CHAPTER 417: BUY AN INVITATION

"How can I help you, dear customer?" The middle-aged voice pulled Daniel out of his thoughts.

He turned and saw a middle-aged man sitting behind a counter, reading a book in his hands.

At first glance, the man looked completely ordinary. But with a closer look, Daniel realized he was concealing a powerful aura.

’A peak Rank A... maybe even a False Rank S,’ Daniel thought to himself as he walked up to the counter.

"I want to buy an invitation to enter the Paradie Inn." He went straight to the point without wasting time.

The moment those words left his mouth, the man’s expression shifted slightly, and a strange spark flickered in his eyes.

"It will cost a lot," he said while looking Daniel up and down, as if trying to measure his worth. On the surface, this boy seemed ordinary.

But despite that, the man still felt a heavy sense of fear from him. This was the first time he had seen such a customer. Even though no aura leaked from this young white-haired man, there was a suffocating pressure pressing on others.

"The cost isn’t a problem, but it better work." Daniel smirked. He had already expected he’d have to pay a large sum.

The man nodded, stood up, and went into the room behind him. After a few minutes, he returned with an invitation and a piece of paper that looked like a scroll.

Before handing over the invitation, he placed the paper in front of Daniel.

"This is a contract. Sign it with your blood."

Daniel raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing. He looked through the contract and read it. There were many clauses, but all of them were expected.

Most of them bound him to never reveal where he had bought the invitation if he was caught. Otherwise, his body and soul would be destroyed.

A few other conditions for assurance were included, but that was all. After a brief moment of thought, he pricked his fingertip and dropped a bead of blood on the paper.

The paper suddenly glowed, then returned to normal after a few seconds. But Daniel could feel a link forming between himself and the contract.

The man picked it up and placed it inside a cabinet beneath the counter.

"The price of the invitation is one million gold coins."

"One million? For just an invitation?" Daniel had expected a high price, but not this high.

"If you can’t afford it, get lost. A few others came before you and bought theirs without complaining," the man growled. His tone and behavior had completely changed.

Daniel frowned but didn’t argue. He pulled the required amount of gold coins from his inventory and placed them in front of him. But after checking his inventory, it was clear his treasury was running low.

He let out a cold sigh. Unfortunately, he had no other choice. It seemed sooner or later, he’d have to start selling off extra treasures and items he had.

After confirming the full amount, the man handed the invitation to the white-haired young man.

"There are a few things you should know. First, the invitation only works for four hours. You’d better leave the inn before then, or you’ll be in trouble.

Second, don’t do anything stupid while you’re inside. Third, use the identity written in the invitation. This invitation allows a maximum of two people to enter—you and one companion.

Though I don’t recommend bringing someone along, since it can be dangerous. But that’s your choice. If you have questions, ask now."

"I understand. You said a few others came before me and bought invitations. Can you tell me about them?" Daniel asked.

He paid special attention to those words. He already knew he wasn’t the only one who had come here to assassinate Aden.

His intuition told him that the others with the same goal had to be those who bought invitations as well. If that was true, it could cause problems.

"Sorry, but my clients’ information is confidential," the man lazily replied, sitting back down in his chair.

Daniel didn’t push further. He simply picked up the invitation, said goodbye, and left. Prying too much would only draw unwanted attention—and that was the last thing he wanted.

Once outside the tent, the old man was still waiting.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah, we can go back now."

The old man nodded and led Daniel back out the way they had come—through the same elevator. The process wasn’t complicated.

After leaving the underground market, Daniel said goodbye to him as well and stepped out of the shop. Once outside, he glanced at the sky to get a sense of the time.

"It’s not sunset yet. There’s still some time," he muttered, then spotted a nearby bar and went inside.

He sat down at one of the empty tables with no one around, pulled out the invitation, made sure the area was safe, and examined it.

"The invitation is for tonight. Good. That way no extra time is wasted." Daniel let out a relieved sigh. He had been worried it might be for a week or even a month later.

That middle-aged man hadn’t even let him state what kind of invitation he wanted—he had just brought one at random.

He didn’t understand the point of that contract either. The place he was going belonged to the son of the city lord, and Daniel was certain the city lord knew exactly where these invitations came from.

But he didn’t dwell on it. By tomorrow at noon, his business in this city would be over, and they would leave. He only hoped no new variables or complications appeared, or things could get messy.

After finishing a glass of water, he paid a gold coin and then headed to the succubus’s shop. By now, the sun was setting, and Andreas should have been ready.

As soon as he arrived, he saw a long line at the entrance of the tent—something he hadn’t expected.

"My god," he muttered, but still waited in line, since it didn’t seem like he could just walk in.

It took nearly an hour before it was finally his turn to enter. Inside, besides the succubus, there were two other attendants.

"How can we help you?"

"I want to speak with the lady succubus. She was supposed to prepare something for me."

The two attendants frowned slightly. But one of them went to their mistress to confirm. It didn’t take long—after a few seconds, he returned.

"Our lady confirmed your words. Please, follow me." One of the attendants led the way, and Daniel followed.