Old Trade

Two days passed quickly.

Soren was extremely busy during this period. That afternoon, he completed the analysis of the Invisibility, finally managing to construct this most complex 2nd-level Spell in his mind. With the Spell Formula completed, Soren couldn't wait to try memorizing it. After more than two hours of meditation, he finally completed the Spell Formula construction for two Invisibility. Because he didn't know many Spell, he spent much less time memorizing Spell.

Four Magic Missile of the first level, and two Invisibility of the second level.

Although he had recorded some of the Spell from the Third Ring, Soren didn't have enough time to study them all and would have to analyze them later when he had more free time. After completing the construction of the Spell Formula, Soren began to rest, both to conserve his energy and to wait for nightfall. He was spending money like water these days; although Scroll Scribing had increased his skill level to 36 points, he had already spent three or four hundred Gold Daler, and his Gold Coin were starting to run out.

Night fell.

Soren woke up precisely around 10 p. m., changed into his pre-prepared clothes, and put on a mask. The Gray Zone was never short of such items; as long as you could find them and know how to deal with them, you could buy all sorts of strange and wonderful things from them. White Horse City was still under curfew, and the number of Guard patrolling the streets was half again as many as before. Soren's figure disappeared into the shadows, cautiously making his Stealth towards the noble district.

This world has a very strict class system, with rich areas and Slums separated, and noble areas even more distinct.

The roads leading to the noble district are guarded by special Guard, and ordinary Commoner are not allowed to approach. If they are seen, Guard will be questioned and driven away. Only those who appear to be well-dressed and elegant will be allowed to pass by. In any case, there must be no vagrants or poor people in the noble district, otherwise they will be punished.

Compared to the filth and chaos of other areas, the noble district was remarkably clean. There was no human or animal excrement, no sewage or muddy ditches; the ground was paved with smooth stone slabs, with underground drainage channels on both sides. Flowerbeds and large trees lined the roads, and rows of detached, neat villas stood side by side. Most of the windows were stained glass, a symbol of wealth, while ordinary Commoner mostly used paper. Such expensive Alchemy materials were beyond their means.

There are patrolling Guard at intersections and throughout the area; the noble district has the best security!

Because there's no shortage of people eager to make a fortune here, security is much tighter. However, getting caught is bad news; stealing from nobles is a more serious crime than stealing from Commoner, and could result in having an arm broken or being sent to the mines for hard labor. With a low, mournful Spell, Soren used Invisibility in a dark alley. His figure gradually disappeared, and moonlight pierced through his location, illuminating the ground as if he had completely vanished.

In Stealth mode, Soren's footsteps were incredibly light, barely alerting any of his targets. He simply walked right past the two white-horse Guard, coming within two or three meters of them. They remained completely oblivious, continuing their conversation about how many waitresses a certain tavern had, punctuated by knowing chuckles. There was nothing amiss in their field of vision—neither light nor shadow, not even the faint sound of footsteps. If Soren wished, he could take the lives of these two Guard in an instant.

The villas were all pitch black inside.

Most people were asleep at this time. Behind them lay the mansions of the great nobles, a forbidden area for Soren.

Humanity still maintains a relatively Lawful Order and has not degenerated into a complete system where the strong rule. Many nobles are ordinary people, or slightly stronger than ordinary people. Only those noble classes who wield more power have strict requirements for strength; otherwise, they would not be able to rule a city. Many noble titles are inherited, some permanent, some lasting only three generations. However, if no outstanding talents emerge, they will gradually be reduced to Commoner.

Minor nobles don't have many valuable possessions, while major nobles have formidable guards in their mansions.

Soren's targets were middle-class nobles, most of whom owned estates outside the city but also a villa in the city, spending most of the year there to maintain connections with other nobles. March to June was their social season, during which they frequently held banquets, sometimes even inviting priests of the goddess of Goddess of Joy or God of Love and Beauty. These banquets concealed many sordid transactions or turned into outright hedonistic pursuits. Their lifestyle was remarkably similar to that of the English nobility in many ways.

Soren carefully observed his surroundings.

He quickly chose a suitable target: a villa that wasn't small, clearly unguarded, with a large garden at the back. The servants' sleeping quarters were dark, but the master's room on the second floor had a faint light. Soren emerged from the darkness, calculating the Guard ' patrol time, then suddenly leaped and grabbed the edge of the balcony, quietly climbing up to the second floor.

"Brad! Is that you?" A languid whisper came from inside the room. A beautiful woman, dressed in a red nightgown held only by a ribbon, revealing glimpses of her full breasts, rose from the bed and whispered towards the balcony, "Don't make a sound, come in quickly."

The room was dimly lit by candlelight, and a fragrance filled the air, seemingly arousing and intoxicating.

The beautiful woman heard a slight noise, but no one responded. She seemed a little nervous, cautiously peeking outside. She was wearing black stockings; these Alchemy silks were expensive, suggesting the villa's owner was quite wealthy. No one sleeps in stockings, so the woman's attire was clearly for a specific purpose. A playful expression appeared on Soren's lips; he hadn't expected to encounter something like this so soon after his usual routine.

tryst.

The noblewoman before them was clearly waiting for her lover, a clandestine affair popular among southern nobles, and an open secret among them. Noble circles were always chaotic. These well-off people relied on this one hobby to fill their empty souls; if even this couldn't satisfy them, they might eventually succumb to the influence of Evil God. For example, one Evil God particularly enjoyed appearing during forbidden, celebratory rituals.

For a time, the Goddess of Joy even succumbed to forbidden pleasures. If she hadn't been pulled back by some benevolent Deity, she would likely have strayed into the realm of Chaotic Good. Among the Deity, the one who has most clearly fallen is the Goddess of Cats and Dance, now in Chaotic Neutral Alignment. She is said to be on the verge of being corrupted by the Lady of Night. If she completely falls, the Lady of Night's Alignment will undoubtedly have gained another Deity.

A slight noise came from afar.

A lithe figure then scaled the wall and entered, saying in a low voice, "Camilla. It's me, darling. I'll be up now."

A pretty skilled guy.

Soren had excellent night vision, and he clearly saw a rather handsome young man sneaking closer in the garden. He looked to be no more than twenty years old, with a rather tall and imposing figure. The noblewoman on the other side, though well-maintained, looked at least thirty years old; her alluring face couldn't hide the lines around her eyes and her somewhat thick waist.

"Come up quickly, darling," the lady urged in a suppressed voice, her breathing becoming rapid.

The young man below was clearly very excited. He jumped up after a few movements and then climbed up the wall to the balcony. As soon as he got there, he pounced on her, embracing the wealthy woman in front of him and kissing her passionately, while kneading her full breasts with his hands. The two of them moved into the room, their lips never parting. They both seemed to be very thirsty.

Soren had no interest in watching a hand-to-hand combat. He subtly shifted his position, then suddenly appeared. A single hand strike knocked the noblewoman unconscious. His hand moved with lightning speed, grabbing the young man's neck in the next second. A flying kick struck the man's groin, and before he could even scream, the young man's eyes rolled back and he passed out.

It looks like something broke!

Soren remained calm as he laid the two men down on the ground and then began to grope them.

Rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets— Soren took all their valuables. He even pinched the noblewoman's breasts, pursed his lips, and commented, "Too thick waist, too soft here, almost sagging. Far inferior to Drow's."

Of all the females, he was most familiar with the Drow, perhaps because he had spent too much time in the Underdark.

Huh?

Soren peeled a ring off the young man's finger, glanced at it in the moonlight, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

This is an Energy Ring!

Once activated, it can emit an energy ray with an intensity of about 30 points, worth about two thousand Gold Daler, which has the ability to kill low-level professionals in one hit. Fortunately, he was very fast when he attacked, and did not give the two people any time to react. Otherwise, if they had been accidentally hit, they would probably have had a hole in their bodies.

"Looks like a nobleman of considerable status?" Soren glanced at the bloodstains on the man's crotch. This injury wouldn't kill him; the man was clearly a professional, with considerable Hit Points.

The invisibility effect has disappeared.

Soren dragged the two unconscious men into the room and then began ransacking the place in search of loot.

Damn it!

Soren cursed under his breath as he looked at a safe in the hidden compartment. Even with his 45-point Lockpicking skill, he couldn't open it; it seemed some special device was used. Although he had a way to break the lock by force, it would likely make a lot of noise. In desperation, he used his Bag of Holding to test it, and surprisingly, it fit the safe perfectly. He then took the contents of the Bag of Holding out, put them into another Bag of Holding, and then put the safe back in as well.

Before leaving, he looked at the two people on the floor and kindly took a blanket and covered them with it.

It's already incredibly unlucky to have a secret rendezvous with someone who's been knocked unconscious and had their testicles blown out.

What if I catch a cold? That wouldn't be good. (To be continued...)