Chapter 185

Suho followed the demons’ lead into the Black Market’s gambling den.

As he’d heard from outside, the gambling happening here wasn’t anything like poker or hanafuda.

“Graaah!”

“Die! Die!”

A wide underground arena filled with the stench of blood and sweat.

Two Hunters, stripped of all their gear, were engaged in a brutal life-or-death struggle.

From the vicious gleam in their eyes and the fury twisting their faces, it was easy to guess the situation.

“Hehehe. Doesn’t it look like they’re having fun? They’re all humans who jumped in to pay off their gambling debts.”

The demon gatekeeper guiding Suho chuckled as he spoke, and Esil’s cynical voice followed.

[Tsk. Low-ranking demons…]

Now that the noble demons with absolute authority were all gone.

The low-ranking demons scattered everywhere seemed desperate to imitate the nobility.

‘At least the ones we saw in the demon realm last time made other demons fight. Here, they’re just pitting humans against each other while they sit back and watch.’

A cold glint flickered through Suho’s eyes.

He was well aware of the demonic noble culture of colosseum duels.

Hadn’t he even participated once as a demon gladiator himself?

But this time, he found himself in the exact opposite position.

Soon, Suho arrived at a terrace-like spot with the best view of the underground arena.

“This is the VIP room. Humans aren’t allowed in here, so you’ll be able to watch comfortably. If you ever wish to participate in the games, just call on us.”

“Got it.”

Suho sat leisurely on a plush sofa and looked around.

A few demons were already seated, watching the underground arena.

They looked nearly identical—each wore a crow mask and had a Starlight Powder necklace hanging from their neck.

However, their attention shifted from the fight below to Suho the moment he entered the VIP room.

“Oh? Someone new.”

“Is he a new guest?”

“Those horns… they’re truly magnificent.”

Horns.

Their focus was solely on the horns of Vulcan sprouting from Suho’s head.

Curious eyes.

Eyes filled with fear and submission.

Even reverent gazes that went beyond fear.

Even through the crow masks concealing their faces, Suho could feel their blatant mix of emotions.

Yet none of them dared to be the first to speak.

[As expected.]

Esil explained.

[The horns you have now are completely different from the ones you had back when you were a gladiator.]

Originally, Vulcan had been a clumsy noble, incapable of producing bloodstones—the gourmet dining style of the demon nobility.

That was why, more than any other noble, he devoured his own kind the most.

He was so obsessed that, even in death, with only his horns remaining, he had still been desperate to consume other demons’ souls.

And so, while Suho couldn’t see it, the other demons could.

The fierce and greedy demonic aura blazing from Vulcan’s horns, bloated with the souls of devoured demons.

‘…Disgusting.’

‘Just how many of his own kind did he have to consume to emit this kind of aura?’

‘Don’t tell me he devoured every demon in his own factory?’

Though no one dared to say it aloud, their thoughts as they looked at Suho were all the same.

At that moment—

“Tsk.”

Suho clicked his tongue, snapping them back to reality.

“The spectacle is over there, not here.”

Flinch.

The demons, startled by his words, awkwardly shifted their gazes back to the arena.

But not everyone followed suit.

“My, if I’ve been rude on our first meeting, I apologize. Everyone’s just a bit excited. You see, this is also a place to make new friends.”

One demon suddenly approached Suho and spoke with friendly ease.

He looked similar to the others, but upon closer inspection, one thing stood out.

‘No necklace…’

[Could he be the host of this place?]

Suho and Esil quickly exchanged thoughts.

As the demon drew closer and Suho simply stared in silence, he let out an awkward laugh and continued.

“Haha, you’re a quiet one. Then allow me to introduce myself first. I’m Roto, the one running this gambling den.”

[That’s not a demon-style name. He’s either a demon without a true name or using some hastily made alias.]

Listening to Esil’s explanation, Suho thought for a moment.

‘Hmph. What to do.’

This Roto was clearly asking for Suho’s identity directly.

Since the other party was also using an alias, Suho could just toss out any name and be done with it.

But doing so wouldn’t get him any useful information.

Avoiding the question would only waste time.

“My name is…”

Suho finally spoke.

“…Vulcan.”

…!

In that instant.

All the demons in the VIP room widened their eyes and stared at Suho in utter shock.

[S-Suho?!]

Even Esil’s voice was filled with surprise.

“Using that name as an alias might be a little dangerous.”

“Alias, you say…”

Suho smiled as if he had heard something truly amusing, locking eyes with Roto.

The friendly smile that had been on Roto’s face stiffened completely.

Suho chuckled and asked in return.

“Why would I need to use an alias?”

“…It is said that there are no demon nobles left in this world.”

“That may be true for the others.”

“Are you saying Lord Vulcan is not one of them?”

As their short conversation went on, Roto’s eyes grew increasingly cold.

And just like that, an overwhelming murderous intent from the other demons began to converge on Suho.

But Suho had faced far too many powerful foes to be cowed by such a pathetic display of hostility.

Instead, Suho leaned back on the sofa with an even more relaxed posture, crossing his legs.

Then, he casually raised one hand and reached out toward the gatekeeper demon beside him while calling out to Esil inwardly.

‘Esil, you can do the bloodstone, right?’

[Not sure what you’re planning, but… Vulcan is… fine, I’ll allow it.]

Though she didn’t know Suho’s exact intention, Esil agreed to the request without resistance.

After all, if push came to shove, they could always destroy this place and escape—or fight.

Ssshhhhh—

“…Huh?!”

Suddenly, in response to Suho’s gesture, black blood began to forcefully drain from the gatekeeper demon’s body.

All the demons who witnessed it stood up in shock and disbelief.

Right above Suho’s hand, the extracted demonic blood gathered into a spherical shape and began transforming into a black bloodstone.

“A b-bloodstone?!”

“It’s a bloodstone!”

“My god! He’s a real demon noble?!”

At that moment—

Suho released a surge of killing intent at perfect timing.

[Skill: Killing Intent has been activated.]

“……!”

“……!”

Ruuuuumble—!

As Suho’s killing intent filled not only the VIP room but the entire gambling den, the demons instinctively crouched low or stepped back.

A real bloodstone before their eyes, and killing intent so overwhelming it surpassed their own power.

When those two were combined, even Roto—who had confidently approached Suho—turned pale.

“Th-This can’t be…”

“Could he really be Vulcan…?”

“But he looks different…”

“Did he possess a human body…?”

‘Hmm. Good reactions.’

Listening to the murmurs echoing from all sides, Suho and Esil spoke inwardly.

[What in the world are you scheming…?]

‘What else? I’m playing the noble game in front of these nobles-in-costume.’

[You know that Vulcan was a noble who couldn’t even produce bloodstones, right? These demons probably know that too.]

‘Exactly. That’s what makes it work.’

Suho withdrew his killing intent with a faint smile.

He then returned his gaze to Roto and asked,

“So? Was that convincing enough?”

Roto wiped the startled expression from his face and forced a composed reply.

“I’m honestly shocked. A real bloodstone…”

His eyes remained fixed on the bloodstone in Suho’s hand.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he could hardly believe it.

But no matter how he looked at it, that was unmistakably real.

Which only made it all the more confusing.

“But… I was under the impression that Lord Vulcan was incapable of creating bloodstones.”

“He was. But once I figured it out, it wasn’t all that difficult.”

“…Not difficult, you say?”

Roto’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In that instant,

Greed began to flood the eyes of every demon in the room.

Suho’s words were more than enough to spark their desire.

After all, why had demons developed Starlight Powder in the first place?

To mimic the bloodstones—an exclusive authority of nobles.

The bloodstone was the definitive mark of a true noble, their very proof of existence.

Only by creating bloodstones could demons grow their power more efficiently—and become nobles.

And ultimately, only by becoming a true noble could one be eligible to succeed the deceased Demon King, the Lord of White Flame, Baran.

And now someone claimed to have learned to make bloodstones?

Vulcan, who had been mocked by his fellow nobles for being unable to do so?

At this point, whether Suho was the real Vulcan or not no longer mattered to the demons present.

“You mean… you figured out how to make bloodstones on your own?”

“Why? You want to learn?”

“……!”

Roto’s eyes bulged as if they would pop out.

Now, every time Suho opened his mouth, the demons’ expressions changed with it.

Watching their reactions, Esil muttered in exasperation.

[You really are… unbelievable.]

But everyone—no, even demons—want to believe someone who says exactly what they want to hear.

Roto stammered as he asked Suho,

“C-Can one… actually learn it?”

[No, no. Absolutely not. A bloodstone is—]

“There’s no reason you can’t.”

[You con artist.]

Ignoring Esil’s protest, Suho maintained a serious and sincere tone as he spoke to Roto.

Then suddenly—

“But.”

Flinch.

‘But?’

‘But what?’

First came suspicion.

Then shock and fear.

Now, the demons were hanging onto Suho’s every word.

Suho fully enjoyed the excessive attention and leaned back on the sofa again, speaking leisurely.

“Isn’t this a gambling den? I came here to gamble—so let’s enjoy a little gambling, shall we?”

“W-Wait, Lord Vulcan…!”

This isn’t the time for gambling—!

Crunch.

At that moment, Suho crushed the bloodstone in his hand with his fingers.

‘Ahhh…!’

The demons watched with desperation as the bloodstone turned to dust and scattered from Suho’s palm.