🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 8
The Magnificent Thief
“Marlene. To put it bluntly, your future as an adventurer looks pretty dark.”
“…Don’t you think that’s a bit too blunt?”
Marlene frowned, glancing back every now and then—clearly still worried about Abel, whom she had left behind at home due to his injuries.
Admittedly, my explanation lacked a bit of tact. So I rephrased it in gentler words.
“You’re a bluebird with wings who can’t fly, trapped in a gilded cage.”
“Just say it straight.”
“Why so picky? Anyway, the real issue is your class.”
《The girl you’ve taken as an assistant—Marlene, tiger beastkin, age 14—already bears the fate of a “Thief,” having learned burglary to survive.》
“Do you even know how a person’s class is determined?”
“Not at all.”
Being an uneducated orphan who had learned her trade under a thief rather than in a proper school, Marlene lacked basic knowledge. Her intelligence stat was barely 2.
But that wasn’t an unforgivable flaw.
If she didn’t know, then I’d just teach her.
“Classes are etched into your soul through repeated battles, training, or labor. And you—you’re already a skilled burglar.”
“Well, skilled might be a stretch…”
At least she didn’t deny it.
“You’re a tiger beastkin, right? Any other blood mixed in?”
“No.”
“Then strength and stamina are your biggest assets.”
“Of course. I could easily beat Kar in an arm wrestle!”
She struck a proud pose, flexing her arm muscles for me to see.
“Being stronger than a cultist isn’t something to brag about. And this isn’t the time to be proud. Your class is already confirmed as Thief.”
“That actually sounds kind of cool.”
“It’s not. It just means ‘petty criminal.’”
A low-tier class with mediocre potential.
Still, the Thief had versatility—minor magic, sleight of hand, and stealth—enough to outperform cultists in the race for the bottom.
“To grow as a Thief, you’ll need dexterity and finesse. But you’re a tiger beastkin—built for strength and endurance. You took the wrong path entirely.”
She was what one might call a jack-of-all-trades—decent but not outstanding in anything.
“Can’t I change my class?”
“No.”
“…So I’m hopeless?”
“Not at all.”
“You literally just said my future was dark.”
“That’s if you ignore my guidance. If you listen well, your future will shine as bright as the stars.”
Even a tiger Thief could become great—if trained properly.
A misfit build could turn into a master of all trades with the right hand guiding it.
And Marlene’s senses stat was an astounding 19.
“With the right support… you’ll become a magnificent thief.”
Her growth potential was enormous, especially with my knowledge backing her.
‘This is going to be fun,’ I thought, feeling genuine excitement for the first time in a while.
“Magnificent or not, it’s still just a thief,” she muttered with a faint laugh.
But her tail swished happily behind her.
The Shady Shop
By the time I’d finished explaining the basics, we’d arrived at one of my old haunts—an adventurer’s supply shop.
[The Shady Gaze]
A cultist-run store that stocked various exploration supplies—cheap and reliable.
“Welcome, customers!”
The shopkeeper, a golden retriever beastkin, greeted us with a bright smile.
I nodded lightly and headed straight for the reagents section.
Basilisk eyes, ogre hearts, elf heel callus.
The prices were alarmingly tempting.
“Wait—volcanic troll blood for only 3 silver?”
“Is that cheap?”
“It’s criminally cheap.”
I picked up a vial filled with blue liquid, and faint text shimmered across the glass.
《Contaminated blood of a volcanic troll. Drinking it may cause infection. Perfect for serving to your enemies.》
Ah, diseased troll blood. No wonder it was cheap.
I almost put it back—then paused.
‘Actually… this might be perfect.’
The peculiar tang of corrupted blood might be exactly the exotic flavor Ridni would enjoy.
“I’ll take three bottles.”
“Excellent choice!”
Marlene swiftly packed them into her leather satchel. Efficient. I liked that.
Then something caught my eye.
[Bundle of Dog Beastkin Teeth – 5 Silver]
《Slightly damaged dog beastkin teeth. Add to offerings for the patron of infinite knowledge and they’ll be pleased!》
“One gold each elsewhere, and here they’re selling a whole bundle for five silver…”
Marlene’s tail shot straight up.
“Shopkeeper, why’s this so cheap?”
“Oh, my son’s been teething lately—ate too many sweets, so most of them are decayed. The Tower and Alchemy Guild don’t buy low-grade stuff like this.”
“I’ll take the lot.”
Jackpot.
Once we’d cleaned out half the reagents section, I moved to the tools.
“Pick up a pickaxe and those clam-shell things, two of them. And three stamina potions with a candle set.”
“What’s all this for?”
“What else—a dungeon run.”
Then I grabbed two red-bound books from a nearby shelf.
“Why are there books in a supply shop?”
“You really know nothing.”
They weren’t ordinary books.
“Mystic Tomes. You’ve heard of those, right?”
“Oh, those! The really expensive ones?”
“Exactly. And do you know why they’re so expensive?”
“Because they’re… entertaining?”
“Because reading one lets you learn a Mystic Skill.”
A way to learn skills—one of the most valuable resources in the world.
“Anyone can use them, as long as their class matches. No limits on use. Incredible, right?”
“That explains the price.”
“Some adventurers risk their lives in high-tier dungeons just to find one. A single tome can sell for more than our thousand-gold tribute.”
Marlene’s eyes sparkled.
“Then I’ll have to hit those high-tier dungeons too!”
“Not yet. First, we focus on growth. The money will come later.”
“And the tribute to the Thieves’ Guild?”
“Forget about them. I’ll handle it.”
That degenerate guildmaster is already marked for sacrifice.
“You’re sure that’s safe? He’s dangerous.”
“I won’t go myself. I’ll ask a friend.”
“You have friends?”
“What kind of question is that? Not yet—but soon.”
A certain man in District 6 was about to become my “dear friend.”
“Anyway, stop talking and start reading. You don’t have to memorize—just skim through to absorb it.”
“Kar, you might be weird, but you’re a good person.”
Her compliment came with a hint of suspicion. Still, she opened the tomes obediently.
I, meanwhile, drew out a silver-covered book—the hidden relic I’d taken from the Ghoul Dungeon.
Her ears perked up.
“That’s a hidden piece, right? [Ghoul’s Agility]?”
“Right. Cleric-only, though, so you can’t learn it.”
“What does it do?”
“Makes you move as fast as a ghoul.”
Considering ghouls had an Agility stat of 15, that was no small feat.
“One minute of boosted speed,” I said.
“Just a minute?”
“One minute of godlike movement. At auction, it’d start at 300 gold.”
For low-level adventurers, it was practically divine.
Too bad my own Agility was fixed at 1, thanks to the curse of the nature god.
‘So… I’ll just have to use it unconventionally.’
The secret lay in synergy—with another hidden piece in our next dungeon.
“Now focus on your reading.”
“Yessir.”
While she flipped through her pages, I traced my eyes along the strange script of the silver tome—half poem, half prayer.
In the game, it would’ve taken one click to learn. Now, I had to earn it.
But somehow, that made it satisfying.
《Mystic Skill [Ghoul’s Agility] has fused with your body!》
When she finally closed her books, Marlene’s face twisted into mild discontent.
“Kar…”
“What now? I just spent a fortune on you.”
“[Basic Dagger Technique] and [Basic Throwing]. They’re beginner-level Mystics!”
“Sharp as always,” I admitted.
“You’re right—they’re cheap. But even cheap things matter.”
“A master is built on strong foundations.”
“For someone like you—a tiger Thief—these fundamentals will help more than flashy skills.”
She pouted, still unconvinced.
“Keep rereading them when you have time. Your proficiency will rise the more you study.”
“…Okay.”
“Good. Because we’re done here.”
“Finally going home to rest?”
“No.”
I smiled.
“We’re going straight to the dungeon.”
