"You're weaker than me."
Sakeer's mocking words struck a nerve. The thief's eyes widened, a mixture of anger and disbelief flashing across his face.
Something's wrong with this kid...
The thief's thoughts raced. He's clearly a magic caster, yet his swordsmanship isn't lacking either...
His gaze flicked to his trembling hand. He blocked my attack so easily?
Boom!
Sakeer slammed his foot into the ground and shot forward like an arrow. Now wasn't the time for words — action was all that mattered.
"Looking to die?!"
The thief roared, furious at Sakeer's boldness. With a swift motion, he reached to his waist, drew a dagger, and hurled it straight at Sakeer.
Sou!
The air whistled as the dagger streaked toward him.
Sakeer's eyes narrowed, easily tracking its path. With a swift swing of his short sword, he deflected the blade, sending it spinning harmlessly to the side.
However, the brief exchange had cost him momentum — his charge slowed.
"Stealth!"
The thief growled, his body fading into the shadows. The dimly lit street swallowed him up as if he had become part of the night itself.
Sakeer tensed, scanning the darkness with sharp focus. But instead of an ambush...
He's running?
The thief had turned and bolted down the street.
Can't let him escape!
Without hesitation, Sakeer raised his hand.
"Magic Arrow!"
Sou! Sou! Sou!
Three glowing arrows materialized and shot forward, whistling through the air.
Hearing the rapid projectiles closing in, the thief instinctively dove to the side, rolling across the cobblestone street just in time to avoid them.
But that brief delay was all Sakeer needed.
"Fourfold Slash of Light!"
His short sword blurred, splitting into four streaks of silver as he struck.
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
Four crimson trails bloomed across the thief's chest. He staggered back, his body convulsing with pain.
His mouth opened wide to scream— but no sound emerged.
The lingering effect of the Silence spell ensured that his cries remained unheard.
"You... you... how...?"
The thief's bloodshot eyes locked on Sakeer, his words barely audible.
"Gazef's..."
Before he could finish, life drained from his body, and he collapsed to the ground in a motionless heap.
[Ding! Gained 380 XP]
Sakeer exhaled sharply, his breath heavy and uneven. He stared at the blood-soaked corpse sprawled before him.
His gaze shifted to his own bloodstained clothes and the crimson beads trickling down the blade of his sword.
For a moment, he just stood there— silent and still.
I killed two people...
Sakeer had long accepted that killing would be inevitable in this world. But he hadn't expected it to happen this soon — or this easily.
Disgusting?
No.
Guilt?
Not really.
Instead... it felt oddly natural.
"This world's a filthy, rotten place," Sakeer muttered bitterly under his breath.
Lifting his head, he scanned his surroundings. The entire street was empty — no witnesses, no curious onlookers.
These two really did pick the perfect spot…
Sakeer wiped the blood from his cheek and quickly moved to the two corpses. Without hesitation, he reached out and stored them in his item box — a convenient spatial inventory that could hold anything except living creatures.
Even the blood-stained tiles beneath the bodies were collected.
Best to leave no trace...
With the scene cleaned up, Sakeer hurried away, making his way back to the small inn.
As he passed through a narrow alley, Sakeer paused. He ducked into the shadows, removed his blood-stained clothes, and changed into a clean set.
Good thing I stocked up on plenty of spare clothes, he thought with relief.
Inside the Small Hotel
"Ah, the guest is back," the innkeeper greeted lazily.
The speaker was Marishi, a plump, freckled middle-aged woman who ran the place.
"Lady Marishi," Sakeer replied with a polite smile, giving her a brief nod before heading upstairs to his room.
Marishi yawned and stretched as she watched him go. "What a well-mannered young man," she murmured before returning to her seat.
Click.
The door closed behind him, and Sakeer finally allowed his exhaustion to show.
With only 13 points of magic power, casting Magic Arrow twice had completely drained him. Had that thief escaped, it could have caused serious trouble later.
Good thing that "Fourfold Slash of Light" finished the job...
It was his first time using the martial skill, and now he understood what "concentration power" truly meant — a form of stamina, much like running a 200-meter sprint. Not overwhelming fatigue, but enough to leave him winded.
More importantly...
Tonight's unexpected encounter had given Sakeer a clearer understanding of his strength.
The black-robed magic caster had used Shield Wall, a second-tier spell — indicating he was at least level 7. The thief accompanying him was likely at a similar level.
By all logic, Sakeer — only level 5 — should have been overwhelmed. Yet somehow, he hadn't been.
The thief... was actually weaker than me.
There was only one explanation: his basic stats were higher.
"Since the 'Genius' trait doesn't boost my base stats, I've invested all my experience into the mid-tier class 'Sword Master'..."
"...People from this world don't have the luxury of convenient player mechanics. Most can only improve their basic class — and few even know about mid-tier classes."
Reflecting on his own stats — 53 Physical Attack and 53 Agility — Sakeer realized something:
"My base values are likely higher than an average level 7 adventurer in this world..."
Next...
Sakeer focused, and four items appeared on his bed:
A dark brown magic staffA bright white necklaceA short staff with a faint magical glowA dagger with a subtle purple sheen
Four enchanted items...
Aside from these, neither corpse carried money nor anything that could identify them.
Was that an "Eight Fingers" rule... or just the habits of those two when capturing prey?
If it was the former, then Eight Fingers was far more meticulous — and dangerous — than what he'd seen in the anime.
"If only I had 'Item Identification' magic... I'd know exactly what these things do."
Sakeer sighed. The only item he could identify for sure was the short staff — the one imbued with Silence. He could still sense its faint magical energy, indicating it had a few uses left.
Yet learning these items' properties wasn't his only concern.
If Sakeer walked into town asking to identify magic items — especially right after taking down two Eight Fingers members — it could easily attract unwanted attention.
That bunch is notoriously vengeful...
Sakeer had no interest in provoking them further.
"Maybe I should visit the Magician's' Guild tomorrow..."
With a wave of his hand, he stored the four magical items back into his item box.
Next, he retrieved three remaining magic scrolls:
PapermakingHeatingOdorless
He tore each one open, consuming skill points to learn them.
Fortunately, these support spells didn't draw attention like Magic Arrow.
Odorless: Conceals his scent — invaluable for avoiding detection in the wilderness.Papermaking: A straightforward yet practical skill.
"Heating" is what Sakeer decided to buy temporarily to confirm his guess. It doesn't matter if the guess is wrong.
After all, this magic is still very convenient. It allows adventurers to heat food and water without lighting a fire and exposing themselves.
In short, it is a must-have in the wild!
(End of Chapter)