Smith finally realized that he had been completely tricked.
> "2[:yyf!"
He had assumed—very confidently—that the usage limits of each Mangekyō Sharingan ability were counted independently.
That was why he had used them so freely in battle.
But now, the truth hit him like a hammer:
> All Mangekyō abilities shared the same limit.
> "Damn it… this system really cheated me!"
He clutched his right eye, his face contorted in pain and frustration.
From behind, the Red Queen hurried over, her expression surprisingly filled with concern.
> "Hey! Are you okay?" she asked, bending slightly.
Due to Smith kneeling on the ground, the little loli's face now hovered directly at eye level with his. Her large, crimson eyes blinked with a rare sincerity.
> "I'll live. I'm not dying just yet," Smith muttered, exhaling sharply.
He removed his hand from his eye. The intense pain had begun to fade, but a stinging pulse still remained.
Smith had not expected the system to pool the usage count of Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi into the same tally.
Now, his right eye only had a sliver of pupil power remaining. If he dared to use Amaterasu or Kagutsuchi again, he would lose sight in that eye—permanently.
Fortunately, there was one exception.
> Susanoo.
According to the system, the third ability of the Mangekyō Sharingan—Susanoo, which resided in both eyes—was counted separately from the other two.
Smith had only used it once so far—during the battle at Jinghai College.
If that ability had been included in the same usage pool, he would already be blind in his right eye.
> "So, in that regard… the system isn't entirely heartless."
Nearby, Li Tuo let out a long sigh, watching the smoldering ashes where Bai Shi had been burned to nothing.
> "That man was one of Jinghai College's top seven fifth-level psychics. I doubt even he expected to meet his end here."
Li Tuo's expression was complex.
Though he himself was a fifth-level psychic, age had dulled his prime. His wind-based abilities were also naturally countered by fire. Had the fight gone on longer, he wasn't sure he could have won against Bai Shi.
But Smith had killed him.
> "You've made quite a powerful enemy," said the Red Queen, now folding her arms smugly. "Killing a fifth-level enforcer from Jinghai College? I bet they'll be coming for your head nonstop now."
Her teasing tone didn't match the gravity of her words, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Smith just shrugged.
> "He was in my way. Besides, I already had a grudge with Jinghai College. One more enemy on the list doesn't change much."
Li Tuo squinted slightly.
> "Alright, I'll bite. What did you even do to Jinghai College? They're going after you like you stole the dean's wife."
Smith spread his arms in mock helplessness.
> "I didn't do anything major. Just… destroyed the spirit core of the dean's son."
> Silence.
The Red Queen blinked. Li Tuo's jaw twitched.
Everyone else looked at Smith as if he'd lost his mind.
> "You call that nothing?" Li Tuo muttered.
Destroying a person's spirit core was a death sentence in the world of cultivators. Without it, one could never cultivate again—reduced to an ordinary person for life.
And the victim wasn't just anyone. He was the son of the dean of Jinghai College!
> "No wonder they're throwing everything they have at you," Li Tuo said.
Smith crossed his arms. "They started it. I was just defending myself."
He let out a bitter laugh.
> "If it weren't for Lin Yun constantly throwing himself into death's jaws, I wouldn't have even gotten involved."
It had started off simple enough. But after Smith disabled Lin Yun, the college had retaliated in full force. The Executive Department had come for him. Then Bai Shi. There was no going back now.
> "It doesn't matter anymore. If Dean Lin Hai himself comes after me, I still won't back down."
He had long accepted it—his path had diverged from Jinghai College. There was no peace to be had between them.
At this moment, the Red Queen placed her hands on her hips, frowning like a scolding teacher.
> "By the way, didn't you leave already? What are you doing back here again? You really think you're invincible or something?"
Despite her tiny frame, she exuded a strange intensity when angry. Smith simply gave her a tired look.
But her question reminded him of something important.
> "Oh, right! That's why I came back—I have urgent news."
> "Do you all know about the Great Beast Tide?"
The mention of the beast tide wiped the playfulness off everyone's face. All present frowned in unison.
> "Of course," Li Tuo said seriously. "It's the great disaster expected to sweep across the Holy Empire. Last I heard, it was still half a year away."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
> "That's why the Southeast and Southwest regions united early. Even Dark City has been making preparations."
Though the Dark City was technically outside of the Holy Empire's jurisdiction, its information networks were still functional thanks to Li Tuo.
> Smith shook his head grimly. "It's not half a year away anymore."
His voice dropped into a heavier tone.
> "I just came from Tai'an City, in the northern district. The beast tide has already passed through there."
The room went still.
> "It's already in the central district, moving south. At this rate, the Dark City will be hit in less than a month."
> "What?!"
Gasps echoed throughout the room. Shock rippled through every listener.
> "Smith… are you sure?" Li Tuo asked, his voice urgent now.
Smith nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes while traveling back. It's far worse than the reports. Thousands of beast waves. Mutant creatures. There's no time left."
> "This is terrible," the Red Queen muttered.
Everyone had known about the beast tide… but no one expected it to arrive this soon.
> "Don't panic," Li Tuo said calmly, standing straight. "We've prepared for this. We just didn't expect it to happen this quickly."
His tone radiated authority.
> "What's the plan?" Smith asked.
Li Tuo replied, "We've already started digging underground shelters. When the beast tide hits, we'll retreat below and hide out for ten to fifteen days. That should be long enough for it to pass."
The Red Queen nodded. "That's right. Unlike other cities, Dark City doesn't have a population in the tens of thousands. We can mobilize faster."
In truth, Dark City's decentralized structure made it easier to survive.
The major factions—like the Dusk Auction and the Guangxi Association—could easily pull back their core members and go underground.
They didn't have to protect civilians or coordinate city-wide defenses like the major capitals.
> "What about you, Smith?" Zhang Yi finally asked. "Will you stay with us and wait it out?"
Smith shook his head without hesitation.
> "No. I'm going back to Huaihai City."
He looked up with unwavering resolve.
> "My family and friends are there. I'm going back to help them defend."
Even if Jinghai College was still hunting him.
Even if he had to fight his way back.
Even if his presence endangered Huaihai City itself.
It didn't matter.
> "The beast tide is a far greater threat than Jinghai College," Smith said. "And I will protect the people I care about."
Zhang Yi smiled faintly and nodded. "I understand. We all have someone to protect."
> "Good luck," the Red Queen said softly, for once without her usual teasing tone.
Li Tuo walked up to Smith and patted him on the shoulder.
> "We'll see each other again after the beast tide passes."
Smith nodded firmly.
> "Yeah. See you on the other side."
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