Chapter 1: 10 Copper Coins? Laughable!

A hand slammed a clump of wet green herbs onto a well-finished wooden counter as the middle-aged man behind them frowned and clicked his tongue.

It was mid-afternoon, and the alchemist needed mugwort to create a healing salve for the lord's son who fell in the garden.

"Fandor, these herbs are poor quality. The middle-aged man uttered before throwing 10 slightly brown copper coins at the tall male with a black hood. "The reward is halved! Take better care next time!"

A single coin flicked off the wood, hitting the male in the face, his hands gripping tightly as the leather squeaked.

He could only bite his lower lip with his face hidden under the hood and green mask.

The quest didn't mention the small hovel of goblins that he fought desperately. In desperation, he grabbed the herbs and ran.

This made him lose his best bow and suffer a deep wound to his abdomen. Now he only got half the reward.

Despite the anger growing in his chest, Fandor swallowed it, giving a hidden smile and light bow. "Thank you, Isilador. Next time, I will endeavour to do better." Before he vanished outside the door into the sunny village of Malfork Vale.

"You better! Or I won't pay!" Isiladors voice sounded, but Fandor's figure had already disappeared into the passing crowd of villagers.

⟪Hidden by Lesser Stealth⟫

- Damage increased

He was following the crowd with quiet steps. Then spotted an unoccupied female—she was quite tall and seemed to be a wood elf with blonde hair and a sunny disposition as his hands leaned close to her coin purse with swift movements.

⟪Used Pickpocket On Astara Goldrunner⟫

- Stole 10 Copper coins

Undetected!

[Pickpocket Skill Increased to 15]

[You should visit an Inn and rest on your Gains (Level UP)]

"Hmmm? Did you notice something?" A beautiful blonde woman asked, feeling like somebody had touched her coin purse.

However, there was nobody near her as she looked around... "Strange... I thought for sure..."

***

Jogging across the village field, Fandor was now checking nobody was following him before stashing the copper in his chest and taking out a small book.

In this book, he kept a note of all the jobs that he was asked to complete and had finished. "Ha, that damn Scrooge. Those herbs were perfectly fine. I took the interest from your beloved daughter, haha."

Fandor crossed out an entry titled [Gather Mudwort for Scrooge] and then began checking if he had any other decent tasks. "Nothing..." He whispered while moving to the village outskirts.

An armoured Empire guard stood at the gates before warning him, the silver armour with black cloth underneath looked expensive and elegant, but the skill only gave a 0.1% chance to pickpocket him.

So Fandor abandoned the thought instantly.

"Halt! Why do you hide your face like a filthy rogue? Citizen, show your face and left palm!"

"Tsk... Annoying." Fandor muttered while taking down his mask and hood slowly. He didn't want these guards with steel swords to cut him down like a dog.

The sound of fabric brushing against his skin sounded before his mask and hood dropped, revealing a beautiful elven male likely of noble birth due to his handsome and unblemished skin.

Like the ocean waves, Azure blue eyes darted between the two guards, who took a breath of admiration. Long ears that moved along with his feelings, flopping down dejectedly as these males showed a moment of attraction despite him being male.

Then his half-plaited, beautiful platinum blonde hair was softer than the finest silk and shinier than the stars.

"A-A High Elf!?" The Empire's guard stuttered before lowering his guard, realising the reason for him to wear the mask and hood.

It wasn't the first time the guard saw Fandor. Yet this was his first time able to challenge him, and now felt embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it—It's my fault for looking like a scoundrel. Do you still need to see my left hand?"

Fandor lifted his hand before it began to glow as various information was displayed to the guards.

All they cared about was [Bounty: 0]

Pah!

The huge guard hit his shoulder, laughing heartily, "Sorry about that, lad. In the future, I'll make sure not to bother you."

"Now cover your face up—what would we do if you stole our wives? Haha!"

He laughed along with the two guards while deftly moving away from them with feel footwork carrying a crude bow and quiver with 44 crude arrows that lightly rattled when he moved with an increased pace.

'Let's head to the eastern woods and hunt some foxes and wolves... The tailor and leatherworker should be able to make me some new armour if I get enough...'

Fandor's body lowered to the ground, his knee touching the dirt while he looked to either side and pushed through the long grass. He licked the tip of his finger that poked through his leather gloves, then held it up to the sky.

A slight breeze came from the west.

'Hmmm... the wind is slight to the west, I need to adjust my aim... by about half a Centa AN:(1 Centimetre)

His elven ears were twitching as if helping him calculate the direction of the wind. He took out five arrows a moment later, Nocking one into the bow and the rest between his fingers, ready to fire in a dangerous moment.

'Let's move slowly... I don't have any traps, thanks to that goblins quest.'

***

Fandor travelled 400 metres in the eastern forest before his ears began to hear the sounds of animals grazing in the distance.

When hunting, he removed his hood due to the fabric affecting their range and accuracy. "Well, at least I have the eyes and ears of a high elf... shame about the magic."

*Creak*

The slight sound of his crude bow sounded; luckily, it didn't make the wolves aware of his position, but they still began to sniff the area.

'Good thing I'm not upwind of them. Let's quickly take down the large grey one.'

In Fandors's azure eyes, there were 2 wolves: one smaller black female chewing on a deer's corpse and a larger grey male who seemed to be waiting.

"Hmph....!"

His arm slightly ached when fully drawing the poor bow, creating more pressure on his body than the elven bow, which had snapped earlier today fighting a goblin ambush. 'I will not have a good bow for a long time..'

*Swoosh! Woosh-Woosh!*

He performed an extremely dextrous action, shooting the first arrow before half drawing the second and third shots to fire them quickly as they flew through the air towards the large grey wolf.

"Awuuuu!" The female began to howl before three arrows penetrated the throat of the male wolf. Its mouth opened as blood flowed from its snout before it collapsed and convulsed.

⟪Used Skill: Rapid Shot On Grey Wolf (Alpha)⟫

- 26 Yards, 2x Damage: Target Died

Undetected!

[Archery Skill Increased to 20]

[Sneaking Skill Increased to 25]

[You should visit an Inn and rest on your Gains (Level UP)]