Overlord: Welcoming the Birth of the King
Chapter 26: Speculation, Four Magic Scrolls, and an Unexpected Ambush

Tang Zheng seemed to be taking too long browsing. 

The mage named Vara had already snapped out of his thoughts, showing impatience on his face as he looked at Tang Zheng: "Have you made your choice yet?" 

Hearing the question, 

Tang Zheng finally lifted his gaze from the book and raised his head: "I've decided. I just have one more question to ask." 

"Go ahead." 

Vara's expression softened slightly as he took back the manual and spoke indifferently. 

"I noticed there are two types of magic scrolls for 'Papermaking.' Could you explain the difference?" Tang Zheng asked curiously. 

While flipping through the manual, Tang Zheng had discovered that "Papermaking," this unique otherworldly magic, had both zero-tier and first-tier scrolls. 

Since zero-tier magic was exclusive to this world, encountering the same magic at different tiers was a first for Tang Zheng, sparking his curiosity. 

Could people in this world really develop life magic up to the first tier? 

It was important to note! 

In the game "YGGDRASIL," magic tiers were fixed. 

Whether you were level 100 or level 20, casting a first-tier spell made no fundamental difference—though the power might vary based on "magic attack" stats, the essence remained unchanged. 

There were exceptions, like the third-tier spell "Fireball"! 

This spell could increase in power and range based on how much mana the caster invested! 

But a third-tier spell would always be a third-tier spell—that couldn't be altered. 

For instance, the Bone King and other floor guardians of the "Tomb of Nazarick" possessed skills like "Low-Tier Magic Immunity," which could completely nullify "Fireball." 

Thus, 

In "YGGDRASIL," to hunt a level 100 player, you needed at least eighth-tier magic. 

"Not much difference." 

"If I had to say, first-tier 'Papermaking' scrolls produce whiter, finer, and better-quality paper—perfect for writing." 

Vara answered lazily, clearly uninterested in elaborating, while giving Tang Zheng a look that said it was time to make a purchase. 

Hearing this, 

A startling idea suddenly popped into Tang Zheng's mind, surprising even himself. 

Suppressing the thought, 

Tang Zheng briefly considered before speaking: "Give me one zero-tier 'Papermaking' and one 'Warming' scroll." 

"Then one first-tier 'Odorless' and one 'Magic Arrow' scroll." 

Upon hearing Tang Zheng's choices, 

Vara finally nodded and stood up, heading toward the back. 

Behind the counter was a wall adorned with a few paintings, yet Vara walked straight toward it— 

Under Tang Zheng's gaze, Vara phased right through the wall and vanished. 

"A magic barrier? I couldn't tell at all." Tang Zheng was taken aback. 

Before long, 

Vara returned with four scrolls in hand. 

"Two zero-tier scrolls: two gold coins." 

"One first-tier 'Odorless' scroll: one gold and ten silver coins. 'Magic Arrow' scroll: three gold and ten silver coins." 

"Total: seven gold and seven silver coins." 

Vara laid the scrolls before Tang Zheng. 

Hiss! 

The prices made Tang Zheng's eye twitch. After a brief hesitation, he pulled eight gold coins from his pocket and placed them on the table. 

Even though both were first-tier scrolls, the offensive "Magic Arrow" cost nearly three times as much as "Odorless." 

Vara gave Tang Zheng a slightly surprised look but said nothing, collecting the coins and handing back six silver in change. 

Currently, Tang Zheng had 14 gold, 7 silver, and 4 copper left—not much, but enough for his next purchases. 

After storing the scrolls and coins, Tang Zheng turned to leave. 

Exiting the Mage Guild's doors, 

A thought crossed Tang Zheng's mind, and he stashed all the scrolls into his item box while quickening his pace back to his inn. 

He needed to test his earlier hypothesis. 

By now, the sun had fully set. 

The streets had darkened completely. Though lamps lit the square, they were spaced far apart, providing just enough light to see the path. 

Perhaps because this was a border city, the streets were already deserted at this hour. 

Tap! 

Tap! 

Suddenly, a figure emerged from a nearby alley, twirling a dagger and deliberately stepping heavily. 

Tang Zheng frowned and slowed his pace. 

Because it wasn't just the person ahead—another figure had appeared behind him, blocking his retreat. 

"Hey kid, how about buying us a drink?" 

The figure ahead stepped out of the shadows—a masked man in black, wielding a dagger. 

The figure behind remained silent, standing in the middle of the road, which Tang Zheng found even more unsettling. 

"Looks like I'm being robbed," Tang Zheng mused aloud while strategizing. 

"No, no." 

"We just want you to buy us a drink—and lend us some money," the dagger-wielding thief said, spreading his arms and shrugging. 

The silent figure at the back felt far more dangerous. 

"How did you know I had money?" 

Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes, discreetly drawing his shortsword under his cloak, then continued: 

"The Mage Guild? Unlikely." 

"They'd have no reason to do this. Besides, I just left. Given their pride, even if they were short on cash, they wouldn't bother with my meager funds." 

"And I only arrived in E-Rantel today, so..." 

Tang Zheng sneered, having pieced it together: "You've been tailing me since I entered the city, right?" 

If his guess was correct, 

These two must have spotted him when Dosali, leader of the Rock team, handed him the money pouch. 

In fact, they probably targeted lone travelers entering E-Rantel regularly. 

"Oh, clever kid." 

"Then let's cut the crap. Hand over all your magic scrolls and money, and we'll let you live." 

"Otherwise!" 

The dagger thief grinned, his voice turning icy: "I won't mind chopping off your legs and selling you as a slave, you black-haired bastard." 

"I bet a dark-haired faith caster who can use 'Low-Tier Healing' would fetch a pretty price." 

Tang Zheng's expression darkened instantly. 

Had his information been leaked? 

Aside from the Rock team, only Lizzy Barayalev and her grandmother knew he could use healing magic. 

Neither had any reason to betray him. 

First, he could rule out the Barayalevs. As for the Rock team—not only had he saved their leader's life, but they'd also wanted him to join them. 

They wouldn't have leaked his details either. 

An accidental slip? 

Unlikely. The Rock team was a silver-rank adventurer group—they had professional standards. They wouldn't be easily tricked into revealing secrets. 

After some thought, the Rock team still seemed the only possibility... Wait. 

Actually, 

More people knew about his healing magic—back at the royal capital's Adventurer Guild, many had witnessed him casting it! 

The dagger thief wasn't just after his money—he wanted to enslave him. 

This modus operandi— 

"Eight Fingers!" 

Tang Zheng suddenly uttered the name. 

The dagger-twirling thief froze mid-motion.