Chapter 28: meeting Scarlet again

At the front courtyard of Smith Villa,smith accompanied by Velvet pushing his wheelchair and Harold trailing closely behind. They were escorting Alex to the vehicle waiting to pick him up. Along the way, Alex said to Smith, "What I have taught you so far is only the basics of what we currently know about the dungeons. As for the rest of the knowledge, you will to discover them step by step. I didn’t want to dump too much information on you all at once and cause confusion. Please forgive me if it wasn’t enough."

​Hearing this, Smith shook his head. "Mr. Alex, you don’t have to worry. What you’ve already done for me is more than enough, and you even sacrificed your own personal time to stay with me these past three days. I am deeply grateful."

​Alex simply smiled. After saying their goodbyes, the driver opened the back door, and Alex stepped inside. Once Alex gave a final wave to Smith, the car drove off.

​Smith watched the vehicle leave the villa grounds, reflecting on the past three days. Ever since Alex arrived, he had stayed at the villa, teaching Smith all the fundamentals regarding dungeons, discoverable items, and even sharing classified details usually reserved for core members. Smith was immensely grateful. It might have seemed trivial, but Smith realized how respectful it was for a GrandMaster-rank chess player to personally instruct him.

​During this time, Smith had also observed that although he was under the protection of the Browns family, personnel from the other six families had been stationed inside the villa as well. From cooks, maids, and servants to guards, the estate was overcrowded, and they had even sent additional vehicles. Smith felt that if he gathered them all into a single convoy, it would look like a presidential escort. Each family had sent a Master-rank chess players to act as his personal bodyguards. He had even asked them to reduce their numbers, warning that the villa would start feeling like a school dormitory if they kept adding people. Yet, many still remained.

​Smith decided to head back inside. Since it was nearly evening, they went straight to the dining room for dinner. Afterward, Smith summoned Harold and Diana. Upon entering, both bowed in unison. "What are your instructions, Master?"

​"I will be attending to something important," Smith instructed. "Make sure no one disturbs me. If anyone asks for me, tell them I am busy. Since I don’t know how long I will take, simply repeat that I am unavailable."

​"Yes, Master," they replied in unison before taking their leave.

​Smith then went to his master bedroom with Velvet, closing the door behind them. Because he had already discussed his plan with Velvet, she knew what needed to be done. Without a word, she assisted Smith onto the bed and positioned him comfortably.

​Smith closed his eyes and sent Velvet into his spiritual space first. Shortly after, he entered the trial space himself and retrieved the Access Key. This key was one of the rewards he had earned from the Awakening Trial. Previously, he lacked a complete understanding of these items and refrained from using them without gathering more information. However, when he questioned Alex earlier, Alex mentioned that while such items were rare, they were not entirely unique, as players occasionally obtained them. The Browns had accumulated substantial knowledge about various trial items over the decades, giving Smith the confidence he needed to finally test his rewards.

​He returned to the white void—the trial space Brin had explained to him after he completed the Awakening Trial. Typically,dimension trials attached themselves directly to the main timeline, causing both timelines to coexist and manifest as a marked trial ground that could be re-entered for future trials. While Smith wanted to return to that world, he didn’t want to do so under trial conditions. Instead, he intended to use the Access Key—his reward from the third evaluation—which granted him entry to the trial ground without triggering a formal trial. Though his time there would be limited, it would be sufficient for his purpose.

​With a thought, he summoned the Access Key from his inventory, and it materialized before him. Inside the trial space, he opened his interface and navigated to the "Trial Grounds" section. Currently, the list displayed only a single entry labeled Serial Number 1. He mentally applied the Access Key to the listed trial ground, and just like his previous experiences, he felt a violent pulling sensation. Though he had undergone the transition twice before, it remained thoroughly uncomfortable.

​When he opened his eyes, the interface displayed a countdown indicating he had only one hour to stay. Recognizing the strict time limit, he attempted to step forward, only to realize something was wrong—his body was translucent. After adjusting his focus, he realized he existed in a ghost-like state rather than a physical form.

​Curious, Smith attempted to summon Velvet. To his surprise, Velvet materialized beside him in full physical form. When Velvet saw Smith’s spectral condition, she panicked slightly, but Smith quickly pacified her, reassuring her that it was normal. Reminding her of their limited time, they immediately left the room.

​Outside, they encountered several guards. The guards were stunned to see Velvet, and one immediately ran off to report the sighting. This reaction did not surprise Smith; because the dimension’s time was synchronized with the main timeline and Velvet had been in his Queen for over five days, she had effectively been missing from the palace for over five days.

​Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. A woman with silky white hair, striking red eyes, a mature face, and a curvaceous figure arrived, wearing an elegant red noble dress. It was none other than Scarlet herself. Although less than a week had passed since Smith last saw her, he was always struck by her striking appearance. While Velvet was equally beautiful, she still retained a youthful, immature aura compared to Scarlet.

​Seeing Velvet, Scarlet looked visibly relieved and rushed forward to hug her daughter. "Where have you been all these days? I was terrified! We searched the entire palace for you!"

​Velvet remained silent. Smith cleared his throat to draw attention to himself. Scarlet turned, noticing the translucent figure beside her daughter.

​"I assume you are Smith?" Scarlet asked.

​Smith was surprised; he had intended to catch her off guard, yet she had already guessed his identity. "How did you know it was me?"

​Scarlet looked at him with an amused expression. "To be honest, you are the most mysterious person I have ever encountered. I’ve met so-called prophets before, but to me, they were just tricksters using deceptive words to earn money. The events surrounding you defy all common sense—including Velvet’s sudden disappearance alongside her group. When Velvet vanished this time, I searched for her out of motherly duty, but because you previously mentioned you would return, I am not entirely surprised."

​Smith nodded. "We can reminisce later. I can only remain in this state for a very short time. Could you call the person who were with Velvet during that incident when they vanished into the training trial?"

​Scarlet didn’t waste time and immediately dispatched her guards to retrieve the nearest person. As they waited, Scarlet asked, "What are you planning to do? Can you return again?"

​"I can return, but I don’t know when," Smith replied. "As for what I’m doing now, I intend to take the another one back to my world, just like Velvet. However, because my time is short, I can only take who is the nearest to be contacted."

​Checking his interface, Smith saw that only a few minutes remained on his countdown. Anxiety set in. He knew that once he returned to the main world, he would be extremely busy, as Peter and the others were waiting for him to give him their tasks.

​After tense minutes of waiting, footsteps finally echoed from a distance. Smith let out a sigh of relief—someone was coming.