In a private office within Caluzar town's adventuring guild building.

A fifty-something man was discussing the brothel's situation with his agent.

"You think it might be from a dungeon? Just popping up in the middle of a city?"

"The mana there feels the same as an entrance. That was why I checked with a Compass. But there wasn't a reading. Besides, I went to the basement. There was no opening. A dungeon couldn't -"

"Couldn't close itself up, even if it wanted to. Everyone knows that. No, this has to be the work of a mage. Why anyone would attack inside the town? Let alone a brothel."

"I don't know, sir. But there is a single missing fox sex slave. Though I have no idea why anyone would want someone enough to do all this for just one beast."

. .

Hours later, in the same office.

The same middle aged man is reading through an urgent missive straight from the capital.

[The Comet appeared the same night the brothel incident happened? Maybe it's an amazing coincidence. Or somehow, someone already found out where the Hero is. And stole his mother from her owner. Maybe I could track them down. But if I'm not careful, someone else would find her first. And win the Lordship.]

[Even if it is all just a huge coincidence. Someone who could and did do this deserves to be brought to justice.]

[I'll have to keep my lead a secret. But if I undermine the Hero search itself, I could be tried for treason instead. I'll just have to treat this as an ordinary investigation.]

He pulled a small lever on his desk, attached to a wire. Causing a bell to chime in the adjacent office. This informed his secretary to enter using the private door in between.

"Bill! Make hmm, nine copies of this missive to spread through the town. Another five for the nearby outposts. And one more on a full poster to tack next to our street door."

. . .

Late the next morning he posted a mission on the board:

Minimum Silver rank team.

Additional requirement stone element mage.

Investigate a slave-napping from the Flower street brothel, Jodie's beast emporium.

Two iron rank guild members investigated a tunnel dug into the brothel's basement.

The tunnel collapsed. Killing both and injuring the owner accompanying them.

Later investigation showed no sign of any tunnel.

Rewards: 15 small gold, 80 advancement points.

Optional goals: bring slave back alive; double gold.

Kill or capture responsible party; double points and gold.

¤¤¤¤¤

"With every tenth Level, you'll get a chance to change or upgrade your Class. Which ones you'll qualify for depend on your Skills and your stats. Fifty-five in Int Wis and Spi, will let you be a regular 'Mage', that's Rank C. But you'll need some magic Skills too. At least two skills at level 10. Just forty each, plus one magic skill at 8 lets you get the minor version, Rank D 'Acolyte'. But at least you'll be able to put your level up bonuses into Mind stats to upgrade later."

"80 each plus 15 in magics will get you the Rank B version, 'Arcanist'.

120 each plus 20 in magics will get you the Rank A version, 'Magister'."

"Then there's a gap to the S Rank 'Archmage'. You'll need 300 each, plus 25 in three different magic skills."

"According to rumors, one of the past Heros reached the Rank SS mage. But no one knows its details, not even the name."

{It should be something like 500 in Mind stats. Or maybe higher, 600. Plus 30 skill levels in four magics. But I'm more interested in SSS Rank, personally. My guess would be 800 to a thousand stats and 40 in 6 skills}

"Personally? You mean.. you think you might have a chance?"

{I already have over 1200 in Spi. And I should at least qualify for Arcanist as my first Class.}

"T-THAT!" She was stunned speechless for a long while after.

. . .

"Now for stats and points. There are four types of points. The first is Body, used only for increasing the strength, constitution and toughness stats. Second is Move, for dexterity, agility and speed. Third is Mind, for intelligence, wisdom and spirit. No one allows their slaves to ever increase their spirit. That could make them able to resist orders, or even act against their "owner" directly. Anyway, the last type is General. These work for anything but Luck."

"When you level you get a certain number of points. From two sources. Your Class gives some, whichever type is most useful for it. 2 at Rank D, 3 at C, 4 at B and 5 at A. S Rank Classes vary, but are always higher than that. Mind for mages and healers. Move for archers, couriers that sort of thing. Body for warriors or laborers. General for crafters and other non-combat professions, though they don't get as many. After all, they're more ver- varsi- useful, they're more useful. And higher Ranks give you more points for each level."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"The other source is from your species traits. For every 20 starter bonus in each category, you'll get one point per Level in that same category. As a fox beastkin I get one Move, one Mind and one Gen this way. A tiger beastkin gets three Body and one Move, so they're all really good warriors. But most would make for terrible mages."

{I've noticed the Mods I do with my Unique Skill get added in the Traits list. Does that mean when they reach high enough they'll add more points with each new Level?}

"I.. don't know. I've never heard of anything like your Mod Skill."

. .

{I'm worried that Jodie's collar might still be found out. Ask her for me if she could have slave type cursed jewelry made. Specifically a gold bracelet.}

The fox-woman relayed the query to her slave.

. .

"Yes, they could make it. But it would be over ten times the price and only half as effective."

{Then have her make two. It's not OUR money. Oh wait, it is. Because she belongs to you, so does everything she owns.}

"Do it. Bring two of them back, so you may wear pretty things on your wrists. Instead of an ugly thing on your neck."

"As you wish."

There was a standing order for some time now. That this is how the slave Jodie must acknowledge an order from her owner fox.

She immediately left to visit the smithies next to the slavers' plaza.

¤

"We could enchant they fer ye lass, aye." A dwarf says to her request. It's not as though only dwarves can be smiths, but it's hard to argue against them being the best at it. However they were very rare outside of their own sprawling Empire, two entire continents away. "But we 'ere nay be goldsmithers. If'n ye fetch they from tha jewelers' block, then weel get ye sort'd."

And thus her goose chase started to turn wild.

.

Of the first three gold shops she visited, none of them had anything ready to sell.

"This policy is to deter thieves. If some store had a box of gold jewelry ready to wear, then you can bet your last copper someone will come an try stealing them. Instead, you'll have to order in advance."

"How long'll it take?"

"Depends on who you ask. We're booked up for the next week. Dungren is the best of us locally, but he's usually booked for two weeks, if not more."

"Thank ya fer yer time." She left a large copper on the counter.

With only four gold shops in total, it didn't take much longer to ask around.

Two weeks felt too long for her to continue having to wear the black monstrosity on her neck. And almost as bad was the order to keep it hidden. If she didn't take every precaution, she'd feel a tremendous stabbing pain through her whole head once more. Then that would fade to merely as strong as a hangover after a meal's worth of time.

The shortest wait time was just one day, but the quality of their work was.. barely passable. Like an apprentice who simply just got lucky with their masterwork. Even if she'll be stuck as a beast's slave for the rest of her life, she just can't bring her standards low enough to accept that for herself. So she went back to the first shop which offered a week's wait time.

"Back again?"

"What styles do ya have available?"

The counter clerk brought out a wide, flat box of copper bracelets. Some of them chains with a clasp. Others were made from lengths of wire twisted together. Then combined to then make bundles that twisted the other way. That they resembled coils of rope. Still others were a simple band going most of the way around. Like a 'C'. They could be taken on/off with a slight flexing.

She chose one from the last set. This looked like a '∫' that was bent to a 'C', but with a few spiraling grooves that also made it somewhat resemble those from the wire rope set.

"Two o this design."

"They'll be four large gold for the materials, one more for the work, all in advance. And nine days. Unless it's a priority rush?"

"Nah, nine days is fine."

¤¤¤¤¤

Another week went by without major events. The smaller moon making a full cycle back around to full.

Whenever the dungeon Hero maxed out his or his mother's possible Mod bonus, he spent the next day's use to reduce it. Thereby gaining more skill experience. Still no level up though.

He had tried using his mother's touch to work it on her slave. But to no effect, not even expending the daily use. Apparently, only his own touch could work. That might slow down his Unique Skill's leveling later on. When he is allowed more tries each day, but cannot touch anyone to use them.

The constant Identify-ing gave diminished returns. Everyone around had already been Identify-ed multiple times, so they barely gave any skill exp. Just one level-up, to six. But at least he could see otter people's stats now. Unless they were higher than level fifty, though such people were either rare, or busy elsewhere. Inventory shuffling was still working itself up properly enough. That reached level nine. Giving him a max capacity of 45 kg, with 19% weight reduction.

Though it's not like the reduction would affect him. His main body is a stationary rock hidden in a forgotten cave.

Overland, he had reached the nearby gate. Then started working his way clockwise. Like if a watch-hand were used as a paintbrush.

The systematic devouring of the townscape was proceeding at an ever quickening pace.

Their biggest problem was that the fox would soon start to get sir-crazy.

So he stole a nice longbow from a nearby weapons shop. Along with a straw target and a bit over 100 arrows.

It's a bit hypocritical of him to have done so, as he was very cautious about being found out. But he reasoned it to himself and his mother that such a nice weapon would have invited thieves anyway. Plus it'll probably be useful.

He also put a pit (trap) in 'her room' at 10 meters deep. At the bottom he opened a hallway into the distance. 2 meters wide, 4 tall and 40 long, to start. Adding a stone ladder to the side for easy access. With a stone cap for privacy, removable by him when necessary. With a rug to make it hidden from view. Then a desk to cover that. But one light enough to move by using Inventory.

A private archery range.

Now mommy foxest can work on her archery Skill. The better to become a higher Rank of the archer series of Classes.

With nothing else to do this whole week, she gained 2 more levels on archery, putting her at 10. And topped off her latest level of endurance as well.

Well, it wasn't like there really was NOTHING to do. She also practiced with her magic skills, fire and wind. For the first time since training with her aunt. Unlike her archery practice, she couldn't keep it up for hours on end. So she wasn't able to raise their level yet.