Connor was baffled by the revelation that was revealed by the Mistress of Shadows as the latter's demeanor was filled with an aura of cold death that would burst if failed to contain.

Realizing that she was about to fall into her rare state of deadly temper, the woman forcefully composes herself as she performs a deep breath.

"Yes." The Mistress of Shadows nods in agreement as she eyes the blade with disdain. "It appears that those guild warriors in Chadena are even more cunning than I give them credit."

"But how?" Connor questions her about the authenticity of the legendary katana. "I verified the item first before stealing it from the manor. All of its stats are indeed worthy of its G.o.dly status."

"Perhaps." The Mistress of Shadows said with a lecturing tone. "But relying on the visual aspects of the System is simply not enough. One has to also confirm its actual credibility by inspecting the item in person, and this blade is merely a replica."

"How are you able to find out?" Connor asks with genuine interest.

"Simple." The Mistress of Shadows smirks in response. "The blade of Nevarath, Arundil, was forged using a scarce metal called Divus. The said metal is renowned for its exceptional quality and gold-like color, a resource highly sought out by smiths all over the land. Being experienced in crafting items with Divus, I can tell whether the item is made from it or not. Divus exhibits peculiar qualities such as its extreme lightweight and durability, as well as its subtle lighter shade of gold that glistens admirably in the majesty of the sunlight. This replica, however, did not exhibit any of the qualities that I have mentioned, being a bit heavier with a darker contrast of color."

With her inspection of the sword concluded, the weapon's stats instantly change to match the quality that the woman has deduced.

u003cArundil (Replica)u003e

(Uncommon Sword)

Lvl Requirement: 0

Attribute Requirement: None

Damage: 20

Enchantments: None

Item Description:

A mere copy of Nevarath's legendary sword crafted with normal gold and various common materials. As such, the weapon is not suited for combat, merely for ornamental intentions.

"I see," Connor said with his teeth gritting, clenching his fist in frustration at his mission being actually a spectacular waste of his time. "I suppose that the mission is forfeit, then?"

"Maybe." The Mistress of Shadows a.s.sures the young man with a smile. "But still, you did perform admirably with both a cunning mind and remarkable patience. If anyone were to blame, then it's our client for providing us with false information."

The woman then hands the weapon to Connor, as she added. "Besides, not all your efforts are wasted. That weapon over there, I'm sure some rich n.o.ble will be attracted by the remarkable craftsmans.h.i.+p to add in their display. The weapon should fetch a hefty price in the market."

u003cQUEST COMPLETE!!u003e

u003cAgriculture and Thieveryu003e

u003cQuest Summaryu003e

u003cQuest Completionu003e - Steal the u003cArundilu003e from inside the farm manor in Chadena. [✓]

Quest Rewards granted:

4,900 XP, u003cArundil (Replica)u003e

LEVEL UP!!

YOU RECEIVED 5 ATTRIBUTE POINTS!!

YOU RECEIVED 1 ABILITY POINT!!

Connor acknowledges the message of the System with a nod of approval, allocating two of his attribute points in Dexterity, another two in Strength, and his last single point at Luck.

Of course, that's not the young man's usual standard of spending his attribute points whenever he levels up. There are times when he put more points in other attributes to cover some of his weakness. One constant thing, however, is his prioritization of Dexterity, being the most essential factor for a Rogue, more specifically, being an u003ca.s.sa.s.sinu003e the Rogue cla.s.s that most of his fellow guildmates of the shadow have undertaken.

Accepting the weapon reward, Connor stores the replica inside his Inventory as he asks the woman. "So, we're done here?"

"Of course." The Mistress of Shadows responds as she chuckles. "I still have to clean up this mess that I made after all, hehe."

"Right." Connor could not help but cringe at her desk, piled with the disorderliness of her drunken revelry. "I suppose I should take my leave."

"Yes, Connor." The Mistress of Shadows happily answers. "In the meantime, you are free to steal, do whatever you want. Just don't get caught red-handed. After all, bribing the guards is quite a troublesome ch.o.r.e in everyone's part and one more thing… no murder, or at least, make it look like an accident. We don't need any more heat coming from the authorities, and it's bad for business."

"I know," Connor stated as he turns his back to leave the office.

"Oh, and by the way." The Mistress of Shadows halts the young man momentarily as the latter faces the former. "When you leave, kindly call Grim to enter."

Connor merely nods in acknowledgment as he finally left the area.

In a short while, Grim enters the office as he was instructed to.

"You called, mistress?" The a.s.sa.s.sin WatchGuard spoke with the utmost respect to her.

"Yes, Grim." The Mistress of Shadows nods in response. "Remember our mutual friend, the one who provided us with the location of Arundil?"

"Of course, mistress." Grim answers with a nod. "I'll never forget that wretched, greedy face of his when he approached us in person two months ago."

"It appears the weapon that our dear Connor has retrieved is fake." The woman said, her tone now devoid of the laid-back nature that she has displayed earlier.

"A fake, huh," Grim said with a frown. "d.a.m.n, I can only imagine the frustration that the boy is feeling right now, with his two months as a farmer being a total waste of his time."

"I agree, poor Connor." The Mistress of Shadows replies with a sad look. "I think it's about time that our dear client gets the payment that he deserves, don't you think?"

Realizing the true meaning of her statement, Grim nods without hesitation. "Of course, mistress."

"Good." The Mistress answers with a favorable tone. "That is all Grim, you may take your leave."

Grim bows his head down in respect as he immediately left the office to perform the task that was delegated to him in person.

With the woman finally all alone in her office, a sinister smirk graces forth on her beautiful face as she thought.

'Anyone crossing with the Guild of Shadows shall never get to see the light of the sun ever again.'

***

"A replica?"

Going back eleven days earlier in the farmlands of Chadena in the aftermath of the fire, Isamu and Bren had their mouth agape as the former uttered the last statement in question.

"Yes," Krothu smirks, baring his tusks for them to witness. He then faces Bren with a stern expression as he said. "As much as I want to include you in our conversation, what we are going to discuss here is sensitive information about the guild. Leave us for a moment, Bren."

"Oh, of course, I understand Baron Krothu, sir." The old farmer said as he bowed his head down respectfully and left the two Warriors in their conversation.

"So, what's this about?" Isamu gazes at the orc in question, now with both of them the only ones present. "And why is a G.o.dly weapon, even though if it's a mere replica, doing inside your manor in the first place? That item is more trouble than its worth, costing us a single field out of the entire farm."

"Like I said, Malic's orders," Krothu answers him calmly. "The thief would have been successful though, that is if he stole the item a month ago."

"What do you mean?" Isamu tilted his head in genuine confusion.

"Haha, you see, Malic also told me and only me about your Paragon friend," Krothu smirks, causing Isamu to widen his eyes in surprise at what the orc has told.

"So, you know, huh," Isamu said with his arms crossed.

"Of course. Malic and I trust each other with our very lives." Krothu responds with pride in his every tone.

"And what does Gray have to do with any of this?" Isamu asks.

"The G.o.dly blade of legends, Arundil, is a weapon that can only be wielded in its full potential by a Paragon," Krothu imparts to the cat-folk about the sword's details. "With your friend's status being revealed, Malic has taken the necessary steps and secretly instructed me to transfer the real weapon to a safer location, leaving only a replica in place at my manor. Only the senior members of the guild possess the knowledge of the blade being in my manor. Malic and I as well did not disclose to our fellow senior warriors regarding the true weapon's location, them thinking that it's still in my manor."

"And why didn't you tell them about the true weapon's location then? What's with all the secrecy?" Isamu frowns as he did not like where this conversation is headed.

Krothu simply took a deep breath as he responds with a pure grimace.

"Malic and I suspect that we have a traitor among the senior ranks."