Chapter 243
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 243.
Clatter-clatter
The Marble spun.
The rotating roulette wheel. Countless people watched the wheel with tense eyes.
The Marble, filled with desire and madness, soon came to a stop at one point.
"Ah!"
"Damn it! Just one more space!"
"I won! I won!"
Cries of lamentation and cheers erupted.
Some cursed, while others thanked the gods—amidst that crowd,
"Tsk, didn’t win this time either."
Yoo Baek-jun stood there.
"Ah, I had a good feeling about that one."
"My apologies, sir. I’m sure luck will be on your side next time."
"You think so?"
The dealer smiled faintly as he collected the chips on the table.
"Shall we see if luck really is on my side?"
As soon as the chips were taken, Yoo Baek-jun placed another bet, starting the gamble anew.
But the amount was anything but ordinary.
"Wait, he’s betting again?"
"How much is that? Thousands of gold? Just how much money does he have…?"
Nearby patrons gasped at the sight of Yoo Baek-jun’s wager.
They couldn’t help it.
For the past week, Yoo Baek-jun had been coming to the casino every day, squandering enormous sums of money—all on gambling.
"Is he some wealthy tycoon?"
"Judging by his appearance, he must be a traveler from another world. Addicted to gambling… He’ll be penniless soon."
A week of eccentric behavior.
Despite losing vast amounts of money, Yoo Baek-jun continued to bet huge sums, drawing everyone’s attention.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
‘Good, keep watching. More.’
Yoo Baek-jun had said it himself.
That he would be a sucker—an unbelievably big one.
"Gambling is the best!"
The meaning behind those words was simple.
He would recklessly spend money on gambling in the casino—losing continuously without any real gains.
Yoo Baek-jun was literally throwing money away like water.
"My apologies, sir."
"Damn it, again? One more time!"
He played every gambling machine, joined every betting table, and wagered enormous sums.
And lost most of it.
Occasionally, he won, but the losses were so vast that the wins felt meaningless.
‘Earn like a noble, spend like a dog!’
Squandering money was always an interesting experience, no matter how many times he did it.
After all, this wasn’t Earth, and the gold here was Halpeon’s, so it didn’t hurt him.
Not to mention, it was mixed with the Tugwi’s share.
"M-Master. If you keep this up…"
"It’s fine, it’s fine. Where should I bet next? Han Seong-ah, take a guess."
"Uh, um… How about here?"
"Alright, let’s try here."
Han Seong-ah, standing beside him, fidgeted nervously before pointing at a spot.
Without hesitation, Yoo Baek-jun placed a massive bet there.
"Then, let’s begin."
Clatter-clatter.
The Marble spun.
The ball clattered noisily as it moved. Yoo Baek-jun heightened his senses, watching its trajectory closely.
‘Let’s see.’
After gambling continuously, he had begun to read the roulette’s movements to some extent.
Where the ball would stop.
‘This time, it feels like it’ll land near where I predicted…’
The marble gradually lost momentum, appearing to stop near his chosen spot.
But then, it rolled further.
"……"
For some unknown reason, the marble stopped far from where he expected.
Had his senses failed him?
No.
"Hmm, as expected."
Yoo Baek-jun chuckled dryly.
But only briefly—he then feigned displeasure at losing money.
"Luck really isn’t on my side today. I should take a break and grab a meal."
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea."
Yoo Baek-jun stood up and headed to a nearby restaurant with Han Seong-ah.
This underground area was practically another city, complete with hotels, restaurants, and everything else.
"Doesn’t this feel strange to you?"
"Huh?"
Yoo Baek-jun suddenly spoke up while eating.
Han Seong-ah blinked in surprise.
"That roulette earlier. Didn’t you notice the way it stopped at the end?"
"Um… I’m sorry. I don’t know much about gambling, so I couldn’t tell."
The ball’s movement just now.
Could it have been some illegal manipulation of the roulette?
But that wasn’t it.
‘An unknown force.’
A power affecting the entire casino, influencing the outcomes of the games.
Luck itself.
An inexplicable force was subtly adjusting luck in the casino’s favor.
‘An artifact’s power.’
That was why he was here.
The Tugwi’s event was one thing, but he also had another goal—to obtain the luck-related artifact possessed by the casino’s owner.
"Good day, sir."
As Yoo Baek-jun pondered, a man suddenly approached.
Dressed in fine attire, the man offered a polite smile.
"My apologies for interrupting your meal. Are you enjoying our casino?"
"Of course. You have no idea how much gold I’ve spent here. But…"
Yoo Baek-jun smirked faintly.
The time had finally come.
"I’m getting bored of the same games. Don’t you have anything else?"
"How about witnessing a battle of blood and steel?"
"A blood battle?"
"Yes, a gladiatorial arena where fighters stake their lives."
The man smoothly handed Yoo Baek-jun a gleaming golden ring.
A ring made of pure gold.
"…Head that way. If the guards ask for proof of entry, just show them this."
"Hmm, not bad. Alright."
The man bowed respectfully before quickly disappearing.
"Who was that?"
"Probably the manager. He just invited us to the VIP floor."
"VIP…?"
Han Seong-ah tilted her head in confusion.
Yoo Baek-jun wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.
"Let’s finish this quickly and leave."
He had no intention of dragging this out.
* * *
The VIP floor, deep within the casino.
More extravagant than the general area, it offered a variety of gambling dens—with much higher stakes.
"Master, this is overwhelming. Why did that man invite us here?"
"Because he thinks I’m a sucker he can milk dry."
"Huh?"
Yoo Baek-jun pressed forward.
The deeper levels housed all sorts of facilities, including illicit activities.
But that didn’t matter to him. Without hesitation, he headed straight for the innermost area.
Soon enough—
"Here."
"This place?"
They arrived at their destination.
A wide, coliseum-like arena. The surrounding stands were packed with spectators roaring in excitement.
"Yes! Kill him, kill him!"
"You idiot! Get up! I bet money on you, you bastard!"
An underground fighting pit.
Gladiators battled fiercely in a life-or-death struggle.
"Grahhh!"
"Kuh—!"
Two poorly equipped warriors fought desperately for survival.
"Who are those people?"
"Slave gladiators. Whether they’re debtors or captives, they fight here for their lives."
"That’s…"
A blue-armored warrior swung his sword, piercing the red warrior’s chest before swiftly decapitating him.
"Wooooah!"
"That’s it! That’s what I’m talking about!"
"Worthless trash!"
No one mourned the death before their eyes.
They only rejoiced in their winnings or raged at their losses.
"They’re all insane."
Madness permeated the arena.
The winners, the losers, and the gladiators driven by desperation.
This place was anything but normal.
‘And it’s a place that shouldn’t be known.’
Capturing slaves and forcing them to fight was dangerous enough.
But they didn’t stop there—they even captured monsters for entertainment.
—Grrrr…!
"G-Get away! You monster!"
The matches varied.
Gladiators versus monsters, gladiators versus gladiators—
Oooooooh!
"Uwaaaaah!"
"How is anyone supposed to survive an ogre? Gah—!"
And survival matches against overwhelmingly powerful beasts.
‘Even a king who turns a blind eye to the casino wouldn’t overlook this.’
No ruler would tolerate monsters lurking beneath their city.
If discovered, this place wouldn’t last.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed as he watched the matches.
—Now, ladies and gentlemen!
After some time, the ongoing fights halted as an announcer took the stage.
—You’ve been watching mediocre matches so far. Aren’t you bored? Huh?
"Yes! Bored to death!"
—Watching mere humans die to monsters—doesn’t that make you angry?
"Damn right!"
The announcer riled up the crowd.
As the spectators roared in fury, he gestured dramatically.
—This time, we have six ogres!
Creak!
Chains rattled as a gate opened, revealing the ogres waiting beyond.
"Five A-rank monsters…"
"How did they capture those?"
Grooooooar!
The ogres glared at the stands with bloodshot eyes.
The crowd spat at them in response.
"Who do these monsters think they are?"
"Announcer, hurry up and show us!"
"Kill them all first!"
The audience was drunk on madness.
The announcer smiled in satisfaction at their frenzy.
—With the atmosphere this heated, we can’t delay any longer! Then, let’s bring out our star!
Rumble—
A gate on the opposite side slowly rose.
A shadowy figure emerged, walking forward with deliberate slowness.
—Give it up for… everyone!
The figure revealed was a man.
Bulging muscles, unkempt blue hair, and grotesque tattoos covering his entire body.
—The King of the Arena!
A blue aura rippled around him like a heat haze.
Magic.
"Kuh…!"
Han Seong-ah shuddered as her skin prickled.
The man radiated overwhelming power, his unrestrained magical power swirling like a mirage.
"Master, who is that man?"
"Tugwi."
"The grandson of that old man?"
It was Tugwi.
The grandson who had inherited the bloodline’s power.
"A man like that is enslaved here as a gladiator?"
"Doesn’t make sense, right?"
"Yes, if he fought back, no one here could stop him."
"Exactly. That situation is his own choice."
The circumstances were thus:
As the old man said, Tugwi started seeking entertainment and amusement because of his nihilistic view of the world.
And he found the casino.
He became obsessed, pouring vast amounts of money and time into it.
"The problem is, his luck didn’t match his strength."
The casino itself was rigged.
Tugwi kept losing until he fell into debt.
"So he became a gladiator to pay it off? But at his level, he could just ignore it and leave…"
"He must have liked it here."
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
The casino likely accommodated him—letting him gamble freely, providing food, women, anything he desired.
"Master, I don’t know how you know all this, but…" Han Seong-ah sighed. "So he’s content with this life as a gladiator."
"Exactly. The surface world is too dull for him. He’d rather stay here for the thrill."
"With that kind of talent…"
She couldn’t help but click her tongue.
Tugwi was on par with Yoo Baek-jun—perhaps even stronger.
In this desert, finding an opponent of his caliber would be impossible.
*‘An S-rank hunter, maybe even beyond.’
Yet here he was, wasting his talent as a gladiator.
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly.
"……"
Suddenly, the warrior god’s eyes met Yoo Baek-jun’s from across the arena.
The boredom on his face was replaced by intense interest.
"Let’s see what you’ve got."
The competitive fire in his gaze.
Yoo Baek-jun rested his chin on his hand, unfazed.
"Let’s see how the Battle demon fights."