Stigug

The town of Stigug is located on the border of the Kingdom of Fiore.

In this town.

Those who gather here in the greatest numbers are not mages, but all sorts of mercenaries, hunters, and a motley crew of other characters...

Mercenaries and hunters belong to the "Mercenary Guild" and the "Hunter Guild" respectively!

Although both guilds were merely glossed over in the original work, in reality, the influence of these two guilds in this world is far from insignificant. On the contrary, the "Mercenary Guild" and the "Hunter Guild" are both renowned existences.

Among them, the "Mercenary Guild" gathers experts highly skilled in physical arts. The philosophy this guild advocates is to use physical techniques to counter magic.

As for the "Hunter Guild," the people it gathers are more mixed, including both mages and physical arts experts who cannot use magic.

Mages ultimately make up only a small proportion of the population in this world.

If we're just talking numbers, the people gathered in these two major guilds might not be much fewer than those in the Mage Guild...

Ul walked along the streets of Stigug Town, drawing quite a high rate of turning heads!

The main reason was that the aura he carried seemed somewhat out of place with the people here—a bit too "refined"!

Most of the pedestrians on Stigug's streets exuded a fierce and brutal air. Many carried weapons, and when their gazes swept over passersby, they unconsciously held a look of vigilance.

Compared to these people, Ul's face appeared far too youthful.

He looked like fresh meat... ah, no, a mage!

Feeling the various "ill-intentioned" stares coming from all around, Ul suddenly understood a bit why that bastard Jericho had chosen to flee to this place!

He had seen Jericho's appearance on a wanted poster. He had to admit, someone like Jericho, who was already pretty twisted, could blend in perfectly with this crowd.

But someone like Ul couldn't!

Here!

A good-looking guy was like a bright flame in the darkness, completely at odds with everyone else!

Ul also saw some patrolling soldiers on the streets, but compared to other cities, the frequency of patrolling soldiers here was noticeably lower.

Clearly!

The kingdom also knew what kind of people gathered here.

Ul guessed that as long as no major incidents like murder occurred in Stigug, those patrolling soldiers would probably turn a blind eye.

Because of this!

This town seemed chaotic on the surface, but in reality, there was still a bottom line...

As Ul gradually approached the center of Stigug Town, the flow of people around him began to increase...

At a certain moment!

"Slap."

Ul suddenly struck out, grabbing a dark hand that was reaching for his pocket, and then with a sudden burst of force, he pulled out a scrawny young boy.

"Kid, you've got some nerve!"

Looking at the golden-haired short-haired boy he had caught, Ul spoke coldly.

"Let me go! What do you think you're doing? Robbery! Someone's robbing me!"

After being caught by Ul, the golden-haired short-haired boy immediately began to struggle, shouting loudly as he did so. From the look of it, anyone who didn't know better would think he was the victim!

But the people who could survive here were hardly fools. Before long, a crowd had gathered around!

Yet not a single one among them made a move to save the golden-haired short-haired boy. There wasn't even anyone trying to break up the fight. They all wore expressions of "front-row spectators," ready to watch the show.

The golden-haired short-haired boy's build was similar to Ul's, but his strength was clearly no match for Ul's!

Even though he struggled with all his might, the hand Ul used to hold him was like an iron clamp, completely unmoved.

Finally!

The golden-haired short-haired boy seemed to be pushed to his limit. He opened his mouth, ready to bite down on Ul's arm...

Fortunately, Ul reacted quickly, dodging just in time. Then, he flipped his hand, lifted the golden-haired short-haired boy, and swiftly left the spot.

And just as Ul left!

A few small figures in the crowd quietly followed behind Ul, chasing after him...

"Bang!"

In a certain alley, Ul threw the golden-haired short-haired boy in his hand to the ground and spoke slowly: "Kid, I want to ask you something..."

"Help! Someone's robbing me!"

The golden-haired youth landed and immediately started shouting, all while trying to flee toward the alley's exit.

Seeing this shameless behavior from the golden-haired youth!

Ul's expression gradually turned icy...

Just as the golden-haired youth ran past Ul, Ul suddenly lashed out with a whip-like kick, sending the youth flying back.

"Cough, cough!!!"

Though Ul hadn't used full force, the kick was still excruciating for the golden-haired youth. Almost instantly, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach and writhing, his face pale as paper.

"Kid, my patience has limits. I'll ask you one thing now. If you answer well, then this matter of you stealing from me ends here. Otherwise, you can prepare to live the rest of your life as a cripple." Ul spoke coldly.

The golden-haired youth was a pitiful soul—Ul could see that much.

But... that wasn't an excuse to steal freely without consequence.

"Do you know this person?"

Ul crouched in front of the golden-haired youth, rolling up Jericho's wanted poster to reveal a face.

"Cough, cough!!!"

The golden-haired youth kept writhing in pain on the ground, not even lifting his head, as if he hadn't heard Ul's words at all.

Seeing the youth's stubborn defiance, Ul's gaze grew even colder. He said, "Fine. It seems you're useless now. In that case, you can be a cripple in your next life."

With that!

Ul slowly rose and lifted his foot, ready to teach the golden-haired youth a lesson.

But just then, several dark figures suddenly emerged behind Ul, accompanied by a young, furious shout.

"Stop! Don't you dare bully Brother Gu Yi!"