SSS-Ranked Thief: Everything You Own is Mine

Zane crouched down and examined the plant carefully.

[Serpent's Slaver Grass]

Type: Mystical Herb

Grade: Basic

Effect 1: Can be used as an ingredient for potion-making.

Effect 2: Highly toxic. With proper extraction techniques, its sap can be used as poison.

"So it's a poisonous herb… I'll take it. Might come in handy."

After all, he had a skill for coating weapons with poison. Whenever he encountered something like this, the best approach was to collect it first and think later.

It seemed like he needed to pay more attention to his surroundings. With the "True Sight" skill, there was a chance he could discover even more rare herbs.

Moving along the cliffside, Zane managed to find several more of the same herb. He gathered them all.

Then, using his Spider Silk Ring, he carefully descended back down the cliff.

The moment he landed, he activated Stealth and vanished into the forest.

Now, it was time to return to Maple Leaf Town and claim his reward from the town mayor.

As he approached the base of the mountain, a loud commotion echoed from below.

"What's going on?"

Zane climbed onto a tall tree and looked down.

A massive battle was raging at the foot of the mountain. Countless players were locked in fierce combat!

"Why the hell are they fighting?"

Curious, he pulled up the chat screen.

"Guys, Green Mountains is in trouble! Everyone, get over there and help!"

"I've had enough of Domination and Fireworks Guild. Let's take them down today! I'm backing Green Mountains!"

"Damn it, those Skyfall bastards took over Boar Forest yesterday and drove us out. I'm getting my revenge today! Count me in!"

Zane quickly scanned the chat logs and pieced together the situation.

Apparently, while Domination Guild and the other major guilds were busy plotting something on Lonely Wind Mountain, a well-known solo player, Green Mountains, had led a massive group of independent players to farm in the western swamps.

Perhaps he simply didn't like those big guilds. Or maybe he wanted a share of the spoils.

Either way, he had rallied the solo players and launched an attack on the three major guilds, demanding a stake in the mountain's resources and a right to participate in the hunt for the Flamewing Tiger.

Of course, the guilds weren't just going to roll over and accept that. Chaos ensued.

Zane quickly lost interest.

Let them fight. If there's no profit in it, I'm not getting involved.

Carefully choosing a quieter path, he stealthed his way around the battlefield.

Once he arrived in Maple Leaf Town, he made a beeline for the mayor's residence.

"Hello, I'm here to report back to the mayor."

After explaining himself to the guards, Zane was led into the reception hall, where he met Mayor Slater.

"Ah, adventurer. Welcome back," Slater greeted him with mild indifference. "So, have you uncovered the anomaly at Lonely Wind Cliff?"

"Yes. Actually, the cliff—"

Zane gave a detailed report.

Of course, he conveniently left out the part about finding a golden treasure chest.

"So it's just an entrance to a field dungeon?"

Slater visibly relaxed.

A dungeon entrance posed no direct threat to the town.

With a nod of appreciation, he handed over Zane's reward.

[Quest Complete: Unusual Phenomenon at Lonely Wind Cliff]

EXP +10,000 Gold Coins ×100 Silver-Tier Defensive Set ×1

A hundred gold and two pieces of gear materialized in Zane's inventory.

His EXP bar jumped up—but only halfway.

That's right. Just halfway.

Upon reaching Level 10, the experience required for leveling up had drastically increased. From Level 10 to 11, he needed 20,000 EXP.

Even after completing this major quest, he still hadn't leveled up.

Clicking on his inventory, he examined his new gear.

[Maple Guardian Helmet]

Type: Part of the Maple Guardian Set

Tier: Silver

Stats: +200 Defense, +50 Evasion

Bonus Effect: After taking damage, Defense +2% (Stacks up to 10 times)

Requirement : LV10

[Maple Guardian Leggings]

Type: Part of the Maple Guardian Set

Tier: Silver

Stats: +240 Physical Defense, +180 Magic Defense, +30 Constitution

Bonus Effect: 5% chance to recover 500 HP when hit.

Requirement: LV10

[Maple Guardian Set (2-Piece Bonus)]

Bonus: +1000 Max HP

Set Skill: Guardian's Barrier – Creates a 2-meter protective shield that absorbs 5000 total damage. Cooldown: 4 minutes.

Overall, the gear was pretty good.

But… only two pieces?

"Mayor, is this the full set?"

Zane frowned.

He had expected at least five pieces.

Even three would have been reasonable.

But just two? That was disappointing.

"This is a Silver-tier set. Getting even two pieces is lucky."

Slater smirked slyly.

"Mayor, I nearly died climbing that damn cliff—"

"Adventurer, I'm a busy man. If there's nothing else, please see yourself out."

Oh, so that's how you wanna play it?

Zane narrowed his eyes and smiled to himself.

We'll see about that.

Turning away, he left the mayor's residence.

Originally, his plan was to make some big moves in the town after completing the Lonely Wind Cliff quest.

But he hadn't expected to obtain the Clone Technique.

With this skill, his training efficiency would skyrocket. It was better to take his time and level up first before making a move.

Now, he had a few stops to make.

The Potion Shop – He needed to restock on Basic Mana Potions. The Job Hall – At Level 10, he could now learn new Class Skills.

Just the thought of dealing with that greedy old man at the potion shop made his skin crawl.

But no worries. One day, he'd get his revenge.

Lonely Wind Mountain – Battlefield

The chaotic brawl was finally dying down.

With mounting casualties on all sides, the three major guilds were beginning to realize that they had underestimated both Green Mountains and the solo players' grudge against guilds.

Originally, Unyielding Tyrant and the others had expected to crush the solos quickly.

After all, they had done it countless times in past games.

But as the battle dragged on, more and more independent players arrived, rallying behind Green Mountains.

Some joined out of hatred for the guilds.

Some simply loved chaos.

And others genuinely admired Green Mountains and wanted to follow him.

At this rate, continuing the fight would only drain everyone's resources.

"Stop! This fight is pointless!"

Eventually, the four faction leaders called for negotiations.

From Fireworks Guild, Blood Rose stepped forward.

From Domination Guild, Unyielding Tyrant stood tall.

From Skyfall Guild, the famous siblings Skyfall Prince and Skyfall Princess appeared.

They all faced off against Green Mountains.

"Alright, what do you want?"

Skyfall Prince, a handsome mage in a pristine white robe, was the first to speak.

His sister, an elegant beauty, stood beside him. Their noble aura suggested they were rich kids in real life.

"Simple."

Green Mountains' deep voice rang out.

"Our solo alliance will have full hunting rights in Lonely Wind Mountain. No interference. Also, we get a share of the Flamewing Tiger loot."

"Keep dreaming."

Unyielding Tyrant sneered at the scattered solo players.

They had invested too much into Lonely Wind Mountain. There was no way they were giving up a share.

"Then we fight until you give in!"

But just as the negotiations were about to collapse, Blood Rose's expression suddenly changed.

"Wait. Something's wrong. My quest for Lonely Wind Cliff… just disappeared."

"...What?!"