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Chapter 117

Glasses still contained alcohol, cigarettes were still slowly burning in ashtrays, and wallets and cell phones were strewn about. The presence of people was so heavy that it hardly seemed like they had just all gone somewhere; it was like they had all just suddenly evaporated.

The extraordinary scene made Se-Hoon furrow his brow.

“Tsk...”

Having just returned from checking the items in the basement, Se-Hoon was greeted by a scene where something had obviously gone wrong. He grasped his hammer tightly in his hand and walked out slowly.

Click.

Almost instantly, the speakers went silent and the flickering lights fully turned on and brightly illuminated the hall. Compared to just moments ago, the club was so quiet that he could even hear his own breathing.

Tensing up, Se-Hoon heightened his alertness and prepared for the unusual situation.

“This is... really.”

A voice filled with disappointment came from a table nearby, grasping his attention.

“I’m not sure if I’m glad to see you or if I’m sick of seeing you.... It’s hard to put it into words.”

Discovering the owner of an annoying face sitting in the middle of a long sofa with his legs crossed, Se-Hoon wondered whether it was just one of their subordinates in disguise or the man himself. He didn’t have to wonder for long—the cold mana from their silver eyes gave it away.

Luck is really not on my side today, huh?

Disappointed that just leaving was not an option, he looked at the jerk, Amir Singh, sitting on the sofa.

“Why is it you again?”

“I’m the one who should be saying that.”

With a snort of disdain, Amir looked Se-Hoon up and down with a suspicious gaze.

“I’ve personally gone out for business exactly four times this year, and you’ve been there every single time.... There’s no other explanation besides you coming to look for me specifically, right?”

“Why would I look for a psycho murderer like you? Do I look like I have a death wish?”

“... But it seems that way, doesn’t it?” Amir said, looking at Se-Hoon dubiously.

Letting out a sigh, Se-Hoon judged that Amir didn’t seem like he would let him go easily, so he reached into the void pocket at his waist.

Swoosh.

But the moment he reached for it, dozens of blades suddenly surrounded his neck. Pausing his movements, Se-Hoon observed the owners of the blades—Amir’s subordinates whose faces were covered with black masks—before looking through a gap at Amir.

“Hey. Tell them to back off.”

“It’s okay, guys. Stand down.”

Heeding Amir’s command, the subordinates encircling Se-Hoon disappeared just as quietly as they had appeared. With them now gone, Se-Hoon resumed his actions, pulling out the item he had picked up in the basement out of his void pocket.

Swoosh-

The item was a black box plastered with talismans. It had an ominous look, with black mist, which caused a tearing pain on the skin just by touching it, leaking out through its cracks.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know. I was just told to fetch it from here by my master.”

Fascinated by the information, the corners of Amir’s mouth lifted slightly.

“A new toy of the Blood Master... that was some useful information you’ve given me there.”

“Just stop messing with me and let me go. I’m terribly exhausted right now.”

“Let you go? That’s a disappointing request to make of me; someone might think I’m trying to kill you or something.”

“Oh, is that not so?”

Smirking at how Amir was continuing to maintain his facade of nonchalant behavior, Se-Hoon abruptly swung the hammer he held in his hand through the air.

Clang!

Shattered fragments of ice rained down from the air.

If Se-Hoon had charged in recklessly, his entire body would have been butchered by the hidden ice blades, buying him a direct ticket to the netherworld.

“You sure do have a keen sense.”

“Keen my ass. There’s a reason why people call you the Frost Dog,” snapped Se-Hoon.

“Most people call me the Silver Shadow, not some bizarre nickname like the Frost Dog,” Amir said with disbelief.

“I guarantee it will stick to you soon enough. You may not know about it, but there are a ton of people cursing you behind your back.”

“If we’re going to talk about people cursing us, you’re even more...”

“Ah, forget it. I’m leaving.”

Giving up on Amir, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively and started walking away. And unlike what he thought, Amir didn’t seem inclined to hold him back any longer.

Before he could sigh in relief though, Se-Hoon heard Amir’s voice.

“Ah, you did give me some good information, so let me give you one piece of advice in return.”

Amir stood up while straightening out his collar.

“You should already know that the places I go to for business are all like powder kegs... and as you can see, things didn’t go as smoothly as last time.”

Facing Se-Hoon, Amir flashed a sly smile.

“I hope you make it back safely.”

Crack!

Leaving him with those words, Amir’s body transformed into ice and shattered into pieces along with the subtle presence of his subordinates.

“Breach!”

Boom!

Not a second later, shouts and explosions rang out from above. He was caught off guard by the noisy footsteps descending the stairs, which were so perfectly timed that it seemed like Amir had been waiting for them.

Resigned, Se-Hoon unknowingly covered his eyes and muttered, “Bastard.”

That was the day Se-Hoon became wanted by the law.

***

Again, huh?

The memory of his past flashed through his head in the blink of an eye. Its content was unpleasant, but it reminded Se-Hoon of just how dangerous the smug fellow in the distance was.

I should be careful whenever I meet that guy.

Amir’s family, the Singhs, had been information brokers in the underworld for a long time and were among the largest information organizations in the world. It was to the point that they, although it was by coercion, were even cooperating with one of the Ten Evils, the Dream Demon.

So the mere fact that the Frost Dog had boarded the ship himself suggested that something significant was at stake in the Black Arms.

Wait, was he still under training to become the next boss around this time?

Realizing that the current year was long before his first meeting with the Frost Dog, it was possible that Amir hadn’t taken up the role of the boss yet. If that was the case, then the danger level changed.

Musing over it, Se-Hoon soon made up his mind and whispered to the two with him, “I’ll try that silver-eyed guy, so follow my lead.”

Discretely acknowledging his words, Eun-Ha and Erika nodded silently.

“Sigh. This game isn’t fun... hmm?”

Noticing the approaching Se-Hoon, Amir stopped grumbling and scanned Se-Hoon while propping up his chin with one hand.

Is he some young master in disguise?

Having memorized every bit of the information about the passengers when it was relayed to him in real-time, he was able to recall the identity of anyone who approached him quickly.

I didn’t think he had come here for a private auction instead of a public one.

Knowing that it was that young master’s first visit, Amir naturally assumed it was to have fun in the public auctions, but it seemed he was wrong.

So since that was the case, Amir guessed that he was a young master on an errand for his parents and began musing over who they could be.

“I heard you were bored? How about a game with me then?” Se-Hoon said, sitting in the seat across from Amir.

“Hmm.”

Observing the arrogantly smiling Se-Hoon, whose eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, Amir pondered briefly. Se-Hoon’s inscrutable demeanor was interesting enough to make him sit up straight.

“It seems you’re a bodyguard.... Is it alright to gamble during work?”

“What? Oh, that... it’s fine. My lady enjoys watching me play,” Se-Hoon said smugly, blatantly pleased with his hastily come up with excuse.

Looks like he’s watched too many spy movies, Amir thought with a bitter smile.

He felt like his opponent was too foolish to be worth interacting with, yet he still smiled brightly.

“That sounds fine, then. Shall we play a game?”

The more foolish the opponent seemed, the more carefully one should observe them. Recalling that old family adage, Amir turned to look at the dealer, who was quietly waiting.

“Can we have a shuffle—”

“Ah, wait. Let’s do something more interesting than cards.”

“Hmm?”

Puzzled, Amir turned back to look at Se-Hoon, who pointed to a dart machine placed in the distance.

“How about we play that? I heard from my captain that your skills are quite extraordinary.”

Detecting the hint of aggressiveness behind the curiosity and excitement in Se-Hoon’s suggestion, Amir nodded.

“Sure, that shouldn’t be too hard.”

Standing up from the table, Amir headed towards the dart machine. Following behind, Se-Hoon took the opportunity to assess Amir’s posture.

Hmm. I think I’m getting there. But it wasn’t enough to be sure.

Se-Hoon, having assumed the guise of a na?ve young master once again, took off his blazer and picked up a dart.

“I haven’t used this machine before; could you set it up for me?”

“If that’s the case, we’ll go with what I usually play.”

Amir tapped on the panels in the air, and after a moment, the letters on the top of the dart machine changed.

[HELL MODE]

Clank!

The floor between them and the dartboard then opened, allowing black tentacle-like things to surge up and densely block the path to the dartboard.

“You just have to hit the dartboard while avoiding these tentacles. Simple, right?”

Gawking at the sight of the tentacles moving ceaselessly from side to side, blocking a clear path to the dartboard, Se-Hoon’s mouth fell open. Regaining his composure a second later, he bit his lip hard.

“It looks doable.”

Taking aim, Se-Hoon focused on the dartboard ahead and threw the dart with all of his might the moment a gap appeared.

Thump!

However, the dart didn’t even make it halfway. Se-Hoon scowled, startled by the dart that had pierced the area right in front of his feet after being knocked back by a tentacle.

“What the...”

“Well, it’s my turn then.”

Moving to stand beside Se-Hoon, Amir picked up a dart and threw it effortlessly with no hesitation at all.

Thud!

The dart hit the center of the dartboard squarely, cleanly shooting past all of the tentacles. The miraculous feat widened Se-Hoon’s eyes in shock.

“Your turn now,” Amir said, stepping to the side with a smile.

“...Okay.”

Like that, the two alternated who threw, repeating the same situation over and over.

Without fail, Se-Hoon’s darts bounced off a tentacle, nearly hitting himself, before even reaching the dartboard, while Amir’s darts consistently hit the center.

“Ho. That guy is pretty...”

“He is pretty tough, just like what I thought when I saw him earlier...”

With such polar results, it naturally drew spectators who started betting on the match, just as one would expect in a casino.

“Either the newbie will hit it at least once or the old hand will miss the center; which side will you bet on?”

“Are you kidding? Obviously, on the old hand.”

“No way, people like them usually fail at least once. I’m betting on the newbie!”

“You do know that it’s not just about the old hand failing; the newbie has to hit to win.”

“Huh??? There’s no way I’m betting on the newbie then.”

Just the idea that Se-Hoon could hit the dartboard gave everyone a good laugh, and over twenty darts later, it was just as they had expected.

“Ugh...”

Having seen Se-Hoon’s embarrassing display—and the sight of him staring intensely at the tentacles with a red face—Amir grimaced.

I thought it was just an act but... he really is a newbie after all.

He had a terrible stance, a lack of discernment, and a demeanor that was easily rattled by the mockery of those around them—but even then, it was still possible that someone skilled in deception like Amir himself could manage to pull off such an act. As such, Amir’s certainty that Se-Hoon was a newbie came from just one thing.

Swoosh.

A clear winter sky despite a raging outward fury; Amir’s gleaming silver eyes, his Winter Sky Eyes, clearly reflected Se-Hoon’s inner state. Externally, Se-Hoon was about to throw the darts aside at any moment, but his inner state was crystal clear without any hidden thoughts.

I envy that he is able to live so thoughtlessly.

Since the young master was so thoughtless, Amir expected his bodyguards to be anxious and on high alert. But when he glanced back to check, he couldn’t help but raise one of his eyebrows in surprise.

Hmm...

Things... were a bit different from what he had expected.

Turning his head back, Amir resumed watching Se-Hoon desperately searching for an opening in the forest of tentacles.

Life really isn’t easy, Amir thought, chuckling softly.

Seeing as how even he was surprised by such unexpected results, he wondered how those unable to read minds managed to go about their lives. It brought back memories of his childhood, ones which were now faint and hazy, and he reminisced peacefully until a dart rebounded off the tentacle and fiercely shot toward him.

Clang!

The sound of metal echoed throughout the casino.

Mindlessly dispelling the ice blade he instinctively conjured in his right hand, Amir turned to face the redhead bodyguard in front of him, who had intercepted the dart before he could.

“I apologize. My subordinate seemed to have made a mistake...”

“...”

Still a bit shocked, Amir’s gaze shifted between the broken dart on the floor and Se-Hoon, who was standing far off.

“Wait, it wasn’t intentional... I mean...”

With an anxiety-ridden pale face, Se-Hoon frantically scanned his surroundings. But unfortunately for him, the gathered onlookers were all jeering or clicking their tongues at him.

“Since he couldn’t manage to score even once, I guess he tried to kill his opponent instead.”

“He looks like he thought this had a bit more potential, huh? Hahaha!”

“Hey, old hand! You know you won’t be able to show your face around here if you just let this slide, right?”

“What are you guys talking about...? It wasn’t on purpose!!!”

Despite Se-Hoon’s desperate plea, the crowd continued to egg him on, turning the shade of Se-Hoon’s face a ghastly white. Staying silent, Amir checked through his Winter Sky Eyes whether Se-Hoon’s inner state contained any deceit.

“Let’s end it here. It’s too tiring to even entertain you anymore,” said Amir with a sigh, having verified Se-Hoon’s inner state.

“What? You’re ending it just like that?”

“What about our bets?”

Listening to the crowd’s clamor, Amir picked up the remaining darts and casually threw them all at once.

Tat, tat tat!

The three darts landed in the center with perfect accuracy. Amir shrugged his shoulders at the silenced crowd.

“Will this be enough?”

“Perfect! Those who bet that he couldn’t land them all in the center, come here!”

“But throwing them all at once is cheating!”

“Don’t act like a miser and pay up!”

Not missing a beat, the casino became bustling again. And Amir, who had been disdainfully watching, approached Se-Hoon.

Arriving up close, Amir quietly examined Se-Hoon’s pale face before saying in a somewhat subdued voice, “I don’t know what grand rumors brought you here, but don’t waste your time in places like this. It’s not as interesting as you think.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

“Also, don’t get cocky and try to test your skills against someone who obviously isn’t ordinary.”

Tap, tap.

Giving Se-Hoon two gentle taps on his shoulders, Amir turned toward Eun-Ha and Erika, who were nearby.

“Act like the bodyguards you are paid to be.”

Leaving Se-Hoon with those words, Amir turned and headed out of the casino. The recent commotion had drawn too much attention to him, making it difficult to survey the casino any further. Though, it wasn’t like he was in the mood for it.

What am I even doing right now...

His job was to calmly extract as much information from such fools as possible, a tedious task that would last over the days to come. Yet, he had inadvertently remembered old memories that made him unable to keep his cool.

“It wasn’t me! Something went wrong...!” The voice of his past self crying out in frustration, ignored by the ones who knew the truth rang out in his head. Despite knowing the truth, they had closed one eye, choosing to take advantage of the opportunity to turn on each other instead.

“Tsk.”

Perhaps it was because he had seen a sky too clear.

Affected by the regrets of his naive past, Amir irritably shook off the memory as he walked to his room.

***

Back in his own room, away from the ridicule of the crowd, Se-Hoon took off his sunglasses and grinned triumphantly.

“That guy has an unusual item with him. Let’s try to get a hold of that.”

“So it really was an act...” said Eun-Ha in disbelief.

Gazing at Se-Hoon, who had changed his attitude in an instant, she thought about earlier. Se-Hoon didn’t seem like he was putting up an act at all, making her seriously contemplate whether he had a split personality.

“Ah. Erika’s magic had more utility than I originally thought. If you felt that way, everyone back there must have been fooled.”

“How did you utilize it?”

“Well, that’s a secret.”

Staying secretive, Se-Hoon grinned at Erika and touched his face.

[*Mana Circuit ‘Artificial Camouflage’: Allows one to manipulate the equipped disguise]

To disguise him, Erika had used magic to craft a fake face out of artificial leather and mana. And since it could be seen as a kind of equipment, Se-Hoon could manipulate it. With Soul Honing, he formed temporary pathways to achieve a one hundred percent assimilation rate, allowing him to transform himself into a different person.

It was so perfect that it enabled him to deceive even Amir’s Winter Sky Eyes, which allowed him to peek into others’s hearts and create an opening.

It was honestly more effective than I thought it would be.... I can probably use this in the future as well.

Once again, a totally new technique was added to his arsenal.

Pleased by the unexpected gain, Se-Hoon relished in the feeling. At that moment, Eun-Ha asked with curiosity, “How can you be so sure he’s hiding something? I didn’t see any such movements.”

“Did you notice how he reflexively moved to protect his chest when that dart was deflected toward him? He must have something hidden near his chest.”

“Couldn’t that just have been him protecting his vital spot?” asked Erika.

Shaking his head, Se-Hoon replied, “I’ve been observing his movements since we first met, and he’s not someone who would move like that without any reason. As the situation was more tense than usual, he was definitely prioritizing whatever he was hiding over blocking like he would usually.”

To be more precise, Se-Hoon was referring to the first time they met before the regression; he was very familiar with the movements of the Frost Dog.

If I had taken a bit more time, my disguise might have worn off or I would seem a bit suspicious. But everything worked out just right.

Now that he’d figured out that Amir was hiding something, all that was left was to figure out what the item was, if it was connected to Immortal, and how to steal it and escape.

“...”

“...”

The absolute confidence that Se-Hoon gave off made both Eun-Ha and Erika wear strange expressions.

The fact that one could understand someone so thoroughly in such a short amount of time seemed absurd at first, but they soon decided to just accept it.

Lee Se-Hoon has always been like that.

This is not that different from usual.

Unlike the first time, which might have been utterly unbelievable, such incredulous feats were no longer new to them. Thinking Se-Hoon had likely just learned some incredible skills from the Broken Sword, Ma Kwang-Soo, Eun-Ha moved on to another topic.

“I understand that you suspect that person is connected to Immortal, but planning an ambush on the ship won’t be easy. And since this ship belongs to the Black Arms, that’s especially true. There might even be those that are as strong as me.”

“Do you have a plan thought out?” followed up Erika.

“I saw some useful materials on the way down to the casino,” said Se-Hoon as his mouth widened into a grin.

He then tapped his void pocket and slipped a golden ring, the Ascension Ring, onto his right ring finger.

“Let’s try making a labyrinth.”