After nearly an hour of travel, Linnaeus and his Party found themselves outside the same Hostel they had stayed at the previous night. It was already pretty late in the evening, but, just like the preceding evening, they found the Proprietress dutifully manning the counter.

Seeing the somewhat familiar faces, the Proprietress, a motherly-looking woman with dark-purple hair and a peculiar teardrop-shaped gemstone embedded in her forehead, offered a polite smile as she said, "Well, if it isn't Linnaeus and his friends. I didn't think you would be back after leaving so quickly this morning."

Offering his best version of an apologetic smile, Linnaeus approached the counter, proffering a few extra Soul Kindling as he said, "We need a place to stay for the evening, Ms. Almas. Sorry about this morning...we were a little spooked..."

Though he tried to appear bashful and uncertain, Linnaeus was closely observing the Proprietress' facial expression. He noticed there were no discernible signs of perturbance, rather, her immediate reaction was to smile in a completely natural manner as she said, "I can understand your concerns. Khö tends to have that effect on people."

Seeing how natural Almas' response was, Linnaeus felt a small amount of panic in the back of his mind. Her behavior indicated that Khö's presence either wasn't a big deal, but, while they may not have as much value in the Crucible of Souls, it didn't make sense for a Bapho to simply be ignored.

Since she had already accepted his payment, handing over two brass keys in the process, Linnaeus decided to be more direct, 'sheepishly' asking, "Is it okay to ask about Khö...?"

As if she had been expecting the question, Almas' eyes squinted almost imperceptibly as she leaned forward, her rather large breasts on full display as she mused, "Well, that all depends? After you ran away so quickly this morning, are you certain you want to know? I'll have you know that, after your Party left, Khö brooded in the kitchen for nearly twenty minutes. That girl is sensitive to how others perceive her, you know?"

Instead of Linnaeus answering, Eliza stepped forward in response to Almas' 'uncouth' display, doing her best to keep her composure as she stated, "It was never our intention to hurt Khö's feelings. Our reaction, if anything, was the normal response to such an unexpected encounter. Rather, due to the circumstances our Party as faced of late, it would put our minds at ease to gain greater insight into the events transpiring around us..."

Hearing Eliza's remark, Almas gave her an appraising look before smiling and saying, "You are a well-spoken young lady. A little overprotective, perhaps...but I can tell you aren't a bad person. Since you seem to have a story of your own, how about we make a trade? Information is a coveted commodity within the Crucible of Souls. While I don't mind answering your questions, I fear the price is beyond the means of your current Party."

Though there was a fair chance she was just inflating things to take advantage of their curiosity, both Linnaeus and Eliza got the impression that Almas wasn't trying to scam them. Rather, her expression had turned serious towards the end of her statement, her eyes reflecting an intelligent and insightful light...

Rather than acquiesce, Linnaeus decided to lead the conversation on a tangent, asking, "How much will it cost us to learn your true identity and purpose...?"

The moment she heard Linnaeus' question, Almas began to chuckle in a rather elegant manner, the aura around her changing slightly as she supported her smiling face with her hand and answered, "In the Crucible, everything has a price. You are an amusing young man, Linnaeus. Do you expect me to part with my personal information without charging a premium? Even something as basic as a peek at my Status would cost you around 5,000 Soul Kindling, you know~?"

Despite Almas' words sounding like the price was inflated, Linnaeus felt that 5,000 Soul Kindling was actually very cheap to view a person's Status. It contained their most sensitive information, exposing their affiliation and allowing others to form countermeasures against them based on their Blessing, Skills, Abilities, and Magic.

As it stood, Linnaeus had around 8,300 'expendable' Soul Kindling, a far cry from the one-million he intended to gather over the following months. He didn't doubt that Khö's information was beyond their means to purchase, so, unwilling to reveal his own information so easily, he clenched his hands into fists for a few seconds before resolutely saying, "I will pay..."

Hearing Linnaeus' response, Eliza showed an expression of panic and surprise as she said, "Lin! What if she is just messing with us!?"

Having already made his resolve, Linnaeus' expression didn't change in the slightest as he plainly stated, "Then I will be at a loss of 5,000 Soul Kindling. Compared to remaining in the dark, this is a cheap price to pay."

Without waiting for Eliza's input, Linnaeus extended his hand, offering a relatively large yellow gem, its interior twinkling with five motes of golden light. Soul Kindling started off Red, but, as you refined them into higher grade gemstones, they transitioned to Orange, Yellow, and Green. From this, it was possible to conclude that Blue, Indigo, and Violet gemstones also existed. Linnaeus had never seen these for himself, however, as the higher tiered gemstones required ten of the preceding gemstones to refine. Thus, to make a single orange gemstone, you needed 100 Soul Kindling. To further increase its grade, you would require 1000, 10,000, and 100,000 for each successive upgrade.

After parting with more than half of his remaining 'fortune', Linnaeus stared directly at the smiling Almas with a resolute expression. She seemed to find this somewhat amusing, her smiling curling up at the sides ever-so-slightly as she said, "How bold. It makes this aunty feel vindicated to have such a handsome young man so eager to purchase my Status, ufufufu~."

Following her teasing remark, Almas made a small gesture in the air, causing a ping to sound within Linnaeus' mind. The Akashic System then showed him a small notification, stating 'Fraux Almassa has given your permission to view her Status'.

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[Status]

Name: Fraux Almassa

Title: Motherly Protector(+2 Str, +5 Con per Level), Enforcer of the Porcello Company(*hidden*)

Race: Hume(50%), Bindi(50%)

Age: 337

Gender: Female

Level: 58

Health: 14,970

Soul Power: 4,210

Strength: 203+214.5

Constitution: 251+403.5

Agility: 119+18

Dexterity: 125+23

Intelligence: 142+35

Wisdom: 166+66

Spirit: 158+86

Charisma: 133+73.5

Luck: 41+2

Free Attributes: 0

Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [*Blessing of the Earth Goddess:LV99*], [Brute:LV99], [Herculean Strength:LV99], [Titanic Might:LV69], [Healthy:Lv99], [Vital Spirit: LV99], [Immortal Body: LV85], [Heroic Spirit:LV99], [Natural Charmer: LV99], [Martial Arts:LV99], [Sense Danger:LV99], [Acrobatics:LV99], [Flexible Body:LV99], [Footwork:LV99], [Cooking:LV99], [Iron Stomach:LV99], [Pain Tolerance:LV99], [Abnormal Status Resistance:LV99], [Perception:LV99], [Sex Techniques:LV99], [Dancing:LV99], [Flute Mastery:LV99], [Lyre Mastery:LV99], [Singing:LV99], [Accupuncture:LV99], [Massage Hands:LV99], [Trap Set:LV99], [Trap Disarm:LV99], [Charm:LV99]

Abilities: [Eye of the Mind:LV99], [Strength Amplification:LV99], [Body Hardening:LV99], [Trap Detection:LV99]

Magic: [Gaia's Grace:LV99], [Gaia's Fury:LV99], [Earth Bullet:LV99], [Earth Spike:LV86], [Fissure:LV89], [Tremor:LV53]

----------------------------------------

The moment he saw Almas' Status, Linnaeus' mental faculties, for a brief moment, seemed to cease in their entirety.

Not only did she have the highest Level he had ever seen, but most of Almas' Skills, Abilities, and Magic were at LV99. This was, for lack of a better descriptive, 'horrifying', causing his body to begin shaking against his will.

Seeing Linnaeus' reaction, Eliza and Emilia both showed expressions of concern, the former asking, "What is it, Lin...?" in an uncertain tone. As for Emilia, her instincts had started to trigger the moment she saw Linnaeus' reaction, her ears flattening atop her head as a strong desire to protect her 'family' welled up inside her.

Fortunately, before Emilia could make the biggest mistake of their lives, Linnaeus came back to his senses due to Eliza's words. At the same time, Almas' Status disappeared from his vision, no longer able to be viewed...

Reaching out to grab both girls' hands, Linnaeus muttered in what he hoped to be a soothing voice, stating, "It's okay...she isn't our enemy. Rather, we aren't even qualified to be her enemy..."

Though they hadn't seen Almas' Status, it was easy to deduce that she was 'very' powerful based on Linnaeus' reaction. This caused Eliza's face to pale slightly, but, before she could say anything, Almas herself stated, "There is no reason to show such expressions. When you've lived as long as I have, it isn't that difficult to increase your proficiency to the limit. You know about the Mastery Bottleneck, correct...?"

Nodding his head, Linnaeus answered, "It is the unsurpassable limit imposed upon every resident within the Crucible. I just never realized the influence time could have on a person's Status..."

Finding Linnaeus' honestly amusing, Almas' giggled elegantly before explaining, "There aren't too many people who have reached my degree of proficiency, but they do exist. I can't give you an exact answer, but there are at least twenty people within the Briggs Fortress City who would give me a bit of trouble. As for the number I wouldn't dare to fight...well, I'm afraid that bit of information is a little too expensive for your current finances~."

Though he was normally able to keep a perfect mask of calm, Linnaeus felt like there was a knot in his throat, forcing him to swallow. Almas' Status had been an eye-opening experience, causing him to rethink everything he had been doing from the moment they arrived on the Fifth Floor. He didn't doubt her words in the slightest, and, considering 337 wasn't even that old, it was easy to guess each faction had unbelievable powerhouses in their ranks...

Seeing the understanding present in Linnaeus' eyes, Almas' couldn't help default to her patented 'motherly smile'. She had been tasked by Scarlet to try and pull him to their side, so, while she would normally never reveal her information so cheaply, Almas felt the overcautious youth would protect it properly.

Capitalizing on the moment, Almas lightly tapped the countertop, saying, "It's getting pretty late. If you'd like to purchase additional information, allow me to at least pour everyone something warm to drink. The nights are cold this time of year..."

Though it was certainly cool outside, Almas' words were intended to bring attention to the fact that, with the exception of Krone, everyone else was shaking slightly. If she could get them to relax their guard a bit, obtaining additional information would be a simple matter. This would allow her to build rapport with the Party, and, in the most ideal circumstances, it might even be possible to convince them to accept her 'protection'. She was well-aware of the fact that Linnaeus was being targetted, as, since the moment he left the Guild, she had been tracking him with her [Eye of the Mind]...

Seeing Almas' disarming smile, Linnaeus couldn't help but feel something was wrong. This wasn't as impactful as her Status, however, so he wasn't able to determine the source of the unease. Rather, if Almas wanted to harm them, even Eliza wouldn't be able to restrain her for very long. The only way they could achieve victory was if they managed to surprise her, but, with her [Blessing of the Earth Goddess], her durability had to be through the roof...

Despite 'reason' telling him to abide by Almas' proposal, Linnaeus ultimately decided to follow his instincts, saying, "We've had a stressful evening...for the time being, it is better for us to rest and sort our thoughts. By the time morning comes, we'll have come to a decision regarding the exchange of information. Thank you for revealing your Status to me, Ms. Almas...we may have met with tragedy if not for the service you have provided tonight. For that, you have my sincere gratitude..."

Though she squinted her eyes slightly, Almas' was able to conceal it due to her broad smile. She was actually somewhat impressed by Linnaeus' ability to calmly make decisions, even if it was a moderate inconvenience.

As it would only draw their suspicion further, Almas gave an understanding nod, musing, "I can see why you were made Party Leader. To possess such wisdom despite your age...quite promising. Well, don't let me keep you. I may be moderately powerful, but I'm a Proprietress before anything else. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, feel free to let me know~."

Feeling his sense of incongruity slowly fade away, Linnaeus felt like he had successfully evaded a dangerous enemy. Though Almas didn't seem even remotely hostile to him, she was far more than a simple Proprietress. Her Status all but confirmed his suspicions, but, as it was, indeed, starting to get late, he offered a polite smile in return, saying, "I hope you have a pleasant evening, Ms. Almas..."