"{You are as interesting as the rumours says to be, human.}"
The lady spoke in a rasped voice that carried a distinct hint of amusement. She stepped slightly ahead of Marcus, her presence far more suffocating than his. "{Sadly, as lovely as it would be, we have places to be, so we will first excuse ourselves.}"
"Leaving so soon? Why don't we chat for a bit?" I replied with a sharp grin, blocking their path with a casual lean. "I'm sure we can benefit from each other."
"{As arrogant as {Mercer} said you were, hahahahant...}" She let out a dry, clicking laugh that didn't sound human at all. "{But you must know, dealing with a Demoness like myself will cost you. Are you prepared for the consequences for wasting my time, human?}"
Her voice turned cold and serious, though the playfulness never quite left her tone. My mind immediately went to the name she dropped. The {Mercer} she mentioned was the Mid-Floor 'Demon' that had manifested back on the 2nd Floor. Beings from the [Nebulas] followed a strict power hierarchy where the stronger ones were highly revered. The fact that she called a Mid-Floor 'Demon' simply by his name meant she held a rank significantly higher than his.
I pulled a small, shimmering ticket from my pocket and smiled. "I wouldn't have stopped you if I wasn't prepared for the cost."
"[Notice: You have used the Item, 'Special Ticket'!]"
"[Info: A small room will be generated where you can freely use your Skills inside the 'Black Auction' for a designated period of time. Once the duration is completed, you will be automatically sent back to your original location.]"
It was a rare item I had obtained by trading a vintage treasure from Melchior's vault to the Lower-Floor Manager Rick, whom i knew was a massive collector of exotic trinkets. In an instant, a small, isolated room materialized around the three of us, swallowing the Lady, Marcus, and myself. This was a pocket dimension; anything that happened inside could not be seen, heard, or interrupted by the outside world, and vice versa.
"{Oh my... what a surprise!}" The lady hummed, reaching up to remove her mask. Beneath it was a strikingly beautiful human face framed by long, vibrant red hair. It was her 'human-skin', a high-level disguise used by high-ranking demons to walk among us. "{So, what can you possibly offer me, human?}"
"How about a 'Contract' first so that we can exchange information?" I replied, flexing my shoulders to loosen up.
"You bastard!! Just—"
"{Marcus.}"
Marcus was about to dash toward me in a fit of rage, but he froze the second the demoness spoke his name. The authority in her voice was absolute.
"{You do realize that I could just torture you and then extract the information I want, yes?}" the Demoness asked, stepping closer. "{That is, if you even have anything valuable. Especially inside this 'Room', where not even the Administrator can interrupt us.}"
"That may be true," I replied, meeting her gaze without flinching. "But the information about, say, 'The Traitor's Silver Coins' is a bit precious, wouldn't you agree, {Moira}?"
The reaction was instantaneous. Her composure shattered, and a wave of pure, murderous intent flooded the small room.
"{!!!?—Who the hell are you!?}"
"Who I am isn't important," I added, ignoring the pressure. "So, how about we sign a 'Contract' where we must absolutely answer three questions honestly? No harm, no foul."