Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World-Chapter 748: The Auction Begins - A Mystical Display

Asmodeus couldn’t help but enjoy the sights.

Different from the dirty auction back in Francel, this was clearly one of their main events. The walls were draped in expensive decorations. Various artworks, likely worth thousands or more, hung from the walls, leading down a grand hallway to a massive reception room.

"Please, Respected Guests, present your tickets."

"Welcome to the Blood Moon Auction, we are excited to host an array of wonderful trinkets, treasures and treats!"

Two handsome men with grey skin and sharp red eyes glanced through the members. What surprised Asmodeus was the lack of disorder; everyone remained calm, orderly, and stepped forward when asked. No matter their station or level.

’I half expected some nobles to push around others, acting self-important.’

However, he even saw some of the rich merchants with their masks being humble to a mere guard or warrior in this strange place.

What caught Asmodeus’s interest was the fact that this building was an inverted tower, spiralling into the ground, instead of the sky.

He held Nerim’s hand tightly and pulled her along. The two didn’t act suspiciously because their masks covered half their faces.

Nerim wore a delicate white mask, like the fairy she was.

Asmodeus wore a black demon mask.

"Amazing."

"How did they manage to create this wonder?"

Two voices sounded from the grand doors ahead of them.

Asmodeus tried to peek but couldn’t see past the large curtain, but he noticed two other doors to the north and south.

’So there are still different entrances for different people.’

’I just don’t know how they decide.’

[Be careful in there, Husband.]

Velvet’s concerned voice sounded, the last bit becoming slightly scrambled as they approached the glowing doorway. "Please present your invitation." The man asked Asmodeus in a monotone voice.

After inspecting, Asmodeus couldn’t detect any sense of life or energy within the grey man, but this wasn’t his job, and so he just handed the ticket.

’These men are dolls, or corpses.’

The grim realisation brought a sense of doubt to Asmodeus.

The doll clipped the ticket without issues, before looking back to Asmodeus with an awkward smile. "Please enjoy the show, valued guest. Your seat is AB-1"

"Thanks."

Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to be rude and stepped towards the portal, and this is when he saw the sight the others did before him.

"Oh my!"

Even Nerim’s little mouth opened in wonder.

This wasn’t a dungeon or tower. Asmodeus didn’t even know if this could be considered a venue at all.

Beautiful blue crystals shone from the black stone walls, the uneven surface clearly resembled a mining shaft, and yet the open area contained a massive stage with hundreds of regular seats.

The deeper they walked, the more unreal it became.

Natural crystal veins ran through the walls like frozen rivers, some glowing faintly blue, others pulsing with slow violet light. Thick pillars of raw stone rose from the floor and merged into the ceiling, carved only where necessary, leaving jagged edges and mineral growths exposed as if the earth itself had been hollowed out and refined rather than built upon.

Mana flowed openly, creating countless beautiful lights akin to RGB lights from Asmodeus’s previous world.

The mana carried such strong and pure energy that Asmodeus could feel it brushing against his skin, crawling along his spine in thin threads. It wasn’t aggressive, more like a childish kitten brushing against each person, as if to find those with the most comfortable wavelengths.

Underfoot, the ground was smooth obsidian stone shot through with gold and silver flecks. Every step echoed softly, swallowed quickly by the vast space ahead. Floating lanterns made from condensed light drifted above the aisles, their glow refracting through hanging crystal prisms that chimed quietly with each movement of air.

"This place is so... beautiful," Nerim whispered, full of awe, her fingers reaching for the flickering mana and lights with a smile on her face.

Asmodeus didn’t plan to stop her, even though they came for a mission; he didn’t mind his lovers enjoying themselves when possible. In reality, he also wanted to learn how they managed this, to improve it and use the mana-enriched land in his empire to create interesting landmarks for others to observe.

"It’s as if the terrain chose this shape, not that someone carved it."

They followed the curved pathway downward, circling the central stage. Another mystery was that the stage was a complete circle, not a half circle or rectangle; there were four different people on stage facing each direction of the audience.

’Amazing.’

That’s when they noticed the seating arrangements. Tier upon tier of seats carved directly into the stone walls, each level separated by crystal railings and glowing gemstones embedded into the rocks.

’I could never have done something like this.’

[It’s truly beautiful]

Thanks to his abilities as a god, the women closely linked to him at Rank 3 and 4 could also see through his eyes briefly, as he was showing Lumina, Velvet, Levia, Vinea, Erika and of course the sneaky Serena, who was hiding.

The higher tiers looked crowded with people, packed with masked figures of all races, and the lower they went, the more space and elegant gemstones appeared between seats.

The seats swirled around the stage, descending, while the stage appeared to be floating in the centre. Their escort stopped near the front, where the stone floor transitioned into polished black crystal veined with crimson lines that faintly resembled flowing blood.

"Please keep following, Sir, Madam."

Despite the dolls being a little creepy, Asmodeus couldn’t fault them.

’Whoever founded this place is a genius, if only they lived in my empire and weren’t criminals...’

His thoughts began to turn, wondering if he could somehow find who designed and prepared this amazing venue.

"No wonder it costs a thousand gold just to enter," Nerim mumbled as she squeezed Asmodeus’s hand nervously.

Asmodeus nodded, but still frowned, because they’d passed the regular seating and he bought his ticket at the last minute. Yet, why were they here at the most premium section with the private booths?

"Nerim, keep close to me."

"Mhm."

The doll stopped before a wide, crescent-shaped platform, carved from a single slab of translucent crystal, with a myriad of coloured flecks inside. Cushioned seats, with dark velvet and each one separated by a crystal wall that blocked all vision and sound from the other seats around them.

A low table sat in front, already prepared with sealed drinks and bidding plates formed from enchanted metal and floating in the air was a small sigil.

[AB-1]

"...front row," Asmodeus finished his breath with a raised brow.

"Is this really our seat?" Nerim looked around, holding his arm, a little confused.

Once again, the doll inclined its head. "Correct. VIP Seat. Direct auction authority. Priority bidding rights."

"I see, thanks."

Asmodeus couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a breath. ’I’ve already been made.’ He should have realised after buying the ticket from the Bronzeblade that maybe this place carried some link to that old man.

’No...’

He shook his head. ’It’s not Grundig, but that Abyssal.’

"Nerim, you sit and get comfy. This service is excellent as long as you use your magic to scan the food and drink for poison or drugs. It should be fine."

Asmodeus watched her nervously sit, peeking around with a skittish atmosphere, but he instead flicked instinctively to the neighbouring platforms.

To the left, a massive figure draped in crimson robes sat alone with a heavy aura.

To the right, three figures shared a box.

Their masks ornate, movements minimal, presence sharp and refined.

Each one of them felt dangerous.

’We clearly don’t belong in this seat, damn it... where is Lun?!’

He couldn’t help but think that they mistook his ticket for hers, or had they just marked all tickets from the Bronzeblade and chosen to send them to this level of seat. ’Well, all I can do is keep focused and watch for Brando.’

With nothing more to do, he sat slowly, with a slightly tense body and leaned back against the cold crystal with a faint sigh.

Nerim glanced up at him while smoothing her dress, tucking her hair behind her ears, then offered him a glass of multi-coloured liquid.

"You look so nervous, darling."

"Well, a little." He admitted it honestly because tonight would be quite dangerous.

"But let’s just enjoy it together, okay?"

"Mhm~"

With Nerim leaning against him, Asmodeus pushed the worries to the back of his mind, at least for now.

.

.

.

On the stage, four beautiful women twirled in a dance, their bodies wrapped in dresses as if made with flower petals, one with violets, the next with red rose petals, another in black and the last a soft yellow.

Asmodeus ignored three of the women because he recognised the rose and her striking red hair that resembled Asmodea’s.

The Arbiter, who sexually assaulted him.

’Now I see.’

He narrowed his eyes with a faint smile after seeing her. There was no reason for her to continue this persona after he found her.

So that left only one reason.

This damn Arbiter wanted to either fight him or just meet him again.

Immediately after seeing her, his lips curved into a smirk, but he sent a serious message to all the women lurking two hours away.

The stakes had risen.

’Everyone, battle is unavoidable; don’t send anyone below Rank Two.’