'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.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

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.