"The following morning, Robert settled into his office chair. Turning to Hal, he inquired, 'You mentioned that I might benefit from a skill to conceal my status. Could you elaborate on how to acquire such a skill and what specific skills would be necessary?'

You'll need the System Skill Status Protection, It's a popular choice among the nobility, and while it may raise a few eyebrows, it won't cause a major scandal. Once you've obtained that, you can unlock subskills that allow you to hide your skills, feats, traits, abilities, base status screen, inventory, and more. There's even a subskill to falsify the information displayed.

"So, with my four points, I could take the base skill and the hide base stats, skills, and abilities for now?" Robert asked, confirming his understanding.

Precisely, that will effectively conceal your class, profession, skills, and abilities. Remember, though, due to your perks, you'll start with a high level in these skills. In most worlds, outside of major cities, you won't encounter anyone capable of penetrating your defenses. However, larger cities often have a few individuals with a Tier 5 Identify skill, and occasionally, you might find someone working for a high-ranking royal family with a Tier 6 Identify skill. But let's not worry about royal court intrigue just yet.

"So, should I focus on leveling up those skills?" Robert asked.

Unfortunately, that's not feasible here, to level them up, you'd need to defend against high-level attempts to penetrate your skills, and you currently lack the necessary training partners. Your best option is to invest points to directly level them. While I generally advise against wasting points on skill levels, in this case, it's necessary to conceal your class and profession. Aim for a mid-6 or, ideally, a Tier 7. When you Tier up the base skill, the subskills will also advance a level. So, you'll need 10 unlocked points to reach a safe level, though 7 points should be sufficient unless you're exceptionally unlucky.

"Assuming I need all 10 points, I think I have enough remaining runs to acquire them," Robert pondered. "However, if unexpected circumstances arise, I could be in trouble. I also think I need the rest of those skills as well, the good news is those just need normal points, so not a waste, seeing how I should earn enough normal points just from leveling up."

Robert spent the rest of the day crafting more Rods for his upcoming run, just two days away. Later that afternoon, John approached him with an ambitious idea. "Dad, I've been thinking. We need to keep your spellbooks safe but also make them accessible to the family. We can't possibly copy your master book—it's over 123,000 pages! But I think we can create something just as effective. If we invest in some high-quality printers and binding equipment, we can set up a small operation out back for about $75,000. That includes a small building, or we could rent one for a few months."

"What exactly do you propose printing, John?" Robert inquired.

"A series of books, Dad," John explained. "First, we should make copies of the System Guide, a mere 50 pages, so we can distribute them to family members and the Men in Black. Next, we'll create training spellbooks, focusing on fundamental spells. These would be categorized by Magic Sphere, each containing a few essential spells: two combat, two defensive, two utility, and two healing, if applicable. These would be simple, introductory guides. Once they master those, we'll provide a second volume with eight more advanced spells in each category. These tiers would be a solid foundation for them to build upon and pursue their class. We could also provide my training guides to senior family members, who could then create master books containing a hundred or so spells in each Sphere, starting with Tier 1 and progressing to Tier 3."

Robert nodded in agreement. "That's a sound plan. We could limit the higher-tier books, perhaps offering a few copies of larger spellbooks with Tier 4 and above spells for family use. This would undoubtedly give our family a significant advantage in the future. Once I return, I can take over training and share additional knowledge. I'm so impressed with your idea, John. You're in charge of this project. Find the necessary equipment, I'll secure a rental property, and you can get started on the printing process. And don't forget about long-term storage. We need to preserve master copies for centuries to come." John thanked his father for his support and approval, eager to embark on this new endeavor.

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Two days later, Robert was ready for his next run. The System Shop offered nothing new, so he sold six Rods for a tidy sum of gold and ventured back into the dungeon.

This time, he faced a more challenging undead dungeon. His Light spells proved effective, but the tougher foes demanded a more strategic approach. His Fiery Tempest spell, cast before engaging the final boss, a powerful Mummy, dealt significant damage, setting the stage for a decisive victory. The best part was the chest after he looted the mummy, which earned him gold and undead dust.

Dungeon run complete. Epic chest awarded.

Chest contains:

* Tier 5 Mace 'The Necromancer's Bane'

* Ten gold coins

* Two unlocked skill tokens

* One Epic Shop Token

Items added to user inventory.

Thank you for visiting The Training Dungeon!

Level Up!

Robert pulled the mace out and looked over the description:

Name: The Necromancer's Bane

Tier: 5

Rank: Epic

Description: A sleek, Mithril mace head, infused with the essence of holy light and dark shadow. The haft is wrapped in glowing, ethereal vines that hum with holy energy, radiating a faint, divine glow. Enchanted with the following:

* Undead Bane: Deals massive bonus damage to undead creatures.

* Holy Smite: A powerful holy strike that can dispel undead magic and weaken their defenses.

* The Reaper's Kiss: Upon a critical hit against an undead creature, the mace channels the power of divine light, dealing devastating damage and purifying the target's corrupted soul. This ability can also dispel powerful undead enchantments and curses.

* Self Repair: The mace slowly repairs itself over time, drawing energy from ambient mana. This process is accelerated after defeating powerful undead foes.

Robert examined the mace, its divine glow captivating his attention. He couldn't help but wonder, "Hal, is this the kind of weapon that would spark wars between kingdoms?"

While it's a powerful weapon, its effectiveness is limited to undead foes. It's more likely to interest a holy order or a group of adventurers seeking a powerful artifact. You could probably sell it for a few hundred gold, but it won't ignite a global conflict.

Robert chuckled. "Even so, it's tempting to keep it, despite my lack of skill with maces."

Robert returned home and continued his daily routine for the next few days. John quickly found a suitable building downtown, and Robert negotiated a 90-day lease with the landlord, offering a premium rate for the short-term rental. The equipment arrived sooner than expected, allowing them to begin the printing process within two weeks. To fund the printing operation, Robert sold another 60 gold coins. While he was concerned about drawing attention to his frequent sales, so far, he had managed to avoid suspicion. With the remaining coins, he purchased new gemstones and continued preparing rods for sale.

Meanwhile, John and Robert worked together to select the spells for the first training volume. John, now level 20 after completing four more dungeon runs, had acquired the Tier 2 Master Spellbook. His latest dungeon, Floor 15, presented a challenge with numerous flying creatures. Robert, relying on his bow and spells, successfully navigated this level and earned a valuable reward: a skill book on Jewelcrafting. Over these two weeks, John accumulated five Unlocked Skill Tokens and two Normal Skill Tokens. He used these to unlock the remaining Status Protection skills, including the crucial Falsify Status skill. With three remaining Unlocked Skill Tokens, he decided to save them for future use. Once the printing equipment was set up, they were ready to begin the mass production of training materials.

After careful deliberation, John and Robert finalized the spell selections for both the training volumes and the master books. While John's preference leaned towards combat spells, Robert advocated for a balanced approach, prioritizing defense, healing, and utility spells. The final master books, encompassing all spheres, included 40 combat spells, 70 defensive spells, 100 utility spells, and 55 healing spells. These 265 spells, spanning Tiers 1 to 4, would become the family's secret weapon, filling 540 pages. They planned to print these last, allowing for potential additions of Tier 5 spells and further expansion of Tier 4 options.

The duo spent the next two days meticulously designing and preparing the first series of training books. Just as they were about to begin printing, an anticipated visitor arrived at their door.