After parting with Reed, Lux expertly navigated the narrow alleys, like a ghost merging with the shadows.

She returned to the street, beginning to roam, searching for her next target.

Local residents indeed rarely carried money on them; targeting them was too difficult.

Therefore, Lux's targets were usually unsuspecting newcomers to the city.

[Found them.] Lux's gaze locked onto several figures gathered and talking in front of a cargo cart.

They were all wearing linen-colored cloaks, men and women, neatly dressed, with a refined air, clearly not poor.

Lux, like a lynx waiting for an opportunity, silently hid in the shadows of a street corner, her eyes seemingly scanning the surroundings aimlessly, but in reality, patiently waiting for the perfect moment.

[Now!] Seeing a carriage about to pass, Lux shot out from the side like an arrow loosed from a bow, nimbly darting past the horse's head across the street, and collided squarely with the group in cloaks.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Lux cried out in feigned panic, but her heart jolted—she felt she hadn't bumped into flesh and blood, but a hard stone wall.

The person hadn't moved an inch, merely glancing at her coldly after being bumped.

This was an unusually tall person, their pale blue skin faintly shimmering in the sunlight, their red pupils as sharp as bloodstained daggers.

Not only were they tall, but also exceptionally burly.

Up close, Lux could even smell a faint sea-like odor emanating from them.

"You damned little brat, are you looking for death?! Even if you die, I won't pay you a single cent!" the coachman yelled, reining in his horse and berating Lux.

Lux quickly apologized a few more times and took the opportunity to slip away swiftly.

"Hoo… hoo…" Lux dived into a nearby alley, disappearing into its depths like an arrow that could turn corners.

After repeatedly confirming no one was following, she eagerly opened the cloth bag she had just pilfered.

"Yeah!" Lux let out an excited whisper.

The bag was heavy, containing several dazzling purple coins, more than ten blue silver coins, and even two gleaming gold coins!

Besides these, there was also a bead engraved with strange symbols.

She had felt the bag was quite heavy when she snatched it.

Although she had also slipped a bag of stones into the big fellow's pocket as "compensation," she reckoned they would soon realize something was amiss.

[But, once I'm here, no one can catch me.] Lux felt certain, like a gambler holding a royal flush.

"Sorry about that," she said softly, her tone carrying a hint of genuine apology, or perhaps it was just a habitual ritual.

However, just then, a strange scent wafted into her nostrils—it was the scent of one of the cloaked figures from before!

"Hi, cute little sister… or should I call you handsome little brother?" a voice suddenly sounded from behind her, a voice full of a mature woman's magnetic charm, yet carrying a power that seemed to pierce through one's soul.

Lux froze, spun around sharply, and simultaneously leaped backward, instantly creating distance.

Too strange! Not only had the other person seen through her gender at a glance, but what was more terrifying was this woman… she felt as if she had appeared out of thin air right behind her!

Only then did Lux get a clear look at the other person's appearance.

She had a cascade of purplish-red long hair, its color rich and luscious, like a ripe peach, as if a gentle touch would cause its vibrant color and sweet juice to burst forth.

Her skin was fair, yet it had a strange, cold texture, and her body seemed to be enveloped in a hazy halo, like the faint light of dawn.

Her orange eyes had an astonishing "vividness," like freshly picked oranges.

However, beneath this breathtaking beauty, Lux smelled an intensely strong aura of danger.

"Hmm?" The woman let out a soft, questioning sound, the doubt on her face quickly turning into an amused smile. "Interesting."

"Here, take this back! Goodbye!" Lux made a quick decision, swiftly throwing the money bag behind the woman, then turned and ran, her speed astonishing.

But just as she rounded a corner, the woman, like a phantom, was already standing calmly in front of her.

"Now, now, I don't recall Menjeff being fond of collecting stones," the woman said teasingly, shaking the bag in her hand. She turned it upside down, and a pile of stones tumbled out with a clatter.

"Er… I surrender. Very sorry," Lux said resignedly, raising one hand with an open palm, while her other hand obediently presented the coins and the bead she had just stolen.

"There, there, don't be nervous," the lady said, extending a slender finger, her movements as elegant as an orchid quietly blooming or a rose slowly unfurling its petals. "You can keep this money. However, the passage bead must be returned to us," the woman said with a smile, seemingly indifferent to the shiny gold and dazzling purple coins. "But, you have to agree to one condition of mine."

"Madam, please speak," Lux replied cautiously.

"First, let me ask, do you want to learn magic?" If Lux wasn't mistaken, a faint glint seemed to flash in the woman's eyes when she mentioned the word "magic." "I can teach you some very practical magic, and some that will allow you to protect yourself a little. Of course, there's also a… very special kind of magic."

"Hmm… you think I'm capable? Also, is this your condition? You want me to be your apprentice?" Lux asked doubtfully.

"Not exactly, this is just to gauge your interest; we can discuss it slowly later." The woman smiled, but her expression suddenly turned serious, and her previously amiable tone became heavy. "My demand is that you must find a way to leave this place immediately. Before nightfall, leave this city, the farther the better."

The woman looked directly into Lux's eyes, her gaze clearly telling Lux that she was definitely not joking.

"As for the matter of magic," the woman's tone softened a bit, "you can go to the City of Theater in the north. There's a place there called 'Jennie's Tea Shop'. I quite enjoy having tea at that shop; you can try their passionflower honey tea, I highly recommend it. If I happen to be there as well, I usually go for tea in the afternoon… That way, perhaps we might meet again by fate. We can talk in detail then."

The woman extended her index finger, wagged it gently, and finally instructed, "My name is Nalala. So, until we meet again—if we both live to see that day. Also, leave this place quickly."