Witch's Embrace

The Dark Intelligence Network, a gang influence established by an eye demon tyrant named "Shanasar," has been entrenched in Liberl Port for many years and is one of the most notorious criminal organizations in the entire city.

Their members often bear a tattoo of a giant eye somewhere on their body as a symbol of their affiliation.

Upon seeing familiar enemies from the game, Hawthorne's heart immediately sank, knowing that these guys were ferocious, arrogant, and could escalate minor issues into violent confrontations. They were ruthless and merciless, killing without a moment's hesitation.

Yes, they killed without a blink.

On the two streets where the district government of South Harbor District is located, the guards stationed there were responsible for the residents, but during their shifts, they would never step foot into the slums.

As a result, violent conflicts erupted here almost every day, and it was common for lives to be lost, as the Guards wouldn't intervene at all.

Even if the families of the deceased went to file a report, unless there was decisive evidence already in hand or the family was wealthy, the guards would be too lazy to investigate, only concerned with their own paychecks.

Thus, when these gangs fought, their methods naturally became increasingly unruly.

Among them, groups like the "Dark Intelligence Network" particularly valued members who were ruthless and willing to kill; those who had never taken a life were looked down upon.

From this, one could understand just how dangerous this person was.

Hiss, if this guy was a high-ranking member, then the other gang members around him should also be his subordinates, right?

What bad luck, how did I end up running into these people...

Well, this is what happens in the slums. If it's not this gang, it'll be that organization.

I better keep my guard up!

He decided to steer clear of all the gangs, which left him with only the long table in the center to sit at. To avoid the drunkards, he ultimately had to carry his plate of peanuts and sit down right in front of the female half-orc.

From a distance, he hadn't noticed, but now that he was seated closer, he realized that this female half-orc actually didn't look too bad.

Though half-orcs are half-beast and half-human, they aren't considered ugly overall; at the very least, they don't have the massive, menacing tusks of orcs, nor does their chin protrude like that of a gorilla.

The female half-orc in front of him was a perfect example; her facial features were more akin to those of a human, and her short tusks didn't distort her bone structure. Additionally, her skin, unlike that of the typical orc, was a slightly shiny brown similar to that of an average person. So at first glance, she was actually quite pleasant to look at.

Her figure also clearly inherited the advantages of female orcs, with her two prominent peaks in front being remarkably... huge!

Even wrapped in a loose beast hide armor, they were still quite pronounced, leaving Hawthorne very certain that this female half-orc's size far surpassed that of Heidi.

It was truly... astonishing!

However, she did have a faint scar on her eyebrow, and at her waist hung a hard-headed mace. Her large knuckles and fierce gaze, complemented by her clearly defined muscles, made it obvious that she was not someone to be trifled with.

But thankfully, she didn't have the typical half-orc odor that could make it hard for Hawthorne to eat.

Hawthorne sat down in front of her, and the female half-orc instinctively looked up at him. Her eyes brightened, seemingly surprised by Hawthorne's appearance, but then she frowned, suspicious of his intentions.

However, she quickly averted her gaze, likely feeling that Hawthorne's slight frame posed no threat to her, and lowered her head again to continue eating the jerky on her plate.

But that glance made Hawthorne feel a bit uneasy.

Hiss, something about this atmosphere feels off...

The "Foggy Fisherman" tavern might be said to be safe, but that only means it's the best of a bad lot. In an environment like the slums, how could violent conflicts be completely avoided?

Never mind, it's best to stay cautious!

To ensure his safety, Hawthorne quietly used a Cantrip, applying the "Blade Ward" magic mark on himself.

As for Mage Armor, he had already cast it on himself when he got up in the morning. Casting a first-level spell requires two points of Mana, and recovering those Mana points takes an hour of rest, while Mage Armor lasts for eight hours...

Therefore, as long as he cast it beforehand, he could enjoy the protection of this spell while maintaining full Mana points, allowing him to cast two more first-level spells.

After adding the mark of Blade Ward, he still felt a bit uneasy, so he took out his Grimoire, Introduction to Pure Beauty, and quietly cast the protective spell Agathys' Armor on himself.

This first-level spell could also help him resist physical damage and rebound frost damage to enemies that attacked him in melee. While it might not be very useful at higher levels, against these thugs, it was definitely a high-cost performance spell with both offensive and defensive capabilities.

The only drawback was that its maximum effective duration was only one hour, so it couldn't be pre-cast like Mage Armor first thing in the morning.

In any case, after hanging multiple defensive spells on himself, Hawthorne finally felt a bit safer and quietly prayed that nothing would happen before Heidi arrived.

However, just because he didn't want to attract trouble didn't mean trouble wouldn't come looking for him.

Especially since he was sitting directly across from that female half-orc.

The bald-headed little boss Shanasar, who had originally been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and subtly scrutinized Hawthorne.

The remaining gang members looked hesitant, their gazes shifting back and forth between Hawthorne and the female half-orc, puzzled about the relationship between the two.

A skinny little gangster, looking somewhat clever, leaned in close to the bald man's ear. "Boss, it seems like the situation has changed. That guy... seems to be with Yagora?"

The bald man's gaze flickered slightly, noncommittal. "What do you think he is?"

The skinny man examined Hawthorne carefully, hesitating before saying, "Judging by his demeanor, he doesn't look like someone who would be in the slums; he seems more like a noble. I've seen a few well-educated graduates, and they have a similar air about them..."

"True, his presence is quite unique." The bald man nodded slightly. "But his clothes were made locally. I could even tell you which shop made them."

This was indeed the truth; even though Heidi cared for him greatly, she didn't buy him expensive clothes at his request—after all, their finances were limited, and they needed to spend everything wisely.

So now, he was only wearing a thin cotton shirt. The fabric was comfortable and breathable, but it was definitely not something expensive.

In the entire South Harbor District, there were only a few shops that made clothes. Any local thug familiar with the area would easily recognize them.