The fox had just taken another step
when a shadow cut across her path.
Not fast.
Deliberate.
A figure landed lightly ahead of them,
feathers folding in with a soft rustle.
A beast with the head of a bird—
sharp beak,
narrow, intelligent eyes.
Shen Tu reacted first.
Straightening instantly,
his earlier awe replaced with careful respect.
"…How may we help you, miss?"
The bird-headed beast didn't look at him.
Her gaze remained fixed on the fox.
Unblinking.
"I wish to trade."
The fox didn't stop walking at first.
She simply slowed slightly,
eyes sliding toward her.
"…What do you seek?"
"Spirit stones."
Simple.
Direct.
Now the fox stopped.
A brief pause.
"…How many?"
No curiosity in her voice.
Only measurement.
The answer came clean.
"Fifty thousand."
Silence followed.
Shen Tu's breath caught.
"…Fif—"
He cut himself off,
too late.
The number had already settled.
Heavy.
Absurd.
The fox studied her for a moment.
Then, calmly—
"…And what are you offering?"
The bird-headed beast didn't hesitate.
"Me."
Silence.
Real silence.
Even the corridor seemed to pause.
Shen Tu blinked.
Once.
Twice.
The fox stared at her,
then let out a short, dry scoff.
"…Not interested."
No insult.
No curiosity.
Just dismissal.
She turned,
already moving again.
"Let's go."
Shen Tu followed immediately,
still trying to process what he had just heard.
But the bird-headed beast spoke again,
calm,
even.
"Are you sure?"
The fox didn't stop.
"You offended some big shots in the auction."
A pause.
"They won't let that slide easily."
That made the fox's ear twitch.
But she didn't turn back.
"…And what makes you think you're worth that much?"
Her voice flattened.
Cold.
She glanced over her shoulder once.
"Your body?"
"Your core?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I wouldn't even consider paying half."
The bird-headed beast didn't react.
"…Is that so."
A beat.
"Then forget I said anything."
For a moment,
it seemed like that was it.
Like she would step aside.
Let them pass.
Shen Tu relaxed slightly.
A mistake.
Because the next moment,
the air snapped.
No warning.
No buildup.
Just—
movement.
The fox's body reacted before the thought fully formed.
A flick.
A blur.
**Crack.**
Something invisible shattered against her raised paw—
a thin, needle-like projection of condensed energy
warped,
then dispersed into harmless fragments.
Right where Shen Tu's throat had been.
Silence.
Shen Tu froze completely.
Only now realizing
how close he had come to death.
The bird-headed beast stood exactly where she had been.
Unmoved.
As if nothing had happened.
But her eyes had changed.
No longer polite.
Sharp.
Cold.
Calculating.
The fox slowly lowered her paw.
Her expression remained mostly the same.
But her eyes—
had gone flat.
Quiet.
Dangerous.
"…You missed."
Her voice was soft.
Too soft.
Shen Tu stumbled back a step,
his breathing uneven.
"My Lady—"
"Stay behind me."
No emotion.
Just instruction.
Final.
The corridor around them had already begun to empty.
Not in panic,
but in awareness.
Beasts nearby felt it.
Conflict.
Danger worth avoiding.
Only a few lingered at a distance.
Watching.
Always watching.
The bird-headed beast tilted her head slightly.
"…Fast."
A pause.
"Worth observing."
The fox didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze locked onto the attacker.
Measuring.
Weighing.
Intent.
Foundation Establishment.
Not weak.
But not overwhelming.
Still,
the timing of the attack mattered more than the strength.
The fox's lips curved faintly.
Not quite a smile.
"…So that's your trade?"
She stepped forward.
Calm.
"Fifty thousand spirit stones…"
Another step.
"…for a liability that attacks its own buyer?"
The bird-headed beast didn't flinch.
Didn't retreat.
"…A test."
Simple.
Flat.
"Those who fail it die."
The fox exhaled softly through her nose.
Half amused.
Half annoyed.
"And those who pass?"
A pause.
"…Get stabbed in the back later?"
No answer.
Which was an answer.
Little White floated slightly higher,
golden eyes narrowing faintly.
Still drinking.
But watching.
The fox's tail stilled completely.
Decision made.
"…You chose the wrong target."
Her voice dropped.
Not louder.
Just heavier.
The kind of weight that settled into bone.
The bird-headed beast shifted slightly.
Ready now.
No more pretense.
Because the moment had passed.
This wasn't negotiation anymore.
This was intent.
And the fox had no interest in buying problems she could simply remove.
Little White didn't even look concerned.
But his voice slid through the link, low.
*It's a trap.*
A pause.
*Baiting you.*
The fox's eyes never left the bird-headed beast.
Her reply came just as calmly.
*I know.*
A faint curl touched her lips.
*It's too obvious.*
She stepped forward.
Light.
Measured.
*That's why I want to see it.*
Her gaze sharpened.
"Trying to peck what isn't yours…"
A pulse of light answered her will,
and two massive jade blades tore into existence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Humming with dense spiritual pressure.
"…you shouldn't have reached."
They moved instantly.
No warning.
No testing.
Just—
cut.
The air split.
Twin arcs of jade light crashed toward the bird-headed beast—
fast,
brutal,
precise.
But she moved.
Sharp.
Clean.
Her body twisted,
feathers snapping tight,
slipping between the strikes.
One blade grazed past.
The other—
**clang.**
Deflected.
A clawed hand struck its flat,
redirecting just enough to avoid the edge.
The fox didn't stop.
Didn't blink.
Her fingers flicked—
and the blades turned mid-air.
Curving back.
Hunting.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Relentless.
Controlled.
The corridor shifted.
Not into chaos—
into attention.
"—They're fighting—"
"—Inside the Hollow—?!"
"—Who's insane enough—"
Beasts pulled back,
clearing space,
but not leaving.
Never leaving.
Because this was worth watching.
The bird-headed beast moved sharply,
dodging,
deflecting,
forced back under the pressure.
Not overwhelmed—
but engaged.
The fox's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Seventh layer.*
Stronger than expected.
Good.
Her blades pressed harder.
Angles shifting.
Speed increasing.
Testing.
Pushing.
And then—
it came.
No warning.
No sound.
Just—
pressure.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Like the mountain itself had decided to press down.
The fox's body stilled for a fraction of a moment.
Her blades halting mid-motion.
Not by choice.
By force.
Her smile returned.
Slow.
Knowing.
"…There you are."
The jade blades vanished,
recalled instantly.
Because she already understood.
This wasn't the bird anymore.
This was something else.
Around them,
every beast in the corridor reacted.
Heads lifted.
Eyes widened.
Silence fell completely.
Because they felt it too.
That presence.
That weight.
That authority.
The fox tilted her head slightly
and looked up.
Others followed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Because some instincts ran deeper than thought.
And standing above,
at the bend where the corridor opened into a higher platform,
was a figure.
Still.
Unmoving.
Watching.
No display.
No flaring aura.
And yet—
everything bowed to it.
The Keeper.
Shen Tu saw it—
and broke.
His legs gave out instantly,
dropping hard to his knees.
"…K-Keeper…"
His voice trembled,
barely sound.
More breath than speech.
His head lowered without thought.
Because this was not something you stood before.
The fox didn't kneel.
Didn't bow.
Didn't move.
She simply looked.
Eyes steady.
Smile faint.
Because now,
the real part of the trap
had finally revealed itself.