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At the sound of that voice, the obese middle-aged man’s eyes widened in alarm, the dimly lit surroundings coming into view.

He felt a wrenching pain in his gut, as if his organs were twisting, so intense that he nearly retched. As he looked up and saw the woman in black robes, clarity snapped back into his groggy mind.

“What are you doing to me? I am a nobleman!” he protested.

“Enough, we’re wasting time. Drop the act and tell me who’s behind this—it’s in both our best interests,” Yaeger said emotionlessly.

“I… I have no idea what you’re talking about! I advise you to release me at once, or else…” he trailed off, glancing around the room.

He found himself in a medium-sized break room; the blinds were drawn tightly shut, and the magic lamp was off. The faint light filtering through the blinds barely illuminated his surroundings.

“Or else what?” Yaeger asked as she flicked her wrist, summoning a green needle into existence swiftly.

“Or else…” The sight of the suddenly appearing needle shocked the obese man into silence. Despite not knowing the needle’s purpose, he felt an ominous dread.

“You have two options: First, you tell me who’s responsible and describe everything that happened, and then I’ll beat you up. Second, you keep quiet, and I’ll still beat you up.”

Blinking, he thought, ‘If I’m to be beaten either way, why say anything at all?’

“Not going to speak? Very well,” Yaeger said, her smile widening at his silence.

She then flicked the green needle, which flew swiftly and embedded itself in his forehead. An instant later, his screams echoed through the room, akin to a pig being slaughtered.

The thin appraiser behind Yaeger froze, trembling in fear as the screams filled the air. What manner of torture could elicit such agonizing screams?

Outside the room, the appraisers were torn between covering their ears or fleeing to the main lobby. Once they shut the door to the appraisal room behind them, they could escape the dreadful, hysterical screams.

“Ah!” The obese middle-aged man screamed, feeling as if every nerve in his body was being torn asunder. The pain was so intense it felt like his head might explode, and it was worsening by the second.

This was akin to murder! No, it was a fate worse than death!

Time seemed to stand still during his ordeal. He felt as though he had been cast into hell itself, his soul aflame and his body impaled by countless red-hot spikes. He couldn’t endure it even for a second, not even half!

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything!” he cried out, unable to endure the excruciating pain any longer.

“Very well,” Yaeger smirked, snapping her fingers.

Instantly, the pain vanished as though it had never been, leaving him in bewildered relief. Had it not been for the lingering agony in his spine, he might have believed it all to be a nightmare.

“Huff… Huff…” He gasped for air, his body drenched in sweat from the ordeal.

The thin appraiser, having witnessed the entire scene, was profoundly shaken. This person they called [Flower] was as terrifying as a demon!

“Start talking,” Yaeger prompted sternly.

Trembling, the obese middle-aged man curled up, then slowly raised his head to speak, his voice trembling with fear.

“It was Viscount Yelu…”

Upon hearing his faltering explanation, Yaeger finally grasped the situation. His plan had been to use counterfeit [Black Magic Crystals] to tarnish the reputation of the Imperial Auction House during an auction.

Losing that would effectively spell the end for the Imperial Auction House.

“We kept the original name to build trust with the players, but a tarnished reputation would have dire consequences.” Yaeger gazed at the obese middle-aged man, her expression stern.

“His scheme was straightforward: he would bid highly for the [Black Magic Crystals], employ his own appraisers to declare them genuine, then publicly reveal their falseness. He’d accuse us of switching them, and we’d be unable to clear our name.”

“Can I… leave now?” the obese middle-aged man asked, his voice trembling with fear.

“Leave? This isn’t a hotel,” Yaeger retorted. With a flick of her wrist, she sent several green needles piercing into his head, throat, chest, and stomach.

In an instant, his eyes bulged, and his mouth opened in a silent scream of agony. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and writhing in pain. To an observer, it might have seemed almost comical. Yet, the thin appraiser found no humor in the situation.

At that moment, Yaeger turned around and asked indifferently, “After hearing all that, do you have anything to add?”

“No… no, he just bribed me. I really don’t know anything else!” the thin appraiser stammered, his face pale and body shaking. He was terrified of this seemingly inhuman enforcer.

“What I despise most is being deceived and exploited. I paid you well, yet you betrayed me. That’s audacity,” Yaeger stated emotionlessly.

“Please, spare me!”

“I will not.” Yaeger’s gaze hardened as she watched the thin appraiser kneeling before her; more green needles launched from her hand. He received the same harsh treatment as the obese middle-aged man.

Exiting the lounge, Yaeger picked up a counterfeit magic crystal from the table.

“Nobody leaves the appraisal room until I return, or you will face the consequences,” Yaeger instructed sternly. Having issued her warning, Yaeger swiftly ascended to the third floor.

The appraisers exchanged uncertain glances, indecision clear in their expressions. They debated internally whether to heed Flower’s warning. This was the pressing dilemma.

A heavy silence enveloped the room. Driven by curiosity about the break room’s conditions, one appraiser decided to investigate.

Upon opening the door, he witnessed two men writhing on the floor, clutching their heads, their faces grotesquely contorted with eyes and mouths unnaturally widened. Clearly, they were suffering immense pain. Yet, up until that point, they had not made a single sound.

Such silence was utterly abnormal!

“Perhaps… it’s wisest to obey Miss Flower,” he murmured, hugging himself and trembling after witnessing the ghastly scene.

His statement left everyone perplexed; those who looked toward the break room were utterly shocked. Now, even bolstered with tenfold their usual courage, none dared to step out of the appraisal room.

The dire consequences were now starkly clear before their eyes! None wished to end up in such a pitiable condition.

In the third-floor office, Yaeger entered directly, without bothering to knock.

“Lowly slave!” Kastina exclaimed, her expression brightening even further upon seeing her.

“I need to speak with you,” Yaeger said, dispensing with pleasantries as she swiftly briefed Kastina on the recent events.

“How dare they lay a trap for us—those scoundrels!” Kastina was so furious it seemed as though steam might start billowing from her ears.

“I’m heading to his residence now to teach him a lesson. Do you have a map of the inner-city district?” Yaeger asked, her tone even and controlled.

At this, Kastina’s eyes gleamed with malicious anticipation, a cruel smirk playing on her lips. She was well aware that the lowly slave’s method of revenge would be both thoroughly satisfying and delightfully cruel.