Kenley was no fool. These thieves neither teamed up with other professions nor announced their names. If they were from the Adventurers' Guild causing trouble, they would have some kind of marking. Kenley glanced at their hands—no adventurer's insignia.

  That meant they were likely rogue thieves involved in dirty work. Thieves like these specialized in handling tasks their employers couldn't be seen dealing with personally. In the game, players referred to such thieves as"Runners."

  There were even guilds formed purely out of interest in the"Runner" concept. Their sole purpose? Red-name PK. It was said that these guilds had invented an entire set of terminology dedicated to studying the Runner profession, which led to countless fascinating stories.

  Unfortunately, back when Kenley played a low-level thief alt, he had once joined one of those guilds.

  "Be honest with me—which 'Fat Cow' sent you to remove a 'Nail'?" Kenley asked when the thief leader remained silent, switching to Runner slang.

  The thief leader visibly flinched. How did this guy know our coded language?

  "Fat Cow" referred to the employer, while"Nail" meant the target."Removing a Nail" was another way of saying"assassination."

  "If you know about the 'Dark Gate,' then why would I ever answer your question?" the thief leader sneered."You think I'd betray my Fat Cow? Not a chance."

  The Dark Gate was the underground network these thieves operated in. It was both an organization and not quite one—more like a shadowy black market.

  Employers posted requests through the Dark Gate, and thieves accepted them. As long as they delivered the Nail's head, they could complete the job and get paid.

  Kenley frowned. What a pity—Tia had yet to grow strong enough. If she had already developed her Charming Enchantment, he might have been able to extract some intel from this thief.

  A shame…

  "In that case, I'll just have to send you to meet Daisy. Farewell—"

  Just as Kenley was about to end the thief leader's life, a voice suddenly called out behind him.

  "Wait!"

  Kenley was momentarily stunned. Teacher?

  It was Green. She looked like she had something to say.

  "My dear student, how could you let him die so easily?" Green flashed a playful smile.

  Kenley hesitated."But, Teacher, this guy nearly killed me just now. And he almost destroyed the potions in your shop."

  "No need to rush…"

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  She swirled a pink potion inside a clear glass bottle, and something about it gave off a sinister aura.

  Kenley's eyes widened."Truth Serum?!"

  This thing was useless to players in the game—it wasn't combat-related, and besides, players couldn't be affected by it. It was merely a storyline item.

  But things were different now. Kenley was in a real world. If he could learn the formula for Truth Serum…

  Green's eyes gleamed with excitement. She was growing more and more fond of this new student."You recognized it at a glance? Impressive."

  Kenley instinctively glanced at Green's"grand peaks," gulped, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the thief leader."Not really, I just happened to have seen it before."

  "Don't try to fool me. This potion is my own unique creation—nowhere else has it. Where exactly have you seen it before?" Green's lips curled into a strange smile.

  "N-No, I haven't seen it anywhere…" Kenley averted his gaze, looking somewhat evasive.

  "Alright, let's see just how tight-lipped this guy really is. I do hope, for his sake, that he can keep his mouth shut like he claims…" Green stopped pressing Kenley for answers and instead pried open the thief leader's mouth, mercilessly pouring the potion down his throat.

  The pink liquid dribbled from the corners of the thief's mouth and stained his collar. Though he struggled against it, under Green's forceful grip, he had no choice but to swallow.

  Before long, Kenley saw a strange pink glow flicker in the thief leader's eyes.

  Green fixed her gaze on him and asked,"Speak. Who hired you to remove the Nail?"

  Kenley gave Green a surprised glance—so she understood the slang as well. Then again, it made sense. Green was far too mysterious. As someone recognized by the Magic Association as a Secret Witch of Potions, she was no ordinary figure.

  In the game's main storyline, she had appeared multiple times—not to mention her infamous Black Cat Potions. And then there were those massive peaks of hers… From Kenley's current angle, he couldn't help but notice her cleavage. Damn, that was explosive.

  "Heh… hehehe… Boobs. Such huge boobs," the thief leader muttered as he regained awareness.

  Kenley was stunned. That was his first reaction?!

  Green pressed her fingers to her forehead and sighed."Looks like this potion still needs some refining."

  "Forget it…" Green seemed to have thought of something and suddenly reached inside her ample chest, rummaging around.

  The sight made Kenley's blood boil. His face flushed red, and though he quickly turned away, Green leaned in even closer, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

  Kenley didn't want to admit it, but he had to acknowledge that Green's body was absolutely incredible. Her dark, glossy skin, her sensual curves, and those plump lips coated with pink lipstick—she was irresistible.

  Noticing Kenley's reaction, Green chuckled softly."No need to be shy, my dear student. I'll take good care of you."

  N-No, no, no! Who could possibly resist Green's charm?! He would fall for her at this rate!

  "I-I didn't see anything!" Kenley forced out the words, his voice strained. But Green only laughed, looking even more amused and smug.

  "Aha! Found it!" Green beamed. Then, without hesitation, she pried the thief leader's mouth open again and force-fed him a powdered potion.

  "This should do the trick."

  A moment later, the thief leader lifted his head once more. This time, his eyes were even duller, his expression completely vacant.

  "Speak. Who hired you to remove the Nail?" Green asked again.

  "I… I don't know… A white-bearded butler… L-Looked like a noble's servant…" the thief leader murmured weakly, as if he could pass out at any moment. Still, the information was useful.

  A noble's butler?

  Kenley frowned. Aside from dealing with Auber and Lucas in the church, I shouldn't have offended any nobles… right?

  "Do you recognize this butler? What's his name? What noble house's emblem did he bear?" Kenley fired off a string of questions.

  "D-Don't… know… H-He hid… his emblem… Heh… hehe…"

  Kenley fell into silence. As expected, those who posted jobs through the Dark Gate were cautious. Still, at least they had a lead.

  But at that moment, Green suddenly asked a critical question.

  "Did that butler wear any accessories?"