Fear-iarraidh an T¨´ir, and I''ll go out of my way for you. Once your contract with the enclave expires, I''d be happy to contract you for exclusively short and trivial tasks, or whatever is easiest for you to gain power with. Honestly, the people here are ridiculously unwise to not befriend you given your kind''s talents." He knew nothing of her personal capabilities but there had to be a reason she was contracted here, no? "Ah, you said it so perfectly! Okay. You''ve won me over. But just so you know, summoning me, let alone binding me to an agreement, isn''t an easy task," she said flying away a bit as she put a hand on her hip and the other in front of her with a proudly wagging index finger. "I''m a quick learner. It''ll be my top priority when you''re free. So, about those formation plates? And when exactly does your deal with the enclave end?" Lone asked, quite chuffed this venture had worked.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 5.
Lone had a feeling of sickness wash over him as the world spun around him. A few minutes later, the spinning finally stopped. He gathered himself and noticed he was standing on a platform very similar to the one Cuardaigh of the Tower had used to send him here except it had cogs and brass incorporated into its design and it looked even more powerful than the teleportation platform he had used in Golden Pass City.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Nausea Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 10.
''I really do get spoiled by Sofia''s Teleportation, huh?'' he thought as he looked around. "So this must be the capital of the dwarven kingdoms, Krieg Tunroh, huh?" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "No. Well, yes, but the room itself is not the entire capital. How did you get access to one of our teleportation platforms?" A spindly human woman who, to Lone''s aura, felt like a middle or higher S-ranker. "You''re not one of the people who had permission to access this location, nor are you a permitted guest." Considering she hadn''t attacked or tried to detain him and had instead waited until he had come to his senses to speak to him, Lone judged the situation to be peaceful, thus, he replied kindly and honestly. "I''m Immortus the Immortal, and I''m in a hurry. I can assure you though, I was given permission to use the teleportation platform in Golden Pass City. I''ll be leaving now unless you need anything from me?" Lone asked, hoping this encounter wouldn''t last any longer than it needed to. He had a safehouse he needed to rush to and protect. The old woman scrutinised him before widening her eyes. "Immortus the Immortal. You''re that man who killed a low-rank eldritch horror a couple of months ago. Go, go, I have no right to keep you here if you just want to leave. The dwarves might have my head if I do, especially if you actually do have permission to use our services. Take that door there and then the exit''s your first door on the right." Lone smiled at her and said, "Thank you, miss. Have a lovely day." He didn''t immediately leave the building, but by following the S-ranker instructions, he found himself at the exit with two people staring at him oddly. Both of them were human guards of the enclave and it wasn''t their place to question him considering what room he had come out of, but Lone could certainly understand their confusion. He hadn''t left yet because he now had to vacate the most-defended city of all of the kriegs without being caught. He was technically an illegal immigrant right now since he hadn''t regained his temporary citizenship for the Farwinds. That was revoked two weeks following the expiration of his militaristic enlistment. ''Really need to invest in illusion magic or stealth skills. Or both,'' Lone thought before nodding and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his ''Yes, I don''t look like this. Stop Asking.'' brooch and changed his appearance into that of a dwarf who could perhaps be mistaken for a distant cousin of Hamish''s. He jumped in place a little bit and then wiggled his whole body, trying to get accustomed to the new proportions of the disguise - mainly the fact he was now two feet shorter - before he nodded politely at the guards and then directly left the building. "..." "..." "We don''t get paid enough for this kind of shit." "Couldn''t have said it better myself."
Sheelda McStuderson sipped her tea as she sat in her custom crafted garden lounger. She watched her adoptive children play with her adoptive granddaughter in a pool of pure crystal water - the centrepiece of her estate''s rear garden. It was one of the few pieces of greenery within the entire city, so it was quite the sight and was very relaxing to be in. Being a member of the greater council had its benefits, after all. She felt... at peace. Of course, she was quite busy politically with trying to manipulate the council into creating a more equal Farwinds for all races and species, as per her contract with Lone Immortus. But still, even that wasn''t too stressful. It was a thing she had no deadline to accomplish so long as she was always working towards that goal. No longer having scripture magic bearing down on her soul was so liberating. She could start a family of her own now if she wished to and not have to fear seeking justice for each and every death that had little to do with her. Even if she was perfectly satisfied with her adopted family, the option to begin a new one was truly magical. She took another sip from her tea as a thought crossed her mind. ''I do wonder when he will return to get me to use all of my skills on him. He never did for the duration of his sentence. Would he even need them? He might be a C-ranker, but he killed a low-ranked eldritch horror. Maybe X-rankers would fail at the very same task. What need would he have of mostly clerical skills and one or two combat skills?'' A few moments later, one of the many steamforged automatons that guarded her mansion approached her and said, "Unknown. Guest. Refuses. Leave. Allow. Entry? Execute? Apprehend?" Sheelda frowned. She loved the security these machines afforded her given they were as strong as a lower SSS-ranker individually, but they had no intelligence and their ability to communicate was infuriating at the worst of times. Why did they always have to boom their words so loudly? And the information they were able to store and relay... What did her guest look like? What had they said? She sighed and focused on her aura, pushing it to the entrance of her estate. She almost dropped her teacup when her aura interacted with the ferocious beast that was the aura of her B-ranked guest. "I know this aura... And this feeling... That''s no dwarf. Allow them entry," she ordered. "Affirmative," the steamforged automaton replied before its gears whirred into action and it made for the mansion. A few minutes later, the steamforged machine the size of a Shale had returned with a decisively average looking dwarven man walking alongside it. Average looking, yes, but this was no average person. The feeling the man gave Sheelda told her he could kill her in less than a second if he wished to. "It''s been a while. Congratulations on your rank up," she greeted as calmly as she could manage. He nodded at her. "Thanks. I''m not here for skills today. I trust you''ve figured out who I am?" "Of course," she replied, taking a much-needed sip of her drink. "Great. I need you to arrange my citizenship with the dwarven kingdoms. Make it permanent. Shouldn''t be too hard considering I have Eldritch Resistance. I need it done as soon as possible. Within an hour or two at the latest," the dwarf- no, Lone Immortus the Golden Foxkin who had saved her from an Arch Devil, requested. Sheelda nodded. "I thought something like this might happen. I''ve got all of the paperwork arranged for you, the human woman, and the Crimson Foxkin you travelled with. You''ll be free to journey through the Farwinds in less than ten minutes if you''ll let me go to my office and stamp some exemption papers." "Great. I only need it for myself, but if it works like a passport, I''ll take all three of them. I also need one of these automatons," he claimed. "Whatever for?" she asked, confused. He was much stronger than these walking towers of metal considering his feats of strength. "Research. Is it too much to ask?" he questioned. She pursed her lips. "Yes and no. I don''t technically own them. They are a relic of the past, belonging to the descendants of an epitome of a very old generation. They can no longer be recreated, only maintained. They are cutting-edge and highly valued by the greater council. Of course, they''re nothing when compared to Epitome Steamson''s works. My condolences, by the way. If it helps, the greater council did privately rule to ignore you killing him at his request and we''ve written off the steamforged artefacts you stole during your sentence. You killing the horror allowed for a lot of leeway. I hardly needed to speak for things to be in your favour." "I assumed as much considering there have been no attempts to take away my toys yet. You said yes and no. That was the no, so what''s the yes?" he asked, cutting straight to the point. "I won''t try to stop you if you steal one," Sheelda answered plainly. "I know I''m incapable of such." Lone Immortus narrowed his eyes and then asked, "Are they living in some way?" "Not even remotely. It''s all machinery and the magic of steamforging," she answered, unsure why he''d ask such a question. He nodded and then laid his hand on the automaton that had guided him to her. "Remove. Limb. Or. Limb. Removed. Permission. Lack-" The loud protestation and threats of bodily harm ceased as the massive man of metal disappeared. "That should keep me busy." "Busy for what?" Sheelda asked. "That''s none of your business. Let''s get the citizenship sorted out then I''ll be leaving," he replied coldly. ''What an attitude. Well, judging by the situation, he''s down here to hide, isn''t he? I can understand the caginess in that case,'' she thought before she finished her tea and got up. "Of course." B3: Chapter 59: Decorating and Useful Tool It took three days of travel but Lone had finally arrived at the abandoned urd where one of his three Farwind safehouses resided. Of course, the urd was overrun with monsters again, but that didn''t bother him since they weren''t likely to pay attention to him as he tunneled through the walls. ''Why did I say it was fine to make them isolated in the stone hundreds of metres away from the urds again?'' Lone asked as he swung a perfect duplicate of the white wooden pickaxe he had once borrowed from a kind-hearted dwarf. Soph giggle through their telepathic connection. ''Because any other scenario and I would have been able to teleport us in. You said you''d be happy to recreate the wall behind you as you level Mining Mastery, so no complaining!'' ''I did say that, didn''t I? Past me was an idiot. This shit is damn-near as hard as bedrock. I need to make a better pickaxe, or better yet, learn how to apply Strength...'' he sighed. ''Well, at least your applied Agility let you get here in a few days instead of a few weeks,'' Soph comforted. Lone nodded at that. ''Right you are. By the way, how''re you doing? I didn''t expect you to sleep for almost three days straight. Reminded me of Kyuubi for a minute there. Got me worried too. You okay in The Summoning Room? I know you aren''t the biggest fan of that space.'' ''I''ve, uh, grown accustomed to it. We keep making it a more liveable space for Kyuubi since this is basically her permanent home. It isn''t so bad now. I never really noticed since I was the one setting up the decorations, but yeah, it isn''t so bad. Uh, if I ignore the endless darkness past Kyuubi''s bedroom, that is,'' Soph replied, a strained smile likely on her face. ''Now that sounds like a person who''s almost earned Fear Resistance to me,'' Lone joked. ''What about Minor Time Control? Did it level when you used it?'' ''Yeah, actually! It levelled once. Sophie and I are both hoping its once per use. If it isn''t it''ll never reach intermediate rank and become more useful,'' Soph answered. Lone swung his pickaxe and then recreated the wall behind him and refilled his little pocket of space with some more breathable air before replying, ''We''ve gone over this before, but I''m sure there''s some time mage out there who''s made a room or tower or something that adjusts the flow of time in it. We''ll find one of those, or steal one, and you''ll be free to practice the skill as much as you need to until it''s no longer just a once every two months emergency exit.'' ''Mmm. Um, wh-what about our bet?'' she asked. Lone grinned. ''Still on, of course. Your Body Manipulation doesn''t use MP, so no excuses. You''ll be telling me your magic affinities one way or another. I''d bet 100 ruby-gold coins one of ''em is for time magic, and another is for space.'' ''... No hints. And no more talking if you''re going to be like that! I have a unique skill to train. Idiot,'' she huffed, though Lone liked to think she had a warm smile on her face as she did so. It didn''t take him too much longer to reach the safehouse, and as a result of the unorthodox method he''d used to do so, he got a skill rank up.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Mining Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 1.
Passive Skill: Mining Mastery
A skill that allows the host to more efficiently mine through materials with a pickaxe. Increases the host''s mining speed by 30% [+15%] and increases the host''s ability to spot structural weaknesses in stone structures like caves, walls, and buildings, by 30% [+15%]. [New!] When mining into a surface, the host will be informed if there is an open space in the direction they are mining. Detection distance limit: 100 metres.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Advanced Level 1
"Oh, that''s useful," Lone muttered as he sealed up the last of the cave he had made to get here behind him. With that done, he filled the safehouse with breathable air and then said, "Summon Sofia Vladimirovich. Summon Kyuubi Immortus." His lover appeared lounging atop their adoptive daughter who was surprisingly awake for once. The fox''s eyes slowly took in the boring scenery before she nodded and then closed them as if to doze off. Soph gently got up off of Kyuubi and hugged Lone. "Now we wait, right?" "No, now we train. For two-months. Non-stop. Well, first I need to make this space liveable. Which idiot suggested that they should be teleported into three random open spaces the size of a boulder and then had the bright idea to make them into nothing more than empty stone cubes, huh?" Lone asked rhetorically. Soph answered regardless with, "My idiot did, but he didn''t have his MP unsealed then, so smashing apart some rock and stone was the only real option. Furniture would have been ruined by the underground moisture anyway if we had left it here for months. And don''t call him an idiot! He''s mine! Only I get to call him that!... Yes, and you too, Sophie." Lone laughed and placed her chin in his palm before tilting her head up. He then kissed her softly. "At least I won''t be bored with such wonderful company. I''m gonna expand the room to be perfectly-sized for the range of the formation plates I bought. Gonna work on your Body Manipulation?" Soph nodded, though despite her generally happy mood and the blush upon her face, he could tell she was experiencing an immense sense of discomfort. She was concealing it as best as she could, but if there was one person she couldn''t hide anything from, it was... yeah, it would be Sophie. But if there was a second person, it''d be Lone, he was sure. "Kyuu..." Kyuubi grumbled as she actually got up, put Soph''s shirt in her mouth, and then dragged her down into her fluff as she coiled around the woman and planted herself back on the floor. Lone squatted down next to the fox and gently patted her head. "What a cutie. I wonder how much smarter you''ll get when you''re ready for your first serving of Gulfian Milk... Or would it be the second, huh?" All he got in response was a light ''kyuu'' before the sleepy fox fell unconscious and began purring loudly. "Get any bigger and you''ll start sounding like a V8," Lone grumbled. "What''s a V8?" Soph asked as she leaned into Kyuubi and began staring intently at her own index finger, trying to adjust its size. Lone shrugged dismissively. "A powerful engine back on Earth. Y''know, for the cars I''ve mentioned before. Any recommendations for the deco?" "Hmm... Wood, and plenty of light. We spent long enough surrounded by stone already, so a warm cosy home would be nice. Sophie says she wants enough room for physical training too," she answered. "Sounds doable. Time to test my knowledge on basic materials and carpentry techniques..." Lone said with a hint of excitement to create, but he was, of course, somewhat worried that he''d accidentally seal his organs again.
"You don''t know how much you''re relying on something until it''s gone," Lone complained before throwing himself onto one of the few items decorating their current living space which he hadn''t just created - his and Sofia''s travel bed. It usually resided in his dimensional storage and it was exceptionally comfortable. He''d just finished moulding and decorating the room to both his and Soph''s desires, with a little bit of input from Sophie. Nothing was too taxing on its own, but it all added up and it had exhausted Lone. Not too long ago he was getting his MP sealed for creating a bathtub, yet here he was designing carved wooden beams, intricately ornate and visually pleasing wall murals, ceiling engravings, chic but extremely comfortable furniture, a whole training room, bathroom, kitchen, and a bedroom that doubled as an entertainment lounge. Needless to mention some properly ergonomic platforms for the magical formation plates. He had also charged up and activated all of the formation plates, four of which were designed to ward off demonic presences while the other three prevented scrying to a certain extent. There were some gains for the effort too, naturally.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 8.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 9.
Congratulations! The host''s passive skill [Architecture Mastery] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 10.
It wasn''t a useful skill for combat or for dealing with Arch Devil Zel, but it was certainly useful for building a living space. It''s ability to project a grid over a building he was constructing, even if basic, was surprisingly helpful for not making critical mistakes in the structural soundness or little things like the evenness of the floor, walls, and so on. ''When looked at next to my Goblin Island self, I''ve grown a fuckton. Both in MP reserves, and in general knowledge. So few of my creations today came with crazy increased costs due to a lack of knowledge. Granted, I know a good amount about wood because of Oaken Flesh, but still, it''s gratifying,'' he thought. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Soph pressed an index finger that was about a millimetre shorter than normal against her lips as she turned to look at Lone from her fluffy snoozing and very much so alive chair, to ask, "Are you talking about my mana?" Lone nodded as he closed his eyes and slowly started stripping. "Stealing the mana orb from that bastard of a prince was one of the best things Sophie''s ever done. I gotta learn more about it and its creation to mass produce ''em. Won''t have to worry about tapping myself out even if you''re like this if I''ve got, say, ten million MP tucked away in my dimensional storage." Soph replied, "That would be nice. I hate it too. Of course, I want to help by charging the orb for you, but ignoring that, it feels so... wrong not having any MP. It''s like... It''s like I''m trapped in a body that isn''t mine. Like my soul is unbearably uncomfortable because its being forced to exist in a state it is wholly unfamiliar with." Lone pondered over that for a moment. "Did you have MP in the dimension of that guy who called himself God? Y''know, back on Earth." He could hear her tilting her head and it made him smile since he was sure she looked adorable. He''d have opened his eyes to peek at her doing so were he not so tuckered out. "Yeah? Sophie did, uh, well, she did use that MP to try to... em, y''know... kill herself... like, a lot. That was before she made me. I never used any of our skills, but yeah, I could have, so there was MP there," she answered. Lone puckered his lips. "Or whatever is Earth''s equivalent. I wonder if you not being there anymore will affect that energy source in some way. Maybe it''ll go back to Earth and enrich it''s magical potential again. Anyway, gonna sleep for a bit. Wanna join me?" "I''d love to, but I''m not tired and I need to win our bet," Soph replied resolutely. Lone smiled at that. "Sure thing, Princess. Love ya. Wake me if something happens." "I''m not a princess anymore..." Soph''s voice as she replied spoke of a happy blush. "I love you too. Sleep tight, Lone."
It had been a few days since Master Lone and Mistress Sofia had left Breena in Lord Mezro''nan''s care along with Master Lone''s sister and her friends. Of course, she was now a fully-fledged E-ranker thanks to the aid of Lord Mezro''nan. He didn''t possess Teaching Mastery and was far gentler in his approach when he aided her in ranking up when compared to Master Lone, but clearly, despite that, he was an effective tutor given she had ranked up without issue. Breena had requested permission from her X-ranked host to go to The Adventurer''s guild given a few days had passed already. She didn''t know all of the details for Master Lone''s emergency scenarios, but she had her own responsibilities during such times that had been made very clear to her. She loved that she was trusted with such things, despite her obvious weaknesses. It was comforting to know that she was being relied upon, even if only for trivial matters. Lord Mezro''nan had accepted her request to leave his magi tower but she was forbidden from exiting the city and she had been told he would be watching her MP to keep a track of her. Speaking of her MP, she was proud at the gains from her rank up. So much so that she chose to do something very much like what Master Lone would have done: open her status while walking down a street.
Status
Name: Breena Redtail Sex: Female
Age: 15 Level: 100 [+1]
Species Foxkin Rank: E [Up from F]
Race: Crimson Foxkin
HP: 1,890/1,890 [+40] SP: 1,470/1,470 [+50]
MP: 3,140/3,140 [+80]
Basic Stats
Strength: 121 [+6] Vigour: 147 [+5]
Dexterity: 183 [+9] Agility: 209 [+12]
Vitality: 189 [+4] Luck: 9 [+2]
Secret Stats
Magic Power: 314 [+8]
It was the first level of the 99 she had obtained during her life where every stat had increased. She normally gained one, perhaps two, stat points every month, sometimes more if Master Lone pushed her during their training. To gain 45 total stat points from one level-up, and two of which even went to Luck, well... it filled her with glee. She quickly shook her head and refocused herself, dismissing the status screen, though she was sure she''d remember this rank up for the rest of her life, no matter how short it was. It was just a shame Master Lone and mistress Sofia couldn''t have been there for it. ''I''m sure Master Lone and Mistress Soph would have been happy for me even if they get so many more stat points than I do. Mistress Sophie would have laughed at me,'' Breena thought not with resentment but with a odd warmth. She didn''t enjoy Mistress Sophie''s harshness, of course, but she felt she deserved it and Breena also had a feeling that it came from a place of kindness. Mistress Sophie wanted useful tools to help both Mistress Soph and Master Lone. All she had to do to earn her respect was to become a useful tool for them. It was really that simple as far as she could tell. Her idle thinking was stopped when she realised she had reached her destination - the closest branch of The Adventurer''s Guild to Lord Mezro''nan''s personal magi tower. She would have to interact with people on her own to accomplish the mission she had been given from Master Lone for the scenario of him and mistress Sofia being absent for two months. That terrified her. Infinitely more so if she had to speak with a man. She had little to no issues conversing with Master Lone''s younger sister and her friends because they were, one, almost the same age as her, and two, they were weaker than her. And besides, she didn''t need to converse with them if she didn''t want to. Lord Mezro''nan was easy to talk to as well because, despite being a very powerful man, he was also a lizard and Breena just didn''t struggle at all when talking to him. She likened him more to Kyuubi than she did the now deceased hero of Milindo. She hesitated to enter the guild for just a moment longer before she finally collected herself. ''Yes, you have to talk to people stronger than you, likely men too, on your own, but you can do this, Breena. You''ll never be a useful tool if you can''t do something so simple. Stop being stupid and just enter.'' It took her a minute longer after her internal pep-talk, but she did eventually make her way into the building and she forced herself to not overthink things, so she instead rushed up to an open employee desk. Thankfully, this wasn''t the main branch of the guild in Golden Pass City so she didn''t need to wait in a line to be seen to. That would have only guaranteed her nervousness increasing exponentially. "Hello! How can I help you today?" the employee - a human man - asked with what looked like a kind smile on his face, but Breena had no idea what thoughts could be hiding behind such a smile. Breena took in a deep breath before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a sealed envelope and placed it on the counter. "Eh, um, le-letter, for, uh, G-Guildmaster Elkwurt-, no, uh, ah, um, Elksworth." Without batting an eye, the employee took the letter and replied, "Of course. As this is a letter to a member of staff, you must pay for its delivery, there is no option to have them choose to pay for it on receival. This is to avoid an abuse of the system, I''m sure you understand. Who is the letter from?" "Ah, em, me? Uh, that is, B-Breena Redtail," she stuttered as she pulled out the money she''d been given for this matter by Lord Mezro''nan, exactly 25 copper coins. She fumbled her fingers and ended up dropping the coins. She wanted to cry. More importantly, she wanted to hide. So many eyes were on her now. ''Push through it, Breena. You need to be strong.'' She squatted down and quickly scooped up the coins. She then got back up and carefully placed them on the countertop. "I-I''m s-sorr-" "No need to apologise. I understand. Thank you," the employee interrupted in a soft tone, taking the payment. "If the letter is found to be a trap of some sort or magically enchanted to cause injury, death, or even just an inconvenience such as a prank, you will be blacklisted from the guild and put on a wanted list of varying severity depending on the offense. With that official stuff out of the way, are you okay? You seem very nervous." "Not u-used to t-talking to... people." She couldn''t find the strength to say ''men'', so ''people'' would have to suffice. "Um, I al-also need to let you k-know that I am to receive any a-and all, um, mail? Letters and t-the like for adventurers Lone Immortus and Sofia Vladimirovich until their r-return. They, uh, they''re busy right n-now." "Ah, I see, and of course! Let me just check our files to make sure you have permissions to do that from those individuals. Lone Immortus is the foxkin who sparred with the prince not too long ago, isn''t he?" the man said as he turned around and started rummaging through some cabinets. "T-That''s right," Breena answered. Perhaps sensing she didn''t want to engage in further small talk or maybe just trying to be respectful in the wake of her awkwardness, the man just nodded and kept silent as he searched. A few very long minutes later, he returned to facing her and said, "You do indeed have that permission. There''s actually a letter that''s been bouncing between Golden Pass City and the Crimson Foxkin Clan intended for Lone Immortus. I''ll have to ask that you go to the main branch in the fighter''s district to collect it." "Um... who''s it f-from?" Breena asked. "Let''s see here... Ah, the current ruler of Milindo, Queen Aileen Heidron, first of her name. Friends in high places, huh?" the man said, much to Breena''s absolute horror. "The letter first arrived a week ago," he continued, "Of course, Lord Immortus wasn''t here, so it was sent to the Crimson Foxkin Clan since he had taken a quest heading there with you and Lady Vladimirovich - what a hard to say name. Of course, news quickly reached us that he was back here even faster than we could get the letter to him. It''s not our position to question our adventurers, but travelling such distances so fast is truly incredible. Anyway, the letter returned here and it was decided we''d hold it here until he comes to collect it. He was to be informed it is being held in this city if he went elsewhere first, but it''s good that you can take it now." Breena nodded faintly before leaving. She of course began making her way to the guild in the fighter''s district, but her mind was plagued with errant thoughts. ''Why would Master Lone be in contact with the queen of that place? After all they did to him, and to me...'' Breena couldn''t help but let a little bit of doubt creep into her heart, but still, she would do her duty as she had agreed to. ''A useful tool doesn''t question its masters.'' Regardless of her concerns or her peculiar mindset, she had been rewarded for pushing herself so hard to accomplish at least a part of her duties.
The host has developed the passive skill [Fear Resistance].
Passive Skill: Fear Resistance
A skill that helps protect the host from their fear. Reduces all fear the host experiences by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
B3: Chapter 60: Etiquette and Being It had been a few days since Lone and Sofia had arrived in the Farwinds. Right now, Lone was waking up inside of his soul since it was time for the Conclave of Seekers to meet once more. "It looked much worse last week," Darkness commented, referring to the cracked state of the soul space. Everything except for the dwelling of the Primals had some level of cracking to it, be it the golden chains, the mental locks, the massive Rubik''s cubes, hell, even the floor and air itself had cracks. "My internal channels healed a while ago, so whatever is fixing my soul, be it Void or whatever else, is slower by quite the margin than Basic Regeneration," Lone replied. A yoga-ball sized skull that was split in two halves floated out of a large grey tomb of an ancient and unfamiliar design. This skull was shrouded in a deep grey mist but it was still perfectly visible to Lone. "Why that skill is called basic it beyond me. It has prevented your passing a great number of times according to Darkness, yes?" Death asked. Lone nodded. "That''s right. It''s a very unique skill." Of course, he didn''t bother to explain that the skill belonged to a godly being before it had gifted the power to him. A godly being likely behind figures such as Clicker who could so effortlessly erase its existence from an Arch Devil. "This meeting of yours. I wish to observe it. May I?" Death requested. Darkness sighed. "Death won''t believe me when I say I have no control over your little midnight soirees." "It just seems improbable since it is his soul and they started being hosted here. I do know a great deal on how souls work. His soul is still connected to his body, so this space must be connected to the room when he is summoned to it. Perhaps ask permission from the leader of the meetings if I may join? It sounds like a valuable learning experience," Death suggested. Lone smiled wryly. "I''ll see what I can do. I can feel it pulling me. Are you able to delay it at all, Darkness? I''d like to talk to you both, but it can wait until after the meeting if you can''t." The purple-galaxy-bodied being shrugged regretfully. "Not even remotely. Have a fun discussion, Loney-boy." Lone nodded as he felt himself being summoned. The next moment, he was back in his usual spot. Swamp was sat across from him and his green figure was once again covered in red blotches. That was a somewhat normal occurrence given the lizard-like person was constantly being hunted. Devil was right next to Swamp just like their first meeting two weeks ago but instead of appearing confused and interested, her red figure was unreadable, though her eyes had a certain squint to them that Lone couldn''t quite place. "Let the 15th Conclave of Seekers begin," the multicoloured godly being of seemingly limitless knowledge announced. "What happened to you, Swamp? Another hunting party found you?" Lone asked. "No, I am ssshedding. It isss a processs all people of the Great Ssswamp mussst undergo repeatedly, though the duration between each ssshed differsss from perssson to perssson," Swamp answered. Lone stroked his chin. "Sounds annoying if it injures you." "It isss sssacred to a worssshipper of Lord Delwind and while painful, the ssshedding leavesss the weaker versssion of ourssself in the passst," Swamp explained. "It makes you stronger? Or were you being metaphorical?" Lone asked. "Ah, metaphorical! I remember the meaning of thisss word. No. I wasss not being metaphorical. The gainsss are sssmall, but I do grow in power with every sssheding," Swamp answered rather excitedly. "Then congratulations. Monsieur Librarian, I''d like to read the second Tome of Omniscience, please," Lone said, addressing the table''s head. "Of course. Share your knowledge or answer a question of mine. The choice is yours," the rainbow coloured being replied. "Please ask a question," Lone replied. He''d rather not give up sensitive information only to be told it was insufficient, or to be told it was too valuable and thus earn him more as Swamp had done when acquiring his first Tome of Omniscience. Monsieur Librarian tapped his seat''s armrest thoughtfully before making his request. "It is clear you do not wish to tell me about the current possessor of the skill Basic Regeneration. I shall not push you there any more as I have previously. Yes, this will do. Tell me, Human, what is your favourite skill?" "I don''t have a favourite," he answered without much thought. "All skills have an equal potential to be world-shaking. Why would any one deserve more love than the other? I do prefer some skills over others, of course, but generally speaking, I think them all to be equal." Monsieur Librarian nodded slowly. "Much like knowledge. Whose hands it is in and how they use it matters just as much if not more so than the knowledge itself. Very well. I am satisfied. The book is yours to peruse as you wish." Lone smiled and willed the book to appear at his place at the table. Its title read as ''1,000 Different Etiquettes and How to Master Them''. ''Dafuck? How in the hell is this what I most need to know right now? Is my life not in immediate danger so it gave me something I need in general, or will learning which fork to use for steak somehow save my life?'' Lone questioned. ''Well, at least it lets me know Sofia and I should be safe for a little while at least.'' Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"I would alssso like to get accesss to my sssecond book," the one with the annoying lisp and manner of speech said. Devil was equal parts terrified and excited. She hadn''t, in fact, died upon leaving this place last time as she had assumed she would. Instead, she had been returned to her eternal confinement. There was a change, however. She had just the slightest of slivers of her own consciousness. Not enough to make a coherent thought, but enough to recognise a part of herself had been returned to her thanks to the previous meeting. This was all real. The living law Monsieur Librarian, real. The na?ve and simple Swamp, real. The intelligent and young Human, real. The Tomes of Omniscience were likely real too. ''I need to learn,'' she decided. ''If too much of myself is restored, ''She'' will notice and finish me off. I would have been happy with that before but... but hope is a dangerous drug.'' She stayed silent as the head of table addressed the green man beside her who was covered in red blotches - something she now knew signified injuries judging by his initial exchange with Human. "Of course. Will you be exchanging information for access to the tome?" Monsieur Librarian asked. ''That was a different question than when Human asked. Why? If it''s a living law, it shouldn''t treat them differently. They have been in far more meetings though so it is possible there are arrangements I''m unaware of. Can you bank payments? That could be useful,'' Devil thought. Swamp shook his head. "No. I would like to ussse the free book I gained in exchange for letting you know I am the final follower of Lord Delwind." ''Lord Delwind? I''ve never heard of such a being. Then again, how long has it been since I was put into my current state? Eons, likely,'' Devil thought with an internal chuckle of self-deprecation. "Is that wise?" Human asked, mirroring Devil''s thoughts. "This room is huge. There are a lot of empty bookshelves. It''s almost guaranteed different books with different types of information will become available. I would just pay the cost and save the possibly incredible opportunity you stumbled on." ''So that''s what happened? Swamp somehow earned a free book by over-answering a question?'' Devil assumed mentally. Swamp smiled and replied, "I underssstand but I do not think like that. If I wait for the perfect moment, that moment will never come. I have no problemsss anssswering any of Monsssieur Librarian''sss quessstionsss, but debt can be burdensssome, both being in debt to another and another being indebted to you." Devil watched as Human put a thoughtful hand on his chin before he replied, "I''ve had similar thoughts lately with a skill I have. If you''ve thought it through, then never mind my warning." Monsieur Librarian nodded lightly. "The tome is yours, Swamp." ''So it doesn''t mind others butting into its discussion? What a relaxed living law. If it only cares about knowledge, then ideas and questions being asked among members is likely to be encouraged. It shouldn''t have any pride since it isn''t a person so this makes sense. Then again, neither am I but I certainly have pride. Had pride,'' Devil thought soberly. She smiled and said, "I would also like access to a tome, please." Swamp gave her a pleasantly curious look while Human seemed surprised at her politeness. That was to be expected. She was far too flippant during the last meeting on account of her assuming it wasn''t real. If this place was restoring her being, albeit slowly, then enjoying the good graces of the living law that ruled over these meetings seemed wise. "Of course. Share your knowledge or answer a question of mine. The choice is yours," the multicoloured existence posited. "As this is your first time, know that if you choose to share something that I already know, you will not be awarded with a Tome of Omniscience." "Ask a question, please," Devil responded. Monsieur Librarian nodded slowly and tapped his seat''s armrest. "How powerful were you at your peak?"
Lone listened with interest as Monsieur Librarian asked Devil, "How powerful were you at your peak?" "An oddly simple question," Devil responded. "I was a #### at my peak." "That got censored? Why?" Lone asked aloud. "The tome is yours, Devil," Monsieur Librarian said before he addressed Lone. "Your being is too low to comprehend Devil''s answer. It was censored for your safety." "What does censored mean in this context?" Devil asked. Swamp smiled and said, "It wasss censssored for me too. It isss like thisss. I am #### of the Great Ssswamp." "I see. How interesting," was all Devil had to say on the matter. "What do you mean by my being is too low, Monsieur Librarian?" Lone asked. ''I can comprehend Divines, Arch Devils, Emperor Devils, Omni Devils, demigods, and Primals. Is she much stronger than them? Or is this a matter of weirdness like the eldritch? Is she actually some sort of incredibly powerful horror strong enough to sustain a personality who just chose to name herself something so relevant to me currently? Wait... When I was summoned to Altros. What did that message say?'' Lone still had access to his Puzzle Locked Mind even here, so recalling what he was after took less than a moment. ''The very first thing the system ever said to me. It was ''Greetings, Cosmos-level being, Sofia Vladimirovich. Greetings, Mortal-level being, Lone Immortus.'' So Sofia has a higher level of being than me? Is it not related to strength?'' he wondered. "I will tell you in exchange for you letting me know your age," Monsieur Librarian offered. "Before I answer, would Swamp and I have understood her were we Cosmos-level beings?" Lone asked. Monsieur Librarian''s body shifted and gave off a pleasantly surprised vibe while Devil appeared to be curiously shocked, as if it shouldn''t have been possible for someone like him to know of a term like ''Cosmos-level being''. ''As if she knows anything about me,'' Lone remarked internally. "No, you would not have. You need not answer my question given you just told me something far more interesting. I would love to learn how it is that you, a Mortal-level being, are aware of Cosmos-level beings, but that can be saved for another time. I have a question to answer," Monsieur Librarian chuckled. "There are some things that cannot be understood by beings of a certain order. On the continent of Teresta that you call home, you have many such things, though the most well-known is likely the eldritch, yes?" Lone nodded slowly. "That''s right. They corrupt all that they touch, infecting it with the mutterings of madmen." "It is not that they are infecting your mind and turn you mad, it is that your being is too low to sustain the order of information getting gifted to you. You forcefully adapt one way or another if your being is lacking and the knowledge does not outright kill you, usually in a negative manner," Monsieur Librarian explained. ''Oh. That makes a lot of sense. Is that why the horror didn''t intend to kill me? What, are the eldritch beings of the Deepwinds harbingers of higher knowledge and just wish to spread it, unaware or uncaring of our ability to possess it? Would Sofia be able to possess such knowledge as a Cosmos-level being? Is Eldritch Resistance a positive form of adaptation to the knowledge of a higher order?'' Lone thought, his interest sky-high in this subject. "I filtered the knowledge Devil provided to protect both you and Swamp as it could have left permanent damage to your beings had I not. It is my wish to allow you both to share in the knowledge Devil afforded the conclave, but knowledge passed in this hall should never injure its members. I hope you understand," Monsieur Librarian explained. "Her answer will forever remain available to you two should you gain the means to hear it." "I do understand but... I have questions. A lot of questions," Lone said. "And I, Human, may have answers and questions of my own should yours merit such as a response," Monsieur Librarian happily replied. B3: Chapter 61: Tips and As Planned "What else is there on Teresta that I should be concerned about because I''m only a Mortal-level being?" was Lone''s first question. "I know of only three such things that are a risk to your being, but know that there are likely many more. My knowledge is vast, but it is not complete. The first is the eldritch which we have already touched upon. This is also a threat for you, Swamp. In the Great Swamp, your people refer to it as The Departure," Monsieur Librarian stated. "Ah, yesss. Dark and dangerousss isss The Departure. Ssstay clear of mind and pure of sssoul lessst you wisssh to become departed yourssself. A common phrassse in the Great Ssswamp," Swamp said with a nod. "How quaint," Devil remarked. "And the other two that you do know about?" Lone asked of Monsieur Librarian. "The answer to that requires payment," Monsieur Librarian replied. "How old are you, Human? In years, and there''s no need to be specific with months, days, minutes, etc." Both Swamp and Devil listened with interest, clearly hoping he would answer for whatever reason. ''It''s a simple enough question. No reason to not answer it considering what I get to learn about in exchange,'' Lone concluded before saying, "I''m 25 years old." "That makesss sssenssse," Swamp commented. "I asssumed you were older than me given your wisssdom. It ssseemsss I wasss not wrong." "How can someone so young know about Cosmos-level beings?" Devil asked, not expecting to receive an answer. Monsieur Librarian simply waited patiently, not minding the interruption at all. "Well how old are you both then? It''s only fair we share," Lone suggested. ''Swamp will answer for sure, but I bet Devil will choose not to since I used my age as payment for valuable knowledge, she''ll likely do the same eventually.'' "What isss a year? We measssure our age in the great ssswamp by our height and by the colour of our ssscalesss. I only know that I have only had four growth periodsss and my ssscalesss are very light, which must mean I am fewer than 25 yearsss of age, yesss?" Swamp asked. Monsieur Librarian nodded. "Correct. In years, you would be eight-years-old, Swamp." Lone''s eyes widened. ''Fuck, that''s young. No, wait. He''s a different species from a different land. Hell, maybe even a different world. I haven''t found any records of a ''Great Swamp'' on Teresta, so that''s possible. He''s very mature and oddly wise when he wants to be, and he''s being actively hunted, so he''s not a child, just... from a different culture.'' "Ah, then Human must be very tall and have much darker ssscalesss than I." Swamp nodded as he had figured out all of the mysteries of the universe. "I do not recall my age, but I am significantly older than you, Human," Devil said, surprising Lone. "Thanks for letting me know." Lone turned to Monsieur Librarian and gave the being a polite nod. "Other than the eldritch, the other two entities of a higher order that you should be wary of are the seraphim and the Ancients. I know not of other higher order beings on Teresta, but that does not mean they do not exist," Monsieur Librarian said. "Could you explain them to me? I''ve heard whispers of the Ancients before, but nothing substantial outside of a recent attack. I''ve never heard of the seraphim before," Lone asked. "Tell me of this recent attack and I shall tell you the basics surrounding the Ancients. As for the seraphim, recount your earliest memory for me," Monsieur Librarian replied. "The recent attack was from the Darkness Dragon, Ythmagobla. He attacked the Southern World Tree fifty or so years ago. The tree''s still standing, so it could be assumed he failed, but I''m sure it''s more nuanced than that. I don''t want to fulfil your other request," Lone said. Monsieur Librarian tapped the right armrest of his chair thoughtfully. "Interesting. There are eight of them. The Ancients are a balance put in place to maintain the lowest of orders - the Mortal-order - on Teresta." "Not Altros?" Lone asked. "No, not Altros. Just Teresta," Monsieur Librarian answered. "What isss Altrosss?" Swamp asked, lifting his eyes from the tome he had been reading for the past minute or two. "It''s the name of the world Teresta is on. Or, that''s what we call it here. Who knows, you and I could share a planet, but we could be on different continents and you could have a different name for it," Lone replied. "That sssoundsss fun, but what isss a world?" Swamp questioned, tilting his head as he did so. "That''s a bit harder to explain. The word ''world'' is kinda vague, actually. I was using it to mean a planet, which I think, by definition, is a celestial body that isn''t a star. Science was never really my thing," Lone shrugged. "A planet is the living, breathing, pained, existence that you live upon, unless you inhabit a different dimension or plane of existence. Your ''Great Swamp'' is on a planet, most likely. Do you have a night sky, a sun or many, and a moon or many?" Devil asked Swamp. Swamp tilted his head in curiosity. "A night sssky, yesss. The Wakeful Eye needsss ressst too. I don''t know what a sssun or moon isss." "My turn to ask a question that''s probably got an obvious answer to you. What''s the Wakeful Eye?" Lone asked. Swamp''s green and red-blotched figure smiled widely. "Ssshe isss the god of the sssky. Ssshe determinesss what isss day and what isss night. I will ssshare a common phrassse asssociated with her. ''Bright and golden doesss ssshe ssshine, allowing usss all to bear witnesss to the giftsss of the Great Ssswamp. When her wakefulnesss endsss, fear not for her beacon of purity coolsss, sssoothesss, and allowsss sssafe passsage to the land of the unwaking''." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Lone squinted. "I don''t mean to be rude, it''s perfectly possible it is a god with two different forms. I''ve certainly seen some weird and fantastical stuff, but, that sounds like a primitive way to explain the science behind a sun setting and a moon rising." "I don''t underssstand," Swamp replied. Lone shook his head. "Another time, maybe? I have some more questions for Monsieur Librarian and I want to read this book, even if it seems fuckin'' useless at face value." "We have time for four more questions, or time for you all to read your books and discuss them briefly should you wish to. Remember, I am not at the peak of my power. These meetings do grow longer, yes, but not as long as we would all like, I am sure," Monsieur Librarian reminded. "Right... It isn''t urgent, I guess," Lone replied before he flipped open his book and began reading it. It didn''t take him too long to finish it. It was much shorter than Ruldso Redmore''s book. The book was essentially a massive list of tips for mastering etiquette. Only a handful of the tips presented really stood out to him but he did make sure to absorb all of the knowledge given how useful the prior Tome of Omniscience had been. Etiquette Tip 1. Etiquette is simple. You are playing a character. All it takes to be a master of all forms of etiquette is knowledge and acting ability. That is it. You must know the local etiquette norms and you must act as a version of yourself that follows them. There is much more to the topic than that if you wish to master it, but at its core, that is it. Etiquette Tip 16. Be prepared for others to try to make you look uncultured. One of the most useful things you can do to follow local etiquette norms is to know when your would-be peers are trying to make you look like a fool. Noticing such attempts is challenging at first, but easy enough to learn. The true struggle is in learning how to combat such childishness without breaking character. There is a skill for this called Political Evasion that I will describe how to earn in the next four tips, as there are various methods to do so for different people born of different circumstances. Etiquette Tip 38. Etiquette is more than just your behaviour, body language, speech, etc. It also encompasses many more aspects of your being, your strength included, but this tip is to tell you about the vastly underestimated power behind attire. Clothes make the man, and attire makes the actor. There are a few different paths for this topic, each different in who should follow them. The next 6 tips will describe these paths. Etiquette Tip 42. The attire path of personality. Etiquette norms come from somewhere. Usually, from the ruling body of the land. The empress is seen in a new dress of unique design? Not a week later and every other noble or highborn woman has an imitation and to be seen without one would speak of one''s inability to see the trends or perhaps their lacking funds to pursue them. You need not follow the trends or the local expectations of attire if you have such a magnificent and powerful presence to the point you determine what the latest trend will be. There is a science to this, but it is very hard to reproduce. Some just don''t have the mettle for such an approach, and a forced attempt is liable to seeing one laughed out of any ball they go to. There is, however, a skill for it. It is called Magnetic Appearance. It relies on the host having at least 100 Charm. A large number, one that would likely see you not needing the skill, but I will describe how to earn it regardless. Etiquette Tip 101. A dashing grin or a beguiling smirk can add a considerable amount of class and mystique to your persona, and I would say such is required for any situation where etiquette is a concern. One can learn to smile properly. One can be trained to narrow their eyes, shape their cheek dimples, cock their head, all perfectly, but a skill is the only true way to gain an almost devilish edge to your smile. There are two versions of this skill and how you earn it will determine which you get. If you do not want the skill, tip 102 covers how to perfect your smile as naturally as possible without system help. The rest of this tip will explain how to earn the skill Disarming Smile. Not too longer after he had read the last page did both Swamp and Devil close their tomes too. "So what did your books cover? Mine suggests that I''ll be needing quite a few social skills and understanding about etiquette soon," Lone said. "Mine isss a ssseriesss of mapsss. I know not where they lead, but I look forward to finding out," Swamp replied. Devil was silent for a moment before she said, "My tome details how to hide existential changes. It is exactly what I needed for my... situation." "Well, at least one out of three of the books is clearly helpful this time," Lone laughed. ''She needs to hide changes that are happening to her? That''s curious.''
After returning to his soul space and after having had a somewhat lengthy discussion with Darkness and Death, Lone asked, "So everything''s going as planned?" Darkness shrugged. "You tell me. She had to reverse time, didn''t she? What was that about?" "Your beloved can reverse time? A powerful ability," Death commented. "Give Loney-boy here enough time to rank up and eventually she''ll become immune to you too. Isn''t that fun?" Darkness chuckled. Death''s split skull looked confused. "It''s been long enough. I think I should return now," Lone said, choosing not to answer Darkness or Death''s questions. "Remember, Darkness, this is the price to earn back my trust," he stated as he pointed towards one of his mental locks and a stream of... something flowed from his extended finger to the lock. "I know, I know. Keep the warden happy and the prisoners will soon be dancing and singing in joy as well. I am aware," Darkness sighed in exasperation.
Lone''s eyes were treated to the sight of a sweaty Sophie training her Shortsword Mastery on a copper training dummy as he slowly got up from the sofa bench he''d been dragged to in his sleep. He watched Sophie for a bit, noting she was just wearing a pair of short sporty shorts and a skin-tight crop top that fully exposed her navel. ''Not that I''m complaining, I love the view, but wouldn''t it be better to train in her full armour? Unless she''s trying to earn something speed-based or something. Maybe she''s working on her Agility?'' "Couldn''t sleep?" he asked. "We must get stronger, however we can, as fast as we can," she answered plainly. ''Did the book this time offer any meaningful insight?'' Lone stretched as he got up, walked behind her, hugged her waist and rested his chin atop her head. "Well, we''ve got two months to do some isolated training. I''m sure we can figure something out. We can maybe get you to earn Internal Strengthening Arts. That''ll make ya much stronger in the short and long term." ''I need to learn how to master the ways of etiquette, apparently,'' he mentally replied. Sophie blushed a little bit and rolled her eyes. Her breathing was a little bit heavy from her training. She lowered her swords and replied, "We are sweaty and smell, but you will likely respond with something strange like ''I like how you smell'', won''t you? Let us train for another hour, perhaps two more, then we can sleep. In the morning we are willing to give control to Soph so she may play around with our aura." At the same time, she responded telepathically, ''We are doomed if you are to learn how to be polite in the wake of arrogant self-aggrandising noble scum. The moment they slight you, you are likely to quip how their receding hairline is very much so visible under their toupees.'' Lone chuckled and responded to both her spoken and mental words at the same time. "Have some faith, eh? You make it sound like it''s impossible, and you should know by now that nothing is with the right attitude and knowhow." He then kissed the top of her head and squeezed her a little bit. "And I do like your smell. It''s calming." That got Sophie to properly blush from ear to ear, a rare sight for the stoic woman. Lone laughed before releasing her. Flirting could wait. Training was, as she had said, much more important right now. B3: Chapter 62: White Dragonkin Clan and Divine Dragonsworn A month later, at the White Dragonkin Clan''s Peak Cave Palace, Gilbert was sat on his knees nervously as he waited. It was only natural. It had been over two centuries since he''d returned to or even so much as spoken to his family. He''d left on less than favourable terms and he''d said some very hurtful things, none of which he regretted considering the type of people the average clan member was. Regardless, Gilbert had arrived a week ago and no one had greeted him despite the fact he had sent word ahead that he was accepting one of their many requests for him to return. Petty bastards, one and all. They had summoned him here countless times, and now that he decided to finally answer one such summons, they thought it fitting to ignore him at the gates? It was his grand uncle leaving that finally prompted the stooges at the gate to hear him out and let him in. If he wasn''t a direct member of the primary lineage, then he was certain he''d have been killed for thinking himself worthy enough to return. Zealots of a cult were just like that, Gilbert reasoned. Things only got worse when he made it clear he only wanted to talk with his great-grandfather. One did not simply leave the clan for centuries, change one''s name, fall under the protection of another Divine, and then expect to come home and have a friendly chat with the Divine who ruled the entire clan, even if one did possess the same direct bloodline as said Divine. ''My legs are getting numb. How much longer are they going to make me sit here like a child, just feeding me Hunger Abating Balls and Sleep Negation Potions?'' Gilbert was dreading the amount of work he''d have to do when he returned to the guild in the Crimson Foxkin Clan. That terrified him much more than the prospect of meeting his great-grandfather. ''It''s been four days since they put me in this room. He isn''t that busy. The bastard just wants to punish me. So petty. So very, very, petty.'' Churlish as it was, Gilbert would endure. He had to for Lone, Sofia, Breena, and Kyuubi''s sakes. Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out in the room as the door swung open powerfully. Gilbert glanced towards his guest and sighed mentally. ''Of course it would be Mother. At least it isn''t Father. I wouldn''t be able to stomach talking to that bastard after what he did.'' "What a heartfelt surprise," Snow Shimmerscales scoffed. "Your father and I were certain you would flee with your tail tucked between your legs like you did last time if we left you here for a bit, making you wonder how we would punish your heresy. Perhaps you''d steal another invaluable object again as you did last time-" "I did not steal the Djinn''s wishes! They were a gift left to me by Uncle Arden!" Gilbert protested, earning him a very powerful stare from his X-ranked mother. "... And you believe that but the clan does not trust a single letter left by a fellow deserter of the clan. Why would Father-in-law leave the remaining two wishes in the hands of such an incompetent man only for that man to then leave them to another clan deserter? No. You think that fool left you the wishes, the clan begs to differ," his mother snorted. "And the clan is always right." "Except when it''s wrong," Gilbert muttered. "Am I allowed to see Great-grandfather, or was it decided that my reward for waiting patiently was to be berated by the woman who was so kind as to bring me into this world?" She approached the still seated Gilbert and placed his chin in her hand before she focused intently on the scar over his eye. "It was reported this was removed, and by a backwater two-bit mage, no less. You really should have allowed the clan to teach you magic. Maybe then you wouldn''t have been left in such a sorry state in the middle of nowhere." She let go of him and took stock of the grey coloration in his sets of horns, his tail, and his eyes. "And to awaken... What a failure." ''I''m a failure, sure, and you''re dragon worshipping scum that do the unspeakable without question just for a fraction of pointless power,'' Gilbert thought in the privacy of his own mind. "I''ll be taking my leave if that''s all you have to say. I wished to talk to the head of the clan, not one of his lackeys." Snow Shimmerscales looked genuinely offended by that remark. "Why you little..." She took a deep breath. "Follow me. He has decided to entertain you. Why, I''ll never know." ''Because he has intelligence and you don''t, still dragon worshipping scum one and all, though,'' Gilbert remarked in thought. "Then lead the way, Snow." There was coldness in his mother''s eyes, a special kind he''d never seen before. To be fair, Gilbert had never addressed her by just her first name before. "Follow and be quiet." ''Now I''m starting to worry Lone''s infected me. I better not act out in front of Great-grandfather. I need his help, not to justify my emotions and thoughts on how the clan operates, but that''s only if they hear me out. Otherwise, it''s plan hard and strong,'' Gilbert reminded himself. ''One of these days I really need to find some time to learn Meditation.''
With his head pressed to the marble floor of the throne room of grandest cave palace in the clan''s territory, Gilbert struggled to breathe. ''The boy would love this. A chance for him to earn Divine Pressure Resistance would never be passed up, would it? Meanwhile, I''m here, not earning any skills, being forced to look at painted floor tiles by a bitter old man,'' he sighed internally. He was willing to bet an entire ruby-gold coin that his mother and father as well as any other family members present were smirking at his sorry state in glee. "Your mana organs are fully repaired," the powerful yet calm voice of his great-grandfather stated in confusion. "How? I know of no skill that can reverse damage to one''s magical centres, be it racial, bloodline, world, unique, soul, astral, demonic, or any other skill type. Did you waste a wish on this? Just to repair something that can be compensated for via countless other methods?" Gilbert felt the pressure, while not disappearing, diminish substantially to the point it only felt like he was being assaulted by an SSS-ranker''s aura. It still hurt to breathe and moving was a challenge, but he raised his body and stared at his great-grandfather, taking in his features for the first time in centuries. The man was massive, being easily three times the size of Gilbert and a few feet taller. Were anyone else to sit upon his White Dragon skull throne, they would look pathetically small. He had shoulder-length curly white hair and atop his head sat eight sets of horns, each half a metre long, and unlike Gilbert, his great-grandfather''s beastkin features were unmarred by a Primal. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His face was stoic, making it easy to see just how handsome and angular it was under his perfectly cut beard which was only a few centimetres thick. He, as the patriarch and ruler of the White Dragonkin Clan, was the only person with permission to don armour made exclusively of White Dragon bones. Gilbert had never seen the man wearing anything but a full suit of the stuff, and today was no exception. At the man''s left stood three XXX-rankers; Gilbert''s two great-aunt, and one of his great-uncles. To their right stood the rest of the main family, including Gilbert''s mother, father, three of his siblings, and one of his nephews. "Well?" his great-grandfather pressed. "Answer me, boy. Now is not the time to be eyeing your relatives." "... I have a request, Great-grandfather. Please listen to it and I will then answer any questions you have," Gilbert responded. He had already kissed death once, so what was the harm in doing so again? He had a purpose in coming to the clan, and that purpose most certainly was not to answer any meaningless questions. He had to show some level of boldness here or he''d just be laughed out of the clan, or perhaps even worse, held here forcefully against his will. The guild wouldn''t even be able to extradite him since it would be considered a family affair. His father stepped forward, a powerful scowl on his face. He raised his hand and it grew and morphed into the shape of a White Dragon''s claw. With a powerful sweep, he smacked his arm into Gilbert''s side, sending him flying into the throne room''s wall. As only an SS-ranker, Gilbert was powerless to resist his XX-ranked father''s attack. "How dare you be so presumptuous in the face of Grandfather! The gall! We could ignore you not agreeing with our faith in the great White Dragons, and we could excuse you stealing the two remaining Djinn''s wishes as you departed. You are family, after all, but you will respect your great-grandfather above all else! Am I understood, child?!" his father boomed, not daring to put any actual power into his voice since he was far from the strongest person present. Gilbert coughed up a mouthful of blood. He closed his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet. "Origin Restoration." Under all of the pain, he was smiling. ''Plan A''s a bust, but plan B worked a treat. I''m glad to see you''re just as rotten as I recall, Father. Never change. Never give me a reason to forgive you, please.'' The pain dulled quickly as his internal organs began repairing themselves, his snapped bones began setting themselves, and his condition stabilising overall. It would take days or maybe even a week or longer for him to fully recover from this casual attack that didn''t even have applied stats behind it. "Shall I take that attack as the clan''s position? War with The Adventurer''s Guild? I''ve shared some very emotional words with Grand Guildmaster Sarah about my ''family'' and I''m sure she''ll be glad to have a reason to wipe it off of the face of Altros," Gilbert threatened. "Who do you think would win in a clash, Great-grandfather? You, or the strongest Divine on the continent with as many gem-plated guild groups as she thinks is needed to eliminate you all? Even with all of your lackeys and a few of your false gods protecting you, she wouldn''t even need to break a sweat, I''d like to think." His father''s face twisted in rage and he moved to attack Gilbert again but he was stopped by an aura so overwhelming that even thought he wasn''t its target, Gilbert felt his whole world turn white. "Attacking a guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild unprompted and for personal reasons is a very serious offense," Divine Dragonsworn stated coldly and with a underlying fury. "Meldon Shimmerscales, I sentence you to 100 years of solitary confinement, and you are to sever the arm used in the attack and gift it to Guildmaster Elksworth here as recompense for the offense." ''Just as I expected. Still, ''Elksworth'', huh? So he''s finally accepted that I''m no longer a part of this family? I suppose all I needed to do was use the name of a stronger Divine to scare him. What a coward. No wonder he hasn''t grown stronger in millenia,'' Gilbert thought. ''And no wonder he so happily spread the legs of the clan for those monsters to fuck it so royally.'' As soon as the aura receded a bit and Gilbert could see again, he was greeted by the sight of his father wearing a stone-cold expression as he brought his left hand up and used it to cut off his right arm off from the shoulder. It was still in its dragonic form, so it made a heavy thud as it slapped onto the floor. There was a certain kind of pain in Meldon''s eyes as he looked at Gilbert. ''You do not get to look at me like that. Not after everything you and the rest of this family have done. You feel like you''ve lost a son today? How do you think I felt when I lost a father centuries ago? Or when I lost a sister? You betrayed yourselves when you bowed down to those vile creatures. To think you''d consider me using you all a betrayal. Laughable,'' Gilbert snorted privately. With a final look pointed at his direction, Meldon Shimmerscales held his bleeding stump and slowly exited the throne room, no doubt to put himself into solitary confinement. "I will not mention what just occurred to Divine Persistence if you listen to my request. It even relates to your question, which was no doubt asked in the hopes that whatever healed my mana organs could also be applied to your own permanent injuries, no, Divine Dragonsworn?" That comment earned him a lot of glares, the one from his mother being the most potent of the lot. His great-grandfather''s brow furrowed. "Speak." "I''ll be frank. Some people very dear to me have tricked an Arch Devil, binding it into an unbreakable contract. One of them knows the thing''s true name, thus, it desperately wants to kill him. We suspect it will employ the services of an Emperor Devil or an Omni Devil to do so. I want you to personally guard these people until they can kill this Arch Devil or until ten years have passed. Whichever comes first. You are to take their protection as seriously as you possibly can," Gilbert stated his request. One of his XXX-ranked aunts replied, "What nonsense. You believe that to be true, and even if it is, we would need all the clan''s resources to defeat an Emperor Devil. Were it to be an Omni Devil that attacked instead, it would be wiser to write off the surrounding 100 miles as a new forbidden zone." Divine Dragonsworn raised a hand to silence her. "Sister, your concerns are well founded, but your knowledge on demonic law is lacking. There are heavy restrictions placed upon those beyond our realm when they deign to grace it with their presence. I would still be no match for an Emperor Devil, but I could escape one, provided it does not bind me in a deal of some sort first." Gilbert saw that as a good point to chime in. "And would it not be more than possible to fight off an Omni Devil and even an army of Arch Devils if you asked for help from the White Dragons whom you love so dearly?" "You need not hide your bitterness. You are no longer a member of the clan so I no longer expect you to understand our ways. You have made your allegiances painfully clear. Now, tell me, why would I consider this request? What would I stand to gain? Be specific, Guildmaster," the massive White Dragonkin demanded. If he thought that would hurt Gilbert''s feelings, he would be sorely mistaken. His identity as a guildmaster of The Adventurer''s Guild was something he held significant pride over. "The one you would protect is the one who restored my eye and healed my mana organs. I know of no one with as much healing potential as this person on the entire continent. Even my nature magic master pales in comparison. Should that not be enough, I expect the chance to show the clans the correctness of your own switch in allegiances to be of considerable value," Gilbert tempted. Divine Dragonsworn sat in silent thought for a moment before he suddenly stood up. "Sister Orelia, Brother Timos, you shall accompany me. Before any decision is made, I would meet these people first that the guildmaster speaks of. I must verify his claims in person. Sister Daniella, I leave the clan in your hands during my absence, be it for a month or two, or much longer should the need arise." Gilbert mentally sighed in relief. ''I''m glad that worked. It is unfortunately I had to burn whatever bridges I had left with the clan, but with him agreeing to meet Lone, it''s all but guaranteed he''ll help him fight off Arch Devil Zel. Your selfishness killed my baby sister, Great-grandfather. I will never accept your ways and I will not so callously allow the people I care about to die just because those with greater power than my own demand it. If that means using those I once considered to be family, then so be it.'' B3: Chapter 63: Scorched and Updated Skill Sheet Lone sat on his and Sofia''s bed - the only remaining piece of furniture in their home of the past two months - with Soph on his lap and Kyuubi wrapped around the both of them. "Fingers crossed it doesn''t overwhelm you like it being taken away did, huh?" They were currently waiting for her magic to be returned to her which was scheduled to occur in about a minute or two. It had been a busy two months. It was a very peaceful period, no doubt large in part due to Sofia''s incredible Luck stat. Still, neither of them had wasted that time. It was the most focused period of training either of them had committed to and the gains for both of them were substantial. The closest thing that Lone had experienced was his first time in Krieg Moor''s prison where he had kept a journal of his training efforts and thoughts. "When are you gonna make your wish, by the way?" Lone asked as he pressed his chin into Soph''s soft head of bright-blonde hair. "You let me win. It isn''t fair," she replied, pressing her back into his chest. "That''s not true. It''s just more restrictive in this little underground house than it would be anywhere else. It not my fault I got my 20th beginner skill to intermediate rank the day after you earned your new subskill Limb Adjustment," Lone said. "Resistances are easy for me to power level, but more involved skills that require, well, skill, you know it takes me time. I''m due you a wish, whether you like it or not. Unless you want to tell me what your magical affinites are...?" "Nope! I need to work on making my barriers smaller now and learning Internal Strengthening Arts, you know that," Soph said with a short giggle, much of her prior tension having disappeared entirely. "No time for distractions right now." "You''re right," Lone laughed. "Oh, that''s really something. I can feel it despite not being able to sense mana." A flood of power was coursing through Soph at this very moment as her Minor Time Control released its hold on her mana organs. She gasped faintly as her body went limp in Lone''s arms and began spasming as waves of energy poured out of her mana brain and heart, filling every crevice of her body. Lone felt sick. He''d never been exposed to so much raw mana before. It was like Soph was using her ability to inject mana into active spells but into the entire room instead, him included. Still, he didn''t move and just held her as was his role. He did glance at Kyuubi to see if he needed to unsummon her, but oddly enough, she seemed entirely unperturbed. A lot of Soph''s power was radiating outwards, shaking the very walls of this underground and fully-enclosed home, so vast was her unrestricted pool of MP. Regardless of his brewing nausea, Lone remained still and simply continued hugging her gently. Lone glanced down at Kyuubi again. It was so odd and quite frankly suspicious that she was entirely unaffected as she peacefully slept, still being curled around both him and Soph. ''Sneaky fox with your secrets. I''ll figure them one day, you can be certain of it.'' Three full minutes passed as the ocean that was Soph''s MP kept growing and growing. Just as a few new notifications appeared in Lone''s vision did the suffocating mana in the air halt in place and then, as if in reverse, it all surged back into Soph''s small frame.
The host has developed the passive skill: Mana Scorched.
Passive Skill: Mana Scorched
An incredibly rare skill that less than 10 individuals possess. It is often found in those who have bathed in a raw source of magic for an extended period of time and lived to tell the tale. The host has been burned by a source of magic, marked by it. The host can use this mark to detect other sources of magic. Limits: 1-metre for regular sources of magic. 10 metres for irregular sources of magic. 100 metres for other things or beings that have been marked by magic. The source of magic which marked the host will always be detectable by the host, regardless of what may stand between the host and the source, be it distance, time, space, or even planes of existence. The source of the mark is Sofia Vladimirovich.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
"You marked me?" Lone asked aloud. "Kinda hot, but also, I need to return the favour somehow..." "W-Wha..." Soph was covered in sweat and looked delirious. Lone kissed the top of her head and said, "Nothing. We can talk when you''re feeling better. Just be a cute little bean and remember what it feels like to not be incomplete, yeah? Kyuubi and I are here for you." "Kyuu..." the sleepy fox chimed in. Soph relaxed in his arms and nodded faintly before closing her eyes to focus.
The host has developed the passive skill: Mana Poisoning Resistance.
Passive Skill: Mana Poisoning Resistance
A skill that allows the host to resist all forms of mana poisoning. The host''s threshold before getting poisoned by mana is increased by 5%. All mana poisoning the host suffers will be weakened by 5%.
Cost: N/A
Mastery: Beginner Level 1
''Damn, Soph poisoned me? That sounds really nasty. Injuries to the ol'' mana organs are typically permanent, so this resistance would be a too little too late kind of situation for most, right? Need to look up what mana poisoning is, what it does, and what is a common cause of it. Could always ask at the next Conclave of Seekers. That''s not too far off,'' Lone thought. He stretched out his arm and placed it on Kyuubi''s head. "Full Body Diagnostics." A moment later, he frowned. "Right as rain. How come you didn''t get poisoned, huh?" A soft ''kyuu'' was all he got in response. With a sigh, he refocused his attention on Soph, resting his chin atop her head, Lone puckered his lips. "What to do while I wait for you to stop being so adorable... We definitely need to find a safe environment for you to train that skill since you''re like a cat high off catnip right now, what with you squirming with no real effort in my arms. Very cute, indeed." Soph seemed to smile at the compliment but she didn''t comment. "Well, nothing to do but check my entire skill sheet. It''s really the only option. Makes sense to categorise all of the gains from the last two-months, if nothing else," Lone reasoned to himself. He pulled up his entire skill sheet and made it show him the level and rank gains from the last two months on the right column, and on the left column he made it show him what he hadn''t yet registered to the guild''s credit slate. He needed to go look up some information of skills to combat demonkin, so having an idea of how many credits he needed to bank on top of his already existing 42,797 credits seemed wise.
Weapon Mastery Skills [26 skills]
[Unregistered: 3 levels] Fortress Shield Mastery Master Level 5
[Unregistered: 5 levels and 1 rank up] Buckler Mastery Master Level 1
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Swordspear Mastery Expert Level 8
Colossal Shield Mastery Expert Level 7
Unarmed Combat Mastery Advanced Level 10
Shield Mastery Advanced Level 4
Polearm Mastery Advanced Level 3
Hand Axe Mastery Intermediate Level 8
Hatchet Mastery Intermediate Level 8
[Unregistered: 4 levels] Dual-wielding Mastery Intermediate Level 7 [+4 Levels]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Bearded Axe Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Estoc Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Greataxe Mastery Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Greatsword Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+3 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Heavy Bow Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Never registered] Longbow Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Quarterstaff Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Shortbow Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Shortspear Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Shortsword Mastery Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
Tower Shield Mastery Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Warhammer Mastery Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Spear Mastery Beginner Level 8 [+1 Level]
Axe Mastery Beginner Level 6
[Unregistered: 4 levels] Sword Mastery Beginner Level 6 [+3 Levels]
Hammer Mastery Beginner Level 1
Movement Skills [2 skills]
[Unregistered: 1 level] Evasion Mastery Expert Level 7 [+1 Level]
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Light-footed Advanced Level 5 [+2 Levels]
Social Skills [2 skills]
Acting Advanced Level 5
[Unregistered: 1 level] Persuasion Advanced Level 5
Crafting/Building Skills [13 skills]
Blacksmithing Advanced Level 10
Tool Mastery Advanced Level 10
Woodworking Advanced Level 6
Masonry Advanced Level 1
[Unregistered: 1 level] Drawing Mastery Intermediate Level 10
Steamforging Intermediate Level 8
Weaponsmithing Intermediate Level 8
Logging Intermediate Level 5
[Unregistered: 7 levels] Architecture Mastery Intermediate Level 2 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 1 level] Art Mastery Beginner Level 7
Armoursmithing Beginner Level 1
[Never registered] Painting Mastery Beginner Level 1
Shipbuilding Beginner Level 1
Misc Skills [23 skills]
[Unregistered: 1 level] Enhanced Vision Expert Level 3
Reading Mastery Expert Level 3
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Teaching Mastery Expert Level 2 [+1 Level]
[Unregistered: 3 levels] Cooking Mastery Advanced Level 6 [+3 Levels]
[Unregistered: 1 level] Cartography Advanced Level 5
[Unregistered: 5 levels and 1 rank up] Sex Mastery Advanced Level 4 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 3 levels] Blood Thickening Advanced Level 3 [+2 Levels]
[Unregistered: 6 levels and 1 rank up] Pet Mastery Advanced Level 3 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
Puzzle Locked Mind Advanced Level 3
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Massage Mastery Advanced Level 2 [+3 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 1 level and 1 rank up] Mining Mastery Advanced Level 1
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Throwing Mastery Intermediate Level 10
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Basic Massage Technique Intermediate Level 6 [+2 Levels]
[Unregistered: 5 levels] Chess Mastery Intermediate Level 6 [+5 Levels]
Swimming Mastery Intermediate Level 3
[Unregistered: 7 levels and 1 rank up] Lockpicking Mastery Intermediate Level 1
Laundry Mastery Beginner Level 8
Historical and Cultural Appreciation Beginner Level 6
Fishing Mastery Beginner Level 4
Illusion Detection Beginner Level 2
Sailing Mastery Beginner Level 2
[Never registered] Haggling Mastery Beginner Level 1
[Never registered] Mana Scorched Beginner Level 1
Resistance Skills [44 skills]
Darkness Corruption Resistance Master Level 4
Mental Pain Resistance Master Level 1
[Never Registered] Unique Magic: Barrier Magic Resistance Expert Level 10 [+2 Levels]
Physical Pain Resistance Expert Level 9
[Unregistered: 1 level] Aura Pressure Resistance Expert Level 6
Enchantment Magic Resistance Expert Level 1
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Fear Resistance Expert Level 1 [1 Level] [Rank up!]
[Never registered] Fire Resistance Expert Level 1 [+30 Levels] [3 Rank ups!]
[Never registered] Heat Resistance Expert Level 1 [+30 Levels] [3 Rank ups!]
[Never registered] Killing Intent Resistance Expert Level 1
[Never registered] Lava Resistance Expert Level 1 [+30 Levels] [3 Rank ups!]
[Never registered] Soul Pain Resistance Advanced Level 10
Infernal Flame Resistance Advanced Level 9
Force Magic Resistance Advanced Level 4
Eldritch Resistance Advanced Level 8
Scripture Magic Resistance Advanced Level 8
[Never registered] Demonic Influence Resistance Advanced Level 1 [+20 Levels] [2 Rank ups!]
[Unregistered: 1 level] Nausea Resistance Intermediate Level 10
Panic Resistance Intermediate Level 10
[Unregistered: 7 levels] Water Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 9 [+3 Levels]
[Unregistered: 16 levels] Intoxication Resistance Intermediate Level 8
[Unregistered: 4 levels] Blood Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 5 [+1 Level]
Sound Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 5
Fire Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 5
Lightning Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 3
Curse Resistance Intermediate Level 2
Air Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
[Unregistered: 11 levels and 1 rank up] Drowning Resistance Intermediate Level 2 [+4 Levels] [Rank up!]
Earth Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 2
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Acid Resistance Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 3 levels and 1 rank up] Corrosion Resistance Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Poison Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Nature Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 7 levels] Explosion Magic Resistance Intermediate Level 1 [5 Levels] [Rank up!]
Illusion Magic Resistance Beginner Level 7
[Unregistered: 5 levels] Identity Disassociation Resistance Beginner Level 6 [+5 Levels]
Cold Resistance Beginner Level 2
Sleep Deprivation Resistance Beginner Level 2
[Never registered] Compulsion Magic Resistance Beginner Level 1
Contract Magic Resistance Beginner Level 1
[Never registered] Mana Poisoning Resistance Beginner Level 1
Piercing Resistance Beginner Level 1
Sight Magic Resistance Beginner Level 1
Active Skills [13 skills] If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
[Unregistered: 4 levels] Blood Clone Master Level 7 [+1 Level]
[Unregistered: 5 levels and 1 rank up] Oaken Flesh Master Level 4 [+1 Level]
Weapon Block Advanced Level 9
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Meditation Advanced Level 8 [+2 Levels]
[Unregistered: 26 levels and 2 rank up] Item Examination Advanced Level 7 [+6 Levels]
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Survivor''s Speed Intermediate Level 9
Wide Taunt Intermediate Level 9
Sundering Might Intermediate Level 6
[Never registered] Internal Strengthening Arts Intermediate Level 4 [+13 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 7 levels] Ramming Strike Beginner Level 8
Stone Slap Beginner Level 6
Stumbling Sweep Beginner Level 4
Drunken Fist Beginner Level 1
Magic Skills [23 skills]
[Unregistered: 15 levels and 1 rank up] Fireball Advanced Level 6
[Unregistered: 24 levels and 2 rank ups] Water Gaol Advanced Level 5 [+4 Levels]
[Unregistered: 19 levels and 1 rank up] Blood Explosion Intermediate Level 10 [+7 Levels]
Root of Life Intermediate Level 8
Lightning Bolt Intermediate Level 6
Illusionary Dome Intermediate Level 3
[Unregistered: 7 levels and 1 rank up] Amplified Current Intermediate Level 1 [+7 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Never Registered] Drowning Chamber Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Thorny Itch Intermediate Level 1 [+6 Levels] [Rank up!]
[Unregistered: 10 levels and 1 rank up] Venomous Stream Intermediate Level 1 [+10 Levels] [Rank up!]
Waterball Beginner Level 8
[Unregistered: 1 level] Oppressive Gaze Beginner Level 5
[Never registered] Weakened Stream of Ezekial Beginner Level 3
Wind Blade Beginner Level 2
Boulder Beginner Level 1
Crimson Eruption Beginner Level 1
Earth Spear Beginner Level 1
Enforcement Scripture Beginner Level 1
Force Flight Beginner Level 1
Gentle Glow Beginner Level 1
[Never registered] Inferno Armaments Beginner Level 1
Oxygen Ignition Beginner Level 1
[Never Registered] Trade Agreement Beginner Level 1
Racial Skills [1 skill]
[Unregistered: 3 levels] Tail Spears Expert Level 9
World Skills [1 skill]
[Unregistered: 2 levels] Full Body Diagnostics Intermediate Level 5
Primal Skills [4 skills]
[Never Registered] Ungrounded Advanced Level 10
[Never Registered] You Beginner Level 5
[Never Registered] Lifespan Revelation Beginner Level 2 [+1 Level]
[Never Registered] Nothing Vortex Beginner Level 1
Unique Skills [8 skills]
[Never Registered] Basic Regeneration Master Level 7
[Never Registered] Bone Armour Master Level 6
[Never Registered] Dimensional Storage N/A
[Never Registered] Creation Magic N/A
[Never Registered] Growth Accelerator N/A
[Never Registered] Mental Destruction N/A
[Never Registered] The Summoning Room N/A
[Never Registered] True Contract Magic N/A
Fuck That Cuntbag Sir Ardus Skills [5 skills]
Poison Resistance Expert Level 9
[Unregistered: 1 level] Torture Resistance Advanced Level 5 [+1 Level]
Thirst Resistance Intermediate Level 7
Hunger Resistance Intermediate Level 1
[Unregistered: 2 levels and 1 rank up] Insanity Resistance Intermediate Level 1 [+2 Levels] [Rank up!]
Lone ran the numbers in his head. ''So 314 skill levels ups, 35 skill ranks ups, and 381 skill level ups I need to report to the credit slate along with 33 rank ups and 17 unregistered skills that aren''t unique or Primal.'' He wanted to go over every skill that had ranked up during their training hideaway holiday just to refamiliarise himself with their effects, both new and enhanced. His perfect memory courtesy of Puzzle Locked Mind helped him recall any piece of information with ease, but it wasn''t the same as having that information readily available in a millisecond. He''d been training so hard that while he had read every notification as they had appeared, the information hadn''t sunk in yet. Thus, a dedicated hour or two to refresh himself on his new capabilities were certainly needed, but not right now. He''d distracted himself for long enough as it seemed Soph was coherent and stable again. "Feelin'' up for a teleport or twenty, or do you need to recharge?" Lone asked. Soph lazily rested her head on one of the arms he had wrapped around her as she replied, "I can teleport, sure. To Breena and the kids?" "Yup. I''m pretty sure they''re still alive. Well, maybe not Breena," Lone replied. "Huh? Not Breena?" There was an unexpected pain in Soph''s voice as if she hadn''t expected Lone to say something like that so randomly. She jolted up and turned to face him, worry in her expression. "Well, I don''t have her in a contract. I''m pretty sure the details of a contract I have would disappear from True Contract Magic''s description if a or all signing members died. The kids'' one is fine, no changes, and I still have the boost from Scott''s skill. I don''t have Breena in a contract, thus, I''m unsure. Master Mezro''nan is fine, though his contract expires tomorrow," Lone explained. Soph sighed in relief before putting on a scowl. "Don''t scare me like that. Unsummon Kyuubi and then let''s go. You have me worried about Breena now." "Ah, I guess that''s fair. My bad. Seeya soon, you big ball of fluff, ''kay?" Lone said as he reached over and stroked Kyuubi''s head lovingly. The fox woke up, uncurled herself from him and Soph revealing her almost 2-metre long body before she nodded faintly and nuzzled her head into his face before briefly licking Soph''s. "Hey! That tickles!" Soph squirmed with a big old goofy smile on her lips. There was a certain life to her that had been absent these past two months which warmed Lone''s heart more than words could describe. ''She really wasn''t herself without her mana, and I get what everyone meant now when they called her a Mana Sun. She''s always been bright, but this is blinding. I don''t want to put energy into turning off Mana Scorched since it seems so useful. Whelp, time to learn how to partially suppress a passive skill, I suppose.'' He got up off the bed with Soph and Kyuubi quickly following him. The next moment, he stored the bed and then said, "Unsummon Kyuubi Immortus." The massive fox disappeared and likely immediately went to have a snack and a snooze in his unique skill The Summoning Room. "Now, whenever you''re ready, Love, to Golden Pass City." "Oh, it''s rare you call me by a pet name! That was cute! Do it again!" Soph demanded excitedly. Lone smiled. "It really is nice to have you back in whole." B3: Chapter 64: Summary and Claws Lone and Soph reappeared above Golden Pass city at the top of one of the two valleys the massive city was nestled between. "It took me convincing a fae spirit to bend some rules so I could teleport to the capital of the Farwinds and then I had to run for days as fast I could to cover the same distance. Fuck did I miss your Teleportation. A few skill uses, a couple of seconds, and boom! We''ve arrived," Lone commented. "I''m still not happy that you flirted with that woman," Soph pouted. "Ah, c''mon, Fear-iarraidh an T¨´ir is a spirit. I didn''t even consider her gender when I was talking to her, not in that way. Anyway, can anyone sense you from this far? City''s real pretty from up here," Lone replied. He took in the sight that was the entire city and it sparkled in his eyes. Mage towers reaching for the skies, sprawling living quarters, endless rows of stores that sold all sorts of things, mansions housing the city''s most powerful residents, walls sturdy enough to stop the assault of an endless flood of monsters, guilds and institutions of countless purposes, and, of course, the enormity of the royal family''s palace. It was magnificent. It wasn''t every day one got to look at a city that housed millions of people in its totality like this. Soph''s pout lessened a bit before she replied. "No, I can barely ''see'' the city from here, but no one in my range saw me. It was good to check. I don''t know if some other skill can see my sensing range though like that dwarf assassin, but none of the usual suspects turned to look in my direction, so their ability isn''t as good as Mana Sensing." "Which says a lot since some of them are X-rankers like Master Mezro''nan while Mana Sensing is only scaling to B-rank right now. We''ll improve that soon, but test over, I''d reckon. Where are the kids and is Breena okay?" Lone asked. Soph pointed to one of the dozens of towers in one of the districts of the distant city. It was quite impressive looking despite being so small from up here. The tower didn''t really stand out when compared to the dozen other towers that clearly belonged to a mage but it was a sight to see nonetheless. It was a status symbol for someone to be rich and powerful enough to afford such a structure in a city like this one. "There," Soph said. "Breena''s fine. She''s fighting Hazel and her friends all at the same time. Master Mezro''nan is watching over them. It looks like everyone ranked up except for the muscly one." "Scott? He was already an H-ranker, so that makes sense. I see Master Mezro''nan has been taking his job seriously. I only suggested he should help the kids improve, not that he was obligated to. Glad to hear they''ve all graduated from I-rank. And Breena overcame her barrier. Shame we couldn''t be there for that, but it is what it is. She''s finally a D-ranker now," he commented thoughtfully. ''I hope they don''t resent me for leaving for so long and on so little notice. It was justified given if I died, everything would have ended so we needed to go into hiding, but still, they''re kids. Hazel will probably resent me over this,'' he repeated one of his recurring worries from his spell of hiding to himself. Lone squeezed Soph''s hand and said, "Let''s teleport into their training area and watch them fight. I assume it''s a friendly spar since Master Mezro''nan is watching. Anywhere you can get us in that''ll keep us from being seen by the kids? Don''t want to interrupt since I do wanna see their improvements." "Sure. There''s a balcony. That''s where Master Mezro''nan is. If we stand in the right spot, we won''t be seen, not that they''re looking up there. They''re all really focused on fighting," Soph replied before teleporting the two of them once more.
Lone felt a massive amount of mana that dwarfed his own supply - although nothing when compared to his girlfriend''s - shift reflexively before it calmed down just as fast. His eyes adjusted and he saw Master Mezro''nan glancing up at him and Soph. "It hasss been exactly two monthsss, hasssn''t it?" Lone nodded as he looked down at the enclosed arena below where Breena wasn''t even so much as struggling to fight off Hazel, Emma, Alisa, and George. Scott was giving her some trouble, however. His eyes lingered on Hazel for a bit longer than the others. Thankfully, it didn''t seem like she was using her Mind Reading currently, so she wouldn''t be distracted by his mental defences being present. "Impressive room. Did you need planning permission from the royal family to build it since it''s underground?" Lone asked. Soph didn''t say anything and just sat down on the floor of the balcony while at the same time she created hundreds of tiny barriers around herself before dismissing and creating them again and again. Clearly, she wasn''t very interested in what was going on and was more invested in her own training. "No. I own the tower and everything within five metresss of it. Thisss includesss all ssspace below and above the tower, but the underground levelsss are larger on the inssside than the ssspace they actually occupy. I may be an independent mage, but I have an acquaintance who regularly employsss the ssservicesss of a rather proficient ssspace mage. They were willing to arrange an appointment between them and myssself. It took a couple of decadesss, but the wait wasss worth the extra ssspace, asss wasss the exorbitant price," the X-ranked body fortification and earth mage explained. The scaly oversized lizard raised his brow at Soph''s frivolous expenditure of MP but he wisely chose not to ask any questions. "That''s cool. I''d love to meet a space mage. Anyway, I''d like to hear your summary now," Lone said, raising his brow in surprise when he saw Emma and Hazel collapse suddenly. "Poissson magic," Master Mezro''nan answered the unasked question. "I took the liberty of having Breena''sss needlesss enchanted with a powerful sssleeping effect originating from the poissson magic school. Thossse two are the only onesss who haven''t developed a resistance to the magic yet." "Magic and not normal poison? Why?" Lone asked. "They usssed the real poissson yesterday. Breena hasss been instructed by me to alternate. It hasss been rather effective. And do not worry, I persssonally have been sssparring with her to ensssure ssshe too gainsss thessse valuable resssissstancesss," the X-ranker replied. Lone nodded. "You''re good. You got Teaching Mastery?" "Yesss. It is at advanced-level-two," Master Mezro''nan replied simply. "Now, the sssummary. To ssstart, thingsss did not go asss I had initially planned becaussse I have been harrasssed almossst every day sssince your departure by my fellow X-ranker, Lady Carnation. If you do not recall, ssshe wasss there when I and three other X-rankersss came to invessstigate the eruption of aura in the children''sss former home." "Ah, the one who turned into purple flowers when she fucked off. Funny name," Lone commented. Soph spoke up and said, "She noticed me arriving thanks to some artifact or something. A feather? I dunno what it is. Anyway, she''s making her way over here, but only she is. No one else. For once. She isn''t in a rush, so she''ll get here in, uh... ten minutes? Maybe a bit longer. She''s walking." Lone smiled slightly. "I wanna fight her... Anyway, continue." "I ssstarted by bringing all of them to the quessst dessstination you had chosssen out for Breena''sss enlightenment. It took sssome time, but ssshe eventually ranked up well into the night. With usss already being outssside of the city, I thought it wissse to get them all to fight monssstersss to judge their combat ability, ignoring my apprentice asss he wasss ssstill unconsssciousss. I had him moved to my tower firssst. Their disssplay was disssapointing dessspite two of them having unique ssskillsss," Master Mezro''nan detailed. ''They told him about their unique skills? I guess that''s their right and questions would obviously get asked about Scott''s Beginner Booster.'' Lone frowned. He took a second before replying, "That''s not very fair. Emotion Reading isn''t usable in combat against monsters so weak they have no intelligence, which is what I assume you pitted them against. Meanwhile, while Alisa''s Rift Summoning could be used for combat, it is not meant for that and has an unreasonable cooldown. George is also new to combat, while Hazel and Alisa are new to this planet. Emma performing poorly is, indeed, disappointing given her lightning magic." "I know it isss Mind Reading, not Emotion Reading. I expect you will want a new contract with me to keep this information private, yesss? I do not intend to ssshare their sssecretsss with othersss, but I am willing to sssign another contract if it putsss your mind at eassse," Master Mezro''nan said.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Lone nodded. "It would. We''ll do it before we leave, thanks." "You are welcome. Now, that wasss a fair asssesssment, however, I expected more given they know you, the man who injured Prince Keining while only being a C-ranker at the time. Regardless, the morning after we returned to the city wasss when Lady Carnation began visssiting every day asssking to talk with my chargesss. I have refusssed every time. Two monthsss isss not a long time for thossse asss old asss ssshe and I, but her patience will be ssspent ssshould I deny her for a few yearsss and I do not know if I could defeat her in combat. Essstablissshing myssself asss ssstronger than her would allow me to order her to drop the matter given how thisss city operatesss," Master Mezro''nan said. "Continue," Lone replied with a nod. The lizard looked up to him in doubt before doing as told. "They have all earned Physical Pain Resssissstance, Poissson Resssissstance, and Earth Magic Resssissstance. Ssscott, Breena, Alisssa, and George have also earned Poissson Magic Resssissstance. Ssscott has learned one earth magic ssskill, Pebble Ssshot." Lone watched with interest as the sweat covered teen slid out of the way of one of Breena''s needles that had been launched at him. Mid-slide he grabbed a handful of dirt and spoke some words aloud before the dirt turned into five little balls of earth magic that fired at Breena. She used one of the many daggers strapped to her body to deflect them all. "Looks weak, but I assume it is beginner rank and Breena is used to handling much faster threats," Lone assessed. Master Mezro''nan nodded. "Hisss ssstatsss are phenomenal, but he cannot fully control himself yet. I have sssuppresssed him via a body reinforcement magic ssspell. Otherwise, it would be him againssst the ressst, the difference being Breena can hold back, unsssupresssed, he cannot." "What percentage of my stats did his unique skill give ''im?" Lone wondered aloud. "10%," Master Mezro''nan answered. "10% when boosssted, not bassse." Lone whistled in admiration. "That''s more than enough to make an H-ranker explode. Damn I''m good at remaking bodies." "Indeed you are," the X-ranker replied. "He is alssso the only perssson I know, perhapsss on the entire continent, that hasss world force dessspite not being granted a ssskill by Altrosss." "That''s gotta suck. Oh well. And the rest? Anything stands out?" Lone asked. "George hasss earned Cooking Massstery, Breena hasss earned Dagger Massstery and Knife Massstery. A teacher for Hazel''sss mind magic affinity is due to arrive in a week for an interview to sssee if ssshe would make for a fitting apprentice. Asss implied earlier, I haven''t had any luck for Alisssa''sss ssspace magic affinity dessspite knowing a practitioner of sssuch magic. Emma refusssesss a teacher, insssisssting you are enough on that front for her lightning magic affinity. Unfortunately, my Teaching Mastery is not ssstrong enough to have merited any further resultsss. Asss a final note, all of them except for Breena have been getting increasssingly frussstrated at not being allowed outssside of the tower without me being presssent." The lizard paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. After a few seconds, he said, "Hazel hasss been asssking after you to know if you are okay at leassst twice a week. It isss a bit upsssetting having to tell her ''I do not know'' every time. Ssshe knew you were alive becaussse of Ssscott''sss unique ssskill, but emotionsss often ignore logic." "I haven''t been a good brother to her. I''ve been more like the dad that left to buy cigs only to come back 20 years later, remarry your mum, then spend so much time at work you never even see ''em despite living in the same house. That will change soon," Lone said, a deep look in his eyes. "That made little sssenssse but I am glad to sssee you care. Isss my firssst reward prepared?" Master Mezro''nan asked, some eagerness unhidden in his tone. "Yeah. Took me seven weeks and tens of millions of mana to make, but it is. Be thankful to your apprentice. Him doubling my MP made it possible. As for your second reward, we can go once they''re done fighting, I say hi, and we deal with Lady Carnation," Lone replied. Master Mezro''nan nodded. "More than acceptable. May I have it...?" Lone reached into his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a set of claw coverings that were littered in illegible carvings and they glowed with a magicul thrum. "Most powerful thing I''ve ever made besides maybe Scott''s body. Don''t make me regret making it for you. And remember, it only has five uses. It probably would have cost me billions if I had to make it infinitely reusable." "I wouldn''t dare. With this, I may be able to defeat Lady Carnation and perhaps even Guildmaster Brux," Master Mezro''nan said excitedly as he slipped the device on his front feet. ''It''s powerful, but not that powerful. Brux would still destroy you, I reckon,'' Lone thought as he recalled the information Item Examination displayed when he had finally finished creating the claw coverings a little over a week ago.
Immortus Series 1: Mezro''nan''s First Reward
The item is a set of claws made specifically for Master Mezro''nan, a Restodian Iglaform. They are perfect in every regard and were made without any flaws whatsoever. The method to do this is only reproducible by the creator, Lone Immortus. The claws are made from the most magically conductive metal known to exist on Altros, distradium. They are sextuple enchanted. The enchantments are as follows: 1. [Soulbound]. 2. [Magic Enhancement] 3. [MP Boost] 4. [Form Fitting] 5. [Spell Storage (capacity of 5)] 6. [A Tool For A Life]. Due to how powerful the enchantments are when compared to the strength of the item, it will break after 5 uses.
Soulbound was as simple as it sounded, it made it so the claws would only work for Master Mezro''nan. Others could steal them but never use them. It would have needed a more complicated enchantment to actually bind the things to always remain at the owner''s side. Magic Enhancement passively increased the wearer''s magical abilities by 1.1 times. This increasing MP, increasing spell strength, reduced skill costs, made learning new spells easier, amplified magical affinites, and a whole host of other small but cumulatively large changes. MP Boost gave a raw boost of 300,000 MP to the wielder. It could have been more under the same enchantment, but Lone didn''t want to complicate the item even further when he struggled to make it on time anyway. Form Fitting was an enchantment he needed to apply to Sofia''s armours soon since it made the item - in this case the claw coverings - change shape to match the size of the user. Master Mezro''nan could use body fortification magic so Lone was convinced he could change his body''s size, making this a rather useful enchantment in his estimations. Spell Storage was the real kicker. It was the most complicated part to enchant onto the device by far. It allowed the host to store a spell for later immediate use. It sounded simple, however, it was anything but. It was this enchantment that would destroy the item once it had been used five times due to how much of a strain storing a spell would put on the entire item in its current state. Lastly, a Tool For A Life was an enchantment that make it possible to put five other enchantments on such a thing. Normally, A Tool For A Life required a sacrifice to be made, but Creation Magic could skip that brutal step, thankfully. Lone was sure there were a million other ways to make such a device but his knowledge of enchantments was very limited, and he did not want his mana organs to be sealed again, so this was the combination he had gone with to fulfil his first part of the contract with Master Mezro''nan: Lone will provide Master Mezro''nan with a weapon that can allow Master Mezro''nan to fight evenly with XX-rankers. It could only be used five times for such a purpose, was quite restrictive, and would likely only work on the weakest of XX-rankers or on one caught extremely off-guard, but still, he''d done as he said he would. ''It felt wrong making them with Creation Magic. How many levels in how many skills would I have gotten if I''d made ''em legitimately? Tonnes, I bet. Still, should make more stuff on this level for Soph, Sophie, Breena, and the kids, when I have enough mana to waste it on this kinda thing in the future. Heck, even Kyuubi could use a suped up harness now that she''s big enough for Soph to ride her,'' Lone thought before he dedicated his full attention to the spar below.
''I''m running out of weapons,'' Breena thought as she ducked under Alisa''s quarterstaff that was aiming for her head. At the same time, George''s longspear wobbled purposefully with its leaf-head intent on skewering her left thigh. Breena didn''t even have the time to dodge because a Lighting Bolt was heading towards the only route for her escape. It would seem Emma had shaken off the anesthetic poison magic, even if only just enough to crawl and cast a spell. Scott was also rushing in her direction, his greatsword drawn. Clearly he''d ran out of MP since he''d swapped from long-range to close-range. Breena frowned beneath her mask as she invoked, "Shadow Walker." A fifth of her SP disappeared, making her feel a little bit weak but it was fine. She had only used the skill for a second to enter her own shadow and exit Alisa''s. The blonde hero was surprised and couldn''t react accordingly when Breena grabbed her quarterstaff with both hands and pushed it up against her neck, choking her out. Breena had the higher Strength and Agility so Alisa could do nothing but wriggle about in defiance as she lost consciousness. "Shadow Walker." Expending another 1,000 SP, Breena appeared next to Emma and then punched her in the side of the head, knocking her out for the final time. ''I have about 700 SP left. To think I could beat them all when I had less than 2,000, now with just over 5,000 I need it all to even stand a chance. Still, I won''t be losing today,'' Breena thought. She ignored George who was busy regaining his balance after his stab had hit nothing but air and instead rushed for Scott. He, likewise, changed his course to match hers. Within seconds the two were upon one-another. Scott swung his sword in a wide arc as if he intended to cleave Breena in two. She dropped to her knees, sliding across the floor. Without missing a beat, she drew two of her three remaining daggers and cut both of Scott''s ankles as her momentum brought her through his legs. He screamed and toppled over, dropping his blade to instead clutch at his injured feet. Breena quickly got up and reached to her belt, placing a needle between the gaps of each of her fingers before she gave George a chilling glare. He dropped his spear and smiled wryly. "I surrender?" Clapping filled the training hall, surprising everyone who was still conscious, Breena Included. ''Lord Mezro''nan doesn''t have hands. Who''s clap-'' "Master Lone!" she shouted excitedly. He was walking in the air using Ungrounded as he approached them from the balcony Lord Mezro''nan usually observed them from, his hands clapping in appreciation. "You''ve all grown a lot. Let''s get you all healed up and have a catch up, shall we?" he asked, as brilliantly and as confidently as ever. Breena stopped herself from rushing up to him when he landed on the ground, however. ''That letter from Milindo''s Queen... I need to tell him about it. How... how will he react?'' B3: Chapter 65: Emotional Growth and Does he Think Lone approached Breena first and placed a hand on her head. She didn''t flinch at all and even seemed happy at the gesture, as if she had missed it. ''Emotional progress too? Well, If I ain''t the proudest Golden Foxkin for miles. Ignoring that I''m the only Golden Foxkin for miles...'' "I''ve got enough World Force to use Full Body Diagnostics three times, though it has a daily cap of twice. Who really needs a heal via Creation Magic and who will let me try to get a first aid skill off of ''em?" he asked. "I-I''m fine," Breena replied as she enjoyed his brotherly head pat. "I''m just a little exhausted, nothing more." "I''m fine too. It''s lovely to see you, by the way, Lone," George said as he jogged on over after having picked up both Alisa and Emma. "Breena hit Emma on the head a little hard, and she was already poisoned, so she likely needs actual healing." "I''m fine," Scott said as he crawled over. "Use first aid or whatever on my ankles. They hurt like a motherfucker but it''s nothing serious. my master''ll use body reinforcement magic to make me heal faster on my own anyway." "Right you are, Apprentice," Master Mezro''nan said, having taken the stairs instead of a flashier entrance like Lone had. At the same time, Soph teleported next to Lone, still focused entirely on her barrier practice. "Hi everyone." Breena replied shyly while Scott grunted in greeting and George nodded with a polite smile on his face. "So the girls it is," Lone said as pulled his hand away from Breena''s head. "Alisa looks fine, so the other two get to be diagnosed." Breena gave Lone the impression that she was a bit sad at him removing his hand which made him want to ruffle her hair for being such a good kid and for moving so far past her prior self but he held it in. A moment later, he applied his Agility for but a moment to grab Hazel and move her unconscious body over to the group. "Holy fuck! How''d you move so fuckin'' fast?!" Scott exclaimed. "He applied hisss Agility. Very impresssive. Sssuch control isss rare to sssee in sssomeone ssso young. To isssolate Hazel from experiencing the ssspeed too asss it would have killed her wasss mossst impresssive, indeed," Master Mezro''nan commented. "I had plenty of time to practice. Now, gimme a sec to heal the sleepin'' beauties before I poke around at your ankles," Lone said to his former student. Scott swallowed nervously. Clearly, the way Lone had worded that left the boy regretting offering himself up for practice so readily.
"Urg..." Hazel awoke to an immediate headache. Her Mind Reading was trying to batter itself against an unsurpassable wall that felt all too familiar to her unique skill. She was barely conscious but as she struggled to get up, she dedicated a bit of her attention to suppressing her unique skill. Upon succeeding, the headache disappeared. Hazel opened her eyes and saw the culprit of her recent discomfort. "Lone?" He was squatting next to Scott with some basic first aid tools like a stitching needle and some gauze while her friend was wincing in pain. "Mornin'' sleepin'' beauty. Or, well, late afternoon-slash-early-evening. How ya been holdin'' up these last two months?" he asked casually before shooting a warm smile her way. "I, uh.. I don''t feel groggy. The poison magic...?" Hazel was confused. "I healed you up. I also dealt with the internal bruising you had. Ya gotta learn to rest more, Haze. Master Mezro''nan said it was fine, but those kind of injuries can''t ever fully heal even with most magics. You gotta sleep properly, or, have an amazing big brother with unmatched healing capabilities," he replied arrogantly. ''Haze? He hasn''t called me that in forever. Not since before Dad really started abusing him... so when I was five or six? I can''t really remember. What a blast from the past...'' Hazel brushed off her knees and stood up. She saw that Lord Mezro''nan was right next to Lone, keeping an eye on his student Scott. Breena was talking softly with Soph - it had to be Soph since Sophie seemed to hate Breena - while she was practicing her unique barrier magic. "Where''s everyone else?" Hazel asked, not seeing Emma, George, or Alisa. Scott replied through gritted teeth. "George decided to carry them to their quarters and he said he was going to start cooking dinner. We lost, by the way. Again. Ah, fuck! Be gentler!" "You have Physical Pain Resistance. Stop being a little bitch," her brother chided. "I''m almost there. Once I''m done the skill should proc, hopefully. Aha! There we go. Basic First Aid Mastery. I wonder if I needed to do first aid on two people for it to trigger? I''ve done it with Soph and Sophie a few times, but they share a body..." Lord Mezro''nan took over as her brother began rambling to himself, casting a spell on Scott''s injured ankles. "You gotta cast that on me too," Lone demanded matter of factly, immediately breaking free from his ramblings. "What do you need to use it on me? Will an open wound do?" Lord Mezro''nan looked confused but his big lizardy head nodded. "Yesss, jussst an open wound isss enough." ''If he wasn''t a big scary X-ranker being employed by Lone to keep us safe and train us, he''d almost be cute.'' Hazel did think the creature''s tuxedo top was very dashing, in an adorable kind of way. "Awesome," her brother replied.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Hazel then almost gagged reflexively when she watched the skill addict concentrate for a second and then bring one of his tails up to his left hand before severing it entirely in one clean motion. The hand disappeared, likely into his Dimensional Storage, while he held out the profusely bleeding stump towards the X-ranker as if it didn''t bother him even slightly. "I finally got the hang of silent casting skills too just recently, so mind the tails. My racial skill is still active," her brother explained. "Ah, and can you say the skill''s name when you use it on me, please? Would appreciate that." ''Lone... So brazenly stealing a skill from someone who, to my understanding, he doesn''t really know that well? He''s insane... Mad for skills. Still, it''s certainly a useful one. It''s the only healing skill Lord Mezro''nan has used on us these past two months and it''s saved us from killing each other so many times...'' Hazel commented internally. Lord Mezro''nan''s brow furrowed, which she expected, but he did nod nonetheless. He got up on his hind legs and held one of his front feet against Lone''s stump. Hazel noticed the X-ranker''s front feet now sported a set of very dangerous and powerful looking metal claws that she''d never seen him wear before. ''Did Lone give him those? Ah. It must have been part of the payment for him looking after us, right?'' she deduced. "Regenerative Ssstimulation," the Restodian Iglaform cast his body fortification magic spell. Nothing flashy happened, as was normal when he used the spell on Hazel and her friends, of which she included Breena reluctantly. She liked Breena but the girl idolised her brother to an unhealthy degree and it didn''t help that Lone treated the foxkin girl more like a sibling than he did his own sister. Regardless, Lone looked ecstatic as he stopped suppressing his Basic Regeneration, resulting in his hand returning to normal in less than a second. "New school of magic acquired. Awesome. Definitely gonna have to spar with you soon, man. I bet you have tons of interesting earth magic combat spells. Anyway, should we deal with our guest now? My tails will stay sharp for the next 19 or so minutes, and if we''re gonna kick her ass, I say we do it now rather than later." "Don''t be reckless," Soph warned. Lone smiled bashfully at her. "While the last time I fought an X-ranker was an ambush against me, it failed. And besides, this time, I''ve got an X-ranked ally and my stats are doubled. Thanks for that by the way, Scott. You were out cold when it happened, so couldn''t thank ya at the time." The beefy teen cracked a smile. "I should be thanking you, even if you were a heartless cunt to my ankles a minute ago. I doubled your stats, you ten x''ed mine, and ya saved ma life." Lone replied, "Glad it was worth it for both of us. But yeah, Soph, If things go tits up with Lady Carnation, we''re definitely fighting, not fleeing. I could use the stats from an X-ranker. I''ve yet to kill one if you''ve forgotten, Miss Killed An X-ranker Without Me." Soph blushed at that remark. "That was Sophie, not me, though I did think about it... That guy was a creep..." She shook her head to break her line of thought before she gave Lone a hard look Hazel would have expected from her other personality. "You''re not fighting! You promised you wouldn''t until you could beat SSS-rankers with no troubles!" "And that''s true. Solo. But I''ve got you and Master Mezro''nan here, don''t I? Plus, I have my doubled stats which I didn''t before, And I can apply Agility, and I have a lot more ways to amplify attacks with my nine new intermediate weapon masteries. Granted, not all of the new ones can be applied to any weapon, but still... surely you don''t mind me fighting an X-ranker with all of that considered?" her brother pleaded with his lover. ''Nine weapon masteries ranked up? In just two months? What a monster. I know he has that unique skill of his, but if being a skill addict can lead to even half of that in two months... maybe it might be worth trying to get addicted.'' Hazel chuckled to herself. ''What an insane thought.'' "I would rather not fight her, even if I am confident I could win now. I do not enjoy combat and conflict. And Lord Immortusss... you have sssome very interesssting abilitiesss. I have never ssseen sssuch fassst ssself-healing before. My massstery over Regenerative Ssstimulation isss expert-ranked, but it cannot work that fassst," Lord Mezro''nan commented. "Ssseeing it when you fought the prince wasss one thing, but to regrow a limb ssso quickly isss amazing." "Don''t fight if you don''t have to. No unnecessary risks!" Soph put her foot down. "Train your social skills. We can earn stat points later." Lone grinned at Lord Mezro''nan. "You''ll get to see some of my other tricks soon too." He then turned to Soph. "You win. I''ll tell her to fuck off nicely before anything else." Soph nodded triumphantly. "Good." "Wait, wait!" Hazel interjected. She realised she didn''t really know who they were talking about. An X-ranked guest that was a potential threat? That sounded pretty serious. "What''s going on?" "A nosy nelly who''s still interested in my and Scott''s aura explosion from two months ago doesn''t know when to back off. She''s likely interested in Soph''s mana capacity too now since she used an item to track that today, meaning she looked into us and found out about that. We''re off to confront her since Master Mezro''nan has been avoiding her for the past two months for you guys''s sakes," her brother explained. ''That''s only incredibly terrifying. So because my brother greedily got Scott to use his unique skill on him, we now have the attention of an X-ranker who doesn''t know when to give up? What the hell? We didn''t ask for that,'' Hazel thought bitterly. Lone walked over to her and kneeled down to meet her at eye level since she was sitting on the floor. "I know that look. Sorry. I''ll deal with it, ''kay? Once the stalker''s fucked off, whaddya say you and me have a nice long chat? Just you and me. I could certainly use it. Been wanting to for ages but life and my stupid ass kept getting in the way." ''His tone is so... uncertain. Is he... is he scared I''ll reject him? Why? Because he thinks I don''t understand?'' Hazel almost felt offended by the notion. ''Does he think I''m just a stupid girl? Does he think I didn''t know he wanted to make it up to me two months ago for the way we first met on this stupid planet? Does he think I don''t know Sofia had to reverse time for some reason, likely because he fucking died?! Does he think I don''t know that''s more important than I am? Does he th-'' Suddenly, his arms were wrapped around her and he was saying, "Hey, hey, hey, I''m sorry. We can chat now if you''d rather, ''kay? Soph and Master Mezro''nan can deal with the rude asshole upstairs instead." Hazel tried to speak but found herself choking up and unable to do so. She was... crying? Is that why her brother had suddenly hugged her and spoke in a calm and comforting tone? His embrace was warm and filled with a love that was almost foreign to her. Hazel could barely see Soph smile and nod before she moved her hand, picking up Scott in a barrier that only left his head exposed. She then began walking out of the room while Master Mezro''nan and Breena quickly followed her. "Hey! Not a-fucking-gain! I can walk!" Scott protested loudly. "It''s faster this way," was all Soph said in response to his struggling. Master Mezro''nan turned to Lone and said, "Will you be long?" "We''ll be as long as we need to be," her brother replied, not looking away from her as tears streamed down her cheeks and she sniffled loudly. "I sssee," the X-ranker replied before turning around to follow Soph in earnest. As soon as they were gone and it was just her and Lone left in the training room, he, while still hugging her, said something that almost made her burst into laughter from how stupid but cute it was. "I love you, Haze. I really do. I''m sorry for neglecting you. I''m busy and my life is in almost constant danger. A consequence of my own actions, I suppose, but still. I wanna be a good brother to you. So once you''ve got it out of your system, tell me about yourself. I was out of the house when you were only seven, and before you became my student, we only saw each other, what, once a year, if that? Didn''t expect it to be in a magically-altered basement of a fuckin'' wizard tower, but hey, time for a sibling heart-to-heart. Whaddya say?" he asked with a big grin. Still crying, she wiped her eyes and smiled back at him. "I''d love that." B3: Chapter 66: Siblings Talk and Perfection Begets Perfection Lone smiled. ''Not when I wanted to do this, but fuck, what choice do I have? Didn''t expect her to suddenly cry. Poor thing... I''ve not been good to her.'' He separated from Hazel who instinctively reached out, trying to maintain the hug. "Just a sec, ''kay? Don''t want our catch up to be on the floor, of all places." Still crying a little, Hazel sniffled, rubbed her nose, and slowly nodded. "Then where?" Lone grinned. He waved his hand and a white sofa made of Exotic Urudian Tiger fur appeared. It was big enough to fit two people and was more comfortable than anything else Lone had plundered during his militaristic enlistment days. It must have belonged to a really rich dwarven household considering the mansion he''d nabbed it from. Lone reached down and pulled his sister to her feet before lightly and gently pushing her onto the sofa. He quickly sat next to her and hugged her with one arm. "Now you can cry as much as you want. If you''ve gotta make a mess of yourself, at least do it in comfort, right?" Hazel leaned in to his hug and smiled at him. The two then sat in silence for a few minutes as Lone pulled out a tissue every 30 or so seconds for his sister to wipe her eyes and blow her nose with. ''Now how the fuck do I approach this? I think the hug is doing a lot of leg work already, but I''m not great with sensitive stuff. I usually try to cut through all of that bullshit with honesty... It works with Sofia and Breena, but this is Hazel... Hmm...'' Lone thought. "Is everything okay?" was his sister''s first question as she stole the initiative from him. He gave her a quizzical look. "Yeah, relatively speaking." "No... I mean... Sofia... she had to us-" Lone stopped her from finishing that thought by covering her mouth with a hand before saying, "The walls have ears and eyes, and those ears and eyes also have ears and eyes. It''s best to not discuss things like that out in the open." "The entire tower is warded from stuff like that according to Lord Mezro''nan," Hazel replied after she removed his hand from her face. "The thing after me is a little bit stronger than a warded tower belonging to an X-ranker. It''s not important though. I have plans to deal with it and you guys won''t be affected. You might have forgotten but you guessed it when we last met. The companion clause in our contract protects you. So, let''s talk about you. What''re your hobbies?" Lone asked, his interest being genuine. Hazel looked worried but thankfully, she could tell he didn''t want to talk about Arch Devil Zel so she tactfully moved on and said, "I like horses." Lone nodded. "Y''know, I can see that. You with your longsword and tower shield atop an armour-clad war stallion, charging into battle. Very heroic. Inspiring, even. I should get a warmount." Hazel chuckled faintly. "What would you even ride? A dragon?" "Nah, Gilbert hates those. Maybe my aura? It''s a big ol'' golden fox. I just need to reach A-rank to be able to manifest it physically, then S-rank to manifest it into something useful. At least, according to this Shale guildmaster I met in the Farwinds. Shale are like, living golems. Very cool stuff," Lone rambled. "Can I see it?" Hazel asked, sounding a bit excited. Lone cringed. "Uh, can I say no? You''ll see it soon. I''ll use it on you guys so you can earn Aura Pressure Resistance. How does that sound?" Hazel''s disappointment quickly turned into joy as she replied, "Sure." ''Well, that''s a bullet temporarily dodged. Hope I don''t traumatise them when they see it later...'' Lone prayed to no one in particular. ''I''m sure they''ll love it. Your aura is quite the sweetheart, after all,'' Darkness commented. ''Do you have nothing better to do than spy on me?'' Lone complained. Darkness chuckled. ''Your soul is my home and your life is my entertainment. I only tune out during sensitive moments. Like sex and shitting.'' ''This ain''t sensitive enough for you?'' Lone replied. ''This is prime time drama. Resolutions to emotional conflicts are my favourite. Ignore me, Loney-boy. She''s looking at you like you''re acting strangely,'' the Primal warned with a laugh. "Lone?" she asked hesitantly. "Sorry. Having a convo with one of my soul''s guests. Remember I told you about them in passing when we first met. I have four Primals living rent free in my soul," Lone answered. "Right..." she said. "That''s why your tails, hair, and eyes are tinted with so many colours. What''s the black though?" "Unimportant and heavily sealed," Lone replied. Seeing that answer didn''t satisfy her, he expanded with, "It''s Void. Never mention it though. The Church of the Primals stuffed the fucker into a ball and erased its history. Very few people outside of the beastkin clans and the truly powerful know it ever existed. Even with the beastkin clans, only the higher ups are in the know, it seems." "Huh. I... I don''t know what to say. Does it hurt? Are you, uh, rapidly ageing?" Hazel asked, concern in her tone. Lone waved with his hand dismissively. "Not a bit and Basic Regen keeps my skin fresh and supple. Now, back to horses... Should I buy you a stallion you can ride into war with?" Hazel snorted. "I don''t want to ride one to war. Still, I''d love to look after one, y''know, as like, not a pet... like, a bond? It''s stupid." Lone smiled. His sister was quick to change the topic when it was clear that was what he wanted. ''She''s much more socially mature than me. I guess that makes sense. Knowing what everyone thinks at all times would lead to become either insane or incredibly good at handling people.'' "Nah, ain''t nothing dumb about that at all. By the way, is that it for your hobbies? Just horses and having an incredibly awesome and handsome big brother? ''Cause that would be pretty fuckin'' stupid, though you''ve accomplished the second one to a tee," he grinned at her to which she punched him softly in the ribs, obviously to no effect. "Says the guy whose only hobby is skills and ignoring his sister," Hazel said with a roll of the eyes. "Hey, that''s not true. I like skills, yeah, but I also enjoy exploring, history, cooking, fighting, spending time with Sofia and Kyuubi, and I''ve recently gotten quite into drawing as of late. Ah! I do also have a habit of testing out the prison system of different countries, but I told Soph I''d stop that one, so I dunno if it could be called a hobby," Lone replied. "And I''m forgoing that latter hobby. It''s bad for my mental health. Sophie makes fun of half of my drawings as it is. I''m moving on to painting, not that she doesn''t take to piss out of my paintings too..."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Hazel smiled widely and leaned further into his side hug upon hearing that. "Well for me, like I said, horses. But I also like reading, talking to people, and um... Hmm... Maybe fishing? It sounds relaxing though Mum never took me even though I asked a couple of times." A distant look entered his eyes. "How is she, by the way? Did she care when I went missing?" "Of course she did. She helped me make the missing person fliers I was spreading around town to find you. She never did it in front of me, but I think she cried a lot when you disappeared. We never really talked about you much before you became my homeroom teacher but she always seemed regretful. Y''know, about Dad and everything," Hazel said a bit awkwardly. ''Funny. She never called me or visited once since I left. Trying to say she cared now sounds like projection. You want her to care about me like you did. Considering she never once called CPS on that monster and never comforted me despite having years to do so makes me think if you ever saw her with red eyes, it was because she was crying over him, not me,'' Lone thought. He knew better than to allow such bitter thoughts to leak out into words. That would only serve to ruin the moment. He was trying to connect with his sister, not start a fight and widen the rift between them even further. "Thanks for letting me know. Wanna go fishing?" Lone asked. "What? Like, right now?" Hazel asked, confused. "Sure. Why not? I have Fishing Mastery, though it''s only beginner-level-four. We''ll go to the guild first though. I owe you and the others a skill tutoring session for a skill of your choices, all expenses paid for by me. I also need to update ''the list'' there. So we can make a date out of it," Lone suggested. Hazel actually looked a little bit excited. "There''s this shop in the merchant district that''s like this huge beast catching experience. It has an indoor lake with lots of fish and everything. We could go there? Though, I heard it''s kind of expensive..." "Money is no object to your obscenely rich brother. Let''s do it. I also wanna see how Soph and Master Mezro''nan are handling our guest," Lone said, getting up to his feet and pulling Hazel up to her''s before he stored the sofa. ''How''re things going? The tower hasn''t started shaking, so I don''t think anyone''s dead yet, right?'' Lone telepathically. Soph''s reply came instantly. ''Her weird magic keeps trying to invade my mind. I''m almost certain she''s trying to brainwash me, but she''s not doing it to Master Mezro''nan. I''ve put a barrier around my brain but it''s annoying. She''s draining my MP since she keeps destroying the barriers. Sophie really wants to murder her.'' ''Fun. We''ll be up in a minute,'' Lone replied. He looked down at his sister and said, "Want me to walk you to Emma and Alisa''s room? Do they share a room? I don''t know if you girls do but they should be waking up soonish." "What? I-I can help you with the guest. Lady Carnation, right? I can try to read her mind to find out what she''s up to. It''ll be a training opportunity!" Hazel protested. Lone frowned. "She''s an X-ranker. You''re an H-ranker. Not happening." "But Sophie killed an X-ranker before, right? Effortlessly too. And you got attacked by one but survived. Could you apply Agility then?" she asked. Lone shook his head. "I couldn''t, no." "But you can now! If she tries to do anything to me, you can stop her in time, right?" Hazel asked, some emotions welling in her voice. "I don''t know. Look, I''ll take you to your friends then we can go on our little city adventurer, but right now, you need to stop being stubborn," Lone said firmly. Hazel clenched her fists by her side and stared at the floor. "I... I want to be a part of your life. What if dealing with this Lady Carnation person leads to you leaving my life for several more months?" "Better that than you ending up dead." Lone gripped her by the shoulders and forced her to look up into his eyes. "Don''t fuck with X-rankers. Fuck, I don''t even want to fuck with SSS-rankers. Fighting for skills is one thing, fighting to the death is another." "But Soph-" "Sophie got lucky. Olberic was obscenely weak for an X-ranker. The guy was a very old alchemist, nothing more. He also wasn''t prepared. The next X-ranker she encountered she literally couldn''t even scratch. That was War Leader Clari who almost cut my head off before she left me in a purely defensive position because she was also immune to my most destructive unique skill," Lone said. "But your fight with Prince Kein-" "The guy was going so easy on me. It''s like if I fought a toddler and stood still as it bit my ankles. You can''t afford to fuck with a C-ranker right now, let alone something even I fear. X-rankers are just on a whole different plane of existence. Your unique skill is amazing and I do want to use it to help me, but not now. Put bluntly, you''re too weak. Put nicely, I love you and I don''t want you to die just so I can maybe use you to peer into the mind of a weirdo X-ranked mage who could probably kill you before I can even blink, let alone try to save you. Doesn''t matter if Soph and Master Mezro''nan are there too. I have so many weird and crazy skills and I''ve barely been on this planet for just under two years. What tricks do you think a thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years old X-ranked monster would have?" Lone asked. "... But you''re always so cocky," Hazel pointed out. Lone smiled. "Soph''s too timid and Sophie''s too bloodthirsty. I''m the perfect balance between the two. But seriously, if stuff needs done, someone''s gotta do it. Better me with my near-immortality than my baby sister who''s super squishy, huh?" Hazel cracked an annoyed smile as Lone removed a hand from her shoulder to poke her cheek. "Fine. But I''ll get strong enough to be by your side! We all will. I... I want to help you as much as possible." "That''s super swee-" "Someone has to stop you from killing yourself via intense skill searching," she deadpanned, interrupting him. "... You and Sofia are more alike than I had first assumed," Lone commented with a sigh. "Besides," Hazel grinned, "if I''m not with you, then who will remind you to find a way back home? It''s tearing Alisa up that she''s here and not on Earth. Scott pretends not to care but I know he does, obviously. I''m happy I found you but I''m worried about Mum now. She must be distraught that we''re both missing." Lone didn''t agree but he nodded nonetheless. "I''ll decide a benchmark you have to reach if you want to travel alongside me later, during our outing." "And you''ll spend lots of time training us? Lord Mezro''nan is great, and don''t get me wrong, you suck. You just hit us, but for some reason, you''re a better teacher than him," Hazel replied. Lone laughed at that. "Because I am a better teacher. I''m the fuckin'' best." ''Soph did not want to interrupt so we have taken control. We only have 1,000,000 MP remaining. We are a couple hundred thousand away from attempting to murder her. We will not be brainwashed, so hurry up and come stop her,'' Sophie demanded telepathically. "That''s my cue," Lone said before he kissed Hazel on the forehead. "Guess I don''t have the time to walk you upstairs. You''re a big girl though, you can do it yourself, right?" "Oh, shut up," Hazel replied with a poorly concealed smile and a roll of the eyes.
Roughly 20 minutes ago, in the prince''s primary training hall, Prince Keining halted his spear jab midway as he stilled. "They''re here and in... Master Mezro''nan''s tower?" He supposed that made sense. It had become more challenging to monitor the hero children and their friends ever since they had fallen into the custody of that independant mage. Master Mezro''nan was nothing special on his own. It would take no effort for Prince Keining to defeat the man in a fight, but he did have some pretty powerful backers considering his connection with an executive of the Continental Alchemical Association. That made it somewhat difficult for his eldest daughter''s agents to do their job. He focused on the sun of magic in his city for a moment and nodded when it didn''t focus back. ''Mother''s enchantments surpass my own so significantly. To be able to hide my mana source from such a monstrous unique skill is well beyond my own realm of possibilities.'' "Seres," he called. The lanky woman who was the closest to becoming an XX-ranker amongst his children appeared at his side. "Lone Immortus and Sofia Vladimirovich have appeared in Master Mezro''nan''s tower. I can feel Lady Carnation moving towards them. You mentioned she has been visiting almost daily with the assumed motive of learning more about the aura eruptions you turned her away from. Go there and introduce yourself formally to the two of them. Assist them in getting rid of Lady Carnation if needed and then take the chance to invite them and the three hero teenagers to the Extraterrestrial Alliance. You did arrange for a meeting, no?" he asked. She nodded. "Of course. Everything is prepared. I''ll handle it immediately, Father." As soon as she had disappeared, Prince Keining raised his free hand to his stomach where the unhealing injury he had suffered from his spar with Lone Immortus still remained. "Even Mother couldn''t cure this... It could be a roadblock for my ascension to triple-X-rank. Hopefully, the source itself can fix it, otherwise, I may need to kill him to vent my rage." Nothing would get in his way to everlasting life. Nothing. If he had to act like an equal to Lone Immortus in order for him to undo whatever he had done to the scratch that had been left on his chest, then so be it. What was the value of pride in the wake of evolving the order of his very being? After all, Perfection begets perfection itself. If that was stolen from him by this strange hero and it couldn''t be undone, however, then the boy would have a far more pressing concern than a hypothetical Arch Devil. Update So, I went to write and finish chapter 92 - which is the latest Patreon chapter - only to see that once again, what a surprise, all of the content had magically disappeared. About 1,500 words just gone. Now we all know I''ve been lacking motivation for a few months now. Nothing too serious, still love the story, excited for what I have planned, but I just haven''t had much of a drive to write in general. This is a hobby for me, I fuckin'' detested it when I made it my job and that''s most of the reason I put SIS in the big ol'' super hiatus, so it will stay a hobby and I won''t force it. It happens, I expect to bounce back eventually. Losing the last chapter at 1,000 words fuckin'' sucked. I soldiered through and ignored it, really, assuming the error was on my end. This time? Seeing the words just gone and the draft insisting I had last edited it on the 11th of March 2024, instantly make me think ''Fuck this shit. I am done. I quit.''. Immediately after that I calmed down and had a little meltdown to Kanadaj (he and I are friends IRL. He built my PC lol. And if you don''t know who he is, he''s the senior developer and one of the owners of RR).Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. We had a bit of a back and forth and despite it being the weekend, he was nice enough to fix the issue, which turned out to be that the autosave feature of Author Premium hasn''t been working for, like, a month. I rely exclusively on that, hence why this chapter and the last one went missing. It also means all of my updated notes for those chapters haven''t saved, but I can fix that easily enough. It''s just two chapters. Rewriting a whole chapter from scratch when my lacking motivation just got sledgehammered? That''ll take more time. I mean, I''ll fuckin'' try, but don''t expect a miracle like me pumping it out in a day or two. Just wanted to keep you all updated. I''ll delete this and move it to the author note of the next chapter when I post it. Oh, and as a reminder, I post chapter progress updates in my Discord server if you ain''t already in there. You can find a link in the footnote of any chapter. Love ya guys.