Things Were Completely Different from What He Expected

Moni's mind went blank.

What had just happened?!

Where had his sweet, obedient daughter gone?

Moni knew his stuff. He recognized the skill Rena had just used as [Stealth], a basic combat technique of the rogue class. It used the power of shadows to conceal one's body, and it was precisely this signature trait that had earned the class its name: "rogue."

The crucial question was, Moni had no idea how his daughter had become a classholder right under his nose!

Things were completely different from what he had expected!

Moni's first instinct had been to sacrifice himself and draw the Bloodfang Gang's attention. At worst, he would take a beating, but at least those thugs would not find his daughter.

His daughter had suddenly become someone he could not understand. Though he had no idea what exactly was going on, Moni instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.

He probably no longer needed to worry about his daughter's safety.

A classholder—especially a rogue known for hiding—would surely be impossible to spot if she wanted to escape.

Except...

Rena's thoughts differed somewhat from her father Moni's.

She was quite familiar with these five thugs as well. After all, they had harassed the tavern plenty of times before.

When Pete had beaten them last time, Rena had also seized the chance to finish one of them off.

That experience had made Rena realize that these thugs were ordinary people too. As long as she was bold enough, she could defeat them by striking a vital spot!

Besides, she now believed in the God of Knowledge and had mastered the [Stealth] combat technique!

Although the skill itself had no offensive power, her advantage in ambushes and seizing the initiative was unmatched.

In a short span of time, Rena had already formed a plan:

First, sneak up behind the thug leading them and, just like last time, try to take him down in one blow;

After drawing the other four's attention, lure them out of the tavern;

Use her familiarity with the surrounding area to shake off the remaining men for a little while;

As long as she could calm herself down, she could activate [Stealth] again and return to hiding!

Seeing that the thugs were about to search the bar area, Rena wasted no more time. She quickly picked up half of a broken wooden plank from the ground and quietly circled behind the lead thug.

There was no time to go outside and find a brick like last time. She could only make do with what was at hand, using a fragment of the smashed wooden door as a weapon.

Rena raised the plank high. The instant he was completely off guard, she viciously smashed it down on the back of the thug's head!

"Bang!"

The plank struck his skull with a dull thud, but Rena's heart sank—the ambushed lead thug had not been knocked unconscious on the spot like last time!

He merely staggered from the blow and cried out in pain.

"F-Fuck!"

"Which bastard hit me?!"

The thugs beside him were startled as well, but when they saw Rena appear, they immediately grew excited.

"Boss! Old Moni's daughter! She... she was invisible just now!"

"She appeared out of nowhere behind you!"

"Damn it!" Rena sensed that something was wrong.

Things were completely different from what she had expected!

If he had been an ordinary person, a strike to a vital spot should have knocked him out on the spot.

The lead thug had clearly taken a solid blow, yet he only seemed a little unsteady on his feet and remained conscious.

That could only mean one thing:

He was not an ordinary person!

When did he become a classholder?!

What Rena did not know was that her sudden stealth ambush had also frightened the five Bloodfang Gang thugs.

This was completely different from what they had expected too!

They had assumed that Moni and his daughter were just two ordinary people they could easily bully.

The lead thug vigorously rubbed the back of his head, then turned and glared viciously at Rena.

"Fuck... Good thing I'm not some ordinary guy anymore. Didn't expect there to be a little brat who could hide. What, trying to ambush me?"

"Come on, then! Got any other tricks? Keep using them!"

Not long ago, their boss Evan had summoned them to Blood Roulette's underground casino. There, they had met Boss Dursley, along with two "weirdos" draped in black robes who spoke in an extremely strange manner.

Whenever they spoke, it sounded as though they had something in their mouths. Their voices were always filled with a "wururu" noise, making it difficult to tell what they were saying.

With Lord Dursley relaying their words, they followed the two weirdos' instructions and entered a hidden room whose floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in all sorts of bizarre patterns and symbols.

Inside that room, the two weirdos had shouted words they could not understand. Then, they felt an unbearable agitation surge through their entire bodies.

Bulging masses of muscle rapidly grew across their bodies, and their builds became even more robust!

The agitation had not faded after enhancing their physiques. Instead, it had settled in their lower abdomens.

It was as if a fire had been lit inside their bodies, constantly leaving them unbearably hot and restless.

Dursley told them it was a secret technique that could quickly make them stronger.

They could use the energy lingering within their bodies to unleash two unique abilities.

The first ability imbued their attacks with crimson energy. The same attack would become vastly more destructive as a result.

The second ability activated when they were attacked. This energy transformed the pain and injuries they suffered into an even more intense desire to fight, while their physical strength, resistance to blows, and other qualities temporarily increased as well.

The thugs tried it out a little using the method Dursley had taught them.

When they sparred with their boss Evan, if Evan used only the strength of a first-tier classholder, merely activating the first ability made their attacks difficult for him to handle. Once the second ability was triggered after they took a hit, they could even send Evan flying with a single punch!

The thugs were all overjoyed!

Before arriving, they had been ordinary people, the kind classholders could twist and crush at will. Yet after spending a little time in that room, they could now pin a first-tier warrior to the ground and beat him senseless!

Did that not mean they were already stronger than first-tier classholders?

Having suddenly gained such immense power, the thugs' confidence swelled to unprecedented heights.

Before, they had needed to cautiously probe whether that mage was still in the tavern.

But with this kind of strength, what was there to probe for?

They could just storm in and beat anyone who refused to submit into submission!

The lead thug had directly pounded his chest and promised Dursley and Evan that they would go tear down Moni Brothers Tavern. Anyone who dared stop them would get dealt with!

With every one of them strong enough to pin down and beat up a first-tier warrior, would they not be able to swagger through this part of the Lower District?

Although Rena had caught them off guard with an ambush after they entered the tavern, an attack of this level could not defeat the thugs anymore. Instead, it only stirred up their ferocity even further.

The lead thug grinned viciously, clenched his fist, and threw a heavy punch at Rena.

"You're done hitting me. My turn now, right? Eat this!"