Chapter 410 Underbelly
Chapter 410 Underbelly
Moreover, this guild controlled much of the smuggling trade in Ravenfell. They dealt with stolen exotic goods, magical artifacts, illicit substances, and even the slave trade.
For the right price, the members of Umbra Thieves would even take on contracts to assassinate specific targets.
These actions were handled with strict discretion, ensuring the least collateral damage and no trace back to the guild.
In the past, when a member of this guild was caught by officials, they would unhesitantly take their own lives, ensuring that nothing led back to their organization.
They wielded significant influence in Ravenfell, having ties to corrupt officials, black market dealers, and other criminal enterprises.
In the city\'s dark underbelly, the Umbra Thieves were both feared and respected.
Adam glanced at the bartender and solemnly asked, "So no matter what, their members cannot be traced?"
The bartender shook his head. "No, not even the mighty Magi could locate their safehouses and hideouts. All we know is that they exist. Nothing else."
Adam remained silent for a few moments before nodding. He was quite satisfied with the information he had received from the other person.
He was right to come to a tavern to gather intel. He believed that a place such as this would certainly have access to a wide variety of gossip.
People would often speak more than they intended to under the influence of alcohol.
"I hope they\'re aren\'t any cults here, are there?" The youth pretended to be apprehensive. "The last city I lived in was a breeding ground for evil cultists. It\'s one of the reasons I moved out and came here."
"Cultists?" The bartender spoke with a raised eyebrow. "There are no cultists in this city. Well, not any that I\'m aware of anyway."
"I see." Adam nodded, once again going silent for a few moments. He wasn\'t hoping to get any information about potential cultists in the city. But it didn\'t hurt to try.
He then took out two more silver coins from his pocket and tossed them at the man. "Good job."
The bartender caught the coins and quickly put them away. He then glanced at Adam and stated, "For another silver piece I can suggest to you the safest places to live in Corvid."
"No need." Adam waved his hand and got up to his feet.
He made his way out of the tavern while stroking his chin, deep in thought, From what the man just said, this secret organization seems to have only one goal - acquiring wealth.
They\'re unlike The Cult of Bones whose objective is still largely unknown. All we know about them is that their members are mostly necromancers and practitioners of dark magic.
It\'s going to be tough trying to investigate their whereabouts. But it\'s a good thing this is a long-term mission.
Adam walked through the dimly lit cobblestone streets of the Bosky neighborhood. His visit here tonight could be said to be not entirely fruitless.
At the very least, he got to know a lot about the Corvid Quarter.
Just as he was making his way out of this neighborhood, from the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a group of people ruthlessly beating a man in a secluded alley.
A robbery? Adam thought to himself.
When he walked past the alley, he looked over and saw that three young men were thrashing a middle-aged man who lay helplessly on the ground.
It seemed that they were indeed trying to rob him.
"Beat this bastard up!"
"Let go of what you have!"
"Give it to us while we\'re asking nicely."
Asking nicely, huh? Adam thought to himself in amusement as he shook his head with a soft chuckle, walking past the alley.
He had no intentions whatsoever to help.
The slums were a cruel place to live in. If one couldn\'t even take care of themselves here, they would gradually be devoured by the starving wolves.
Besides, Adam didn\'t feel obliged to help the victim. He was already past having such a mindset. The world\'s problems were not his own.
Just as he was walking away, he overheard the man scream.
"No, please, no! The food is for my kids! I can\'t let them starve! Please, just take anything else—ughh!"
"Shut your mouth, bastard!"
"To hell with you and your kids!"
"Give us everything you have!"
Hearing the man mention his starving kids, Adam\'s footsteps gradually came to a stop. He lowered his head, his fists clenching and unclenching several times.
In his mind, he kept telling himself.
Walk away.
This is not your problem.
Let the man deal with it.
You don\'t have to involve yourself.
But whenever he thought about how this man\'s children might go to bed hungry tonight, he was reminded of those harsh times when he used to starve to sleep.
It was not a pleasant feeling.
This was one of the reasons why he hated wasting food and also admonished others for doing so.
In the end, his shoulders loosened a little and he sighed, "Forget it, it\'s just one guy. It doesn\'t hurt to help him out a little."
He turned around and walked into the alley. His footsteps echoed against the walls of the buildings, drawing the group\'s attention.
The group of young men turned to look at him with hostility.
"Oi, who the hell are you?"
"Get out of here if you don\'t wanna die."
Seeing Adam continue to leisurely walk toward them, one of the young men stepped forward and waved his pocket knife around in a threatening manner. "Do you have a death wish, boy?"
"No," Adam said indifferently, "but it looks like you do."
The next moment, a gust of cold wind blew threw the alley and Adam disappeared from his spot.
Seeing such a bizarre scene take place, the group of young men as well as the middle-aged man who was being ganged up on were thunderstruck.
Such physical prowess that bordered on the supernatural could only belong to a specific type of people.
Only one word echoed through their minds.
Magus!
A second later, another cold gust of wind blew and then the sound of bones cracking echoed in this dim alley.
Followed by the agonizing screams of men.
Until finally…
Everything returned to silence.