The man respectfully cupped his hands.

"I’m Moon. I was sent by the Demon Suppression Office to oversee the operation. I hope Sir Darius has no objections."

While speaking, the black-robed man carefully observed Darius.

’So this is the person Elder Albreto instructed me to monitor?’

Indeed.

Moon’s true assignment was not merely related to the demon mission itself.

Eliminating the demon was only secondary.

His primary task was to quietly observe Darius, investigate his background, and determine what kind of person he truly was.

Darius merely nodded calmly.

"A member will accept the mission soon enough. Tonight, the operation will begin. You may wait until then."

Hearing this brief exchange, Shen felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest.

Never in his life had he witnessed someone from the Demon Suppression Office treat another person with such respect.

More importantly...

Darius himself did not seem even slightly nervous or intimidated while speaking to them.

’It seems Any was right...’

Shen’s eyes slightly narrowed.

’This Pavilion Master truly isn’t simple.’

Although he trusted his younger sister, her earlier description of Darius had sounded rather vague.

A mysterious young man.

A magical cultivation room.

A strange Pavilion.

That was all.

However, after personally witnessing the scene before him and seeing the Demon Suppression Office actively approaching Darius, Shen suddenly realized that the Pavilion Master’s identity might be far more terrifying than even Any imagined.

After casually replying to Moon, Darius finally turned toward Shen.

"You’ve been waiting outside for quite some time, so I assume you’re interested in the Pavilion."

Darius lazily waved his hand.

"Go ahead and look around. Read the rules and pricing first. Call me if you need anything."

The moment he finished speaking, Darius closed his eyes once more as though entering meditation.

Meanwhile, Shen and Moon exchanged brief glances before silently entering the Pavilion together.

Despite the Pavilion’s relatively small size and remote location, the decorations were surprisingly refined. The atmosphere felt peaceful, and everything inside remained spotless.

’System, do you think I’d win an award for acting?’

Darius inwardly chuckled.

He felt that his performance earlier had been fairly impressive and had undoubtedly deepened the curiosity of the two newcomers.

"..."

For once, even the system fell silent.

Darius simply ignored it.

One thing he had learned from the countless novels he read in his previous life was that acting overly childish or desperate caused people to lose respect for you quickly.

If he acted overly enthusiastic toward every customer, people would naturally look down on him.

However, remaining mysterious and calm...

That was the true demeanor worthy of a Pavilion Master.

As Darius silently reflected upon his "acting performance," Moon’s breathing nearly halted while reading the board inside the Pavilion.

"One cultivation room costs ten Spirit Stones?!"

Moon almost suspected he had misread the board.

’This is outright robbery in broad daylight!’

If he had not belonged to the Demon Suppression Office—which strictly focused on demon-related affairs—he might have genuinely considered reporting this place to the authorities.

Still, what truly shocked him were not merely the prices...

But the rules.

"Troublemakers shall be dealt with according to the severity of their wrongdoing."

Moon reread the line several times before inwardly sneering.

’Rules are meaningless without strength to enforce them.’

Although Elder Albreto had instructed him to observe Darius carefully, Moon suspected that the truly dangerous individuals were likely the hidden experts standing behind the Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Shen carefully examined his surroundings before his eyes landed upon the list of services displayed at the center of the store.

His pupils immediately contracted slightly.

Although Any had already explained most things to him yesterday, personally witnessing them still felt completely different.

The prices alone were enough to make him inhale sharply.

Then suddenly...

Shen noticed a service Any had never mentioned before.

"Advanced Cultivation Room?"

Shen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

No additional details were listed beneath it aside from the pricing.

At first glance, it merely seemed like another cultivation room similar to the ordinary one.

However, the price...

His eyes widened abruptly.

"So what Any said was actually true..."

Then, in the next moment, Shen nearly choked.

"The advanced version costs ten Spirit Stones?! Is this Pavilion Master insane?!"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Shen immediately turned toward Darius.

"Pavilion Master, my sister never mentioned this advanced cultivation room before. Why did it suddenly appear today? And why is the price so much higher?"

Beside him, even Moon subtly perked up his ears while pretending not to care.

Clearly, he too was interested in the answer.

Darius lazily opened one eye before casually replying.

"Oh, I simply forgot to write it yesterday."

He yawned lightly.

"Still, unless you’ve reached the Celestial Human Realm, you aren’t qualified to rent it anyway."

The moment those words fell, Shen froze.

Even Moon’s expression subtly shifted.

There was a qualification requirement?

Shen instantly became even more interested in the advanced cultivation room.

However, the next moment, his face suddenly stiffened as he checked his pockets.

Tsk...

After hesitating briefly, Shen turned toward Moon.

"Brother Moon... would you perhaps like to try the Pavilion’s services as well?"

"Not sure yet," Moon casually replied.

Noticing that the intimidating Demon Slayer seemed easier to approach than expected, Shen shamelessly continued.

"In that case... could I borrow a few Spirit Stones from you? I’ll definitely repay you tomorrow."

The instant those words left his mouth, Shen suddenly felt his entire body turn stiff.

Moon slowly turned his head toward him.

Those emotionless eyes contained not the slightest trace of sympathy.

At that moment, Shen immediately regretted opening his mouth.

’He... he won’t beat me to death just for asking to borrow Spirit Stones... right?’