Sai approached the goons, his expression unreadable, and asked in a seemingly casual tone, "Who sent you? How much did they pay you?"

  The thugs hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. Their reluctance was expected, but Sai wasn’t in the mood for games. With a smooth motion, he placed his sword against the burly leader’s neck, his voice turning cold.

  "What happens if I report this to the guild?"

  He already had a good idea of who was behind the attack, but he needed confirmation. Under the pressure of cold steel and Sai’s unyielding gaze, the leader finally cracked. They confessed—Alenia, the noblewoman he had rejected, was the one who sent them.

  Sai let out a sigh. "I'm not surprised."

  He studied the leader for a moment before smirking. "Your legs seem fine. So, come with me."

  Rather than killing them, Sai chose to keep them alive—at least for now. However, he made one thing clear: if anyone tried anything, there wouldn’t be a second chance. He had never killed a human before, and though the thought lingered in his mind, he avoided it.

  Before leaving the battlefield, he swiftly dismantled the troll’s corpse, cutting away useful parts for submission to the Adventurers’ Guild. Then, keeping to the shadows, he followed the trio from a distance, monitoring their actions as they approached the city gates.

  Just before they entered, he stepped in front of them, appearing as if from nowhere. The guards tensed, but Sai spoke first, weaving a half-truth about the events that had transpired, blending in just enough fabricated nonsense to make it convincing. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he revealed his Adventurers’ Guild badge. That alone was enough for the guards to let them pass without question.

  Inside the city, he escorted the trio to the guild, where he handed in his proof of subjugation to the receptionist. Without so much as a glance in their direction, he turned on his heel and left, keeping his distance from them.

  The trio, still rattled by the encounter, wasted no time in reporting to Alenia.

  She clenched her fists, her eyes burning with frustration. But as she looked at the three before her—weak, pathetic, and utterly useless—her lips curled in disdain. If Sai was unaffected by mere thugs, she needed a different approach.

  Meanwhile, in the solitude of his room, Sai sat deep in thought.

  What if I had killed them? Would there have been consequences? Or would no one even care?

  A darker thought crept into his mind. What if someone framed me instead?

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  His thoughts drifted back to his past life—the morals he had lived by, the lines he had never crossed. But here, on Eryndor, those beliefs felt distant, almost hollow. He had spent countless hours listening to Sylvester’s lessons about this world, yet even now, he struggled to grasp its true nature.

  And worse still, a small, quiet part of him whispered that killing them might have been easier.

  Sai shook his head, trying to push away the intrusive thoughts. To clear his mind, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate. Focusing inward, he steadied his breathing and let his mind drift into a state of calm. When he finally opened his eyes, the room was bathed in moonlight—it was already midnight.

  Deciding to put his time to better use before sleeping, he began practicing mana manipulation. He concentrated, guiding the flow of mana through his fingertips, attempting to weave it into thin threads. Slowly, the strands took form, shimmering faintly in the air. Encouraged, he pushed further, attempting to shape them into something more tangible.

  A transparent glass-like structure began to form in front of him, his sweat dripping onto the floor as he poured his focus into the task. His body trembled slightly from the strain, but he held on, refining the shape, stabilizing it. However, after some time, his exhaustion caught up to him. Exhaling sharply, he let go, allowing the structure to dissipate.

  His body ached from the intense concentration. Without another thought, he collapsed onto the bed, his heavy breaths slowing as sleep overtook him.

  Morning arrived. Sai sat up, stretching out his sore limbs. Today, he had made a decision—it was time to upgrade his rank in the Adventurers' Guild.

  Wasting no time, he got ready and made his way to the guild. However, the moment he stepped inside, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

  The usual hum of conversation was absent. A heavy, tense atmosphere lingered in the air. Adventurers whispered in hushed tones, some gripping their weapons tightly, while others glanced toward the guild's inner chambers with wary expressions.

  Frowning, Sai walked up to the receptionist. "What's going on?" he asked.

  The woman looked up at him, her expression troubled. "There's been an incident."

  Sai narrowed his eyes. “What kind of incident?”

  The receptionist hesitated, glancing around as if unsure whether to speak. Finally, she leaned in and whispered, “An adventurer was found dead this morning—inside the guild.”

  Sai raised an eyebrow. “Inside?”

  She nodded grimly. “His body was discovered in one of the back rooms. No one saw or heard anything, and there were no signs of forced entry. What’s worse... his corpse was completely drained of blood.”

  A ripple of unease spread through the guild. Several adventurers muttered among themselves, while others looked ready to draw their weapons at the slightest provocation. A murder was one thing—but one committed within the guild itself, without a trace of evidence? That was something else entirely.

  Sai exhaled, his mind racing. “And the guild hasn’t identified the culprit?”

  The receptionist shook her head. “Not yet. But the guild master has ordered an internal investigation. Until it’s resolved, no one is allowed to take quests or leave the city without approval.”

  Sai folded his arms, deep in thought. The method of killing reminded him of something… something unnatural. He had read enough stories back on Earth to recognize a pattern.

  A vampire.

  His mind immediately went to Alenia. Was she connected to this? He had already suspected her of hiring goons to get rid of him, but this was on a different level. Or was this an entirely separate matter?

  Before he could dwell further, a loud voice cut through the tension.

  “The guild master will see all Silver and Gold rank adventurers immediately!”

  Sai glanced toward the inner chambers. He was still only a Bronze-ranked adventurer, but something told him he wouldn’t be able to stay uninvolved for long.