SSS-Ranked Thief: Everything You Own is Mine

Maple Leaf Town

Zane returned to the outskirts of the town.

The plains outside the town gates were still bustling with activity.

Although the players' starting point was called a "town," in reality, it was far more expansive than any real-world town.

Based on Zane's estimate, Maple Leaf Town currently housed at least 30,000 players, and that number was still growing.

According to the official website, players could leave for the main city once they reached Level 15.

Each main city could accommodate at least a million players.

The relationship between towns and main cities was multiple-to-one—several towns would feed into a single main city.

In the real world, players from the same region were highly likely to be assigned to the same main city upon entering the game.

However, the website provided no details about the main city's content or features—players would have to explore and discover them on their own.

In the past, Zane's usual approach to gaming was to rush levels and reach the main city as soon as possible.

But now, he had a different plan.

He wanted to master the "Steal" skill to an earth-shattering level.

Until then, he would not leave the wilderness.

Throughout his journey, Zane had never stopped practicing his two core skills.

Whenever he passed by a monster, he would always attempt to Steal to increase his proficiency.

If the monster became enraged, he would activate Stealth to make it lose its target. Then, he would manually deactivate Stealth, forcing it into cooldown sooner—allowing him to maximize skill usage.

As a result, both Stealth and Steal had leveled up.

Stealth: LV5

Steal: LV9 (due to frequent usage)

But this was still far from Zane's goal.

Upon entering the town, Zane visited the weapon shop first, selling off all weapons he didn't need.

Then, he headed to the tailor shop, offloading non-weapon equipment.

Finally, he stopped by the apothecary, selling off monster loot such as pelts, bones, special blood, and organs.

"These NPCs are worse than real-world capitalists!"

Inside the town's apothecary, Zane stared at the store interface, speechless.

He had thought his loot would fetch at least dozens of gold coins.

But after selling everything, he ended up with only 12 gold coins and some silver.

What annoyed him the most was what he witnessed at the weapon shop—

As soon as he sold an old weapon, he watched an apprentice expertly pull out a rusty greatsword, polish it, and place it back on the shelf.

Curious, Zane took a glance at the price tag—

It was being resold at five times the buy price!

"Absolute daylight robbery!"

He chuckled coldly.

"So... you guys have plenty of money, huh?"

Despite his disdain, Zane remained outwardly calm as he struck up a conversation with an old NPC in the apothecary.

The NPC's name, displayed in green text (indicating a friendly NPC), was Warren Jett, the Apothecary Owner.

Dressed in long robes with a white beard, he had the kind smile of a kindly elder.

Using the gentlest tone, he announced:

"Adventurer, our store is holding a grand sale! Basic potions for only 50 copper coins each! All other potions are 20% off! Limited-time offer—three days only! First come, first served!"

Zane barely restrained himself from cutting the old man into pieces.

After what he saw in the weapon shop, he was already prepared for this kind of scam.

From his observations, basic potions had a low drop rate, but killing 4–5 monsters would usually yield at least one.

And yet, this NPC had the audacity to sell them for 50 copper each?!

Did this guy have no conscience? Or... was he just like me?

Despite his frustration, Zane still paid up.

He wasn't stupid enough to attack an NPC just for some pocket change.

Spending 12 gold and some silver, he purchased:

800+ bottles of basic mana potions250 bottles of basic poison

The poison was for the thief's "Poison Coating" skill.

The mana potions were crucial for skill training, as they had a one-minute cooldown.

Fortunately, Zane had his "Infinite Potential" talent, which reduced skill mana consumption.

With these potions, he could spend more time grinding skill proficiency instead of waiting for mana to recover.

"Adventurer, here are your potions! We look forward to your next visit!"

Warren's eyes narrowed into slits with glee as he handed over the potions, delighted by the massive sale.

Zane stuffed the potions into his bag and flashed the old man a knowing smile.

"Oh, don't worry—I'll definitely be back."

Internally, he noted down three key locations—

Weapon Shop

Tailor Shop

Apothecary

After leaving the apothecary, Zane's next stop was the Class Hall.

He opened his map and strolled through town at a leisurely pace.

The Class Hall was located near the town center, not far from the main plaza.

However, since the apothecary was on the west side of town, he had to pass through multiple streets to reach his destination.

On the way, a particular building caught his eye.

It was a massive church, its pristine white walls spotless and well-maintained. A wrought iron fence surrounded the entire structure.

Inside the fence, monks stood at the church entrance, chanting prayers.

Their voices were holy and ethereal, giving the illusion of soul purification.

Several players had stopped to listen, captivated.

Of course, to ordinary people, it might sound pleasant, but Zane wasn't "ordinary."

To him, it was just annoying noise.

"What kind of garbage hymn is this? Sounds like a damn mess."

Just as Zane was about to leave, the church doors suddenly opened.

A middle-aged NPC stepped out, followed by a priestly-looking figure.

The surrounding players perked up in excitement.

"That's Mayor Slater!"

"Finally! I get to see the mayor in person! Mr. Mayor, I'm ready to serve Maple Leaf Town! Give me a quest—I'll slay a dragon if I have to!"

Low-level players rushed forward, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

To them, Mayor Slater wasn't a person—he was a living, breathing quest dispenser.

Unfortunately for them, they never got close.

The town guards, who had been waiting outside the church, immediately moved to block them.

NPC guards were never to be trifled with—especially not at this stage of the game.

So, the players could only stare longingly, hoping they were that one-in-a-million chosen protagonist who would trigger a hidden quest and receive god-tier rewards.

Unfortunately, neither they nor Zane had that kind of luck.

But Zane was luckier than most.

He happened to be standing at the side of the church doors—just outside the guards' line of sight.

This meant he could overhear the conversation between the mayor and the priest.

"Father Martin, I truly wish to witness the divine relic. I am willing to prove my devotion—please, test my faith as you see fit!"

"Mayor Slater, safeguarding the relic is my duty. Its purpose is still unclear, and it must be handled with extreme caution. Please do not make this difficult for me."

"I understand..."

Mayor Slater's disappointment was evident.

"Such a shame... I wanted to experience the gods' greatness firsthand."

With that, he left under guard escort, with eager players still trailing behind him.

"A relic?"

Zane's instincts flared.

"This sounds like a big deal."

Another mental note was added to his list—

Church (Potential Hidden Quest Location!)