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Two hours passed away in the quiet, heated warmth of the bedroom, as there was a saying, when the time comes, there's no way to control your youth.
By the time a sharp, hesitant knock echoed from the heavy wooden door, the atmosphere between Alex and Liria had settled into a deep, unspoken trust.
Alex sat on the edge of the mattress, calmly buttoning his denim shirt over his breasts.
Beside him, Liria was pulling her dark sleeveless tank top back over her shoulders.
Her skin still held a faint pink flush from having sex, but as she ran a hand through her blonde hair, her pale green eyes turned sharp and focused once again.
"Come in," Alex called out, his voice steady and commanding.
The door creaked open, and Leo poked his head inside, clutching a thick stack of printed blueprints and a sleek black data drive against his chest.
He took one step onto the carpet, blinked at the lingering warmth in the air, and immediately dropped his gaze to the floor to avoid staring at the two of them.
"I got everything you asked for, boss," Leo stammered, walking quickly over to the wooden desk and spreading the papers out. "Guard rotations, tunnel layouts, and the private guest lists for the Windrake family's underground coliseum. It's all here."
Alex stood up and walked over to the desk, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Liria as they leaned over the detailed maps.
The lines of the underground facility were dense and complicated, showing multiple layers of security rotations, private viewing balconies, and many other facilities.
"This place is a fortress," Alex said, tracing a finger along the narrow corridor leading to the deepest dungeons. "If we try to force our way in through the main entrance or sneak down the ventilation shafts, we'll trip the guards."
"They'll lock the heavy gates before we even reach the basement level, and if that happens no one can get out alive."
Leo nodded vigorously, his hands shaking as he pointed to a cluster of red symbols on the map.
"You're right. The Windrake family has a squad of Elite combat professionals stationed at every checkpoint down there. If you make a scene, you'll be surrounded in seconds."
Liria bit her lower lip, her expression darkening as she stared at the center of the arena floor. "We don't need to break in through the back, as far as I secretly heard " she said quietly, turning her face toward Alex. "There is an official event happening. The day after tomorrow night is the big qualifying fight."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "A qualifying fight for what?"
"The final Gladiators challenge," Liria explained, tapping her finger against the lowest level of the underground map, a massive, circular chamber buried beneath the main fighting pit. "It's scheduled for next week. To the public and the rich nobles, it's just a high-stakes blood tournament."
"But Lady Clara and other Evil God followers are using the tournament as a cover. That final match next week is actually a sacrifice ceremony for the descent of an Evil God."
"And before the Evil Gods descend, there will be another sacrifice ceremony, to gain the Evil Gods blessings to strengthen their followers." The room went completely silent for a moment.
Alex clenched his jaw, feeling a cold wave of disgust wash over him.
"For that, they need strong, living sacrifices for the ritual to work," Liria continued, her voice trembling slightly before she steadied herself. "That's why they're keeping the slaves they secretly captured locked in the dungeon cells instead of killing them right away."
"The day after tomorrow's night's qualifying fight is the only time the heavy security doors connecting the upper VIP levels to the dungeon holding areas will be unlocked for the event staff and handlers."
Alex crossed his arms over his chest, as his mind raced through the options. "So, if we want to get your sister out alive without alerting anyone, we have to use the night's fight as our way in."
"Yes," Liria said, placing her warm hand gently over Alex's on the desk. "But we can't do it together from the outside. I have to go back in first."
Leo gasped, looking at her like she had lost her mind. "Are you crazy? If that woman or someone else catches you.. and finds out about us?"
"She won't catch me," Liria interrupted, her green eyes flashing with cold determination.
"As far as Lady Clara or anyone else, no one knows I'm outside tracking Alex. If I return back soon, no one will suspect me."
"We are assigned as maids for the day after tomorrow's VIP gathering," She looked back at Alex, her expression turning worried. "There will be a lot of powerful guards, I won't be able to get my sister out on my own."
"I need someone to cause a distraction from above and secure the escape route so we can actually get out of the building."
"However, you need to remove her slave mark before that, or else she won't survive coming out of the coliseum, for that you need to enter the special VIP gathering as a special guest."
Alex looked down at his own reflection in the dark glass of the window. He suddenly thought of a strange idea.
He studied the long, graceful line of his neck, the soft, feminine contours of his face, and the undeniable hourglass shape of his body under his clothes.
A slow, confident smile appeared on his lips.
His sudden gender change was a strange, overwhelming shock at first, but right now, it was the greatest weapon that he can use.
"You won't be alone down there," Alex said smoothly, turning around to lean against the desk. "I'm going to walk right through the front door into the VIP section."
Leo's jaw dropped. He stared at Alex in utter disbelief. "Walk through the front door? Boss, the guards must have your description!!"
"They're hunting a young guy," Alex replied calmly. He gestured down at his own chest and hips with a slight shrug. "Take a good look at me, buddy. Do I look like the guy in their files right now?"
Leo's face turned bright red, he didn't understand what they were talking about but.
He stammered, his eyes darting away from Alex's chest as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well... no. Definitely not… but that's a huge risk."
"Also, just wearing any casual clothing isn't going to get you into the inner balcony, boss."
"That area is strictly for high-society nobles and wealthy gamblers. If you try to walk in like that, the guards won't even let you near the guests entrance."
"He's right," Liria said, a small, knowing smile touching her lips as she looked Alex up and down.
The memory of holding his soft, feminine body just minutes ago gave her a sudden rush of confidence in the plan, thinking back again, she didn't even recognize him the first moment she saw him today.
"If you're going to play the part of a rich woman from out of town, we need to dress you up properly."
"You'll need a high-class dress, the right shoes, makeup, and a full cover identity."
Leo nodded quickly, eager to prove his worth. "I can help with that! Our branch has everything you need and a fake identity registry downstairs."
"We can set you up as a wealthy foreign merchant looking to bet on the underground fights. I'll act as your personal driver and bodyguard to make it look legit."
Alex looked between the two of them, even though he was embarrassed to cross-dress as a woman, unknowingly he felt a sharp rush of excitement replace the tension in the room.
The pieces were falling into place. "If I get a chance, I'll definitely kill that bitch and end this as soon as possible."
He was not just confident in his Rank C strength, but a snake's natural stealth and powerful poison capabilities.
"Alright, here's the plan," Alex said, his voice dropping into a serious, authoritative tone that commanded the room. "Leo, you spend today and tomorrow setting up that fake VIP identity and getting the clothes I need for the disguise."
"Liria, you head back to the coliseum as soon as possible, play your part with Clara's guards, and wait for us."
He walked over to Liria, reaching out to gently brush a damp strand of blonde hair away from her face.
She leaned into his touch immediately; her green eyes locked onto his.