The Case of the Forgetful Thief

After successfully stopping the cult's ritual in the old warehouse, Lucas, Finn, and Evelyn returned to their inn in the city of Ardenia. It was late at night, and they needed rest after the exhausting battle. As they were relaxing at the inn's dining table, Finn and Evelyn decided to go out for some fresh air."I feel too tense to sleep right now," Finn said, stretching. "I think I'll go out for some fresh air. Who knows, there might be something interesting out there."Evelyn nodded in agreement."Me too. This city is quite interesting at night. I want to take a look around."Lucas smiled."Alright, go ahead. I might take a walk on my own too."After Finn and Evelyn left the inn, Lucas checked his System Window and saw a new notification appear in front of him.[New Side Quest Received: Catch the Forgetful Thief!]Description: There is an old thief in the market who likes to steal small items. Catch him and return the stolen goods to their owners.Reward: 100 Gacha Points + "Gacha Luck Package".Status: In Progress.Lucas chuckled and shook his head."A forgetful thief, huh? This shouldn't be too difficult," he thought.With the intention of completing this quest and getting more gacha points, he decided to head to the Ardenia market, where the old thief was often seen.The morning market in Ardenia was very crowded. Merchants were shouting to offer their wares, and visitors were busy walking around, bargaining for goods ranging from fresh vegetables to antiques. Lucas walked through the crowd, looking for clues about the thief mentioned in his quest.He stopped at one of the fruit stalls, where a middle-aged woman was busy arranging her apples. Lucas decided to ask, "Excuse me, ma'am, do you know about the old thief who often steals things in this market?"The woman sighed in despair."Ah, you must be talking about Old Man Norris. He always steals small things here - apples, bread, sometimes even handicrafts. But he's very sly, and often, he doesn't even remember that he's stealing."Lucas smiled, finding something funny about the situation."Do you know where he usually hangs out?"The woman pointed to the end of the market, where there were a few food stalls."He's often there, trying to take something with his quick hands. But be careful, he's old but cunning.""Thank you," said Lucas, nodding.He walked in the direction indicated, his eyes scanning the crowd for a figure that matched the description of the forgetful thief.After observing for a while, Lucas saw an old man with a straw hat and a long robe standing near a bread stall. The man looked awkward, trying to look like a regular customer, but Lucas could see his sly hand movements trying to take bread from the basket without being seen.Lucas smiled and thought,"That must be him."He decided to approach the old man quietly, following his movements. When the man took a loaf of bread and tried to hide it in his robe, Lucas stepped forward."Excuse me, sir," Lucas said in a friendly but firm voice. "Did you pay for that bread?"The old man was startled, turning around with wide eyes."What? Pay? I... I paid for it! I must have paid for it... right?"Lucas smiled thinly, knowing that the old man probably didn't remember if he had paid or not."Sir, I think you forgot to pay. Let's return the bread and we can talk for a bit."The man looked confused for a moment, but then he nodded."Ah, maybe you're right. I sometimes forget... wait, I remember! I paid... or did I?"Lucas tried to be patient and led the old man back to the bread stall. The merchant there had a grumpy look on her face, but Lucas tried to mediate."I'm sorry about this sir. He forgot that he took the bread without paying."The merchant snorted but then chuckled."Ah, old man Norris. He always forgets. Alright, as long as he returns the bread, I don't mind."After returning the bread, Lucas decided to talk to Old Man Norris further outside the market."Sir, I'm here to help. Why do you steal things in this market?"Norris scratched his bald head and laughed."Ah, you see, son, I sometimes forget I'm stealing. I see something, and I think, 'Hey, that looks tasty,' and I take it. Only later do I remember that I haven't paid!"Lucas held back his laughter."Sir, maybe it would be better if you asked first before taking something. People here don't want to chase you all the time."Norris laughed again, this time louder."Oh, you're a good kid. Alright, I'll try to be more careful. But don't blame me if I forget again!"After making sure that Old Man Norris wouldn't steal again, at least for a while, Lucas received a notification from the system.[Side Quest Completed: Catch the Forgetful Thief!]Reward: 100 Gacha Points + "Gacha Luck Package" received!Lucas smiled contentedly. "Not bad, this will come in handy later," he thought. With enthusiasm, he opened the System Window and immediately checked."Gacha Luck Package" that he had just received.Lucas sat on a bench near the market, catching his breath. He opened the Gacha menu in the System Window and saw the newly acquired option.| Gacha Luck Package || You have 10 Gacha Tickets! || || 1. Gacha Skill (Rare Chance +10%) || 2. Gacha Item (Rare Chance +10%) || 3. Gacha Stats (Rare Chance +10%) |Lucas smiled widely."Okay, let's see what we can get." He chose the Gacha Skill first. A virtual gacha wheel appeared in front of his eyes, spinning rapidly with flashing colors.Spin 1.The wheel slowed down... and stopped at Tier C.Congratulations! You have obtained a New Skill: "Minor Fire Spark (Tier C)"Description: Lights a small fire for practical use. Not effective in combat. MP required: 5.Lucas stared at the notification with disappointment. "Seriously? A campfire? It's not even enough to impress an enemy."Spin 2.Lucas tried again with the Gacha Item. The wheel spun and stopped at Tier E.Congratulations! You have obtained a New Item: "Rusty Bronze Coin (Tier E)"Description: An old coin with no value. Can be sold as a collectible, but no buyer would be interested.Lucas sighed. "Duds again. This is not good."Spins 3 to 9.Lucas tried again and again, but each time, he only got Tier D and E Skills or Items, such as "Empty Water Bottle," "Bitter Herb (inedible)," and "Torn Old Shoes." All trash!Every time the result appeared, Lucas's expression became more frustrated."Is this a gacha or an inventory cleanup? Come on, give me something better!"Spin 10.With bated breath, Lucas used his last ticket on the Gacha Skill. The wheel spun rapidly, and Lucas prayed silently for luck. The wheel finally slowed down... and stopped at Tier S!"Ding".Congratulations! You have obtained a New Skill: "Void Step (Tier S)"Description: Skill to perform instant teleportation up to 30 meters, avoiding all attacks and traps in the path. MP required: 60 per use. Cooldown: 5 minutes.Lucas almost jumped off the bench. "Finally! Something useful!"Lucas saved his gacha results and decided to return to the inn, where he would meet Finn and Evelyn and tell them about the exciting and frustrating events he had experienced today.