Chapter 31: This is my husband... oh wait, I mean master
Abyss Labyrinth Level 7: Sleepless Dungeon
"This... isn't this just a commercial street?!"
The area of this floor was hundreds of times larger than the eighth and ninth floors combined.
The massive underground cavern was as bright as day, illuminated by countless glowing magic crystals. Stone and wooden houses were everywhere, with a towering fortress visible in the distance, and humanoids were all over the place!
Shops lined both sides of the wide streets, their signs flickering.
The air was thick with the scent of cumin from roasted meat, the powdery smell of cheap perfume, and the distinct musky odor of various monsters.
Rather than a place of sealing, this felt more like a bustling, chaotic underground black market. Since the gate area was unguarded and far from the main commercial street, no one noticed the three people who had come up from the lower levels.
"It seems... a bit different from what I imagined?"
Asmodeus observed his surroundings with a slight frown, clearly confused by the scene before him.
Filled with doubts, the three of them walked along the street.
Asmodeus's tall, handsome appearance, combined with the kingly aura that he couldn't quite suppress, quickly attracted the gazes of many passersby.
Especially those scantily clad women of different races.
"Oh my~ Hello there, sir~"
A Succubus wearing a high-slit mini-skirt and sporting a pair of small black wings sashayed over.
She unceremoniously reached out and grabbed Asmodeus's arm, her voice as sweet as honeyed juice.
"You're so tall and handsome~ A new face, perhaps? How come I haven't seen you before~"
"Would you like to come play in our shop? For a handsome guy like you, I can give you a discount~ Only three silver coins, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied~"
As she spoke, she intentionally puffed out her chest, her gaze sultry and lingering.
"Play what?"
Asmodeus didn't understand this suggestive slang.
He tilted his head in confusion and asked back with an innocent expression:
"Are you selling magic tools?"
"Pfft~ You're so bad~ I'm not selling magic tools; I'm selling games that only adults can play~"
The Succubus giggled at his response, leaning her entire body toward Asmodeus.
However, just as her body was about to touch him.
Swish—
A slender yet powerful hand intervened, blocking the Succubus and forcing her to let go of the Demon Lord.
Lilith's face was as cold as frost.
There was no emotion in her beautiful red eyes, only a bone-chilling coldness as if she were looking at trash!
She took a step forward, shielding Asmodeus.
"This is my master."
Her voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Stay away, you shameless thing!"
"Ugh!"
The Succubus was startled, her face turning pale instantly.
Being of the same race, she could clearly feel the terrifying pressure emanating from Lilith—the aura of a high-ranking member of her kind. Lilith's eyes were filled with extreme disdain and a sharp killing intent. Despite not being very tall, she looked down on the Succubus as if she were an ant!
'I'll die!'
Those two terrifying words suddenly surfaced in the Succubus's mind.
But this was the Sleepless Dungeon, a sealed land where countless races gathered. As a law-abiding citizen, why should she be afraid of a woman she didn't even know?
"Tch... what are you being so fierce for?! You're just being possessive. Suit yourself!"
The Succubus grumbled with a pout, glared at Lilith a few times, and then scurried away with her tail tucked.
Having driven away the fly, Lilith turned her head with a look of disdain, ready to continue walking.
To her surprise, a large hand reached out from behind, pulling her by the waist into a warm embrace with just a bit of force.
"Why do you look unhappy?"
Asmodeus looked down at the girl in his arms, teasing her cheek with the index finger of his other hand, making Lilith's face itch.
But it was obvious.
Having been injected with the potent sage injector, Lilith didn't care at all about this minor 'flirting.' She simply looked up calmly and answered with a touch of seriousness and slight disgust:
"My Lord."
"As the Demon Lord, you must have at least a basic level of vigilance. This place is a melting pot, and that woman clearly had ill intentions. You cannot let yourself be fooled by such low-level seduction techniques."
Lilith crossed her arms over her chest, putting on the stern face of a lecturer.
Seeing her so dead serious, Asmodeus was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something and gave a mysterious smile.
"Oh, I see."
He tightened his arm around Lilith slightly and rested his chin on her forehead, saying dotingly:
"Don't worry, I won't be fooled by other women. You are my only fiancée, and I will only dote on you. You're the only one worthy of bearing my children."
"Hmph, who cares."
In the face of Asmodeus's affectionate words, Lilith only gave a cold response and turned her head away.
Her logic was as solid as a rock!
Faced with sweet talk that would make any Succubus scream, Lilith felt absolutely nothing. She even felt like laughing.
"Heh, foolish man."
"Chasing away those bad women is only because you're my long-term bodyguard, and I want you to break the seal and take me out sooner. Who cares about you!"
"I, Lilith Augusta, am the manliest of men! A hero who will rule the world with my Best Friend in the future!"
"Just a Demon Lord... just a former Demon Lord... just a pure former Demon Lord who hasn't even held a girl's hand in three hundred years! He's just a tiny bit stronger than average..."
"Once I get out and cultivate for a few years, I'll definitely be able to grind you into the dirt! Just you wait!"
"Hmph!"
Thinking this, Lilith's expression remained cold, her face practically screaming "don't touch me."
But strangely.
Even though her thoughts were perfectly calm, her body seemed to have a mind of its own. As Asmodeus held her tight, she didn't pull away; instead, she unconsciously snuggled into that broad chest, finding the most comfortable position to lean against, just like a tsundere yet clingy cat.
The calming effect could only maintain her logic; it seemed to have little effect on her body's reflexes.
"So soft?"
Asmodeus blinked, squeezing her slender waist, and couldn't help but think to himself.
On the other side, seeing that they weren't making much progress after arriving on this floor, Hill quickly reminded the Demon Lord:
"Lord Demon Lord, Your Highness the Queen, instead of wandering around like this, why don't we find someone to ask about the situation on this floor?"
"Hmm, that's a good idea."
Asmodeus nodded.
He scanned the commercial street and finally locked his gaze on an Orc who was shouting loudly to attract customers.
It was a burly, green-skinned Orc with a face full of scars, holding a massive machete and loudly chopping a piece of unknown meat on a cutting board.
The three of them walked over.
Asmodeus maintained basic politeness and asked:
"Excuse me."
Thud—!
The Orc didn't even look up. He slammed his machete down onto a bone, his voice gruff and indifferent:
"Fresh Monitor Lizard meat, one silver for three catties. Buy something or get lost, don't block my business."
"You!"
Hearing this, Hill immediately bristled!
As the Demon Lord's number one fan, how could he tolerate someone being so rude to him?
"How dare you! You fellow!"
Hill pointed at the Orc's nose, his face flushed with anger.
"Do you know who this Lord standing before you is? How dare you speak with such a tone!"
"Who?"
The Orc still didn't look up, giving a disdainful sneer.
"Whoever he is, what's it to me? No matter how powerful someone is, aren't they all just slaves sealed by Ragnarok? What's there to be so high and mighty about? Buy something or get lost!"
"You, you, you—!"
Seeing the Orc being so ungrateful, Hill was already furious. A strong surge of magic power radiated from him, and it looked like he was about to tear the stall apart.
Fortunately, Asmodeus raised his hand in time and gently pressed down on the irritable young boy.
"Hill, calm down."
"Ugh? My Lord... but..."
Since the Demon Lord had spoken, Hill had no choice but to withdraw his magic and stand meekly behind him.
However, Asmodeus wasn't actually angry with the Orc. Instead, he keenly caught the key information in the other's words.
"Slaves sealed by Ragnarok..."
He repeated the phrase and then looked up, asking the Orc thoughtfully:
"What do you mean? Are you saying... all the humanoids here are prisoners who were sealed inside?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, the Orc, who had been chopping meat, paused.
He slowly raised his massive head and scrutinized the three people before him with bloodshot eyes.
A tall, handsome demon male, a cold and beautiful Succubus girl, and a half-demon boy who looked like a porcelain doll.
This strange combination, along with that seemingly basic question... caused the Orc to quickly become wary.
"What do you mean?"
He put down his machete and narrowed his eyes, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"You don't even know that?"
"Are you newcomers who just came in from the 'outside'?"