Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)-Chapter 220: Spotting Familiar Faces

Third Person's POV

Whispers rippled through the nearest tables, but no one protested.

Ethan noted how the receptionist leaned close and whispered something to the man in hushed tones.

Even though he was very curious, Ethan refrained from probing with his soul sense.

In a place full of unfamiliar faces, it was best not to seem intrusive or rude.

Who knew what hidden dangers lurked here? A single careless action might end up offending someone he couldn't afford to provoke.

The old demon glanced up with his sharp rat-like small eyes and scanned Ethan's group before offering a toothy smile.

Despite his frail and feeble exterior, there was something unsettling in that gaze. It was something keen and dangerous that set Ethan's instincts alight.

"The Adventurer Guild offers fair opportunities," the demon said smoothly. "For warriors like yourselves, there is no need to start at the very bottom."

His gaze lingered on Ethan and Virelle before gesturing at the fighting pit with a wrinkled hand.

"Since you two are at the Elemental Sea Stage, you qualify for the Iron Rank test. It is very simple, you have to last ten to twenty minutes against an Iron Rank adventurer in the pit."

He chuckled which revealed his yellowed jagged teeth.

"The very same pit you see before you."

Ethan's eyes drifted toward the bloodstained arena, where the two demons were still exchanging brutal blows.

The thought of testing there amid so many prying eyes wasn't exactly ideal, but it was the custom here, and custom mattered.

"And for the young lady?" the demon asked and turned to Velcy, who was clinging tightly to Ethan's sleeve with her wide ice-blue eyes flitting about.

She was clearly overwhelmed by the raucous energy of the tavern.

"She will be pitted against an acolyte stage warrior," he offered kindly.

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"Sound fair?"

Ethan pretended to consider it but inwardly but his wariness deepened even more.

His sharp senses picked up the subtle ripple of danger emanating from this old demon.

He noticed how the man remained unfazed by Virelle's cold beauty and mysterious appearance, Ethan's own enigmatic presence, or even Velcy's scarred appearance.

There wasn't a flicker of disgust or amusement. What remained in place was just a quiet and calculating neutrality as if he had seen everything the world had to offer and nothing could surprise him anymore.

A predator hiding in plain sight.

Ethan nodded politely while masking his thoughts at the same time, and offered a few words of gratitude before turning to leave.

But the old demon's voice halted him.

"One more thing," the demon added with a smirk. "To attempt the Iron Rank test, there is a small fee. One gold coin… or five low-level elemental crystals. Any element will do.

As for the little lady around thirty bronze coins will be sufficient."

Ethan nodded and produced ten low-level blood lifeblood crystals, their crimson glow pulsing faintly.

He also handed over the thirty bronze change for Velcy's entry before stepping away.

But as he turned toward an empty table nearby, he froze mid-step.

The table was no longer empty.

Five demon men now sat there. They were sprawling comfortably on the chairs that had once been vacant.

Nearby, a meek-looking adventurer was sheepishly offering his and his female companion's chairs to them.

The five took them without a word and lounged as if they owned the entire hall.

Ethan's gaze sharpened as he noticed how the group sneered at the humble adventurer while their eyes were filled with a lewd hunger as they ogled the man's partner, a dark-haired timid-looking demoness who shrank under their attention.

The young man clenched his fists and rage flashed briefly across his face but he swallowed it down and turned away as he led his teary-eyed companion elsewhere.

They seemed to be a couple and looking at their tags, Ethan could tell that they both were at the Iron rank.

Ethan's group wasn't stunned by the bullying as this kind of scene was common enough in this world's ruthless dog-eat-dog world.

What shocked them was the identity of the thugs.

It was the same group they had seen atop the gray Elder Tusk Mammoth two days prior during their journey.

Ethan's eyes locked on the red-headed leader, who sat with arrogant ease and laughed loudly as he fondled the breasts of the black-haired demoness perched on his lap.

She half-heartedly swatted his hands away and giggled sluttily while making some fake seductive moans.

The atmosphere shifted slightly as patrons noted the display, but no one intervened.

All eyes subtly flicked toward the golden rank tag dangling from the red-headed demon's neck, and the silver tags on his four companions.

The receptionist beside Ethan arched a brow at his reaction, but before she could comment, the red-headed man finally noticed them.

He smirked as he had been expecting them to avert their gaze like the last group but it faded soon enough when Ethan and his party held their stare.

Ethan even started to whisper and point at his face in a half-amused and half-mocking manner.

The redhead's eyes narrowed dangerously as the playful glint in his gaze soured into something darker and more violent.

Tension filled the air, but Ethan just smiled wider as he seemed to deliberately push the boundaries.

He was doing these things as he knew that tension and conflict with this man seemed unavoidable so it would be better to show them their place.

According to the rules on that board, I can't get the Silver rank directly even if I defeat one of those Silver rank underlings as the notice detailed clearly that the basic requirement was to be at the ascension level of the initial stages of the Crystal Formation Realm.

And I am still only in the peak stages of the Elemental Sea Realm but it would indeed feel good to thrash one of the red-headed man's lackeys.

That way, I can even glean the strength of an average grade-three demon.