“… … .”
“… … .”
There was a strange atmosphere in the gambling halls of the Black Market.
The exciting atmosphere of pitting humans against each other and making bets was gone.
The demons in the VIP room were now completely oblivious to the game, and were focused solely on the demon noble ‘Volkan’ who had suddenly appeared.
‘Oh my God. Volkan is alive.’
‘The real devil noble… … .’
‘If only I could learn how to make bloodstone, I could become a demon noble… … .’
Countless eyes glancing at Volkan, or rather Suho.
Pure desire clearly felt within it.
The raw and explicit emotion of seeking that power was like greed to the demons.
But even in this icy atmosphere, Suho himself was still watching the underground fight with a relaxed look on his face.
The sight is like the leisurely sunbathing of a detective lying in the middle of a jungle.
He looked like a true demon noble. At least in the eyes of other demons.
[Is this really okay?]
‘What?’
[Is it really necessary to take such risks?]
Esil had been worried for quite some time.
[Don’t forget. The reason our clan was destroyed was because of the rebellion of the lower-level demons. You may be momentarily shocked by the sight of the bloodstone right now, but they may all come together to devour you at any moment.]
‘Yeah, that’s it. I’ve been wondering about that for a while now… … .’
Suho asked Eshil, still looking at the underground fighting arena with a relaxed gaze.
‘In the demon world where the hierarchy based on power is so clear, how on earth could lower-level demons destroy your family?’
[Well, the numerical disadvantage is so… … .]
‘Are you sure? Is that really possible?’
[… … What are you trying to say now?]
Esil was a little upset.
What Suho was saying just now sounded like he was blaming the Ladir family for being eaten by such low-level demons.
But Suho’s words weren’t over yet.
‘I’ve become quite a bit stronger than before, right? So I realized it intuitively… … .’
As Suho’s gaze swept over the surrounding demons, the demons who received his gaze flinched.
‘… … No matter how many of these guys attack, I don’t think I’ll ever lose.’
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Suho’s eyes turned cold.
Like a herdsman looking out over a pasture full of hundreds of sheep.
[What are you trying to say? Could it be Itarim? Are you saying that Itarim was already behind the lower-level demons at that time?]
‘Doesn’t that make more sense? Rather than saying that lower-level demons ate demon nobles?’
Suho was almost certain.
It was the same during the time of the Gwanghyeolma, and from the beginning, the demons were the perfect race to become slaves to Itarim.
Even those souls whose mana has been polluted are not affected by shadow powers.
From the Itarim’s perspective, what other race is better for dealing with the Shadow Legion?
[… … definitely.]
Esil couldn’t help but nod at Suho’s persuasive words.
‘Okay, so.’
Suho smiled meaningfully and opened his inventory.
‘Let’s start stripping these guys of everything from now on.’
Chin.
“I bet on that guy.”
Lotto, who suddenly accepted the stardust package that Suho offered, couldn’t help but be taken aback by its heaviness.
“Volcan, do you really think you’ll be able to get all this in one go?”
“Then it won’t work?”
“It’s not a problem according to the rules, but if the stakes get higher, other guests will have to agree… … .”
At Lotto’s words, Suho’s gaze quickly scanned the other demons.
Then, even though no one said anything, the demons nodded their heads in unison.
“Yes, I agree.”
“Ahem. What’s the big deal about that kind of stakes… … huh?”
As expected of demons with strict hierarchy, the moment he saw Suho using the bloodstone, he automatically started speaking politely.
Lotto smiled bitterly at that sight.
‘This is… … not good.’
After all the nobles disappeared, the demon world became a truly equal society.
Of course, the appearance was a bit far from the democracy that humans talk about.
A fair world where everyone can eat and be eaten equally.
The weak are preyed upon, and even the strong are bitten on the neck and sucked of blood at the first sign of weakness. It is a complete cycle of cruelty.
In this chaos that was like hell, the demons were competing with each other to create a new order, using any means necessary.
One of the representative examples of such orders was this place, the black market.
‘… … Then, the demon nobles who were thought to be extinct suddenly appeared?’
Just when a new order was beginning to take hold, the old order suddenly returned.
But I couldn’t help it.
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Since I’ve already seen him create a bloodstone right before my eyes.
And since he gave everyone here the option of teaching them how to make bloodstone… … .
‘Psychologically and realistically, it has become an absolute A and B relationship.’
There was no way proper gambling could take place like this.
And the sense of alarm that Lotto felt soon became reality.
“… … Ahem. Then I will also bet on the human that Lord Volkan has made.”
“That person seems stronger to me, too.”
“Then I too… … .”
The demons rush towards Volkan and start betting on each other.
No demon was willing to stand on the opposite side of Volkan.
So in the end, the bet was lost.
Lotto sighed, rubbing his throbbing forehead.
“Guys, if everyone bets on the same side, the game cannot start.”
But these words didn’t have any effect.
“But even in my judgment, that guy will win, so what can I do?”
“Of course.”
“Besides, there is no way to doubt the keen eye of Lord Volkan, the demon noble.”
“… … .”
Lotto gritted his teeth internally as he watched the demons shrug their shoulders with shameless expressions as if to say, “What’s the problem?”
That was then.
“Tch. Not fun.”
Suho, who had been leisurely watching the scene from behind, suddenly clicked his tongue briefly.
Then he muttered softly with a faint smile on his lips.
“Hmm. This might make it a little more fun.”
And.
A shocking declaration suddenly came out of his mouth.
“I will teach the recipe for bloodstone to the one who takes the most stardust from me here.”
… … ?!
That moment.
The stiffened demons’ eyes were filled with shock.
And then an overwhelming desire began to boil over.
“Wow, are you serious about what you just said?!”
“No, of course I am not doubting what Lord Volkan said… …!”
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“Now, wait a minute! Guests! Please calm down… …!”
Lotto tried his best to calm the demons’ fervor, but the atmosphere was already a mess.
But even Lotto himself was overcome with greed, and Volkan’s offer was so incredibly tempting.
“Now it’s starting to get a little fun.”
Suho opened his inventory, liking this heated atmosphere.
And chin, chin, chin.
“… … !”
“… … ?!”
The stakes are huge.
Suho, who had piled up a lot of stardust bags on the table, said with a meaningful smile.
“Then let’s start the game.”
Ooooooooo-!
… … And so began the devils’ biggest gamble of a lifetime.
***
What does it take to win at gambling here?
Awesome luck?
Big stakes?
Or maybe a great eye for detail?
‘No.’
In fact, the demons were confident that they could defeat Volkan.
Underground fighting arena.
This wasn’t just a place to fight humans and watch them fight.
They are, after all, just VIPs here.
In fact, the real guests, or rather the suckers, here were human guests.
Wowaaaaaaaaa-!
The audience seating area surrounding the VIP room.
There, hunters using the black market gathered to gamble and bet money.
The odds are virtually 5 to 5.
A very simple bet where either you win or you lose, one of you is sure to win.
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But that was only a superficial win rate.
What kind of place is a casino in the first place?
Making people fall into the illusion that they can win money, or that they narrowly lost money, and preventing them from getting out of it.
That’s the mechanism of the casino.
‘You’re saying that a match can be manipulated at any time?’
The moment he heard Volkan’s shocking declaration, Lotto had to fight back the sneer that was clearly forming on his lips.
And secretly gave instructions to the attendants in the underground fighting arena.
‘Use blood poison.’
Nod.
Looking at the demon servants nodding, Loto smiled meaningfully without Volkan knowing.
It was for this very reason that they dug through the floor of the casino to create an underground fighting arena.
Since the VIP room and the underground fighting arena were quite far apart, it was not difficult to fool the demons and trick the opponents.
‘Even the demon nobles wouldn’t be able to detect the blood poison from this distance.’
Lotto instructed his attendants to manipulate the game appropriately without being noticed, then smiled friendly and sat down next to Volcan.
Volkan looked at him as if he found that sight amusing.
“Are you planning to gamble yourself?”
“Yes. This kind of thing rarely happens, but honestly, which demon wouldn’t be greedy when the bloodstone is at stake? Oh, don’t worry too much. Even though I’m the manager of this place, the people who participate in the underground fighting arena change every time.”
“Are you saying there is no way to fix the match?”
“Yes.”
Lotto chuckles at Suho’s words and adds his stake to the table.
He tried to remain calm, but his eyes were already burning with ambition.
“I will learn how to make bloodstone.”
“Well, it’s good that you’re honest.”
On the other hand, Suho grinned and muttered while looking back at the underground fighting arena.
“Yeah, this is also entertainment.”
That was then.
[The King of Bugs, the Lord of Plagues, smells the poison of the bloodthirsty and licks his lips.]
‘As expected, he uses light poison.’
Suho snickered and muttered to himself at the message from Quresha that came at that moment.
‘Quresha, decipher it.’
Okay then.
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[Cure ‘Debuff: Bloodthirsty Poison’.]
The poison has disappeared from the Hunter who was poisoned by the demon servants.
‘Ber.’
[Did you call?]
‘We use it too.’
[Kihehe.]
At Suho’s words, Ber’s eyes lit up with meaning and he secretly went down to the underground fighting arena.
And.
Ber hid in the shadow of the hunter who had staked his money.
Quite coincidentally… … .
This hunter was the one with the beast transformation skill that was just gone.
[Berga uses ‘Skill: Harsh Command’.]
[‘Skill: Harsh Command’ increases the target’s ability by 50%.]
[‘Skill: Harsh Command’ causes the target to be cursed with madness as a side effect.]
“… … kruk.”
His eyes gradually became filled with madness.
