Cless woke up because the sun was shining on her face. She still felt the weight of the worries of the day before hanging around the back of her mind. She shook those thoughts away and felt the smell of ashes and human excretion offended her nose.

Deferred stat allocation. +10 Strength, +10 Agility, +10 Health. Next allocation at Dawn.

The ash pit was still burning, embers turning to ashes to reveal the dry and extremely flammable wood underneath. Sometimes a beam would break under its own weight, sending a gust of fresh air toward a fresh warm piece of wood that would burst into flames. Cless created another golem from the rubble of its predecessor and sent it to shovel the ashes away to let the rest of the wood burn. For how long will this thing keep on going? She saw the metal rings of the barrels and changed the golem's orders to pile the metal pieces it might find separate from the ashes.

The acrid smell assaulted her again and she remembered. She had nine prisoners to deliver. Cless stood up and found her guild still sleeping, Silverfang on guard duty. 'The wolf wouldn't mind the smell of human pee. Wolves love to smell pee. I wonder why he didn't pee all over the place yet. Maybe he's waiting for me to do it. As if.' She joked in her head.

Cless opened her Status and thought about putting some Stat points to use. Maybe not. She reviewed the Skills she got from the escapees.

C-rank:

[Shrinking]: Shrink by a factor from 2 to 10 times. Divide all physical stats by half of the same factor. Time to grow or shrink is equal to the factor in minutes. Equipment up to (level) kg shrinks with you. Reduce weight by the cube of factor.

[Shadow Jump]: You can enter shadows and stay inside or instantly move from one shadow to another in line of sight up to a distance of (5 + level) meters. Cooldown 1 minute from when you exit.

[Underdog]: When facing an opponent 5 or more levels higher than you, increase your effective level and all proficiencies by (1d20 + 60% of level difference) up to the level difference.

D-rank:

[Woodworking]: You gain the Woodworker profession at a third of your level.

[Miasma Sight]: You can see Dungeon Miasma as a faint smoke. It does not block your sight.

[Shield Mastery]: Automatic proficiency with shields. Your level counts as 10 higher when defending with a shield. Any shield you wield takes a tenth of any durability damage.

[Acute Smell]: Your sense of smell is ten times stronger. You can detect faint scents and identify or track people, objects and plants by their scent if you met them before. You are not overwhelmed by strong scents.

[White Knight]: Whenever you witness a friendly female wounded or in distress, all physical stats increase by 50% for 10 minutes. Cooldown 2 hours.

[Steel Muscles]: Increases Strength by (10 + level)%

[Healthy Body] Increases Health by (10 + level)%

[Acrobat]: You gain the Acrobat profession at a third of your level.

[Big Game Hunter]: For every 20% size difference between you and your target, Increase your level by 1 for defensive purposes and the weapon damage you deal by 10%.

[Pit Fighter]: For every opponent above 1 engaged in melee with you, increase your level by 5 for defensive purposes.

[Breathless]: You no longer need to breathe. You are immune to suffocation, drowning, and inhaled poisons and pathogens. Your chest still moves normally unless you will it to stop.

[Ladykiller]: Unlocks Charisma. Automatic proficiency in Flirting and Sexual Technique. Every new female you have intercourse with earns you ( sqrt(own_level * lady_level) * 100 ) Experience Points.

E-rank:

[Heavy Lifter]: Increase carrying capacity by (50+level)%

[Sword User]: Reduce durability damage to wielded swords in combat by 50%. You deal (10 + level x 0.5)% more damage with swords.

[Pickpocket]: Automatic proficiency in steal. You can sense the location of coins in people around you.

[Axe Thrower]: Automatic proficiency in Axes. Increase range of thrown axes by (20 + level x 2)%.

[Wolf Slayer]: Increase your level by 5 when fighting against canine enemies. Deal (level)% extra damage to canine enemies.

[Chick Magnet]: All females are one step friendlier to you.

[Cat User]: You can understand the speech of felines. All felines are one step friendlier to you.

[Water Sprite]: Automatic proficiency in Swimming. Your movement speed in water is (level)% faster.

[Food Conservation]: Food and beverages in your possession takes 10x longer to spoil.

[Bikini Muse]: When in a party with a female wearing bikini armor, you go 34% faster.

Cless looked at the list and pondered about the male and female choices regarding Skills. A lot of wish fulfillment.

She took her guild away from the prisoners. "[Appoint Protector]: Silverfang and Kurt" Doing that under prying eyes, knowledgeable eyes would reveal her Class as surely as tossing a Fireball would mark one as a mage. There was none as her improved [Tremorsense] range could tell the location of everyone standing on stone or earth for eight hundred meters around her. "Transfer Allocated pool. Ten each Agility to Venaris, Silverfang, Kurt, Shad, and Vic. Ten Strength to Kurt, Silverfang, Venaris. Ten Health to Shad." That took care of her deferred pool.

She split the Skills next. [Shadowjump], [Pit FIghter], [Healthy Body], and [Wolf Slayer] went to Silverfang, [Steel Muscles] and [Big Game Hunter] to Venaris, [Shield Mastery] and [Water Sprite] to Vic, [Acrobat] and [White Knight] to Kurt. The other Skills she would keep to use in trades. There was a concern about releasing too many people without Skills in the wild. That was too strange and a loose end. Finally, she checked and saw that she had no need for the [Brownie Magic] Skill anymore. Since Silverfang got a short-range teleport, She gave it to Kurt so he could also learn Blink. It would cut the range of her Blink by a third, but she could make it up by raising Intellect. To allow him to use the spells, she also gave him thirty stat points to put in Magic.

After managing her guild's Status, Cless went to her prisoners, gagged and bound by tight stone bands. They looked at her with surprise. Did they remember her? They shouldn't but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Hello, remember me?" She asked. "Don't be loud, my people are still sleeping. Shout and you go down the fire pit." Cless removed the gags.

"Who are you and what are you doing with us?"

"I captured some smugglers, it seems. Now I am turning you in at the constable. Steppenwolf bolted like a scared puppy and so did most of your guys. I only got the nine of you and all your goods. Shall we go?"

She woke up the rest of her guild and tied the smugglers with rope. Something snuggled up against her leg and she saw Shad, bruised and covered in cobwebs.

"Any of the dead people moving around?"

She laughed and healed the mole baby. Or young adult as Shad would protest if she called him a baby. They geared up and went on their way after Cless renewed the wards around the premises. Cless left Kate and Shad to watch over the place.

After they got out, a kid that was on the lookout ran in the direction of Helga's tavern. Cless wasn't sure if she was the owner but whatever. The two guards posted to watch over her were there as well and she waved to call them.

"Hey, guardsmen! I caught some smugglers, care to help me turn them in at the constable?"

They approached and examined the line of people tied up and gagged. "Who are these?"

"Smugglers. The remnants of two delver guilds that were removing loot from the dungeon through a side entrance without paying taxes."

The guard scratched his head under his helmet. "Yes, if you say so, follow us. Let's take them to the guard post."

They went through the streets and after twenty minutes reached the guardhouse. Helga and Heimdall were there too, with the other porters. They probably contacted the other crew as well, because there were twenty people there.

"Helga! How are you doing? Here to help us lock these guys away?" Helga looked away, refusing to meet Cless' eyes. "What is wrong?"

Tears rolled down her eyes and Cless knew there was something very wrong. "I'm sorry, Cless. They gave me no choice." She mumbled.

The guards led the smugglers into the garrison and it clicked on Cless' mind. This was a setup. These two guilds probably weren't the only ones running the scheme. There should be others. She cranked her mind to find clues. There was a priest in the church helping them go through the graveyard. The real estate agent wasn't very keen on letting her buy that property too. The guards that kept a lookout on her.

She felt a web close around her. She took Helga's shoulder and hugged the woman. "Tell me who is it. What do they have over you to force you to cooperate with them?"

"I'm sorry, I can't!" Helga pushed Cless away. "They'll kill my family!"

Helga ran away. The other porters were really contrite. The guards were calling her inside and she felt like running but with a sigh, Cless knew she had to walk into the trap. Knowing it was a trap must be enough for now. She growled.

They went inside the guard station and the smugglers were led into a holding cell. The captain from before arrived to greet them.

"Guild master Cless. Hello. My men reported that you captured smugglers. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is. Unfortunately, after I defeated Steppenwolf in a duel, he and twenty others fled into the woods. I captured the others but I'm afraid there are other deep into the scheme that eluded me. Their contacts in the church, even in the city administration." She said out loud.

Cless allocated seventy points in Intellect, bringing it to four hundred after the bonus. She had a hunch that things would go south soon and she could use any boost to her magic she could get. She looked at the captain and waited for his reaction. The man was trying to hide his frown, but she could tell he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"We will collect their statement and yours. I see that these guys are also here to give their statements. It will take a lot of time, so I must ask you to clear your obviously busy schedule for us, guild master."

She saw an opportunity. Cless smiled and offered her hand to the captain in front of everyone.

"Of course, captain. I agree to stay here with my guild the whole day and give you a truthful statement if you agree to treat us well and seek truth and justice in your proceedings regarding this case no matter the consequences. I don't want anyone to die, just reveal the full truth. Shake on it if you agree, please."

"That would be the most desirable outcome, guild master. I'm amazed to see such upstanding citizens. I stand for truth and justice."

"No matter the cost," Cless added. He shook her hand and she bound him to their agreement. "Captain, from where I am from this is very important, could I give a word to my prisoners? You see, I must guarantee they will be treated fairly by you. Since they are my prisoners, they have the option of paying the ransom or accepting to be handed over to you. Just a formality," She lied.

"I don't see the harm in it. We can't let them go in any case."

She approached the nine prisoners, addressing the leader of the Dragon Delvers first. "You have been captured and treated fairly. You are my prisoner until the ransom is paid or justice is brought. I promise to raise no false accusation against you and keep my treatment fair and just, without torture, extorsion or starvation for as long as you remain my prisoner do not try to escape, the law convicts you of a crime and sentences you, or you pay your ransom. In exchange, I ask you to never raise falsehood against me. Do you agree to these terms? Since I cannot unbind your hands, please just say yes or no."

He laughed. "From what naive corner of the world did you come, girl? Yes, I agree to your terms if it makes you happy!"

She repeated that with the other eight smugglers, each time cementing the agreement with her Skill. Cless could feel the effects of her Stats. Of how she applied her experiences on her growth. Balthus was right. Knowing when to hit and where to hit was as important as being able to hit where you aimed. With her worries washed away with the safety she found in her Skill she turned to the captain.

"Captain, I am formally transferring custody of my nine prisoners to you. As custom requires, I will provide for their meals and abhor any kind of mistreatment while under custody, unless you waive that right from me by force of law."

She was completely improvising and making things up right now. But as the rightful Queen of Myrhkeim, she mentally decreed that to be the custom.

"Yes, of course, why not?" The captain shrugged and probably decided to indulge in the girl's whims. The guards watching the scene unfold laughed. "Guild master Cless, by my powers as captain of the Glauchester city guard, I hereby relieve you of your duties regarding these nine prisoners."

"Excellent. Where should we sit while we wait our turn to collect our statements?"

"Fred, take guild master Cless and her guild to a waiting room."

They were brought to a room with some chairs and a table. She guided everyone inside, staying behind to whisper to the guard, "Could you bring us drinking water and something to eat for breakfast? We are starving here."

"Yes, sure." He closed the door and she heard the key turning in the lock. Sweet.

Cless shrugged. "Guess we have nothing else to do besides wait!" Stress was wearing her out. She clapped her hands. "Anyway, I just have one side of the situation under control. And I believe whoever is after us will bring down their weight. We need to get out."

"You just promised to stay here all day." Venaris pointed out.

"Yes, I did," Cless answered with a grin. "So long they treated us well. Speaking of which, did anyone have breakfast?"

"No," Silverfang grumbled. "Thanks for noticing."

"Don't worry. We'll eat soon." Cless sat on the stone floor and started to carefully check the bricks. After a while, she was really bored and told them her findings. "Folks, they are setting us up but I already inverted the trap on them. The captain is in with the smugglers, as were the real estate agent that sold he the place. They blackmailed Helga and Heimdall to betray us. We are going to help Helga again so her brother and the porters can testify for us."

"Good, but how are we doing it trapped here?"

"We have to wait." Cless answered and returned to her bricks.

Nobody spoke again but some bellies growled. Cless kept tapping the ground every now and then. Half an hour passed.

Venaris walked next to Cless and asked her, "Sister, I'm sorry for sounding impatient but what the hell are you doing?"

She looked up at the gnome, "Funny you asking me what the hell I'm doing," Cless grinned as she poked the stone one more time. "I was testing how long this Skill of mine was going to take before the captain broke his agreement. We can leave now. — Stone Shape." The stone parted and sunk as a hole with a ladder made of notches appeared in the floor. Cless pointed down. "Everyone aboard, we are leaving. A rescue and some crime-lord hunting are in order, after breakfast!"

They descended the tunnel and Cless reformed the floor, focusing on the image she kept memorizing for a whole thirty minutes and then pasting a layer of hardened rock underneath. She kept tunneling and compacting the stone, abusing her improved Earth magic and the [Master Miner] Skill, leading the way across the underground until she connected with the catacombs.

They ran through the tunnels and minutes later they emerged from the basement of the demolished manor. She checked but there were no intruders. Cless felt her own stomach protest at all the morning exercise.

"Let's eat!"

Status:

Name: Queen Cless Hreidmar of Myrkheim and Infernal Realm (in exile)

Race: Human.

Level: 90 ( 4,075,500 / 4,095,000 Exp ) [Experience Threshold > level 40]

Class (tier) level (Experience):

— Dabbler (1) 25 ( 300,000 Exp / ** ) — Beast Tamer (2) 25 (900,000 Exp / ** ) — Vicar (3) 25 ( 1,500,000 Exp / ** ) — Wizard Princess (4+1) 17 (1,405,500 / 1,428,000 Exp )

Professions — Veteran Warmaster 25 (300,000 Exp / **) — Master Instructor 19 (617,972 / 665,000 Exp)

— Crafter 25 (Skill) — Farmer 25 (Skill) — Herbalist 25 (Skill) — Alchemist 25 (Skill) — Woodworker 25 (Skill)

Base Stats — Strength: 85 [204] — Agility: 110 [264] — Health: 127 [304] — Intellect: 200 [400] — Wisdom: 200 — Charisma: 302 — Magic: 300 [600]

Available Status Points: 107

Skills:

S-rank: [Absolute Contract]

B-rank: [Fear Aura] — [Perfect Might] — [Succubus’ Kiss]

C-rank: [Appraise Immunity ] — [Craftsmen] — [Dangersense] — [Dragon Skin] — [Earth Magic] — [Eat Anything ]

— [Elven Longevity ] — [Master Miner] — [Seductress' Charm] — [Shrinking] — [Underdog] — [Will of the Mage]

D-Rank: [Acute Smell] — [Alchemical Tolerance ] — [Alchemist ] — [Architectural Ingenuity ] — [Breathless] — [Curmudgeon crafter ]

— [Dancer’s Grace ] — [Darkness Resistance ] — [Druidwalk ] — [Farmer ] — [Gemsense ] — [Giant's Stamina ] — [Great Leap ]

— [Grounding ] — [Herbalism ] — [Ladykiller] — [Merchant sense ] — [Miasma Sight] — [Ore sense ] — [Poison Resistance ]

— [Runner's Dash ] — [Sharp Mind ] — [Singer] — [Snakes' Flexibilty ] — [Spell Resistance ] — [Steelshine ] — [Tinker ]

— [Tremorsense ] — [Woodworking]

E-Rank: [Air sailing ] — [Axe Thrower] — [Bikini Muse] — [Burrower Bond ] — [Cat User] — [Chick Magnet] — [Coin Sense ]

— [Enhanced touch ] — [Food Conservation] — [Gravebreath ] — [Hearth’s warmth] — [Heavy Lifter] — [Howl ] — [Pack Rat ]

— [Pickpocket] — [Seamstress] — [Silk Hair ] — [Splinters ] — [Sword User] — [Virility] — [Wanderlust ] — [Weavertouch ]

F-rank: [Florist’s Wonder] – [Gardener’s touch] – [Inner Compass]

Techniques:

— [Beast Taming VI] — [Beast Status] — [Share Skills]

— [Sanctuary]

— [Appoint Stronghold] — [Appoint Demesne] — [Appoint Protector II]

Spells (Master Instructor: +2 to all. Spells without a number are at the soft cap / * denotes a level 25th ultimate):

Divine: — Mending — Detoxify — Light — Turn Undead — Blessing — Holy Bolt — Purify — Protection

— — — Hallow — Flametongue — Cure — Uncurse — Banish — Heal — Warding — Revivify*

— — — Censure — Bulwark — Mass Mending — Sacred Dance — Judgement — Song of the Accord*

— — — Water Breathing — Shield of Faith — Sanctuary*

Mage: — Detect Magic — Mage Bolt — Armor — Firebolt — Icebolt — Lightning Grasp — Shield

— — — Fireball — Resistance — Shockwave — Magic Missiles — Wind Blade — Deeppockets* — Blink*

House: — Detect Dust — Doorwatch — Prestidigitation — Never Overdone! — Touch Up — Dry — Repair — Clean — Bloom — Hearth Recall*

Earth: — Soften — Earth Armor — Spike — Stone Shape — Earthen Maw — Earthwave — Terrakinesis — Golem*

— — — Earth to Stone — Grasping Hand — Spike Wall — Construct*

Wiz.Princess: — ???? — ???? — ???? — ???? — ???? — ???? — ???? — ???? — ????

Proficiencies (Master Instructor: +2 to all. Values under 10 hidden / {A} = Automatic Proficiency: Soft Cap +5):

Appraise: Status: 80 — Resistance: (immune) — Forgery: (immune)

General: Prayer: 80 — Reading: 50 — Architecture: {A}

Academic: Magic Theory: 50 — Spellcraft: 50

Crafting (+9 Profession): Tailor: {A} — Embroidery: {A} — Knitting: {A}

Farming, plants (+38 Profession): Foraging: 30 — Forestry: 30 — Gardening: 17

Farming, livestock (+13 Profession): Dismantling: 30

Production (+9 Profession): Mining: {A} — Weaving: {A}

Social: Negotiation: 80 — Persuasion: 80 — Bluff: 80 — Flirting: {A} — Sexual Technique: {A} — Etiquette: {A} — Dancing: {A} — Singing: {A} — Gambling: {A}

Movement: Running: {A} — Athletics: {A} — Balance: {A} — Jumping: {A}

Martial (+18 profession): Leadership: 80 — Intimidation: 60 — Tactics: 80

Weapon (+18 profession): Long Blades: 80 — Unarmed: 80 — Archery: 80 — Maces: 60 — Pickaxe: {A}