Just two weeks ago, the largest local spice merchant purchased a shipment of pepper.
As soon as the goods arrived at the dock, they were stolen by a group of bandits.
The police have been investigating for a long time, but have made no progress.
The merchant's owner has lost confidence in the police's effectiveness.
He has simply offered a reward for the capture of the thieves and the recovery of the stolen pepper.
It's been almost two weeks since the notice was posted.
Many adventurers and bounty hunters are interested.
However, upon hearing that the mastermind is "One-Eye" Jason, they all back off.
"One-Eye" Jason, the leader of a bandit gang active in the mountains of Quinte Island, is said to be a strong and brutal half-orc.
He commands over a dozen desperate men.
He is also a sorcerer apprentice, and quite powerful!
Who but a legitimate sorcerer would dare to provoke such a band of thugs?!
However, sorcerers like Ms. Sora, who had nothing to do with the matter, had no reason to intervene.
So, to this day, Jason's band of thieves remains at large.
…
Two months later, Allen returned to the hot spring valley where he had hunted the basilisk.
Taking advantage of the spring's warmth and blooming flowers, he gathered medicinal herbs and poisons to aid in the cultivation of his poisonous demon bloodline.
To facilitate his herbal collection, Allen periodically cast the zero-level magic "Virus Detection."
In the complex brush and rock crevices, he explored the toxin's reaction.
This tactic proved effective.
Along the way, he discovered many rare medicinal herbs and poisonous insects.
It was almost noon when Allen reached the depths of the valley.
An unprecedentedly strong toxin reaction was detected by accident!
"Hmm? Something's wrong!"
Alan immediately became alert.
A poisonous plant growing normally in the wild would never trigger such a strong and concentrated magical response!
A large amount of Level 2 toxin, concentrated in a single cubic meter of space—what did this mean?
It was most likely a man-made, highly toxic substance!
Alan narrowed his eyes slightly, his previously relaxed state of mind suddenly becoming excited!
Following the spell's guidance, he passed through the dense forest ahead and discovered a cave.
Dense vines cascaded down the stone walls, obscuring the cave's entrance like a green curtain.
It looked like a deliberately constructed barrier, specifically designed to conceal the cave.
Alan quickly checked his equipment.
A dagger, a crossbow, a bag of lime, and a blasting bottle.
Everything was conveniently placed.
Gently lifting the vine curtain, Alan slipped into the cave.
The cave tunnel twisted and turned deep.
The further he went, the wider the space became.
Stalactites overhead occasionally dripped water.
Stalagmites, jagged and uneven, grew on the ground.
A typical karst landscape.
A large natural cave with a hidden world within.
Deep within the cave, a faint flicker of fire could be seen, and the sounds of quarreling could be heard.
Alan clung to the cave wall, sneaking under the cover of shadows.
At the end of the tunnel lay a remarkably empty dome.
Two groups were facing each other.
One group, judging by their attire and demeanor, was clearly a group of bandits.
There were eleven men, the leader standing nearly two meters tall.
He wore an eye patch and had a greenish hue to his skin.
His face was ferocious, like a wild beast's.
A pair of fangs bared from the corners of his lips.
He carried a sharp battle axe slung across his back!
Seeing his face, Alan immediately thought of the legendary bandit leader.
"One-Eyed" Jason!
Opposite Jason's group, there were ten men.
Nine of them were heavily armed, looking like mercenaries.
There was also a short, fat, middle-aged man in a robe, presumably the mercenaries' employer.
Curious, Alan hid in a dark corner and eavesdropped.
The matter was simple.
The short, fat man's name was Dubin, the second-largest spice merchant in Quint Harbor.
For years, his rival, a man named Marco, had been bullying him, using every possible means to crush his business.
Mr. Dubin was consumed by hatred and constantly searching for an opportunity to exact revenge on Marco.
Recently, he learned that Marco had imported a shipment of pepper, and a ruthless plan immediately occurred to him.
He approached Jason's gang, with whom he had collaborated twice before, and hired them to raid Marco's warehouse at the docks and steal two large barrels of pepper.
After their seizure, they smuggled the pepper into the mountains overnight and hid it in this hidden cave.
After the incident died down, Dubin would lead his men to transport the pepper and settle the commission.
Today was the day for both parties to settle accounts.
But Jason suddenly changed his mind.
The reason was that three of his brothers had been killed during the robbery.
This compensation was a significant sum.
Dubin had to foot the bill!
Of course, Doberman wasn't happy.
This clause hadn't even been included in the original contract.
Raising the price and breaking the rules was unacceptable!
The two sides argued endlessly over this matter.
The atmosphere in the cave was tense, but neither side dared to actually fight.
Jason's gang was certainly fierce, and Doberman's guards were also mercenaries who lived on the edge of a knife.
The mercenary captain, in particular, was no less powerful than Jason.
The two factions were evenly matched.
A conflict would inevitably result in mutual destruction.
Mutual fear meant a fight wouldn't happen.
However, this was only superficial.
Alan, watching from the sidelines, could already sense a deeper conspiracy!
The profiteer Doberman had brought the thieves two barrels of rum.
He claimed it was a reward. In reality, Doberman had already poisoned one of the barrels!
This profiteer, not to mention the compensation, didn't even want to pay the agreed-upon commission; he'd already planned to silence the witness!
Alan dared to make such a bold judgment.
Because, with the help of magic, he'd already detected the poison in the wine.
It was a Level 2 poison, enough to kill in one glass!
The poison reaction he'd accidentally detected outside the cave had originated from the barrel.
Just as Alan predicted.
Doberman's fuss over the compensation was actually a deliberate attempt to sow confusion and paralyze Jason's group.
After a while of arguing, he finally gave in.
Jason, unwilling to offend his old customer, wisely backed down a little.
Thus, the two sides reached a consensus.
On top of the agreed commission, an additional 30% would be added as compensation.
A deal is done, and harmony brings wealth.
The atmosphere in the cave gradually relaxed.
It was time to drink and chat.
Doberman turned and winked at the mercenary captain.
The captain understood.
He opened one of the barrels and invited his men to drink.
The bandits couldn't help but smack their lips and look enviously at the mercenaries drinking.
"Doberman! Don't be stingy, give us brothers some good wine too!"
Jason, the one-eyed orc, was also tempted by the wine bug.
"No problem!"
Doberman waved his hand cheerfully.
The mercenary captain pried open another barrel.
The strong liquor within exuded an alluring aroma.
Add to that the distinctive caramel aroma of rum.
It completely masked the scent of the poison.
Doberman's carefully selected poison would only be fatal when mixed with alcohol.
Furthermore, it would take at least fifteen minutes for the poison to take effect after consumption.
It was highly toxic and had a delayed onset, making it perfect for ambushing bandits!
As he wished, Jason was the first to raise his glass.
However, the course of events was beyond Doberman's expectations.
As soon as the liquor entered his mouth, Jason's expression changed dramatically!
With a loud puff, it gushed out!