Following the road, Adrian arrived at a small village. The houses are made of stone and have thatched roofs, giving them a rustic charm. The village is nestled in a valley, surrounded by lush green hills.

Carriage tracks can be seen leading in and out of the village, suggesting that it is a well-traveled route.

He searched through his memories and recalled that this village is situated in the southern part of the Lutera empire and is the most traveled route by people who want to go to the city of Hatar and Lyria.

I sneaked up to the nearby house and stole the hanging clothes from the clothesline.

As I returned to the village's outskirts, I noticed the villagers going about their daily routines. I walked unsuspiciously until I arrived in front of a general store.

The bell rang as Adrian opened the door, signaling his entrance into the store. The familiar scent of spices and fresh produce filled the air.

Adrian greeted the shop owner and asked for a potion. The shop owner, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile, nodded and led Adrian to a shelf filled with various potions. He picked up eight healing potions and brought them to the shopkeeper.

"How much for these potions?" The shopkeeper glanced at the potions and replied, "Those healing potions are priced at 1 silver coin each."

"I'll take it. And how much for a hooded robe?" Adrian inquired, his eyes wandering over to a rack of robes made of high-quality linen hanging nearby.

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, assessing the quality of the robes, before answering, "A hooded robe like that would cost you 10 silver coins."

Adrian Activated his dimensional ring and brought out a handful of silver coins, seemingly unaffected by the price. The shopkeeper counted the money.

With a smile, staring at the dried blood and dirt all over my body and face the shopkeeper said, "You must have had quite the adventure to afford all this. Enjoy your purchases!"

'Not really. I just looted a guild that I destroyed.' Adrian thought to himself.

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Exiting the shop, Adrian Immediately put on the black hooded robe and put and drank two potions and placed the remaining ones inside the ring. He then proceeded to the nearby tavern.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door and was met with silence and constant stares from the people inside. Ignoring the curious gazes, Adrian walked up to the bar counter and ordered a drink.

"Grape wine."

"We don't sell nobility drinks here." the bartender replied curtly, eyeing Adrian's with disdain. Unfazed by the bartender's comment, he responded, "I'll settle for whatever you have then."

Adrian enjoyed the drink, savoring its flavor as he observed the tavern. The dimly lit room was filled with a mix of locals and weary travelers. The walls were adorned with faded paintings, and the air was thick with the scent of stale ale and old wood.

Adrian placed two silvers in front of the bartender and said. "For the drink, and give me the latest news." The bartender nodded, pocketing the coins with a grateful smile.

"Well, there's been talk of a bandit gang causing trouble on the outskirts of town," he began, leaning in closer. "Rumors say they've been targeting caravans and stealing valuable goods. Some even claim they've seen a mysterious figure leading them."

"Baron William of Hora Issued a bounty worth 50 gold coins. He seems desperate to catch that man. Here's the bounty notice.

The bartender handed over a piece of parchment with a detailed description of the wanted man. "His name is Adrian. According to that notice, his rank is unknown, but his battle prowess is at the early stages of D rank." he added, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and fear.

The bartender continued, "Rumors say that Adrian possesses extraordinary agility and stealth, making him a formidable opponent. Many believe he may have some sort of training in the art of assassination."

'Information spreads quickly.'

"What did Adrian do to receive such a bounty from the baron?" The bartender leaned in closer, his eyes darting around to ensure no one was listening.

"Word on the street is that Adrian crossed paths with the baron's daughter and kidnapped her for a ransom. Some say he destroyed a whole guild secretly owned by the baron, While others say that he massacred dozens of civilians." He paused, lowering his voice even further. "But you didn't hear that from me."

"Oh, they also said that he wields a black sword given to him by the demons. Legend has it that the sword has the power to drain the life force of its victims. Some even claim that Adrian has made a pact with the demons, granting him supernatural abilities. But don't believe such rumors, they can easily be exaggerated or fabricated."

'I maintained my cold expression beneath the hood as I listened to the exaggerated rumors being told to me by the bartender.'

"Here's another silver piece. I'm very satisfied with the information." The bartender immediately pocketed the silver piece.

He warmly smiled at me and said. "Thank you, kind sir. As a sign of gratitude, I will tell you something. Those two men right there, One merchant and one bodyguard, at the corner, they are looking for people who can guard and accompany them to the city of Hatar. They said he'll pay 8 silver for a day's travel time."

I once again thanked the bartender and made my way towards the corner of the tavern where the two men were sitting.

But as I approached them, two drunkards blocked my path. The drunkards reeked of alcohol and seemed to be in no mood for a polite conversation.

They demanded that should I buy them another round of drinks, or else something worse would happen to me.

"Hey wimp, buy us another round of drinks now!" The man shouted to me.

I could feel the eyes of the entire tavern on me, waiting to see how I would respond. As much as I wanted to avoid any trouble. I knew that giving in to their demands would only encourage their behavior.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at them and activated [Demonic stare]. Both drunkards immediately dropped to the ground, wetting themselves.

The room fell silent as everyone watched in shock. The message was clear. I wasn't someone to be messed with.

Slowly, I stepped on the drunkards on the ground and made my way towards the corner where the merchant was located.