"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.'

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

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.