Instead of raising their weapons or asking for identification, the captain of the guard squad stepped forward, removed his helmet, and bowed deeply from the waist.
The other five guards instantly followed his lead, dropping to one knee on the red carpet in front of the entire crowd.
"Welcome to the Grand Coliseum, Lady Sterling," the captain said, his voice echoing clearly over the noise of the flashing cameras.
He spoke with absolute, unwavering respect, as if he were addressing a royal. "We received word of your arrival earlier today. The coliseum management is deeply honored by your presence tonight."
"Please, there is no need for you to wait in security. Allow my personal squad to escort you directly to the VIP balcony."
Alex blinked, barely catching himself before his neutral expression slipped into pure shock.
Beside him, Leo's eyes widened so much they almost popped out from his eyes, his fingers tightened around his walking stick, his knuckles turning white.
Neither of them had expected this. They just planned to sneak in as a moderately rich merchant to get access to the upper levels, not to be greeted like the most important person in the entire city by the Windrake family's personal elite guard!
Quickly recovering his composure, Alex gave the kneeling captain a small, arrogant nod, looking down at him through his eyelashes.
"Very well," Alex said. His voice was smooth, highly melodic, and carried that natural, sultry undertone that made the captain's ears turn red. "Lead the way. Don't waste my time, I do not like standing in the crowd."
"At once, my lady!" the captain said quickly.
He stood up and waved his hand. The squad of elite guards immediately formed a protective circle around Alex and Leo, pushing back the eager photographers and leading them through the private, express gates, completely bypassing the metal detectors and identification scanners.
As the heavy alloy doors shut behind them, cutting off the noise of the flashing cameras and the cheering crowd, they found themselves walking down a wide, luxurious hallway lined with red carpet and golden chandeliers.
Alex kept his eyes fixed on the back of the guard captain ahead of them, but he leaned his head back just a fraction of an inch, speaking in a low, dangerous whisper that only Leo could hear.
"What the fuck did you do, Leo?" Alex hissed, his female voice laced with sharp irritation. "Why are the Windrake family's elite guards treating us like we own the damn place? What did you do?"
While the guards marched a few steps ahead to clear the corridor, Leo leaned his head slightly toward Alex's shoulder.
Pretending to adjust his grip on his walking stick, he whispered from the corner of his mouth, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and sheer panic.
"Well..." Leo stammered, sweat breaking out on the back of his neck despite the cool air conditioning of the hallway. "You told me to make sure the identity was completely watertight and impressive so no one would question us!"
"So... while I was hacking into the coliseum's guest registry this afternoon, I didn't just register you as a regular merchant."
"Huh... boss..." Leo whispered, swallowing hard. "I.. I think I might have underestimated the true identity of the real Veronica Sterling... and I think I might have also overdid it a little with the rumors I spread in the commercial district today..."
"Asshole, you call this a little bit? Tell me clearly what it is?" Alex warned, his Feral Gaze flashing in the dim hallway light. "Don't fucking hide anything!!"
"I accidentally dumped a large amount of fake federal credits from a dead offshore account our branch leader left behind!" Leo admitted quickly, his voice squeaking.
"And I... uh... I might have spread a few rumors among the high-rolling bookies that Lady Veronica Sterling is actually a secret billionaire from the northern border who came here tonight to buy out the entire underground slave market and bet against the Windrake family's top fighters!"
"You did what?!" Alex almost tripped over his three-inch heels, catching his balance just in time by stiffening his waist.
"I wanted to make sure they let us into the inner VIP section without checking our background too closely!" Leo whined defensively, holding the briefcase tight as a shield. "How was I supposed to know the coliseum management would take the bait so hard?!"
"They think you're a true big shot, boss! I think you're practically the main guest of the entire tournament now!"
Alex let out a slow, heavy breath through his nose, his chest rising and falling against the tight silk of his blazer.
Just as they walked, the heavy doors of the private VIP elevator slid open with a soft, chiming sound, revealing the inner lounge of the Grand Coliseum.
Stepping out onto the polished black marble floor, Alex felt like he had just walked into a high-society ballroom from Earth, but amplified with modern luxury and unrestricted vice.
Giant crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a warm, golden light over the spacious room.
The air was cool and smelled of expensive perfume, sweet fruit oils, and imported spirit wine.
Slow, rhythmic jazz music played from hidden speakers, giving the entire lounge a relaxed, classy atmosphere.
Everywhere Alex looked, wealthy nobles and elite gamblers were relaxing on plush velvet sofas or standing around tall glass cocktail tables.
The men wore sharp, modern tuxedos with glowing fine mana threads woven into the cuffs.
The women wore tight, backless designer silk dresses that clung to their curves, showing off their long legs and deep cleavage as they sipped champagne and gossiped about the betting odds for the night's blood matches.
However, what really stood out were the servers.
Dozens of slaves, both handsome men and gorgeous women, walked among the wealthy guests, carrying polished silver trays filled with glowing drinks and exotic snacks.
Every single one of them had an incredible, highly toned figure, but they were dressed in almost nothing.
The female slaves wore only thin, see-through silk veils wrapped around their waists and small, golden collars fastened tightly around their necks.
Their upper bodies were completely bare.
Plump, round breasts of all sizes bounced freely with every step they took, their stiff nipples flushed pink in the cool air, while the sheer fabric of their veils left their smooth, bare asses completely visible from behind.
The male slaves were dressed just as scantily, wearing only tight leather briefs and matching collars that highlighted their muscular chests and abs.
It wasn't just about serving drinks. To the aristocrats in the room, these half-naked servers were nothing more than living toys.
Over in a dimly lit corner booth, a fat, wealthy merchant had a naked blonde slave girl pulled right across his lap.
His heavy, rough hands were openly grabbing and kneading her soft, bare breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers while she obediently poured wine into his glass.
On a velvet couch nearby, a noblewoman was running her manicured nails down the bare chest and abs of a kneeling male slave, making him shiver and close his eyes.
The entire hall was filled with a constant, chaotic mix of sounds: the clinking of champagne glasses, casual, arrogant laughter, and the soft, wet gasps and muffled moans of slaves being openly touched, groped, and used by the guests wherever they stood.
As soon as Alex took his first two steps into the lounge, a heavy, suffocating wave of invisible energy slammed into his chest.
Because of his Void Yin Constitution, his body began to act like a starving sponge.
The entire VIP lounge was practically overflowing with raw, heavy empathetic energy, wisps of invisible pure lust, sexual heat, dark desire and many other different types of emotions leaking off the nobles and the aroused, trembling slaves.
His system immediately began devouring the ambient lust, sucking it straight into his body converting it into source power.
"Fuck!" Alex cursed internally, gritting his teeth as a sudden, feverish heat spread down his neck and pooled low in his belly.
Even though he didn't absorb much yet, the physical reaction was instant.
Underneath his ivory silk blazer, his newly developed B-cup breasts suddenly felt heavy, aching, and intensely tender.
His dark pink areolas tingled violently, and his stiff nipples swelled, pushing so hard against the supportive suit jacket that he could feel every single thread of the fabric rubbing against his sensitive skin.
"Not here, damn it... control yourself!" Alex mentally screamed at his own body, his breath hitching slightly in his throat. "If I absorb too much of this lust, the system is going to trigger another growth spurt right here in front of everyone!"
And he didn't expect to encounter such a situation right here, in front of so many people.