Chapter 29: The O-Demon Mansion

Three days had passed just like that.

As Danica had predicted, Marcus had indeed not bothered them again regarding the smugglers during this time. Leon was more than happy for the respite; after all, grinding his profession and skill levels was his top priority.

"Whew..."

A long stream of air escaped Leon's lips as he ceased his internal energy circulation and opened his eyes.

'Leveled up again.'

[Novice Qi Practitioner lv6 (4/600) / Qi Practitioner (San-Yi) lv4 (246/400)]

[Attributes: Physical Strength 3.0, Mental Strength 2.7, Energy 18]

Gazing at the status panel, Leon felt the surge of newfound power within his body and could not help but reveal a smile. As long as he remained persistent, it wouldn't be long before he maxed out both professions. Seeing his progress quantified was truly motivating. It hadn't been long since he had changed his class to [Qi Practitioner (San-Yi)].

'It’s a pity I still can't maintain the Inversion state like Master,' Leon sighed, glancing at [Inversion of the Three (Proficient 189/500)] in his skill bar.

He had tried to trigger the Inversion of the Three whenever he had the chance over the past few days, but the experience growth remained agonizingly slow. The primary reason, of course, was his lack of combat recently, which deprived him of a major source of experience, leaving him to grind through sheer repetition. He found himself missing the rapid experience gains he had enjoyed while killing insects.

Still, Leon was starting to suspect that Marcus was the man behind the smugglers; otherwise, why would he have assigned them such light duties these past few days? Even Danica’s complexion had improved significantly, though her dark circles remained severe—Leon suspected that was related to her own profession.

After a quick wash, Leon recalled what Marcus had said at the Security Bureau yesterday.

'The Chief did mention taking the bureau staff to Price today...'

He had originally assumed Marcus was joking, but it turned out to be real. Judging by the nonchalance of Danica and the others, such outings seemed to be a frequent occurrence. Leon hadn't planned on going, but curiosity got the better of him—he had never seen what a brothel run by succubi looked like. If the opportunity arose, he might even write a "Guide to Other-Worldly Customs."

Lacking a driver's license, he had to ride with Cole. Danica hadn't joined, claiming she needed to catch up on sleep, though according to Cole, their captain had never once set foot in Price.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of a building that glowed with ambiguous pink lights and resembled a palace.

The luxurious gates were coated in gold leaf, with scantily clad women standing on either side. Seeing this, Leon couldn't help but twitch his mouth: "They seem to treat this as if it's nothing."

"Well, all the companies under the Universal Enterprise Union have their own security forces," Cole whispered, walking forward with a timid gait. Seeing his behavior, the bloody scene from the interrogation room a few days ago flashed through Leon's mind.

Just then, one of the women by the gate spotted the bashful Cole and immediately approached: "Mr. Cole, you've arrived."

"Come on in, Chief Marcus and the others are already inside."

With that, the two women sandwiched Cole between them. Leon followed Cole inside the palace, which was grandiosely named "Demonic Specialty Experience Hall - Price Desire Group."

As soon as he stepped through the door, a strange, intoxicating fragrance flooded his senses. He had expected such a place to be rather sordid, but it was surprisingly refined.

'As expected of a galactic titan like Universal Enterprise Union.'

A seductive woman with goat hooves, a heart-shaped tail, and demon horns noticed their arrival. She approached with a sultry smile and asked, "Mr. Cole, and this is...?" She gestured toward Leon, who was looking around.

"This is Leon, a new member of our squad," Cole added, seemingly afraid the woman wouldn't treat him with enough respect. "His strength is no less than our captain's."

Hearing this, the woman’s smile shifted, and a hint of gravity flashed in her eyes. As someone who dealt with all sorts of people in the Pioneer City, she was well aware of Danica, the Security Bureau’s workaholic, even if she never visited Price. She knew full well that Danica was a top-tier fighter among Level 1 entities.

With that in mind, the woman snapped her fingers, and a succubus with similar features appeared beside her. In their Price establishment, succubi didn't entertain just anyone.

"If Mr. Leon doesn't like her, we can swap for another girl. We even have rare varieties like Demon Worms."

"?"

Leon was deeply shocked. He could only conclude that people's tastes were free; he didn't understand it, but he respected it.

Seeing that he didn't object, the new succubus covered her mouth with a giggle and stepped forward, pulling the young man's left arm into her soft, pale embrace.

"This way, Mr. Leon."

She led Leon to a booth in the corner. Honestly, this was the first time Leon had seen such an exaggerated, manga-like figure in real life, so he asked hesitantly: "Your figure... did you get some work done?"

The succubus stiffened.

Just as she was about to retort, a spotlight suddenly hit the center of the hall. Leon looked over to see Chief Marcus standing in the light. The burly man with deep red skin surveyed the room and shouted with a wide grin:

"I've rented out the whole place today, everyone have a blast!"

With that, he raised his hands high, drawing a cheer from the room. After the short warm-up, Marcus began chatting and laughing with a mature, charming succubus beside him. Leon guessed she must be the bureau chief's fellow countrywoman—the owner of the place.

The succubus sitting beside Leon complained, "Oh my... don't look at Mama-san. Mama-san has only served Chief Marcus for a long time now."

Leon raised an eyebrow and asked casually, "Is the Chief really that close with your Mama-san?"

"Of course. Chief Marcus and Mama-san are from the same family clan... ah..."

As she spoke, the succubus peeled a purple fruit and held it to Leon's lips. Leon ate the fruit and narrowed his eyes slightly.

A thought crossed his mind: Was it possible that the Chief organized these team-building events so frequently just to get a kickback? Upon reflection, it was quite possible; after all, based on his observations over the past few days, Marcus didn't seem like a man driven by lust. Combining that with their close acquaintance... the more Leon thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Just as he was silently musing, the succubus pressed her upper body against his chest and whispered seductively, "There are rooms upstairs..."

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a hurried voice.

"Brother, something's wrong."

It was Cole. The Security Bureau officer had shed his usual shyness and said with great anxiety:

"The person we caught the other day is dead."