Trample! Trample! Trample!
The sound of steady footsteps echoed through the corridor leading to the attic as Smith approached a large, imposing door. Before he could reach out to touch it, the door creaked open by itself, revealing the room beyond.
"Hey, hey, hey! Do you know where you are? You think you can just barge in like that?" a spoiled, childish voice suddenly interrupted him.
Smith paused, looking around. "Who's speaking?"
He scanned the room but saw no one. Then, his gaze dropped, and he finally noticed a petite girl standing by the doorway, looking up at him with a defiant expression. She had a cute, innocent appearance that made her seem like someone who'd be easy to bully.
"Where's the Red Queen, little girl?" Smith asked casually. Perhaps because the girl looked so harmless, his tone softened without him realizing it.
However, the girl immediately frowned, placing her hands on her hips and huffing angrily. "Who are you calling a little girl? I'm about the same age as you, okay?!"
Smith raised an eyebrow in surprise. This tiny thing is his age? What is she, the Tianshan Child-Grandma?
Still, he didn't want to get sidetracked. "Enough with the nonsense. Where is the Red Queen?"
"Hmph, I'm not telling you." She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side with a pout, clearly not planning to cooperate.
Smith's patience began to wear thin. He didn't care whether she was a little loli or a big loli. As long as she was part of the Twilight Auction, she was no exception. He didn't come here to play games.
Just as he took a step forward, intending to grab her and force the answer out—
"Queen, get back! Move away from him now!"
A tall, slender maid in a black cheongsam with a high slit came running over, her movements swift and graceful. She stepped protectively in front of the little girl, glaring at Smith with caution.
"You're quite handsome," the maid said, puffing out her chest proudly. "But if you have a problem, come at me instead! You're not allowed to bully the Queen!"
Smith's brows furrowed. He turned his gaze back to the small girl.
"You're the Red Queen?" he asked in disbelief.
Just this little thing?
Even if she jumped, her head probably wouldn't reach his shoulders. Was this really the infamous Red Queen?
"You really don't look like a fourth-level mutant," Smith muttered, lips curling with disbelief.
"Hehe, you don't seem all that impressive either. Haven't you noticed it yet?" the Red Queen giggled mischievously. Suddenly, a pair of soft, pink animal ears appeared on her head, and a pink glow flashed across her eyes.
In that moment, Smith's body went stiff. He found himself completely immobilized, unable to move a muscle.
"I've heard you have dual abilities," the Red Queen said smugly, walking closer with a proud smile. "What a coincidence. So do I. I've awakened beast transformation and illusion abilities."
She flicked her hair and twirled in place.
"The charm from my beast transformation, paired with the allure of my illusions, is enough to enchant even a fifth-level psychic—assuming they get close enough."
As she continued speaking, she gazed at Smith with growing interest.
"You're quite the celebrity now. Not many can make Jinghai Academy put a fifty mid-grade spirit stone bounty on their head."
She walked closer, but given her short stature, she still couldn't look Smith in the eye. With a frown, she gestured to the maid, who quickly fetched a tall chair. The Red Queen climbed up and finally reached a level where she could examine Smith face to face.
"Looking closely... yeah, you're really handsome," she whispered with a giggle. She reached out to touch his face.
But just as her hand brushed his cheek, her body suddenly tensed. Her pupils dilated in shock. She found herself pinned in place, immobilized by massive illusory wedges that nailed her to the floor.
Smith's arms moved freely as he cracked his knuckles and stretched.
"Your illusion is decent," he said calmly, "but unfortunately, you met me."
The maid panicked. "Queen!" she shouted and rushed forward.
She met the same fate.
With a single glance, Smith's Mangekyō Sharingan activated again. The maid, caught in his gaze, was immediately paralyzed by his Magical Shackle Technique, unable to move.
"You... you can use illusions too?!" the Red Queen asked in disbelief.
As a master illusionist herself, she had never encountered someone whose illusions could surpass hers. Her pride took a major blow. The fact that she, a fourth-level psychic, had been bested so easily by this man left her speechless.
She didn't know that the Sharingan was the ultimate counter to all illusions.
Had she been from any other system, Smith might have been at a disadvantage. But since her power was illusion-based, she had no chance.
"I only came to ask one question," Smith said coldly. "Did you leak the bounty on me?"
"To be precise, we sold it," the Red Queen replied, her tone more serious now. "We at Twilight Auction deal in information. It's all about supply and demand. If someone's willing to pay, we'll sell."
Now that the topic had shifted to business, her spoiled demeanor faded, replaced by the confidence of a woman who handled dangerous dealings on a daily basis.
Smith didn't believe she was just a brainless loli with a cute face. If she truly was the Red Queen, then she was a cunning and powerful figure in the underworld.
"So you're saying you'd sell your own soul for money?" Smith's tone turned icy, his eyes narrowing with menace.
"Just because Jinghai College put a bounty on my head doesn't mean I'm fair game for everyone. Take this as a warning. If you cross the line again…"
Smith's Mangekyō Sharingan spun once more.
"Tsukuyomi."
Boom!
The Red Queen's eyes trembled violently. Within moments, her small body collapsed, falling from the chair and twitching slightly on the floor. Her eyes were rolled back, and her breathing was ragged.
In the real world, only a few seconds had passed.
But inside the illusion, she had experienced an entire day and night of torment—an eternity of mental torture under the influence of Tsukuyomi.
Smith stood over her and said quietly, "That was your first warning. There won't be a second."
With that, he turned and walked away from the attic.
Downstairs, the commotion had already drawn a crowd. Many members of the Twilight Auction had gathered in front of the pavilion, alerted by the disturbance.
But when they saw the feared Red Queen lying unconscious, defeated by Smith in mere seconds, their faces went pale with shock.
This was the first time anyone had seen the Red Queen fall to illusion.
And her opponent was only a third-level psychic.
Smith walked through them slowly. The guards were frozen, glancing nervously at one another. Under the pressure of his aura, none dared block his way. One by one, they stepped aside and allowed him to leave the auction house unchallenged.
---
Smith didn't really want to destroy the Twilight Auction. His actions tonight were meant as a warning. He didn't need another powerful enemy if he could avoid it.
But...
If they chose to cross him again, he wouldn't hesitate.
Outside the building, a group of people rushed over.
"Brother Smith! Are you okay? Did that little loli Red Queen give you any trouble?" asked Wang Yan, running up with a few companions.
"Of course she did," Smith replied, dusting off his sleeves. "But I made sure she wouldn't cause trouble again. What are you doing here?"
"The president was worried you'd get hurt, so he sent us to pick you up," Wang Yan said with a grin, his slightly yellow teeth flashing. "If you hadn't come out, I was ready to charge in with my men."
Smith chuckled. "Well, I appreciate it."
"Come on, let's head back. The president's prepared a huge feast for you tonight."
Wang Yan threw an arm around Smith's shoulders, and the two walked back toward the Guangxihui territory together, their silhouettes fading into the night.
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