chapter 34 noises

Just as Kaelith was lost in thought, his communication crystal vibrated sharply.

A familiar, irritated voice cut through.

"Hey! Where are the alchemy materials? I've been waiting for two hours!"

Veryon.

Kaelith, who had just burned through his Skill Stones and was deep in thought about his past, blinked at the sudden interruption.

His gaze flickered toward his coin pouch.

80 Silver Coins.

He sighed, rubbing his temple.

With a flick of his fingers, he sent the entire amount to Veryon.

A second later, he spoke, his voice casual.

"You buy. Sorry, bro."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

"FUCK, man! What the hell?!"

Veryon's voice exploded from the crystal, filled with frustration.

"I signed the contract, I'm doing all the damn work, handling sales, dealing with clients—what the fuck are YOU even doing?!"

Kaelith smirked slightly.

Without a word, he cut the call.

The crystal's glow faded, leaving only silence.

Kaelith stretched his arms lazily, shaking his head.

"That should keep him busy for a while."

Kaelith had barely taken a few steps when his communication crystal buzzed violently.

He sighed.

"Here we go again."

Reluctantly, he accepted the call.

"You son of a—"

Veryon's furious voice blasted through the crystal.

"Did you just cut the call on me?!"

Kaelith smirked, but before he could say anything, Veryon kept going.

"I swear, Kaelith, you're fucking unbelievable! You dump the work on me, send me silver like I'm your errand boy, and then have the audacity to cut the damn call?!"

Kaelith leaned against a nearby wall, completely unbothered.

"You got the money, didn't you?" he said lazily.

"That's not the fucking point!" Veryon snapped. "You're supposed to be gathering the materials, not throwing money at me and walking away like a damn noble!"

Kaelith chuckled. "You're the one who wanted a contract, right? Now you're handling the business. Congrats."

"Oh, fuck off."

Kaelith could practically hear Veryon ripping his hair out.

"I swear, if I knew you'd be this useless, I wouldn't have bothered!"

Kaelith yawned, stretching. "Too late for regrets."

Veryon groaned, clearly at his limit.

"Fine. Whatever. Just don't disappear when shit goes wrong. You hear me?"

Kaelith smirked but stayed silent.

"…Kaelith?"

Click.

He cut the call again.

With a sigh of satisfaction, he pocketed the crystal and walked away, enjoying the mental image of Veryon losing his mind.

As Kaelith tucked his communication crystal away, his keen ears caught something—muffled voices coming from the back of the auction house.

His instincts flared.

Without hesitation, he lowered his stance and moved swiftly, keeping to the shadows. His light leather boots barely made a sound against the stone pavement.

He reached the corner of the building and pressed his back against the cold wall, controlling his breathing.

"…Hurry up. We don't have much time."

"…If someone sees us, we're dead."

Kaelith's grip tightened on his bow, his fingers instinctively brushing against the arrows at his waist.

His mind raced.

A secret deal? A smuggling operation?

Moving with silent precision, he peeked from behind the wall, his sharp Archer's vision adjusting quickly to the dimly lit alley.

Two figures stood there, struggling to lift a large wooden box.

The crate was nearly the size of a small cart, its surface covered in faded markings. One man grunted as he adjusted his grip, while the other kept looking around nervously.

"…The package is secure. Just get it inside before someone sees."

Kaelith's fingers twitched near his quiver.

Whatever was in that box…

It had to be valuable.

Kaelith remained perfectly still, hidden in the shadows of the alley.

The two men were too busy struggling with the large wooden box to notice anything.

Perfect.

Kaelith drew a deep breath, steadying his hands. His fingers moved with practiced ease, pulling an arrow from his quiver—a Poison Arrow.

The shaft was coated in a deadly toxin. One shot was enough to cripple, but a well-placed hit? Instant death.

His bowstring tensed as he took aim at the first man's exposed throat.

Exhale. Focus. Release.

TWHIP!

The arrow sliced through the air and struck its target. The man's body jerked—his eyes widened in horror as purple veins spread rapidly across his neck.

His lips trembled, but the poison was already taking hold.

No scream. No struggle.

He dropped like a sack of bricks, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

The second man flinched at the noise, his head snapping toward his fallen partner.

Too late.

Kaelith was already drawing another arrow.

TWHIP!

The second arrow buried itself deep into his chest, right between the ribs.

The man's breath hitched—a sharp, wet gasp. He clutched his chest, his fingers twitching around the wooden shaft as if trying to pull it out.

But the poison was working fast.

His legs wobbled, his body losing strength. He staggered backward, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Guh—"

He tried to speak, but his lungs failed. A rattling sound escaped his lips as blood dribbled from his mouth.

His body slumped forward, crashing onto the crate.

Silence followed.

Kaelith remained in place, his bow still raised, waiting.

No alarm. No witnesses.

Two clean kills.

His lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

Kaelith lowered his bow, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any movement. Still silent. Still safe.

He moved swiftly, stepping over the lifeless bodies without hesitation. Looting was second nature—after all, the dead had no use for their belongings.

He crouched beside the first corpse, his hands moving quickly and efficiently.

Loot from the First Body:

12 Silver Coins

A Rusty Dagger (Low Quality)

A Small Leather Pouch (Empty)

Kaelith scoffed. Barely anything.

Then, he turned to the second corpse, rolling the man over.

Loot from the Second Body:

8 Silver Coins

Bandit Badge

His eyes narrowed at the Bandit Badge—a worn metal emblem shaped like a wolf's head.

This was important.

Bandit groups often marked their members to avoid friendly fire. If he kept it, he could possibly use it to infiltrate or at least move unnoticed in certain areas.

Kaelith pocketed the silver coins and tucked the Bandit Badge safely inside his pouch.

"Not bad."

With one last glance at the corpses, he stood up, blending back into the shadows.

Kaelith's fingers brushed over the Bandit Badge, his lips curling into a satisfied smirk.

"This makes things easier."

With this badge, he could walk into the Bandit Occupation Camp without raising suspicion. No need for a reckless fight—he could simply blend in, gather information, and find the Phantom Flower.

Or better yet—steal it right from under their noses.

Kaelith pocketed the badge and glanced down at the corpses one last time. A necessary sacrifice.

Now, he had everything he needed.

Then he plans to open large box

Note : no one can guess what is in large box if Guess right 5 bonus chapters haha evil author is laughing