Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 186 -

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"..."

"..."

There was a strange atmosphere in the gambling hall of the Black Market.

In the meantime, the exciting atmosphere where humans were fighting and betting with each other was no longer there. The demons in the VIP room no longer paid attention to the game, and all their attention was focused on the sudden appearance of the demon aristocrat, 'Vulcan'.

'oh my god. Lord Vulcan was alive.'

'A real demon noble.'

'As long as I can learn how to make Bloodstone, I'll become a demon noble.'

Numerous eyes kept glancing at Vulcan, no, Suho. A pure desire was clearly felt. The primary and blatant emotion of pursuing that power was like gluttony to demons. However, even in such a thin cold atmosphere, Suho himself was still watching the underground fight with a relaxed look.

Like a male tiger lying down in the middle of the jungle and enjoying the sun. It looked like the dignified appearance of a true demon aristocrat. At least in the eyes of the other demons.

[Is it really okay to do this?]

?What?'

[Do you really need to take such a risk?]

Esil had been worried for a while.

[Do not forget. The reason our family was destroyed was all because of the rebellion of the lower demons. Right now, they might just be surprised after seeing the Bloodstone, but they could soon attempt to attack you and eat you at any time.]

'Yeah, I know. But I've been curious about something.' Suho looked around the underground arena with a relaxed gaze and asked Esil. 'In a demon realm with such a clear hierarchy based on power, how on earth were the lower demons able to exterminate your family?'

[That's because we were outnumbered.]

'Are you sure? Is that really the only reason?'

[...What are you trying to say?]

Esil was a little furious. What Suho was saying now sounded like he was blaming the Radir family for being weak to the point where they could be eaten by such low-level demons. However, Suho's words were not over yet.

'I've become quite strong compared to before, haven't I? That's why I realized that...' As Suho's gaze swept over the demons around him, the demons caught in his gaze flinched. '...No matter how many times these guys try, it doesn't seem like I'll ever lose.' Suho's eyes grew cold, like a lion looking at a pasture with hundreds of sheep.

[What do you mean? Is this about the Itarim? Are you saying that they must have been behind the rebellions of the lower demons?]

'Doesn't that make more sense than saying that the lower demons simply ate the demon nobles?'

Suho was almost certain. It was already like that during the Blood-eyed Tyrant Demon, and demons were the perfect race to become Itarim's slaves in the first place. Besides, their souls were made from uncontaminated mana, so the power of the Shadow Monarch wouldn't work on them. From the standpoint of the Itarim, where else could there be a better race to deal with the Shadow Legion?

[...Its possible.]

At Suho's persuasive words, Esil could only nod. 'Well, then.' Suho smiled meaningfully and opened the inventory. 'From now on, let's take everything from these guys.'

Ding!

"I bet on that man." Lotto, who suddenly received a package of Stardust from Suho, couldn't help but be flustered by its heaviness.

"Lord Vulcan, are you sure you want to spend this much in one game?"

"I can't?"

"It's not a problem in terms of regulations, but if the stakes are high, other guests will have to agree..."

At Lotto's words, Suho's gaze slid over the other demons. Then, without saying anything, the demons scrambled to nod.

"Yes, I agree."

"Hmm. Oh this? Yes, it's not a big deal."

As expected of demons with strict hierarchical order, from the moment they saw Suho using the Bloodstone, honorific words automatically came out of their mouths. Seeing that, Lotto smiled bitterly.

'This... is not good.'

After all the nobility disappeared, the demon realm became a truly egalitarian society. Of course, that look was a little far from the democracy that humans talk about. A fair world where anyone can eat each other equally and be eaten. The weak are bitten and eaten, and the strong, if they find a loophole, bite their necks and suck their blood. In this endless hell-like disorder, demons were scrambling to do anything to create a new order for themselves.

One of the representative orders was here, the black market.

'...But all of a sudden, a demon aristocrat whom I thought was extinct appeared?'

Now, just when a new order was about to be established, the old order suddenly returned. They couldn't help it. They had already seen him make Bloodstone right in front of their eyes. And since he's given room to teach everyone here how to make Bloodstone...

'Psychologically and realistically, it has become an absolute relationship between superior and inferior.'

In this way, a proper gambling could not be made, and the alarm Lotto felt had immediately become a reality.

"...Well then, I will also bet on the human that Lord Vulcan bets on."

"Just by the looks of it, that human seems stronger."

"So will I..."

The demons rushed to the same side as Vulcan and started betting. Not one demon wanted to stand on the other side of Vulcan. Eventually, the bet was lost. Lotto sighed, rubbing his throbbing forehead.

"Guests, we can't start the game if everyone bets on the same side." But these words did not work at all.

"Still, even in my judgment, that human will win, so what can I do?"

"Nothing."

"Besides, I can't doubt Lord Vulcan's keen eye."

"..." Looking at the demons shrugging their shoulders with shameless expressions, as if asking what was wrong, Lotto gnashed his teeth inwardly. It was then...

"Tsk. This is no fun." Suho, who was leisurely watching the scene from behind, suddenly clicked his tongue briefly. Then, with a faint smile on his lips, he murmured softly. "Hmm. Could this make it more fun?" A shocking declaration suddenly jumped out of his mouth.

"I will teach the Bloodstone recipe to the guy who picks up the most Stardust against me here."

...?!

At that moment, the stiff eyes of the demons were frozen in astonishment. Suddenly a tremendous desire began to boil.

"Bah, are you serious about what you just said?!"

"No, I don't doubt Lord Vulcan's words but...!"

"Wait a minute! guests! Please calm down!"

Lotto tried his best to calm the heat of the demons, but the atmosphere was already chaotic. However, Vulcan's proposal was so enchanting that even Lotto himself was greedy.

"This is going to be fun now." Pleased with the hated atmosphere, Suho opened his inventory.

Ding ding ding!

"...!"

"...?!"

Huge stakes. Suho, who had piled up Stardust pouches on the table, said with a meaningful smile. "Then let's start the game."

Woooo!

Thus began the gamble of a lifetime for the demons.

***

What does it take to win at gambling here? Great luck? Huge stakes? Or, a great eye?

'None.'

In fact, the demons were confident of defeating Vulcan in this underground arena because this wasn't just a place to fight and watch humans. After all, they are just VIPs here. The real guests here, no, the watchers were human guests.

Whoaaaaaa-!

The spectator seats are wrapped around the bottom of the VIP room. Hunters using the black market gathered there and betted money on the outcome. The odds of winning are practically 5 to 5. A very simple bet where one party wins or loses. But that was only a superficial win rate.

What kind of place is a gambling den then? A place that grants you an illusion where you can win money, but then makes you fall into a greater debt, making it impossible to escape. That is the mechanism of the gambling house.

'It's a game where the winnings can be manipulated.' The moment he heard Vulcan's declaration of shock, Lotto struggled to hold back the blatant ridicule that rose to his lips and secretly gave instructions to the attendants in the underground arena.

"Use the rabid-blood poison."

Nod.

Seeing the nodding demon attendants, Lotto smiled meaningfully without Vulcan's knowledge. It was for this reason that they dug the floor of the gambling den to create an underground fighting arena. There was quite a distance between the VIP room and the underground arena, so it was only a matter of deceiving the eyes of demons and playing tricks on opponents.

'No matter how dominant the demon nobles are, they can't notice the rabid-blood poison from this distance.'

After instructing the attendants to manipulate the game appropriately without being seen, Lotto approached and sat next to Vulcan with a friendly smile. Seeing that, Vulcan looked at him as if he was having fun.

"Are you sure you want to participate in gambling yourself?"

"Of course. An event such as this rarely happens, but to be honest, what demon isn't greedy for a plate of Bloodstone? Oh, don't worry too much. No matter how much I am the host of this place, the people who participate in the underground fighting arena change every time."

"Are you saying there is no way to manipulate the match?"

"That's right." Lotto smiled at Suho's words and added his own stake on the table. He tried to stay calm, but his eyes were already burning with ambition.

"I will learn how to make Bloodstone."

"Well, it's good to be honest." On the other hand, Suho smiled and muttered as he cast his gaze back to the underground arena.

"Yes, this will certainly be fun."

It was then...

[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, smells the rabid-blood poison and licks her lips.]

'As expected, he used the rabid-blood poison.' Suho smiled and muttered to himself at the just-in-time message from Queresha.

'Queresha, detoxify it.'

She did so.

['Debuff: Rabid-blood poison' has been detoxified.]

The debuff disappeared from the hunter who was poisoned with rabid-blood poison by the demon servants. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝗯𝐧𝐨𝘃𝐞𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦

'Beru.'

[Did you call for me?] (f)reenovelkiss.com

'Use your skill as well.'

[Kihehe.]

At Suho's words, Beru's meaningful eyes lit up as he secretly went down to the underground arena. Beru hid in the shadow of the hunter Suho had bet on.

Quite coincidentally, this hunter was that same hunter with the Beast Mode skill, who had become broke earlier.

[Beru uses 'Skill: Harsh Command'.]

['Skill: Harsh Command' increases the target's stats by 50%.]

[As a side effect of 'Skill: Harsh Command', the target is cursed with madness.]

"...GRRR."

Gradually, the hunter's eyes turned red.