Chapter 187

No one could stop him. The Queen of Insects and the Monarch of Plagues Querehsha's blessing was with Suho.

[Que uses Debuff: 'Paralyzing Poison'.]

[Que uses Debuff: 'Sleep Poison'.]

[Que...]

As Suho got into seriously manipulating the matches, the outcomes in the underground fighting ring became extremely biased.

"Wh-what?!"

"Why is that human suddenly limping?!"

"Hmm. Looks like he sprained his ankle or something. Humans are so weak."

"No! Why did that human's eyes suddenly glaze over in the middle of the fight?!"

"Hmm. Must have had a rough night's sleep. Humans are so weak."

"...?"

"...?"

"Hmm. Another victory for me, I suppose."

Slide

Suho, with a shameless, or rather, a dignified expression, pulled all the winnings on the table towards himself. Watching the Stardust pouches piling up in front of him...

"Th-this can't be..."

The demons who lost the bets couldn't help but wear dumbfounded expressions. In this atmosphere, Suho calmly assessed the situation and conversed with Esil.

[...Surprisingly, they don't make them fight to the death like in the Colosseum. They even have healers prepared.]

'Of course. If someone died here, rumors would spread about Hunters disappearing in Yangpyeong. The black market wouldn't want that.'

[Then what's their real purpose? If they're not using the corpses of dead Hunters as ingredients for Stardust...]

'That's what I'm trying to find out.'

No matter how you looked at it, the demons here were all lower-rank, far weaker than Suho. The only reason he didn't kill them outright and chose this troublesome method was...

'Because I can't extract their souls even if I kill them.'

He couldn't interrogate their shadows after killing them, like he did with Que or Harmakan. So he had to create an atmosphere where they would willingly spill information while still alive. And there was one more thing. While the attention of the demons in the black market was focused on the gambling den, Beru was diligently searching for Sung Il-Hwan.

And occasionally...

Crunch!

"Huh? Where did the magic stones that were here go?"

"A th-thief...?!"

He would steal magic stones displayed on the stalls, avoiding people's eyes.

'It seems like we're getting a reaction.'

As Suho had said, Lotto, who had been observing the situation, was biting his lip with a complicated expression.

'How could this be...'

He couldn't help but be flustered. Originally, the Hunters participating in the underground fighting ring were all unequipped and matched against opponents of similar rank and physique. That's why the fights were so intense, and the outcome could be overturned with a moment's carelessness or a slight dip in condition. But wasn't it a bit too... coincidental, that condition?

'How come every opponent Vulcan predicts to lose ends up being in bad shape?'

Was this the true discerning eye of a demon noble?

'No.'

It was a bit, no, very suspicious.

"Well then, place your bets first, this time as well."

"..."

"..."

That's right. Vulcan had never once chosen his hunter first. He always waited until all the demons had placed their bets on both sides before placing his own, always as the very last. And he only placed bets on the underdog, where the payout was higher. It was as if he already knew the outcome of the match. How shameless… As a result, Suho now had three times more Stardust pouches piled up in front of him than when he first entered.

Lotto gritted his teeth. 'He's definitely up to something... But what's his intention?'

Vulcan had been obviously manipulating things from the start. If he were going to cheat, he should at least mix in some losses to not seem suspicious, but he was winning in every single match so blatantly! However the problem was that they had no grounds to complain. They were the ones who started the manipulation in the first place. Even though they were using Mad Blooded Poison and the organizers were deliberately rigging the matches, the winner was always the hunter Vulcan chose.

'Moreover, the humans poisoned with Mad Blooded Poison are somehow detoxified. I've never heard of Vulcan having such an ability.'

Alright. At this point, he had no choice but to admit it. The demon noble could have torn them apart and devoured them anytime he wanted, without resorting to such tricks. That's why his intentions were even more suspicious.

'Could it be... that he came here knowing everything?'

Lotto's eyes narrowed as he observed him. There was a rumor widely known in the demon world. According to it Vulcan was originally an insignificant creature who couldn't even speak. Then, by chance, he ate a leaf from the World Tree and suddenly grew into a region's ruler. But now, the half-baked demon noble, thought to be killed in the war, suddenly reappeared, able to create Bloodstone and even speak?

'...It's not just his language ability. His intelligence itself has increased.' The brilliant scheming ability needed to arrive here out of the blue and instantly manipulate the atmosphere of the gambling den to his will.

'Could it be that Vulcan is still evolving?'

'Did he barely survive the war thanks to the World Tree's blessing?'

'If it's the World Tree that gave birth to the Rulers, it's certainly possible...'

Countless thoughts floated in his mind. And in the end, Lotto decided to back down.

"Sigh... Alright, Lord Vulcan."

"...Hmm?" Suho, who had been excitedly raking in the Stardust, turned his head towards him at the sudden words.

"You're saying we should reveal our hand first if we desire Bloodstone..."

"..." Suho just stared at him silently. 

Lotto looked at the mountain of Stardust piled up in front of him and gave a bitter smile. "If that was your intention, you could have just said so from the beginning. There was no need for such mischievous tricks."

"..."

"Star Piece. Did you come here from the beginning because you wanted it?"

'Star Piece?'

[Star Piece?]

A question mark popped up in Suho's mind, but he didn't show it. Then, Lotto suddenly ripped his shirt open and revealed the blue gem implanted in the center of his chest.

"That's right. As you guessed, Lord Vulcan, the stuff we actually trade are Star Pieces like this one. They are on a completely different level from that incomplete Stardust."

[So what is this Star Piece?]

'I don't know but I doubt they'd be so arrogant if it was just solidified Stardust.'

Suho replied to Esil while maintaining an indifferent expression. Finally, some useful information was starting to come out. Now, this was the real deal.

He spoke in a nonchalant voice. "Star Piece, hmm… Is it just a substitute for Bloodstone?"

"Hehe. Do you think so? Judging by your words it seems you're curious after all. Perhaps wondering how good the Star Piece's performance is."

Lotto stroked the gem implanted in his chest with an extremely smug expression.

"If you came here impressed by those Stardust necklaces we spread among humans, you're going to be very surprised. Those things are just byproducts discarded during the Star Piece refinement process. Well, they have their own uses too but..."

'Their own uses? Does that mean it has other functions besides being a black market pass?' Despite maintaining a relaxed demeanor, Suho's mind was racing.

"Well, of course, we initially started the research simply to imitate Bloodstone. But we got curious about what kind of synergy could occur when the divine power of the outer universe is infused into demon blood."

The divine power of the outer universe. That referred to the Blue Mist emanating from the gates. It was mana sent by the Itarim to dissolve the dimensional walls. In other words, it was the power of the Outer Gods.

"Well, that's good." Suho leaned back leisurely again and gestured towards the piles of Stardust on the table with his chin.

"Then I'll bet all of this. And you, from now on, will bet that precious Star Piece of yours."

"Haha. That would be a bit difficult. No matter how much Stardust you have, it can't compare to the value of a Star Piece. They're on a different trading scale altogether."

[Trade?!] Esil's voice, filled with sudden anger, reached Suho's ears. If this was the mindset of a noble… He decided to imitate her reactions.

"...Trade. That's an interesting word." He smirked.

[Skill: 'Bloodlust' activated.]

Whoosh!

"...Ugh?!" Lotto couldn't help but step back, his face pale, at the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from Suho's entire body. The others also flinched and hurriedly lowered their heads. One demon even instinctively prostrated himself on the floor, bowing to Suho.

"...Even in this world, some things never change."

Suho slowly stood up. And with an indifferent expression, he slowly approached Lotto.

"Nobles don't make deals. They only give orders."

"..."

Tremble. Lotto couldn't move an inch, overwhelmed by the bloodlust, even as Suho's hand tapped the Star Piece implanted in his chest. It felt like he would rip it out of his body with his brutal hands at any moment to devour it. But Suho didn't do that. If he killed this guy, there would be no way to obtain more information. He withdrew his hand and said,

"The reason I'm indulging in this game you created is merely for amusement. If I were hungry..."

Growl. At the sound that suddenly echoed from Suho's stomach, all the demons in the gambling den couldn't help but flinch.

'Oh no!'

'Vulcan is hungry!'

'He's going to eat us...!'

The greedy demon Vulcan's appetite was a terrifying concept for the low-rank demons.

'Hmm, come to think of it, I skipped a meal today because I was busy. I didn't intend for this to happen.' Suho, deeply immersed in his Vulcan method acting, felt a bit embarrassed. But since things had turned out this way.

Lick. He needlessly licked his lips.

"...!" At that moment, Lotto, forgetting all about being the manager of the gambling den, had to fight his survival instincts, urging him to flee.

'N-no! If Vulcan intended to eat me, I'd be dead already! There must be something this demon wants by coming here...'

Gulp.

'There must be...'

Vulcan swallowed again.

'Is there...?'

The avaricious demon Vulcan was known to put anything he desired in his mouth first.

"A-alright!" Lotto finally closed his eyes tightly and shouted. He clutched the Star Piece embedded in his chest as if it were his lifeline.

"Then how about a duel between gladiators possessing the Star Pieces? That would surely be a good amusement for you!"

"A gladiator duel?"

Suho's bloodlust subsided momentarily at those words.

"Yes. We have Hunters implanted with Star Pieces for experimental purposes! You can choose one of them and have a gladiator..."

"You implanted Star Pieces into humans?!"

"...!" At that moment, Suho's hand, filled with rage, grabbed Lotto by the throat. Who screamed in surprise, as if struck by lightning.

"It-it was just for research purposes, I swear! The Outer Gods agreed too!"

He stopped.

'Found you, you bastards.' Suho's eyes flashed.