After fiddling with the clothes, Ran asked, "What other abilities does a an adventurer or a mercenary need?" "Adventurers start at level 10 and need at least 900 HP. Most of them have at least five skills, while their mana depends on their job and rank," Belle explained eagerly while watching Ran's reaction closely. "These are just for ordinary adventurers. Heroes are a different case, of course. I heard they can receive up to 6 divine blessings and 10 skills. They also have an enormous mana pool and their HP should be around 10,000." The more Ran heard, the more her hands shook. Belle felt good about herself while she looked down on Ran. She was now more convinced that Ran was useless and looked forward to getting rid of this shameful 'master'. "Ran-sama, is everything alright?" Belle ran forward. She didn't want to miss the expression of despair on Ran's face. With her shoulders shaking and her head hanging low, Ran looked devastated. Belle used her long, manicured fingers to lift Ran's face up, only to discover it covered with big salty tears. Then without warning, Ran lunged forward and hugged Belle tightly, nestling her teary eyes in the maid's neck. Belle was stunned. Silence reigned for a few more seconds as both women stood motionless. She pulled away from Belle, but the maid remained still. Ran took two steps back and admired the scene before her eyes. Belle was stuck in an awkward position having been caught off guard by Ran's sudden embrace, her gloating face now wooden with lifeless eyes. Someone who didn't know would have praised the maid's figure as a lifelike sculpture. Revealing a sly smile, her cold fingers traced Belle's face, neck, and her collarbone, leaving a honey-scented trail all the way to the heart.  The closer from the heart it got, the deeper Ran's smile became.  "So many things to do, so little time," she sighed bemusedly.  She pressed a finger on top of Belle's heart and drew three drops of blood that were immediately absorbed by her skin. After pulling out three silver strands of her hair, she slipped a strand into the puncture and into Belle's heart. Then she sealed the wound by smearing it with a drop of crystal clear liquid, healing the skin with no trace of any cut. She did the same to the remaining strands, implanting them on Belle's temples. The whole operation took less than 20 seconds while the maid stood paralyzed. Resisting to draw more blood, Ran went back to hugging Belle until the maid broke away from her trance. When she recovered her senses, Belle's face twisted in disgust and took great effort not to throw her master. Awkwardly, she patted Ran's back and tried to soothe her. After some time, Ran moved away and calmly went to the bathroom. She turned the faucet on and let the water flow while she closed her eyes to focus.

   *Ding*  **Appraisal** Ilia Nova's blood 3 drops.   *Ding* Would you like to a.n.a.lyse? "So her name is Ilia Nova? Yes, a.n.a.lyse." While the a.n.a.lysis was in progress, she washed her face with care. *Ding* **a.n.a.lysis is complete** "Absorb skill," ordered Ran. Which skill would you like to absorb? Stealth a.s.sa.s.sination Intimidation Magic manipulation "Stealth," Ran pondered as she braided her hair, 

Would you like to absorb Ilia Nova Stealth skill? "Yes." Absorption failed. More blood is needed. 3/14 "Perfect," Feeling satisfied with herself, she looked at the reflection of a girl who had just resumed her sorry character.

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Commoner – 1$ tier:

Merchant – 5$ tier:

n.o.ble – 10$ tier:

Royals – 15$ tier: