Chapter 40: Sniper Shooting Tree Owl???

Chapter 40: Sniper Shooting Tree Owl???

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Eina didn't see anything sincere in Izzy's eyes.

Instead, what she felt was something more evasive, as if he were trying to avoid scrutiny.

"Really—?"

Dragging out her tone, Eina made it clear she didn't fully believe Izzy's claim.

"Yeah! More real than pure gold!" Izzy replied without hesitation, trying to sound confident.

"Then, Mr. Izzy, your friend must be a high-ranking adventurer, right? Can you share their name? At least give me a clue so I can have a general idea of who they are."

The corners of Izzy's mouth twitched slightly.

He was improvising this entire story on the spot. How could he possibly provide a proper adventurer title for someone who didn't even exist?

One lie always leads to another, Izzy thought, slightly annoyed at himself for starting this.

But then again, this wasn't entirely a baseless claim. Izzy had been broadening his social network in Orario lately.

He wasn't making a friend completely out of thin air—there were indeed a few notable adventurers he could plausibly mention.

His brain worked quickly, crafting a believable response. Soon, his confident smile returned.

"Well... for certain reasons, I can't reveal their real name, but their adventurer title is 'Sniper Tree Owl.' You've probably heard of them, right? They're the real deal."

"Sniper Tree Owl?"

Eina frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing across her face.

The title sounded unusual—perhaps even absurd. Yet, given the gods' penchant for whimsical and eccentric naming conventions, it wasn't entirely out of character.

Now, Eina found herself caught between doubt and belief.

After all, Izzy was a member of the [Loki Familia]. With the connections of such a prestigious faction, it wasn't entirely improbable for him to know a high-ranking adventurer.

"Yes! Isn't it a cool title?" Izzy pressed on, seizing her hesitation as an opportunity to solidify his lie. "My friend is an experienced senior adventurer, and when we enter the dungeon, we'll be part of a larger team with other Familia seniors. With multiple high-level adventurers backing me up, my safety is absolutely guaranteed!"

Izzy smiled confidently, knowing that every word he said was crucial to convincing her.

"But hasn't the main force of the Loki Familia gone on an expedition recently?" Eina asked, still skeptical. "How can there still be someone left behind to take you into the dungeon?"

"Oh, some of the Lv. 2 seniors stayed behind to guard the home base," Izzy replied smoothly, as though this were common knowledge.

"..."

Eina pursed her lips, clearly unconvinced. Yet, after a brief moment of silence, she sighed, seeming to give in—reluctantly.

"Well, fine. Since it's come to this..."

She turned around and began sorting through a pile of documents on the table behind her.

Izzy watched her back, relieved that his improvised story seemed to have worked, at least for now.

After a few moments, Eina returned with a stack of papers, placing them carefully in front of him.

"Here's the information you requested," she said. "But, Mr. Izzy, since you've decided to join a senior team to explore the middle level, let me remind you once more—adventurers should never take unnecessary risks. Promise me you'll be cautious!"

Her emerald eyes were serious, her tone earnest.

To Eina, Izzy wasn't just another adventurer. She felt a certain sense of responsibility for him, especially since he was still so young. The idea of seeing his name on a missing-persons notice filled her with dread.

"I'll keep that in mind," Izzy said, nodding sincerely.

Of course, whether he would actually follow her advice was a different matter.

Izzy valued his life, but he also knew that fate was unpredictable. Accidents and unforeseen circumstances were always a possibility.

After completing the necessary procedures with Eina's help, Izzy left the Adventurer's Guild with the stack of documents in hand.

Walking through sparsely populated alleys, Izzy kept his head down, reading the information recorded in the documents while continuing on his way.

The reason for choosing the alley was simple: avoiding crowds. He neither wanted to bump into others nor be bumped into on the bustling streets.

"If I want to head to the middle level, I'll definitely need recovery potions—whether it's for physical stamina or mental strength," Izzy muttered to himself.

"Fortunately, I got a decent supply from Airmid before, so that should suffice. But…"

"Teammates? I wonder if he'll agree..."

Still immersed in thought, Izzy tilted his head to look up at the sky.

For adventurers, forming a team was a tradition and a necessity. Especially when delving into deeper, more dangerous dungeon floors, acting solo was unwise.

It wasn't just a matter of personal ability—there were challenges no one could face alone.

Naturally, Izzy wanted to find someone to form a team with, and he had a candidate in mind. But whether that person would agree was uncertain.

"Well... I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I can always ask Simon and the others to join me."

Simon and his group hadn't participated in the Loki Familia's recent expedition, remaining behind to guard the home base.

Considering his upgrade requirements, Izzy figured Loki might grant Simon and the others leave for a day or two.

Just as he was weighing his options, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh my, what do we have here?"

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the alley, followed by a coarse, mocking voice.

It was the tone of a low-class thug—one who clearly spent too much time loitering in backstreets.

A man emerged from the shadows at the far end of the alley, a greatsword slung across his back. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he regarded Izzy with a smug expression, his nose tilted upward—a textbook example of a street tough.

"Hey, buddy. I couldn't help but overhear—sounds like you're looking for a team. Why not give us a shot?"

As if on cue, five or six more unsavory-looking men appeared from various hiding spots. Their faces carried malicious grins, and their movements hinted at prior rehearsals.

One man even climbed out of a wooden box.

Izzy blinked, then smirked. "Seriously? You're stalking people in an alley? That's some real professionalism right there."

The thugs dusted themselves off, apparently unfazed by his sarcasm.

The lead thug, however, felt insulted. Izzy's nonchalant attitude and even backhanded praise struck a nerve.

"Are you mocking us?" he snapped, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword.

"Stop messing around and hand over all your money, or you're in for a world of trouble!"

Izzy tilted his head, seemingly unfazed. "No how…"

The thug raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I said—no problem!" Izzy clarified, casually tucking the documents under his arm.

Before the thug could process what was happening, Izzy's body shifted into motion.

Lowering his center of gravity, he crouched with blinding speed, sweeping the thug's legs out from under him. The man wobbled, trying to regain balance, but Izzy's elbow drove into his chest before he could react.

Two resounding "bangs" echoed through the alley, and the self-proclaimed leader crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The remaining thugs finally snapped out of their shock.

Perhaps emboldened by their numbers, they didn't flee. Instead, they charged at Izzy with gritted teeth and weapons drawn.

Izzy sighed inwardly. This won't take long.

Within moments, he dispatched them with efficient strikes, leaving the alley littered with groaning bodies.

Dusting off his hands, Izzy walked away from the scene.

But as he reached the entrance to the alley, he paused, startled.

"This… This is something Miss Ryuu would find hilarious," he muttered, shaking his head before continuing on his way.

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