Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Another Market To Corner

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While my form finally awoke from last night's contract, Grimora was curled around me, her chin resting on her crossed arms as she stared down at me. I was still a dense red puddle with a stark white stain marbled across my surface, but my newly contracted succubus was looking down at me like I was the most fascinating, high-value asset she'd ever acquired. "Morning, master," she greeted. Her voice was a complex mixture of lingering disbelief, a little physical discomfort from sleeping on the crystal floor, but overwhelmingly, it carried a deep, magically bound affection. "Morning, Grimora," I returned the sentiment, my fluid body vibrating to produce the words. "How do you feel? Any buyer's remorse?" "Better than ever," she responded, ignoring my corporate humor. Her voice was surprisingly sincere. "I feel completely invigorated. The pact... it unlocked something." And sure enough, she looked like a company that had just received a massive injection of venture capital. Tiny sparks of raw, pink Ether danced in her eyes, brighter and more stable than yesterday. Her skin held a healthy, luminous sheen in the dim cavern light. A faint, genuinely warm smile graced her lips. It was a sight to behold, a stark contrast to the feral, desperate creature that had tried to skewer me twenty-four hours ago. I shifted my gelatinous body only replicated a morning routine—shifting my mass, stretching my tendrils, void of the usual human yawns and popping joints—for Grimora, it marked the sunrise. The startup phase was over. It was time for us to begin our aggressive expansion, hunt down some tangible capital, and fulfill our lease agreement with the dragon. "I suppose it is time we went out and secured our stay in this palace," I proposed after a beat, hovering slightly off the ground to settle onto Grimjaw's armored back. The two-headed hound let out a low, happy rumble. "Agreed," Grimora replied, her tone sharpening with professional determination. She stood, stretching her wings. "We have a lot of ground to cover and, sadly, a strict deadline to meet. I think our first order of business should be to track down some petty criminals. The lowest rung of the ladder usually has the best leads on undiscovered, highly liquid treasures." I chuckled, the sound bubbling through my slime. "You make it sound as if we are playing some kind of video game, shaking down NPCs for loot. Do you really think it will be that easy to source reliable data?" She cocked her head, a familiar, predatory smirk playing on her lips. "I wouldn't lie to you, Visthal. It is going to be brutal out there in the glade. Every single entity you meet is going to be a feral monster or a deceitful demon, and absolutely none of them are going to want to freely share their margins with you." "Are there any centralized markets? Towns or cities in the Dark Glade?" I asked. I was still lacking a fundamental map of my new operating territory. "Not exactly towns or cities," she replied, picking up her dark leather armor from the floor and strapping it on. "Markon doesn't allow organized infrastructure outside of his capital. But there are scattered settlements. Small, violent villages hidden deeply within the toxic brush. That’s where most of the minor demons and devious creatures reside, hoarding whatever scraps they can steal." "That could be our starting point, then," I suggested. "We should introduce ourselves to the local demographics. Maybe we can find some actionable information or even forcefully acquire some temporary allies." "A sound strategy, master," Grimora affirmed. "But remember, each encounter might also bring a new competitor trying to kill us. In Xeenar, trust is a fatal liability." I nodded, or did the gelatinous equivalent, feeling a phantom chill run through my core. I had barely survived my initial encounter with Grimora. I had been discarded like toxic waste by my own creator. Anything could happen in this swarming, deregulated nest of monsters. But I needed to do