"SIXTY THOUSAND?!"

The entire hall shook as every gaze snapped toward VIP Room #12 in pure disbelief.

After all, Maelis hadn't just raised the price — she jumped it by fifteen thousand gold coins in one breath... it was like she was throwing away pocket change!

"What kind of crazy rich kid is that?!"

"Is she out of her mind?!"

"Are they royalty or what?!"

A few bidders slammed their fists against their armrests, veins popping from their temples, but none of them dared say anything too loud.

Even though the mask hid her identity, her voice, posture, and calm tone told everyone one thing:

She was not someone they could afford to offend.

And even worse…

She still looked relaxed.

Because of that, no one raised the price anymore. There were still many items left, and they weren't stupid enough to waste their entire fortune on a single glowing bead, no matter how rare it was.

The cheongsam lady on stage almost looked like she wanted to blow a kiss toward VIP #12. Her smile curved like a blooming flower, and her eyes sparkled with pure profit.

"Sixty thousand, going once!"

"Going twice!"

"Going thrice—"

BAM!

The wooden hammer struck down with a crisp sound that echoed through the auction hall.

"Sold! And congratulations to our honorable VIP #12 for obtaining the Soul Warming Bead!"

Swish!

A soft swirl of magic formed around the stage, and the bead inside its protective case slowly floated through the air toward their private room.

The other guests watched with jealous, burning eyes, like wolves forced to stay behind bars.

Maelis caught it with both hands, holding it as if it were a delicate piece of heaven. Then, she turned to Gray with a sweet smile and handed it to him without any hesitation.

"Here, big brother~ …Now, you owe me~," she giggled, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand while gazing mischievously into his eyes.

"Sure," Gray nodded silently, resting his chin on her shoulder before turning his head to the left, causing his hot breath to drift into her small ear.

Quiver...!

Her body visibly shivered at his actions.

"What do you want in return, my dear little sister?" he whispered again, his lips brushing slightly against the outline of her ear.

"Ah...!"

Maelis gasped, her body shivering before she could stop herself.

Her thighs uncomfortably pressed together beneath her long skirt, and she shifted around, trying to hide the sudden weakness spreading through her body.

Then, she turned to face Gray with red cheeks and a small, shy smile.

"D-don't tease me too much..."

Her voice almost fell into a whisper as she tried to keep herself dignified, but her glistening eyes said otherwise.

Gray simply leaned back, removing his arm from her waist, raising both hands as if surrendering with a soft smile.

"Alright, alright… I'll behave. I won't tease you again."

"Mhm..."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, then slowly relaxed, leaning back against his chest while focusing once more on the auction stage.

From the outside, they looked like a sweet, noble couple... even matching the image of newlyweds enjoying a romantic date.

But on the inside, the truth was rotten and deadly.

Gray's gentle smile was nothing more than a thin mask hiding a cold abyss.

He couldn't wait to kill her.

No…

Even that felt too merciful.

'I don't think that she's even worthy of dying...'

His eyes were frighteningly cold.

After that, the next items shown on stage were not anything that caught either Maelis or Gray's interest.

Most of them were rare escape treasures, things like one-time teleport scrolls that could send someone a hundred miles away, or protective items that blocked death once.

Also, the prices began to rise to terrifying numbers.

Even with the platinum coins he had left, they jumped into a level where only prestigious clans, high nobles, or hidden monsters could still raise their hands.

For Gray, nothing besides the Soul Warming Bead was worth it.

Soon, the auction came to its quiet and elegant end, and the final sound of the gavel echoed lightly across the big hall.

When they walked out, Maelis moved ahead of him with a bright mood, her steps soft and light, almost like she was skipping on clouds.

She hummed a sweet tune, swaying her hips like she was the main character of the whole market.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm~"

Her good mood was almost glowing. Then she looked back, spun around, and gave him a cute, evil little smile.

"Hehe~ Don't forget," she said softly, "you owe me now… big brother~"

Swish!

She lifted a black talisman filled with thin golden letters, whispered something, and her figure vanished from the air, leaving Gray completely alone in the middle of the masked crowd.

And the moment she disappeared, he felt multiple greedy gazes on his body.

'...At least five Grandmasters and a peak Great Grandmaster. They must have sensed the aura of the Soul Warming Bead.'

'Annoying.'

He adjusted his sleeve, lowered his chin slightly, and started walking, turning away from the auction exit.

He didn't rush outside like prey being chased, but instead, he walked normally, like someone returning from a casual shopping trip.

Then, once he reached a darker area between two tall buildings, away from the bright lanterns and curious eyes....

Fwip!

His body shot forward, disappearing into an alley filled with cold, stale air and wet stone walls.

And soon, the group of five walking behind him hurried up into the corner as well.

They slowly blocked the narrow path around him, forming a loose circle like hungry wolves smelling fresh blood.

Their auras pressed down on him without mercy, showing that every single one of them stood above his level.

One of them stepped forward, his tone filled with ugly pride.

"Kid, hand over the Soul Warming Bead if you don't want to die tonight."

"You should feel lucky we are asking first. Someone weak like you shouldn't touch a treasure like that."

"We saw you only won because that girl paid for you. So be smart, brat. Give it up."

Their eyes were full of greed, like they were already imagining themselves walking away with his treasure and his corpse forgotten in the mud.

But Gray did not answer.

He didn't even lift his eyes to look at the man speaking.

Instead, his gaze slid to the right, toward the one who had bought something very interesting at the auction.

Gray remembered the item clearly.

A small, strange crystal that could absorb one strike of damage and reflect it once. It wasn't strong enough to stop a real monster… but it was strong enough to annoy him.

His cold stare made that man's shoulders twitch for a second.

"The hell are you looking at?" the man barked, feeling strangely uncomfortable.

But Gray still said nothing, and his lack of reaction worked like oil on fire.

"Tsk… this brat—"

"He's acting tough?"

"Kill him already!"

Their voices overlapped with impatience, anger, and rising killing intent.

The man with the strange crystal finally snapped.

His anger twisted his face, and he rushed forward at full speed, stomping the ground so hard that cracks spread under his boots.

His killing intent shot out like a violent wave, thick and wild.

Gray's eyes slowly narrowed coldly.

"Brat, it's your time to die!"

Swoosh!

Thick, purple mana wrapped around the man's arms, forming giant claws that looked like a monster's hands.

His grin stretched wide, showing yellow teeth, as he slashed toward Gray with full strength, hoping to tear him apart in one blow.

But before the claws landed, he heard a calm and emotionless whisper.

"Nine Illusionary Dream Steps..."

[✧ Dream Mist ✧]

Swing!

The purple claws sliced through empty air.

Gray's body disappeared without leaving sound, shadow, or scent. It was as if his figure melted into mist.

"HEY! BEHIND YOU!"

The others shouted at the same time, their voices cracking with panic.

The man spun around with wide eyes, but all he saw was the flash of a thin, elegant rapier that reflected the faint light like a cold crescent moon.

SPLURT!

A fountain of blood sprayed upward like a broken pipe as the man's head flew off his shoulders, spinning in the air before crashing onto the ground.

Thud... thud...

It rolled slowly until it stopped at the feet of the remaining four.

"T-that speed…"

"Did he hide his real power?!"

"Monster… he's a monster!"

Even the strongest among them, the peak Great Grandmaster, didn't see when Gray moved. Gray stared at them with boredom as they were already scared for their lives.

"Weaklings…"

He lowered himself and picked up the small crystal from the corpse's pocket. The gem glowed faintly with pale blue light.

"I'll take this as payment for letting the rest of you live."

He tossed it lightly into the air once, then caught it again, as if it were nothing more than a toy.

"Bye~"

He smiled with a cold curl that promised a future death.

The next second, his figure disappeared completely.

Only a small toothbrush dropped into the dirt where he once stood, rocking slowly back and forth.

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