"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the magical performance of the genius magician, Vill-V! But first, I'd like to invite an audience member to join me on stage as my assistant. Is anyone willing?"
Taking off her tall hat and placing it over her chest, Vill-V bowed slightly and smiled at the crowd.
A tattooed man in the audience, intrigued, stepped forward.
What he didn't notice was the sparkle in Vill-V's eyes when she saw him.
"Alright, audience member, take a look at this ordinary box. Inspect it for me."
With that, Vill-V handed the box to the man.
The man took the box and carefully examined it, finding nothing unusual.
"It's just a normal box."
"Hehe, then please place something important inside. I'll make it reappear in an unexpected place on your body."
Thinking no one in Twilight Street would dare trick him, the man placed his most valuable items inside: a pocket watch, a bracelet, and a necklace.
He wanted to see how this genius magician would make them reappear on him.
Seeing this, Vill-V's eyes lit up.
Haha, these people are so easy to fool. My research funds are secured! Though I'll probably have to go on the run again.
Despite knowing the consequences, Vill-V had no intention of stopping.
Since arriving, she had investigated all the gangs and their members in the area.
These people were all notorious criminals, the kind who deserved to be shot for a full minute.
So, Vill-V felt no guilt about tricking them.
After closing the box, Vill-V placed it inside a larger cabinet.
From inside the cabinet, she called out, "Audience member, please use the chainsaw on the table to cut me in half."
"Alright, haha! You asked for it."
Being a ruthless killer, the man felt no hesitation or fear.
He immediately grabbed the chainsaw, revved it up, and sliced the cabinet in two.
The cabinet split open, but Vill-V was nowhere to be seen.
The audience erupted in cheers.
"Wow! That's amazing! How did she disappear when the stage is hollow underneath?"
"As expected of a genius magician. Truly impressive."
But while the audience cheered, the man on stage didn't look happy.
Over a minute had passed, and Vill-V still hadn't reappeared.
He roared, "Magician! Where are you? Get out here!"
No matter how much he shouted, Vill-V didn't respond.
Or rather, she was already gone.
A minute earlier, Vill-V had used mirrors and other tricks to escape unnoticed.
"Phew, these idiots are so easy to fool. But I guess it's ill-gotten gains. Using their money for inventions that benefit the world is like doing them a favor."
Looking at the three items—a gem-encrusted necklace, a solid gold watch, and a pocket watch with rare gemstone hands—Vill-V smiled.
These alone would fund her research for a month.
"Hmm, even though those people are bad, tricking them still feels wrong."
"Wah—!"
A sudden voice startled Vill-V, nearly causing her to drop the box.
Looking toward the source, she saw a 14-year-old Elysia and an 18-year-old Chang Yuan.
"Who are you two? Did those people send you to catch me?"
As she spoke, Vill-V's hand reached into her pocket.
Feeling the smoke bomb she had prepared, she relaxed a little.
"We're just audience members. We're not here to catch you."
"Phew, that's a relief. So, what do you want?"
Seeing they weren't enemies, Vill-V sighed in relief.
As long as they weren't here to cause trouble, she was fine.
"Nothing much. We just thought your magic was amazing, but tricking people is wrong."
"Tch, those guys are all bad people. Don't you know? Each of them has taken countless lives.
I'm just taking their money. If I had the power, I'd avenge their victims myself."
Vill-V spoke with a righteous tone.
"No, I think the main reason is you want to sell those things and use the money for your own projects, right?"
"Huh? How did you—ahem, no way! I'm planning to donate the money."
Stare—!
"Really, you have to believe me. I swear on my title as a genius magician."
Stare—!
"Fine, fine, I have some selfish motives too. Happy now?"
Under the combined gaze of Chang Yuan and Elysia, Vill-V reluctantly admitted her selfish intentions.
But just then, noisy voices approached.
Realizing she had to leave, Vill-V reluctantly took out the solid gold necklace—the least valuable of the three items.
"Here, you can have this. A finder's fee. Don't expose me, and maybe we'll meet again."
Without waiting for Chang Yuan to take it, Vill-V tossed the necklace and ran off.
Chang Yuan quickly hid the necklace in an inconspicuous corner.
After that, he grabbed some mud from the ground and smeared it on Elysia's face without warning.
Elysia, caught off guard, ended up with a muddy face. Even so, her beauty was hard to hide.
But it was enough.
Just as they finished, a group of armed men arrived.
"Hey, kid, did you see a woman with a tall hat and two-toned hair around here?"
One of the men rudely asked Chang Yuan.
Chang Yuan immediately pointed in a direction opposite to where Vill-V had fled.
The man gave Chang Yuan a long look, then noticed the pink-haired girl he was shielding.
But seeing her messy face, he lost interest.
His boss was going crazy, and now wasn't the time for distractions. Besides, she wasn't pretty enough to risk his boss's wrath.
After a brief glance, the man led his group in the direction Chang Yuan had pointed.
Once they were gone, Elysia puffed out her cheeks and glared at Chang Yuan.
"You! Next time, do a better job. You almost got mud in my mouth."