<h4>Chapter 116</h4>


    ck markets, secretive ces where items that could not be traded publicly or were legally prohibited were exchanged, had existed side-by-side with humanity for millennia.


    They so tenaciously appeared everywhere throughout history that one might even wonder about the reason why. But there was no real need to dive too deeply into it.


    <i>It’s simply because they are necessary.</i>


    Whether it was to dispose of illegally obtained goods, obtain prohibited technologies for research, or gain a higher profit, there were people who needed a ce unrestrained by thew. Thus, all of these people would naturally gather among themselves to satisfy their desires, forming these ck markets.


    Regardless of how hard thew tried to regte and crack down on ck markets, they would always reappear somewhere.


    “Wee.”


    And the ck market in the Philippines, the ck Arms, was no exception.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Checking their tickets, the guard punched a hole through them and allowed them to pass and board the opulent luxurious cruise ship which seemed to be able to amodate ten thousand passengers easily.


    Climbing the stairs to board the ship, Se-Hoon slowly surveyed the passengers through his sunsses.


    <i>This should be about... two-thirds, maybe.</i>


    At first nce, the passengers appeared to be just wealthy individuals, but on closer look, one would notice that their movements made them different from ordinary people. Their essories, like earrings and rings, were notably not just ordinary adornments.


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon observed the ominous crowd that would apany them on board, but a stern voice from behind soon refocused his attention.


    “Don’t get distracted.”


    With her red hair tied up and swept to the right, the source of the voice sported a pair of ck sunsses covering her eyes, a ck suit, and a ck pair of gloves—the perfect look and vibes of a seasoned bodyguard.


    “I was just taking a quick look.”


    “Even so, you shouldn’t stray from thedy’s side.”


    Rolling his eyes at the bodyguard’s remark, Se-Hoon casually shifted his gaze toward the long-haired girl in a luxurious ck dress. Although a small veil attached to her wide-brimmed hat obstructed her eyes and face, her skin was so palepared to her dark clothes and hair that she naturally drew attention.


    “Why are you making a fuss when thedy hasn’t said anything?”


    “I’m just telling you to behave, considering where we are right now.”


    “Ah, yes, yes. Okay.”


    Giving that casual reply, Se-Hoonzily positioned himself by thedy’s side. Like that, the three of them walked past the passengers and moved further inside.


    Left behind, those silently observing the trio began quietly exchanging words among themselves.


    “Looks like a young master hase to y.”


    “The bodyguards seempetent, though?”


    “Still, they’re probably just mercenaries introduced by some middleman. That kid got the concept all wrong and can’t even act properly.”


    Thanks to the long time they spent in the ck market, they could easily distinguish whether someone was from the same circle or was a newbie who hade upon hearing rumors. So upon determining that Se-Hoon was thetter, they decided to find out his exact identityter and quickly dispersed their attention.


    Meanwhile, the bodyguards and thedy continued moving inward, pretending to be oblivious to the attention they had momentarily gathered.


    Soon, the three entered their assigned VIP cabin.


    “<i>Phew</i>.”


    And Eun-Ha, the bodyguard, instantly removed her sunsses and sighed.


    “Acting sure isn’t easy.”


    Acting like a skilled bodyguard, particrly an A-rank one who seemed like they had a considerable amount of strength, meant that there were numerous details she had to consider.


    Noticing Eun-Ha’s awkwardness with acting in her voice, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    “You did pretty well back there, though. They should have beenpletely fooled by your act.”


    “What about me?” Erika asked after removing her veil.


    Nodding, Se-Hoon said, “You were good too. You looked just like a bodyguard pretending to be an escorted young miss.”


    Before visiting the ck Arms, the first thing Eun-Ha wanted to prepare was the persona that Se-Hoon would assume.


    <i>“The ck Arms doesn’t ask for one’s identity if their credit is guaranteed, but it’s necessary to act to some extent to avoid suspicions from the other patrons.”</i>


    Since the ck market’s primary patrons all had something shady about them, each patron was just as interested in finding out other patrons’ identities as they were in hiding their own.


    Therefore Se-Hoon discussed with Eun-Ha and finally managed to settle on a usible persona.


    <i>A naive young master disguised as a bodyguard, apanied by two real bodyguards who are humoring his clumsy acting.</i>


    It was the ideal persona for him; he could take the lead and also trick others into underestimating him as a naive young fool. That was the reason why Se-Hoon was acting independently despite posing as a bodyguard and why Eun-Ha and Erika were acting as real bodyguards who were hurriedly following him.


    “It seems we’re off to a smooth start.”


    “Yes, it seems there won’t be any issues with our current approach.”


    Agreeing with a nod, Eun-Ha then turned to look at Erika, who was standing close to Se-Hoon.


    “You were amazing back there too, Erika.”


    “Thank you.”


    “However, walking too close to Se-Hoon might not be good, as people could make the mistake that you have a personal rtionship with him.”


    Noting Eun-Ha’s calm critique, Erika made a thoughtful face.


    “Isn’t it also strange for a bodyguard to be <i>too </i>far away from the young master though?”


    “All I’m saying is just that you should maintain a proper distance.”


    Spotting the strange tension flowing between the two, Se-Hoon made a mildly displeased expression.


    <i>I should have told her from the start that Erika was apanying us.</i>


    The original concept they settled on was a lord and a bodyguard, but it waster changed when he remembered to inform Eun-Ha that Erika was going to join. With one more person, the concept and theplexity of the acting increased, which seemed much to her displeasure.


    <i>They both agreed to apany me without anyints though, so they must trust each other somewhat...</i>


    Surely, Erika wouldn’t have agreed if she had absolutely no interest in whether he lived or died.


    Taking action to dispel the awkwardness, Se-Hoon quickly interjected, “What’s our next move? I’d like to find out more about Immortal if possible...”


    Breaking the tension, Eun-Ha shifted her gaze and replied, “Since he should be attending as a guest, it wouldn’t be wise to ask around directly. For now, our best course of action is to look into auctioned items and guess where he might appear.”


    “Ah, then can you perhaps get me a catalog of the items?”


    “Understood.”


    After expressing her agreement, Eun-Ha browsed the room service menu ced on the desk and picked up the telephone.


    “I would like to order the limited-quantity evening dessert set. Yes, for three people, one with coffee and two with tea will be fine. For the desserts, I will have each...”


    True to her name as the Gourmet, Eun-Ha listed each dessert she wanted from the menu like an expert and then put down the phone when she finished.


    “The catalogs should arrive soon. I’ll receive it, so in the meantime, Se-Hoon, please get your disguise properly adjusted by Erika.”


    “Okay.”


    “Understood. This way.”


    Leading Se-Hoon to a room, Erika sat him down in front of arge mirror at a dressing table.


    “Take off your sunsses.”


    “Alright.”


    With his sunsses now off, he looked into the mirror to see a face that he was unfamiliar with. The features of his face had softened overall and had be more refined, especially around his eyes and jawline. A hint of purple had even been added to his eyes, giving him a subtle nuance that finished his transformation into apletely different person.


    “I’ll get started with the adjustment now.”


    Beginning the adjustments, Erika’s hands slowly moved along his jawline. It felt like a thin y mask had materialized over his face, subtly reshaping his features. The process was quite interesting to watch.


    <i>So she’s assimting the artificial skin with the body and then processing its shape while making it seem as natural as possible... I might be able to apply this to a curse.</i>


    Erika’s confidence when she said she wouldn’t get caught even by A-rank heroes wasn’t without reason.


    Taking the opportunity, Se-Hoon carefully examined her spell through the mirror for other potential uses.


    “Dean Ryu Eun-Ha.”


    Suddenly speaking up, Erika looked at Se-Hoon through the mirror and asked, “Are you guys close?”


    “Hm? Well... you could say we’re close. Why?”


    “You just seem very familiar with her.”


    Sweeping down Se-Hoon’s lower jaw with her hand, Erika continued with a hint of suspicion in her voice, “She seems like she wants to get closer to you whereas you act like you’re already close to her. It’s a bit strange.”


    The time they had spent together was the same, yet there seemed to be a difference in the emotions they felt for each other.


    <i>She’s... sharper than I thought.</i>


    Although he hadn’t really been trying to hide his emotions in front of Erika this was the first time someone besides Aria had managed to read him so urately.


    Surprised by her unexpected talent, Se-Hoon gazed back at Erika through the mirror.


    “Did you notice anybody else that I treat simrly?”


    “Luize Valente, Yeom Sung-Ha, and Aria Myers, though you treat her somewhat differently.”


    Erika removed her hand from his face.


    “Are they the type of people that you like?”


    Surprised once again, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but chuckle at her straightforward question that was filled with genuine curiosity about his preferences.


    “Did you really just ask that?”


    “It wouldn’t hurt to know.”


    “Hmm. Well...”


    Taking a moment, Se-Hoon pondered over what type of person he preferred. In the end, he decided to give a somewhat vague answer.


    “I suppose I like people who are transparent.”


    “Transparent?”


    “It’s easier for me toe up with a proper response when I know exactly what kind of person I’m dealing with. I always feel distant from a person whenever they try to hide something.”


    To be more precise, he was referring to those with whom he had formed a bond, but there was no need to borate that far as such a rtionship would naturally form between him and Erika if he continued to spend time with her.


    <i>There’s no point in aiming for a specific rtionship from the start; those hardly ever work out.</i>


    Falling silent at his response, Erika pondered something before seeminglying to a decision.


    In a slow manner, Erika began, “Then, you shoulde to my hous—”


    “Lee Se-Hoon.”


    But before Erika could finish her words, Eun-Ha entered the room.


    “The catalog has arrived; you should take a look at it.”


    “Ah, yes.”


    “And.”


    Eun-Ha turned her head toward Erika, her gaze more detached than usual.


    “Erika, I would like for you to adjust my disguise as well.”


    “...”


    Instead of responding immediately, Erika silently stared at her for a moment.


    “Okay.”


    “I’ll leave the room to you guys then.”


    Letting Eun-Ha take over his spot, Se-Hoon walked out to the living room of the suite, where the catalogs wereid out on the table.


    “Let’s see...”


    He sat on the sofa and immediately picked up a catalog to inspect the items listed for auction.


    <i>They’re mostly Hero tier.</i>


    There were a few Rare-tier items as well, but those were either casual items made by famous craftsmen or items made with expensive materials but not poor craftsmanship. Given the scale of the ck Arms, the items for auction were generally of high quality.


    <i>No Legendary-tier materials, huh?</i>


    It was extremely difficult to acquire Legendary materials. They were extremely rare drops from A-rank monsters, but acquiring them from S-rank monsters was rarer still due to the overall limited number of S-rank monsters.


    Slightly disappointed, Se-Hoon finished looking over the catalog. Unable to find anything particrly striking, Se-Hoon made an odd expression.


    <i>Nothing’s really standing out.</i>


    Was Immortal here just for a casual visit, or was he interested in an item that hadn’t been listed in the catalog yet? Wondering if he missed anything, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought and began examining the catalog again. A short whileter, the door to the room opened and Eun-Ha, having finished her adjustments with Erika, stepped into the living room.


    “Did you find any suspicious listings?”


    “Hmm. From what I saw, there isn’t anything that stands out. They all seem quite ordinary...”


    “Hmm.”


    Upon hearing that Se-Hoon hadn’t found anything, Eun-Ha mused over something for a moment before suggesting, “Then it might be worthwhile to check out the private auctions held among the guests.”


    There were three different ways items were being traded at the ck Arms.


    The first was through the open market that was overseen by the hosts; the second was through an auction open only to those with verified credentials; and the third was through private auctions held by the guests who simply rented a space.


    “Those tend to start as soon as we arrive at the ind, so we should start by finding out what items are being sold off right away.”


    “Right. But where do we start looking for them?”


    Putting her sunsses back on, Eun-Ha replied, “Downstairs.”


    ***


    There were two casinos on the cruise ship heading to the ck Arms: the regr casino used by ordinary travelers, and the VIP casino hidden further within.


    <i>Beep-</i>


    Confirming the VIP card Se-Hoon ced against the panel inside the elevator, the floor indicator changed to disy the word ‘VIP’ and started moving silently. The elevator moved down and then intricately sideways, navigating through the spatial magic deployed within the ship’s hull.


    Passing the time, Se-Hoon observed the faint vibrations.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    With a clear ring and a sudden stop, the doors opened and revealed a casino decoratedvishly in red and gold.


    The opulent scene vividly gave off the impression that money was being spent like water. And indeed it was; the stakes at each table were astronomical, with the lowest chip value being a whopping one million won.


    “<i>Tsk</i>. I’m not getting any luck today.”


    “<i>Argh</i>. Take it all, take everything.”


    Se-Hoon’s eyes sparkled at the glimpse he got of the financial scale of the ck Arms. Every bet ranged from hundreds of millions to tens of billions of won per game.


    “Captain, let’s hurry inside!”


    “Calm down. We have plenty of time...”


    “Come on, let’s get moving already. Thedy wants to look around too.”


    Continuing his feigned act as a naive young master, he strode into the depths of the casino, with Eun-Ha and Erika sighing and dutifully following behind.


    <i>It seems we’ve made the right first impression...</i>


    Confirming that the wary nces at them had significantly diminished, Se-Hoon calmly surveyed the surroundings. While everyone was casually gambling and chatting with each other, it was clear—from the conversations, gazes, and gestures at each—that the atmosphere was different at several tables.


    “I used to be able to do this all day long. But my body isn’t what it used to be.”


    “Is that so? There’s a nice ce I know on the ind; I could introduce you if you want. It’s not a bad ce to take a day off.”


    As they spoke, they subtly signaled each other with several taps on the table and chip movements disguised as bets, giving introductions and starting their bargaining and transactions.


    <i>I’m getting the gist of it.</i>


    Thanks to Eun-Ha briefing him about these signals, it was easier for him to distinguish them. The task now was to identify any big yers among them with his keen observation.


    However, just as he was about to survey the casino further, his ears picked up on something.


    “Ah, ah.”


    A familiar, smug voice reached Se-Hoon’s ears.


    “Where did all the gamblers go? Isn’t this just matching pictures? Why is it taking so long?”


    “<i>Ugh</i>...”


    Reacting to the taunt, a middle-aged man grimaced and fidgeted with his cardsid out on the floor, making it clear that he was hesitating whether to bet more. Seeing that, the young man across from him, with jet-ck hair and brown skin, smirked.


    “You think the patterns will be erased if you do that? Your fingerprints would probably wear off first.”


    <i>Click- click-</i>


    The young man twirled two red chips impressively in his hand, and soon, the sound made the middle-aged man tremble and shout, “Just shut up, will you!”


    Being a VIP allowed in the VIP casino of ck Arms, the middle-aged man was no ordinary person. His rising anger unleashed waves of ominous mana and murderous intent toward the young man still twirling chips across the table.


    “Hmm.”


    <i>Wham-</i>


    The young man had flung one of the chips, shattering it without a trace.


    “...!”


    Feeling threatened, the middle-aged man flinched, and the young man snickered.


    “Whoa, calm down. It’s just a game.”


    With a gentle smile, the young man propped up his chin and skillfully flipped two cards between his fingers, revealing the Ace of Clubs and the Queen of Clubs. And among the five cards revealed on the table, the King, Jack, and Ten of Clubs made up three of them.


    “A Royal Flush...”


    Facing a Royal Flush—a consecutive sequence of Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of any matching suite—the highest hand possible, the middle-aged man dropped his cards in despair.


    In contrast, the young man’s eyes, glistening with a silver hue, twinkled with a satisfied glow.


    “Albeit an already won game.”


    The young man was clearly having a good time mocking the defeated man, showing the same viinous aura that Se-Hoon had gotten very familiar with before he regressed.


    Convinced by the sight, Se-Hoon’s eyes widened in recognition.


    <i>...The Frost Dog?</i>


    The young man was Amir Singh, thest of the Three Dogs.