Cari—smart and amazing as she is—guides me through the train effortlessly, following signs that supposedly make some kind of sense.

  We end up walking down a narrow path behind an older couple, but they shuffle into a room that’s apparently right next to ours, as Cari stops in front of the door just a few steps further.

  She holds up her ticket to a small square of runes etched into the door where a handle would be, and they emit a little flash of blue before the door slides into the wall all on its own.

  Inside is just enough space for two to fit cozily. Two folding cots are built into the left and right walls, with a tiny table with two cushioned chairs in the center. The last thing I spot is a narrow door on one side that hints at a cramped little bathroom.

  Nothing fancy, but it’ll be enough for us.

  Interestingly, the far wall has a large window, giving a clear view to what’s outside, with all the people busily moving to and from the station.

  I hadn’t seen any windows at all from outside the train.

  That, and all the magic in general, makes me wonder how the trains are even made in the first place, but I quickly discard the thought. Far greater minds than mine have tried to figure it out, and the simple fact that we don’t have railways in every city means even they have yet to piece it together.

  Cari lets out a little squeal of delight before dropping her pack and throwing herself onto one of the cots.

  Behind me, I hear another door slide open and find Krissy and Nyria stepping into a room just across from ours. At my surprised look, Nyria gives me a demure smile.

  “Cari told us what room you’d both be in, so we planned ahead,” she explains before turning to join Krissy in their room.

  Sneaky little witch...

  I decide then and there that my vengeance on Cari will be swift and brutal.

  But later.

  I head to the open cot on the left side of the room, tossing my own pack down. Of course, my pack is more for show than anything. There’s a few spare changes of clothes and some basic necessities for cleanliness, but even then it’s just the most simple things.

  Everything I actually need or care about is tucked safely away in my Starlight Bangle.

  I flop onto my own cot with a contented sigh, grinning as Cari gets up to start unpacking a bit. She notices and instantly narrows her eyes at me.

  “You better not have lied about not having room in your storage,” she says, voice low and threatening.

  I shake my head. “Nah. I can probably fit your things, but its best to have at least a little space available, just in case.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Take a nap or something, I know you want to,” she grumbles, returning to her pack.

  I stifle a yawn. “Mm, good idea.”

  The instant my eyes close, my mind wanders back to what’s to come. I honestly couldn’t help but feel a thrum of excitement at the thought of it all. The opportunities.

  It reminds me of how dissatisfied I am with my growth in these past months. I pull up the old notices just to glare at them some more.

  You have leveled up! x3

  Stats gained:

  +6 Strength

  +15 Constitution

  +15 Dexterity

  +12 Intelligence

  +27 Wisdom

  +6 Charisma

  +30 free stat points

  Just three levels. In nearly as many months.

  How ridiculous.

  Poison Resistance has leveled up! x4

  Level 19 -> Level 23

  As the only resistance that has made progress, I can’t help but feel a little annoyed. Even trying to purposefully burn myself did nothing for my Fire Resistance.

  Congratulations!

  Through experience, you naturally gain the following Skills:

  Dancing

  Etiquette

  Persuasion

  Deception

  Dancing

  General, Passive, Body

  Your movements carry grace and rhythm, drawing attention and admiration.

  Improves balance, coordination, and fluidity, while enhancing your ability to captivate an audience or partner through dance.

  It’s a bit embarrassing, but one day while I secretly listened to Krissy’s singing, I’d started swishing about in the hallway. Of course, someone saw my horrible attempt at dancing and spread the word.

  After that, parties were held, music was played, and damn near everyone asked me to dance with them despite the fact that I have no idea how to dance.

  At least now I can follow a tune...

  Etiquette

  General, Passive, Body

  You have learned the subtle rhythms of polite society.

  Improves first impressions, social navigation, and the ability to adapt seamlessly to formal or unfamiliar settings.

  This one is all Nyria. I think she just wanted to insist on teaching me something in order to spend more time with me. She claims it’s so that I don’t get made fun of at the Academy, but I doubt it.

  Either way, even as annoying as the lessons are, it’s a sweet thought. So I’ve been forgiving her.

  Except for that one time she forced me to stack books on my head ‘for my posture’ or whatever. My ears were sore for hours after that.

  After getting those Skills, I learned that while General Skills are the only kind of Skill that has levels, most of them don't. Only resistance Skills—like my Poison Resistance or Fire Resistance—have levels.

  Dancing and Etiquette act similarly to how my Dexterity and Charisma stats work, in that they offer light guidance on how best to move or act. At the same time, they help me learn and adapt to the Skills faster.

  It's odd, but... nice. I can lean on the Skills much like I do my Stats.

  Persuasion

  General, Passive, Body

  Your voice, timing, and body language blend to make you harder to resist.

  Increases the chance of convincing others, fostering agreement, or defusing conflict through charm, confidence, or reason.

  I'm actually really happy about this one. While a bit embarrassing, acting cute to get what I wanted from the girls is always fun. I have learned the masterful art of weaponizing my ears and tail against them.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  It doesn’t work on Krissy or Cari, but Nyria folds near instantly every time.

  Deception

  General, Passive, Body

  Your manner and expression make falsehoods harder to detect.

  Increases the chance of misleading others, concealing intent, or weaving believable lies without raising suspicion.

  Sketchy for sure, but I’m sure it’ll prove useful in the long run. It was also the most difficult to obtain, thanks to how shit I am at lying to the girls. Cari and Krissy teamed up though, forcing me to practice until I finally earned it.

  Still no Composure, though. According to Cari, that Skill takes actual training to obtain. Or a lot of practical experience. I have neither, so… no such luck.

  Hells, the only person I know for certain has the Skill is Madam Yvonne, though I’m sure people like the Councilors have it too.

  I also learned a good amount about my Fae Ferocity Skill, thanks to Cari helping me with it.

  Turns out it’s a mindset thing. Well, I knew that already, but the interesting thing is that I could forcibly shift into the mindsets required to trigger Fae Ferocity’s activation.

  Play is the easiest one. I just have to get really excited about something.

  The ‘Trick’ side is… trickier. But as long as I really want to prank or mislead someone, it works.

  The ‘Punish’ part is much harder. We only triggered it once by recreating how that one hobgoblin got one over on me. Turns out, Fae Ferocity really doesn’t like being outplayed. Especially when I’m already in another mindset.

  Thankfully it never got to the point where I outright lost control of myself, but I know it can happen. I just have to be pushed far enough, then I’ll try to nibble on someone again.

  Well, hopefully not. But it’s a possibility I’m not going to just ignore because it makes me uncomfortable.

  Other than that, the only real progress I’ve made is on the financial side of things. Thanks to working as the guardian of Tails and Temptations, I’m sitting on 89 gold and 360 silver.

  It’s more than I care to think about, and it’s great, but even that isn’t enough to lessen my annoyance.

  Gods, I can’t wait to delve into the sixth layer.

  “You’re checking your status again, aren’t you?” Cari says from across the little room.

  Let out a frustrated grunt, and she shakes her head with a disappointed sigh. While I have certainly enjoyed the peace and quiet of the past weeks, I’ve been obsessively trying to level or gain new skills.

  To the point that she’s called me out on it more times than either of us care to count anymore.

  “Well, you have fun with that. I’m going to hang out with Krissy and Nyria,” she smirks, giving me a dismissive wave on her way out.

  Just then, a yawn manages to break free from me.

  “Mmkay,” I mumble.

  She huffs as she closes the door, muttering something about ‘lazy foxkin’.

  I graciously decide to ignore it.

  ***

  I only stir when the train jolts into motion, then drift back under for another half hour. Cari’s still out, no doubt chattering away with the others, so I take my sweet time.

  Once up, I lazily cross the hall to let the others know I’m heading to the lobby for snacks and to look around.

  They, the lazy bums that they are, ask me to bring them some when I come back. I agree, but I make a show of complaining about being reduced to a delivery girl. Nyria pampers me a bit for it, so I label it a successful guilt trip and flee the scene of my crime.

  More awake and excited to explore and maybe get a look at that strange woman's tag, I make my way towards the lobby.

  Not even four steps into my journey, an old woman's voice calls out to me from the room next to the one Cari and I are staying in.

  “Excuse me dear, could you lend us a hand?”

  Looking over, the door is open and the older couple from earlier are both seated at the small table at the center of their space, looking exhausted.

  The grampa slouches in his chair, wiry frame swallowed by a well-worn coat. He peers over a small bundle of papers at me with inquisitive eyes. Beside him, the grandma who spoke up sits primly, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her skirt, a soft smile further creasing the crows feet around her eyes.

  Sense Danger gives me a whiff of caution. A warning, more than any real flare of danger. Still, I check them out.

  My eyes widen when I read their tags.

  Human Engineer

  Level ??

  Human Fighter

  Level ??

  Holy hells, they’re Tier Two?! No fucking wonder Sense Danger is cautious.

  Despite their age, it’s still impressive. Most older folk don’t even reach Tier One, much less Two. A haze of mana seems to cover every inch of their body, hiding their cores from my sight—but given their relative power, I’m not all that surprised.

  I don’t know what to expect from Tier Two’s, or how I’d measure up to one, but I’m damned curious to find out.

  Maybe I can ask them for some advice, or to teach me something on the trip?

  “Mm, sure. How can I help?” I ask with a smile, stepping up to their door.

  “Could you help us put this away?” she asks, pointing a weathered hand towards a large suitcase resting by one of their beds. It’s nearly one and a half times the size of my torso and twice as cumbersome. “We’d like it under the bed so we don’t trip over it on accident, but it’s a bit heavy for my husband or I. These old bones aren’t what they used to be, anymore.”

  She lets out a wry chuckle, seemingly embarrassed to admit it.

  Oh, they have an actual bed, frame and everything.

  They must have paid for the upgraded version of the room Cari and I have. We’d considered doing the same, but figured that it wouldn’t make much of a difference either way.

  I shrug and nod.

  “Sure, that’s easy enough," I say, stepping inside.

  The old Fighter stands up, bundling his papers under his arm before gingerly scooting his chair out of my path. I return his gentle smile with a grateful nod.

  “Just under here should be fine,” she says, pointing to the spot where the bed meets the wall. “Thank you so much for this, sweetie. We were waiting for a member of the staff but none have passed by since we boarded,” she complains.

  I chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds about right. We’re in the cheap section, after all.”

  She huffs at that, but doesn’t offer any more comments.

  Kneeling next to the bed, I lay the case down on its side and shove it towards the spot she indicated. The heft of it surprises me though, and a grunt escapes my throat from the effort.

  It takes me activating All For One to stop myself from making even more noise, but once it’s at the indicated spot, something crosses my mind.

  How did they even get it in here in the first place?

  Something brushes my tail at the same time as I look back, and Sense Danger flares to life suddenly.

  Where there was once a gentle granny, now there’s a scarred, middle aged woman with a thick leather apron and several tools strapped around her person. Meanwhile, the grandpa looking guy isn’t even a human.

  Rounded, fuzzy brown ears rest atop his head, proving beyond a doubt that he’s a beaskin just like me. Given that he’s gone from a small grampa to a giant of a man easily twice the size of Scruffy, I can only assume bearkin.

  Before I can register what I’m seeing, his massive hand wraps around my tail near the halfway point and pulls, hard. I’m ripped off the ground with so much force that I can’t even try to resist before I’m being swung through the air in a smooth arc.

  My entire body slams into the wall with so much force that I hear and feel the crunch of bone. My world turns into a pinhole of darkness and stars, and all thoughts fizzle out before I can even register them.

  “There. She’s out,” he growls out, his voice a deep rumble.

  I dangle limply from where he grips my tail, but his voice snaps me into a semblance of focus.

  Still, I don’t move. As confused as I am, I know better than to give away that I’m awake right now. Not when he has a hold of me like this. With a thought, I send a trickle of mana into Arcane Regulation, fixing up my broken leg and tail.

  With the healing comes clarity.

  “Good, good. Ricky’s going to love this. Foxkin are damn near extinct—he’ll want pups out of her,” the woman rasps as she shuffles towards the bed.

  It takes every ounce of self control I have not to stiffen at that.

  Fucking whatnow?