Lone: The Wanderer

Book 3: Chapter 71: Slate Update and Impressively Oppressive

Lone and Hazel stood among a group of four other adventurers who were also perusing the billboard with the details of available skill tutors. It wasn't as sparse as Lone would have assumed but still, he already owned 70% of the presented skill options.

While the other 30% of course interested him, none were so special or critical for him to make the call. He was here for his little sister, after all.

"There's so many options and all of the interesting ones are so expensive..." she muttered.

Lone patted her back affectionately and replied, "Don't worry about the cost. Just pick whatever calls out to you. Nothing's standing out to me so I'm gonna head upstairs. Use this if you need me or if you finish before I do, 'kay?"

Hazel took the communication orb he'd passed to her with a nod and a warm smile. "I won't be long. Promise."

"Me too," he replied.

Immediately following that Lone made his way to the hidden stairway on floor two and he ascended through the third floor up to the fourth floor which was his current limit as a gold-silver plate adventurer.

The place was empty save for the staff and two adventurers, one of which was at one of the four credit slates, and the other was having a drink at a nearby bench waiting for the other guy to finish. They both looked liked mages and neither of them were human.

It took a considerable amount of willpower to not try to convince them to use their magic on him and maybe their racial skills too, whatever they were. Lone didn't recognise the species they came from but they had an almost ghostly tint to their skin and they gave him a very ethereal vibe. They were also both S-rankers.

'Focus. Update the credit slate, look up a couple of skills for me and Sofia, continue the play date with Haze. You've got enough willpower for that,' he convinced himself.

Practically dragging himself to one of the unoccupied credit slates, he relied on Meditation to keep himself focused as he connected to the slate with a drop of blood.

Adventurer identified as Lone Immortus, gold-silver plate adventurer, nicknamed Immortus the Immortal. You currently have 42,797 credits. Would you like to record your skills?

Lone penned 'yes' with his finger and then as quickly as he possibly could and with the help of some applied Agility, recorded every single improvement he had made and every new skill he had earned since his last visit. Of course, he still excluded his unique and Primal skills from the information he granted to the slate.

He trusted the guild a good amount and every guildmaster he'd met so far, while a little unhinged, were all kind to him, but still, some secrets weren't worth the asking price. That was also why he was reporting physically with his finger instead of connecting his mind to the tool.

Still, he was done soon enough and the gains were fantastic. Some of his new earned effects had never been reported before so he got some massive bonuses for that, in particular.

You now have 123,450 credits. Would you like to request skill information? If so, please describe what you wish to be able to do and the database shall be checked to see if there are any skills within your credit limit that you can purchase information on. If not, would you like to continue recording skills?

Lone knew what he was here for so he immediately made a request for a skill that was passive, learnable by humans and foxkin, was undetectable, and most importantly, that could mask any amount of MP the host happened to possess.

0 skills that you can afford match your requirements.

'That's new,' Lone thought.

He wrote out the question: Is it that such a skill exists but I can't afford it? If so, how many credits do I need to be able to afford it and can I see its information even if it's out of my budget?

No. No such skills is currently registered in the guild's databanks.

Lone stroked his patchy stubble-haired human jawline and wrote: Do any similar skills exist? They need to at least be able to mask any amount of MP and be applicable to a human, the other details can be different.

3 skills that you can afford match your requirements. WARNING: 1 of the matching skills is a bloodline skill and the other 2 are unique skills, so the guild does not recommend purchasing the information on them. If you would like to regardless of this warning, then please note each listed skill incurs a charge of 1 credit and the holders of the unique skills will need to grant you permission to see their registered skills.

"Ah, fuck," Lone muttered. 'I had a feeling that might be the case, still, that tidbit about unique skill permissions is encouraging.'

Lone wrote: How many unique skills does the guild have recorded in the credit slate?

You do not have the sufficient adventurer plate to gain access to that information.

The D-ranker tried to shrug Lone off but of course failed miserable, making him sweat a little. Such a difference in strength meant Lone was at least a C-ranker, the same rank as the man's companion, and Lone could see the gears in the man's head turning at that revelation.

"She's your sister, Lord...?" the man asked cautiously.

"McCullen. And yep, she is. You find a good tutor for us, Haze?" Lone asked before patting the man's shoulder lightly and then letting him go to step next to his sister.

"Huh? Uh, em, y-yeah. It's this guy called Sir Ashford. He's teaching an active attack skill for longsword users called Extended Swing alongside Longsword and Sword Mastery. He's also offering a lecture on how melding magical affinity with a blade works, but no skill related to it. It's expensive at five gold per hour per person with a limit of three hours, but uh, he's leaving today, tomorrow, or the day after. He isn't sure when, he's just teaching in his downtime between whatever business he has here," Hazel explained.

'Bitching and whining about a measly 30 gold coins. I guess they really must not be that successful despite one being a C-ranker if they think that's a lot of money. Hamish is barely above them as a B-ranker but he was betting entire gold pieces with me all the time,' Lone commented early.

"Hey! Even if you're her brother, it's a waste for her to get trained when someone more needing of those skills and that information could have the chance instead," the C-ranked woman complained, pointing a finger at Hazel with a scowl on her face.

"You wish for skills?" Lone asked a little bit cryptically.

The woman's scowl deepened. "Are you dumb? Of course we do! We wouldn't be arguing about this if we didn't. We're stronger than her, so it's only right she gives us that form! There's only one for today and we deserve it more."

"I can't promise a skill if you already own it, but do expect some levels. I'm a very good teacher," Lone replied.

"What the fuck are you going on abo-"

Lone smiled at her. For the first time ever, he started consuming his SP to weigh his aura down on the the entire room of adventurers, only excluding Hazel which actually took an incredible amount of effort given that this was his first time doing this.

At the same time, he held Hazel close to him so as to not let her see the incredibly mutilated fox that was his aura's manifestation. Thankfully, she didn't resist him putting an arm around her shoulder and keeping her in place.

There weren't too many people in this guild given it was in the magic district but there were still a little under thirty people doing things here or there as well as a half dozen staff members. Every single one of them without exception collapsed. Only a handful of A-rankers and the sole S-ranker present were able to get onto their knees instead of falling entirely.

Many eyed the silently snarling massive golden fox with missing limbs and more scars than fur that was standing behind Lone and Hazel. Dread and an unavoidable feeling of impending death washed over their entire existence.

Lone reckoned he could probably crank up the SP usage and knock every person present out cold, but that wasn't his goal here.

He didn't say anything to the people struggling, and Hazel was too shocked to even try to comment while everyone else was in a fight for lives to simple breathe.

It was only when Lone felt an SSS-ranked aura from near the top of the building lock onto him did he retract his own aura, though his manifestation looked up to the ceiling in a challenging manner as if the grotesque fox wished the push against that aura and crush it out of existence just before it faded and returned to Lone.

Dozen of gasps for air filled the room.

Surprising to most but not to Lone, the first thing said wasn't insults, pleas for mercy, nor was it outraged adventurers demanding an explanation, no, it was exclamations of skills gains.

The sole S-ranker in the room stuttered, "A-Aura Pressure R-Resistance gained four levels! That was... But you're only a B-ranker!"

"I gained the skill and it leveled two times!" an A-ranker claimed.

"Me too but I got three levels!" a C-ranker added.

Many more voices chimed in. Every single person in the room claimed to have earned or levelled the skill.

Lone let go of Hazel and reached down while crouching. With one hand for each, he helped the C-ranker woman and the D-ranker man back onto their feet. He patted their shoulders in a friendly manner.

"I'm a skill tutor myself with Teaching Mastery at expert rank. I happen to not own Extended Swing and this is a reward for my sister for a favour she did for me recently, so we will be taking the lesson, not you two. Consider the levels or the new skill you just gained an apology for not letting you have time with Sir Ashford right now. I'll be sure to speak on your behalf to give you two a session in case he needs to leave shortly after ours. Does that sound fair to you two?" Lone asked.

The woman was shaking in fear but the man seemed to have a bit more sense in him that she did. "W-We're sorry for causing trouble with your s-sister, Lord McCullen. We're very thankful for the experience and you don't need to speak for us, but we woul- would be appreciative if you did."

Lone's smile widened. "It's no bother at all."