Chapter 120: A den of hell.
Later that night, Dorian and his people made their way to the hidden building in order to uncover the secrets of the abductions that had been happening as of late.
With his soldiers scattered all around the building, Dorian was more than ready to proceed with the operation.
Standing in front of the hidden door were Dorian, Maria, and Seraphina. Lili was still hidden inside him, waiting to be summoned.
They all wore fanciful masks to hide their identities and avoid detection as soon as they set foot in enemy territory.
"This is the place? I have to admit, the illusion magic is pretty top-notch," Seraphina uttered from the side, her face also concealed while dressed in her beautiful black gown.
Opposite Dorian stood Maria, her eyes constantly scanning the entire place to make sure they were not being watched or followed.
’She’s right. Under normal circumstances, one would never guess this wall was some kind of entrance. Pfft, using illusion magic for something as pitiful as this is almost funny.’
As he thought this, Dorian reached for his pocket and pulled out the key he had stolen.
Slowly, he pushed the key towards the wall, and with a single push, the key sunk in, opening up a new sigil that glowed as it absorbed the key.
Once it was in and the sigil had registered it, the wall shimmered and opened up, showing a pathway for them to walk into.
However, that wasn’t all. Standing not too far from them was a man, three times Dorian’s size and dressed in red clothes that covered his body from head to toe.
Noticing the three individuals about to walk into the place, the man quickly stepped forward, stopping Dorian from going any further.
"Who are you? And why have you come with people?" the man asked, a suspicious glare in his eyes.
Dorian didn’t respond initially. Instead, he sighed. "Are you here to waste my time? Is that it? Uhn?" He made a disgusted look on his face.
"You want people to find out about this hidden passageway? Because that is going to happen if you keep me standing out here."
The man, genuinely confused, asked again, "You don’t have to stand out here if you just answer my questions. Who are you, and why have you come with guests?"
Dorian folded his arms and squinted his gaze. "Ohhh~ so now you’re questioning my identity, is that it? How dare you waste my time like this? Where is the head master? I will have you fired for wasting my time like this!"
"N-no, that’s not..."
"Are you implying my husband can’t bring his wives along for a trade?" Seraphina joined in.
"That’s not what I meant. It’s just rare to see anyone come with other people..."
"Now you’re saying my husband is abnormal and weird? Wowww, this is my first time coming here, but I didn’t know this is how you guys treated your guests," Seraphina lamented.
The guard got so lost that he choked on his next words. Maria, at the side, kept her gaze lowered, recognizing they were both enjoying themselves a little too much.
Figuring the conversation was probably not going anywhere, the guard considered turning around to get backup to help him out.
Then-
*Pa!*
Dorian flung a bag of money at him.
"Don’t be a hero and keep your mouth shut."
He immediately went inside as soon as he said those words, his fiancées following right behind him.
The guard contemplated stopping them from going in, but after opening the bag to see the large amount of money inside, he immediately went silent, confused and guilt-ridden at the same time.
...
Moments later, Dorian and the others arrived inside the hidden chamber where many of the illegal businesses were being run.
As they entered the new zone, the first thing they heard was the sound of drums and instrumentals playing at the corner of the room.
On a mini-platform, right next to the musicians, were dancers, moving for the audience coming to watch them.
But that wasn’t what caught the attention of the people; the dancers and instruments were just toppings on the cake.
On the ground, as the female dancers danced, were elves, chained and naked—males to be exact, about five of them.
While the dancers danced, the elves were getting their balls stepped on and crushed, whips from the audience landed on their exposed skin, and junk was thrown at them out of fun and enjoyment.
These elves were either bleeding terribly or half-dead and so lifeless that they had neither the zeal nor the strength to fight back.
This spectacle of suffering was met with raucous laughter and cheers from the assembled crowd. Nobles and wealthy merchants, their faces obscured by the same kind of elaborate masks Dorian and his companions wore, sat at tables laden with food and drink.
They pointed and jeered, their voices mingling with the rhythmic thud of whips and the pained gasps of the elves.
The air was thick with the scent of cheap wine, stale sweat, and something metallic that could only be blood.
Around the central platform, the chamber extended into a vast, cavernous space.
Torches flickered on the rough-hewn stone walls, casting dancing shadows that made the scene even more grotesque.
In the far corners, more unfortunate beings were displayed in various states of torment—some in cages, others chained to pillars, all enduring the cruel whims of their captors and the depraved amusement of the onlookers.
It was a market of misery, a grim theater where the degradation of sentient life was the ultimate entertainment. Dorian’s gaze hardened, a cold fury settling deep within him.
"What is this place? It’s even worse than I imagined," Seraphina uttered, covering her nose to block the scent of blood and drinks mingling in the air.
Maria whispered right after. "It looks like your father was right. There is an illegal trading of elves happening here. This is all the proof we need."
When she said this, she clenched her fist, noticing how a female elf was hung naked on the wall for display, for the nobles to touch and do whatever they wanted to her.
The worst part about it was the fact she didn’t even try to fight back or show any sign of restraint; her eyes were dim and low, having little to no life in them.
’Bastards,’ Dorian gritted his teeth at the sight.
If this was the first thing he was seeing after entering the underground space, what other terrible things could possibly await them if they went in deeper?
Or so he thought, before a man, dressed in a noble attire and a mask on his face, suddenly approached the group.
...
[A/N]
I am back, you should be getting the extra Chapters for the gt and ps today, meaning 3 more Chapters, hopefully.