"I know you were weaker than me"
The unexpected and slightly surprised tone reached the thief's ears, igniting his anger while also causing him to hesitate.
This black-haired kid was suspicious.
He was clearly a magic caster, yet his combat ability was not inferior at all.
His attack was blocked so easily?
A look of disbelief appeared in the thief's eyes.
Bang!
Saelran stomped the on ground and charged toward the thief. This was not the time for chatter.
"You are courting death!" The thief roared in shock and anger as he saw Saelran attacking. He reached for his waist where a short dagger materialized, then immediately hurled it at Saelran.
Whoosh!
The sharp whistle of air being cut apart rang out.
Saelran's eyes swept through the air, instantly catching the dagger's trajectory. He swung his short sword and deflected the flying blade with ease.
However, this slowed him down.
"Hide!"
The thief hissed, his figure blurring as he slipped into the darkness, attempting to merge with the night itself.
Saelran tensed, but moments later, surprise flashed across his face.
The thief did not attack. Instead, he ran.
"Do not let him escape."
The thought surfaced immediately. Saelran raised his hand and shouted, "Magic Arrow!"
Wusss! Wusss! Wusss!
Three magic arrows materialized and shot toward the fleeing thief.
The rapid whistling behind him forced the thief to halt and roll aside to evade.
Seizing the opening, Saelran caught up.
"Light Consecutive Slash!"
Saelran's short sword split into four overlapping afterimages, thrusting at the thief.
Buk! Buk! Buk! Buk!
Four bursts of blood sprayed from the thief's chest, drawing a sharp scream from him.
However…
Due to the "Silence" magic, the man's scream did not spread anywhere.
"You, you…"
The thief lay on the ground, his eyes red and filled with blood. "How is this possible, Gareth…"
Before he could finish, he was already dead.
『Gained 380 Experience Points』
Huff. Huff.
Saelran panted as he stared at the corpse on the ground, finally letting out a breath of relief.
Looking at the bloodstains on his clothes and the droplets trickling down the blade of his short sword, Saelran fell silent for a moment.
He had just killed two people in one go.
This was something he had never imagined before. He had always expected that someday he might be forced to kill, but he never thought it would happen so soon.
Disgust? No.
Guilt? No.
Instead, it felt natural.
"What a terrifying and hateful world," Saelran muttered in his heart.
He looked up.
Saelran quickly observed the road around him and did not find anyone nearby.
Those two had clearly chosen the location well.
Saelran wiped the blood off his cheek, then hurried to the two corpses and stored them in his inventory box.
He even collected the bloodstained floor tiles.
This inventory box, similar to a spatial backpack, had only one limitation: it could not store living creatures.
After cleaning the crime scene, Saelran immediately left and returned to the small inn.
When he passed through a narrow alley, he stepped inside and stored his bloodstained clothes before changing into clean ones.
Fortunately, he had bought plenty of ordinary clothing beforehand. He would not run out of spares.
Back Inside the small inn.
"Oh, the guest has returned." The innkeeper, a plump, freckled middle-aged woman named Marilyn, greeted him.
"Miss Marilyn."
Saelran smiled softly, nodded to her, and headed to his room on the second floor.
"Ha~" Marilyn yawned as she watched Saelran walk away. "Such a polite young man."
Click.
As the door closed, exhaustion appeared on Saelran's face.
With a total of thirteen magic power points and having cast "Magic Arrow" twice in a row, he was unable to cast any more magic. If the thief had escaped, he would likely have faced serious trouble.
Fortunately, he managed to end things with "Light Consecutive Slash".
Saelran had never used this Martial art before, but after using it, he finally understood what the stamina bar consumed.
To be precise, the technique consumed energy. It was similar to how running two hundred meters in his previous life was not terribly exhausting, but it clearly drained stamina.
"More importantly…"
Through this unexpected battle, Saelran gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.
The black-robed magic caster was able to use a second-tier magic, "Barrier Wall", which meant he was likely level seven or above, though not by much.
The thief accompanying him was probably around the same level.
Normally, Saelran, who was only level five, should have been completely overwhelmed by the two, especially since they had the advantage of surprise.
Yet the result…
Although the black-robed magic caster failed to make use of his advantage, Saelran realized that the thief was slower and weaker than him.
There was only one explanation.
Saelran's base stats were higher than the thief's.
"Because Genius does not increase base stats, I invested all my experience into the intermediate job Sword Saint."
"People in this world do not have practical player system like this. Most of them can only level their basic jobs, and it is unclear whether they even possess intermediate ones."
Saelran recalled his attribute values, his fifty-three points in physical attack and fifty-three points in agility. A thought formed.
"In this situation, my base stats should be higher than those of an average level-seven person in this world."
Next, with a thought, a dark brown magic staff, a glowing white necklace, a magic wand, and a dagger with a faint purple sheen appeared on the bed.
Four magical items.
Other than these, the two men did not even carry a single copper coin or anything that could prove their identity.
Was this the rule of The Gilded Fangs, or was it simply their habit when hunting?
If it was the former, then The Gilded Fangs were far more terrifying than described in the game.
"What a shame I do not have Appraisal magic, or I could learn the exact effects of these magical items." Saelran looked at the items on the bed and sighed inwardly.
The only certainty was that the magic wand with the Silence effect still held traces of magic, meaning it could likely be used several more times.
There were many magic casters skilled in item appraisal, but after crossing The Gilded Fangs, bringing these items out for appraisal would immediately draw their attention.
Those people were known for to be vengeful.
Saelran had no time to care about them.
"I may need to visit the Magic Caster Guild tomorrow," the thought passed through his mind.
With a wave of his hand, he stored the four magical items and took out the remaining three magic scrolls.
Paper Creation, Heating, and Odorless.
He tore the scrolls one by one and used skill points to learn them.
Fortunately, these three magic were supplementary magic. They were unlike Magic Arrow which produced a loud noise.
Odorless could erase his scent, which would help him avoid trouble when entering the forest.
Paper Creation was straightforward enough.
Heating was something Saelran bought on impulse to confirm a hypothesis. Even if he was wrong, it did not matter.
Besides, it was a practical magic. It allowed adventurers to heat food and water without lighting a fire and exposing themselves.
In short, it was an essential magic for the wilderness.