The tension in the air lightened in an instant, like a tight string being gently loosened. A breeze whispered through the hills, carrying with it a simple question:
"You want to take on the thieves?"
The Forum Master, ever calm and calculating, responded with a slight smirk, "Thieves provide more than just a challenge. They're like walking treasure chests of experience points. If handled right, they're just as good as killing monsters. Maybe better. You get gear drops too."
The breeze across the hills wasn't convinced. "Sure, but the journey's long, and the process is... let's say, far from easy."
William, hearing the exchange, couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration. It wasn't that he didn't 'want' to deal with thieves; it was that his methods, try as he might, weren't efficient.
