The Scamp Gang had been laughing in hushed tones, their hoods pulled low, when their gazes inevitably drifted toward the lone figure drinking Nightmareâs Fang at the corner table.
The personâs face was obscured, but his mannerisms were sluggishâlifting his glass slowly, never looking up, his cloak draped lazily over his frame. To the gang, it was the picture of a man already drowning in liquor.
The fourth brother snorted quietly, whispering with derision,
"
Look at him. Heâs wasted. Spent a fortune on that drink, too. Probably some pampered noble who wandered too far from his nest."
The eldest brother hushed him with a glare, but Scampâs grin widened, sharp and sly. His jagged teeth glimmered faintly as he leaned forward, voice low and oily, "Old fourth has to point. Heâs drinking the
Nightmareâs Fang,
"
Scamp whispered, tapping his finger against his palm, "This bottle alone screams heâs rich. Richer than most here tonight. But..."
His grin twitched as his black eyes flickered with caution, "Weâll save him for last. No need to risk spoiling the fun too early if the drunkard suddenly wakes up angry."
The demons chuckled, nodding in agreement, but their gazes lingered greedily on the cloaked figure, already dreaming of a fat storage ring filled with treasures.
Scamp leaned closer, whispering with delight, "First, weâll pluck a few easy onesâfish already bleeding. Then, when no oneâs looking, we take the biggest catch."
The brothers nodded eagerly. They poured themselves Nightmareâs Fang, raising their cups with exaggerated gestures to blend into the tavernâs chaotic atmosphere. To any onlooker, they were just another group of rowdy drinkers, but it was clearly a façade.
At this moment, Scampâs sharp eyes scanned the room and quickly settled on his first prey. It was a violet-skinned devil seemingly slumped at a nearby table.
His armor was dulled from neglect, his face flushed with alcohol, and his hands trembled as he lifted an amber-colored drink to his mouth. Clearly a cultivator of impressive strengthâan Abyssal Grandmaster Realmâbut equally clear was that his senses had drowned in liquor.
Scamp licked his lips and muttered, "Perfect, youâll be the first!"
The demon brothers tensed, disguising their vigilance with drunken laughter. Their eyes darted subtly across the tavern, watching for threats while their smallest ally moved unseen.
At that moment, Scampâs shadow suddenly shifted unnaturally beneath him. The tavernâs dim lanterns masked the motion well. His dark outline rippled, spreading outward across the filthy wooden floor like a pool of ink spilled too quietly for anyone to notice.
It slid between boots, chairs, and spilled alcohol until it reached the devilâs table. There, it rose faintly and merged seamlessly with the devilâs own shadow. The devilâs bleary eyes blinked dumbly as he drained his cup, utterly oblivious.
Thereby, from the fused shadow, a thin black thread slithered upward, coiling around the devilâs leg, creeping along his arm, until it brushed against his hand. More precisely, the thumb adorned with a dull silver storage ring, and the devil didnât sense anything.
Under Scampâs delicate control, the shadow thread pulsed once, faintly. Then it wrapped around the ring, covering it in inky darkness, its presence so subtle even a sober Abyssal Grandmaster wouldâve missed it.
The devil hiccupped, slammed his cup down, and laughed loudly to himself, never noticing as the thread retreated, sliding back into the darkness. But the storage ring on his hand was goneâvanished without a trace.
The shadow recoiled silently, shrinking back into Scampâs hunched figure as though it had never moved.
The imp smirked, raising his own cup and taking a sip of Nightmareâs Fang as if nothing had happened.
However, at this moment, in his small palm, concealed beneath the table, a glimmer of dark light appeared, and the stolen storage ring was resting neatly against his black nails.
The demon brothersâ eyes widened with awe and greed. They had watched every detail of the theft, and though they were seasoned in violence, this kind of silent larceny was like witnessing sorcery itself, no matter how many times they saw it.
"Unbelievable..." The second brother whispered hoarsely, barely containing his excitement as he wanted to smash the table.
The third brother leaned closer, his voice trembling with hunger, "No one even noticed! Itâs like the ring just vanished into thin air..."
The eldest brotherâs face tightened, but even he couldnât hide the reverence and greed in his eyes.
"This is why we follow Brother Scamp," He muttered under his breath, and his voice filled with praise.
The frivolous fourth brother, his pride still stung from earlier, was the most dazzled of all. His eyes gleamed like a child before a treasure.
"Brother Scamp, youâre unstoppable! With you, weâll be richer than dukes before anyone even blinks!"
The little imp puffed up with pride at their praise, his grin stretching unnaturally wide, jagged teeth flashing in the dim tavern light. Vanity glowed from him like a crown.
He flicked his finger lightly, and the storage ring spun once before vanishing into his sleeve.
"This..." He declared, his tone laced with arrogance, "...is only the beginning. No one in this tavern can stop me."
Yet, not far from them, the cloaked drinker remained still, sipping his cup. He seemed oblivious, lost in the burn of liquor.
But behind his hood, faint ripples danced across his gaze, sharp and watchful. The Scamp Gang or no one in their entire tavern didnât have a clue that he possessed a special law sense, and it was already covering the tavern from the moment he guessed the Scamp Gangâs motives.
Every detail, every whisper, every shadow was under his terrifying perception, and he couldnât help but look at the little imp with newfound curiosity.
âUsing his shadow to steal, huh...and it leaves no trace at all. Itâs most likely his racial traits or even a bloodline talent or ability, and heâs putting it to good use, I must admit.â
His lips curved faintly around the rim of his cup,
âI never thought I would encounter such a thief in the Abyss just when I was about to leave the city. How interesting!â