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.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
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."
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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