SB: Chapters 1-30 (Patreon)

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Chapter 1 – Supreme Warlady Elena

Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock strode forward as the staff of the Burnstock estate kneeled in her presence, not even daring to look at her.

My half-brothers, including the heir to the Burnstock name and Duchy, and other family members of the Burnstock estate, bowed deeply. They didn't dare look at her directly, lest they invite her attention and possible ire.

Duke Burnstock bowed slightly as well but met her gaze without fear. Finally, there was me, the Supreme Warlady's only child, almost nine, and unnaturally bright for my age.

My skill tutor, Damian, would tell me I should bow in her presence, even as her son, since it was a matter of etiquette in a public setting. As one of the rare humans over level 150, who held the title of Supreme Legend, she represented the peak of humanity in our never-ending conflicts with the other races, ourselves, and in exploring the world-spanning dungeon beneath us.

My father, who was only a level 63 noble, would tell me to be polite no matter what. She could kill me with just the merest glance, even though I knew she would never do such a thing.

But I ignored their suggestions and followed my instincts.

"Mother!" I shouted with a smile and rushed over, giving her a hug around her waist. She froze for a split second before gently patting me on the back.

Even through her casual thin leather and plate armor, she felt immovable.

"It is good to see you, my son," she said, her voice soft, yet it had a slight rumble like a mountain ready to fall and crush anything in its path. I couldn't help but hear the care behind it. I hadn't seen my mother in over a year, ever since she left to crush the kingdom of Crownsmith and its entire army.

After a couple more seconds, I let go. I wanted to hold on to her forever.

While I didn't have many specific memories of her, what I remembered was a kind, smiling woman who loved to chase me around the estate with a laugh. Without her here, everything felt colder, more distant.

"Sorry, but I missed you," I replied. Ever since I unlocked my status at eight, I had been excited to learn more and push my skills to new heights. But Damian insisted he would only stick to what was planned without her direct approval. No one would dare defy my mother's wishes.

"It is all right. We shall temper you with fire and blood soon enough. For now, I am weary from battle and travel. I will dine with my husband and son tonight," she declared.

The other children and the first wife of the Duke didn't dare make a single objection. I wasn't in the line of inheritance anyway, so I had been mostly removed from the noble and family affairs.

The more powerful one became, the harder it was to have children. That was why most noble women married young to have two or three children before leveling to fight off the ravages of age by increasing their Vitality stat.

My mother married Duke Darren Burnstock for two reasons that I was aware of, his substantial wealth and the safe environment he provided for me to grow up in. Even with her strength and wealth, my mother was limited in various other ways that weren't related to fighting.

My father was rumored to be richer than the King of our nation, Terander, controlling the most fertile farmland and the largest trade city in the Kingdom, which was also named Burnstock and was a day's ride away by enchanted carriage.

All that money went into paying alchemists and specialized mages to assist in my conception. It was not wrong to say that my life had cost more than the yearly income, not profit, of the entire Duchy.

Even now, there was a team of elite guards surrounding the entire estate, protecting me and the rest of the Burnstock family. But if one of them died, unlike me, my mother would not go on a rampage. That was why I had always tried to be dutiful, so as not to cause trouble.

Unfortunately, things were going to get complicated after the incident a month ago.

My father married Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock for two reasons. Her insane killing ability as a spellsword over level 150, and her deterrence factor by declaring his home, her home. The problem with having all that wealth was that other people wanted it. The neighboring duchies, the King, and the other nations all eyed the province of Burnstock for its wealth.

My mother stayed with me for the first seven years of my life after I had been born, ensuring my safety. Once she was sure that I wouldn't die from a scratch and the neighboring kingdom began making trouble, she acted. She crushed the neighboring kingdom of Crownsmith, killing its king, a lot of nobles, and most of its army in the past year.

Now the entire country was on fire, and thousands were dying from the chaos as other nations and nobles took advantage of her decapitation strike. However, that also meant no one wanted to attack the Duchy of Burnstock now or in the near future. They had already sent the warning.

While I knew that my mother had repaid the debt she owed my father, she would remain here to raise me and act as a deterrent until I reached adulthood. But my future depended on what she decided.

No one could influence my mother, except for herself.

"It is good to see you well. You made quite an impression on the kingdom of Crownsmith and its nobility. I don't think they will ever forget your name," my father said.

"They won't forget or forgive what I have done. But they never liked you Burnstocks to begin with," she replied.

While she took up her husband's name with their marriage, she considered herself independent. My father explained all of this to me a few days ago to ensure I understood the political facts regarding both of my parents, reducing the risk of any confusion or misunderstanding.

Adulthood was considered to be 16 for humans, twice the age at which we got access to our status. However, specific responsibilities and expectations came with gaining access to one's status at the age of eight.

I might be young, but I knew I was the most blessed child to be born, or close enough that I would be at the top of any list. It was incredibly rare for anyone over level 150 to have a child, let alone with another person with a level in their 60s. Most high-level individuals were focused on gaining greater strength and a higher level, trying to outrun death itself.

"Hah, well, they can shut up for the next couple of decades at the very least. Quiet is what I prefer."

I wanted to roll my eyes at that after what my mother had done, but it would have been insulting. My father arranged the sale of weapons and supplies through his territory while taking in refugees to settle more farmland in his territory.

I wasn't completely ignorant, and I heard things during family meals. While he might act nice, a person was not a level 63 noble for their kindness or generosity, but it would be rude to point such things out in public.

"We also need to talk about Justin. There was an incident a month ago," my father said, and winced at this.

My mother's gaze immediately snapped towards me.

"I am okay, but it is concerning. Um, I am not hurt," I replied quietly. She said nothing for several seconds as the tension significantly increased.

"We shall discuss the issue later. If my son has been harmed, you will have much to answer for, Darren. I entrusted his safety to you while I was absent. Squires, attend me," she said, and her three Squires followed her as she strode away to her private quarters that had been set up in the mansion. A nervous head butler quickly escorted her. Everyone slowly got up from their kneeling or bowing position.

"You are lucky your mother loves you," my father said while glancing back towards my mother entering the mansion.

"I know," I replied. Her love was the most precious thing in the world. I could almost feel some jealousy coming from my half-siblings. But that was to be expected. Having Supreme Warlady Elena as a mother meant no one with any sanity would dare lay a hand on me, and my future was assured. But it would be rude to use her name for trivial things. While she was my mother, I was my own person. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the crazy people who were determined to strike against her through me.

I returned to my room, where I got changed into my dinner outfit. A servant was standing nearby, ready to assist me, but Damian had insisted my mother wanted me to do things myself, especially personal tasks involving my body. The servant could make sure everything was straightened and on properly before I left my room, though.

The clothes were tight, showing an exceptional fit and high wealth. Similarly, vibrant colors, which also denoted wealth, were featured in red and light brown, the two primary colors of House Burnstock.

I was the first to arrive for dinner, which was expected, since I was the youngest of the three of us. My father arrived next, a few minutes early. He looked at me and gave me a nod. My mother arrived precisely on time. She was wearing simple leather armor, but even if a martial outfit was rude for a meal, no one would dare point that out, and my mother wouldn't care.

We all took our seats. If my mother weren't a Supreme Legend with a higher level, my father should have helped her sit. Since she was at a higher level, such an action would be demeaning rather than chivalrous.

All the etiquette training I had been forced to endure over the last three and a half years had taken over my thoughts. That it was one of my highest-level tier 1 skills was annoying. I would rather focus on more exciting skills than Eldarin Etiquette.

Servants brought out the food. No one spoke since it was a bit of a tricky situation. Technically, my mother should be the first to talk, given her higher social standing, but this was my father's estate. One could say there was uncharted territory in terms of etiquette tonight.

I didn't remember what they had done in the past. I didn't think we had ever had dinner with just the three of us, but I couldn't be sure. My memories from before I unlocked my status were hazy and difficult to recall.

They might even try to level up their skills now that I thought about it. I followed all the rules of dining while trying to figure out who should speak first. That was when I realized that this was technically an informal meal, as it was just the three of us.

After we had a first course of light soup, I spoke up. Either I would gain a lot of levels on my etiquette skill or horribly embarrass myself. At least the tension would be broken. "Mother, do you think the sword is better or magic as a spellsword?"

She lowered her wine glass and got a thoughtful look on her face. "I want to say both. They complement each other well, although the lower levels and grinding up the skills can be quite exhausting. I would say the sword for singular strong opponents and magic for large groups or an enemy with strong physical resistance."

The tension had been broken as she turned towards my father.

"Now tell me what happened," she said while staring intently at my father. He waved a hand. All the servants left the dining room and shut the doors.

"A legend of unknown background infiltrated the estate. They put their hands on Justin. They were discovered, and my guards forced them to retreat. Five elite guards died during the confrontation from poison. Healer Castelle looked carefully at our son. He was given an unknown tier 6 cursed skill."

"What skill?" my mother asked in a voice barely more than a whisper.

I feared she might explode at any moment.

"Experience Siphon."

"And you let that happen?"

"I didn't let it happen, but we are not well-equipped to counter a legend. Even with all the extra resources I have spent hiring elites, you know as well as I do that the unknown is the most dangerous. Five elite guards perished; that is no small matter."

"This is unacceptable. I left this estate to deal with the neighboring nation, and you let this happen, Darren. Give me one good reason I shouldn't crush your head and kill everyone- "

"Mom, I am fine. Can't we deal with it another way?" I asked nervously. Interrupting her was vulgar, but I didn't want things to escalate. I was alive, despite the scary event that had just occurred. She paused as her murderous aura retracted. She turned her head to look at me.

"Yes, my son. I will speak to your father and Healer Castelle later. Now, let's move on to other topics. I have talked with your tutor, Damian, and he told me you started weapon training with the guard captain of the estate?"

I had stopped the worst from happening, but it was only a postponement. "Yes, mostly the sword and shield, but I have gotten tier 1 skills in other weapons. He said it was based on the instructions you left?"

"He took some liberties, but we will review your skills later. Weapon skills, really, Darren? I wanted him to focus on more mental skills at the start," she said while looking at my father.

Both were pretending to get along for my sake. Even without social skills, I could tell they were completely fake in speaking to each other for my benefit.

"He kept insisting, and I consulted with the skill tutor and used my judgment. It is something you mentioned, so Tutor Damian approved it," my father replied. He rang the bell resting on the table, and the servants reentered the dining room.

"I will make a final judgment myself after reviewing his stats and skills. Any noble issues I should be worried about?" my mother asked as the second course of dinner was served.

The light salad with dressing and nuts did not look appetizing.

"No. My other children know not to make trouble with Justin and that he isn't in the line of succession after what happened previously. As for larger issues, the King made a bit of a fuss over what you did, but I sent a couple of chests of gold his way and he stopped complaining."

"Good. I would prefer not to be caught up in other issues for the foreseeable future. It would displease me," my mother said, and my father nodded before taking a sip of his wine.

I just had orange juice to drink. An expensive specialty of the duchy.

"Don't worry, I like it quiet. If it weren't for Crownsmith funding bandits and staging their armies close to the border, I wouldn't have asked you to intervene. But you took your time."

"They weren't weak. I had to kill two legends they employed and then hunt down their top nobility. Otherwise, I would have had to go back in a decade. Now it will take at least a quarter of a century, probably longer, since their other neighbors are causing them trouble. It will be a long time before they can think about your lands."

That matched what my father had already told me about the situation.

"Well, let me propose a toast. While we might not have married for love, I am grateful to you. Supreme Warlady Elena," my father said and raised his glass.

I quickly raised my glass as well to show my support for his words. My mother picked up her glass, showing her acceptance of the toast, and then we all drank.

"You beat two legends?" I asked my mother.

Legend was the term used for individuals who had reached a level above 100 and had received a Tier 5 class.

"Yes. It was a hard fight. Legend Bowmaster Herold Eagleeye and Legend Armored Bulwark Bastion Teron fought with honor and skill. But there is a reason I hold the superior title of Supreme over those weak legends. It denotes that I have gone past level 150 and stand above other legends."

I knew that already, but I wasn't about to correct my mother.

"Also, your mother earned the title of Warlady, since she has ended wars single-handedly, not for being a spellsword. Even if I think that is more impressive than your accomplishments, they gave it to her for reaching the Last Bastion on her own," my father said, and my mother shook her head slightly with a frown.

"A title I dislike, but other legends give one a title. I would have preferred the title of Spellblade or Farmer of Monsters, but it is what it is."

Chapter 2 – Status Review

Level: 1Experience: 37/100

Healing: 120/120Stamina: 100/100Mana: 30/30

Class: Tier 0, Child (Yellow)Effect: Increased Skill Acquisition (+6%), Increased Learning Speed (+6%), Increased Stat Gain (+6%)

Vitality: 12Endurance: 7Strength: 9Agility: 11Perception: 4Mind: 33Magic: 3Focus: 15Free Points: 0

Tier 1 (22): Eldarin Language (75), Writing Skills (59), Mathematics (56), Eldarin History (52), Running (50), Breathing (50), Eldarin Etiquette (38), Meditation (25), Drawing Skills (25), Dancing Skills (22), Toughness (19), Sword Skills (18), Shield Skills (15), Spear Skills (12), Dodge (12), Bow Skills (10), Axe Skills (7), Dagger Skills (6), Pugilist Skills (4), Wrestling Skills (3), Cooking Skills (3), Cleaning Skills (1)

Tier 2 (4): Mana Sense (4), Danger Sense (3)

Tier 6 (-): Experience Siphon (C)

I read off my entire status page for my mother as she listened carefully, along with her three Squires, who were standing quietly off to the side. Healer Castelle and my father were both here, along with my Tutor Damian, who looked slightly nervous.

A System Priest had adjusted my status page for the optimal display of information when I had first unlocked it over half a year ago.

My Eldarin Etiquette had shot up three levels just from dinner, which was impressive. Danger and mental pressure helped skills level more quickly, so it wasn't that surprising the skill leveled quickly.

My hard work over the past six months had resulted in these skills, as I unlocked my status at eight years old. Because I had studied the material, my tutor said there was a significant burst initially, before the status page unlocked.

My mother slowly tapped her finger on the table behind her, and I became a bit more nervous.

We had all gathered at my mother's order the morning after her return. She wanted to review my progress with everyone involved in my life. I could only hope that I had matched whatever expectations she had of me.

"Let's start with the most concerning issue. Healer Castelle, what is your understanding of the tier 6 skill inflicted upon my son?"

Everyone tensed at my mother's words and looked at the old healer.

"It is a Tier 6 curse skill. It is not meant to cause harm directly, but to use your son as a vehicle for getting stronger by taking away any experience your son might gain. I would say such a skill can only be used against those who are weaker, and only a few at a time. Perhaps only a single person at most because of its tier."

"That was not what I was asking. It is clear from the name and its rarity what it does. Can it be removed?"

"Unless the culprit is slain, it would be impossible. There is good news. The weight of the skill rests with the other person. Otherwise, your son's soul would have collapsed. There are no medical risks."

"Except in cutting off his future!" My mother slammed her palm down on the desk in front of her with a bang, before glaring at my father. I felt the entire room shake from the force of her blow. "Has the culprit been tracked down?"

"It is someone completely unknown. I have put up an astronomical bounty of a hundred platinum coins and leveraged your name, but there have been no leads. The culprit had several stealth skills. We have sent their poison to Master Alchemists for study. We increased the elite guard by ten members, though it was at a great expense."

"Do better, Darren. Do better. You are only alive right now since you are my child's father. Can it be removed?"

My mother looked back at Healer Castelle.

"If it were a Tier 4 or Tier 5, it might have been possible through the use of a ritual and several System Priests with some risk to your son's soul. The cursed skill will remain until the target is dead since it is a tier 6 skill. There is no other way, even with my extensive knowledge. I have sent correspondence to the Five Star Institute of Healing and my seniors, but I am waiting for a response and am not hopeful for a positive one."

"This culprit will outlive my son, since they are clearly planning to use him to fuel their growth. Useless. All of you are useless. I leave for a year, and this happens in my absence?"

Everyone was perfectly still and silent, including me. I didn't know what to say.

"My dear husband, what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to accept responsibility?"

"No. You approved the security arrangements before your departure. I have already issued a bounty and done everything in my power," my father countered.

My mother said nothing but glared at everyone, one by one, including her own Squires. No one dared to meet her gaze. Thankfully, she skipped me in her glare session.

"I will investigate the matter personally. Do not let such a thing happen again, Darren, or I will hold you responsible, regardless."

My father didn't reply, only inclined his head slightly.

"Now, let us discuss my son's status. I was absent during the arrival of his status. There are several areas of concern. A yellow class?"

This time, she was looking at Tutor Damian.

"One in a Million, Supreme Warlady. The effects were quite good, which was what they expected based on the ritual they used during your son's conception."

"Abject failure. During his lessons before his status unlocked, you should have instructed him better. I was expecting a green class at Tier 0 at the very least. Preferably blue."

"A green starting class has only been recorded officially in 27 beings in the last millennium by the College of Advancement. No one has ever started with a blue class."

"Do I look like some common peasant on the side of the road?"

"Of course not, Supreme Warlady," Tutor Damian said while bowing his head.

"The motivation, environment, and instruction determine a starting class. The environment here is the best. I saw to it myself. That can only mean that my son is lacking or your instruction is inadequate."

"It is also the will of the System. Such things are not perfectly determined even in the most controlled studies by the College of Advancement, Supreme Warlady."

"More excuses, more failure. But perhaps my son is lacking in motivation," she said and turned her gaze to me. I felt like I was going to be cut apart as she gazed at me for several seconds while I bravely stared back.

"His class must be increased along with his skill leveling speed. It is far too slow, even with his childhood boost. You must push him harder, Tutor Damian. I hired you to instruct my son personally, so do so with better results."

"I will endeavor to do my best, but there is concern that your son's motivation might burn out."

"I will worry about my son's motivation. If he is lacking, you will inform me. Otherwise, push him without remorse or mercy. Such things are for the pitiful and weak." My mother then turned to look back at me. "The rituals used to ensure your birth also boosted your Mind stat as they were supposed to. Let's have a little test to see how well you have been learning while I have been away. What do Healing, Stamina, and Mana represent?"

"Pools of specialized magic to either heal, help one's body endure, or use Mana. Going beyond these limits damages your body and soul, leaving permanent scarring and manaburn," I explained to my mother how it had been presented to me by my tutor.

She nodded at this. "Always try to maintain above half. That will help ensure your safety and prevent permanent injury. If you go below that during training, say something immediately. Going lower does not help your stat growth and will only risk hurting you. How do these reserves regenerate?"

"It is variable depending on location, food consumed, mental state, and overall condition," I replied with as much confidence as I could muster as my mother stared intently at me. My nervousness went slightly higher.

"A decent level of recall. Children older than you can't recall such things. Now, your stats, explain them."

I thought that older children would know all this stuff for sure, but I wasn't about to correct my mother.

"Vitality is directly correlated with healing, but it also affects a person's lifespan and the general impact of each healing point. Endurance is the same for stamina, but it also helps one recover faster when exhausted. Strength is the force one can apply. Agility is the ability to move and control one's body freely. Perception is the totality of one's senses. From sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell, working with sensory skills. Mind is the rate at which one can process and keep information, and is key to learning skills. Magic affects Mana and directly relates to the recovery speed of one's Mana. Focus is the ability to keep one's mind clear of adverse effects and use skills effectively."

"All correct, but there is more. What are you missing?"

"Stats can be improved through training, but only whole numbers are shown. Everyone improves in discrete stages based on their stats, even if there is a hidden growth to them. Stats are added on top of a base human body, so natural growth is not affected. They also influence skills, what skills one can get, and how quickly they grow."

My mother smiled at me. "Very good. Tell me why I ensured a high Mind stat at your birth?"

"To help my overall skill growth. Skills improve better when one puts their mind to the task and looks for improvements. These improvements are ingrained in one's soul for ease of use in the future."

"If there were another child your age from a peasant family, how many skills do you think they would have?"

"Ten?" I asked hesitantly, and she shook her head.

"Three to five, with seven being exceptional among regular people. That is the biggest problem with skill growth, the subconscious cap on your initial skill count because of the Mind stat. One needs to focus, and most children have trouble focusing. When they get older and their level increases, their soul is less malleable, which makes it harder to improve skills as rapidly."

"Oh."

"It is fine, my son. I know you understand you are special, but you are my legacy. My growth has slowed. Going deeper into the dungeon is too risky without a dedicated team, and my skill growth is frustratingly slow for certain skills," my mother said and let out a sigh, sagging slightly in her chair.

The Squires all shuffled nervously at that statement of weakness.

"Many legends pursue more Vitality to extend their lives, pushing and pushing, but ultimately, it is pointless. I come from a humble background of mere peasants decades ago. Our family farm was overrun with goblins that had broken out of the dungeon. They killed my parents and siblings. That was when I vowed to fight or die. I picked up a pitchfork and slaughtered my way through the horde," she said while closing her eyes.

I had never heard this before, so I listened closely. No one else breathed as she shared her past.

"So, I killed and killed my way through the monsters into the dungeon and kept killing. There are always more monsters and people to kill. I could fill an entire enormous lake, no, that is too small… it is more correct to say a great sea, with all the blood from the beings I have left dead in my wake. I became stronger and took on loyal Squires."

I noticed the three Squires straighten up at this statement.

"But it was never enough. Becoming detached or power hungry wasn't what I wanted. I did not forget my family on that farm. I named you after my eldest brother, Justin. A strong name. He wanted to be an adventurer despite having no talent. Blood made him queasy," she said.

She brought up one hand to wipe away a single teardrop before turning much more serious.

"I will give you the choice I never had, my son. This is done out of love. I will help you train to be strong in combat, to walk the path of a legend, should you want to do so. I'll assist you in becoming a crafter, if you'd like. If you're interested in becoming a farmer, I'd be happy to help you. But I will not accept mediocrity. That is my true legacy, unwavering determination and commitment. If you are anything, from a farmer to a crafter, you will strive to be the best. Taking the time I have set aside, I will continue to care for you and raise you, even as my future is uncertain. My stats will slowly decrease until my soul collapses from the weight of my skills once age grips me."

I felt the heaviness of this moment.

This was a critical decision I had to make. I knew my mother was honestly asking me if I wanted to pursue her path. The path of blood and sweat, the path of an adventurer who would brave the dungeon and fight for a living.

Chapter 3 – Forced Improvement

I took a nervous gulp as I considered the question I had been asked about my future. There was only one answer that I felt in my heart and with every fiber of my being.

"I want to become strong. A legend like you," I declared resolutely, and my mother nodded at this, like she had been expecting it all along.

"You can scream and cry. I know I did, many times. To excel is to suffer. But to become great, one must endure and train one's willpower. It is not a stat, but it can be trained. It is what separates those who achieve great things from those who don't. You may not complain or let me hear your complaints." I nodded as she continued speaking. "You will listen to me and the tutors I assign you as if they were me. Now, another test. As my Squires will tell you, I like tests."

I quickly realized that. We had only communicated in a couple of letters after she left, and my actual memory of her in my early years was quite foggy.

"I can handle whatever you throw at me," I replied with determination, and my mother shook her head slowly at this declaration, but I didn't miss the slight smile on her face. While she might doubt me, she would not discourage me.

"I like your attitude, but it will be tempered in time like a fine blade quenched in blood and fire. Well, the cursed skill is only annoying in the short term. We will work around it for now. It will be dealt with, eventually. Why is it a bad idea to take you to fight weak monsters? To quickly gain experience, levels, and stat points through power leveling, disregarding the cursed skill?"

I didn't know the answer off the top of my head and reflected. "It will affect my future somehow. Class selection once I gain levels," I finally said.

I hadn't covered class selection yet. Class selection only happened at levels 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 150. There were several factors that determined what the system presented to a person.

"That is true, but vague. Precision is important, my child. A finger width can be the difference between life and death. But you did well in working out that much. You must learn to focus on your critical thinking. Always strive for perfection. Each stat point is harder to get than the last. The more levels you gain as a person, the harder it is to increase the level of your skills. Levels represent the strength of your soul. Right now, your soul is like soft clay, easily shaped. My soul is hardened steel, very hard to change."

"What about classes?"

"Like a cloak one wears. It is difficult to change, and more so the weightier your level. Many people look to delay their leveling, wanting to get better classes. Too many people get hung up in classes. You get good class options at each leveling milestone based on everything about you. Focusing on classes to improve is the wrong way to look at your future," she explained as everyone else in the room was quiet and listened to our conversation.

"Then I should get as many skills as possible before leveling, then?" I asked.

My mother gave me a look with a small smile before answering. "A good question. You may ask more questions if they are as intelligent as that one. The answer is no. Higher tier skills require a stronger soul, especially for tier 4 skills and higher. Otherwise, there are grave consequences," she trailed off and brought up her hand and closed it into a fist.

"Boom. Your body will explode. The two Tier 2 skills you have are fine. Most tier 2 skills won't overly pressure your soul or body, even at a low level. Your stats also help quite a bit, especially the Mind stat. While it helps with learning skills, it also supports your soul in developing additional skills. Normally, there is one Mind stat point for each tier of skill you have. So, a tier 1 skill would count once, a tier 2 skill would count two times for this soft cap."

"Um, why didn't my tutor tell me this?" I asked nervously while I glanced over at Damian.

"Because most children aren't like you, and your training plan was already set. Your father might have taken some liberties, but it is not a problem. Your stats and skills are far beyond what normal children would have at this point."

"But I am already set on the path of a legend. With the skills I have, it would be hard to change," I replied, and my mother shook her head.

"There are specialized System Priests who can remove tier 1 skills from a person with their consent with ease. Many do so who want to pursue the specialties of their parents, specifically those in a craft profession. I would have paid for such a service if you had wanted it. For now, we will focus on breaking through the skill barriers in your skills and increasing their level."

A skill barrier, or bottleneck, occurred at specific levels for each tier. The lower the tier, the fewer the skill barriers. To get past one, one needed to perform a feat with that skill and break through. For tier one skills, this wasn't too hard, and I had already broken through several.

"Do I need all these weapon skills?" I was planning on becoming a spellblade like my mother, which meant Sword Skills were necessary. I was unsure about the other weapon skills. It was still confusing how many tier 1 skills had the word 'skills' in their name, but it was something I was getting used to.

"Yes, skills can be combined or upgraded once they are capped. While it is tough to reach level 100 for any skill above tier 3, it is doable for lower-tier skills without too much hassle. If you walk the path of a spellblade like me, I will ensure you have the strongest foundation."

My mother then pulled out a glowing silver bracelet with several tiny runes on it and set it on the table.

"Since you have made your choice and because of the cursed skill, the best option is to train with one of my Squires. You will improve steadily under their guidance. You will put on this bracelet, which I have crafted specifically for you. It will prevent you from leveling, but allow you to increase your skills and stats without worry. Skills and stats improve most under pressure."

"You want to get the best of fighting without me leveling, to improve my skills quickly. Also, it will stop whoever cursed me from getting any experience from me," I said, repeating some of what she had already told me to make sure I understood. A technique I had learned from my tutor, Damian.

"Yes. It won't affect your stat growth either, which is important. One of my Squires will take you to the first level of the dungeon, where you can fight basic monsters and train while I deal with other matters, like the curse you have been afflicted with. While it doesn't affect my training plans for you, it is a blade pointed at your future."

"Um, you won't be taking me to the dungeon?"

"Child, I love you, but I would go mad with boredom watching you kill basic monsters, and I have a duty to my Squires to train them like they will train you. I will perform other tasks, like looking for natural treasures in the dungeon to aid you and removing that cursed skill. My presence is not required for your training at this time," she said.

I didn't hesitate and picked up the glowing bracelet. I put it on without hesitation and felt a tingling sensation inside my body as the bracelet resized and fit snugly on my left arm.

"This bracelet and others like it were heavily tested by the College of Advancement, which deemed them safe. I would never give you anything I am not sure about. I don't suggest using it or giving it to anyone over level 20 once you are done with it, since their soul will be too strong by then and overwhelm the enchantment."

She then pulled out a spiky green fruit and set it on the desk between us while everyone looked on.

"I also picked this up during my travels. It is a soul fruit. Eat this. All of it, even the seeds and skin. It will help your growth over the next couple of months."

I did not know how valuable such an item was, but I could imagine it was insanely valuable by the looks the Squires were giving it. I picked it up and took a bite. It had a slightly sweet taste and was juicy yet firm. I devoured the entire fruit. There were no seeds inside the fruit. It had a slightly sour taste that made me want to pucker up, but I wolfed it since my mother told me to.

"Ah, no hesitation! Truly like me in that regard, my child. Now rest. Tomorrow, your true training begins. I expect great things from you. Great things."

That was clearly a dismissal, so I left my mother's study and made my way back to my room.

"You did well, Justin," Tutor Damian said.

"Thank you. How valuable was that Soul Fruit?" I asked.

"A precious natural treasure of the dungeon. A green soul fruit is beyond rare. By doing this, your soul will become less rigid, which makes it easier to learn and improve. It is not something you can easily purchase with money, but with favors from an adventurer who has found one. It would be comparable to the cost of your conception to put it into perspective."

All my doubts washed away. My mother might be strict, but she only wanted what was best for me. I was just glad that getting cursed hadn't ruined my future. I looked at the glowing silver bracelet.

"How valuable is this?" I asked.

"Quite valuable. It blocks all experience. Originally designed for noble prisoners to stop them from getting a level with its free stat points to live longer, or to help them escape. It is worth about 10 platinum coins because of the high quality, craftsmanship, and materials."

My head was spinning a bit from everything I had learned, but I wasn't about to let my mother down. I vowed to be the very best legend, no matter what!

Chapter 4 – Squire Jessica

"Wake up!"

I jumped up in fright on my bed. One of my mother's Squires was standing next to it. She tossed some clothes and armor onto the bed.

"Put that on quickly. Your training begins immediately."

I wanted to ask questions, but her stern look and harsh tone made me hesitate. I listened, as my mother had instructed me to obey whoever she sent as my tutor, as if it were her.

After putting on the underclothes, I struggled with the armor for a bit.

"Tighten that strap. Tighter. This is light armor, and you must be sure the straps are tight, so they don't become loose in combat. They are designed not to limit your mobility as much as possible."

I followed her instructions.

"Good, but slow. We will work on that. I am Squire Jessica in service to the Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock, a level 83 spellblade. I will be your tutor for the next three months. After three months, your mother will return from the dungeon and evaluate your progress, and another Squire will take over your training."

"Yes, Squire Jessica."

The leather helmet felt weird when I nodded, but I didn't complain.

"I have the following rules. First, you will tell me immediately if your healing, stamina, or mana drops below a half or a quarter. Do not hesitate to say something. I need to know this so I know exactly how much I can push you."

"Yes, Squire Jessica."

She seemed to like that as she gave me another nod.

"Second rule. Don't look at your stats or skill levels. It clouds your thinking. We will train for these three months without looking at them. If you focus on each small increase, it will take much longer to level up your skills. Better to check every three months for any bottlenecks."

"Um, but how will I know my healing, stamina, and mana if I don't check?"

"When you focus on calling up your status, just think of a shortened version or a combat version. You will only get your level, experience, and reserves. In time, you will sense these things naturally, but that is a tier 2 skill. We will not concern ourselves with that now."

"Yes, Squire Jessica."

"My third and final rule. When I give you instructions, you must listen immediately. Consider your actions, but please trust me. Sometimes, too much information can cloud your thinking when improving a skill. That is why the position of tutor is one of utmost trust and respect."

"I understand."

"Good. I have bought the supplies for a three-month excursion into the dungeon. Follow me."

This was happening quickly, but my mother wasn't one to waste any time, and neither were her Squires.

We left the estate at a quick walk, and then she had me set off on a light jog.

"Increase the speed of your breathing and maintain the rhythm," she said as we jogged along a road leading from the estate.

"Keep it steady as you go up the hill."

"Keep your pace steady on the downhill. Don't speed up."

She kept giving me instructions as the sun rose into the sky. We stopped for a quick breakfast, pulling out food from a spatial pouch. Those were incredibly expensive and rare. But it made sense for my mother's Squires to have such an item.

"Chew and drink. Measure your actions. Keep your breathing steady through your nose, even while eating."

I ate carefully while trying to follow her instructions. It was hard.

"Good. Do you need to use the bathroom?"

I nodded quickly. "Yes."

"Then do your business there in those shrubs. Keep your breathing steady."

I went into the forest and took care of my business. It was challenging to do my business outside like this. While she wasn't staring at me, she monitored me.

Eventually, I finished and used leaves to clean myself off. I didn't really feel clean.

"While it might be embarrassing, that is a common mistake adventurers make, and when they are most vulnerable. As you level up higher, your body will produce less waste, which makes things easier."

"Maybe I should level up then," I replied with a bit of a tone.

She laughed for a moment. "While people might not say it, that is a big reason people don't stick around at the lower levels. But your mother would beat me half to death if I didn't follow her instructions. Let's go, remember your breathing."

We stopped for lunch and dinner on the side of the road. We passed various farms, merchants, and other travelers as we ran along the route. The duchy of Burnstock was well settled and prosperous. We were following the signs towards the city of Burnstock, so the number of travelers would only increase. We got only a couple of looks, but no one stopped us. Squire Jessica stayed right behind me, matching my pace while constantly watching me to make sure I kept my breathing steady.

Just as the sun hit the horizon, she called a stop at a small village where we went to a traveler's inn. She got us a room and stew for dinner. We took a corner table and ate quietly. The villagers gave us glances, but no one came to sit with us.

Squire Jessica was quite imposing, clad in armor and wielding a sword. Everyone could tell she was an adventurer, and probably a powerful one, with the quality of her gear. No one in their right mind would start trouble with her.

Once we were done eating, we went up to our room.

"We will stay in inns while they are available until we reach the entrance to the first level of the dungeon in two days. Now you will begin reading and copying this. Your tutor, Damian, suggested doing this after your mother spoke with him," she said, and pulled out two books from her spatial pouch.

One was a dictionary of the Eldarin language. The other was blank. She also got out a metal fountain pen and a vial of ink.

"Your soul is like a building. Each skill is like a support beam. It is important to complete your support beams. Copying the dictionary and reading it out loud as you copy it will boost your Eldarin language and Writing skills," she explained without me having to be asked.

"Why didn't Tutor Damian do this?"

"Do you think most kids want to read a dictionary and copy it? He probably had you working on fun exercises to keep you mentally engaged while he was present. Having such a high skill level at eight is already incredibly impressive. But I will not coddle you. If you can't do something like this, you will struggle with the future training I plan to give you."

She was right, Tutor Damian had done fun exercises with me in the past.

Squire Jessica might be harsh, but she wasn't cruel. She was pushing me, like I had wanted.

"Light Orb."

A white orb of light appeared, illuminating the room.

"Read out loud and copy. I will tell you when to stop and go to bed. Remember to focus on the task at hand. Don't think about other things. I will answer one question each morning."

I got focused on the task at hand. I carefully pronounced each word and definition, copying everything into the blank book. It was tedious and complicated to concentrate on something so dull, but I endured.

If I were going to be the best, I couldn't let a little tedious task slow me down. I would perfect it and finish it as soon as possible. I knew that language came before learning Eldarin Script as a tier 2 skill.

I knew this was the skill I was aiming for, in mastering an earlier one in the skill chain.

"Stop," Squire Jessica finally said, and I stopped writing and speaking once I reached the end of the word I was copying. "Good job. I can tell you kept your mind mostly on the task. I expect that kind of focus on everything you do from now on. Now sleep," she said, and the light orb disappeared.

"Um, should I get changed?"

"No. Learn to sleep in armor. You are lucky you get an actual bed tonight. The dungeon floor isn't so kind. Don't worry. Each night, we will alternate mental skills to focus on, so you don't get bored."

"Thanks," I said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Justin. Your mother wouldn't place her trust in me if I didn't know what I was doing. This kind of tutoring is reserved for nobility or wealthy individuals who can afford to pay a high-level fighter like me to handhold them. If it weren't for your mother, I wouldn't be doing this."

"Thank you, Squire Jessica."

I meant it too. She was at a higher level than my father. While he had a higher social standing as a duke, no one would disrespect her. A level 80 spellblade was elite. While not a legend, she could get a job anywhere, from guarding a high-level noble to becoming a high-ranking soldier in an army or mercenary company.

"While your thanks are appreciated, don't waste my time. You did well today, but always push to do better. That is how your mother trains her Squires, and I know she expects the same of you, especially if you want to follow in her footsteps."

My mother truly was going all out. I hadn't been sure what would happen when she returned, but I was still in shock at everything changing so quickly. Just yesterday, I was dining in luxury. I was sleeping on a lumpy straw bed that had a slight odor.

It would be easy to quit or give up. But I refused to. I was going to be the best. My goal was to become a legend, not just any legend, but a supreme legend. I would go to the bottom of the dungeon. When people spoke of me, everyone would know my name.

Training like this was hard, but it wasn't impossible. Squire Jessica specifically tailored everything to my ability and skill level. It was impressive, since she wasn't a dedicated tutor. I would have to ask her about that tomorrow.

I said nothing else as I kept my breathing steady and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 5 – The Dungeon

"How do you know so much about skills?" I asked.

"Though not as early as you, someone taught me about them from an early age. Higher-level individuals need less sleep, so I studied up while others were resting. Now, come on. Let's keep working on your breathing and running while we head towards the Dungeon," she explained.

We left the inn before anyone was up. We had already paid for our room, so we didn't need to take any action before leaving.

This day was much like the previous one, and eventually, we arrived at another inn in a small village.

This time, I had to work on the Meditation skill.

"Stillness is key. Think about blackness if you have to think about something and can't empty your mind. Even if you feel itchy or uncomfortable, don't move. Focus on your breathing. Also, tie this cloth around your eyes. It will help you avoid visual distractions," she said.

I wasn't sure if I was improving, but I focused on the skill, not what my status would indicate.

The numbers were distracting when I needed to focus on stillness and blackness. Even if I were curious, I wouldn't break the rules. I kept my breathing steady.

"Justin," I heard my name and felt a nudge.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Time for bed. Off with the blindfold," Squire Jessica said.

I took it off and settled down on the lumpy straw bed.

The next morning, I asked my next question. "How did my mother pick her Squires? I don't understand the title exactly either."

"Any adventurer who makes it to the Last Bastion at the 20th layer of the dungeon can request a mentor. As a supreme legend, your mother can take up to 3 Squires. She has taken a set of Squires previously. Last I heard, two are still alive. One remained in the dungeon, the other retired and serves as a royal guard. Just before Warlady Elena married and had you, she picked up the three of us. A Squire normally serves for ten years, and our time is almost up."

"And you do what she tells you? What do you get?" I asked.

"Within reason, we do whatever she tells us to do. In return, we get training in high-tier skills. For the last nine years, she mostly worked on developing specific high-tier skills and helped her fight in the war with Crownsmith. She had planned to use these three months to take us into the dungeon in pairs to push us up some more levels and break through certain skills. But with the curse skill that has affected you, that has changed. Now, enough questions, time to run and breathe."

We arrived in the city of Burnstock that evening.

Jessica skipped the line at the main gate, which was reserved for merchants and peasants, and proceeded to the other line for nobility and high-level individuals.

She held up a small glowing metal plate that had been concealed on a chain, around her neck, and beneath her armor.

"Platinum Adventurer Jessica and companion," she declared to the guard stationed there. The peasants and merchants looked at us, especially me.

"Welcome, Adventurer Jessica. Do you have anything to declare before entering the City of Burnstock?" the guard asked.

She didn't have to answer or say anything. It was more a question of whether she was looking to start a fight with someone. If that were the case, they would escalate the matter to someone of greater authority and arrange for the battle to take place outside the city, if possible.

"No. I am entering the dungeon," she replied.

"Then I wish you luck, Adventurer Jessica," the guard replied, and we entered the city with no more hassle.

"That easy?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

My tutor said that cities were quite strict in monitoring who entered and exited, the same with the dungeon entrances located inside the cities.

"When you become a platinum adventurer, people don't ask many questions anymore. If it were your mother, they wouldn't even dare look at her. As for other legends, it depends on their renown," Squire Jessica explained.

I followed her through the city until she picked out a nicer inn near the center of the city. After enjoying some fresh bread and stew, we went to a much nicer room than the ones in the previous inns.

"Normally, you need to be registered with the Adventurer's Guild to enter the dungeon, but as a Platinum Adventurer, we can skip that hassle."

I nodded.

It made sense. The Adventurer's Guild established and maintained the entrances to the dungeon and managed any wilderness monsters. They wouldn't let anyone enter who would die at the first monster they came across. But with Jessica, that wasn't even a question. She would flash her glowing plate and skip everything that was a hassle.

"No more questions right now. Tonight, you are focusing on your Drawing Skills. I want you to draw me," she said, and got out blank sheets of paper and a pen. She made another light orb, and I got to work trying to draw her face.

I felt each drawing was terrible, but I didn't give up or complain. Eventually, Squire Jessica told me to stop, and I went to bed, unsure if I had broken through with the skill.

The next morning, she woke me up, and we had breakfast at the inn we were staying at. Apparently, the higher-class places served breakfast.

Once that was done, we made our way to a fortress at the edge of the city that was still inside the city walls. Squire Jessica flashed her metal plate, and we were let through without question. At the center of the fortress, behind several gates, was a staircase leading downwards.

"The wild entrances are a pain, along with the lower entrances. At least surface entrances don't shift. Stay behind me," she said, and I followed her down the large spiral staircase underground.

"Who made this?" I asked.

"A god? The System? Who knows? Maybe you will find out one day. Regardless, each layer or level represents five levels, with monsters and their corresponding individual levels, resulting in an increase of 50 in their total stats. So, the first layer, monsters are level 5, is perfect for you," she said.

"I need a weapon."

"Ah, yes. Here, I've got a sword and shield for you. We will start working on these skills while you adjust to the dungeon. If there is anything concerning, speak up," she said and pulled the gear out of her spatial pouch to hand to me.

"Yes, Squire Jessica."

We continued our descent.

"The dungeon rearranges itself constantly. Hopefully, we can get you the Tier 2 skill Depth Sense. But it is finicky. For now, the plan is that you fight until you hit half in one of your reserves. Once that happens, we will take a break and have you work on a mental activity. Then once you are full up, we continue," she explained.

"That's it?" I asked.

I was expecting something more.

"Kid, that is a lot. Trust me. Fighting is mentally and physically exhausting, even with your stats. I won't let you die, but I will not stop things from hitting or hurting you. So, you need to focus."

"Yes," I answered, feeling nervous.

"Don't worry. Even if there is an anomaly or something unexpected, I can handle anything on the 1st layer."

"What about other people?"

"We will move away from this location. And someone recorded our entrance. Higher-level adventurers get priority as the Guild manages the number of people entering at once, so they don't run into each other. We skipped the queue, but that is one benefit of being strong."

"And can we get out?"

"Don't worry. Once you get Depth Sense, you can sense where the nearest paths to the layer above and below you are. We will avoid the path to the lower layer. They normally have guardians or champion monsters with twice the level of regular monsters on that layer."

"Where do the monsters come from?"

"Magic? No one knows for sure. I need to make sure you learn Monster Processing. Not the most glamorous of skills, but important if you want to make money in the lower layers of the dungeon. There isn't much value in the top layers, since everyone clears them of monsters trying to earn some basic coin, but improving the skill is important. The higher-level monsters have important body parts that are used in Alchemy and other professions."

There was a lot of knowledge to think about as we reached the bottom of the stairs. There was faint illumination everywhere with no specific light source. Even with the small bit of illumination, it was still quite dark.

"It is hard to see," I said.

"You will eventually get Darkness Vision. Learn to deal with it. The environment can get much crazier than some stone tunnels the deeper you go into the dungeon," Squire Jessica explained.

We had entered a large stone cavern with multiple tunnels.

"That way," she said, and I followed behind her down one tunnel.

"The first layer, there aren't many traps. If I find one, I will have you try to figure it out so you can try to get the Trap Detection skill. Now, there are monsters up ahead. When you attack, don't hesitate. That is the worst thing you can do. Kill them and make sure they are dead."

"What kind?" I asked nervously, and she shook her head.

"You need to learn to face the unknown while it is still safe on the 1st layer. Focus on trying to analyze the monsters, specifically weak points, before a fight, if possible."

I advanced with my sword and shield in hand. In front of me were three humanoid rats about my size. They were only wielding short wooden spears with stone tips. Dangerous, but not overly so.

Rushing forward, I slashed down at the back of one of the ratlings.

It let out a loud squeal as it collapsed.

My sword was stained red with blood.

I spun and slashed out, knocking away a spear tip and slashing the throat of another ratling. It stumbled back, gripping at its neck before collapsing to the ground with a spasm.

My shield barely blocked the last ratling in time.

I knocked the spear to the side with my shield and stabbed it through an eye socket.

I felt sick as blood poured out as I freed my sword. Checking the first ratling, I found it was still alive. I stabbed it through the head and tried not to puke.

The guard captain had insisted I see an animal get butchered before training me. He then had me cook the meat. That was where I gained cooking skills and some initial crafting experience.

But this was so much worse.

At least these monsters were just things created by the dungeon for adventurers to face and not actual creatures or people.

"Good job on your first actual fight. Battle awareness will come in time, along with the development of more skills and skill levels. Especially Danger Sense. That is a good skill to have."

"I don't feel well," I replied.

"Don't throw up on me, but now it is time to harvest. I got you a harvesting knife. The most valuable part is the monster core. It goes up like the colors of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet like the class system. You need to sense the mana flow within the creature and dig it out. You are going to get dirty, accept it," she told me.

I already knew most of this, but I wasn't about to tell her to stop talking.

I was nauseous as I cut into the ratlings. A tiny red bead was in a different location in each of them, and I needed Jessica's help to locate them. My Mana Sense skill was too weak.

"Are they always in a different location?"

"Yes, don't eat them either. Either the cores or monster meat. That is raw magic contaminated with the essence of the monster. If you ever see an adventurer with inhuman features, they did something stupid, like eating unprocessed monster flesh," she explained. "Most don't survive."

"Got it. I am guessing these aren't worth much?" I asked.

"Coppers, kid, coppers. Core color increases every fifty monster levels, or ten layers in the dungeon. Indigo and violet cores are just a legend, mostly. But that is why some people say the lowest level in the dungeon is 34 or 35, since champion monsters are double level. I don't know, and it's not worth the mental energy to worry about such things. Focus on improving your skills," she told me.

"Got it, Squire Jessica," I replied without hesitation.

I was curious about my skills and how they were increasing, but I wasn't about to break the rules Jessica had set for me.

Chapter 6 – Low Level Noobs

I stabbed out with a spear Jessica gave me, killing a wood sprite. It let out a shriek as it died, but I had long since learned to ignore the screams and cries of the monsters. It had been only a week since we had entered the dungeon, but it felt far longer than that.

One got caught up in killing and lost track of time. Nothing too serious if one didn't completely lose their mind. There were pieces of equipment that could track the time and other helpful information.

She told me to focus on my skills and let her worry about our route and the equipment. I didn't press her on the issue, since she clearly knew what she was doing.

I felt dirty, tired, and miserable.

At the end of every day, she would use a cleaning spell, but that was it.

"Spending Mana can attract stronger monsters in the lower levels of the dungeon. Additionally, it is a valuable resource that should be kept in reserve. If you are in a fight for your life, you don't want to spend it wishing you hadn't kept cleaning yourself. Once a day is more than enough, even extravagant by some standards."

The stone tunnels transitioned to other material types, with occasional caverns and tunnels branching out in all directions. I had lost track of keeping any sense of direction after the first day.

"I am leading us to monsters you can handle. You aren't ready to face over five monsters at a time. While I can hold off the rest if there is a larger group, there is no point in putting you under such pressure so early on when you can't handle it."

Five monsters really were my limit. I got hit, stabbed, and sustained other minor wounds. All of which healed from my healing points that I had in reserve. Each fight felt a little easier, but I didn't stop pushing myself.

I had grown up hearing stories about my mother and the other legends of the world. I wanted to be one. It was probably something I had picked up from the adults, the tone of reverence and awe in their voices when speaking of such people. That was why I asked why it was so hard to get more levels later.

"Kid, the experience requirement goes up and up. That means you must fight monsters at a much higher level than yourself if you are going to keep gaining levels. As the difference increases, so does the difficulty. Anyone can reach level 20 with a bit of effort. Crafting does not provide sufficient experience to reach level 40, even for those who have enough resources to focus solely on crafting.

"Most jobs for people like me are escorting people who have coin to level them up with safety in the dungeon. Like your father, he leveled up his power to around level 60. After level 60, the cost and time just aren't worth it, which is where most nobles and rich people stop."

"Then you have the elites around level 80, like me. Then legends at 100 and supreme legends above 150. This matches up with whatever class you might choose as well."

"How did my mother get to such a high level?"

"Fighting by herself in the dungeon day after day, month after month, year after year. She was a relentless one-woman killing machine. That is why she holds the title of supreme legend. Fewer than five people have been recognized as reaching such a level at the Last Bastion on the 20th layer of the dungeon since the place was set up."

"But she can't go deeper?"

"The monsters get smarter. It is also impossible to form a top-level team. There needs to be a high level of trust, which just isn't possible. That is why most legends are solos. Trusting someone can mean death. Even if it is an accident, the stigma of letting a teammate die is large. You either come back together or die together if you ever want to work with another legend."

It made sense. People didn't want others to betray or abandon them if a fight got tough. I had a long way to go to reach that level, but it was good to have a clear goal in mind.

As we proceeded down another tunnel with green crystals growing out of the dirt walls, I heard noises up ahead.

I looked back at Jessica.

It was getting easier to see the longer we were down here in the dungeon. My skill was probably improving, but I didn't look at it.

I resolved to keep my word and not look until the three months had passed and my mother came to evaluate my progress.

"Other people, it is fine. It will be a good experience for you to see how other adventurers struggle even on the first layer of the dungeon," she said.

She stayed in front of me as we made our way through the tunnel to a larger cavern.

There were five teens fighting off eight goblins. Their equipment was shoddy. The leather straps were loose. The armor was heavily frayed and damaged. Their swords and spears had nicks in them. Jessica forced me to care for my equipment every evening before working on mental skills. Even before she would use her cleaning skills. Blood also covered them; some of it was recent, while most of it was much older.

"You should politely wait on the side and watch the other team until they finish fighting. You should only step in if they are overwhelmed or ask for help, and if they ask for help, you are entitled to split the monster cores with them."

"Their stances and swings are all off," I whispered, and she nodded.

"They don't have someone like me correcting them after each fight. They are tired, desperate, and struggling on the first layer. If they leave the dungeon, they will spend most of their money patching up what they have to head down here again, gambling with their lives. If they live long enough, they will go down another layer, with probably one dying to a champion the first time they fight one."

"When will they make enough to stabilize their descent?"

"When they reach the 5th layer of the dungeon, which means getting to around level 30 for each of them. That is when people have either died off or stabilized to a certain degree. Some keep going, pushing themselves to become stronger and delve deeper. Others retire and take up other jobs."

"Everyone descends?"

"Most people try, since it is a quick route to having a more stable and prosperous life. Skills and stats make everything easier. The real challenge is that people will get fighting skills going into the dungeon, which is why rich people pay for power levelers like me to disable monsters so they can get the kill and the experience," Jessica explained, opening my mind to how the world truly worked.

It was one thing to read about this, another to see things in practice. The group of five triumphed over the remaining goblins. That was when one of them noticed us.

"This is our kill!" the teen shouted, pointing his sword at Jessica. The rest of the teens' team turned to face us.

"Just passing through. You can keep your kills. We didn't want to interrupt you mid-fight," she replied.

A larger teen stepped forward. He had the best-looking sword in the group. "I appreciate that, fellow adventurer. We plan to stop for the day and rest. You are welcome to join us."

Jessica nodded. "We will rest as well. Peace for peace, fist for fist."

"Peace for peace, fist for fist," the man declared back.

Jessica turned her head towards me.

"It is the vow of adventurers to camp together in peace and not start trouble with each other. In the dungeon, they settle disagreements with fists, not weapons or magic."

We found an open spot and sat down on some rocks while the team processed the goblins.

"Thank you for your help," I whispered, seeing them tear apart the corpses to find the monster cores.

"No problem. It gets better once your skills improve, but it is essential that you recognize and understand this. You will meet adventurers who aren't as fortunate as you."

The other team finished up and got their packs over by one of the tunnel entrances. They didn't have a spatial storage item like Jessica did. After they got their packs and whispered to each other for a minute, they came over to sit down on nearby rocks, facing us.

"I am Kurn. These are my teammates — Finn, Zane, Liam, and Jace," the leader said.

"I am Jessica. This is Justin." I noted she didn't use titles, just our first names. Another thing to remember. "Do you wish for me to use cleaning magic on all of us?"

"Um, yes, it won't hurt?" Kurn asked, and Jessica shook her head.

"No. However, the smell will be significantly reduced. Some glowing white light will appear, and they will remove the dried blood and other monster remains."

There were no objections.

She raised one hand.

"Clean."

She repeated the spell once for each of us, leaving us all much cleaner.

I got this treatment every day, but the team of low-level adventurers had been suffering since they all relaxed quite a bit after that bit of magic.

"Thank you," Kurn said, and the others echoed him in thanking Jessica. "Surprising to see someone so young in the dungeon."

"It is my duty to tutor Justin here. Have you been adventuring for long?" she asked.

"Second time down, but we are managing," Kurn replied.

His teammates seemed reluctant to speak. They had probably decided beforehand to let Kurn talk, or it was another bit of dungeon etiquette where only the leaders of each group would speak.

I would have to ask Jessica later.

"You are doing decently for a newly formed group. We have dried meat and hardtack."

"The same standard adventurer fare, regardless," Kurn said with a smile, and Jessica nodded.

We had much more than that, including a cook set and prepared food that she had made me cook with. Squire Jessica was trying to be as polite as a much higher-level adventurer could be. Everyone got out their food, and I noticed them looking at the spatial storage.

"How high level-"

"Shut up, Zane. Don't make trouble," Kurn interrupted his teammate from asking a rude question.

"We are all adventurers down in the dungeon," Jessica replied, and I noted some nods from the other team.

She would later explain that since we weren't teaming up, it was incredibly rude to ask such a question. The same applied to creating a scene with better equipment.

Since she was power leveling me, even if it was only skill levels, she was far too powerful for this layer of the dungeon. Because of the frequent occurrences, delvers basically developed informal rules. Higher-level individuals don't stomp on or embarrass those of lower levels. Lower-level personnel don't create problems or cause headaches for higher-level adventurers.

It was basically like two travelers staying at an inn. We might have shared the common room during dinner, but we were not connected.

This didn't always hold true. There were people who targeted others in the dungeon, especially in the higher layers where individuals were weak, which was why most people had a team to protect themselves.

Higher-level people were more focused on monsters, since killing other humans wasn't conducive to leveling. There were just not enough high-level humans compared to the number of monsters in the dungeon.

Troublemakers and dangerous people lingered on the higher levels. But there was the risk of running into someone like Jessica, who could kill them with ease. It was clear she was power-leveling me, which explained her presence. However, if there was a high-level person without a low-level person, it was clear they were not power leveling, and most of the time, they were only there to cause trouble.

With Depth Sense, finding the route down wasn't that difficult. So, if a high-level person was wandering around alone, then they were most likely up to no good.

Chapter 7 – Traps In The Dark

"Stop," Jessica said, and I immediately stopped moving. She had adjusted our formation, so I was in front after a month down in the dungeon. "Look around. What do you see?"

I looked carefully, trying to spot something, but I couldn't see anything. Even with my improving vision, it was still quite dark, which made everything look black and white. It made it hard to notice minor details.

While it was tempting to ask Jessica for help, I knew she wanted me to check the area carefully. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said anything.

I carefully scanned the floor first, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Checking the walls, nothing either. But the current tunnel had numerous imperfections, which created shadows, making it hard to see a trap trigger.

Slowly, I moved my hand forward, and Jessica said nothing.

When my Danger Sense triggered, I paused and looked carefully around my hand. I saw a thin string going through the air.

"The thin line of string through the air," I said.

"It is a wire. In these upper layers, it is weak like a string, but if you rush down levels, you can cut yourself on them if you aren't careful. The best way to disarm a trap in the upper layers is to trigger it ahead of you. Once you get past the 10th layer in the dungeon, it can get more complicated than that, but for now, nothing to worry about. There is a Tier 3 Trap Disarming skill, but you need Trap Detection at a high level first before even thinking of that," she explained as I backed up.

"The dungeon just makes all of this?" I asked.

It seemed weird.

"The traps, layout, monsters, and the occasional treasure. To see a treasure on the first layer here is beyond rare. They mainly start showing up on the 5th layer."

Jessica drew and swung her blade so fast, I couldn't see it.

The wire broke, and a large stone block detached from the ceiling and fell into the middle of the tunnel just in front of me.

"The wire didn't even go up that way," I said, confused.

"Traps are complicated and lethal. That is why Trap Detection is so important. If you can't figure out a trap, don't be afraid to backtrack," Jessica explained.

"And the dungeon won't change?"

I continued onward around the fallen stone.

"Never when someone is near, but at long range, the dungeon suppresses most sensory skills, and the Perception stat aiding them. It gets worse the deeper you go. I can sense everything clearly out to 500 meters on this level and another 1,500 meters vaguely. Occasionally, when we move back and forth, I have a vague sense that something has moved at the edge of my range," she explained.

"Since the dungeon is everywhere, why not just dig straight down?"

"You really are full of questions. Last two for today. Even though the dungeon is everywhere, people have curated the entrances on the surface of our world as much as possible. Occasionally, one opens in the wilderness, releasing a bunch of monsters. As for digging, there are weird spatial effects between each layer in the dungeon."

I moved slowly while listening. That was probably why she was curtailing my questions, so we just didn’t talk all the time.

"Adventurers have tried to tunnel next to a staircase; the spatial effects ripped them apart. Now, no one risks trying to go between levels outside of the set paths. And before you ask, the dungeon gets more complicated the deeper you go. Just like the traps," she finished her explanation.

I had more questions, of course.

How was the Last Bastion set up if the dungeon was everywhere? Was the dungeon bigger than the surface of our world?

I held back the questions while I focused on the tunnel we were moving through.

I wanted to spot the next trap, even if they were infrequent.

That seemed like the achievement that would earn me the Tier 2 skill. The higher the tier of the skill, the harder it was to get it in one's status. The system had hidden prerequisites. For Tier 1 skills, it was about completing the task while maintaining focus. This requirement increased with the tier, which was related to mana use.

My previous tutor hadn't gone into depth on this. Teaching mana skills at a young age came with a lot of risk, since they were higher-tier. Mana Sense was the safest and easiest mana-related skill I could get early on.

I had asked Jessica about leveling it, but she told me not to worry about leveling tier 2 skills for right now.

"You are still too young and weak to get higher-tiered skills safely. Focusing on leveling up tier 2 skills will put too much pressure on your soul. Better to focus on the basics and build up a firm foundation."

I didn't like the explanation, but it made sense. I wanted to use spells like Jessica did, but there were safety concerns.

Focusing on leveling up spells would also be my choice. I knew this, Jessica knew this, and my mother probably knew this as well. Magic was amazing.

Just a single spoken command and a gesture.

The spell Clean was too valuable to ignore.

Also, Light Orb, which made training my mental stats each night easier. It was impossible to tell night from day down in the dungeon without Jessica's guidance.

She had also told me that there were more natural light sources the deeper one went, as the level of ambient Mana increased. But it was better to depend on one's own skills rather than what the dungeon gave. It was too easy to be tricked on the lower levels.

The next set of monsters we came across were blue slimes, surrounding a shallow pool of water.

"A weak magical-type monster," Squire Jessica said.

"Magical type?" I asked.

"They rely on a special skill more than their physical nature to kill adventurers. What do you think the problem is?" she asked.

I focused on the blobs in front of me and pondered the question.

I thought that they would either shoot some goo or wouldn't be easily damaged with physical attacks, and told her so.

"Nothing is completely immune at the higher layers to any damage type, but in the lower layers, you can encounter monsters with a specific immunity. For the slimes, what do you think is the best way to fight them?"

"Bow and arrow, at a distance. That way, no magical skills can reach me."

She nodded. "Good choice. You are getting better at this. Slimes are like cups. You need to shatter the exterior of the cup to kill them. Stronger slimes can heal their outsides more quickly. Normally, I would suggest fire-based spells since they tend towards water. Ah, don't worry, we can discuss the elemental chart another time," she said while she got out a bow and quiver that were my size.

I had the strength to pull back the string at least. Letting out a breath, I shot an arrow at the nearest slime.

It hit the top of the slime at a slight angle and bounced off.

The slime jiggled its way towards me along with the other slimes. I pulled out another arrow and fired again, aiming lower.

This time I struck the slime at its center. Fluid gushed out, dissolving the arrow and part of the floor.

That was nasty.

I fired off more arrows, killing off seven more slimes with ten more arrows. I needed to work on my Bow Skills.

"You need to work on your Bow Skills," Jessica said, echoing my thoughts.

"I know. It was hard to hit them since they are so small, smaller than my head."

She nodded. "Small monsters are annoying like that. Now for the processing. Magical-type monsters, especially those with weird body effects, mean you need to be careful. While the effect of their melting will have diminished significantly after their death, some of it remains. If you try to get their cores with your bare hands, they won't disintegrate but will start bleeding. The best tool is gloves," she said and pulled out a pair that were slightly larger than was comfortable.

"They are bigger, so you can grow into them. The armor can withstand the 5th layer of the dungeon. Please don't use them beyond that. Always replace your pair after ten years. If the enchantments fail, well, losing a hand is terrible and costly to fix," she explained, and I nodded while putting them on.

I wasn't about to make stupid mistakes like that and was grateful to Squire Jessica for explaining all these little details. I knew I was fortunate compared to most other people, who could only learn as they went along or from the occasional tidbit passed on by their seniors.

"Does the Adventurer's Guild teach this?" I asked.

"They have a book explaining best practices. Most people never read the entire thing. It is quite boring and dense. Having people die down here is a waste. While I am helping you, most adventurers do not receive the same level of guidance, but they are not entirely without information."

I nodded at this, feeling a small sense of relief.

The pouch with the tiny fingertip-sized red cores filled up. While it might be worth a lot to others in terms of coin, for me, it was more about the sense of accomplishment. With my mother and father, I had nothing to worry about.

While my mother could have earned a substantial amount of money and probably could have afforded to raise a child on her own, my father did more than provide the financial means; he also tried to create a safe environment for me to grow up in.

Even though he had recently failed, I was sure there were other threats out there looking to take me out to strike at my mother. It allowed me to grow up and progress in my skills with relative safety.

I also knew that my mother planned to spend more resources on me. While she hadn't said this exactly, she had said she was looking for more treasures for me in the dungeon. If I didn't become the absolute best, I would feel like I had wasted this opportunity that no one else had.

It was hard being so smart. While other kids were playing and having fun, I was down in the dungeon, fighting monsters to improve my skills. But I had made my choice, and I would not change it now. I was going to become a spellblade, and a named supreme legend at the same immense height as my mother.

This wasn't an immediate decision, but one that had grown the longer I had remained in the dungeon, fighting, getting stronger. I would keep pushing and see how far someone like me could go, and what the view was like from such a lofty vantage point. What did my mother see at her lofty level?

Chapter 8 – Champion Monster

 "Time for your final test," Squire Jessica said.

"Final test? What is it?" I asked.

"It has been two and a half months since we entered the dungeon. Time to leave and let you rest up a bit before your mother returns," she said.

"Rest? I can keep going," I replied with determination.

Squire Jessica chuckled at this.

"You and everyone else, kid. Breaks and resting aren't a bad thing. They help clear your mind. Let you reset. There have been studies that have shown all of this. Lots of studies for the optimal level gain. That is why your mother set a three-month time frame. She will rush back, check your progress, and rush off again."

"Won't my mother need a break?" I asked.

"After the last incident of you being attacked, she will want to check on you more regularly. Training us Squires is simple for her. It is only when she goes below the 20th layer of the dungeon that she needs to get serious. Rotating us Squires out to train and protect you is also a break for us from our usual, focused training. Also, teaching is a good way to improve some basic skills that have been languishing," Jessica explained.

I nodded. "So, the test?"

"The test is to fight a champion monster guarding the path down to the next layer of the dungeon. Champions are twice the level of the other monsters, which makes them incredibly difficult the lower you go."

"Can't you run by them?"

"They are one of the few monsters that will chase down an adventurer, but only if they run to the next layer. Monsters can hurt each other, but they won't fight each other. Having something chase you is a good way to end up in a dangerous situation and die. Now, during a fight with a champion, there are regular monsters of a similar type. I will handle these regular monsters, while you focus on the champion."

"Got it. I know you think I am ready, since you are saying I should do this, but am I really ready?" I asked anxiously.

"Doubt is in all of us, kid, even me. The deeper you go, the greater the doubt becomes. A good rule of thumb is 20 stats per monster level to be safe. When you checked months ago, you had 96, which is around monster level 5. This is just a guideline. Regular people have around 12 stats per level, since you get 10 free stat points per level up. Nobles and rich people have around 15. This number is harder to keep up with the higher your level."

"Since natural stat gain is harder," I replied, and Jessica nodded.

"Exactly. You are probably around 110 or 120 if I had to guess. No looking at your status. You have enough stats to be eligible to fight the champion at this level of the dungeon, while being overqualified for the regular monsters."

"Got it. I am ready," I replied, and Jessica gave me a nod.

"Good. Now focus on the fight, especially your Danger Sense. I will watch but will only step in if you are about to die. Don't let that happen."

We made our way through the tunnel to the next chamber, which was quite large. I saw a staircase leading down in the middle of the chamber with a single lit torch next to it. The dungeon created features like this, but I had been learning to ignore them primarily as part of the background scenery, unless they impacted combat. The single light source would create longer shadows. There was a large troll monster that was twice Jessica's height, standing near the staircase; it was three times my height.

"Big," I muttered quietly.

"Yes, sticking with a sword?" she asked me.

"Yes. A troll, so regeneration?" I asked, looking at the scars on its body. The dungeon sometimes offered clues about monsters if one looked closely enough. There were general guidelines based on appearance that one could use, especially in the upper layers of the dungeon.

"Yes. But it will be slow. It is a physical brawler and large. If you try to block it head-on, it will smash you away, breaking your footing. Focus on dodging. Don't let it grab you," Squire Jessica said.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

There were no other monsters that I could spot in the chamber, just the champion. I walked forward, and the troll's head swiveled towards me far more quickly than other monsters had noticed me. It must have had a higher Perception stat, with its higher level.

"RAWR!" The troll let out a roar and stood up. No weapons, just clawed hands and a mouth with lots of teeth.

I advanced, suppressing my fear. This was something I could do.

The troll lunged and swiped at me.

I felt an incredible sense of danger and stepped back, barely avoiding the hit.

The troll stepped forward and swiped again.

It was too big, and its arms were too long.

I couldn't spot an opening, so I stepped back again.

My only advantage was that I was so short compared to the troll, it had to hunch over to swing at me, disrupting its balance.

"RAWR!" It let out another roar and rushed at me wildly in a frenzy.

I leaped to the side and swung, drawing a small gash on one of its arms. I barely had time to bring up my shield as a clawed hand struck it.

The force was too much, and my footing broke. I went tumbling.

I angled my sword away from my body but did not let go. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold on to my shield.

I got to my feet as the troll rushed in. Out of desperation, I dove under another swipe of its clawed hand, between its legs.

My sword cut the monster along its ankle, deeply.

Green blood flowed freely.

The troll spun, and I tried to block its clawed hand with my sword, but I wasn't strong enough.

The troll hit me, sending my sword flying, and I tumbled across the floor.

As I struggled to stand up, my heart was wild with fear.

I couldn't see Jessica anywhere. Did she abandon me?

"No," I said weakly as I tried to stand.

The troll advanced on me and grabbed me.

I was going to die. This was it. My apologies, Mother.

The troll squeezed the breath out of me as it brought me up towards its mouth. I couldn't control my bladder as fear overwhelmed me in my final moments.

My struggle was useless.

"Flame Blade."

The entire chamber erupted in light and heat, and I was falling.

I hit the ground with a thud.

The troll's hand was still grasping me, but now it was a severed stump near its elbow. Someone had also removed its head, leaving nothing behind but a smoking stump at its neck.

The troll collapsed to the ground, dead.

Jessica walked over and swung her blade with incredible speed. The blade cut up the troll's hand, freeing me and covering me with green troll blood.

I started hyperventilating.

"Breathe. Focus on your breathing," she said.

Wasn't she supposed to protect me!?

"Why!" I shouted in anger.

"A lesson regarding hubris. You can safely give this lesson here on the first layer of the dungeon. If you don't feel comfortable taking a fight, don't take it. That is the best advice I can give you, and this lesson will hopefully sink in," she said.

I didn't know how I should feel—frustration, anger, helplessness, shame from having wet myself as I was about to die.

They all came up at once, and I cried.

I couldn't stop myself.

Jessica said nothing as she went over to the side of the chamber and took a seat against the wall.

It took me far longer than I wanted to calm down. My healing points had completely bottomed out, and I felt incredibly sore.

I made my way over.

"My healing points are empty," I mumbled.

Jessica nodded and stood up.

"Clean."

The blood, my shame — it was all removed.

"I won't apologize. You aren't training like some noble to gain levels to flaunt. You wish to become a legend. A supreme legend, this means you must embrace the reality that is death."

If I said anything, I might start crying in shame all over again. All I could do was nod.

"That is why, even with stats, people seldom bring children your age down into the dungeon. It is uncaring. Unkind. The monsters give no mercy. One mistake, and monsters will consume you, leading to a horrible death. Most of your stats are in Mind and Focus. Good for your development and resisting mental effects, but you never thought about how others would have their stats. Their stats would concentrate on Vitality, Strength, Endurance, and Agility."

I just nodded again. Feeling angry, I had just listened and accepted what she had said, without thinking deeper.

"If the lessons you have learned from this fight stick with you the rest of your life, then I will have done something right. Now come, we are headed towards the path out of this place," Squire Jessica said.

Before, she had seemed a stern but caring tutor.

Now I knew better.

She was probably frustrated because she had to watch her boss's kid, and she was an elite adventurer. However, complaining to my mother would prove my weakness when she returned. I wouldn't say anything.

I would focus on getting stronger and avoiding this mistake in the future.

Trust was rare and precious.

While Jessica taught me some important lessons, it had cost the trust we had built between us.

She wouldn't let me die, but she wasn't about to stop me from making mistakes either. The pain and the shame I felt from having almost died were a lesson I would never forget.

I sustained minor injuries during the fights in the dungeon, but they weren't serious—nothing where I was moments away from being eaten.

Jessica set a brisk pace and killed all the monsters in our path with a casual swing of her sword. She didn't bother collecting their cores, and I didn't mention it.

As her kills, she could do with the corpses as she pleased.

We reached another spiral staircase, this time leading upwards. Looking closely, it was the same one we had come down on.

The skill Depth Sense was superb at helping one find their way down here.

I followed Jessica as we climbed the stairs. A group passed us on the way down, and they only nodded their heads.

Chapter 9 – Rest And Recovery

We arrived inside the fortress that guarded the entrance to the dungeon. Jessica flashed her glowing platinum adventurer plate, and they waved us through without questions or paperwork.

I followed her to a very fancy inn near the city center. This was the place traveling nobility would stay at or high-level adventurers.

"Room for two, and I wish to reserve your spa for tomorrow," Squire Jessica said to the clerk.

"Of course. We are happy to accommodate you. That will be twenty gold," the clerk said.

Jessica pulled out the money without hesitation, and the clerk handed us a room key.

The other inns didn't have room keys.

I followed Jessica to our room, which had an attached bathroom, just like the one at the estate.

"Rest and sleep. Tomorrow morning, we will go to the spa together."

"Why?"

"To help your body and mind recover from what you experienced. Rest here. I will get food. Good food."

She was being a lot nicer now that I had almost died.

I wanted to tell her not to worry; I wouldn't complain to my mother, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Jessica left, and I took off my armor, which was heavily damaged, before collapsing on my bed.

I hadn't even picked up my sword and shield after the fight. Jessica had done that.

Stupid. I was so stupid and useless.

I was too tired to cry and just lay there with my head buried in a pillow. Maybe this was all a dream. I would go to sleep and wake back up in the dungeon.

"Justin, wake up."

I felt Jessica shaking me gently. I must have fallen asleep.

"Go away," I muttered, keeping my eyes closed and my face buried in the pillow.

"I am setting some food on the table next to your bed. It will make you feel better," she said and then left me alone.

After a couple of minutes, I peeked out from my pillow and saw Jessica sitting on a chair, looking out the nearby window.

Getting up, I looked at the spread of food she brought.

I picked up a buttered roll, my favorite, and took a bite. My condition improved a little, yet I was unsure what to say and just continued to eat.

I noticed Jessica had left fresh clothes next to the food. I picked them up and went to the bathroom.

After getting a shower, which felt far nicer than the Clean spell, I got changed.

It was nice to have a place with running water, even if the enchantments weren't cheap to maintain.

I entered the room and looked at Jessica.

She still hadn't moved in the slightest, and it was getting dark out.

I went to my bed and collapsed onto it again. So fluffy and comfortable.

I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up and used the bathroom. It was nice to have a proper place to do my business in, rather than on the side of the road or in the dungeon.

Jessica remained seated at the window, watching the sunrise. She had gotten cleaned and changed during the night as well.

"I will get some breakfast and then we will go to the spa," she said.

There were buttered rolls, eggs, and crispy bacon. It was absolutely divine compared to my poor cooking that we ate down in the dungeon.

It made me wonder if anyone ever brought a professional chef down there. People would probably make fun of them, but a noble had likely brought a chef down into the dungeon at one point.

Once I was done with breakfast, Squire Jessica finally stood up.

"Come on."

I followed her through the large inn to an attached building.

"Welcome. We specialize in relaxation here at the Golden Spa. For two esteemed individuals like yourselves, speak up if there is a problem," a beautiful woman said.

Jessica nodded as we were led to a room with two tables, and we were told to lie down.

"Focus on your breathing," Jessica said as the masseuse worked me over.

At first, I was tense, but then I gradually relaxed. The tension draining from my body was heavenly, though a deep sense of exhaustion hit me.

People worked on our bodies for the rest of the morning after we had a break for a light lunch of fruit and salad. Then, a team attended to our hands and feet while we reclined in comfortable chairs.

By the time we were done, my body felt much looser, and I felt much more relaxed.

We went back to our room, and someone had cleaned it during our absence. Jessica went to get dinner and brought it back up to our room.

"How are you feeling?" she finally asked.

"Relaxed," I replied, and she nodded.

"While your stats help, you ultimately control your body. Tensing certain muscles and being overly focused can increase your stress. While some people learn to deal with it, it slows down their rate of growth."

I nodded, not really wanting to say anything now.

After we finished our steak and vegetable dinner, I went to bed.

The next morning, there was a magical carriage waiting to take us back to the estate. It was self-propelled using Mana from Mana cores, which was where the demand for them came from.

It was also a lot more expensive than using horses.

Everyone needed Mana cores nowadays to run various pieces of equipment. That wasn't even counting the enchantment work done with them as well. The magical engine had been a recent development in the last 50 years.

As I got on board, I said nothing. I suspected Jessica was trying to make up for what had happened earlier. I didn't know what to say, and neither did she, creating an awkward atmosphere.

The enchanted carriage was much faster than when we ran around, and we returned to the Burnstock estate just as the sun was setting.

The servants welcomed me back as I retired to my room.

Jessica told me to continue with my mental exercises but rest my body for now. I just gave an affirmation but said nothing else.

In the morning, I sat down with my father, his first wife, and their children for breakfast.

They were all in their 20s and 30s and would soon start families of their own. I knew my father was seeking suitable matches for each of them. His daughters had already been married off years ago.

Squire Jessica wasn't present for breakfast, but I knew she was being treated well. Since she wasn't a family member, it would be inappropriate for her to dine with us in a casual setting.

"How was your trip into the dungeon?" my father asked, opening the conversation.

"It was an experience. I learned quite a bit," I replied.

"I remember my first time in the dungeon. Absolutely miserable. Your grandfather refused to pay for a full retinue. Said it went against the spirit of going into the dungeon," my father said with a shake of his head.

"And you did the same to all of us," his eldest son and heir, Dereck, said. He was 32 years old. All my siblings were much older than I was.

My father nodded. "It builds character and helps you understand some hardships adventurers go through. And you will do it for your children as well. The dungeon is not a playground for the rich and idle. It does us well to understand the actual dangers and hardships adventurers undergo as nobles."

"Not much hardship when you have an elite spellblade," Dereck said while looking over at me.

This was clearly a subtle dig at me, but I didn't respond.

My father explained that it was only natural for his other children to feel threatened by me, but the subtle insult was actually a compliment.

Technically, I could kill them all and take over the Duchy if I were strong enough or if I asked my mother for help. Legends were given a lot of leeway because only other legends could easily stop them.

However, that would be an overreaction, and it wasn't something I wanted.

Verbal sparring with family was also a way for nobles to level up their social-focused skills in a safe environment.

Skills performed better under pressure, and it was challenging to develop social skills. They might have been kind to me because they were challenging me. In the past, they had been utterly polite, but that kept me at a distance, so I didn't get or improve my social skills.

Being slightly rude in conversation was being friendly in a small family meal like this. It wasn't very clear, but it was a key part of Eldarin Etiquette for nobility.

It was hard to say the reason behind the rudeness, but that was what nobles did to pass the time.

"Squire Jessica preferred me to get direct hands-on experience. She neither coddled me nor helped me out except for that one time I was about to die."

There was complete and utter silence, and I realized I had said something I shouldn't have.

"You almost died? Did your healing reserves bottom out?" my father asked slowly.

"Um, yes. I fought a champion monster on the last day we were in the dungeon."

Everyone paled at that. One of my siblings hastily grabbed the wine bottle off the table and began pouring it into his glass while his hand shook, which was a breach of etiquette.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck," Dereck muttered while looking at his father.

"Everyone, you are all going on a long vacation to Burnstock City to oversee matters there. Take most of the staff and leave today," my father declared.

My sibling, Timothy, was chugging down all the wine he could and waving at the servants to bring more. Dereck looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Greg, the youngest of my half-brothers, who was 27, had completely tensed up and was looking around in fear.

"Contact the builders and landscapers and have them on standby."

Timothy snorted a bit, almost spilling his drink, but kept going.

"Yes. Yes, we are leaving immediately. A vacation sounds like a great idea!" Dereck immediately stood up and rushed out of the dining room. My other two older half-siblings quickly followed him. I looked at my father in confusion, and he let out a sigh.

"Justin. Your mother loves you dearly. No one questions that. But she can get protective," he replied.

"Um, really? It shouldn't be that bad," I said hesitantly, but my father shook his head.

"You don't understand your mother. She loves only two things in this world. You, foremost, her only child. …And killing. Supreme Warlady Elena…is a supreme legend not to be trifled with. There is a slightly crass joke about her, but it sums things up well. The reason other people haven't reached her level is that she has killed them all."

"But what does that have to do with me?" I asked in confusion.

"The first time you were running in the garden and scraped your knee, the maid who watched you died from sheer terror. Her heart literally exploded in her chest when your mother focused on her."

It took me a moment to process that.

"My mother killed someone by looking at them?" I asked in shock and surprise.

"Yes. The maid was only level 28. A few seconds of uncontrolled rage focused on the maid from your mother meant instant death. When one of your older siblings made a rude joke about you, she slapped him. That is why Keith has become a traveling merchant and doesn't come back to the estate. He barely survived and required a lot of healing and Alchemy to reconstruct his jaw."

"Then, when she returns…"

"Squire Jessica's life is currently undetermined. Running is futile. Your mother is relentless. That is why everyone is evacuating the estate at the moment."

"Um, you could ask her to go elsewhere," I said.

My father shook his head.

"One does not turn away a Supreme Warlady from her own home, unless they no longer wish to be counted amongst the living."

Chapter 10 – A Mother's Anger

"My son, it is good to see you doing well," my mother greeted me as she returned to the estate.

It had been ten days since the evacuation.

This time, there were a lot fewer servants kneeling, and the only other family member present was my father.

"Mother!"

I ran over and hugged her. She smiled and patted me on the back as I felt a sense of nervousness.

"You are getting stronger. I will review your status with my Squires tomorrow morning," she said, and then frowned slightly as I let go of the hug. Looking around more closely.

"Darren, did something happen? The staff numbers seem low, and your children and other wife are not here," she replied while casually placing her hand on her sword.

"Your Squire will explain it to you in full. I will be retiring to the guest house for the night," he replied.

Slowly turning, my mother looked at the unflinching Squire Jessica.

My father and the staff fled as fast as possible without resorting to an outright sprint.

Mother's grip on her sword hilt tightened, and I felt a pressure in the air.

"What. Happened."

"I taught your son using the same methods I learned. There was an incident on the last day where I let him face a champion monster of the 1st layer," she explained while looking at my mother.

"Son, did your healing points bottom out?" she asked calmly while keeping her eyes on Squire Jessica.

"Um, yes, but my injuries healed up, and Squire Jessica made sure I was okay," I replied nervously.

"What were my instructions, Squire?"

"To train your son and ensure his reserves don't dip below half," she replied with a touch of nervousness now.

"I know the training you are talking about. Near-death training. My son is nine. You were almost twice his age when you did such brutal training. Don't you dare mention stats or skills. The younger adventurers who undergo such training break; they give up. Only one in four continues. You know this. You risked my son's mental health and future with your little stunt."

"Supreme Warlady, I ensured his full recovery," she replied quickly.

Even I could hear the slight tremor of fear in her voice.

"With the weakness of your relaxation method, which is even worse. My son is unharmed, which is why you are still alive. But I suppose such lessons have their merits. Let us test this theory together. Squires, protect my son," she said calmly.

Her other two Squires immediately moved to my side so quickly I didn't see them cross the distance to me.

My mother took a step forward towards Squire Jessica, who brought up her fists. My mother brought up her fists as well.

"Peace for peace. Fists for fists. We shall settle this the adventurer way," my mother declared.

I didn't see what happened.

One moment, Squire Jessica was standing there. The next moment, the wall of the mansion exploded inwards, and a portion of the building collapsed.

A small trench in the stonework outside had been dug out between Squire Jessica's former position and her new position, implanted into the outer wall of the mansion.

One of the Squires protecting me brought up a magical shield, deflecting pieces of debris that rained down on us.

My mother, who was standing with an outstretched fist where Squire Jessica had been standing, vanished once more. The ground shook, and I felt afraid as a sense of bloodlust entered the air as fear gripped my heart.

My mother was scary.

Very scary.

There were more explosions and ground tremors as Mother beat her Squire across the estate, leaving ruin and devastation in her wake.

After ten minutes of relentless beating, the bloody and barely breathing form of Squire Jessica was tossed back onto the position where she had been standing previously.

My mother stood over the barely breathing body of Squire Jessica.

"If I wanted my son to have a near-death experience, then I would give it to him." Squire Jessica tried to respond, but only spat up blood. "It is one thing to push my child, but another to try and break him at such a young age…"

My mother flicked her bare hands, and the blood on them flew off, hitting the ground beside her Squire.

"If you can live through the night, you might improve some of your skills since you value this type of training so much."

"Mother," I said in a worried tone. I might be upset with Squire Jessica, but I didn't want her to die.

My mother looked at me and smiled. But behind that smile and love directed at me was a monster in human form. I had only been told before, but now I knew the truth after seeing it with my own eyes.

"I am just teaching my Squire a lesson in respect and following my orders. But I suppose I shouldn't let her die. Cure."

My mother waved her right hand, and Jessica's breathing got easier as a green light moved over her.

She was still beaten bloody and looked absolutely miserable.

"Justin, go tell my husband that the tutoring of my Squire is over. I am going to retire for the night. We shall speak in the morning. Squires, attend me," my mother declared and stomped off.

I looked at Squire Jessica and then went to get my father to clean up the mess and to tell him what happened.

When I glanced back, Squire Jessica was still on the ground, and only her chest was moving. I felt bad for her, but she shouldn't have disobeyed my mother and crossed her.

I made my way to my father, who was hanging out at the guest mansion with the few remaining servants.

"My mother is finished. Squire Jessica is alive, but she was left there to contemplate her actions that night."

My father let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's get back together and try to set things in order."

I followed my father back to the main mansion of the estate. Mother had damaged the grounds, and the exterior of the mansion showed significant damage. In addition, several windows were broken.

The servants moved forward and got to work.

No one dared to look at Squire Jessica.

Dinner was an individual affair.

After an uneasy slumber, someone also brought me breakfast. There would be no family breakfast this morning.

After I ate and changed, a servant told me to go to my mother's study.

All three of her Squires were present, and even Squire Jessica, who had a heavily bruised eye swollen shut, stood at attention.

"My son, I am sorry you had to see me discipline one of my Squires yesterday, but it is important that some lessons sink in so there are no misunderstandings," my mother said.

The Squires didn't dare breathe loudly.

"Um, yes, Mother," I replied and quickly nodded.

"Good. I prefer moving forward to dwelling on the past. Have you checked your status in the last three months?"

"No, Squire Jessica told me not to as one of her rules," I explained, and my mother nodded.

"I recommend checking once every three months. Checking constantly will only hinder and distract you. Now, check your status and tell me everything line by line."

I noted that Tutor Damian, Healer Castelle, and my father were also present, listening in.

Lower-tier skills, below tier 3, were okay to share publicly. Tier 4 and higher were private, only to be shared with those who were trusted, since they were more unique and revealed one's combat ability. For a craftsperson, they might advertise having a high-tier skill, but wouldn't say exactly what it was, or only give a vague description. For an adventurer, they would only share with those to whom they were passing their legacy.

Level: 1Experience: BLOCKED

Healing: 160/160Stamina: 120/120Mana: 40/40

Class: Tier 0, Child (Green)Effect: Increased Skill Acquisition (+8%), Increased Learning Speed (+8%), Increased Stat Gain (+8%)

Vitality: 16 (+4)Endurance: 12 (+5)Strength: 12 (+3)Agility: 14 (+3)Perception: 6 (+2)Mind: 35 (+2)Magic: 4 (+1)Focus: 16 (+1)Free Points: 0

Tier 1 (25): Eldarin Language (99+24), Writing Skills (85+26), Running (73+23), Mathematics (71+15), Breathing (64+14), Eldarin History (61+9), Eldarin Etiquette (42+4), Meditation (42+17), Drawing Skills (30+5), Sword Skills (30+12), Dancing Skills (25+3), Toughness (25+6), Shield Skills (25+10), Light Armor (25+25), Dodge (24+12), Spear Skills (20+8), Monster Processing Skills (19+19), Cooking Skills (15+12), Bow Skills (13+3), Cleaning Skills (12+11), Axe Skills (9+2), Dagger Skills (8+2), Pugilist Skills (7+3), Wrestling Skills (4+1), Speech (3+3)

Tier 2 (12): Danger Sense (21+18), Mana Sense (11+7), Darkness Vision (8+8), Monster Analysis (3+3), Trap Detection (1+1), Depth Sense (1+1)

Tier 3 (3): Fear Resistance (1+1)

Tier 6 (-): Experience Siphon (C)

EquipmentGloves: Gloves of Processing (T2) (Blocks Mana T2 and Below)Amulet/Bracelet: Experience Blocker (T4) (Prevents all experience gain for primary level)

I had actual equipment now. My status only displayed the magical equipment I owned and used. The weapons I used were tier 1, and they didn't appear. That was the benefit of having a System Priest adjust what was shown to me. The system also highlighted new skills, listed my improvements since I last checked, and showed the weight of my skills per tier.

"Too many skills. The pressure on your soul is concerning," my mother said with a frown after I listed everything off. "Do you feel any discomfort?"

"Um, no. At least I don't think so," I replied hesitantly, and my mother nodded.

"It appears the soul fruit did a good job with increasing your class color. Tell me why this is important?"

"It impacts the overall effect of one's class by bestowing higher percentage boosts from future classes."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. The soul fruit is likely helping. Your class has improved. And a tier three skill…" My mother looked at Jessica.

"The champion monster had a fear shout skill, which your son overcame. That is likely what granted the skill," Squire Jessica explained.

My mother nodded.

"What? Really?" I asked, and my mother nodded.

"Champion monsters in the early levels of the dungeon have active skills. That is why they are not to be underestimated. I have reviewed the tutoring Squire Jessica has given you, and mostly, there are no issues or areas of concern," my mother said.

I felt a sense of relief at that.

"But the weight of your skills is 40, and your Mind stat is 35. That is slightly concerning. If the difference grows larger, it could impact your health," my mother said while gazing at me.

"Um, what should I do?"

"Anyone else, I would tell them to put some stats in Mind, but that isn't possible, since you should stay at level one for the most optimal skill and stat growth for as long as possible. Suggestions?"

She looked at her Squires, but none of them spoke up.

"Useless," my mother muttered and then looked back at me. "Your current training regime will do for now. But no new skills."

She looked at her Squires, who all nodded in agreement.

"Um, what about when I reach level 100 in Eldarin Language? It is also taking a while. Is that normal?"

"Reaching level 100 is always the most difficult breakthrough since a skill can then be merged or upgraded to the next tier. After that, there would be Eldarin Script and then Eldarin Runes. Once you reach level 100 in Eldarin Language, upgrade the skill, but you will only focus on tier 1 skills for now."

"When can I learn magic?"

I wanted to make light, use fire blades, and instantly clean myself.

"Now that is a foolish question. Magic spells are high-tier skills. Once we have gone through all the necessary tier 1 skills, then magic can become a focus. However, if you want to become a spellblade like me, your interest is warranted, I suppose. Include focused training for Mana Sensing," she ordered her Squires, who all nodded without daring to speak.

"Thank you, Mother. Um, what about equipment?"

She smiled. "Having powerful equipment would slow down your skill growth. That is the most important thing, skill levels. So, while I would love to give you a powerful sword and armor, it would ultimately hurt you. Now, on to other matters. Healer Castelle, any lasting damage to my son?"

"No. I checked him completely. However, I strongly disagree with your plan. Mixing such powerful items is incredibly dangerous, especially with Alchemical items. There could be side effects. I strongly insist that you consult with my seniors at the Five Star Institute of Healing."

"I have taken your words into consideration, but ultimately it will be my son who decides what is best for his future."

She turned to look at me, and I felt the intensity of her full attention once more.

"That you are still determined after your brush with death warms my heart, my child. I have located a small treasure from the dungeon for you and had an Alchemist I am friends with prepare the treasure properly," she said and pulled out a small wooden container.

She set it on the table between us and opened it up. "Elder Wyvern's heart that had fused with its core. It has body-enhancing properties. Never try to eat something like this raw. Becoming inhuman is a fate worse than death."

There was a single small cube of meat, about the size of the tip of my finger. A small fork also rested in the box.

"It is small," I said as my mother pushed the open box towards me.

"It is, but that is after an Alchemist has refined the entire heart. Use the fork, and chew as much as possible before swallowing. It will help you absorb its power better," my mother explained.

I carefully picked up the silver fork in the box and stabbed the piece of cubed meat. The fork slid in easily. It was probably enchanted.

I brought the meat up to my mouth and put it in.

"Good. Your body stats should be easier to increase during the next training session. Push him physically; that is what you are best at. Since Healer Castelle is here, don't hold back, Squire," my mother said to her largest and most muscular Squire.

"Yes, Supreme Warlady," one of the two male Squires responded as I chewed on the meat cube.

It was tough, incredibly tough, but I didn't stop chewing.

"Keep chewing for as long as you have to. If you swallow it whole, it will just pass through you with limited impact," my mother explained, and I nodded.

Then she frowned. "The person who has cursed you has eluded me. I have increased the bounty to 200 platinum, and just for information, leading to the culprit. Unfortunately, this legend specializes in stealth, poisons, and hiding. Time will reveal them, and then they will die."

Chapter 11 – Squire Sabin

Waking up early, as was my habit, I changed into the fresh armor and clothing prepared for me.

The door to my room opened, and the largest Squire entered my room.

"Good, you are up. I like people with energy and dislike those who are lazy. I am Squire Sabin," the large, muscular man declared.

Someone cut his hair very short, and he looked like he was all muscle under his clothes. His arms were almost as thick as my waist.

"Morning, so back to the dungeon?"

"No. Squire Jessica's talent lies in her survival ability, but that is also what got her into trouble. My training is most effective when a Healer is nearby. I am going to beat you into the ground repeatedly, and you will get up and keep trying."

"That's it?"

"Yep. Your old tutor is now in charge of overseeing the mental training in the evenings. We are going to fight all day."

"All…day?" I asked nervously, and Squire Sabin grinned at me with shining white teeth.

"Yep. All day. That is my preferred training method. I can strictly control your pain and suffering, pushing you to the limit. Now come, the sun is coming up, and we have training!"

Squire Sabin had way too much energy as I followed him out of my room to an isolated part of the estate that looked quite messed up.

"We will use this training ground for the elite guards at the estate over the next three months," Sabin said.

I noticed a weapons rack set up under a pavilion, with an older man sitting there.

"Ah, Healer Castelle! Up already? Welcome."

I followed Sabin to the old man.

"Waking me up so early. You are lucky the Supreme Warlady is paying a considerable fee for my services and that I owe her a debt," the old man muttered as two servants were busy preparing tea and breakfast nearby for the old man.

"Healer Castelle, you will keep an eye on things," Squire Sabin said.

"I will make sure he doesn't die and monitor his healing reserves. If I say stop, stop. I don't want any accidents. Also, keep his stamina topped off, but you know my limits. I don't want to take potions, so don't go overboard," Healer Castelle said to Squire Sabin, completely ignoring me.

"Perfect. Hopefully, I won't go overboard, but I love training and fighting!"

He was shouting at the end of that sentence, which did not build confidence in his restraint.

I felt a lot of danger and tried to move backwards. A hand grazed my armor, and I went spinning into the dirt.

"Always keep your guard up! But good job dodging a bit there."

Squire Sabin then rushed forward, and I rolled out of the way as he tried to stomp on me. "Don't just lie there on the ground. Dodge, dodge, dodge!"

He moved towards me, swinging his open palms at me.

"Don't over dodge. Just move enough to avoid the attack and the danger, and then strike back. Never cross your feet. That is a good way to trip and die. Saw that happen once, completely embarrassing for the adventurer."

I was breathing heavily after ten minutes.

"That was a good warmup. Now grab a weapon. We will go through all of them. I am going to use this padded pain stick, mimicking the forms of monsters. It will help push your skills. It might look silly, but if you get hit, it won't be pleasant. The enchantment…well, you will figure it out," Squire Sabin said with a grin.

After two minutes of swinging and dodging, Sabin hit me.

I shouted as pain wracked my body.

"Learn to push through the pain. It is a distraction. It is a weakness in your body. Move or die!"

Sabin struck me again. The force behind the blow wasn't brutal, but pain wracked my body once more.

"Dodge or die!"

"Endure and eliminate!"

"Focus or fail!"

"Guard and get up!"

Sabin threw one phrase after another at me as we continued sparring for an hour.

During the sparring, Sabin would completely change his fighting style, so I couldn't just memorize his moves, I had to adapt. It was a struggle to keep up, as I felt my body tremble after every touch of the pain stick.

"Good, good. We are taking a break now. Have breakfast, recover. We will continue after that. Oh, one question first, did you notice anything about the phrases I was shouting?" Sabin asked me while staring at me intently.

I tried to recall, but my body was exhausted, and I was wheezing.

"They were alphabetical?" I finally said, and he grinned at me.

"Good, very good. Many people miss that. Always pay attention to the details in combat. It is easy to get caught up in the fighting, but that is a good way to be lured at the pace of your enemy. You need to think and set your own pace. Now eat and rest," he said.

The servants had prepared a breakfast table.

I sat down and ate while Squire Sabin murmured with Healer Castelle. I couldn't hear what they were saying and didn't listen in.

That would have been rude.

Once I was done, I forced myself to get up and stretch. Squire Sabin came back after a few minutes.

"Good, good. Keep your body limber. It is, after all, the best weapon. Now, it is time for more training. I will throw stones occasionally. Do your best to dodge them," Squire Sabin said.

The hellish training continued for the rest of the morning. We had another break for lunch and then resumed immediately after that.

Four times, Healer Castelle had to replenish my stamina, which had bottomed out.

By afternoon and dinner, I had completely lost the will to move, breathe, think, and possibly even live.

"Ah, that was some enjoyable light training," Sabin said with a grin while looking at me.

I couldn't even muster up the energy to stare at him in despair.

"Light?" I gasped between my heavy breaths.

"Light. But it is perfect for your age and stats. The more you sweat here, the less you will bleed in the dungeon. You can't train while you are already in the middle of a fight. And you don't want to have regrets, do you?"

I shook my head slowly.

"Exactly. That is why it is best to make the most of your time while you can. It isn't easy, but that is the bare minimum that becoming a legend requires."

I just nodded, too tired to think.

"Well, you will recover by tomorrow. Healer Castelle has ensured that. Now off you go to dinner back at the mansion, and for your mental skill training."

I shambled off towards dinner.

My siblings hadn't returned, and my father wasn't here either, so I ate by myself. Once I was done, I made my way to the library.

"Ah, young Justin, welcome," my tutor, Damian, greeted me.

"Hello, Tutor Damian," I said with as much energy as I could muster.

"Hard physical training?" he asked me, and I nodded.

"Well, just sit here and let's get to work on copying that dictionary. A great way to break through in your Eldarin Language and hopefully your Writing Skills as well. In fact, why don't you read what you have already written, and I will correct any mispronunciations?"

For the first time, I doubted the path I had chosen. The pain stick was absolutely brutal. While getting my stamina back was nice, it only kept my body going. All the pain and physical training completely fried my brain.

While I wanted to ask if my mother approved, that wasn't an honest question.

Squire Sabin had seen what happened to his fellow Squire who didn't listen to my mother. He wouldn't dare disobey her.

That meant all of this had her approval. I had asked to be pushed. To grow my stats and skills…

I didn't realize how brutal it would be, how painful.

"You know, you are lucky. Many people would kill for this type of enhanced training."

I had paused for a long time just looking at my partially copied dictionary. I looked up at Tutor Damian.

"Really?" I asked tiredly.

I didn't want to ask, but I also didn't want to talk at the moment, and Tutor Damian loved to speak.

"They pay for the privilege. Quite a lot as well. You have basic teachers, since Teaching is a Tier 1 skill, right at the bottom of the barrel. Then you have a Tutor, and an Empowered Tutor like myself, a tier 3 skill, and I specialize in several basic skills that I teach here at the estate. I even taught your siblings, you know."

"Uh-huh," I said tiredly as he continued talking.

"Then you have specialists who can teach specific Tier 4 skills. Normally, they focus on one or two and get fantastic at teaching them. After that, you have apprenticeships, like your mother has with her Squires, where you teach higher-tier skills. A specialist like Squire Sabin would be expensive, not to mention the esteemed Healer on standby, who is boosting your stamina. Ah, to be young again and to consider fighting as a career. It almost gets my blood boiling too, you know."

I just gave another affirmative as my brain tried to process what he was saying.

"Physical training might seem hard, but just think of the Vitality. They say each point allows you to live another year beyond the base 50 that all humans are allotted. While some people invest all their free stats into Vitality, I think that is a mistake. The Mind is just as important if one wants to keep learning and improving."

"I mean, just consider your growth. It is nothing short of remarkable and is quickly surpassing the achievements of other children who have received similar opportunities. It is good that you are keeping up with your studies."

There was no end to his talking. My brain began to shut down as I couldn't pay attention to him anymore. I was just too tired even to think. I just nodded along as Damian kept talking.

"Oh, it is time to sleep. I will put everything away. You look exhausted."

"Thanks," I muttered and made my way to my room before passing out onto my bed.

I was too tired even to get changed.

Chapter 12 – Health Scare

"What idiot thought it was a good idea to give him a high-level alchemical product!"

I heard shouting. My head felt like it was about to explode.

"That was the decision of his mother, the Supreme Warlady and you were there," I heard Squire Sabin reply nervously.

"And she is an idiot, just as I suspected. Yes, it won't kill him on its own, but you muscle-headed idiots didn't even think about what it actually does. It strengthens physical stats. His brain was shutting down!"

"Is that even possible?"

"It is possible because I say it is! A treasure from the 18th layer of the dungeon and alchemically treated for ease of consumption and absorption. The human body can improve only so much at once. While his soul is malleable at his age, that makes it worse, since his soul began cutting things off to his brain due to how malleable it is. Idiots! All of you are idiots!"

"Well, is he going to be okay?"

"He is already awake but probably has a massive headache. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," I said, since my brain felt like it was trying to escape my skull.

"By the System, I haven't seen such foolishness in decades. It is always you, powerful fighters, who seem to come up with these outlandish ideas, and us Healers who clean up the mess. And don't think I won't give the Supreme Warlady a piece of my mind. Now, child, keep the wet cloth over your eyes and rest today. You should be better by tomorrow."

"Good, that is good," Squire Sabin said with relief.

"Any other Healer without my skills, and he wouldn't be alive right now. No more Alchemical products or treasures from the dungeon without my approval. Has he had anything else?"

"A soul fruit, um, three months ago. But that is it. Nothing else, unless Squire Jessica did something."

"I was there, and it was foolish. A green soul fruit at his age? Luckily, his soul didn't completely liquefy and drain out of his body!"

Squire Sabin countered that they tested it on other low-level individuals.

"Oh, by those idiots at the College of Advancement? In a controlled setting? So, they could publish another paper and sell it to all of you adventurers to fund their idiocy? Is that who tested it?" Healer Castelle was on a complete rampage.

It made me wonder who would win in an argument, him or my mother.

"Um, well, it was all peer reviewed," Squire Sabin said hesitantly.

"You people are just reading the summary and don't look at all the details. Then you are like, 'Oh, this is a great idea. Why don't we administer these things to a child without consulting an expert first? Nothing can go wrong.' System save me from idiots who think they know something," Healer Castelle said, and Squire Sabin remained silent after the verbal beating.

"Is there lasting damage?" I asked hesitantly.

"No, thankfully. I arrived in time and stabilized your soul. It was just an imbalance from the natural processes of everything you consumed," he said kindly.

Clearly, Healer Castelle had completely different attitudes toward patients.

"As for your training, half a day of that madness starting tomorrow. The rest should focus on mental activities. I will also do daily checkups, just in case. Ideally, he should rest for a full week, but it is fine starting tomorrow."

"Is there some kind of skill I might get?"

"Child, listen to me. Messing with your soul is foolish. While I understand the importance of training, it is also too easy to break something that no one can fix. You are fortunate, I can't say this enough, that I was here to save your life. Otherwise, your brain would have completely shut down as your soul fueled the growth of your physical stats. Pushing your body to the limit can help you get skills for other things, but not your soul."

Healer Castelle took a deep breath before continuing.

"I only have one main skill related to the soul that doesn't even heal, Stabilize Soul. That's it. I can't tell how close someone is to the point of no return. While there probably are more soul skills, the people who try to reach them don't meet good ends."

"He is right. You need to practice damage and resistance training carefully, as the risk is high. Soul damage is far more dangerous since it bypasses the natural aversion of one's soul to danger," Squire Sabin said.

"That's the first bit of common sense that has come out of your mouth so far. Now let the child rest. If you need something, call a servant. If you are in pain, have the servant watching you call for me immediately. Don't hesitate at all," the Healer said.

I gave an affirmative and just lay in bed with a cool, damp cloth over my eyes.

A servant fed me stew in bed, and I rested all day.

The following morning, my headache was gone, and I felt a lot better. After getting changed into my armor, I made my way out to the training grounds.

Squire Sabin and Healer Castelle looked up at me, and Squire Sabin gave me a big smile.

"I see you are feeling better. That is good," he declared loudly.

"Come here, child."

I walked over to Healer Castelle, and he placed his hand on my head.

"Stabilize Soul. That should help things. We will do that at the start and end of your training every day. Only half a day, until lunch," he said, and pointed at Squire Sabin at the last part.

"Of course, of course! That means we need to work harder than ever," Squire Sabin declared loudly.

As I made my way onto the training area, I thought I heard Healer Castelle mutter something, but I couldn't make out what he said. Probably something disparaging about Squire Sabin.

After half a day of hard physical training, I went back over to Healer Castelle, where he used his skill on me once more.

"You should be fine. If you have a headache or any pain, stop what you are doing and come get me," he said, and I nodded.

"I am still confused by what exactly happened," I said, and he let out a sigh.

"Your soul provides growth and stability. Think of it like the furnishings in a house, which is your body. The Alchemical product you took and the soul fruit from before, combined with your low level, were putting all the furniture on wheels and then rolling it all into a single room. It threatened to break through the floor due to its weight. That is what happened. There was too much focus put on your physical skills, creating a huge stress point on your soul and body. Thankfully, we corrected the issue in time, and souls are quite durable. But there is still some risk."

The metaphor helped me to understand what was happening.

"If the furniture is like my stat growth, then I just need to be careful in the future?"

"Child, Alchemical products are dangerous, even the tested ones. Each person is unique, especially you. The flexibility of your soul because of your age might have saved you, or you could have been moments away from death. It is hard to say for sure. Now you are wondering about boosting stats even more?"

"Um, well, I just wanted to ask."

"Foolishness. I don't dislike Alchemical products since they compete with actual Healers who know what they are doing. I dislike them since anyone can take them without understanding the complicated interactions that might happen. If your mother brings something back, take nothing without approval from a Healer like me or a Healer of similar skill. Your soul is being pushed to the absolute limit and past that. If I didn't know your mother personally, I would think she was some foolish idiot from the College of Advancement."

Healer Castelle let out a long sigh, like all this personally pained him.

"As for training. If there is pain that shouldn't be there, let me know."

"Got it."

Squire Sabin was listening in but said nothing since he didn't want another verbal beat-down.

Tutor Damian and I spent the afternoon working on more mental skills. I concentrated a lot more this time.

Pausing from copying the dictionary, I looked up. I had a question for which I couldn't think of an answer.

"Tutor Damian, why are certain skills listed as skills in my status?" It had been annoying me for a while.

"Oh, that is an interesting question. The answer is that the word skill we use comes from this label, not the other way around. That is why skills are called skills. In Tier 2, this is referred to as focus and empowerment as a general description. After that, things become more specialized in their naming schema. Some skills have their own names, like Teacher, then Tutor, and then Empowered Tutor."

"Why?"

"People have been asking that forever, ever since the dawn of the System ages ago. People have many guesses, but no one has shared any answers publicly.

"Personally, I think it references how the System works. Skills refer to a collection of actions. Like Sword Skills covers a range of swords: curved ones, two-handed ones, and magical swords. The skill covers them all. Focus implies one has mastered the basics. Empowerment implies that some mana is being put into the skill passively at tier 3, which then transitions into named skills in tier 4, similar to spells."

"What is the highest tier?"

I thought it was Tier 6, but I wanted to confirm this.

"The highest known one is tier 6, but people say there is higher, but there has been no proof or official confirmation from any researchers. Many relate the tiers to monster cores, of which there are supposedly seven colors. But who knows what might come next? Unless someone becomes strong enough and shares their accomplishment with the world, it is impossible to know for sure."

I went back to copying the Eldarin dictionary and saying words out loud. After another hour, I was getting bored, so I asked another question.

"Is runic script helpful?"

"For enchantment and exploring the dungeon, yes. Eldarin is the most common runic archetype in the dungeon, well, around here. Can't say anything about the other races with how insular they are. I am not an adventurer and focus on other things. You can even make magic scrolls for one-use spells to preserve mana. So don't underestimate runes."

"Will that help me as a spellblade?"

"It won't leave you ignorant at the very least," he replied, which meant that it wouldn't help me directly as far as he knew.

It was hard to train and focus constantly. While I had taken a break and then another one because of the health scare, I felt mentally drained.

As dinner approached, I began to experience a slight headache. I excused myself and found Healer Castelle in the guest wing of the mansion.

"A headache?" he asked, and I explained what I had been doing.

"Your soul is fighting the influence of the Alchemical product when it tries to upgrade your mental stats. This is creating a headache." Healer Castelle put his hand on my head and used his skill for a third time today. "Stabilize Soul."

"No mental skills training after dinner. Just go to sleep early. Sleep helps your body and soul come together and should lessen the strain."

"Oh, I will let Tutor Damian know."

"Good job reporting to me right away. While it might have built up into a serious issue, you are charting unfamiliar territory with what you are doing."

"You will not tell me to stop?"

"I know better than that. You wouldn't listen, or you could go behind my back. I am also not your mother. I am a Healer. If you want to do foolish things, I will warn you, but I won't stop you."

"Thank you, Healer Castelle."

"With what your mother pays me and the debt I owe her, I don't need thanks," he replied and went back into his apartment.

Chapter 13 – Skill Upgrade

"And done," I finally said.

I had finished copying the dictionary and going through the entire thing.

"Congratulations. I am guessing you maxed out Writing Skills and Eldarin Language?" Tutor Damian asked me.

"Um, my mother doesn't want me to look at my status, except once every three months."

"Ah, yes. I am used to checking when I have completed a hard task to confirm a breakthrough. Well then, let's not disregard what she said. Your mother is correct. Still, it isn't a bad assumption to make. Copying an entire book like the Eldarin Dictionary is normally enough to max out the Eldarin Language and Writing Skills. We can move on to Eldarin Script and Focused Writing."

He then pulled out a much thicker tome, which he set on the table with a thud.

"What is that?" I asked as he got out another blank tome.

"This, my young student, is the famous epic poem, Transversal of the Dungeon by famed playwright, Aaron the Orator, transcribed to preserve his words for all time. Supposedly, he had a Tier 5 skill related to poetry. You are to copy the entire thing in the same writing style. Oh, here is another book, showing the artistry of Eldarin Script."

Instead of block letters, it was all flowy with one letter connecting to another.

"Why?"

"Well, it is the original language, derived from the Runic Script to make learning easier. Then, the script served as the origin of our language. Creating a chain of skills from tier 1 upwards, which makes learning all this much simpler than it was in the distant past."

I looked at the thick tome and opened it.

"All of this?" I asked with despair.

"It will take a long time, but it is the best way to raise the skills in tandem. It is what they teach at the College of Advancement after all," he explained.

"You went there?"

"Long ago. But yes. Those were some of the greatest and hardest years of my life. The place is absolutely cutthroat. The earliest one can enter is at 12, and you get to stay for up to seven years as a student. Most people fail out in year 5, which is when I had to drop out."

"Is it that hard?"

"That and the cost. Only the top three students in the year receive scholarships. For the rest, it is an academic bloodbath that brings out the worst in people as everyone tries to outdo one another. The curriculum of the various courses is designed on purpose to maximize level gain and pass through bottlenecks on your skills."

"What about someone like me who had studied ahead?"

"That isn't as much of an advantage as you would think, but an invitation for harder courses. Each student must achieve a certain number of skill levels annually. Failure to do so will result in expulsion. Each professor can only have a certain failure rate, so only the best and brightest students are allowed to pass. The College of Advancement produces at least one person who becomes a legend in each graduating class. Sometimes more."

"What? That…really?" I asked in surprise, and he nodded.

"Just like exploring the dungeon can push your physical and combat skills, the College of Advancement will push your mental skills to the limit. If you pursue runes or magic, there really is no better place to study. Basically, anything except combat."

"No other requirements?"

"Not for someone from your background. Just your mother's name alone would get you in without question. It doesn't guarantee that you will remain there, but it will get you in with no complications. Otherwise, there are competitions and numerous other headaches to contend with when trying to gain admission without backing. Also, the expense is enormous. Well, for someone like me, not for someone like you."

"Where is it? I know it isn't here in our Kingdom of Terander."

"Farther north, in the Ice-Capped Mountains above the city of Undercraft, which the dwarves control, and the elves control the ice forest at the base of the mountains, further north near the Frozen Coast. Humans still make up most of the individuals at the College, due to our numbers. But the other races have different entry requirements in relation to their age."

Now I had even more questions. Before I could ask more, Damian cut me off.

"Your curiosity is good, but it's time to focus on your skills. It should take you a year to copy that if you focus."

I looked between his pointed finger and the giant tome. My hand already felt like it was going to fall off.

I felt another headache coming on, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the alchemical product I had taken or just the thought of copying all of that.

"The look on your face is the same one I had when my tutor told me about this years ago."

"It's just…a lot," I finally said, and he nodded.

"If it were easy to gain skill levels, then everyone would do so. The College of Advancement has an entire research division devoted to maximizing skill levels and stat gains through training. Just as adventurers plumb the dungeon for meaning, academics do so through optimization and refinement."

"At least it isn't noble history," I muttered and got to work slowly, copying everything.

I had to study each word and figure out the movement of the pen that was used to write it. I then copied it down into the empty book that was provided.

My writing was excellent, and I had the Drawing skill, which helped. I could feel my mind and body drawing on the knowledge while I slowly worked on copying Eldarin Script.

It felt weird knowing that the skill had been dumbed down into lower tiers. Everyone was striving to reach higher levels and tiers with their skills. To go in the opposite direction seemed an odd thought. Whoever came up with the idea was probably a genius, or it was just a teaching method that someone developed.

I asked Tutor Damian about the history behind the drive to lower the tier for our language. He gave me a wry smile but answered.

"It was a teaching method. It took too long to teach Eldarin Runes and then Eldarin Script directly. People created and spread the Eldarin Language. The spoken words are mostly the same, and there are a lot of similarities."

"So, the System just recognized a new skill, just like that?"

"Yes. However, this typically occurs at higher tiers, specifically Tier 4. There are entire groups of people trying to figure out hidden skills and knowledge that the System might recognize, but most attempts end in failure," he explained.

"What about tier 1 skills?"

"The discoveries mostly involve some crafting. Tier 2 discoveries mainly involve minor or passive use of mana. The lower the tier, the more impressive such a discovery is."

"That seems backwards."

"To some extent. But you aren't learning the skill; you are discovering it. That is the difference. To make something easier for other people, that is the epitome of a Tutor."

"No special titles or awards from the System?"

"No. Those are just fairy tales. There are no special titles or awards. Only skills, stats, and classes. I suppose better classes might be considered an award from the System, but there is considerable debate on the subject. If there were such a thing, your mother would have one for sure."

If there were a list of the people with the highest level, then my mother would be on it and in consideration for the top.

While I didn't have a good idea about the other great legends out there beyond children's tales, I knew my mother stood above so many different people.

Everyone had said that repeatedly.

"So, the skill upgrade just happens?" I asked Damian.

I had thought I would need to do it manually.

"Hmm, it is complicated, young Justin. Skills have set paths. Studying the next skill in the path automatically upgrades it and provides a boost. There is no need to focus on upgrading them specifically. Even without immediate upgrading, you can later upgrade them and merge them into a higher-tier skill. This creates a hidden bonus that makes it quicker to learn that skill."

"For tier 5 and 6 skills, this is even more important since they are so slow to level like mud or concrete, rather than water. However, as they level up their base skills, water washes the mud away, making their leveling process much easier. There are supporting skills and direct skills. Direct skills are those you get on a path, like Eldarin Language, and then Eldarin Script, and then Eldarin Runes. But another example that I know your mother wants you to get is the tier four skill Weapons Mastery."

"What kind of skill is that?"

"It combines several lower-tier weapon skills. That is why she is having you focus on so many weapons. That skill will likely lead to something better. And even if it doesn't, higher-tier skills are always more powerful and versatile," Tutor Damian explained as I listened carefully to him.

"In fact, that is the end goal for various language skills. To upgrade them enough to the language in runic form and then merge those runic languages for the tier 4 skill Runic Mastery."

"But someone could get that skill without the lower-tier skills, right?"

"Yes. However, it is far harder to level up. That is why supporting skills are important, and direct skills are the best. It's why having lower-tier skills and leveling them is far more impactful than rushing ahead and trying to get a lot of high-tier skills. Then you are stuck with a very slow leveling speed."

"Couldn't they go back and do the earlier skills?"

"They could, but it just creates a mess and rarely works like you think, since skill experience flows to higher-tier skills rather than lower-tier skills. Since you have the time and are starting early, it is best to get tier 1 skills and level those up. While it might seem like a lot of work and time, it ultimately saves time."

"Then why don't more people do this?"

"Impatience. Think how you felt when I told you to copy that massive book to level up Eldarin Script. It will take around a year of hard work to do by hand. Then add in other languages. Getting all the support skills maxed out for Runic Mastery can take a lifetime. And people have jobs, families, and other responsibilities. Even with Vitality extending one's life, people need a Mind stat to have more skills and study effectively."

I was truly grateful to my mother and the life she provided for me. I knew countless other people were nowhere near this lucky.

"A fire is visible in your eyes. Keep that determination, for the path to high-tier skills is long and hard."

I nodded at this. It was a struggle to maintain my motivation.

When I was fighting in the dungeon, it was easy. I got caught up in the violence and the fighting.

That was when I realized this training was another test from my mother. Could I focus and keep working hard, even when it was really boring?

While Sabin's fighting training was physical and exhausting, I was frustrated that he constantly outclassed me. No matter what I did, he would easily match me and keep pushing me to improve.

My mental studies were also exhausting. I got back to copying the cursed cursive script with its loops and twirls.

Whoever invented script writing was pure evil.

I knew I needed to learn this to then learn runes, but focusing on it was one of the hardest things I had to force myself to do.

Chapter 14 – Mana Sense

"Time for your first lesson on Mana Sense," Healer Castelle said while Squire Sabin listened in. "Mana is ultimately your will made manifest from energy that comes from your soul. If you go past your reserves, you will get Mana burn, where your reserves go into the negative. That will massively decrease your Mana regeneration rate. In the worst case, this will cripple you for years and damage your soul and body. Don't do that."

I nodded at this piece of advice.

"As for Mana Sense, it is a foundational skill that you need to have if you want any control over raw Mana manipulation and spells. Different people develop this sense in different ways. How do you feel Mana?"

"Um, like a soft breeze or pressure," I said.

Healer Castelle nodded, his white beard shaking slightly from the movement.

"That is the most common. Your skin covers your body and serves as the protective shell that separates your soul from the outside world. When Mana that is foreign to you hits your skin, your soul senses that and translates that to your skin. Now, lie down on the table."

I climbed onto the table, and then I lay down. Someone placed a thick piece of cloth over my eyes and tied it off so it wouldn't shift.

"I am going to point at various parts of your body and direct a stream of Mana at them. You will touch that point with one of your fingers. Be as precise as possible."

I felt something above my heart and brought up my right arm to point at the spot.

The feeling disappeared, only to reappear in another location on my knee. It felt fainter, but I could still feel it.

I sat up and touched my knee.

"Good. Lie back down," Healer Castelle said.

We kept this up.

If I couldn't feel anything, Healer Castelle slowly increased the amount of Mana he used.

After spending the afternoon doing this, it was time for dinner.

The following week, we repeated the same exercise.

"Is there anything I can be doing better?"

"No, learning Mana Sense is tedious, like other sensory skills."

"Will I learn them?" I asked.

"In time, depending on what your mother has planned. But we need to build up your basics first, and having a higher Perception stat helps level up these skills more quickly," Squire Sabin said.

He watched these training sessions closely.

I asked him why, and he said it was for safety reasons.

It was very easy to take advantage of someone who was training Mana Sense, and he wanted no more accidents to occur.

"Is there any way I can train that stat?"

"That is what Squire Nox will most likely do with you. He has developed many esoteric skills throughout his life. His ability to sense things almost rivals the Supreme Warlady," Squire Sabin replied.

"Less chatter, more focus on the task at hand," Healer Castelle chastised us both.

I shut my mouth and tried to find out where he was directing his Mana.

During other times we trained, I asked more questions about Mana.

Other higher-tier sensory skills were more focused, but they required specialized teachers.

My mentors all agreed that I shouldn't take more skills. I was pushing at the limit of what was safe with my Mind stat.

Healer Castelle continued to use his skill two or three times a day to ensure my soul remained unharmed. However, he had raised the concern that it might mask issues with the number of skills I possessed. If my soul were under too much pressure from all the skills, that could be dangerous.

It was something that would have to wait until my mother returned to discuss the issue with Healer Castelle. I wasn't sure exactly what the problem was when he could keep using Stabilize Soul on me.

I figured that in time, my soul would adjust to having more skills.

My siblings also returned to the estate during this time. While my father checked on me, they did not invite me to family dinners at the moment.

I made everyone too uncomfortable because of the threat of my mother, and the fear was still too fresh in their minds. It hurt a bit that I was being excluded, but that was the price I was paying for having such a fantastic mother.

Each day of my training was mentally exhausting. While I had stopped getting headaches, it felt like it was a struggle to improve.

My previous progress had been quick. I quickly leveled easy skills with my high Mind stat.

Now, there were physical skills, for which I had fewer stats, and more complex mental skills in Tier 2 that I was working on.

Compared to anyone else my age or even older, I was making incredible progress. My progress was rapid, even when compared to when I first unlocked my status. I wanted to improve more quickly, but the major limitation was my stats.

If I did level up and gain stats, I could level up my skills more easily from the high stats, but acquiring new skills, achieving breakthroughs in my skills, or improving my stats through training would become much more difficult.

That was the boost in power that many people sought to achieve their goals. My tutors had all said the same thing.

A person would get a few levels, get an enormous boost for their skills, but then stall once more. After that, they would inevitably go on to acquire more levels and repeat the process. Eventually, their ability or skills wouldn't be enough to keep climbing up in levels, and they would stagnate.

Squire Sabin admitted that was why he was struggling now, trying to improve his skills for high-level combat in the dungeon.

It made me wonder about my mother, since she came from a humble background.

I guessed that she had just killed more monsters in the dungeon. As her skills improved, she would simply kill more and earn experience.

It was the most straightforward, yet the most complex answer at the same time. The morning for more training came, and I had a question for Squire Sabin.

"Will I go into the dungeon with Squire Nox?" I asked.

"Already asking to fight monsters?" Sabin replied with his standard grin.

"Yes," I answered, and he shrugged.

"Maybe. Each of us Squires came up with a training plan that your mother approved of with some minor adjustments. I wanted to take you to underground fighting pits. She reminded me why that might be a bad idea at your age," Sabin said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Really? That sounds exciting," I replied.

"They really are. It is all whoosh, and bam! That's how you really level up your skills. But other inappropriate activities happen near fighting pits, um, like gambling. So, we put that off for now. For my training, your mother wanted you to do this kind of intense physical training that they do at many training schools."

"Well, next time then. But am I really making progress?" I asked, and Squire Sabin just kept smiling at me.

"You are, but it is hard for you to tell, since I am matching you. That is the strength of having someone like me to teach you. I am always just one step beyond your current skill level, forcing you to improve as quickly as possible."

He brought out the pain stick.

"Really, can't you use something else?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"Your mother insisted. No weapons, since I can get carried away. Just a pain stick. But that makes it great. Learn to dodge and block, or else," he replied, and then lunged at me.

Fights didn't have start or end times. They just occurred. That was why Sabin would attack me, forcing me to react as quickly as possible.

He said it was to prevent the development of bad habits and a poor mindset for combat. He might be right, but it was still frustrating. Everything about this training was frustrating. It was easier just to kill things.

I promised myself that when my mother got back, I would ask her to go into the dungeon again.

There was a sense of accomplishment that was hard to replace when I just trained like this, constantly sparring Squire Sabin.

I still had all the cores in a pouch. Squire Jessica had left them for me, but I hadn't turned them in. One could do that only officially at the Adventurer's Guild.

It was just pocket change, but it was money I would have earned on my own. Well, I had Squire Jessica's help, but I still earned it even with her watching over me.

Something was thrilling, primal, about killing monsters to get stronger. It was what my mother had done in the past. Following in her footsteps didn't seem like a bad idea.

I knew in my head that I should focus on leveling up tier 1 skills, but in my heart, I wanted to cut my way through the dungeon, earning experience and climbing up in level.

My mentors might say otherwise, but I knew what I wanted out of life. To be the best spellblade. It was frustrating to have to train in this manner constantly. Sparring with someone who completely outclassed me. Studying things that were frustrating to learn.

As the three months drew to a close, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Sabin had a lot of energy and an enthusiastic personality, but his training was mind-numbing to the extreme.

A communication enchantment informed my father a day before my mother's return to the estate. Some people left. Everyone made sure the estate was perfect, and on the morning of the following day, everyone gathered outside to wait for Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock.

Just as in the previous times, the wait dragged on, but no one complained. Not to greet her with everyone on her return would be incredibly rude. And one thing no one wanted to do was offend my mother.

"Can't we get permission to skip this?" I muttered after having to stand around for two hours.

My father chuckled at that.

"And offend your mother? No, Justin. While she might be your mother, she is a supreme legend, standing above all others. Or enough of them that it doesn't really matter anymore. Regardless, it is proper etiquette to wait for someone of her stature, especially since she sent word ahead."

I sighed heavily.

"But it is boring. I can't disagree with that. Oh, there she is!" My father pointed at a blur in the distance. It was faster for my mother and her Squires to run than to use any other form of transportation.

Once she reached the main approach to the mansion, she slowed down and approached at a brisk walk.

The staff kneeled, and the family bowed once again. But my mother had earned that respect by advancing her level through rivers of blood and mountains of corpses.

I greeted her with a smile and a wave. "Mother!"

I was happy to see her again.

Despite our brief conversations, I knew she loved me. No one would go to all the trouble she had for some random kid.

Chapter 15 – A Heated Discussion

"Respectfully, Supreme Warlady Elena, you are an idiot," Healer Castelle said while staring my mother down.

Across the desk, she stared back at him. I stood off to one side along with the Squires, Tutor Damian, and my father, watching the drama unfold.

"Few people would dare say that to my face," she casually replied.

"I can't speak for other people. But your son's soul is in grave danger. My understanding of the number of skills he has, the alchemical product taken, and the green soul fruit, risks his life."

"And you are paid quite well to ensure it," she replied.

"Yes, I am, but I won't let idiocy continue since your son will die horrifically, and then you will blame me. We might as well skip to where you swing your fist and splatter me across the ground before that happens."

"You older healers sure are stubborn."

"Only when it involves a patient's health, especially a child who doesn't know better," he countered.

My mother inclined her head a tiny fraction. "That is the only reason I am letting you speak to me like that, since it is about the health and well-being of my son Justin. The issue was resolved, so what is the problem now?"

"His Mind stat compared to his number of skills and my use of Stabilize Soul has created a complication. The initial issue was that the alchemical product focused his soul to increase his physical stats. His intense training and his malleable soul compounded the problem of a soul imbalance. This is because of his level, age, and the green soul fruit, creating an extreme condition where his soul is far too malleable. By adjusting his training and using my skill, I corrected this. The problem is that I suspect he has gained even more skills, putting their count far above his Mind stat. If I stop using Stabilize Soul, he will experience health complications."

"How sure are you and what complications?" my mother asked while I nervously listened in.

"Very sure, or I wouldn't be bringing it up. You left strict instructions for him not to check his status except once every three months. I understand that, but I suspect the problem will have only gotten worse. With his soul artificially stabilized, it will be more receptive to new skills. As for the complications, headaches, weakness of the body, lower regeneration of reserves, mind fog, and possibly soul collapse."

My mother turned her head to look at Squire Sabin. "Squire Sabin, you proposed the training plan and the alchemical product…"

"I went over it all with you and everyone else ahead of time. I accept responsibility for coming up with the plan, but not the complications," he replied.

"He is an idiot," Healer Castelle said. "Like the rest of you fighters. You see some research from the College of Advancement and get excited without examining the details behind it. I will review your son's training plan and anything he might take for health reasons, or you can fire me right now and deal with this mess yourself."

"It seems we have a legendary healer in our midst," my mother said with a smile, and Healer Castelle let out a scoff.

"I don't have the levels or the energy to go that deep into the dungeon. That is for young people with more muscle than sense," he replied.

"I accept your terms. Now, my son, tell me your status!"

Level: 1Experience: BLOCKED

Healing: 210/210Stamina: 180/180Mana: 50/50

Class: Tier 0, Child (Green)Effect: Increased Skill Acquisition (+8%), Increased Learning Speed (+8%), Increased Stat Gain (+8%), Increased Physical Gain (+8%)

Vitality: 21 (+5)Endurance: 18 (+6)Strength: 16 (+4)Agility: 18 (+4)Perception: 8 (+2)Mind: 36 (+1)Magic: 5 (+1)Focus: 17 (+1)Free Points: 0

Tier 1 (23) (2+): Running (90+17), Mathematics (75+4), Breathing (75+11), Eldarin History (65+4), Dodge (61+37), Toughness (53+28), Meditation (50+8), Eldarin Etiquette (45+3), Sword Skills (41+11), Drawing Skills (34+4), Shield Skills (29+4), Light Armor (29+4), Dancing Skills (28+3), Spear Skills (23+3), Monster Processing Skills (19), Cooking Skills (15), Bow Skills (15+2), Cleaning Skills (14+2), Axe Skills (14+5), Pugilist Skills (14+7), Dagger Skills (12+4), Wrestling Skills (8+4), Speech (3)

Tier 2 (16): Danger Sense (31+10), Eldarin Script (20+20), Mana Sense (20+9), Darkness Vision (8), Writing Focus (7+7), Monster Analysis (3), Trap Detection (1), Depth Sense (1)

Tier 3 (12): Pain Resistance (20+20), Fear Resistance (2+1), Soul Resistance (2+2), Empowered Will (2+2)

Tier 6 (-): Experience Siphon (C)

EquipmentGloves: Gloves of Processing (T2) (Blocks Mana T2 and Below)Amulet/Bracelet: Experience Blocker (T4) (Prevents all experience gain for primary level)

Everyone was silent after I read the status update that only I could see. The tension was incredibly high.

"A ratio of 36 to 51, impossible. That is almost at Meldor's Threshold of 70%. With one more tier 1 skill, he would cross it. Your son…his life is hanging by a thread," Healer Castelle said while looking nervously at my mother.

"Three tier 3 skills. I thought I said no more skills, Squire."

My mother looked at the man once again.

"I did exactly what I said!" he replied loudly and nervously.

"It is my fault and an aftereffect of my initial treatment. My skill is acting like a framework around your son's soul, holding it together, but it is still receptive to new skills. The soul's normal resistance to new skills is completely broken. His age, level, and the green soul fruit have made his soul too malleable. If I stop daily applications of my skill or even slow down, the risks are dire," Healer Castelle replied.

"What is Meldor's Threshold?" my mother asked calmly, while I felt a growing concern.

"It is when the ratio between skills and their tier in relation to the Mind stat goes below 70%. Meldor investigated many limits of the system, and he is most credited with discovering the absolute boundary between skills and the Mind stat. Even with my Stabilize Soul skill, your son's soul would collapse under the pressure. Normally, a soul resists such things, since the pressure stretches it to the limit. But my Stabilize Soul skill keeps him stable while everything else has reduced this automatic defense of a soul to protect itself from too many skills."

"What can be done? Is there an alchemical product? An item?"

"Increase his Mind stat. Level him up and increase it. I will then stop the use of my skill, and your son's health should stabilize."

"What are the other options?"

"The Mind stat is perilous to affect with alchemical products since there are residual traces of the monster's Mana. For your son's age and condition, the risks are very high. It would have to be custom work unless you know a soul mage."

My mother shook her head. "There hasn't been a soul mage of any repute in many generations since I killed the last one. They are troublesome. What about removing some skills through a System Priest?"

"Removing skills shocks the soul heavily. With how malleable your son's soul is, that would be far too dangerous. There would be no effect, or a substantial effect; it is hard to say for sure. I can't safely recommend for a System Priest to do such a thing," Healer Castelle explained.

"What about an Elixir of Mental Fortitude?" Squire Nox suggested.

He was a tall, gaunt man with dark hair, the opposite of the sunny Squire Sabin.

"An Elixir? A fairy tale at best," Healer Castelle replied.

"No. They exist at the Last Bastion. It appears I will need to visit once more. Also, since my hunt for the legend who put the cursed skill on my son continues, that seems like a good place to investigate," my mother said.

"What about a soul skill of some kind? There must be something since there is a skill for everything," Squire Jessica said.

"There probably is, but he can't take on any more skills, and such a skill would be Tier 5. The strain of having Tier 3 skills at his level is concerning. I have seen no pressure on his physical body, but low-level people possessing high-tier skills pose hidden dangers."

There was a long moment of silence as everyone processed what he had just said.

"More stats are the only way. But gaining more levels would slow down his growth. I will go to the Last Bastion and purchase some Elixirs. A shame they must be used so soon, but it should alleviate all issues and allow my son to level up his skills quickly with the higher stats," she said.

"I will prepare a small sheet of questions for whoever you purchase these Elixirs from. Because they are a high-level item, I need to ensure there are no hidden side effects and determine the safe dosage and maximum number that can be taken together. Especially regarding Alchemical toxicity," Healer Castelle said.

My mother nodded, accepting the suggestion.

"All my Squires will go with me. And for my son, he will focus purely on his mental studies with his current tutor, Damian. He has done well in the past, he will continue his job," my mother declared.

No one was about to argue with her, but I didn't want to be left behind.

"Could I go with you?" I asked, and my mother smiled at me.

"No. It is too dangerous, and the risk of your getting another skill is too high. It would also mean dragging Healer Castelle along with us into the dungeon to ensure you remain healthy. You will remain here and focus solely on mental skills," my mother ordered.

I wanted to argue, but slowly shut my mouth and bowed my head.

"How will you find the Last Bastion if it moves about in the dungeon?" I asked.

My mother just smiled at me.

"Some things you will learn in time. I have my ways, as do all legends in good standing. We will depart at first light. All of you are dismissed." I was about to turn to leave when she spoke up again. "My son, stay."

I turned around as everyone else left. Once the door closed, she spoke up again.

"I am sorry, my son," she said, and got up and hugged me.

I didn't know what to say or do.

"Um, it is fine, you didn't know," I replied while hugging my mother back.

"That is no excuse. Ignorance is not a shield but something only fools claim. I am a fool. You know, I had picked up something else from the dungeon, a pair of eyes from a Shadow Cat. I was going to have their innate skill extracted and give it to you. Now that seems so idiotic," my mother said.

"Well, maybe after I get an Elixir of Mental Fortitude, I can use it. What would they do?" I asked, and my mother smiled, patting me on the head.

"All Elixirs are single-use alchemical products used to increase a stat directly by ten points. The materials are difficult to get, and you can only consume each Elixir once. Still, it was one way we legends could boost our stats one last time in the Last Bastion. It is an exclusive product down in the dungeon," my mother said.

"Thank you, Mother. Without you… Let me say, I believe in you," I told my mother.

"Thank you, my son. I will let nothing happen to you. The person who cursed you will die soon. It will take me at least a year to return. During that time, focus only on the skills your tutor assigns to you. Hopefully, your Mind stat will increase, and you won't gain any new skills."

It was going to be more tedious work, but I didn't complain and just nodded.

My mother gave me another hug and gently kissed the top of my head.

"You are my precious son. You know that, right?"

"I love you too," I replied and hugged her back.

Eventually, we let each other go.

"Just because your life is at risk, do not slow down. Focus on your mental skills. Promise me."

"I promise!"

"Good. Your word is your bond and your life. Do not let it break easily, or hand it out easily," my mother said. "Also, your new skill, Empowered Will… I am impressed."

"What?" I asked in surprise as my mother smiled at me.

"It isn't an easy Tier 3 skill to get. While I was hoping you would get it, I never expected it to happen. Giving you a taste of the dungeon and then making you do regular training put you in the right mindset for that skill, but it was stupid."

She sighed heavily in regret.

"You aren't stupid. Just a series of minor mistakes caused this. I am sure I will be fine focusing on mental skills to raise my Mind stat, and you will return with the Elixir, clearing this problem up."

"I could level you, if you want to take an easier path. Even with the cursed skill, it would be easy. But once you gain the first level, it is so hard to stop," my mother replied.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked.

"I am lucky that I lived to reach the level I have, but it has been tough, my son. Incredibly difficult. So many close calls. I've had more brushes with death than I can count. I had hoped to make your path forward easier by having you train early in foundational skills."

"Then I won't get a level. I won't help the person who cursed me."

"Bold, just like me. But if you change your mind, you can tell your father. That is alright as well. Your life is the most important thing. You are still young, but I trust you to make your own choices," my mother said.

I nodded at this, and she gave me another hug, which I returned.

The next morning, she had left with all her Squires before I even woke up.

My father invited me to breakfast. "Your mother explained what had happened."

"I am to focus on training mental skills only," I replied, and he nodded at this.

"Safety is important. Your mother has also spoken with Tutor Damian. He was instructed to focus only on specific skills. Do not get around this. Any action you take outside your skills could kill you."

"Yes, Father," I replied heavily.

Mathematics, Eldarin History, Meditation, Eldarin Etiquette, Eldarin Script, Mana Sense, and Writing Focus were the only skills I could work on.

The hope was that by focusing on purely mental skills, my Mind stat would increase more than my other stats, and I would avoid getting new skills.

The alchemical boost from the wyvern heart had waned. It wasn't completely gone, according to Healer Castelle, but its remaining effects should be minimal after three months.

I knew there would be a lot of tedious work ahead, but complaining wouldn't help. If I wanted the easy path, I could ask to get a level and solve the problem immediately. However, it would make things more complicated in the future.

I thought of the temptation of the dungeon. To grow stronger, to gain stats, to level up. Well, at least I wouldn't be doing nothing while I waited for my mother and her Squires to return. I had mental aligned skills to focus on.

Chapter 16 – Sibling Drama

The book on my bedroom table was obvious and stupid.

Someone was trying to kill me, and they were making it exceedingly obvious who they were, since the servant in charge of my apartment in the mansion had let me know who had entered and left it behind.

I made my way to my father's part of the mansion. There were two guards standing outside the doorway to his personal apartment.

"Can you let my father know there is a serious issue?"

After a moment of hesitation, the guards knocked on the apartment door. A minute later, it opened.

"What is it?" my father asked, already dressed for bed with a slight scowl on his face.

"Someone is trying to kill me. There was a book on gardening on my bedside table," I told him.

His scowl turned angry in a single heartbeat.

"I will deal with it. Follow my son back to his room and collect the book. Bring it to me," my father ordered.

The guard saluted and followed me back to my set of rooms in the family mansion.

The guard took the book and then brought it back to my father. If I had gained a gardening skill, I would have died instantly. Healer Castelle had warned me there would be no warning.

One second, I wouldn't have a skill, then the next second, I would get one, crossing Meldor's Threshold and instantly dying.

He then said the death might not be instant, as the details of Meldor's deranged experiments were heavily restricted, but I would die anyway. The suffering from the point of getting another skill to my death was the uncertain part.

The most dangerous aspect of all of this was that the danger and risk to my life wouldn't trigger my Danger Sense.

As for my skill, Soul Resistance, Healer Castelle said it was a rare skill, usually only seen in people who had been heavily tortured and used soul skills, or those who had used specifically crafted torture devices on themselves. Getting the skill of Soul Resistance was my soul's natural way of trying to defend itself.

He also explained that leveling it up was stupid, since the criteria for leveling it up meant hovering right over Meldor's Threshold or prodding at my soul, a lot, and in ways no one sane would do.

The next day, everyone was called in for a family breakfast.

I noticed that one of my siblings, Timothy, had gone missing.

That only left the eldest, the heir, Dereck, and the youngest, Greg. Greg was three times my age at 27.

My father's first wife was also present. She was usually silent and demure. She knew that her husband's second wife, my mother, was purely for the power she represented and that I was placed at the bottom of the inheritance for the Duchy.

My two half-sisters had been married off at a young age, so they could have children and then level after that to extend their lives.

"So, Father, where did our brother Timothy end up?" Dereck finally spoke up, breaking the rules of etiquette.

"He has joined your other brother as a merchant and is no longer in consideration for any inheritance. I will not tolerate scheming inside this estate. It is bad enough with the other vultures circling outside from the King's Court and other nobility," my father said.

"Just the two of us left, brother. The Supreme Warlady has brought down two of us already," Dereck said in jest, but it was pretty rude to make fun of my mother. He clearly was upset about his younger brother being banished for attempting to kill me.

"You will shut your mouth," my father said with a glare.

"You know why I took a second wife. Do you have a desire to fight against Crownsmith on the border? No? Then learn something and be silent. Unless you don't want to inherit this Duchy?"

Father's glare intensified as his eldest son shrank in his chair.

"I am sorry, Father. It was wrong of me to overstep," he replied.

My father was still quite upset and continued chastising his eldest son without hesitation.

"You think that involving myself with Supreme Warlady Elena was foolish? I can tell what you are thinking, so don't lie. Well, the cost of fighting would have crippled this Duchy. We might be wealthy, but our military power has been lacking, particularly in high-end capabilities that align with our status. Since none of you had the drive to become a legend, I did what I had to do to secure our future. Now you must accept the price and accept that your half-brother is here to stay."

Everyone glanced at me, but I didn't dare say anything. While I was a part of this family, I was also not part of it. It was like two families living together, which made things much tenser.

"In fact, try to make friends with your younger half-brother instead of trying to sabotage or kill him. When he becomes a legend one day, you will pray to the System and any other higher power you can, that you have his favor. For when our enemies come, they won't hesitate," Duke Darren Burnstock declared while glaring at his two remaining sons.

"Dear, perhaps having some wine would be best," his first wife said.

While no one dared speak, a servant rushed over to fill his glass back up with wine quickly.

"I am sorry, Justin," Dereck said.

"I accept your apology."

Since it was settled, I said that no one should speak of the entire incident again, and they all relaxed slightly at that.

If I had tattled to my mother, people would have died. I knew that now. However, I would not use her as a means to an end.

Timothy might have overheard something and thought it a joke that gardening would kill someone. Unfortunately for him, my mother wasn't one to make jokes about my safety. If she found out, she would kill him without hesitation. It only depended on how much she would leave behind after she was finished.

Dereck spoke up again to defuse the situation. "I heard that you have health concerns?"

While he might do some scheme, everyone knew that if I died while on the estate, everyone here would not be alive for long. That was why I wasn't worried about sharing this information.

"I have too many skills. Right now, Healer Castelle is keeping my soul stable, but more skills could kill me," I said, keeping things simple.

There was no need to explain everything behind what was happening to me, but extending an olive branch to avoid any misunderstandings felt like the right thing to do.

"Concerning. Very concerning. I assume your mother is finding a solution?" he asked.

"Yes. But I am also handling the issue myself by adjusting my training to focus on more mental skills to fix the issue," I explained.

"Can we do anything, Father?" Dereck asked.

"No, Healer Castelle is renowned for his extraordinary medical skills. Finding someone better is close to impossible, even for me. The only place that has better healers is the Five-Star Institute of Healing. I have talked with him personally, and there is nothing more a healer can do, except keep Justin alive for now. Matters concerning one's soul are pretty tricky and rare. Supreme Warlady Elena will return with a solution, and Justin adjusted his training."

The breakfast table quieted down now that the drama was over, and everyone had gotten the answers they wanted. For now, the family regained peace. My siblings were under a lot of stress, and not just from my mother.

Duke Burnstock was looking to arrange marriages for his two sons and to retire. While I saw little of that side of the family, countless issues needed to be addressed and resolved.

From dealing with the influx of refugees from the neighboring Crownsmith kingdom to addressing local complaints and handling trade matters, the list went on.

While the Duke, my father, could have delegated more, it was dangerous to delegate too much authority, as other nobles would take advantage.

It also didn't help that Duke Burnstock's territory was vast. Then he had to deal with pressures from the King of Terander.

While it might seem like my issues were center stage, they were just one part of the family dynamics and not even the main part, except for one reason.

Unfortunately for everyone else, no one could ignore or slight my mother. Only legends could bring justice to a legend, and she stood above almost all of them.

That was why no one could do anything for my mother except try to convince her. But if she didn't like someone or something, she could wipe them out with little to no repercussions because of her high level and immense power.

As for who would inherit everything, it seemed set that Dereck would remain the official heir. As the official heir, he was managing quite a bit. The disruption my mother caused to the running of the estate and the duchy was immense.

While I knew my father didn't have any regrets, his heir, my half-brother, had to deal with the stress and drama with no way to respond.

Even if our father had appointed him the next duke, there was no way he could have told off my mother.

As his wife, this was technically our home. Unless I moved out, there was no way to remove this hassle from his life. He was frustrated with my mother and me because of that.

For a noble, the best way to express their annoyance was through veiled insults. Unfortunately, that was a terrible idea regarding my mother. She knew such things but didn't care. The world bent to her, not the other way around.

I knew there was quite a lot of danger to my life if I got another skill, but I was going to stay in the estate. There was no going back to physical training either.

After experiencing training from my mother's Squires, returning to the guard captain of the estate would feel like several steps back.

He was good, even as an elite guard, but nowhere near the same skill levels as my mother's Squires.

Chapter 17 – Breakthrough

While I copied the massive book of flowing Eldarin Script, I felt a breakthrough in my Breathing. It became slightly easier and more controlled. I paused in my copying, setting my pen aside.

I hadn't been expecting to break through so easily, but the skill had been at the bottleneck for a while.

"Tutor Damian, I broke through with my Breathing. Any suggestions for future improvements for the skill?"

"Congratulations, that is a combat skill. But let me give it some thought for a moment. The best advice I can offer is to practice the skill regularly. It will improve gradually. The bottleneck was level 75?"

"Yes," I replied.

It wasn't polite to ask about other people's status or level without being prompted. Although skills existed that could reveal this information, people considered it incredibly rude to do so without permission.

Since Damian was my personal tutor and it was a tier 1 skill, there was no reason to conceal its progress.

"Then it will take time. It is as simple as just constantly using the skill. Some say it is the best way to improve more stubborn skills. If you don't practice using the skill regularly, it won't be effective in those situations. It is when you need to adjust your breathing and you focus on the skill that there is more pressure and the skill will level up," he explained.

The explanation was slightly complex, but it made sense. Skills improved through adversity.

While one could train them through use and repetition, it was a much slower process. By using Breathing constantly, I was forcing myself to use it all the time, even when it was difficult. It would also alleviate the bottleneck in skill level.

With tier 1 skills, the bottlenecks came every 25 levels. For tier 2 and 3 skills, they came every 20 levels. For tier 4 and 5 skills, every 15 levels. And for tier 6 skills, there was a bottleneck or a breakthrough point every 10 levels.

Leveling became increasingly difficult with each subsequent tier and the passage of each bottleneck. That's why nobody had ever reached level 100 with a Tier 6 skill. It took too long and was too difficult. This included my mother, as far as I knew.

"Hmm, I can sense your frustration. Well, I could get some research data from the College of Advancement. Thankfully, it's not too pricey, unlike some of their other products. You are probably feeling like you are stalling or slowing down in levels?" Tutor Damian asked me with a smile.

"A bit. I want to gain more levels more quickly. I know I am going fast, but sometimes I am not sure," I replied. Tutor Damian nodded.

"Look at this research paper compiled by the College of Advancement and locate your position on it," he said, pushing a piece of paper across the table we sat at in the library.

I picked it up and examined it.

Guide to Leveling Progress for Humans, Correlation to AgeBy Hellabella June, Professor of Systems Analysis and Skill Experience

Synopsis

This research paper represents a compilation of over 10,000 individuals from various human classes across all ages and professions. The research also included the standard exception for legends, extrapolating the probable skill level total of such individuals. The researchers created equations based solely on age, with multipliers for specific groups of individuals with varying availability of tutoring and other resources.

Given lifespan L (age in years), with skills gained from age 8, the expected skill contribution C is:

C = 65.92 * (L - 8)^0.6

where:

C = sum of ln(1 + S_i) * T_i for i from 1 to N.

S_i: Skill level (1 to 100) for a skill in tier T_i (1 to 6).

N: Number of skills, constrained by sum of T_i less than or equal to L / 2.

For L = 28 years, C ≈ 65.92 * 20^0.6 ≈ 397.77.

I looked back up at my Tutor as the research paper continued.

"My math isn't good enough for whatever this is," I replied.

"Well, it will help push your Mathematics skills quite a bit. It isn't that complicated," he replied.

I re-examined the synopsis of the research paper.

"How do I even handle an exponent of 0.6?" I asked.

"That is where you use the square root method. Let me explain."

I listened closely as Tutor Damian showed me how to approximate such a value using square roots. It was complex, far more than the basic math I had been studying recently. Halfway through the explanation, Tutor Damian stopped.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sorry, I didn't think about your current situation. While unlikely, this could give you some skills that we need to avoid. Let me sum things up for you. I wanted to help your mindset and put you at ease, not create a health risk."

He took everything back.

I let out a small sigh but said nothing.

"The equation gives the approximate number of skill levels based on age. Since you are approximately 9.25 years old, the equation yields 75.36 as your expected skill level. The paper says that people with tutors and abundant resources can reach a multiplication factor as high as 16, which would translate into 1,205.82."

I nodded along.

"Now, based on the last time we checked, your total skill levels multiplied by tier are 1,012 for tier 1, then 182, and 78 for tiers 2 and 3, respectively, which totals up to 1,272, far above the maximum multiplier to account for people with tutors by around 67 skill levels. I am also counting the two skills you have mastered at Tier 1. Working backwards, if we divide your skill number by 16, we get 79.5, which translates into an age of around nine and a half years," Tutor Damian explained.

It was a lot of math, but that was what the College of Advancement focused on, or at least a significant area of its focus—breaking down every facet of the system that controlled a person's status.

"What you are saying is that I am about a quarter year ahead of the most advanced people my age," I said.

"Exactly. If you really want to evaluate your progress, the College of Advancement encourages the use of equations developed from large data sets. It can get tedious when you have more skill masteries and have to take them into account, but it is a good way to check your progress," he explained.

I muttered, "It's complicated."

"That is the College of Advancement for you. They attempt to simplify things so they can sell their research, but even the simplest concepts are headache-inducing and confusing. That is why Mathematics is a key skill to have regardless of your job in life."

"Older people would have a lot of skills," I replied.

"We have quite a few. Especially if we raise our Mind stat. But we also get mastery of lower-tier skills. This kind of stuff is nice to know, but it isn't necessary. For people like your mother, and other legends, she would tell you not to worry about other people's progress, focus on your own growth and the task at hand as much as possible."

That aligned with what I knew of my mother. Focusing on the moment increased one's skills. That was why she didn't want me constantly checking my status over every single level.

"I am surprised other kids are that high," I replied.

"While you have more advantages than most, the elites of this world also pass on similar advantages to their kids. Given the difficulty people with high stats face in conceiving, resources and training have been focused on a select group. The earlier skill levels are the easiest. The paper discusses how skill levels tend to stagnate as one ages. That is the power of this exponent in the equation, in relation to age," Damian said, and I nodded.

I still didn't understand math, but it felt good to know that I was ahead of my peers.

"Competition is good, but don't let math dominate your life. Some people get caught up in it like their status page. You would miss the forest while staring at the trees. Overall, holistic growth is the most important, and building up a foundation is key for long-term success," he said.

"Did my mother talk to you about that and tell you to say that?"

"Yes, but not in so many words. I also won't lie. She isn't wrong based on my experience and knowledge that I have gained over the years. I have had peers in the College of Advancement who had this issue. They struggled the most and were desperate. That kind of mindset is poor in the long term. You need urgency, but also need to be focused. Speed yet precision."

"You definitely got that from my mother," I said.

"She had some ideas she wanted me to impart to you, but I teach my students in my way. It is quite rare that I handle just one student."

"Even nobles?" I asked.

"Most would send their kids as a small group to someone like me to save money. Even though I dropped out of the College of Advancement after my fifth year, that is still incredibly impressive. A professional tutor of my qualifications isn't cheap."

"It must be tough, if it is impressive making it that far," I said.

"It is. The graduating class is 10 each year from a starting class of 10,000." Those numbers shocked me. "They get over 100,000 applications a year. There is no greater institute of higher learning than the College of Advancement. There have been attempts to replicate its success, but all of them are minor places that have little recognition."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Centuries of building up a powerful alumni network of legends. Legends have higher stats and higher Vitality. So, they live a long time. Some take offense at other institutions, which makes their existence difficult. Also, people leave their legacies behind. It builds up."

"Oh, do you think my mother wants to send me there?" I asked.

"I am not sure. It is a cutthroat environment. The minimum age to enter is 12, with no maximum age limit. They look at your overall status, age, and background. Anyone over level 100 can visit freely, give lectures, or stay there for free."

"Keeping a high-level force available at all times," I replied.

"One reason they do so is to boost the College's standing in the world."

"Why is the dropout rate so high?" I asked.

"The College grades everyone against each other, and the lowest performers are cut. Skill growth mostly determines who remains and who is expelled. Most people survive three years, but then the grading criteria increase, and the numbers quickly decrease. It is brutal, different from the dungeon, but they are similar for unrelenting pressure."

Chapter 18 – Assault On The Estate

I couldn't fall asleep. Something was bothering me. It was like that time a legend attacked me in my sleep.

"Wake up!" A guard rushed into my room and shouted. I sat up in bed, and the guard raced over.

"My apologies," he said and quickly grabbed me around the waist, putting me over his shoulder.

I heard shouting in other parts of the mansion. The only reason a guard would have approached me like this was that there was an ongoing attack.

Seconds after realizing that, a loud explosion occurred, and the entire building shook. The guard didn't lose his footing as he raced down to the first floor.

The rest of the family members were being carried into the deep underground bunker by elite guards, deep beneath the mansion. Heavy metal doors were closed, and powerful enchantments were activated as everyone was quickly moved into the safe room.

The elite guards who brought us down here stood outside the last door while they placed the Burnstock family into the inner vault.

There was more ground shaking. I could hear the bangs of distant explosions.

"Good, everyone is here," Duke Burnstock said while looking over everyone.

"Another attack. How annoying," Dereck muttered.

"Probably the remnants of Crownsmith, making one last desperate move in revenge," my father said as the ground shook again. "As long as they don't have a legend, we will be fine. The guards are more than up to the task, and we have a large team of elites."

The ground shook again.

My father was saying things to keep himself and everyone else calm. If the attackers were strong enough, it would only be a matter of time until they broke through, especially if they were a legend.

"Well, the Construction Mages need some funding anyway, and redecorating isn't a bad thing," Dereck muttered as the ground shook some more.

"What is taking so long? That isn't good," Greg muttered.

"We just have to wait and be calm. The guards are well-trained to handle such situations. I doubt it is anyone truly strong, since the threat of Supreme Warlady Elena would have scared them off."

"Or they want to kill her son as revenge and don't care," Dereck said. His father sent him a glare, and he shrugged. "It isn't unreasonable to say."

"It isn't. But we will stand or fall as a family. Being a noble isn't always smooth sailing," he replied.

There was a bell chime.

Everyone went quiet.

"The team has eliminated the threat against Duke Burnstock. A final sweep is being done. Crisp cucumbers. The number eight. Black and white," a guard said through an enchanted communicator from outside the bunker.

The last couple of phrases were clearly phrases of some kind, letting the duke know everything was okay for him to come out.

"Good. That means we can leave this place," the duke said with a relieved smile. He went to the vault door and opened it. The guards all nodded towards him and escorted him back up into the mansion.

The captain of the guard came over once we reached the exit to the vault staircase.

"Duke, our forces neutralized the attack. We eliminated six elite hostiles and fourteen of lesser levels. Seventeen regular guards died in the assault, and we had no elite casualties."

The duke let out a long sigh. "Arrange their funeral for tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. Since the outside is a mess, how bad is it, and what is the damage?"

We all listened to the conversation before going back to our rooms.

"The mansion's exterior and grounds have sustained extensive damage. Fireball and Quake, tier 4 skills, were used extensively in the battle. They are double-checking the mansion's structure, along with follow-up sweeps of the mansion and grounds to ensure that no one is hidden. As for the attackers, they appear to be Crownsmith royal guards. A final desperate attack. An after-battle sweep has been done, but we will remain on full alert for the next three days, with active sweeps of all areas."

"Three days, isn't that a bit much?" Dereck asked.

"If these were mercenaries, then yes. But this was a professional fighting force from another nation. They are likely to have individuals with stealth skills. Everyone will always have one elite guard with them for the next three days," he explained before turning back to the Captain.

"No arguing. Thank you, Captain. We appreciate your vigilance. Do whatever you feel is necessary to ensure our safety," Duke Burnstock said.

"As you command, Duke," the guard captain replied before assigning each of us an elite guard to accompany us.

While it might not make sense to have assassins in the middle of a battle, it was common practice to get around Danger Sense and similar skills and enchantments.

There was probably no one, but my father was right to be cautious. There were too many assassinations in the history books I had learned from.

I went back to bed, and the next morning, I got to see the extent of the damage outside the mansion. It looked worse than when my mother had beaten Squire Jessica up, far worse. Large chunks were burnt, including several trees. There were large cracks in the ground.

"A sight, isn't it?" the guard captain asked as he walked over to stand next to me as I looked over the damage.

"Good morning, Captain Johnson. My condolences about your men," I greeted the man politely.

He had done the initial training with me in my weapon skills.

"It was a tough battle. Their teamwork was impeccable. But without a legend, they could not break through," he said while looking out at the destruction.

"A legend could stop all of this?" I asked.

"It isn't just the higher stats; it is the more powerful skills. Most elites possess a few Tier 4 skills. A legend would have at least one Tier 5 skill. That is when you get specialized skills that are unknown, which are far more dangerous than common spells like Fireball or Quake, which are still incredibly dangerous, but there are ways to deal with them."

A mage in the distance was saying something to level out the ground once again. The Construction and Landscaping Mages would earn quite a bit putting everything back into place.

"What about a tier 6 skill?" I asked.

"That would be someone like your mother, with around double the level of an elite. Outside the dungeon, people seldom use a tier 6 skill."

"No one has said what tier 6 skill she has. Do you know?" I asked.

"No. Even the names of tier 5 and 6 skills are unique, along with their effects. People who see such a skill tend not to be alive for long, or they are close friends with the person who used such a skill and won't speak of it. At that level of combat, surprise and speed are the most important things."

"Not stats or skill level?"

"They help, but surprise is the most important thing in such a fight. I knew the royal guards and their preferred method of combat, which was why we could counter them so effectively. My men used Stone Wall to counter their Fireballs over there. They then used Quake to disrupt our defenses, and my men split and used a combination of water and lightning spells."

"No close combat?"

"Not for fighting against regular humans. Down in the dungeon, they need that much more, where they must preserve Mana reserves as much as possible. In a battle like this, overwhelming power and finishing the fight as quickly as possible are more important. That is why we are guards first and not adventurers. We optimized our skills for this kind of high-speed defensive combat."

"Thank you, Captain," I said.

"My pleasure as always. Enjoy your day," he told me.

The man had given me a lot of stuff to think about. While my plan had always been to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a spellblade, it was just a job title.

Job titles were normally aligned with class titles, but not always. Even if someone got a better class, they wouldn't advertise that fact. However, they needed to share which class they had to take to find work in their profession.

So, while my mother was a spellblade, since adventurer was too vague a term for higher-level individuals, only she knew her exact class name and its effects. Other legends gave her the title of Warlady, not the System.

Like the guards defending the estate, a job title let people know what your skills were, revealing nothing specific. A guard captain like Johnson would possess particular skills and a class suited to his job, which differed from those of Tutor Damian or Healer Castelle.

I noted that they did not evacuate to the bunker.

Non-family members who were guests got separate hiding spots, just in case one of them was a hidden assassin.

While rare, if such an individual were to target anyone, it would likely be me or my father. And after the last incident, no chances were being taken with my safety.

The guard following me stood behind me at a respectful distance as I looked over the grounds of the estate one last time before going back inside for breakfast.

A high-level fight was truly destructive, and magic played a critical role in combat. It was the deciding factor, but for the dungeon, it was a lifeline one could grab onto only so many times before they were out of Mana.

I heard the windows being replaced and the outside of the mansion being repaired while I worked on skills in the library.

"Do you know how to fight?" I asked Damian.

"Hmm, not really. Why are you curious?" he asked me.

"Just wondering how much you specialized. I was thinking about different jobs after the attack and how much classes played a role," I replied.

"That makes sense. Adventuring to fight monsters and fighting humans have some overlap, but ultimately, they are different focuses, like teaching and research. Lots of mental skills and work to increase their level, but some key differences in a couple of skills used for one's job. Classes play a role. The higher your level, the more specialized they become, so you need to be sure before picking certain classes, since it is damaging to your soul to change them up to level 60 and then impossible after level 80," Damian said.

"Damaging how?" I asked.

"They degrade by a color. The tier is based on the level for a class, but the power behind the class decreases. Instead of larger percentage boosts, they would decrease. So, most people don't do this, but sometimes a person wants to change professions later on in life for personal reasons, and it isn't impossible with the help of a System Priest," he explained.

"Where does one learn combat skills? Is there a place like the College of Advancement?" I asked.

"There are smaller schools, dojos, other institutions, and individuals that teach combat skills. However, people mostly learn and improve them by fighting monsters in the dungeon. There is no better teacher. I suppose the Last Bastion might be as famous as the College of Advancement, but in terms of martial achievements," he answered.

That made sense. There was really no better way to improve fighting skills than through actual fighting.

"Then why does my mother have Squires?"

"It is a remnant of an older naming convention when legends used to be called knights or archmagi and took on squires and apprentices from before the time of the Eldarin Empire. Since most fighting in the dungeon is melee, they inherited the legacy of various high-level knights, hence the term Squire. High-level individuals share insights on how to acquire Tier 5 skills during a period of service. It reduces the headaches when trying to get a tier 5 skill and then level it up if you have someone to guide you," Tutor Damian explained.

"Even for ten years?"

"Even for ten years. The levels they can gain from a tier 5 skill offset this and open up the chance to gain more levels and create a legacy of their own."

"And the archmagi?" I asked.

"They came together as well and formed the College of Advancement long ago, or its precursor institution. It didn't adopt its more modern trappings until after the fall of the Eldarin Empire, around a millennium ago, which cemented its reputation. While you can improve spell skills in combat, you can do much more outside of combat. While the College of Advancement doesn't ignore spell skills, they are not the focus."

Chapter 19 – Engagement Announcement

"Good news, everyone," my father said at dinner. Everyone became quiet as we looked at him. "We have arranged a suitable marriage for my son and heir, Dereck Burnstock, to Princess Jasmine Terander, first princess of the King of Terander."

There was a moment of silence.

"Congratulations, brother," I said, and he smiled at me.

"Thank you, Justin."

"A princess, you don't aim low," Greg said.

"It is thanks to Father's recent dealings with the King's Court and the King himself that the arrangement went through," Dereck said.

"There was also a considerable dowry. But the King's Court won't be looking to impose extra taxes on us for our brief fight with Crownsmith. The King, Queen, First Prince, First Princess, and her three younger siblings will visit our estate in two weeks and will remain here for the next month. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior and courteous to them as our honored guests. They will dine with us as well as future family," the Duke said.

"And the rest of the King's Court?" Greg asked.

"Remaining behind and causing trouble in the capital, mostly. The guest house will be open to anyone with significant standing. Justin, because of concerns about your health and other incidents, I will always have a guard shadow you," my father said.

I had expected this and didn't object. The King and his family were trustworthy. They wouldn't plan to assassinate me. But they would bring along their own guards, servants, and retinue to the Burnstock estate.

Although our family screened them, there was always a risk. For this visit, I would be part of the Burnstock family, and my presence was required, since my mother wouldn't be here.

It showed that she had an interest in this family, and the King could create a connection with her, however distant, by marrying his eldest daughter to my eldest half-brother. I knew there were countless other political concerns and concessions as well.

While my father was the strongest noble in Terander and insanely wealthy, he wasn't looking to supplant the King as far as I knew. If he had been, he could have annexed land from Crownsmith to expand his holdings. That would have drawn a much more negative response from the King and other nobility.

My father's holdings were already immense, and he controlled the largest and most prosperous city in the nation.

The King most likely wanted to be sure there wouldn't be trouble from my father's heir in the future, so he let the marriage go through. It would tie the Burnstock family firmly to the crown for at least 50 years, possibly more.

Since my mother was married to Duke Burnstock, her protection would tentatively extend over the kingdom. At least that was the calculation other nations, and their nobility, would make when deciding if they wanted to start a war. I knew they all thought of anything related to my mother and said 'nope'.

Only the desperate with nothing to lose, the insane, or those wanting to stir up trouble would dare try something against me. If Crownsmith hadn't been destroyed, they wouldn't have attacked the estate. The royal guard failed and made their last attempt to strike a blow before ending their lives.

Other nations that hadn't been destroyed would never take such a risk out of fear of reprisal. Even the stealthiest of assassins would hesitate as well.

If anyone could afford to hire the necessary legends to figure out who was behind an attack, it would be my mother, with her strength and connections, and my father with his wealth.

Still, the legend who had cursed me remained at large. It was a constant worry at the back of my mind.

"How old is the Princess?" I asked.

"She just turned sixteen, which is ideal for her," my father said, and everyone nodded at this.

Women wanted to have children as early as possible, before it became too difficult, and they developed methods to extend their lifespans.

The Duke's first wife was almost half his age.

While peasants and merchants might get married within a closer age range to each other, for nobility, waiting until they were in their late 20s or early 30s was standard to find an ideal match. With the woman producing children, it was how society was. The inheritance was settled, and my father would retire as Duke.

I knew that once the princess was born, this had been my father's plan for his eldest son all along, since he was getting up there in years. Nobles retired to avoid conflicts with younger generations and joined the King's Court in the capital.

My brother had to keep his level low to ensure he could have children easily. He was only at level 20.

After having four to seven children, he and his wife would rapidly power-level to level 60 in the dungeon.

Most children were likely to survive birth, but the nobility wanted enough insurance regarding their family line, given how dangerous things could get if a legend attacked them.

That was why my father only sent his other two children away, rather than disinherit them completely. If an attack wiped out the family, they could restart it, and the Burnstock line and name would continue. The nobility's social protocols, which aimed to ensure stability and a smooth generational transition, were quite complex.

No one wanted to be accused of being the next Eternal Emperor.

While they weren't living in luxury, they had enough money to ensure they could live well and find a comfortable job while being under observation. If they caused trouble or wasted their money, they would be disinherited entirely to ensure there weren't any succession issues.

Many merchants and tutored adventurers came from this group of second, third, and fourth sons. After the marriage and once they had their first child, they would kick out my brother, Greg, and give him a substantial amount of money. They would monitor him, but he would no longer live at the estate.

My father would transfer over more duties before retiring and moving to the capital and spending time at the King's Court with the other old nobility. My grandfather, whom I had never met, my father's father, was part of the King's Court. This ensured a steady hand to guide the nation while also providing the continuity of families as much as possible. It also stopped younger generations from scheming for power against entrenched elders.

"Also, my father will be returning as well," Duke Burnstock said, and everyone grew quiet at that.

That was going to involve a lot of drama. The eldest Burnstock had strong opinions about his son's second marriage to my mother, which was a significant reason he never returned to visit.

He strongly disapproved of the entire arrangement. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on one's viewpoint, the younger generation had taken control of the family.

There were numerous historical examples of old men clinging to power, gathering resentment from a younger generation, particularly among the nobility. That was why the expected retirement age was between 60 and 80 years old, even if they could live much longer.

The capital was essentially a vast retirement community for the nation's nobility, known as the King's Court. They would rarely travel, preferring to enjoy their relaxation and luxuries that the capital offered.

So, while there was a huge amount of wealth and soft power, it wasn't a thriving city like Burnstock, which was a trade and agricultural hub for the entire region.

"Will he want to meet me?" I asked.

"Possibly, but I will be present if you have any meetings with other nobility, including my father. I do not wish to risk the ire of your mother," my father replied, and everyone nodded.

"Will we be postponing the wedding until Supreme Warlady Elena's return?" Dereck asked.

"No. She would not be interested in such a thing, and it would be too intimidating for everyone. Other nations might view it as a threat," my father explained.

"So, is it going to be an international wedding?" my eldest brother, the future groom, asked.

"Yes. The King will insist, since it is an excellent opportunity to raise the prestige of this nation. I know he will try to attract some legends to come settle here," my father said with a shake of his head.

Legends only spent a significant amount of time at the Last Bastion and the College of Advancement outside the dungeon. They were pretty rare anywhere else. If they had wanted to settle down, they wouldn't have had the drive to go past level 100.

My mother was a rare exception who was still an active adventurer but not down in the dungeon. Other nations would offer favorable terms, attempting to persuade such powerhouses to settle on their land. Each legend a country had living there was counted as a deterrent to being wiped out.

Not that it did much against someone of my mother's level and power.

"I will review the guest list. How high up are we going?" Dereck asked.

"As far as we can go. Let's cast a wide net and avoid offending anyone if possible. Best to create a favorable atmosphere after what happened to Crownsmith," my father said. "Also check if they have grudges against the Supreme Warlady; we don't want any incidents."

"I was planning on doing that," my eldest brother said.

"So, it looks like I am finally getting the boot out into the cold, harsh world," my youngest brother said with a touch of drama.

My father turned towards Greg. "There is an opportunity to marry into a noble family that lost its male line in Crownsmith. I have gotten a letter inquiring about marriage, if you are interested?"

"Really? Crownsmith? Aren't they calling for our blood?"

"Some of them are. Others prefer to make a show of peace and stability. Also, the barony is on the far border. They are hoping to use your connections as a threat to stop any adventurism from their neighbors."

"A review of the barony and the family will be needed. I am interested, though, would I still be getting the family stipend?" Greg asked.

"Yes. To help you settle down on your new estate and not make trouble," my father said.

Greg smiled at that. "Then you will get no complaints from me. Don't forget your youngest brother when I come begging for a trade deal."

"I will think about it. Carefully," Dereck replied with a small smile.

I could tell that Dereck was happy he was finally going to become Duke of the Burnstock family. In three to five years, once he had enough children, my father would pass the title along to him.

The one thing the nobility cared about was preserving their bloodline. I was more interested in returning to the dungeon to explore and level up my skills. I wanted to be the best, like my mother.

Chapter 20 – Breakfast With King Terander

I stood at the front of the estate along with the servants and the rest of the family. It was exactly like when we waited to greet my mother.

Thankfully, we had much better information on the arrival time of the King and his family.

There was a massive procession of magical carriages and guards coming along the main road towards the estate.

It wasn't just the King's family, but their attendants, servants, and other people who attended to them.

Unlike my mother, who just had her Squires, the King had a whole entourage of people.

I was more impressed by my mother running towards the estate and striding forward on foot than all this pageantry. The most decorated carriage came forward and stopped in front of them, where they had rolled out the red carpet.

All the servants kneeled while I bowed along with the rest of my family, including my father.

"Announcing, King Maximillian Terander the Eighteenth of the nation of Terander. Queen Vermillion Terander, nee Heronscape. First Prince Maximillian Terander the Nineteenth, heir to the throne. First Princess Jasmine Terander," a herald called out incredibly loudly, forcing me to pay attention to the royalty who had just arrived.

Clearly, the herald had used some skills. My mother should have a herald, but she would likely consider it a waste of time and effort better spent elsewhere.

"Your Grace," my father said as the King strode forward with his family.

"Rise, rise everyone. We will soon be family, Duke Burnstock. It is good that we can meet like this for such an auspicious occasion," he said, as everyone straightened up or got up from their kneeling position.

"Thank you, Your Grace. Your wife is as radiant as ever. I am almost suspecting a high-level beauty skill or two," my father complimented the Queen.

"Just taking care of myself and some recent stats," the Queen demurred.

"And this must be your heir! Greetings, young man!"

My father greeted the prince with a smile.

"Your estate is quite lovely," he said, and the duke smiled.

He took great pride in ensuring the estate always looked its best. You could never tell that a battle had happened recently, or that my mother had rampaged about.

"Thank you. I try my best. And this must be my future daughter-in-law. You are as lovely as your mother. I hope you and my son will get along," my father said.

"Of course, Duke Burnstock. I look forward to getting to know Dereck," she said.

After that came the King's four other children, who were all relatively young, ranging in age from 7 to 14.

My father then introduced his two sons and his first wife, with the King saying kind words to each of them.

Then it was my turn.

"This is my son Justin from my second wife, the Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock."

"Greetings, Your Grace. It is a privilege and an honor to meet you," I said with a slight bow.

"Oh, the legendary child. You are always welcome in my court and nation, young Justin. I hope you feel Terander is as much of your home as it is mine," he replied.

"From what I have seen, it is lovely. I am honored you would extend such an invitation," I replied, remembering my etiquette.

The King might be slightly interested in me, but he was far more interested in making sure my mother, the Supreme Warlady, kept her home in his nation.

While the children of legends had a higher chance of becoming a legend, it wasn't a guarantee. The path to such heights was long and arduous, while my mother was a sure bet. Especially after wiping out the royalty of the neighboring nation of Crownsmith.

"My head butler will show you to your accommodations, where you can rest before dinner, Your Grace," my father said, and the King nodded.

"Thank you. It is good not to be traveling anymore. Come," he said.

His family and servants followed him into the mansion.

While the royal entourage went into the mansion, there was still one last person left to greet.

A carriage with a burning tree on a yellow background, the symbol of the Burnstock family, pulled up in front of the red carpet.

An older man slowly exited his enchanted carriage. I could see the resemblance between my grandfather and father: the same sharp lines, the same angular nose. I had inherited more of my mother's slightly rounder features and wider eyes.

"Son," my grandfather said while looking at my father.

"Father." The silence built up over a minute before my father spoke again. "Your grandkids." My father gestured at the three of us, and my grandfather let out a rude snort.

"Always scrambling about, never planning. I should have never handed over the Duchy to you," my grandfather said, tearing away any pretense of civility.

"Then you are welcome to leave."

"And let you mess up this wedding as well? Not a chance." My grandfather walked in front of Dereck and looked him up and down. Dereck bowed his head. "No spine, weak like your father." He then moved in front of Greg and looked him over, who didn't look away. "Learn to be humble, you are only the fourth son."

Now I understood why they never invited my grandfather back to the estate. He then stopped in front of me.

"Where is your mother, boy?" he asked me.

"It is not for you to ask about the whereabouts of my mother, the Supreme Warlady Elena. She can come and go as she wishes."

"Oh, she can. Just kill her way through every problem, no thought, kill, kill, kill," he said sarcastically.

"When she returns, I am sure she would enjoy listening to you," I replied with a smile, and he let out another scoff.

"She knows what I think, and I am not afraid of saying it to her face either, unlike these other weak-willed people. Killing is fine in the dungeon. But up here, in society, there are rules, order, and structure. Something she tramples all over," he replied.

"The weak complain, the strong strive for greatness."

"Don't quote System Scripture to me, boy. When your father was nothing but a squirt in my-"

"That! Is! Enough!" my father yelled and stepped forward. My grandfather turned to face him. "You can either shut up and be polite, or you can leave, you miserable old man. I only agreed to your presence out of familial responsibility, but you can go back to your retirement and the King's Court if you are only going to cause discord and chaos."

"You got your spine from me, boy, but you inherited your weak understanding of the world from your mother's family. Fine. You are the Duke, and I am nothing but a cranky old man who knows nothing, just an idiot and a clown. Perhaps I shall dress up as one. Now, have a servant show me to my room."

My father signaled a servant, who then escorted my grandfather away.

"Was he always this bad?" I asked Dereck, who shook his head.

"He got a lot worse after our father took your mother as his second wife. It just isn't done. Her status was the only reason the marriage wasn’t stopped."

I didn't realize that taking a second wife was such a big deal. I knew that inheritance and bloodlines were important to nobles, but I didn't realize a second wife would trample on that concept so much. Even with all the learning I had done, there were still some things that weren't written in books that I still had to learn.

"I am sorry, my children, but you will have to endure your grandfather during this time. We can send him away once the wedding is over."

"He won't make a scandal at the wedding?" Dereck asked.

"There was a reason he waited until the King and his family had gone inside. He values tradition and following the rules. He won't ever make a scene when others are present," my father said.

That didn't count the servants or guards who had been discreetly watching in. To my grandfather, they were nothing but the help.

"Was marrying my mother such a big deal?" I asked, trying to get more information on why he was so upset.

My siblings and other servants left as my father gestured for me to walk with him around the estate. The guards followed at a distance.

"Despite the public agreement with your mother regarding inheritance rights, it caused quite a stir. Taking a second wife is heavily disapproved of. People can ignore a mistress or two, but a second wife causes a lot of legal headaches. Your grandfather wanted us to build up the military to secure the border, but that would have just led to increasing escalation. Not just with Crownsmith but with the Kingdom of Terander."

"So, when your mother began inquiring regarding a husband, I stepped forward. The cost was far less than an outright war, even with your conception. But it creates a tense political dynamic. He had friends in the Crownsmith nobility that she wiped out. Normally, fights between nobles are skirmishes so their people can build up levels."

He allowed me to consider what he had revealed before continuing.

"Marrying your mother threw these carefully maneuvered plans into disarray. He has never been happy since he had to give me the title of Duke. He wanted to remain in charge for as long as possible. But it would have caused a tremendous scandal with the nobility, and I threatened to walk away after my children were born unless he passed over the title."

The rift was much more profound than I realized.

"Don't worry, Justin. He is nothing but an old man who gets financial support from our family for being the former Duke. We will watch him, and I will remove him if he causes any more problems."

"I am surprised Mother didn't get upset with him," I replied.

"He has kept away from her. He knows she would kill him without hesitation," my father said.

I let out a sigh. I hadn't been expecting to be dragged into the center of the family drama.

"Isn't the King supposed to protect the other nobility?"

"Ah, that is much more complicated. Crownsmith likely had tacit support to form bandit groups and make trouble at the border. No one can prove it, but the Kings of Terander have long wanted to dismantle this duchy. We used to be a separate kingdom, but came together long ago. While I could have raised an army in response or asked the King to intervene, both options would have come with hidden strings attached that I wished to avoid."

"But the King was foolish to put you in that position."

"My son, welcome to the world of politics. No less cutthroat than the dungeon, but the dangers are much more hidden. Your mother thinks the same as well. For adventurers, things are simple. Kill monsters, get stronger. But for nobles, it is more about social positioning and maneuvering. Marrying your mother and having you was a way out of a tough situation for me, even if it created a scandal among the nobility. I love you, but that is just the reality of the situation."

I still wasn't entirely sure why my grandfather was upset. Apparently, my father's second marriage was a scandal, but my grandfather was unable to object to it. He was also unhappy at having had to step down from his position.

Why couldn't everyone get along? It was naive of me to think that, but it just seemed pointless to get upset about such things.

Everything was running smoothly, and there were no issues with my father's marriage. It wasn't as if I was trying to or planning to usurp my brother. Once he became duke in a couple of years, he would secure his position.

If my mother had wanted me to inherit, she would have just acted and told people how it was going to be.

She was not one to easily suffer challenges or debates. Healer Castelle only got away with that since he was arguing for my health. He was still using Stabilize Soul on me to ensure my health.

I didn't think I had gained any more skills, but with everything happening, I wasn't so sure. Once I acquired System Sense, a Tier 3 skill, I would gain a better understanding of these things.

The more I thought about it, the more reckless it was to let me be without getting me a level to improve my Mind stat. But my mother seemed quite reckless in her pursuit of power.

If one could become a supreme legend by playing it safe, everyone would be a supreme legend, and the title would mean nothing.

For every success, like my mother's, there were countless failures forgotten in the dungeon.

Chapter 21 – Interlude 1

Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock

"The Last Bastion," I said with a smile as I looked at the giant doorway in the distance. Even with the compass in my possession, finding this place on the 20th layer was always a hassle.

My Squires remained alert behind me. They would never drop their guard in the dungeon.

That was why they had survived long enough to become my Squires. I strode forward and saw that Legend Dominator Sorus was on watch duty. He was nearing the end of his life, having reached nearly half a millennium.

"Oh, back already? I thought you went off and had a kid?" he asked as I strode forward.

He kept his eyes shut and his sword resting on his lap as he sat on the frail chair in front of the large doorway leading inside the only human outpost in the dungeon. He enjoyed standing up rapidly and his chair shattering to frighten new arrivals.

"I did, and now I am here for some items and to find someone. A poison, stealth, and a cursed tier 6 skill using legend," I declared.

Sorus slowly opened his eyes to look at me. My skills reflected his attempt at divination, and I gently placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. If he wanted to get cute and bully me like he had in the past, I wouldn't hesitate to remove his head and teach him a lesson.

"Peace, peace. Just confirming you aren't a monster. There was an incident a couple of years ago. Two people were murdered in their sleep. An Abnormal pretended to be human. It was an enormous scandal," he said, and I nodded, removing my hand from the hilt of my blade.

"Is the Legendary Alchemist Footworth still alive?"

"Of course. I can't die before that old goat. He is almost at a millennium, the bastard. I swear he has a secret super Elixir that keeps giving Vitality. You and your Squires may pass. Welcome back to the Last Bastion, Supreme Warlady," he said with a smirk.

I disliked the title 'Warlady,' but I didn't have the strength to argue against it when it was first given to me. Now, I didn't care enough to make a fuss.

I had other business to deal with, and I didn't lower myself to respond. They gave the titles as a form of humility. Anyone who kept their title was welcome to return. If they didn't, then they wouldn't be let back in.

They named me Warlady because fighting in so many wars outside the dungeon was considered a black mark in my history. It was a subtle poke at my accomplishments, having to carve my path.

If the legends living here hadn't done that for everyone who reached level 100, then I would have been enraged. Now it was just a small joke of minor importance, like sand between my toes. Annoying, but not fatal.

Sorus pulled out a communicator and muttered a passphrase that even I couldn't overhear. The massive doorway to the Last Bastion slowly opened. I strode forward without hesitation. The cavern containing this fortress and settlement was neither large nor small.

There were around 100 buildings carved into the stone itself. Stretching from the floor to the ceiling, filling up the entire cavern.

"Payment for entry," a bored-looking guard said. He was only an elite, but was probably paying off some debt, and was forced to work on processing entry fees.

I tossed a spatial pouch onto the table.

"For me and my three Squires. That should cover me for quite a while. Squire Jessica, ensure proper handling of it."

I didn't wait for a response as I strode off. All food, building materials, and other supplies had to be brought down from the surface. If someone didn't bring enough goods with them to cover the entry fee, they had to work it off, just like the guard.

I would be good for the next decade with how much I had brought down. It was a minor thing and something I had planned a long time ago.

I didn't think I would be back so soon, but it was a minor inconvenience. The streets barely had any people.

Only elites, those over level 80, could make it down here on their own. Many legends were said to have been drinking or resting the remainder of their lives down here in peace. It was a retirement home for the truly strong.

A place that filled me with disgust at their complacency and at the slavery. They would bring people down here with low levels who had no way of escaping. If these people refused to serve, they would starve, or someone would use them in an experiment.

That was why I was a supreme legend, and they were mostly gutter trash, not even worth a second look. I hated such degeneracy.

Instead of working to reach the bottom of the dungeon and destroy it, they only wanted to become strong and spread misery. I strode forward, my well-oiled enchanted armor moving easily.

It was far different from the casual armor I wore on the surface. It hadn't even been scratched during my descent, which had been my goal. Unfortunately, things would only get much more difficult in the future.

Many elite and legendary crafters, alchemists, and other professionals came down here to the Last Bastion to work their trade. Most died horribly when going into the dungeon with whatever legend escorted them down here.

Even fewer dared to go alone.

I strode into the shop of Legendary Master Alchemist Footworth. He was a degenerate, but he was strong, especially regarding his profession. He was no Grandmaster Alchemist, but he was close.

Crafters didn't get weird titles from their peers since there were so few of them that made it this far. A soft bell chimed, and a scantily clad young woman came forward.

The lecherous old man had brought her down here. She wasn't a slave, but there was nowhere else she could go at only level 40. While it disgusted me, there was only the law of the strong and the law of connections down here.

No one started fighting. Anyone who did would have everyone turn on them, including The Librarian. This place was a haven for those who wanted to be left alone and for complete degenerate scum.

"Supreme Warlady Elena, how can we assist you today?"

"I wish to speak to your master. Get him," I ordered.

"He is in the middle of a difficult experiment; what should I say this is regarding?"

"The failure of one of his students, which he will help fix, and a full course of Elixirs," I said.

"Of course, one moment," the young woman said and quickly left for the back of the building and possibly another floor.

I didn't extend my senses. Others would detect that, and that would be rude. A few minutes later, an old man wearing only undergarments and smoking a foul-smelling herb walked out into the central area of his store.

He leered lecherously at me. The smell of sex was strong about him, and I resisted the urge to lop off his head.

"Oh, you have come back. Everyone dislikes Old Footworth until they need something. So, which one of my students messed up?"

"The one in Terander's capital. I forgot his name. Refining a wyvern heart helped him boost physical growth. He said it would be okay for my son to take it," I calmly said. "He no longer has a head to think with."

"A pity. But let me guess, hmm, your son is what, nine years old?" I nodded. "And you probably gave him something else. Knowing you, you would only get the best, so a soul fruit?" I nodded again. "And now his soul is all messed up, and he has gained skills too quickly?" I nodded a third time. He wasn't reading my mind, his insight was just that good. There was a reason I was here, he was the best Alchemist that I knew of. "So, a full course of Elixirs, not just Mental Fortitude?"

"Yes. Since I am here, I want to strengthen all his stats as well. A Healer had a list of concerns," I said and pulled out a sheet of paper Healer Castelle had given me. Alchemist Footworth took it and examined it.

"Idiot healers, thinking they understand things. Nothing but a bunch of useless people depending on skills they don't really understand." He pulled out his cigarette and set it on a nearby counter, letting the smoke drift upwards from the smoldering tip without putting it out.

"My son?"

"If it were anyone but you and me, I would say your son is completely dead. The problem with Elixirs is that they make the soul vulnerable, and then bam! Stat injection. If your son took one, his soul and body would explode. That is why we only sell them down here. Don't want to get a poor reputation."

"And you have a solution?"

"What you need is a Mega Elixir, the pinnacle of alchemy. That is the best option. Your son takes that; he will gain all the stats while ensuring his health. Instead of going bam to the soul, it is nice and gentle. Allows for more regular Elixirs before or after. The Alchemical toxicity is high, but that should be fine for your son. That wyrm heart will be done in terms of Alchemical toxicity by the time you get back up to the surface. Or you can go ask The Librarian for a soul-related skill to help your son."

The Alchemist grinned at me. I didn't react.

They were all pigs disguised as humans. Going to the Librarian would ask for more trouble and draw me into the putrid politics down here in the Last Bastion. But I had other business with him.

"What is your price and what do you need for this pinnacle of alchemy?" I asked, knowing it would be something ridiculous.

It didn't matter. I would do anything for my precious son, whom I had hurt in my haste to help him.

"An indigo monster core. You get that, and you will get your Mega Elixir. Only something of that power can act as the primary base for a Mega Elixir. The trick, my dear, is to dilute the sheer power while extracting the essence. Oh, and a blue one for my trouble as well."

"Doesn't each individual Elixir require a separate ingredient?"

"Yes, they do for regular Elixirs. I use monster parts that have fused with the cores. I need a raw core for the key process of making it subtle and drawing out the power of the core itself. You know the power of an indigo core."

That meant facing a champion on the 25th layer of the dungeon. I had only been that deep once before, and it was a close thing, coming back. I had never shared that experience with anyone.

"I will require a contract. If anything harms my son, you will die horribly."

"Of course, of course. I might have many faults, but my Alchemy is peerless. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here talking to little old me, Miss Supreme Warlady."

He was absolutely right, but he was still a pig.

"That deep, the danger," Squire Nox said hesitantly.

It wasn't just the monsters, it was going back that was the real challenge. After the 20th layer, the dungeon really didn't like people going back up. That was why the Last Bastion was built here.

"It is possible. I have done it before," I said.

Alchemist Footworth just grinned. He had assisted in the crafting of my blade with the indigo monster core I had brought up last time, helping create the unique blend of metal. He knew I could come back if he thought of cheating me. My Squires stared at me in surprise.

"On the house. A powerful regeneration potion. Consider it an investment so I can push my craft to new heights," Alchemist Footworth set a purple potion on his counter. He then picked up his foul-smelling cigarette.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to have some fun. Try not to die. I really would like to make a Mega Elixir and break through my skill bottleneck," he said as he walked away.

I picked up the regeneration potion and put it in my spatial storage. He walked over to the female clerk, pulling her after him into a back room.

Still a pig, but I wouldn't deny the power of his regeneration potions. He was the best after all. I would also pay a visit to The Librarian.

There were arrangements I needed to make if I died down in the dungeon. I needed to determine which legend had cursed my son. Even now, I felt a slight trace of fear and excitement about facing a champion monster on the 25th layer.

No one had ever come back from deeper than that, or no one talked of such an accomplishment, and there was no such record.

"Rest for a day. Then we depart into the lower dungeon."

Nothing would stop me from ensuring the best future for my son.

Not the dungeon, not pigs, not some idiot who thought they could curse my child and get away with it…

Nothing.

Chapter 22 – The First Prince's Social Skills

I entered the library early in the morning, before breakfast, which was my habit. The guard watching me went to stand against a wall off to one side, out of the way.

I took a seat at my usual table and began copying the book with Eldarin Script into an empty one. Each loop perfectly aligned, each stroke angled near perfection. It wasn't perfect yet, since there were still minor improvements I could make.

Tutor Damian had pointed out several minor improvements I could make. That was the power of a tutor, recognizing how a person could improve their skill by correcting their actions, rather than simply repeating them.

He wasn't up yet, but that wasn't an issue since I would just get started right away with whatever work I had to complete.

Squire Jessica and Squire Sabin instilled in me the habit of waking up early, much like a skill, when they woke me up early to train.

I heard someone else enter the mansion's library and looked up to see the First Prince Maximillian. It was an informal setting. I was a noble and a member of the household he was visiting, so I did not have to go out of my way.

Inclining my head towards him showed I recognized his presence, but wasn't bothering him. Instead, he came over to bother me. I shook my head at my guard, who just nodded back. He wouldn't interfere. There was no need to cause a fuss, since it was just the First Prince. It was better to be polite.

"Good morning, Justin. Working on some skills?" he asked me when he took a seat across the table.

He was almost twice my age, but his father had probably told him to make friends with me, I thought cynically.

"Yes, First Prince. I am working on my Eldarin Script and Writing Focus," I replied.

"Two Tier 2 skills. You are as impressive as the rumors suggest. Ah, Transversal of the Dungeon by famed playwright, Aaron the Orator. A classic and a travesty of writing, quite the contradiction," he said.

"My tutor swears by it," I replied.

"Only because it is so mind-numbing, it forces you to pay attention, otherwise, you won't improve your skills. No one wants to read that garbage. Aaron was famed for his oratory skills, not his writing skills," the First Prince said.

"Thankfully, I am getting close to finishing, since it is what I spend most of my time on," I replied.

"Oh, I would have thought you would train in fighting skills? With your mother being who she is," he said.

"She is away with all her Squires at the moment, so I am focused on other skills right now. I can't wait to go down into the dungeon again. There is nothing more exciting than fighting monsters," I replied.

"Exactly what a future legend would say. Oh, we both know my father wants me to make friends with you. Your mother is quite scary, you know?"

"I know. Have you been in the dungeon?"

"All curated and handheld. To get me my initial 20," he replied, and I nodded.

Noble male heirs received an initial 20 levels immediately to help them excel in various skills and make it more difficult for them to be killed. Then they would get a lot more after they were married and had kids.

"No fighting skills at all."

"Really? That seems, well, weird," I replied, and he shook his head.

"My entire skill selection is micro-managed for optimal rulership. It can get exhausting, but it is my role in life. What about you? Does your mother select everything?"

"Yes. She confirmed I wanted to follow in her footsteps and didn't hold back. Her Squires haven't held back in the slightest," I replied while warming up to the First Prince.

A part of me knew it was probably his skills affecting me, but he seemed like a genuinely pleasant person.

"Martial skills sure sound exciting. So, you are planning on becoming a spellblade like your mother?"

"Yes, at least I think so. It requires a lot of work but is very versatile and powerful on its own."

"Personally, I always thought being a pure magic caster would be best, very powerful," he said.

"That's if you want just to fight other people. Fighting in the dungeon requires rationing of Mana. Fewer burst fights and more of a grind. That is why being a spellblade offers the best of both options," I replied, and the First Prince nodded.

"It seems you have given more thought to your future profession. If only everyone put as much thought into such things as you have. Are you thinking of sticking with a sword, or do you have another preferred weapon?"

"The sword for now. But that might change in time. I am learning a range of weapon skills. What about you? What does the heir to a kingdom learn all day?"

"What fork to pick at dinner to not start a war," he said, and we both chuckled, since knowing the forks for dinner was a part of Eldarin Etiquette. "There is a lot of focus on international relations, since our nation relies heavily on trade and growing food. I actually have the Farming skill," he said.

I blinked in surprise. "Really? That seems…Well, I wouldn't expect a noble to have that skill. Wouldn't most look down on it?"

"They would, but our nation depends heavily on farming. I prefer to appear knowledgeable when discussing farming-related issues. While I will have advisors, a king's duty is to lead, not let others lead him."

"Down in the dungeon, I will most likely be adventuring alone. Maybe I might form a team if I can find people to trust," I said.

"Trust is hard to develop. The rarest and most precious thing. That is why, as nobility, or at least for me, I prefer to be upfront in all my dealings to avoid misunderstandings," he explained, which made sense.

The First Prince really was nothing like I expected. I figured he might be a bit stuck-up like my older half-brothers, but he was the complete opposite of that.

He really was a great guy.

"Well, you probably know the backgrounds of the people who will advise you a couple of generations back. Adventurers come from a more varied background," I replied.

"Indeed. Once I learned the history of your mother, the Supreme Warlady, I was impressed. A mere peasant girl, rising and killing her way through the dungeon to emerge as a supreme legend. It makes one realize that if she can do it, it is possible for anyone," he replied.

"I know, but that is where I feel a lot of pressure," I said, opening a bit to the First Prince, who nodded.

"I get that feeling to some extent. You have one incredibly exceptional mother, and I have eighteen generations behind me. I can't disappoint them. The pressure can get a bit much, but I always enjoyed a challenge," the First Prince said, and I nodded as he kept smiling.

"Well, I just have to continue studying and training."

"So, are you thinking of going to the dungeon or broadening your horizons a bit? The College of Advancement would welcome someone like you with open arms."

"It is hard to say. I will probably listen to what my mother tells me, but I guess that the College of Advancement will focus on skill growth and build a stronger foundation. But if I can get in some more fighting in the dungeon, I wouldn't object."

"Ah, a true adventurer at heart. It pains me to say this, but our kingdom lacks a strong adventurous or martial spirit, instead it focuses on trade and food production. Our claim to fame is the School of Growth, which focuses on developing farming skills and expertise. We have the best farmers in the world, but ask for more adventurers, and people hesitate or find excuses."

"Why? I mean, the dungeon is a path to money and power. Sure, the start isn't easy, but with hard work, people can improve their lives."

"Some do, of course. But they all go to other places. We have tried instituting more friendly policies for adventurers, but it is a struggle to attract and keep talent. People set up schools and training institutions in other countries, while our martial talent remains low."

"You can't just hire some elites?"

"We have, but legends are the true power of countries with much more enduring legacies. But talent attracts talent. Even with our best efforts and a considerable amount of money, it has been a struggle. Now there are your mother and yourself in the future."

"Me? I am nowhere near being a legend yet."

"For now. But with a mother like yours, I know it is only a matter of time. You don't have to commit to anything or make any promises. I would ask that you consider our humble nation of Terander in the future when deciding where to live," the First Prince said.

This nation was quite lovely, and the First Prince was a great guy. I didn't even mind that he was trying to influence me. Just having to think about where to live wasn't such a big deal.

I slowly nodded in response to this request.

"My future is still uncertain, but I won't forget my home," I said.

"Excellent. Sorry if I am such a bore. But you know, parents are always demanding new things from us children," he replied with a smile, and I nodded.

"You aren't a bore."

"Well, I will leave you to your studies. It was good speaking with you, Justin. I look forward to future conversations," he said and got up.

I got up and bowed slightly as he left out of respect.

That was when my father came to the library with a frown.

"The First Prince spoke with you?"

"He was pleasant. He just asked me to think about making the Kingdom of Terander my home," I said.

My father let out a sigh of relief.

"The royal family has powerful social skills that they have trained relentlessly with. Your Focus stat was no match for the First Prince. Think carefully about what happened, what you talked about, and write it all down. And be careful in the future," my father said.

He looked at my guard, who didn't react. My father let out a sigh and shook his head. No guard would dare stop the First Prince from having a casual conversation.

"I have other issues to deal with. Be careful," my father said and then rushed off. I frowned as I got out a blank piece of paper and began copying everything that had occurred.

My mind was compromised. I couldn't believe it. The First Prince was so lovely and easy to get along with. But was that me, or his skills?

My head felt like a mess.

He wasn't even demanding, but it was a wake-up call regarding mental skills. If he had hostile intentions or had been a monster, I would have been in a much worse position.

Even though I knew the First Prince had manipulated me with his skills, I couldn't help but think that he was a really great guy.

Leveraging social skills against a person was truly insidious. It was no wonder that people considered nobility a full-time job, requiring specialized skills.

As the heir to the King, he probably had much more specialized skills. Even at his young age, he would have gotten the best education and Tutors growing up.

Chapter 23 – Pushing Forward Regardless

Level: 1Experience: BLOCKED

Healing: 210/210Stamina: 180/180Mana: 60/60

Class: Tier 0, Child (Green)Effect: Increased Skill Acquisition(+8%), Increased Learning Speed(+8%), Increased Stat Gain(+8%), Increased Physical Gain(+8%)

Vitality: 21 (+0)Endurance: 18 (+0)Strength: 16 (+0)Agility: 18 (+0)Perception: 9 (+1)Mind: 41 (+5)Magic: 6 (+1)Focus: 19 (+2)Free Points: 0

Tier 1 (24) (2+): Mathematics (99+24), Running (90), Breathing (82+7), Eldarin History (75+10), Meditation (65+15), Dodge (61), Toughness (53), Eldarin Etiquette (50+5), Drawing Skills (41+7), Sword Skills (41), Shield Skills (29), Light Armor (29), Dancing Skills (28), Spear Skills (23), Monster Processing Skills (19), Cooking Skills (15), Bow Skills (15), Cleaning Skills (14), Axe Skills (14), Pugilist Skills (14), Dagger Skills (12), Wrestling Skills (8), Speech (5+2), Combat Tactics (2+2)

Tier 2 (18): Eldarin Script (81+61), Writing Focus (61+54), Danger Sense (33+2), Mana Sense (42+22), Darkness Vision (8), Monster Analysis (3), Soul Sense (2+2), Trap Detection (1), Depth Sense (1)

Tier 3 (12): Pain Resistance (20), Soul Resistance (11+9), Empowered Will (6+4), Fear Resistance (2)

Tier 6 (-): Experience Siphon (C)

EquipmentGloves: Gloves of Processing(T2) (Blocks Mana T2 and Below)Ring 1: Ring of Concealment (T3) (Hide Status T3 and Below)Amulet/Bracelet: Experience Blocker (T4) (Prevents all experience gain for primary level)

I went over everything with Healer Castelle, Tutor Damian, and my father, listening in. They were the only three people allowed to hear my full status under strict instructions from my mother.

My father was sitting in the background, remaining quiet while the other two men discussed my skills and status.

"Another skill, which isn't good, but the Mind stat has increased. A ratio of 77.4% gives more leeway, but we still aren't out of the danger zone," Healer Castelle said.

"It is a good thing that skill mastery doesn't count towards Meldor's Threshold," Tutor Damian said.

"If it did, then no one would advance. I know the idiots over at the College of Advancement like to count everything, but what matters is the actual status page as it is at this precise moment," Healer Castelle said.

"What do you think of the level gains? If my memory isn't failing me, that is 72 levels in Tier 1 skills, 141 in Tier 2 skills, and 13 in Tier 3 skills. The rate of progression is ridiculous."

Both were ignoring me and discussing my health and status.

"It's the soul fruit, combined with his age, level, and Mind stat. Who gives a child a green soul fruit? Anyone would kill for a red one, and his mother just gives him a green one."

"Well, she is the Supreme Warlady," Tutor Damian replied.

"I know the soul fruit made it easier to increase my skills. Is it really that strong?" I asked.

"Child, a soul fruit is a near-priceless natural treasure of the dungeon. People can consume them multiple times. They make it easier for the skills imprinted on your soul to level. No one would lightly use such an item on a child who has just gotten access to their status. Let alone a green soul fruit. Even for people at the level of your mother, it is a priceless treasure."

"To put it in perspective, the soul fruit would cost as much as it took for your conception. An insane amount of money," Tutor Damian said.

"That much, but…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

That my mother had given me such a priceless treasure made me even more thankful for her being my mother.

"There is no need to say anything. But these increases would be at least 25% less if you didn't consume such an item," Healer Castelle said.

"Not a quarter, but closer to half. He gained 393 skill levels, considering tier, in three months. A top student with very good Tutors would gain around 250, at most. I am good, but even with focused instruction, there is only so much one can improve in such a short time," Tutor Damian replied.

"That much, hmm. Skill levels are just reinforcement of the skill that is already part of your soul. There is no additional stress unless it advances to the next tier. At least there shouldn't be. You are sure the difference is that great?" Healer Castelle asked.

"I don't question your healing skills, so don't question my math and reasoning. He is going to max out on Eldarin Script and Writing Focus after just copying that one book. At most, that should take him to level 50 and a breakthrough thereafter upon completing it. Not all the way to skill mastery. But progress is coming incredibly quickly."

"Well, it shouldn't be a bad thing. If anything, the skills being at a higher level provide more support to the skills and his soul," Healer Castelle replied. "His mother will be pleased if something good comes from this debacle. I am sure other kids have consumed a soul fruit from their parents."

"What would happen if I ate another soul fruit?" I asked, curious if I could improve even faster.

They both just stared at me.

"Child, if you were anyone else, I would slap you for saying that. Your mother must have found one and saved it for a long time. They are among the best natural treasures one can find in the dungeon. And with the state of your soul, it would be incredibly reckless," Healer Castelle said.

"The problem is the skill level gain has increased, which could indicate a problem," Tutor Damian interrupted. We all looked at him. "I just did the mental math. It has increased by around 12.9% over the last three months compared to the growth shown in the previous six months."

"It is probably him focusing on mental skills. His Mind stat is much higher. By ignoring the physical skills he has, the growth rate is larger than when he had to train under one of the Squires," Healer Castelle said after a few seconds of thinking about the situation. "The actual concerns are Mathematics, Eldarin Script, and Writing Focus. Those are the main mental skills he has been focusing on, and Mathematics is at the last bottleneck."

"We could let them increase in tier and keep up studying with more advanced skills. It is the only way, since we want to avoid other skills that will level quickly," Tutor Damian replied.

"Then we are right back where we started, at the edge of Meldor's Threshold and destruction of his soul."

"Well, he has to improve some skills. Unless you want him to go back to physical skills, but there isn't a qualified tutor compared to the Squires."

"Then he just has to make do with a lesser tutor."

"And you want to tell the Supreme Warlady you limited her son's skill growth? You might not be afraid of death, but I prefer living. Those three skills tier up, and we keep going. The Mind stat should increase some more as well."

"And when his soul collapses, you can be the one to tell her you were responsible."

They were both talking about me without even considering my perspective on things. I took a deep breath and then spoke up, cutting these two grown men off.

"I will decide. Ultimately, it is my decision, and my mother told me I had the final say about my future. One thing that the Squires and my mother have imparted to me is a sense of urgency. Even as young as I am, it is a race to level up skills, to get stronger, to advance faster. Slowing down is not an option. Although I can practice Breathing while completing other tasks, I cannot improve my other physical skills as easily without a dedicated tutor. I will focus on mental skills, and Tutor Damian will help me break through."

"So be it. But you need to be careful. But you already know the risks. Do what you want," Healer Castelle said with a wave of his hand.

I could tell he was frustrated, but I wouldn't slow my progress. If I wanted to become a supreme legend, a greater spellblade than my mother, then I couldn't slow down.

Even if it risked my health, it was a good way to level up Soul Resistance and Soul Sense. I didn't get those skills from nowhere.

"I can feel my soul. Like some blob that overlays my body. Can you help me improve it?" I asked Healer Castelle.

He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"System save me from children who think they know best. Messing about with the soul is incredibly dangerous. While no skill is truly evil, soul mages have a terrible reputation. Often because of their experiments on others and their history with the Eldarin Empire."

I looked at Tutor Damian, who nodded. "But if I can sense my soul, wouldn't that be useful to check if anything is going wrong?"

"Three rules then! If you break them, or I think you are breaking them, I won't teach you any longer. And I don't care if you think I am being unfair. The risk of you doing something stupid is too high."

"Yes, Healer Castelle."

"First, you do nothing. I mean anything regarding your soul unless you specifically ask me first. Even using the skill to sense your soul. You may not practice it independently. While you will have a residual soul sense, please don't focus on it. If you focus your mind in the wrong way, you might poke your soul. If you do anything, there could be greater complications. So only with my express permission will you try to do anything."

"Yes, Healer Castelle," I answered.

"Second, never use that skill on another being. Even as a test or to level up that skill. That leads down a dark path, and I will have no part of it. Unless you choose to become a healer, soul skills are dark. Don't go down a dark path." That was also easy to agree with. "Third, no questions. I will tell you what I think you should know so you don't do something stupid."

"Understood! You have my word, I will follow your rules."

"We will see."

"Combat Tactics? I am curious where you could have gotten that from," Tutor Damian said.

"I was talking with the guard captain about the attack on the estate," I said.

"Ah, that would do it. Given how easily you can acquire skills... Well, I suppose we can combine it with more focused history lessons. Lots of books to read then and keep you engaged with different mental skills," he said with a smile.

I wanted to let out a groan but held back. I knew I needed to focus on the mental skills to keep my Mind stat, but I preferred action. After getting a taste of the dungeon, I wanted to go back.

"Your Mana Sense has been making impressive progress. Now that I am thinking about the other areas, you are right, it is a bit much. We are going backwards, not forwards," Healer Castelle said.

"Backwards?"

"Your skills are improving too quickly in relation to your Mind stat. Once you have mastered them and increased their tier, the pressure on your soul grows, it doesn't decrease."

"If he doesn't want to slow down, there is nothing we can do. We must keep focusing on mental skills and increasing that stat."

"Foolishness, but it is your choice."

I didn't need to hear any more. It was time to focus back on learning and improving.

Chapter 24 – An Extravagant Wedding

The wedding was being held at the estate.

Despite its massive size, everything was being pushed to capacity. I moved into my mother's apartment, while they gave my current rooms to a king from a neighboring country.

No one would dare touch my mother's rooms except me. Taking her apartment suite would claim a higher status than the person who had been staying there.

I had discussed this with my father and agreed to the arrangement.

My youngest sibling had also lost his apartment in the mansion and moved in with his parents to save space.

Tutor Damian and Healer Castelle, along with the other high-ranking staff members, were all relocated to the barracks with an apology, but everyone understood the situation.

This wasn't just the social event of the year, but of the decade, at the very least. And while my eldest half-brother and his fiancée were at the center of the chaos, it was my presence that was fueling the drive for everyone to attend.

I wasn't my mother, just a likely future legend, and she wasn't around to kill people that offended her. The nobility in the surrounding nations was using this opportunity to assess whether a monumental power shift was forthcoming and how much they needed to prepare.

That was why so many kings from neighboring countries had arrived, each with their own nobility and entourage. They set aside a large section of the estate grounds for pavilions for these nobles. Unless you were a king, it was impossible to stay in the mansion.

King Terander had the entire guesthouse for himself and his family.

Security was incredibly tight. I now had three elite guards always shadowing me, even while sleeping.

If someone assassinated me during the wedding, it would be a political disaster of epic proportions. No one knew exactly what my mother would do beyond killing many people.

At least it was only for a week. Various banquets and get-togethers took place during the five days leading up to the wedding.

Then there was the day of the wedding and then a day for everyone to pack up and prepare to leave.

A servant helped me put on the perfectly tailored clothing that had been made a month before the wedding. It was a seamless fit that I would soon outgrow, and of the highest quality.

It was the current fashion of the nobility, used to flaunt their wealth and status with colorful clothing that was far too tight. It was a way of measuring another's wealth without having to fight, since supplies and mercenary support decided many battles that weren't chosen by a legend.

I sat down in the front row with my family as everyone gathered in the outdoor chapel for the ceremony. The King and his family sat on the other side of the aisle in the front row. The rest of the nobility sat on either side. Floating platforms were provided for the visiting royalty to view the ceremony.

There were at least four legends in attendance, hired as guards, from what I heard. My father had given me a Ring of Concealment to block any attempted scans of my status.

Usually an illegal item, since it prevented people from being scanned by guards at the city gates, he said it was for my health. It was highly likely that enough people would try to scan my status, causing me to develop another skill, which would ultimately be detrimental to me.

The orchestra played as noon approached.

One by one, the marriage procession walked down the aisle and took up their positions on either side of the altar.

My brother then walked down the aisle in a resplendent suit. The golden thread sparkled slightly.

He took up his position to one side of the System High Priest, who was present.

My father would have gotten a Cardinal if they did weddings, but they tried to avoid all politics. That just left the High Priest for the nation of Terander.

The music changed, and everyone stood up, turning to watch the bride walk down the aisle. I didn't see her until she got to the front.

Two elves walked in front, using a spell to create shimmering flower petals in the air in front of the bride. Small, glowing, magical fairies carried her white bridal gown behind her.

They weren't actual creatures. They were just some enchanted automatons used for events like this that cost a fortune from the Dwarves.

Her gown shimmered in waves like white water come to life. No doubt another expensive enchantment. But despite the immense cost, I had to admit both looked amazing. Not a single hair, enchantment, or thread out of place. The King escorted his daughter down the aisle and left her at the altar across from my brother.

Everyone took their seat for the ceremony.

"We gather here today to bless this couple in the System's light. May their fates always be intertwined. If anyone has an objection to this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace," the System High Priest roared.

No one spoke up and created a scene.

"Then, do you, Dereck Burnstock, Heir to the Duchy of Burnstock, First Son to Duke Darren Burnstock, take this woman as your wife in perpetuity, to protect, cherish, and honor until the end of your days under the watchful gaze of the System?"

"I swear under the watchful gaze of the System."

"Then, do you, Jasmine Terander, First Princess of Terander, daughter of King Maximillian Terander the Eighteenth of the nation of Terander, take this man as your husband in perpetuity, to protect, cherish, and honor until the end of your days under the watchful gaze of the System?"

"I swear under the watchful gaze of the System."

"Then, with my authority as a High Priest of the System, I declare this couple married and grant them the linked skill of Bonded Companion," the High Priest said and brought up his hands.

A white glow engulfed my brother and his new wife.

"Now you may kiss and seal this covenant," the High Priest said, and they kissed.

There was a round of applause at this. My brother turned to the assembled guests.

"Family, friends, honored guests. Please join us for the celebration of this auspicious occasion," my brother said to another round of applause.

He escorted his bride back down the aisle and towards the mansion so that they could change into new outfits. While I didn't have a good sense of money, I knew all of this was costing a fortune. But the Burnstock family was on the ascent, and they needed to look good in front of the other nations.

As we made our way to the party site while the orchestra played in the background, a grizzled-looking warrior with no shirt, only a simple pair of shorts covering him, and a massive war hammer on his back, stepped in front of me and my family members.

The guards nearby all tensed up.

"I shall look on the son of the Supreme Warlady myself," he declared, and I felt more fear.

Several of the elite guards took a step forward.

"No harm will come to him," my father said while stepping in front of me.

"Hah, I do not kill the weak like she does. I kill only the strong, like her."

My father made a half step to the side while the heavily scarred man stared down at me.

He could probably crush my head with one hand.

"Weak, but young. I am Legend Extravagant Warren."

"Justin Burnstock," I replied while not looking away, even while trembling.

"Good, you have steel in your spine, like your mother. One day, I will kill her and take her title of Supreme Legend with my skills and my Warhammer Absolute Domination. Then I hope you come to me for revenge, and I will kill you too."

Several people were looking over, and the tension had increased.

"Then make your attempt on her, and we shall see the outcome," I said, putting my belief in my mother out there for everyone to hear.

"Hah! I like people who aren't afraid to speak their minds …if they can back it up. Don't let overconfidence be your downfall, young Justin."

"I will remember your words in the context in which they were given." It was the politest thing I could think of that would end the conversation with this man.

"I believe that is enough. You said what you wanted to, Legend Extravagant Warren," my father said.

The scarred man gave him a look and then turned away, saying nothing else.

The tension left the air.

"Come, let's get to the celebration," my father said as we continued walking with the other guests.

Then, another figure forced us to stop again as they stood in our path.

"Forgive my colleague, but he piqued my curiosity. I am Legend Quick Draw Yorren," the man said while spinning a pair of knives in his hands casually.

"Justin Burnstock," I greeted him while he looked me over.

"You have the same fire in your eyes as your mother. She is quite a scary woman. Unlike that muscle-headed brute, I have no interest in fighting her to the death."

"I won't convey anything in that regard to her."

He let out a low chuckle at that statement.

"And if you ever want to learn about knives in the shadows, well, you can come ask for some training from me. Your mother might be an invincible supreme, but the rest of the lesser beings must make do with other tactics besides brutally slaughtering their way through the opposition. Finesse goes a long way. Well, it was a pleasure, young Justin," he said, and just left before I could say anything else.

Legends were eccentric, but that was expected. One did not reach that level of strength by being simple. These people were greeting me now, since my father had been running heavy interference up to this point.

Also, the legends greeting me like this before the celebration kicked off was a favor in disguise. They were telling all the would-be social climbers that they didn't have the right level to talk to me, since they had approached me so openly.

As the son of the Supreme Warlady Elena, they would only invite her ire if people tried to manipulate me or cause trouble. I had enough social training and levels to pick up on this. They didn't use any skills or threaten me directly with a weapon.

Legend Quick Draw Yorren was constantly spinning his knives in his hands. Probably some training for some skill. A true legend never stops training for a single moment. It was inspiring for me to work even harder.

Seeing the people I was chasing after was thrilling. Those two men were over level 100. I did not know how far above that they were, but they stood at the pinnacle of strength of all beings. That was the level I wanted to reach one day.

I noted they had gathered at a separate standing table with the other two legends present for this social event, drinking as much as possible in some contest.

Probably more skill training than a contest. I could only imagine the stakes they were playing for. A favor, or something else?

Chapter 25 – Assassination Attempt

"Now, let us wish the bride and groom a happy night," my father said loudly, as everyone raised their glasses to toast the couple.

There were cheers as some guests had gotten quite drunk on the expensive wine from my father's wine cellar. The bride and groom stood up and waved to cheers before retiring for the night.

"Now I think some of our younger guests should get to sleep as well," my father said while looking towards me with a smile.

There was quite a bit of laughter at that. My father sat back down, and I got up. I said goodnight before leaving with the guards assigned to shadow me, making my way back to the mansion.

As we approached one entrance, I felt an immense sense of danger and froze up. The three elite guards around me were decapitated instantly. I felt a knife cut into my neck and then come to a halt.

"Not today."

I saw Legend Quick Draw Yorren standing in front of me with his knives extended out into a cloaked attacker. I couldn't get a good view of them.

Blood rushed out of my neck as Yorren knocked back my attacker.

"Healer!" Legend Quick Draw Yorren shouted as he rushed at the cloaked figure.

I collapsed to my knees as I reached up towards my neck. Blood spilled between my fingers as I tried to put pressure on the wound.

"Out of the way!"

I checked my healing points, and they had already reached their lowest level.

"Greater Cure! Dammit, poison. Greater Purify. Greater Cure. Stabilize Soul."

I felt someone pull my hands away from my neck, and someone shoved a potion into my mouth.

"How is he?!" I heard my father shout.

There was a distant explosion.

"Alive. A few seconds later, and he would have bled out," Healer Castelle said.

"Stay with him, no matter what. No matter what," my father repeated.

"I understand."

I rechecked my healing points, but my head went fuzzy.

"Don't check your status. That poison was nasty stuff. I've gotten rid of the worst of it, but the effects will still linger. You two, get a stretcher. We need to get him inside and to his bed."

It was hard to focus, so I closed my eyes. I felt a slap on the cheek and quickly opened them.

"No falling asleep right now, or you might not wake up. That knife contained a potent mix of toxins. Eternal Sleep, Corrosive Status, and probably Bodily Collapse if I had to guess. Assassins like to use that triple combination. No sleeping right now."

"What-"

"No speaking either. We can worry about skills once you aren't about to die on me. One problem at a time," Healer Castelle said. "Keep your eyes open and look at my face. If you close them, you get a slap."

I said nothing as several guards brought over a stretcher.

"Carefully! Don't shake him too much."

They eased me over. He followed them into the mansion and into my temporary room in my mother's apartment.

"Move the sheets on the bed and then lay him down. Get water and a cloth."

My eyes closed as I felt like drifting off. I shouted a little as someone slapped me again.

"No drifting off, no speaking. Don't fall asleep on me just yet."

He cut off my clothing and cleaned me while inspecting the wound. After he cleaned me and changed my clothes, my father showed up.

"How is he?"

"Stable. Awake, which is good. Did you get the knife?"

"The assassin killed himself and destroyed all his equipment, leaving nothing behind."

"A professional, just like I suspected. I handled the worst part, although the knife was poisoned. We have to wait, and by morning we should know. As for skill gain, unfortunately, Poison Resistance is most likely."

"We have a High Priest here. Maybe he could help?"

"His soul is too unstable. We yank a skill out, and that would kill him for sure. I covered this with his mother. He refuses to level up and put stats into Mind. His mother is even more stubborn. If he lives through the night, he will live. If he doesn't, well, he doesn't."

"Then stay with him no matter what. If anything changes, have a servant get me," my father said, and then came over to my side.

He brushed my hair twice.

"I am sorry, my son. But you will be okay, don't worry. Healer Castelle is one of the best."

I weakly nodded only to be scolded.

"Don't move. Just lie there with your eyes open, so I can be sure you aren't falling asleep. Count numbers in your head up to a million," Healer Castelle ordered.

I counted silently in my mind. My father brushed my hair once more before leaving my bedside. I finally fell asleep during the night, completely exhausted.

When I woke up, my head hurt, and Healer Castelle was sitting on a chair next to my bedside.

"Congratulations. You aren't dead," he said. "You are out of danger now."

"Thank you. What time is it?"

"Late afternoon. Most people have run away as quickly as possible in case your mother shows up. At least the assassin had the courtesy to wait until the end of the wedding."

"And my health? What of the poison?"

"Stable, you can check your reserves." I did so, and my healing points were 197 out of 210. "Your healing points won't go back to full for a while. Probably a month. The traces of the poison lingering in your body that they are dealing with cause that. A potent mix, but you survived because of Legend Quick Draw Yorren stopping the knife before it cut through your spine."

"That…wow. Um, I should thank him."

"Don't worry, your father already did with an immense pile of money. He will also give a personal letter from the Legend to your mother. One could even say he was saving everyone at that wedding from your mother's wrath if you had died. It is not an exaggeration to say she might have collapsed human civilization after decapitating much of its leadership." That was quite a dark thought. "Now, lie there and rest. I will have food and water brought to you."

Chapter 26 – Family Sit-Down

The wedding and the assassination attempt were over a month ago.

A very faint scar was now visible on my neck. Permanent physical damage could remain when healing points bottomed out. The scar was as faint as it was due to how quickly Healer Castelle had acted.

It would be barely noticeable, but I knew my mother would spot it and demand answers when she returned.

There was a family meeting that my older half-brother, Dereck, had asked me to attend. My father and grandfather were also present. None of the servants was in the room.

"You wanted this meeting, Grandfather, say what you want and then leave back to the Capital," my brother said.

My grandfather let out a sigh. "I won't talk about past failures and poor decisions," he said while looking at my father. "But we came close to absolute ruin at your wedding. The Supreme Warlady is not a power we control. If Justin died, then we would also die."

"My father made his choice, so what are you proposing now?" Dereck asked.

"To increase our military forces. Specifically, our elite forces. To also arrange for Justin to attend the College of Advancement and leave this estate," he replied.

"You make it sound simple. However, our current budget effectively balances our needs. As for Justin's future, that is his mother's decision to make along with his own. This is his home, and he is always welcome here."

"I hate legends. Do you know why?" my grandfather asked, and no one responded. "It is the power invested in one individual that can act as they please, with little regard for rules and social decorum."

"That is how it has always been. Unless you are some anti-System cultist?" my father asked with a tone of ridicule.

"A capable fighting force and a war is far better than being at the mercy of the whims of one woman. We are finished if she turns on us, no matter her personality or strength."

"And if she remains by our side and her son, my brother, then we have the strength not to worry for at least a century. Possibly longer."

"You don't gamble with the entire future of the family like this!"

"It isn't the entire future. There are still relatives in the capital and abroad with the Burnstock name and heritage," my father said.

"And if the Supreme Warlady hunts them down?! The risk is high. All I am saying is that the family needs to move away from this risk and look for stability."

"Well, I don't plan on marrying a supreme legend, so nothing to worry about there," Dereck joked. "As for Justin…" He turned to look at me. "You are always welcome in the estate, even when I take up the title of Duke. I know you aren't looking to replace me."

"Thank you, brother," I whispered.

"More foolishness. How do you think nobles come to power in the first place? A powerful legend makes a claim and passes things on to their descendants. While Justin says he isn't interested, what about his children and their children? We have procedures in place for the rest of the family, but we cannot put any constraints on him."

"And you won't try to or even think about that," my father said without hesitation.

"You created so many problems with your choice to marry the Supreme Warlady. The ship that is our family had a hole that you rapidly patched over. Eventually, that patch will fail, and the situation will become much worse," my grandfather said.

"Or we will make it to a harbor, and someone will properly repair the hole in time. We will address each problem as it arises. Not looking for trouble where there is none, and we will give no offense to Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock," Dereck countered.

"I agree," my father said immediately afterwards.

My grandfather let out a sigh and sagged back into his chair.

"If you could only understand. Fine. I said what I had to."

Without a single glance backwards or goodbye, he stood up and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"My apologies for having you here for this, but Father suggested it, and I didn't want there to be any confusion," Dereck said.

"I understand. I am just surprised that he is so upset now that everything is already done. Not like we can rewind time."

"Taking a second wife is something that is not done in polite circles among the nobility. A mistress is fine, but a second wife is not. There have been numerous historical issues with such things. That is why the nobility has very set rules regarding inheritance and family structure, which we inherited from the Eldarin Empire, to avoid unnecessary trouble."

I had read about some of this in my history studies, but apparently not enough if it was such a big deal. I knew it was a concern, but not as much as my grandfather made it out to be.

"Legends that did that in the past would kill the first wife, their kids, and take over by force. Another reason female legends are so rare," my brother said.

"Wait, really? But can't anyone go into the dungeon?" I asked. My father answered my question.

"Very few nobles will make it easy for such women. Only one out of every five or six legends is a woman. For your mother to reach such heights is truly impressive, despite all the barriers put in her way. Not just in the dungeon, but the social barriers and other opportunities she would have struggled to get over in her life."

I hadn't realized things were so oppressive.

"The issue comes down to children. Something we inherited from the Eldarin Empire and a lesson learned from the grasping Eternal Emperor. It is why the elves struggle so much as a species. When people level, they find it harder to have children, but women experience more difficulty because they must give birth."

I liked this about my father, he would explain things to me, so I wasn't confused.

"The elves let their people gain levels however they want from the moment the System unlocks their status. Unfortunately, even with all their research and efforts, this leads to extremely low birth rates and how humans pushed them back in our wars, along with nations with more liberal cultures."

"What restrictions do they impose?" I asked, curious about the challenges my mother had to overcome.

"Access to the dungeon. That is why she stayed down there for long periods of time, constantly fighting before coming back up and undercutting the prices on monster cores for a female adventurer, hostility from other adventurers and refusals to team up. Then you have schools with teachers and tutors who will refuse a woman, all inherited prejudice to keep the population as high as possible. In the past, it was used to fuel the expansionist efforts of the Eldarin Empire. Even though it crumbled over a millennium ago, people do not easily change or overcome such prejudices and cultural practices."

"That is unfair," I replied while thinking how hard it had to have been for my mother.

"It is, but that is also what has allowed humans the numbers to dominate the elves and dwarves, pushing them back and claiming more land. While they refused to change their cultures, we humans have adapted and thrived. Thus, noble marriages are skewed."

My brother then spoke up. "Indeed, that is why the family line passes down through the male line, and women are completely excluded." It didn't escape my notice that the duke's first wife, his mother, was not present for this discussion. "Men marry later to ensure they are stable and won't ruin the family, and women marry young to have children and then gain levels after that."

"While it mainly affects the nobility, these practices trickle down to the rest of the population. The Eldarin Empire did a good job of wiping out other dissenting viewpoints. Although slavery was outlawed and racial prejudice has greatly declined, not everything has improved over the centuries."

My father chuckled before he spoke up.

"Life isn't fair. Anyone who looks at you thinks that. With your mother being the Supreme Warlady, opportunities will fall into your lap, and people will try to gain your favor," he said while the First Prince came to mind at that statement.

I pushed that intrusive thought aside to focus on the present.

"Is the reason you are telling me this because you want me to know what my mother has gone through?"

"That and why your grandfather is so frustrated over the entire situation. He is much more traditional than I, as you might have guessed. Also, your mother isn't one to complain, ever. She takes all the setbacks, the leers, the insults, the commentary, and has used that to strengthen her resolve," my father answered.

"Then she had me. Did she ever say why?" I asked.

"Only that she had seen as far as she could reach with her skills and levels. They would take her no further, and she wanted something different. She has always missed her family. Their deaths when she was younger sent her on the path to becoming the Supreme Warlady. I think she wanted to recapture some of that, but you would have to ask her. While we understand each other to a degree, ours wasn't a marriage of love, but one of simple understanding and transactions."

A slight smile tinged with sorrow crossed his face for a moment.

"Thank you for telling me."

I was delighted they didn't keep me in the dark.

"Too many parents coddle their children. While I won't let the monsters in our society get you if I can help it, I won't hide the truth of this world from you. Making the world a better place is only something we can do if we understand what is wrong with it," my father said.

"You are going soft now, Father?" Dereck asked him.

"Just getting contemplative as I get older. Might start a fund for women looking to become adventurers once I retire. Create an elite female fighting force in honor of Supreme Warlady Elena," he said.

"You really don't like Grandfather," Dereck said.

"That it might kill him from sheer rage is just a side benefit. I must find something to keep me busy once you take over all of this."

While life might be unfair, I wouldn't complain. My mother never complained, and I didn't want to complain about training my mental skills.

I was such a selfish idiot. I pledged to work harder, seizing the opportunity before me. I'd work so hard, and my levels would increase so much that Tutor Damian would be even more shocked.

My mother didn't have any of these benefits growing up. She had been a poor peasant girl at the start and had climbed to such heights through sheer tenacity and determination.

If I only had a tenth of what she had, then I would make up for the rest with hard work. I would put everything I had into increasing my mental skills. It wasn't enough to work hard; I needed to embrace the hardship and the suffering. Boredom was not an excuse for me.

There were no more excuses. I had survived death another time. I needed the strength within myself.

One day, my mother would depend on me, not the other way around!

Chapter 27 – Training Skills

"Close your eyes and focus inwards," Healer Castelle said. "This isn't Meditation or Breathing. Just focus on the skill Soul Sense. Now, slowly and carefully, with as much detail as possible, describe your soul. Don't touch it."

"It feels like something that is me-shaped, but more fluid, right beneath my skin," I slowly replied.

"Good. Don't see inside your soul. Just let your mind pick up on the outline of your soul for now. Each movement, each vibration. Is there a rhythm to your soul's movement?"

"Yes. I think. It is hard to make out precisely, but I feel it surge and settle."

"That is your heartbeat. Your body is influencing your soul. Slowly increase the speed of your breathing and observe the changes in your soul."

I varied my breathing for the rest of the lesson, which was finished after an hour.

"How did I do?"

"That isn't the question you should ask. The question you should ask is, did I screw anything up? The answer is no. If you take any lesson away from me, take that one. Stabilize Soul."

I felt the wave of Mana hit my soul and enter it with no trace left behind.

"Why didn't you apply that skill when I was concentrating on my soul?"

"You would peer deeper, which comes with a lot of risks. It is tempting, very tempting. Don't. I can't repeat this enough. Everyone thinks they know best. Or that they are special. They know nothing, and they aren't special. Gaining levels in Soul Sense slowly is for the best."

I inclined my head slightly. "I understand, Healer Castelle."

"If I wanted to hold you back, I would never have taught you this. But the risks are immense. Due to the significant risk to users, people heavily frown upon soul skills, as they often lack the usual warnings and safeguards. Now you will focus on Mana Sense. You need to learn to separate and suppress sensory skills as needed. Otherwise, it is easy to disable someone if they have a high-level sensory skill you know is active and can target it to overwhelm them while blocking out their other senses."

"Got it. So, I want to focus on Mana now."

"Yes, same thing. Close your eyes and steady your breathing. Don't focus on yourself; focus on the world and on the skill Mana Sense." Then came another round of instructions, which I listened to carefully. He would point near me, and I would have to detect the stream of Mana passing near my body, not hitting it.

My Mana Sense was much more external, whereas my Soul Sense currently focused just under my skin. It was difficult to explain how my brain was interpreting the information. Healer Castelle told me to take my time, slowly adjusting to the feelings and sensory input from my sensory skills.

Leveling them might strengthen them and enable them to pick up details better, but I needed to process and understand those details mentally. It was a key difference in sensory skills and something highly experienced people like Healer Castelle and Tutor Damian knew how to explain.

Skill levels weren't the end-all, be-all of improving one's abilities, there was also using the skill in the best way possible. This increased the level more quickly, but for low-tier skills, a person could brute-force their way to a higher level. It made their use less efficient and slowed down their leveling.

The levels represented imprinted knowledge on one's soul. The System led people to the optimal use of their skills and confirmed that for them in their status. However, just because it was optimal, some skills had more room for improvement than others or interacted with other skills.

The System was always watching and always guiding. It was the one veritable god of our world.

Some people said that achieving a better status would grant you a better afterlife. Others said that the dungeon was a test by the System and a way to humble people, since even supreme legends like my mother could only go so deep.

I hoped she was okay down in the dungeon.

I wasn't sure what to believe, but I agreed on one thing that everyone else agreed on. The System was real, and it was incredibly powerful, as it constantly monitored everyone to display improvement information and provided levels and classes.

"Did you have fun in your weekly training session with Healer Castelle?" Tutor Damian asked me as I entered the library.

I had been annoyed that I had to stay in my room, away from the wedding and the guests while it was happening. It was good to have the quiet of the mansion return. My hand went up and rubbed the light scar on my neck. I quickly lowered it once I realized what I was doing.

"It was informative. Soul Sense and Mana Sense are challenging to separate."

"Ah, skills bleed over. That is a tremendous headache with sensory-type skills. Your low Perception stat isn't helping there either. It is something you absolutely need to focus on. Keeping skills separate allows you to manage them better, especially in combat."

"Combat, really?" I asked, surprised.

"I might not be a fighter, but I read. When you don't want to keep copying the Eldarin Script, you can read these history books. They should also help improve your Combat Tactics," he replied, pointing to the stack of five books on our study table. "I curated them personally. This library offers a wide selection, but some books are quite dated. I will have to speak with the duke about updating it or having a proper Librarian come through and match the latest published standards of the College of Advancement."

"Is there a public library other people can use?"

"No. Schools and the Adventurer's Guild, which has a semi-public library for its members, receive donated old books. They tried it in the past, but the cost was too high, and it diluted skills for people outside their jobs."

"Is that really a bad thing?"

"You don't realize it since you gain skill levels so easily, but for most people, it is a struggle. Dividing their focus after they have decided on their professions leads to worse outcomes overall. The College of Advancement has conducted numerous studies on this topic. While it might seem wrong to put people on planned career tracks, it is the optimal way for them to achieve the highest levels and strongest skills while having synergy with their class."

"So, most people decide at age eight when their status unlocks?"

"Mostly, yes. It isn't easy to change one's skills. A System Priest is not cheap, and such skill adjustments leave scars on one's soul that don't easily heal. That is why official divorces are so rare among the nobility."

"But a bunch of people go into the dungeon."

"Only the first layer to get red cores and make some money. Most don't go any deeper. Even then, not everyone dares to go down there or has the wealth to hire someone to power level them. Crafting is how most people gain experience."

"What about farmers?"

"There are basic skills like Wood Working, Metal Working, that help them out. Creating and maintaining various pieces of equipment gives them experience. Farming also helps them gain experience when they harvest crops."

"But not a lot?"

"Not a lot. Most people only reach between levels 20 and 40 using such methods over their lifetimes. The early levels are simple to get, which is why people have to decide on their professions early on. Otherwise, they will struggle for the rest of their lives in a profession they are ill-suited for. It isn't perfect, but the System doesn't stop someone from making poor decisions."

"I see. What about other jobs than spellblade?" I asked, curious about other options.

Damian shook his head. "That is a versatile set of skills for clearing the dungeon of monsters. What were you thinking of?"

"Something that gives a tier 6 skill?"

"At most, you will find groups of skills, or skill builds or skill groups, as they are sometimes called, up to tier 4. Even those aren't easy to find and are mostly passed down through families or mentorships as legacies. There are specialized schools for certain builds, and the duke has one for farming here in the duchy. But anything beyond that requires an apprenticeship or becoming a Squire. Tier 5 and tier 6 skills are a huge deal."

"There aren't any commonly known ones?"

"There are rumors and stories. The College of Advancement enables its professors to impart such knowledge to students, many of whom become apprentices under their guidance. Doing various tasks for knowledge and tutoring, like Squires do for your mother."

"I was just thinking I could pick from some higher-tier skills and work towards them," I said.

It was an idea I had. I was trying to determine if there was an exploit I could use to advance more quickly, but it didn't seem to be the case.

"You and everyone else wish that. People share lower-tier skills fairly freely, but information becomes much rarer at Tier 4. Even your mother could only impart the foundational skills that enabled her to reach the heights she has. For other skills, you would have to branch out."

"Then what about something like flight? Is there a flying skill?"

"There is a spell, but it is Mana intensive. Want to become a bird?"

"Just thinking about skills. Is there a list somewhere of all the skills?"

"Yes, and no, you are not going to get to look at such a thing. Healer Castelle would kill me if I set you on the path to gaining more skills. For now, trust your mother's vision from her lofty height and my judgment. I have reviewed what she wants you to learn. Weapons Mastery and Runic Mastery are very powerful tier 4 skills, which have a wide range of versatility. Not all skills in the same tier are equally powerful, especially in higher tiers. While it takes a lot of work to build up their foundation, they won't steer you wrong. Wide-ranging tier 4 skills are hard to get and harder to level, but if you build up the proper foundation, there is nothing better if you want to go further to Tier 5 and 6."

It was a bit frustrating to have everything laid out before me, but getting more skills would kill me. Still, I could only imagine the powerful combinations one could get.

I shook my head and picked up a history book. Perhaps something in one of these books would inspire my future skill selection. While I wanted to be a spellblade, having more skills would only increase my options. If I acquired enough Tier 6 skills, I might unlock a Tier 7 skill.

I wondered what it would be like?

I shook my head and began reading about the Eldarin Empire, from which all modern human kingdoms came.

When his own child assassinated the Eternal Emperor, a series of battles and succession wars ensued, which ultimately led to the formation of the modern kingdoms and nobility.

The book was dry, mainly sticking to the facts, but it was quite descriptive of the battles. Troops with lower levels were sent out first to preserve combat power and hopefully wear down the enemy's higher-level troops. It was a brutal but interesting strategy. The lower-level people who survived would get stronger, while also preserving top combat power as much as possible.

Titanic battles had an incredible death toll, since no one could retreat. Many people broke mentally. That was why large-scale conflict after the fall of the Eldarin Empire was rare. Combat mostly involved elites and legends. Gathering large swaths of the population to use as spell fodder was something people looked down on.

Chapter 28 – A Needed Break

"Son, we are going on a bit of an outing," my father said at breakfast.

I looked around, and it was just the two of us. Dereck was visiting the capital of Terander with his new wife. My youngest brother had taken a lot of money and was being appointed the Principal of the Farming School in the Duchy. My father's first wife had gone back to visit her family for a while now that the madness of the wedding was over.

"An outing, where, Father?" I asked, and he smiled.

"To Burnstock City. I know you passed through there while going to the dungeon, but I wanted to spend some time with you before you left," he said.

He wasn't inattentive, but he had many duties that kept him busy quite a bit of the time. We often had meals together, and he listened to my problems, but we rarely spent time together. I couldn't recall the last time it was just the two of us and not some lecture.

"Really, what are we doing there?"

"A surprise. I know you feel quite bored studying book skills every day, all day. I know it is to work on your Mind stat, but a couple of days would do you good. Healer Castelle will accompany us, and I have informed Tutor Damian. Overtraining can be detrimental."

I was going to object, but then I remembered Squire Jessica saying something similar. My mother didn't like the idea of breaks or relaxation, but I really wanted to do something different from studying all day, every day.

"That sounds great, Father. I can't wait to see this surprise."

"You are growing up so fast. And after…that unpleasantness at the wedding, I know we haven't been as close as I would like. Being a noble is exhausting. I am glad to be retiring. I might even travel a bit or work on a project I have had in mind for a while. It is hard to say."

"Is it safe?"

"Once I am retired, killing me will just annoy other people, not damage anything important. At best, I will be a footnote in your mother's legacy and yours."

"Well, the duchy is running really well," I said, feeling awkward.

My father laughed and waved off my awkward response. His smile had a slight fragility before he spoke once more. "I hope so. But I am tired, my son. Your mother has the endless drive that has taken her to become a supreme legend, but your father is a bit more laid-back. Still, I can put in the effort when needed. I am not a completely useless noble."

After breakfast, I got ready and then boarded a magical carriage with my father.

"You know these things are amazing, if insanely expensive. A Mana-powered motor uses monster cores. Better than horses, though. It doesn't poop. The dwarves really outdid themselves inventing it," he said the last bit softly and with a wink.

We both chuckled at that.

There was another magical carriage behind us with Healer Castelle and elite guards following us in case there was any trouble, while giving us our privacy in the main carriage.

"It took a bit of effort, but I know your mother won't have any objections to what I have planned."

"Now you have me really curious," I said, and my father just grinned at me.

"Consider it part of your inheritance from my side of the family. The one thing we are good at is throwing money around," he said with a shrug. "So, what is your favorite skill so far?"

"Breathing, since I use it all the time," I said after some thought, and he nodded.

"A simple yet core skill. I always enjoyed Dramatics. Almost no one knows I have it, but it is quite good in a lot of social situations."

"Dramatics? Isn't that an actor skill?"

"It is, but we are all actors, my son. I had some thoughts about becoming a famous playwright and performer when I was your age."

"What?"

"I don't get along with my father. It was a rebellious phase I went through. I went to many plays in this city as a kid with my mother, who loved such things."

I had some idea of what he planned. We reached the city in the late afternoon.

The duke had a private residence within the city, where we stayed for the night. In the morning, I was told by the duke to change into training clothes. He then led me to a large stone building near the private residence in the center of the city. Healer Castelle came along with several elite guards who shadowed us. There was a sign proclaiming it as the Stillness Dojo.

I wanted to ask my father questions, but held back as we made our way to an inner room. There was an old man seated on a floor mat, who was perfectly still. It had to be some skill.

"Be welcome, Duke Darren Burnstock and young Justin Burnstock," the old man said.

"Thank you for agreeing to my selfish request, Master Ertor Ten," my father said, and slightly inclined his head.

"We appreciate your help in arranging this place for my followers, and also the kindness you showed to us, Monks of Stillness, even if you have selfish reasons. And I must admit a bit of selfishness myself for wanting to meet Justin. This is the legendary child of the Supreme Warlady."

I still had the ring my father had given me, blocking out attempts to scan me.

"What level are your Dodge, Pugilist Skills, and Danger Sense?" he asked me.

I looked at my father, who gave me a nod. "They are at 61, 14, and 33."

"Impressive for one so young. I am a Master in the Still Fist, which is a Tier 5 fighting skill. Many students study for years to master a fraction of the skill's true power. Today, I will focus on building your foundation. I will not oppress you with my stats or skills higher than tier 1," he said and slowly stood up.

I took a fighting stance and brought up my tiny fists. My father moved to the side of the room and took a seat on a chair there. I advanced and froze as I felt a sense of danger coming from my right. I stepped left as a kick moved through the space I had been standing in.

"Good, you pay attention to your skills. Now we will pick up the pace. Attack if you can," Master Ertor Ten said.

"Don't hesitate on your strikes."

"You are dodging a bit too soon. Your Danger Sense is at a high level. Adjust according to the speed of your enemy to leave them less time to adjust."

"Good job on constantly moving."

"Pugilist Skills also involve elbows, knees, and feet. Mix it up."

The training continued through the morning until the early afternoon. Healer Castelle kept refreshing my stamina, but even with his help, I was too exhausted to continue. Master Ertor Ten pushed me at just the right pace to drag things out this long. He was more focused on having me think than blindly fight, correcting and drawing out every improvement that he could.

"You did well for someone so young. In time, as you grow, you will improve. While we can lean on our skills, it can also become a crutch that too many people use. Instead, always push yourself and consider using skills you have mastered in unique ways. Progress is not just a number in your status."

"Thank you, Master Ertor Ten," I said, trying to regain my composure.

"It was one lesson. Perhaps in time you will come back to learn the Still Fist from me. Safe journeys."

"Thank you for tutoring my son," the duke said, and then we left.

"Thank you, Father. That was a really delightful surprise. He was superb at pointing things out. Even better than my mother's Squires," I said.

"I hope so. The man might not have officially taken on the title of legend, but he has surpassed level 100 and achieved that level in terms of his skills. The Still Fist is a very dangerous skill meant to counter magic and movement with just a fist."

"Really? How would that even work?"

"No idea. But that is why he is quite famous and has started up a dojo. He doesn't want the skill to end with him. For many people without children of their own, passing on their skills to others is a way to create a living legacy. I merely provided some money and a place for him to set up a dojo."

"I bet it was more than that," I replied, and my father smiled at me.

"I learned about his situation during the wedding. He had run into issues in his home country. One of his disciples had killed someone important, and he was creating a mess. I smoothed the entire thing over with enough money, and he accepted my offer to move to my city."

"Thank you, Father. I can't say it enough. I prefer to move and fight, not study all the time."

"Well, even with my wealth, I could only get one tutoring session."

"Only one?"

"High-level people don't like teaching foundational skills. Your mother making her Squires do so is rude. But your mother has never been one to care about etiquette or unspoken rules."

"Oh…"

"Now you will get cleaned up, and we will have an early dinner. There is a play I enjoyed as a kid, and it is showing in the playhouse tonight." My father had probably arranged things on purpose. "Twilight of the Eldarins is a timeless classic."

My father loved it, but I thought it was boring and over-the-top. The costumes were incredibly vivid, the characters spoke in a slightly confusing manner, using archaic sentence structures, and the plot was convoluted.

The Eternal Emperor of the Eldarin Empire had passed away, causing widespread panic in the court. His main wife tried to pass the corpse off as the Emperor, using his harem to assist in the plot, distracting the corrupt nobles and members of the court from the fact that the Emperor was dead. The nobles thought their assassination had failed and tried to kill the corpse. There was an evil necromancer who might have been controlling the emperor, or just a distraction for everyone else.

The climax occurred when the emperor's body parts began to fall off during an important ceremonial event. This never actually happened, but the entire play served as a metaphor for the rot spreading throughout the Empire and the rebellions that occurred following the Eternal Emperor's death.

That was when a midget burst out of the emperor's body, declaring that he was the true emperor all along. The midget then tripped on a carpet, disappearing through a trap door never to be seen again.

I was confused.

Then the necromancer burst onto the scene and ran off with the emperor's main wife, that kind of made sense. Then the nobles all began a grand final song and dance number to conclude the play.

"What did you think?" my father asked me.

There was just one question that was really bothering me. "What was the point of the midget hiding inside the Eternal Emperor's corpse?"

"Ah, the midget in a body disguise, a classic." I was clearly lacking in my education, since I did not know why that was a classic. "It alludes to the fact that the Emperor was never really dead and is still out there somewhere, disguised as a midget. A popular conspiracy theory. So absurd, it is hilarious."

"So, the entire play is a metaphor about the fall of the Eldarin Empire and makes jokes at crazy ideas?"

"Yes. A timeless piece of artistry and comedy. My mother always loved the theater," he said, and I just shook my head. "She loved to take us all to the city here to see the plays."

I didn't ask what had happened to her, since my father hadn't brought it up, and I didn't want to ruin the moment.

I had clearly inherited my mother's preferences for things, rather than my father's taste for the arts. I vastly preferred fighting and going into the dungeon, rather than watching plays or dramas. Still, it was a pleasant change of pace. We went to a fancy restaurant, and they escorted us to a private room.

"Duke Burnstock, a pleasure to have you back at the Grey Goose. A fun night at the theater with your son?" the host greeted my father.

"Indeed. Just showing my son some of the finer points of the city. What do you have tonight?"

"Roasted rack of lamb with a vegetable medley is the main course for the evening. Unless either of you would prefer anything else?"

"That sounds perfect. How is the chef?"

"A tier 3 cooking skill, almost tier 4. I swear it is hard to keep up on some days. The recent wedding kept us on our toes, but we managed to stay on top of things. Please sit, I will get the best wine to pair with your meal."

The host bowed and then left.

"You are a regular?" I asked.

"When I am in the city. This restaurant uses local produce and animals we raise here in the Duchy. A showcase of the vast harvests the Duchy brings in for rich merchants and nobles. I have made more deals in this room than most would imagine."

"Here, really?" I asked as I looked around the room. While it was nice, it only had silver with some gold ornaments, unlike the estate, which had a lot of gold.

"Don't underestimate the power of good food when doing business, my son. While adventurers might not always appreciate the finer things in life, one needs to live a life worth living. When you taste the food, you will understand. While our staff is skilled, a true professional chef with high skill levels would always cook for a public restaurant like this to continually improve. I brought your mother here before we were married."

"And what did she say?" I asked, curious about what my mother thought.

"'Basic food, nothing that impressive.' The chef heard this from your mother, and he challenged her. If she could eat his best cooking without appreciating it, he would retire."

"What happened?"

"The chef retired, of course. Once challenged, your mother will never give in. Your mother is a woman of simple tastes, and we have some of the world's best chefs because of the high-quality food we produce in the Duchy. One of our smaller exports in terms of talent is skilled chefs. There are several minor culinary schools throughout the city, with the best chefs cooking here at the Grey Goose."

"And my mother didn't think the food was special?"

"Food is nothing but fuel for her. Between a simple piece of salted meat and stale bread, and a lavish meal like we are about to have, she would pick the salted meat and stale bread for one reason. She could eat more quickly and get back to killing, since that would be the most efficient. Your mother sacrificed many joys in her life to achieve her position. I am not saying she was wrong, since she became the Supreme Warlady, but there was a cost to her choices."

Chapter 29 – The Peaceful People

"We aren't going back?" I asked the following day after breakfast at the family residence, and my father shook his head.

"We are staying one more day. I wanted to show you more of the city. While my father wanted to orient the people towards war and fighting, I married your mother to preserve the peace we have here. Building this city up as a center of culture, not just trade."

"Would war do that?"

"Yes. They would replace the skills. People would take more survival and fighting skills. People would have lost the accumulated knowledge and talent. There are tradeoffs, of course, but I chose to marry your mother for the people, not out of any selfish desire. We are no longer in the time of the old Eldarin Empire, but a new age, one that all of humanity should fully embrace."

"Protecting all of this is no simple matter. Just like a plant, culture needs nourishment. Come."

I followed him outside along with our entourage. We made our way to a large open plaza. People were hawking their wares at various stalls. People stared at us, but no one came near.

I noticed that several of the stalls sold food, and that women oversaw them. The duke had stopped in front of one stall selling apples. "Husbands are often farmers, and their wives are cutthroat businesswomen. Isn't that right, Helga?"

"Of course, Duke Burnstock," the woman said, bowing her head deeply.

"Helga here is from a long line of farming families. They specialize in apple trees and produce amazing apple cider, but also grow other crops. Two apples, please, and a crate to the estate," the duke said and placed a single gold coin on her stall booth.

We were each given an apple.

"Thank you, Duke. Of course, I will arrange for the crate to be brought to your residence before noon."

We continued onwards.

"You know her personally?" I asked.

"It's a Noble skill that helps me remember names in a territory I control. While I may be near the top of the nobility, humility and understanding are essential qualities that one must never forget as a leader. Too many people think all it takes to rule is a fist, but I find actual understanding is far more important than any social or combat skill."

I could understand why my mother had married this man now.

It wasn't just for his money. That was a consideration, of course, but my father didn't forget the people beneath him. The farmers and peasants who made all this possible. The people my mother came from. She had never forgotten her humble background, and I was sure no one else would let her forget it either.

We made our way to a large stage and took our seats, which were set up for us.

"Today is the annual poetry reading competition."

"Poetry, really?"

"I know it is probably the single most worthless skill out there. But there are groups of people who compete. While we haven't had an elite bard come from this duchy, it is only a matter of time. Perhaps one day, there will be a legendary bard," he said.

People gathered, and several older individuals took to the stage to read their poems to the crowd.

"It is something older people do when their stats fail them, but we do occasionally have some young competitors. It is a way for older people to remain active and engaged in their twilight years without requiring intensive labor. Too many nations follow the Eldarin Empire's history of casting aside elders who have worked hard their entire lives. Something I find distasteful," my father explained.

He then got up and made his way over to the enchanted stone that would project his voice across the plaza.

"Welcome, citizens of Burnstock City." There were cheers at this. "I know you didn't come to hear me speak. So let us start the 47th annual poetry competition," he declared and went back to his seat.

Contestants were arranged by age, and each had a maximum of one minute, so everyone who wanted to speak got a turn. The oldest went first.

"Great dawns the morn. The golden stalks glisten. The wind sways the plants, but they remain upright. Forevermore, this golden field," the first old man said.

I felt slightly moved by the poem and clapped along with my father. The old man moved off the stage, and the next old man replaced him.

Everyone cheered as they listened to their neighbors, friends, and family members. I was glad I had an apple to snack on. A servant was on hand to take away the core after I finished. Eventually, the few younger contestants showed up.

A young girl about my age was the last one to compete, and she strode resolutely forward onto the stage. The applause for her was no less than for the first old man. She hesitated for the longest moment as the crowd quieted down. For a moment, I thought she was too afraid to speak in public.

"The beginning is humble. A farmer in their youth. A dreadful attack. A great descent. A spell sword. A triumphant legend. A heroic supreme. An eternal Warlady," the girl said.

The crowd cheered, and the applause was massive.

"What do you think?" my father asked me while leaning over.

"Calling her an eternal Warlady is a bit much because of the negative history of the Eternal Emperor. But it took courage to read in front of such a large crowd," I replied.

My father nodded. "Any favorites?"

"The man who had the poem about flowers, his imagery was striking and almost made me see flowers, and his skill was of the highest level from what I could tell," I replied, and my father nodded again.

He then got up to speak.

"Thank you, citizens of Burnstock. As usual, I shall now reward the three winners in no particular order. First, Han. His imagery with flowers is breathtaking as usual," my father said.

There was a round of applause as the old man came back on stage and accepted a small pouch of coins.

"Second, we have Henry. While playing an instrument stretches the bounds of the competition, it was quite entertaining," my father said.

A middle-aged man stepped onto the stage to accept his award, and the crowd applauded.

"Finally, we have young Denise. Her bravery will hopefully inspire her to an even greater future," my father said.

The young girl, who had gone last, hesitantly got back on stage. My father shook her hand and gave her a coin pouch.

"Thank you, everyone. May the System guide you well," he said, and the crowd roared.

My father beckoned me, and I followed him off the stage as we made our way back to the family residence.

"You started that competition?"

"One of the first things I did when I became Duke. Dereck won't be continuing the contest," he replied heavily.

"What, why?"

"While he doesn't share the same vision as my father, he has his own opinions on how the Duchy should operate, more focused on combat schools. Less focus on the arts," my father said with a slight sigh. "Ultimately, poetry has no value."

I didn't know what to say to that, since that was true. Poetry was utterly useless.

"But ultimately, things change. In the future, I plan to convince everyone of my grand vision of a better tomorrow. While poetry might seem useless, it is a sign of a happy and prosperous society."

"It was lovely, and everyone was quite happy," I said.

"Their smiles make my day. It is easy to kill and destroy, but much harder to build up and create a community where all people can thrive. Not just the nobles," he explained.

"How come I didn't know all of this?"

"It isn't something to brag about or flaunt. Each bit of happiness is another ember for our fire that is called civilization. No matter how strong you become, never forget this one lesson. Even your mother understands this as well. Without everyone in society, from the peasants to the nobles, nothing would function, and it would all break down."

We walked back in silence to the family residence, which was nearby. All these places were near the city center. Dinner was a quiet affair, since we didn't go out to eat.

My father had given me a lot to think about.

My parents had a lot more depth to them than I realized, especially my father. As we went back to the estate the following morning, I didn't know what to say.

My father finally spoke up midway through our journey. "Thinking about getting a Poetry skill?"

"No. There are countless Tier 1 skills available. I need to focus on what works best for my build as a spellblade. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good poet."

"I always felt that the softer skills have much more use than people realize. There are tales of such individuals, but it is a rare person who can push so far with their skills, since there are no legacies to pass on," my father said with a smile.

"No legendary poets or bards in the past?" I asked.

"Very few. Only a few legends leave behind legacies. Time loses many of them, and they are never passed on, especially higher-tier skills. I had hoped to set a new direction, turning this duchy into a cultural hub that would eventually rise to compete with the College of Advancement and the Last Bastion. An ambitious plan, but ultimately doomed to failure."

"Why doesn't Dereck want to do it?" I asked.

"He prefers things to move in a more martial direction. I had hoped to share enough of my vision with him that he would carry on my legacy, but he chose not to. It would have taken at least three generations to bring the project to fruition and yield results. Now I know how my father felt all those years ago when I ignored his advice."

"You mentioned an enormous project? Can you share what it will be?" I asked.

"It isn't ready yet. Things are still being prepared. However, if I am successful, the world will be a much better place. Too often, people don't remember the past or look towards the future. I plan to do both."

Now, I truly didn't know what to say. There was a lot more drama happening on the other side of the family than I had known. My father looked at me, seemingly hesitant, but just smiled at me, not saying anything.

It was nice to spend time with my father like this. While it was sad that the poetry contest was coming to an end, things changed. It was surprising since I thought Dereck was close to our father, but it appeared he had his own ideas on how to run the Duchy.

Well, I was glad it wouldn't be my headache. It was nice for me to see how other people lived and to understand the peasants and common people, but I would stay on my path. I would follow in my mother's footsteps to become a spellblade.

It was frustrating that it was taking so long to get to magic and spells, but I needed a proper foundation first. Everyone kept repeating that a firm foundation was the best way forward for someone my age. I understood that in my head, but in my heart, I wanted to go into the dungeon using magic to carve my path forward.

Getting a day to train under an actual legend was a fantastic experience. I really missed the training sessions I had with Squire Sabin. While they had been exhausting, I had progressed in so many skills and my physical stats. The Mind stat might help me process and retain information to learn skills, but the more I learned, the more it felt like a chore.

Squire Jessica and the other people who had told me so were right. Taking a break from whatever skills I was focusing on was incredibly important. While I kept promising myself to work hard, it was a struggle to keep up that determination day after day, working on the same skills.

My father knew exactly what I needed, a trip to the city, some physical training, and a relaxing day listening to poetry.

Chapter 30 – Eldarin Runes

"And done," I said with a smile as I finished copying the massive, stupid book, Transversal of the Dungeon by famed playwright, Aaron the Orator.

It had been a struggle to focus on the entire thing, but that was what made it such a great tool for leveling. It forced a person to pay attention and copy that flowy Eldarin Script and writing that would put even an insomniac to sleep.

"Congratulations," Tutor Damian said from across the library table with a smile on his face.

"That should have pushed your skills up to mastery at level 100. Now come the tier 3 skills, Eldarin Runes and Empowered Writing."

"What exactly does Empowered Writing even mean?" I had some guesses, but Damian was here to answer these types of questions.

"Skills that the System doesn't recognize are called Tier 0. The system considers Eating and Talking to be Tier 0 skills, which don't use Mana and cannot be imprinted on your soul. The only confirmed Tier 0 is your starting class tier, but I digress. Tier 1 skills use the tiniest amount of Mana. Tier 2 skills use a bit of passive Mana, a tiny amount that doesn't register normally. Then you have tier 3 skills, which actively use a small bit of Mana. Tier 4 skills use a larger amount of Mana. That is why resistances are tier 3 and spell skills are tier 4. The System probably bases the tier skill list on how much Mana is used and how complex the skills are. But the more complex skills use more Mana, with very few exceptions. It is an ongoing debate within the College of Advancement to better understand the tier aspect of a person's status."

"So, these are Mana skills then?"

"Yes, but they only use a small bit of your Mana reserves, rather than large chunks, unlike spells. Magic is your lowest stat, which isn't too concerning since that stat will improve much more later on in your life when you focus on spell skills."

He then pulled out two thick books and a stack of paper.

"The first book is Eldarin Runes Compendium, 7th Edition, the most up-to-date edition and quite well done after I looked through it myself. I learned from the 6th Edition, and I can say they improved how the information is presented. The second book is The Precise Details of Empowered Writing. It is incredibly technical. The stack of paper is for copying runes. One rune per piece of paper, no more. Otherwise, you might create an effect accidentally."

I looked at the two newest massive books with a touch of despair.

"Precision is key for runes. If you can copy all the runes precisely, you will advance to around level 60 in both skills. I do mean precisely. The subject becomes increasingly technical the further you delve into it, encompassing ambient Mana, environment, and other esoteric factors. Once you can do individual runes, then you will work on runic seals, or tags, as adventurers call them."

"Tags?" I asked, since I hadn't heard that term before.

"The paper used has a peelable side that then allows it to stick, often used as explosives. So explosive tag, or fire tag. Normally, if you can touch a monster, you want to use your own skills to kill it and improve your skills, but they can also act as an emergency resource in the dungeon."

I nodded.

"Oh, one more thing. Your father had this commissioned for you. A Tier 3 runic writing set."

Tutor Damian got up, pulling out a tray from under the table. On it were several fountain pens of various sizes. All ornate, made of gold and silver, with no decoration on them. No, it wasn't silver, but platinum! That was the most magically aligned metal.

"That's gold and platinum! How are equipment tiers determined, and how does my status know?"

Tutor Damian smiled. "Based on Mana usage. You can feel the Mana?" I nodded as I could sense a slightly different Mana flow around the equipment. "Silver and gold make up tier 2 equipment. Gold and platinum make up tier 3 equipment. Then there are higher-tier alloys with better Mana flow after that."

I was a bit surprised as I looked over the writing tools. "Platinum only goes up to tier 3?"

"As pure metal. Alloys require much higher levels of craftsmanship. While the writing tools look amazing, that is their artistry, not the alloys used to make them. Getting crafting skills up to a high tier is far more difficult. While one can get experience from crafting and killing monsters, killing monsters is much faster. And if a crafter splits their focus to learn fighting skills, they will struggle with all those skills and splitting their time and focus."

"I'm surprised my father didn't get me a higher-tier set."

"As long as the tier matches your current skill level, it is more than enough. Having a higher tier doesn't speed up your skill growth. It simply means you won't have to purchase another set later. This set is high-end for just starting, but the metals let your mana move more easily. Without these, it would be challenging to improve Empowered Writing. As for the ink, it is a specially blended ink. The book on Empowered Writing details how to make it properly. You use monster cores blended in with the ink. I will do it for now, so you don't get an Alchemy skill."

"That is Alchemy?"

"The most basic of basic Alchemy. But yes, it is. You are taking at least one ingredient with Mana inside of it and mixing it with other materials. It is a Tier 3 skill. You don't have any of the supporting skills below it, but after mixing the ink several times, you would probably get the skill."

"So, hold off on it for now. Got it."

Tutor Damian nodded. "Healer Castelle will be quite annoyed otherwise. Unfortunately, with more complicated processes like runes, there is an overlap with other skills."

Just another minor setback, nothing major. I had a lot more reading to do.

"Did the System create the skills like Eldarin History when the Empire formed, or was it always there?"

The question had been bothering me, but not enough to ask until right now. Tutor Damian was great at answering questions like this.

"If a group is large enough and is cohesive enough, then the System will recognize them. There are Elven and Dwarven Runes. We also have the precursor to the Eldarin Empire, High Vostner, and Demonic Runes as well. I know the College of Advancement is seeking to create a unified base runic language, but despite their efforts, there have been no results. The new sets either aren't unique enough, widespread enough, or some other missing factor for the System to take into account."

"What is going to happen with my completed book?"

I never found out what happened to the dictionary I had copied.

"I will put them away with the dictionary you copied. They are yours, and you can sell them for a couple of gold coins each."

While it was a significant amount of money, the materials weren't inexpensive, and it involved a substantial amount of content to transfer to a new book.

I opened the runic book and began reading. There was only so much I could put off studying.

Runes are symbols that interface with Mana beyond one's body and direct control. While there are only so many runes in each runic set, the variations are nearly endless. We will initially focus on Eldarin Runes with the assumption you understand Eldarin Script.

Runic symbols are not words, but compressed ideas. Eldarin Script has broken out sub-components of runic symbols into its own writing form without interfacing with Mana. Each idea has nuanced aspects, and it encompasses several of the most common definitions. This book only considers Eldarin Runes interacting with other Eldarin Runes as an introductory book and does not go into depth on cross-rune interaction.

Only write runes by themselves in the presence of someone experienced in runes to avoid any accidental activations.

The introduction did a good job of explaining what runes were. The symbols and overall symbology of linked runes came together to create a cohesive effect.

This was where precision was essential. If someone made an explosive, they needed to be sure how long it took to activate. If it went off too quickly or too late, that could be disastrous in combat.

As for individual runes, they tended not to do anything unless there was a lot of Mana. I needed the skill Mana Manipulation to activate them. Specific runes, when combined or drawn improperly, could cause an accident.

I concentrated on the book in front of me and began reading it. I would read through both books first to get an idea of Runes before drawing any.

While it was tempting to get right into copying runes, the number of warnings from my Tutor and the book were enough to make me want to rush through the reading part first. Then, after I had a decent understanding of runes, I would attempt to write some out.

"Are runes part of enchanting?" I asked after reading a section that was confusing.

"Yes, and no. Enchanting is about creating a permanent Mana structure within an item. This can be done with just a skill spell, or it can be done with both a skill spell and runes if one has the skills and levels. The higher you go, the more interwoven things become, and the more complicated they become. That is why many skills starting at tier 4 are unique. Finding structured skills that go higher is a challenge because people assume that structure creates the most stable skill for advancement."

I got the first part, but I was confused about the second part.

"Can you explain the second part of that again?"

"Take your rune skill. It is Tier 3. It is a very stable skill in terms of development and study. There is very little unknown about the skill. Same with many lesser skills. But once you get to Tier 4, you get more unique skills. People speculate, but have not confirmed, that these skills are more unstable, meaning it is harder to level and advance them into the next tier. It is harder to maximize their levels. By the time you get to Tier 6, they are all unique skills. That is why there is a push to develop a systematic approach to developing skill chains or skill trees past Tier 4 and into Tier 5 and 6."

"I am guessing it isn't going well?"

"Some skills don't progress well after a certain point, even if they provide a broad foundation to work from. Weapons Mastery and Runic Mastery are two perfect examples of this. They are excellent Tier 4 skills, meaning people are familiar with them. Still, once an individual reaches level 100 mastery, they transition into a unique skill, not another standard skill in a chain."

"And that makes it harder to keep the skills going up in tier."

"Exactly, or at least that is what the College of Advancement believes. There have been numerous studies conducted regarding this issue. While the status is straightforward, there are a lot of hidden processes occurring within the System behind it that they are trying to understand."

"That doesn't get them in trouble with the System Church?"

I knew it was a separate organization and trained System Priests.

"The System Church's opinion is that the professors at the College of Advancement are wasting their time worrying over numbers and not actually improving their skills and looking for answers that will always be unknowable. Um, they regularly mock the professors at the College of Advancement. They aren't enemies, but both sides consider the other hopeless."

"Even with how well they are regarded?"

"I am from the College of Advancement, so I have a bit of bias. One uses numbers; the other uses feelings to advise people. Many prefer numbers, but there is merit in using feelings. Your mother is a perfect example. No one held her hand to reach the pinnacle of power that she currently holds. She fought her way there through sheer grit and determination, doing what she felt was best."

I loved my mother, but I was realizing I would never escape her legacy or shadow easily.

But that was okay. She had cleared a path for me, which I would take, but would make my own.

***

I didn't want to spam people, so have all first 30 chapters together. Also, please check out The Strongest Spellblade | Royal Road to hit some buttons. All further chapters you have to subscribe. Thanks!

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