At the mention of the words 'The Gilded Fangs,' a brief silence fell over them.
"I told you, stop spouting nonsense," a man in a black robe who was blocking the path behind them suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Hehe, I did not say anything," the thief replied, gripping his dagger tightly, his gaze cold.
Hearing their brief exchange, Saelran confirmed his suspicion. Their real target was not money. It was him.
The organization known as "The Gilded Fangs" was an underground syndicate with numerous criminal departments, its influence spreading across nearly the entire Kingdom of Avendele.
Behind it stood the shadows of several nobles who had supported them for years for personal gain.
The Kingdom of Avendele did not prohibit the trade of slaves. As a result, various criminal networks had grown unchecked. Child kidnappings, brothels, human trafficking, extortion, and bribery were all sources of income for The Gilded Fangs, a dark system that had been allowed to operate for decades.
Saelran remembered that within one or two years, the Jewel of the Kingdom would propose the decree banning slave trade.
That decree would become a heavy blow to The Gilded Fangs and shake the foundations of the nobles allied with them.
However, Saelran also knew that this was not an act of pure idealism.
In the game, the decree was part of a meticulously planned political operation by the Jewel of the Kingdom to weaken the nobles from within.
Among the many proposals put forward by Princess Sera, only a few were approved. This decree was one of them.
What made it strange was the fact that such a decree, one that clearly harmed many powerful nobles, could pass despite the princess having no allies, never leaving the palace, and holding no real power.
Even so, public support flowed to her in a way that was difficult to explain. It was as if public opinion suddenly moved on its own, like a great unseen current lifting Princess Sera's name without her needing to appear.
Furthermore, once the decree was passed, its effects spread beyond the kingdom.
The drastic shift in trade flow influenced the economic balance of the Jarahat Empire and indirectly challenged the interests of the Tyrant Emperor.
Of course, all of this was information from the game. Saelran did not know if things in the real world would unfold the same way or turn out completely differently.
On the street, the dangerous situation made Saelran tense.
His left hand gripped his short sword while his right hand pulled out a first-tier "Magic Arrow" scroll that he had just bought from his item box.
"You people are bold. We are not far from the main square and the Adventurer Guild. If I shout, none of you will escape."
Saelran deliberately raised his voice, trying to draw the attention of anyone nearby.
"You can shout even louder."
"But I will warn you, no matter how loud you scream, it will be useless. No one will hear what happens here."
A heavy voice came from behind him.
Saelran's heart pounded violently. He turned around and saw the man holding a small rod, about ten centimeters long, resembling a magic wand.
Almost at the same moment, information appeared on Saelran's attribute panel.
『Skill 'Silence' detected. Requires Basic Magic Caster Class, Level requirement '8–14' current requirements not met...』
The moment he saw this information, Saelran instantly understood what the man in the black robe was holding.
A magic wand.
A type of magical item that could be understood as an advanced version of a magic scroll.
If a "magic scroll" was a single-use spell-infused item, then a "magic wand" was an item infused with the same spell multiple times.
In the game "Oblivion Gate," short wands were more cost-effective than scrolls. The only drawback was class restriction.
For example, a short wand infused with "Holy Light" could only be used by faith-based casters, and a short wand infused with "Fireball" could only be used by magic-based casters.
Magic scrolls did not have this restriction.
Of course, some high-tier short wands could bypass these restrictions.
In this world, short wands were far more expensive than scrolls since they were considered true magical equipment.
After confirming that the man in the robe was using a short wand, Saelran concluded he was a magic-based caster.
A thief and a magic caster.
It was clear who he needed to deal with first.
"Surrender, boy!"
The masked thief, gripping his dagger, lunged rapidly toward Saelran.
"Kill!"
In an instant, the thief's speed increased and his figure blurred.
Seeing this, Saelran knew he had no choice but to gamble. Without hesitation or regret, he immediately threw the "Magic Arrow" scroll at the thief.
In a flash, the scroll lit up.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Three attribute-less magic arrows condensed in the air and shot toward the thief at high speed.
At the same time, new information appeared on his panel.
『Skill 'Magic Arrow' detected. Requires Basic Magic Caster Class, Level requirement 1–7. Conditions not met...』
『Genius Class activated. Basic class requirement fulfilled. Consume 1 skill point to learn?』
After releasing the scroll, Saelran did not even look at the outcome. Instead, he immediately turned and charged toward the magic caster behind him.
During this, he glanced at the attribute panel and knew he had made the correct choice. Without hesitation, he accepted the skill.
Skill: Magic Arrow (Tier 1)
Cost: 5 MP
Description: Fires magic to create three attribute-less arrows that attack the enemy. For each additional point of magic power consumed, one more arrow can be created for a maximum of 10.
…
"Well, you picked the wrong opponent."
The black-robed caster sneered as he saw Saelran turn to attack him.
"Strong Acid…"
"Magic Arrow!"
Saelran moved even faster and activated his newly learned "Magic Arrow" before the caster could finish speaking.
Impossible.
The black-robed caster's face, hidden beneath his hood, showed clear shock.
Wasn't his opponent a faith-based caster?
Could he also wield magic-based power?
Ssst! Ssst! Ssst!
Three magic arrows shot toward him.
The caster did not have time to think and hurriedly switched his spell. "Shield Barrier!"
Ssst! A transparent barrier appeared before him.
Thud! All three magic arrows struck the barrier at once, and the magical energies canceled each other out.
"You are starting to anger me, boy."
The magic caster's expression twisted with irritation as he pulled a magic wand from beneath his robe and prepared to cast.
But in the next moment, his face turned pale. Saelran had already rushed right in front of him.
How could he be this fast?
As a magic caster, he understood better than anyone that he must maintain distance from opponents in all circumstances.
There had been at least fifteen meters between them. A magic caster's physical ability would never allow him to close that distance so quickly, unless his opponent was not only a magic caster…
As that thought crossed his mind, Saelran slashed downward with his short sword. "Rapid Slash!"
A cold gleam cut through the air.
The blade struck the magic caster's neck with force.
But at the moment of impact, a white light flared from the magic caster's body.
The blade met the white glow with a muffled sound; the strike was blocked. The glow, however, had dimmed significantly.
This was…
"A magical item."
Saelran's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Surprised, aren't you?" The magic caster's face was revealed beneath the brim of his hood. He looked younger than expected, around twenty years old.
However, before he could rejoice, Saelran's expression hardened. He shifted his grip into a reverse hold and pushed down with full force. The white glow flickered and vanished.
Thud!
The sword's edge sliced into the magic caster's neck, and a large spray of blood erupted, splattering across Saelran's body.
『You have gained 350 experience points.』
"Idiot," Saelran thought.
Knowing he had a defensive magical item, the caster had not continued casting and instead tried to enjoy Saelran's shocked reaction.
Under repeated blows, the white barrier had clearly weakened. It was obvious it had a limit.
More importantly, as a magic caster, he had allowed his opponent to get this close.
It was clear that this black-robed magic caster had almost no experience in close combat.
"You bastard, I will cut off all four of your limbs!"
A furious roar erupted from behind him.
The thief, who had been halted earlier by the magic arrows from the scroll, had charged forward again.
He made no sound at all when moving. Was it a thief skill, or a special ability?
Saelran quickly adjusted his stance and turned around. The dark purple glow of the thief's dagger was already visible.
Another magical weapon.
A critical moment.
Clang!
Saelran instinctively swung his short sword. The two blades collided, producing a sharp metallic ring.
A flash of surprise appeared in the thief's eyes. After the clash, he staggered back several steps, staring at Saelran in disbelief.
Crack.
Saelran looked at his own short sword. A small crack had formed at the point of impact.
Even so, the serious expression on his face slowly faded.
"I knew you were weaker than me."
Saelran's expression turned strange as he looked at the thief before him.