Part 7. The Righteous Thief (2)
―Quest Triggered―
Quest Difficulty: A
Sivori Musket Academy is suffering from operational difficulties due to long-term management crises and soaring monthly rent. Raiden, who was about to give up on everything, has requested a commission, finding hope in your words.
Resolve the Sivori Musket Academy's financial crisis.
Will you accept?
The difficulty of every quest was, quite literally, just difficulty.
If a beggar on the street tearfully begged you to take a quest because he wanted to see his dead mother, that would be an S-rank quest.
However, the rewards didn't always scale with the difficulty. That was why players had to be discerning about quests.
This time was no different. Ted figured that even if he resolved this matter, it would be hard to expect much of a reward.
‘Somehow, it feels like I'm working for free, which is unsettling.’
Still, couldn't he bring up the reward first in front of Raiden, who was on the verge of breaking his late master's will after seeing nothing but deficits for so long?
‘A person ought to act like a person....’
Even if the other party was an NPC, he felt uncomfortable demanding something outright. On the contrary, there was a chance his favorability would drop and he might not receive the quest. And truthfully, Ted was disappointed too.
Because he had nearly gotten himself tied down in siege warfare for several months.
To reiterate, once the siege warfare began, all players including Ted would be unable to leave Count Ssauron's territory. And that would cause tremendous damage to his power-leveling.
‘I have to stop it, if only for my own sake.’
He devised a plan. The first thing that came to mind was
But Ted shook his head. It didn't make sense. The opponent was someone who owned several buildings within the county. If he killed someone like that while he was in the middle of a job change and couldn't even leave the territory, he would inevitably get caught by the guards.
Should he just kill the guards too? Everyone who came to arrest him? The thought crossed his mind for a moment... but he shook his head. If the Count's household deployed NPCs in the level 600 range, even he would find it difficult to gauge his chances of victory.
‘Besides... there's a better way.’
That day, Ted filled twelve hours with skill training and then left the academy.
He headed for the Thieves' Guild carrying the recommendation letter Raiden had written for him a few days prior.
On the way, he stopped by a general store and purchased a few types of potions. Then, in an alley, he briefly touched the red recovery potion.
‘It was the back alley basement of the Pangpon Tavern, right?’
Ted headed toward the tavern on the outskirts of the county.
The precise key that could disarm the bomb dropping on Sivori Academy.
It would be right here.
In the back alley of the tavern hung a sign with the cute name
There was a spacious room underground, with a small billiard table in the center. However, there wasn't a single person in sight.
"Welcome."
The moment Ted stepped into the room, a voice came from right behind his ear.
Ted reflexively unfolded his Thousand-Li Stride to widen the distance and drew his musket, aiming it at the speaker.
‘So it was Stealth.’
It was an astounding level. To the point where Ted couldn't follow him with his eyes at all.
"A friend with good instincts. And yet, musket mosquitoes greet me with a welcome, while you're shoving a musket in my face?"
A man with a scar running diagonally across his face. A status window floated above his head.
Great Thief. It was the title of the Thief's third-tier job. The opponent was a high-level NPC above level 500.
Ted lowered his musket.
"Pardon me. I'm Ted. I came with Instructor Raiden's recommendation."
"Yes. I'd heard. However...."
A sneer melted into Tisai's expression as he looked at Ted.
"Seems you've been killing Outsiders here and there? And now you're trying to switch to Thief to get off easy."
"You knew?"
"Of course. A thief's eyes are second only to his hands. Truth is, there are quite a few Outsiders like you, so we don't particularly welcome them as comrades."
The moment one became a criminal-class job holder, their crime score was completely concealed. At least until they were directly caught in the act by the guards.
Quite a few users aiming for that had come here.
‘As expected, he's a third-class job changer. He has skills of the
Ted was currently under the effects of the
Even so, the opponent had seen through his true nature.
It was because high-level NPCs or users could see through spell tomes using skills of the
‘But, us?’
Just as Ted focused his vision and looked around with a questioning gaze, he felt something stirring and flickering in the empty air.
"As expected, good instincts."
Then, NPCs who dispelled their Stealth popped out from all directions. Their numbers were a whopping five.
"Hehe...."
They all looked at Ted with sneers.
"What's so funny?"
"Your instincts are good, but it's a shame. People often call thievery an art. But once you try it, this work is war before it is art. So even after taking a hit in this war...."
As Tisai spoke, he pulled something from his pocket.
It was the vitality potion Ted had purchased at the general store on his way here.
At the same time, the other five thieves pulled the same potion from their bosoms.
"There's no room for someone who doesn't even know if he's been hit or not. Shall I give you a good piece of advice while I'm at it?"
"What advice?"
"You might not know, but people like you hiding their identities are incredibly easy to steal from. About ten times easier."
Ted knew this as well, but he didn't bother to reply.
Tisai smiled as if excited, opened the potion lid, and raised it.
"Hm! The tastiest drink is, of course, a stolen drink. Now, cheers! Ptoo!"
After speaking, Tisai downed the potion in one breath and coughed in surprise.
At the same time, the other thieves hacked and spat out the potion they had drunk.
"Was it poison?"
The expressions of Tisai and the five thieves hardened.
Conversely, the corners of Ted's mouth slowly rose.
Unlike users, NPCs did not have a convenient
Ted had aimed for exactly that, secretly mixing poison into the red potion bottles beforehand.
It wasn't at a dangerous level, but it wouldn't feel good.
"You dog-like Outsider. You come here wanting a job change and act so arrogant!"
Tisai changed his stance and pulled a dagger from his bosom.
At the same time, the other five thieves drew their daggers as well.
"Yes. That's how it should be. You petty thief bastards putting on airs, talking about art and war, what a load of crap...
Squeeeak!
Ted summoned the Goblin Musketeers.
"Go."
Kyiiiiiiik!!
And exactly one minute later, the only ones standing there were Ted and the Goblin Musketeers.
The ceiling, the billiard table, the thieves, and even the Great Thief Tisai... no one was dead, but nothing was in one piece either.
"Kuk... to think you're this strong...."
Tisai, who had dodged fervently only to get grazed by a bullet by bad luck, glared at Ted.
A thief was a non-combat class.
Being level 200 with a 20% connection rate to the Six-Star Constellation, Tisai could not properly withstand Ted's 18,000-level attack.
Even a level 550 NPC had been dealt a fatal blow in a single hit.
"Stop talking nonsense and just advance my class."
"Keh... Outsiders are truly incomprehensible. Tch. Eat well and live well."
Tisai spat bloody saliva toward the floor where Ted stood.
Active Skill Acquired:
Active Skill Acquired:
Active Skill Acquired:
Enables thievery.
Thievery score increases by 2 points each time Proficiency rises by 1%.
The Thievery score affects three things.
1. Increases the weight of items that can be stolen.
2. Decreases the concealment difficulty of items that can be stolen.
3. Overcomes level differences with targets that can be stolen from.
Enables Tier 3 Stealth. However, stealth is dispelled the moment you attack, consume a potion, or use another skill.
Stealth duration increases by 1 minute each time Proficiency rises by 10%.
Enables lockpicking using a pick.
‘Nice.’
Three new skills had been added.
He was disappointed there was no Trap skill, but what he got were decent enough.
"Hold still.
Ted approached Tisai and used the Thievery skill.
But nothing much happened.
"Hmph, an Outsider who knows nothing about thievery. Still, since you're my disciple, I'll tell you. Thievery can only be used while stealthed."
"Really?"
Tisai probably wouldn't have wanted to say it even if he died. He was merely fulfilling his duty as a job advancement instructor NPC.
Hearing Tisai's words, Ted stealthed and approached him. Then he used the
Soon, numerous items Tisai was carrying on his person floated up in a status window.
‘Is this all he has?’
Because his Thievery proficiency was low, Ted couldn't steal equipment or large sums of money.
From among them, Ted stole the
He hadn't stolen it directly; he had merely touched the spot where a faint light was glowing on Tisai's body.
Soon, whether the 82% probability succeeded, the item entered Ted's inventory.
The opponent's level was a whopping 500-plus.
However, thievery with low risk didn't seem to be recognized as proper experience, so only a minuscule amount of experience came through.
‘So much for leveling up with this. By the way, a love letter?’
When Ted took the love letter out of his inventory, Tisai's face turned ashen.
"Aah, Leona. From my dreams, I see you...."
"Hey! You bastard! Don't read that!"
As Ted began reading the words scribbled on the scrap of paper, Tisai trembled and glanced sideways at his subordinates.
It seemed this was an unfinished love letter Tisai had written himself.
Ted grinned at Tisai.
‘He's more of a pure-hearted romantic than he looks. Anyway, now I just need to solve the problem with Thievery. But how do I raise the proficiency quickly?’
Ted's first plan to save Sivori Academy. It was the Thievery skill itself.
But this was only the beginning. For his ultimate plan of killing two birds with one stone, Ted had to raise his Thievery proficiency in a short period of time.
Ted, who had been spacing out in thought, spoke to Tisai.
"Tisai. Help your disciple who just advanced his class, just this once."
"What? Don't be impudent. Though I lost to you in combat, I am the Great Thief Tisai, one without equal even in the Karon Kingdom. The one who stole the storm clouds from the sky...."
When Ted saw him show signs of refusal,
"Aah, Leona."
He began reciting the opening lines of the letter he had memorized.
"Fine, fine! Damn it."
Tisai shook as he glared at Ted.
Ted grinned at Tisai once more.
After all, there was no way an NPC could best a player.