The host has developed the passive skill: Blinding Resistance.

Congratulations! the host's passive skill [Persuasion] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 9.

Congratulations! the host's passive skill [Acting] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.

'I definitely got way more from that one little 'fight' than I was expecting. What a nice haul,' Lone thought in joy. 'It's a shame I never got the fusion subskill though... I guess I can't directly learn those and actually need to recreate them myself? Kinda like world skills if I had to compare it to anything.'

He stroked his jaw a little bit, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Professor Ruairidh gradually growing more and more impatient with him, so he summoned the information of his new resistance skill, confirmed that it only gave a 5% resistance to any blinding effects, then he smiled.

"Thanks for waiting. I'm quite an enthusiast when it comes to several things, the skill and status system being one of them, so yeah, sorry about that," Lone said in a somewhat apologetic tone.

Professor Ruairidh just sighed. "It's okay. I used to be the same when I was younger. Even now, when a skill of mine levels up I sometimes spend hours thinking on it. Suffice to say how long I spend on skill rank-ups."

"Right. Thanks for understanding," Lone replied. "Anyway, you wanted to talk about how I'm fine after being hit by the spirit as well as how I healed Reinheart, right?"

The Lorian Giant nodded. "I understand that secrecy is a large and common thing when it comes to one's skillset, particularly rare skills, but you must forgive my curiosity here. I was willing to lose my job over my own foolishness, but you have spared me such a fate, so if you could help me understand as to how exactly you did that, I'd be beyond thankful."

The massive man made of muscles smiled softly then added, "My passion is subskills. How you healed Reinheart and how you somehow didn't suffer any damage after suffering an attack that was able to scorch my palm, of all palms... Well, I can't think that anything but a powerful subskill based on healing magic was responsible for both of those impressive feats."

"It was two skills," Lone replied casually.

"Pardon?" Professor Ruairidh was surprised by Lone's nonchalant attitude as well as his answer. 'Two? That's even more incredible...'

The foxkin raised one of his hands and held out two fingers. "The first, a passive. It's always healing me. The second, an active. I don't really wanna tell you what it does in-depth, but one of its uses it to allow me to cure people of any and all ailments that are physical in nature."

Professor Ruairidh narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "Student Lone, I am earnestly asking you to explain how you did what you did. There is no need to lie to me if you wish to conceal the skill that you used. I am not forcing you to reveal anything, however, I ask that you don't take me for a fool."

"If you were a White Dragonkin, you'd never have said that." Lone shrugged uncaringly. "I haven't lied properly in over a year now beyond manipulation of the truth. If you don't believe me, then fuck off. Do you need a physical demonstration or something?"

"There is no need to be rude, Student Lone. If you can prove your claim by somehow healing something that should be impossible to heal right now, then I will get down on my knees and apologise to you with as much sincerity as I can possibly muster," Professor Ruairidh claimed.

He wasn't just fronting and would most-certainly do as he had said, but he'd be lying if he said that he believed for a second that Lone was somehow able to heal any wound at all. There had to be a more logical explanation for why he was able to endure such a powerful attack and then cure Reinheart's Spirit Burden in Professor Ruairidh's opinion.

'Perhaps the skill really is related to time magic? If so, I can understand why he'd be so hesitant to talk about it to me, a complete stranger. Though I am in a position of power over him, so while it goes against my beliefs, perhaps I should intimidate him a bit?' Rarely did the Lorian Giant think in such an unbecoming manner, however, this only went to show how important he thought this was.

"ha-ah... It's kinda scary how often I'm doing this," Lone complained with a sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dagger from his Dimensional Storage.

Professor Ruairidh almost leapt out of his chair to take the dangerous weapon out of Lone's hands, however, while far weaker on the surface in comparison to the XX-ranked professor, Lone was an incredibly quick fox.

With one swift motion, he chopped his left hand clean off. He forced some MP into his Basic Regeneration resulting in not even a single drop of blood being spilt from his wrist as a soul-piercingly wretched sound filled the room. A moment later, his hand had regrown.

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A wince could be seen on Professor Ruairidh's chiselled face, but that was quickly overshadowed by his pure shock.

Lone reached into his pocket once more to return the dagger and pull out a cloth. With grace, he picked up his severed hand and wiped up the blood that was pouring out of it. "Well? Happy now?"

Professor Ruairidh was struggling to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. "You didn't invoke a skill's name..."

Lone rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's a passive. Passive means I don't need to activate it. C'mon, you know that much, don't you?"

With his big muscular frame, Professor Ruairidh got out of his seat and placed his knees on the ground before he profusely apologised. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I should have known better and put my faith in a student of Headmaster Erion's."

Lone shrugged. "It's fine. It'd be weirder if you did believe me without any proof now that I think about it. By the way, I'm not gonna show you the skill that I healed Reinheart with. It's a bit expensive MP-wise."

"I understand." Getting back up and brushing his knees, Professor Ruairidh smiled awkwardly. "I really am sorry, Student Lone. It was improper of me as a prideful Lorian Giant and as a teacher to be so mistrustful towards a young man who perhaps had reason to lie, but seemed to be more than willing to tell me what it was that I wanted to know."

Lone smiled kindly in response to the man's sincerity. "It's fine. I need to go if we're done here, by the way. I have a meeting with Professor Dana planned."

"Ah, of course." Professor Ruairidh went and opened the door for Lone. "A word of warning before you go, Student Lone."

"Hmm?" the foxkin's curiosity was piqued.

"From my understanding, every teacher and professor in charge of the classes you have signed up for have been given 'suggestions' to make life hard for you. I understand this is because of your attitude during your entrance exam," Professor Ruairidh claimed.

Lone struggled to avoid laughing out loud. "Oh, I'm aware. Two of the four teachers I've met so far have been real cunts to me. I made up with one and almost killed the other."

"I see... Well, please try to be cautious with your remaining six teachers, yes? Making enemies is easy, especially if you do not even attempt to create bridges and prove yourself to be a worthy student. Friends, however? Creating those is somewhat trickier, especially if they start out poised against you." Professor Ruairidh chuckled faintly and placed a hand on Lone's shoulder.

His palm was so big that it spilt off of Lone's shoulder and was mostly holding his arm and back, but regardless, the Lorian Giant said, "You are capable, Student Lone. I know not of your intellect, but you are clearly very skilled at learning skills if you have a subskill under your command. Don't allow your arrogance to drive you. People are not simply kind or cruel. You should never have to resort to violence."

Lone shook his head. "Violence is fast and effective. Anyway, what were you planning to do to make life tough for me in your class?"

Professor Ruairidh looked saddened to see his wise lecture enter one ear and exit the other so immediately. "I was recommended to kick you out of the class should you not possess a subskill. I rejected the suggestion to treat one of my student's unfairly, however. Thankfully, I am one of the only three professors who teach about subskills, and the other two are far more righteous than I."

"Huh. That's good to know. Well, if I can, I'll avoid kicking the shit out of those teachers and professors if they try to bully me, but honestly, the best cure for a bully is a boot right up the arse," Lone said with a casual shrug. "So few people are willing to seek revenge when they are so afraid of resistance. A bully only bullies because there are no real consequences. If they have any other reason to torture someone, then, Professor Ruairidh, that person is not a bully but a twisted individual whom words will never work on," he added then walked out of the room.

Professor Ruairidh closed the door to the subspace lounge as soon as Lone had left, he then returned to his seat and poured himself a drink. "Arrogance will kill that boy one day," he muttered as he shook his head.

----------------------------------------

"Hey, could you not?" Lone asked when he saw Professor Dana licking his lexicon.

With a flushed face, the dwarf retracted her tongue and frowned. "The taste helps me understand it."

"I already told you what skills you need in order to recreate it," Lone said.

Dan shook her head. "And I already told you that I don't believe you! I mean, c'mon, who on Altros is a master fairyforger - which is a lost art, by the way, a master steamforger, a master blacksmith, a master rune creator, a master rune-engraver, a master at containment magic and is so skilled at using Mana Points that they can wield them freely in their raw form?!"

Lone smirked. "I dunno, but whoever can do all of that must be a literal god or something."

Dana's cheeked puffed out in anger. "You said that you made this!"

Lone laughed. "Hahaha, I did."

"You! Why I sh-"

"Lone Immortus?" a young foxkin girl with light blue hair and two tails calmly swishing behind her asked as she approached Lone and Dana's table gingerly.

"Yeah? Can I help you?" Lone responded kindly while Dana secretly began licking the lexicon again now that Lone's back was turned to her.

Blushing and nodding, the girl replied, "U-Um, I'm Luu Bluetail. H-Hi."

"Hi, Luu. I'm Lone Immortus. Did you need something from me?" Lone asked with a charming smile. "Just so you know, I'm not accepting any romantic requests nor any marriage proposals."

"Someone's cocky," Dana spat out in annoyance as she peeled her tongue away from the lexicon then hugged it to her chest.

Luu Bluetail's face went beet-red before she shook her head and willed one of her tails to wrap around her waist so she could cuddle it. "Um, I came to tell you that a bunch of beastkin challenged your human lover to a duel... I, uh, I thought you'd like to know."

Lone slowly stood up and sighed. "Soph is more than powerful enough to take care of herself, but what are those beastkin thinking? Please... Luu, was it? Please take me to them. Have they started fighting yet?"

The young girl shook her head. "Their, uh, their leader wanted you to watch them defeat your lover..."

"Ha. That's the joke of the century. Well, that's good then. Dana," Lone called.

"Huh? What?" the dwarven professor asked a bit snarkily.

Lone stretched his hand over the table. "Lexicon. Gimme. Either give it back or come with us."

"I've not got a lecture scheduled this evening, so I'll come with." Naturally, the artefact-fanatic would never part with such a treasure like Lone's lexicon if she could help it.

Lone grinned. "So she says. Well, Luu, if you would."

"Y-Yeah." With her face flushed with colour and one of her two fluffy tails still firmly held in her hands, she turned around and began leading Lone and Professor Dana out of the cafeteria.

Lone watched the girl who was about Soph's height but whose tails were easily as bushy and luscious-looking as his own while he thought, 'Will Soph be able to control her urges around this girl? She's, like, extremely cute. Almost like a small animal... Just in case, Luu Bluetail, here, have a prayer. I hope that no permanent trauma comes to you should Soph succumb to the temptation that is your tails.'