Chapter 54: the missed opportunities

After Scarlet issued her threat, the chaotic corridor fell completely silent. Satisfied that everything had finally calmed down, she returned to Smith’s side and said, "Alright, we can go now."

​The two of them stepped out from behind the soldiers’ defensive formation. As soon as they cleared the line, the five contestants who had been competing against each other immediately gathered behind Scarlet and Smith.

​Although Smith was still in his projection-like spiritual state, the girls could clearly see him. Looking at them now, Smith noticed that each of the five girls wore a different style and set of armor. Some wore full helmets, others wore half-masks, while a few wore no headgear at all. But despite the armor, Smith recognized their faces and hair colors. These were the remaining girls he had left behind when they were young—now fully grown into formidable, mighty warriors capable of laying siege to an entire front line of well-equipped soldiers.

​Earlier, he had seen Velvet and Brenda in combat, but back then, they were only fighting untrained, low-level creatures like ratmen. While those battles hadn’t been completely effortless, the girls had clearly held the upper hand against,those mindless beasts. Seeing them now, successfully pressing against a well-trained, heavily armored army without hesitation, Smith truly realized how much they had grown. They were no longer the helpless little girls who used to hide behind him.

​He smiled softly at them. "Girls, I know you’re excited and that we’ve missed each other, but now isn’t the time to reminisce about the past. We need to get things done first. Once I take you back to my world, we’ll have plenty of time together. But for now, I still have a few matters to handle."

​Hearing his words, all five girls nodded in understanding without a word of complaint.

​Led by Scarlet, the group of seven quickly made their way down the stairs. They traversed several heavily guarded corridors, walking for more than half an hour before arriving at an underground complex.

​At the end of the passage stood a pair of massive double doors. The entrance was heavily patrolled by elite guards, alongside hidden sentry posts that indicated far more soldiers were watching from the shadows than met the eye. Judging by their sharp demeanor and upright postures, these guards were even more elite than the palace soldiers above. Smith could tell at once that this was a critical, highly secure area.

​Scarlet stepped forward, drew a heavy key, and inserted it into the lock. After several deliberate turns, the heavy internal mechanisms unlatched with a deep clunk, and the double doors swung open to reveal the room beyond.

​The space inside was not lavishly decorated. It featured plain stone walls, a simple long table with several chairs, and shelves lined with official scrolls and documents. It clearly served as an executive meeting chamber.

​"This is our secret chamber," Scarlet introduced, gesturing to the room. "All confidential matters regarding to the kingdom are discussed here. No outsiders can eavesdrop, and it’s one of the most heavily guarded locations in the palace." She turned to Smith. "Is this place secure enough, or should we find somewhere else?"

​Smith shook his head. "This place is perfect. You don’t need to look any further."

​Without delay, Smith chose the wall directly opposite the double doors to place the gateway. With a single thought, he activated the portal.

​This time, there was no earth-shattering flash or dramatic effects. Instead, a tiny black point materialized in the air and smoothly expanded outward. Like a dungeon entrance, a glowing white portal stabilized before everyone’s eyes. ℴℴ𝘮

​Once the portal fully materialized, Smith turned around—only to see that everyone, including Scarlet, stood with their mouths wide open. Even those wearing full helmets were visibly frozen in shock.

​Smith announced calmly, "As I told Scarlet, this is a permanent gateway. I can come and go between our worlds whenever I like, and you will be able to travel to my world as well."

​While Smith maintained absolute control over who could enter or leave through the portal, he chose not to burden them with the technicalities. Knowing they could travel freely when permitted was enough for now.

​Scarlet was the first to recover from her shock. Crossing her arms, she said, "Alright, Smith. Now that you’ve established this gateway between our worlds, what’s your next move?"

​The five girls also snapped out of their daze, turning their intent gazes toward Smith. They all knew this was the moment they had been desperately waiting for.

​Smith knew it too—he had promised to take them all with him this time.

​He opened his inventory and pulled out five unique items. Although one looked similar to the extra Queen item he had given Brenda earlier, each possessed its own distinct appearance. Despite their varied forms, they all shared a single function: adding an additional Queen Binding Slot.

​During his earlier discussion with the Grand Elders and Jacob in his world, they had been astonished to learn that he possessed five additional Titled Queens he had not yet bound. Since Smith was now an invaluable asset to their faction, the elders had pulled strings and utilized their resource networks to gather rare items capable of binding additional Queens. Though these binding items were exceptionally rare, demand for them was low—after all, finding an unbound Titled Queen was a difficult task of its own. That was how Smith had managed to acquire five of them at once.

​Smith handed one item to each of the five girls.

​"These work just like the item I gave Brenda," Smith explained. "They will allow me to summon you directly to my world. I have to return first, but once I’m on the other side, I will initiate the summoning calls one by one. When you feel the call, answer it, and you’ll be brought to my world where we can complete the binding. You’ll become my Queens, just like Velvet and Brenda."

​The five girls lit up with visible joy. Finally, they had the chance to follow Smith—an oppotunity they had waited for they had watched Velvet and Brenda claim it before them.

​When the very first summoning call had occurred in the past, they had blamed themselves for being too slow and hesitant, missing their chance to become his first Queen. When the second summoning happened, Brenda had simply gotten absurdly lucky. On that day, the girls had agreed to meet at the training grounds outside the palace. Brenda, being the laziest among them, had stayed behind in her room to sleep in.

​While the others were training far away, news suddenly arrived that Smith had returned and needed the nearest candidate immediately. Brenda, who had just woken up and was still taking a shower, didn’t even bother putting on clothes—she had bolted straight out of the bathroom toward Smith’s location, barely reaching him in time before he disappeared. The other five, stuck at the distant training grounds, hadn’t stood a chance.

​Though Brenda had been immensely lucky back then, today, every single one of them had secured their turn.

​Smith turned back to Scarlet. "I’ll be heading back now. Hopefully, I won’t cause any more trouble while I’m gone."

​Scarlet rolled her eyes dramatically—a gesture that carried a charming flair, though Smith didn’t dwell on it.

​"Once I handle my urgent affairs on the other side," Smith added, "I’ll return so we can properly discuss our next plans and how to manage this portal."

​After bidding farewell to Scarlet and the girls, Smith initiated his return to the main timeline.

​Because he chose to bypass the Trial Space entirely this time, the dimensional dragging force was far more severe than anything he had experienced before. The sheer strain left him with a splitting headache as his consciousness slammed back into his physical body. He swore to himself that he would never try to bypass the Trial space again.

​When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in his wheelchair.

​Gathered around him in the middle of the night were the six Elders, Jacob, Velvet, and Brenda,the Elders had simply given Smith the resources to summon the remaining Queens and were now anxiously waiting for the results.

​Seeing Smith open his eyes, the room held its breath.

​"Don’t worry," Smith announced, rubbing his temples. "I’ve settled everything on the other side."

​The Elders exchanged shocked glances. Smith had been gone for less than an hour in real time, yet he had already resolved everything. However, they refrained from prying—their minds were entirely consumed by anticipation. Which Titled Queens was he about to summon? Would they be the Legendary Titled Queens they secretly prayed for, or Golden Titled Queens? Either way, the gain for their faction would be monumental.

​This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Smith didn’t waste another second—with a single thought, he sent out the very first summoning call.