Arlo walked happily down the roads under the cold night sky, his laughter echoing through the quiet streets. "Heh heh~," he giggled to himself, a bag of coins clutched in one hand and his grimoire in the other.

With each step, the coins clattered within the bag, indicating a substantial amount of wealth. Arlo had acquired this bag by exchanging the corpses of the shadow wolves he had slain.

"So this is a silver coin..." Arlo muttered, pulling out one of the coins from the bag. He inspected the coin closely as he walked, a big smile plastered on his face.

The silver coin was half the size of Arlo's palm and bore an emblem at its very center. The emblem depicted two dragons intertwined with one another, representing the kingdom of Jarha itself. According to the guild worker who had assisted him, these coins were accepted throughout the kingdom, in the many different cities that belonged to it.

It seemed that in this world, the currency was unified in the Jarha Kingdom. Meaning the entire kingdom used the same currency, called Jarha coins, which was regulated by the royal family of Jarha.

"Thirty silver Jarha Coins in total, which means around five silver Jarha coins per corpse," Arlo mused, opening the bag and peering inside. "However, it would have been more if I hadn't taken the mana crystals for myself."

Inside the bag, nestled among the coins, were six small crystals, each roughly the same size as the silver pieces. They were dark in color, with an ominous energy glowing within them. These tiny crystals could be found inside the bodies of monsters and could be extracted.

Arlo had been told that the crystals had many uses, from enchanting and reinforcing weapons to being processed and used as catalysts for various items. They were quite valuable.

Not every monster possessed a mana crystal, but in the many cases where they did, Adventurers would be able to make good use out of them. It also seemed that each mana crystal had its own unique worth, with some being more valuable and pure than others, although Arlo wasn't exactly sure what determined that.

"I should've asked him for some more information..." Arlo muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. "Oh well. I'll just ask next time." He shrugged off the missed opportunity as he was still in a good mood.

Having walked for quite a while, Arlo scanned his surroundings, searching for a suitable alley. After spotting one that seemed to fit his needs, he quickly made his way over and entered the narrow passage. To his relief, the alley was empty, just as he had hoped.

"This looks like a good spot..." he murmured, venturing deeper into the alley while opening his grimoire to the page containing the very first spell. "I've spent quite a bit of time here, but I suppose it's time I head back home."

Arlo had accomplished his initial objective for visiting this world. He had successfully tested his intermediate and advanced class spells in combat and had gained valuable knowledge about this parallel world. Now that he had finished what he set out to do, he planned to return home and begin implementing his strategy to earn some money.

The first step in his plan was to visit the hunters association and find an F-rank gate to clear. With his current level of strength, Arlo was confident that he would have no problem tackling such a challenge.

'Clearing a gate should earn me quite a bit of money,' he thought to himself. 'Speaking of money, now that I think about it, can't I trade silver for cash? I guess it depends on its purity, but I should be able to exchange these coins for my world's currency, shouldn't I? I'll have to check up on that when I'm back.'

Arlo tilted his head upward, gazing at one of the three moons visible from within the alley. A smile played on his lips as he reflected on his time in this world.

"I enjoyed my time here, and I'll definitely be back soon..." he muttered, before shifting his focus back to the spell page in his grimoire.

"Alright then... Beyond the bounds of—"

Just as Arlo began his incantation, his concentration was shattered by an unexpected interruption. Out of nowhere, an object came flying towards him from the distance. It collided against his barrier and dropped to the ground with a clatter.

Whilst confused, his eyes widened as he glanced down at the ground, spotting a steel dagger lying mere inches from his barrier.

"Tsk, a barrier? I was aiming for his legs so he wouldn't be able to run, but the fucker turned out to be a mage." a man's voice growled from the shadows.

Arlo turned around to face the source of the voice, his heart pounding in his chest as three menacing figures emerged from the alley entrance, blocking any chance of escape.

On the left stood a scrawny man of average height, his black hair falling in bangs that obscured his eyes. Despite his slim build, he carried a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back, his stance poised and ready.

To the far right loomed a towering, burly man with a shaved head and a thick neck. His flat nose, small eyes, and protruding jaw gave him a brutish appearance, further emphasized by the brass knuckles he wore.

The leader of the group stood at the center, his moderately long green hair falling to his ears, which were adorned with numerous piercings. His mischievous green eyes locked onto Arlo as he pointed a single dagger in his direction, his slim athletic build tensed and ready for action.

'Ah... these guys are definitely thugs. I'm about to get robbed, aren't I?' Arlo thought to himself, cold sweat trickling down his face as he took a cautious step back.

"Hey, beginner mage. Drop that bag of coins that you have and walk away. We'll let you live," the leader demanded, his voice dripping with malice.

Arlo's suspicions were confirmed—they were trying to rob him.

[New Quest Unlocked.]

[Quest Title: The Thug Encounter.]

[Quest Objective: Defeat the group of thugs which stand in your path.]

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Arlo met the leader's gaze and asked, "And if I refuse?"

The man at the center smirked, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "You don’t want to know.”

Arlo's gaze flickered between the bag of money and the menacing thugs. In this unfamiliar world, he had yet to face off against any of its residents, so the safer bet would be to hand over the coins and walk away unscathed.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

However...

"Alright, let me think about it for a moment..." Arlo muttered, abruptly turning his back on the thugs.

The men exchanged confused glances before focusing their attention on Arlo's back, their faces visibly irritated by his unexpected behavior.

"Think? There's nothing to think about... Wait—" The leader's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. In a flash, he broke into a sprint, his dagger poised to strike as he closed the distance between himself and Arlo. "That fucker, he's chanting! Don't let him finish!" he yelled.

The others followed suit, but the leader's overwhelming speed allowed him to reach Arlo first. With a swift swing of his dagger, he aimed for Arlo's back, only to be met with a sudden resistance as his blade collided with an invisible barrier, knocking his arm back.

'Fuck! That's a hard barrier!' the thought raced through his mind as he leaped onto the wall and kicked off, striking at the barrier from a different angle. Despite his efforts, the dagger bounced back again without leaving a single scratch on the barrier's surface.

"Tsk." The leader clicked his tongue mid-air, his gaze shifting to the tall, burly man who had reached the barrier. With his muscular arms pulled back and brass knuckles gleaming, he swung his fist with all his might.

Bam!

The impact resounded through the alley, and a small crack appeared on the barrier, but it remained standing.

'What?! Even Burlo couldn't break it?!' The leader's mind raced as he watched Burlo wind up for a second punch. 'We need to hurry!'

The leader leapt to Burlo's side of the barrier, intent on striking through the same angle, but it was too late. Arlo had already turned around, his hand extended towards the thugs, a brown magic circle forming beneath his feet.

"Heed my call, intermediate-class Earth Magic: Quagmire—"

[MP: 65% -> 64%]

As the thugs struck the barrier, causing the cracks to spread, the ground beneath their feet transformed into a soft, boggy substance. Their legs sank into the earth, and before they could react, the ground hardened, trapping them in place and rendering them immobile.

"B-Boss!" Burlo yelled, his voice laced with concern.

"S-Shit! Rusk!" The leader called out, glancing back at the third member of their group who had been bringing up the rear.

Like his companions, Rusk's feet had also sunk into the ground. However, he remained focused, his bow fully drawn and aimed at the cracked portion of the barrier.

'As long as he shatters the barrier, we'll be able to hit him—' the thought raced through the leader's mind as Rusk released the arrow.

The arrow whistled through the air, striking the barrier precisely where the cracks had formed, causing them to spread even further. It seemed that the barrier was just a single hit away from shattering.

Seeing this, Rusk quickly drew another arrow, preparing to launch a second shot, but it was already too late. Arlo had reached the end of the second spell he had been chanting.

"Intermediate Class Wind Magic: Wind Bullet."

[MP: 64% -> 63%]

A green magic circle manifested in front of Arlo's outstretched finger, aimed directly at the thugs. The surrounding air began to gather and compress into three small spheres. Fear clouded the expressions of the leader and Burlo as they called out to their archer.

"Rusk!"

Bang!

There was no saving them. The compressed wind spheres shot out, resembling bullets, and crashed against each of the thugs' foreheads. The impact caused their bodies to bend backward, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.

[Quest Complete.]

"Haa... for a second there, I thought I was a goner..." Arlo sighed, staring at the quest complete screen. "It was my first time in this sort of situation, so I got scared and forgot to reinforce my barrier. I went straight to chanting instead," he continued with a frightened smile, examining the nearly shattered state of his barrier.

Taking the experience as a lesson to learn from, Arlo walked over to the three unconscious thugs. After confirming that they were knocked out cold, he opened his book in search of a spell.

"Now then, how shall I deal with them..." he muttered.

-

A minute had passed, and the three thugs were secured to the wall by earthen ropes, while their legs were bound to the floor by similar constraints. Arlo had used an earth binding spell to immobilize them, ensuring that they are unable to retaliate after waking up.

'Alright, this should serve as some punishment,' Arlo thought to himself, surveying his handiwork. 'These guys are probably going to harbor some resentment towards me when they wake up, so killing them would probably be the safest bet. But that could bring a lot of complications...'

For starters, Arlo knew little to nothing about the laws of this kingdom. One thing that was very likely, however, was that murder was a crime, especially in the middle of the city. In this case, killing them might've been considered self-defense, but it wasn't guaranteed. Arlo wasn't sure if the laws in this kingdom would see it that way.

While there was no one around to witness him killing the three thugs, Arlo couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone found out. Would it cause him more problems in the long run?

Having just arrived in this other world, the last thing he wanted was to be chased down as a criminal. It was like that feeling of traveling to a foreign country and wanting to avoid causing any issues as a foreigner.

'Besides, even if that's not the case, I'd rather not have to kill anyone, if it can be avoided. I'm already dealing with enough nightmares as is.' Arlo reasoned. 'Not to mention, I'm a little grateful. Thanks to them, I was able to complete another quest, gain some combat experience.'

Coming to that conclusion, Arlo decided that the best punishment for them would be to leave them stuck and bound to the wall. It would serve as a lesson and a reminder of the consequences of their actions.

"Let's hope they don't try anything after this, for their own good…" Arlo muttered, opening the grimoire and flipping it to the first page. "Time to head back..."

He began chanting the spell that had been previously interrupted, his voice steady as he focused his magic. The unconscious figures of the trio he had knocked out remained slumped against the wall, oblivious to the powerful magic being cast mere feet away from them.

"Heed My Call... Divine-Class Dimension Magic: World Transportation”

The moment he finished the chant, the golden magic circle beneath him let out a bright glow, and in the next instant, his figure faded without leaving any trace of him behind in the alley.

Meanwhile, Vielle, who had been spectating the entire scene while seated on the roof of a house in the far distance, suddenly stood up. A nervous smile played on her lips as she stared at the area where Arlo had been standing just moments ago.

"D-Did he say Divine-Class Magic? One of the highest tiers of magic a person can achieve..." Vielle muttered, her voice quivering with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "You're telling me he can use a spell like that, without even possessing a mana core...?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself, her mind racing with the implications of what she had just witnessed. Vielle looked over at the spot where Arlo had vanished, trying to make sense of the extraordinary display of magic.

"And that incantation... just what was that?" she wondered aloud. "That wasn't 'silent casting.' I could hear the words he said clearly, but I couldn't understand a single word from the chant. I could understand the chants for all of his other spells clearly, but not this one... how is that possible?"

And that wasn't the only thing that baffled her. She had overheard another crucial word.

'World transportation... I'm certain he said that. His presence completely vanished from the area... Since it involves dimensions, could it mean exactly what the name implies and involve transporting him through worlds?'

Vielle's eyes began to sparkle, her mind and heart racing as she continued to stare in the direction where Arlo had disappeared.

'Another world... does something like that really exist?' She wondered, the wind gentle tousling her silver hair as she stood on the roof's edge. 'If... If it does then... I would like to see it.'