City of Wealth

Am I really drunk?

Aladdin shook his head and saw a water vat nearby. He tiptoed and dipped his head in, emerging noticeably clearer-headed. Despite his short stature and small belly, Aladdin was a much better drinker than Soren. Some Halfling could even down a barrel of liquor the same height as them. This was likely due to their lifestyle; tobacco, ale, and good food were essential parts of their lives.

Aladdin trusted his own eyes more, so he felt that what he had just seen was not an illusion.

So he tidied himself up a bit and headed in the direction where he had seen Vivian. The City of Wealth was populated, and there were plenty of easy targets everywhere. However, Aladdin was a very self-disciplined man. He actually had many rules that only he knew. For example, he would only steal once a day, and he would not steal from the same person repeatedly. If he stole a lot of money, he would do some good deeds or make offerings to the temple of his faith to pray for Deity protection.

His Alignment has consistently oscillated between Chaotic Good and Lawful Neutral, but so far he has acted more impulsively.

If he hadn't encountered Soren, he probably would have drifted towards Chaotic Neutral. However, having made a small fortune, Aladdin had become much more restrained in his thievery, since the small amount of Gold Daler he stole couldn't compare to the gains from the adventure. Aladdin rarely stole from professionals because the chances of being discovered were too high. He circled the street and then headed towards the market.

He lost track of Vivian.

Because of his initial hesitation, it seemed as if her figure had already walked quite far away, but he still managed to determine the direction based on the flow of people.

The market area is where the most people and the most pickpockets are.

Aladdin glanced around and spotted several others searching for targets. Rogue also have their own rules and territories; it's best not to trespass. Aladdin didn't see Vivian, but he seemed to see the woman who had appeared with Vivian earlier; that woman was buying a carriage. Her extravagant spending attracted the attention of many of her fellow thieves. The City of Wealth mainly hired mules and horses; buying them directly here would cost a considerable amount of money.

Aladdin quietly followed, but the other man seemed quite wary, frowning as he glanced at the other Rogue were pretending to walk by nearby.

Then she slowly uttered a single word. "Get out!"

This is a professional!

Aladdin quickly assessed her after a few glances. He even deduced that she was skilled with short weapons, possibly Dagger or a short sword, and that her strength was around level three, leaning towards an agile fighting style. However, he couldn't determine her profession. Warrior, Rogue, Ranger, etc., often didn't wear insignia. Aladdin could only guess from her attitude and tone that she might not be easy to get along with.

The woman quickly agreed on a price and then had the carriage driven to a certain location.

She then turned and walked in another direction, glancing around warily. Aladdin stealthily followed her, keeping a distance of about a hundred meters, until they arrived at a rather secluded Inn. This location was two streets away from where they started, separated by an alley. A fish market had once been located there, and a faint fishy smell wafted from the alley. The woman quickly entered the Inn, Aladdin hesitated, ultimately deciding not to go in through the main entrance.

He's still unsure whether he saw Vivian, was hallucinating, or saw someone who looked a lot like her.

Aladdin went around to the back of the Inn.

He spat into his hand, then climbed up the back wall of the Inn with ease, reaching the second floor with minimal effort. The process was almost entirely silent; the Halfling Rogue was a master of this skill. He listened quietly to the sounds from the first room. It seemed empty. He then cautiously entered the second room. This room appeared to be occupied by a man, and there was a sound of snoring coming from inside.

He thought he heard the door open, so he quickly went around to a different spot and then approached the room around the corner.

"Who?!"

Before he could even sneak over to investigate, a crisp, cold snort rang out from inside the room. It was followed by a young girl's voice, scoffing, "How dare you act so arrogantly in front of me! You're simply courting death!"

--"Hold Person!"

Aladdin stood frozen in place. Soon, the woman came out, gave him a cold look, and then lifted the puppet-like Aladdin and carried him directly into the room.

"Huh?"

Sitting on the bed was a very pretty little girl. She frowned as she looked at Aladdin, then said, "It's you?... Aladdin?!..."

Aladdin couldn't move his entire body; he could only slightly move his eyes.

The little girl frowned slightly, gently waved her hand to dispel the Spell, and then said in a condescending tone, "How did you end up here? And you even dared to follow me!..."

The Halfling plopped down on the ground, staring at the little girl before him with a look of astonishment, muttering, "Vivian?... When did you become so powerful?...?"

The little girl looked a bit sulky, glared at him, and muttered to herself, "I'm not that idiot!... I'm Lily... That's right!... I'm Vivian!..."

Is it strange that I've become so capable?

As she spoke, the little girl raised her head and raised her voice considerably, looking confident and self-assured.

Why does your speech seem incoherent?

Aladdin began to doubt whether the little girl before him was truly Vivian, or perhaps her twin sister. His Aladdin was quite sharp, though; the girl was very different from the one he remembered. While her appearance was almost identical, her demeanor, expressions, tone of voice, and manner of speaking were all quite different from the Vivian he knew. In his memory, Vivian was a very obedient and well-behaved girl who spoke softly and gently to everyone, never displaying this condescending attitude.

and.

Vivian seems to really like white, doesn't she? She used to wear a lot of white dresses!

But the little girl in front of me was wearing a black princess dress and black silk gloves on her little hands. At first glance, she looked rather arrogant and aloof, much like a spoiled Little Princess in a Royal Family.

But!

She really does seem to be Vivian!

Aladdin was confident that his eyes could not be wrong, because even twins could not be exactly alike, and as a skilled Rogue, he could distinguish between them.

"Vivian!..."

The Halfling hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "How did you end up here? Didn't you go North with Soren?"

The little girl's big, bright eyes darted around.

For a fleeting moment, a mischievous glint appeared on her adorable little face, a slight wicked smile playing at the corners of her lips, but it vanished quickly. A few tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, as if a painful memory had been stirred up. She looked frightened, her eyes brimming with tears, and in a heart-wrenchingly tender voice, she said, "It was supposed to be like this... But my brother and I encountered bad people!..."

"And that's how we got separated."

"Luckily, I met this kind Elder Sister. She helped me and even brought me here."

Women really do have a natural talent for acting.

The woman next to him, who was quite beautiful, immediately changed her expression, looking exactly the same.

The little girl then stood up, glanced at Aladdin who was about her height, and said pitifully in her clear, childlike voice, "I thought you were the bad guy, that's why I used Spell on you!..."

"Please don't blame me, okay?..."

Successfully pulled off the cute act.

The little girl's pitiful appearance quickly put Aladdin at ease, because Vivian at this moment looked very much like the one he remembered.

Perhaps it's because they've encountered some trouble that things look a bit different?

Who attacked you?

Aladdin's eyes were slightly unfocused, but he didn't seem to notice it himself. He said rather angrily, "Don't be afraid! If any bad people bully you, I'll definitely help you deal with them!..."

The Charm was successful.

A sly smile crept across the little girl's lips, her expression mischievous, a strange light gleaming in her eyes. She continued in a pitiful tone, "He's a very, very bad Vampire!... But it seems he's offended others too!... A very, very powerful Paladin is chasing him!... You look like a very remarkable Rogue!... Brave Aladdin!... Can you help me find his location?...

"Then we told that Paladin!... to go and deal with that Vampire!..."

The Halfling patted his chest without hesitation and said, "No problem!..."

On the vast wilderness.

Soren's figure approached from afar; he had been away from the Shipwreck Port for some time.

He now planned to go to the City of Wealth, the most prosperous and well-informed place along the coast. If any of the Fear God Child appeared, he should be able to gather some information. Moreover, one of the Fear God Child seemed to have appeared there before, Soren felt that the other party wouldn't leave so quickly. After gathering all the materials for the Bloodline Purification Ritual, Soren immediately took the time to complete the ritual. The requirements for non- Legendary advancement weren't high; only Legendary Tier bloodline rituals would require the help of high-level Spellcaster.

Soren has gained a new Feat: [Toughness]!

"Toughness [Racial Feat]: You are far Toughness than others, a powerful bloodline ability that can be gained through Deity blessing. This Racial Feat grants you an additional 1 Hit Points per class level and an additional 2 Fortitude Save. Furthermore, some lethal attacks may leave you near death instead of instantly killing you!"

[Epic Toughness Prerequisite Feat.]

...(To be continued~^~)