Chapter 117
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Probing the Ice Dog
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Thump thump—!
The massive speakers blasted out music while lights flashed wildly, illuminating the hall.
The heat from hundreds of people dancing moments ago still lingered vividly, but not a single one of them was anywhere to be seen.
Glasses half-full of drinks. Wallets and phones left on the tables. A cigarette slowly burning in the ashtray.
It wasn't as if they'd gone somewhere—it was more like they'd all evaporated. The scene made my eyes narrow instinctively.
"Tsk..."
Something must have gone seriously wrong while I'd been checking out the goods underground.
I gripped the hammer in my hand tightly amid the ominous sight and slowly stepped out.
Drip.
The music cut off abruptly, and the lights brightened the entire hall.
The club interior fell so quiet I could hear my own breathing clearly. I tensed up at the eerie atmosphere.
"Well, this is something."
A sighing voice leaked from a nearby table.
"Hard to say if it's nice to see you or just tiresome..."
There, in the center of a long sofa, sat that unlucky bastard with his legs crossed. I wondered if it was one of his underlings in disguise, but the chilling mana emanating from his silver eyes confirmed it was him.
Bad luck as always.
Realizing I couldn't just walk out, I stared at the sofa's occupant—Amir Singh.
"You again?"
"That's my line."
Amir snorted in disbelief and looked up at me with suspicious eyes.
"I've only come out personally four times this year, including today—and you're there every single time. At this rate, it feels like you're targeting me."
"Why the hell would I target a psycho killer like you? Do I look like I have a death wish?"
"...You kinda do."
Amir looked sullen. With no sign of letting me go easily, I reluctantly reached for the sub-space pocket at my waist.
Shing.
Dozens of blades instantly pressed against my neck.
His underlings, faces covered in black masks, aimed their daggers without a sound. I peered at Amir through the gaps.
"Hey. Back off."
"It's fine. Stand down."
At Amir's command, they vanished as silently as they'd appeared. I pressed the pocket and pulled out the item I'd grabbed from downstairs.
Sss...
A black box plastered with talismans. Black mist seeped from the cracks, stinging my skin like it was tearing on contact.
"What's that?"
"No idea. Master just told me to pick it up here."
Amir's eyes widened at my answer, then the corner of his mouth curled up slyly.
"A new armament from the Blood Forge... that's valuable intel."
"Knew you'd like it. Now quit screwing around and let me go. I'm beat."
"Let you go? Don't say it like that—it sounds like I'm out to kill you."
"Oh, really?"
I snorted at Amir's ever-relaxed demeanor and swung the hammer in my hand through the air.
Pang!
The ice blades shattered into pieces.
If I'd charged in recklessly at the start, my whole body would've been shredded, sending me straight to the afterlife.
"Impressive instincts, as always."
"Instincts my ass. That's why they call you the Ice Dog everywhere else."
Irritation bubbling over, I snapped at him, and Amir stared back in disbelief.
"People usually call me Silver Shadow. You're the only one using that ridiculous nickname."
"Mark my words—it'll stick in a few years. Plenty curse you out as a dog bastard behind your back."
"If that's the case, then you're even more..."
"Whatever. I'm outta here."
Not knowing when he might change his mind, I waved dismissively and started walking. He didn't try to stop me further.
Right as I was about to let out a sigh of relief...
"Well, since I got some good info, here's a bit of advice."
Amir stood, straightening his collar.
"The places I visit are all powder kegs... and unlike last time, this one's gone off without being contained."
He turned his head and flashed a faint smile.
"I hope you make it back safely."
Crash!
With that, Amir's body turned to ice and shattered. The subtle presences of his underlings vanished completely.
"Breach!"
Boom!
A shout and explosion rang out like they'd been waiting. Footsteps thundered down the stairs. I rubbed my eyes and muttered under my breath.
"Bastard."
That was the day I first ended up on a wanted list.
Again, huh.
The memory from the past flashed by in an instant.
Not a pleasant recollection, but it reminded Lee Se-hun just how dangerous the slick figure in the distance truly was.
Got to be extra careful if I run into him outside.
The Singh family—Amir's clan—had long operated as information brokers in the shadows, on a scale rivaling the world's largest.
And though coerced, he was currently acting as a limb of the Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils.
For their leader, the Ice Dog, to show up personally meant Black Arms was hiding something massive.
Wait, no—at this point in the timeline, was he still in training as the next leader?
Since this was before his regression, he might not have inherited the position yet.
Lee Se-hun briefly assessed the danger before whispering his decision to the two women.
"I'll probe those silver eyes. Cover me."
Ryu Eun-ha and Erika nodded silently. Lee Se-hun headed toward the table where the Ice Dog, Amir, was seated.
"Sigh. This game's no fun... Hm?"
Amir, propping his chin and grumbling, spotted Lee Se-hun approaching and gave him a quick once-over.
Young master disguised as a bodyguard?
He had all the passenger info memorized in real-time.
Didn't expect a private auction bid over the public one.
He'd assumed a first-timer would go for the public auction. Looked like he'd misjudged.
As Amir pondered if it might be a parental errand and sifted through likely candidates...
"If it's boring, how about a game with me?"
Lee Se-hun sat down opposite him.
"Hmm."
Lee Se-hun grinned smugly behind his sunglasses. Amir pondered the inscrutable expression before straightening up.
"You look like a bodyguard... Gambling on the job okay with you?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah... It's fine. Our miss enjoys watching me play."
He flinched before hastily covering, then shrugged like he'd nailed it. Amir gave a wry smile.
Watched one too many spy flicks.
He seemed too idiotic to bother with, but contrary to his thoughts, Amir smiled brightly.
"In that case, no issue. Shall we?"
The more worthless the opponent felt, the more carefully to scrutinize.
Recalling the family adage, Amir glanced at the waiting dealer.
"Then, shuffle..."
"Ah, hold on. Not cards—something more fun."
"Hm?"
As Amir looked puzzled, Lee Se-hun pointed to a dart machine nearby.
"How about that? Our boss said your skills are no joke."
A proposal laced with curiosity, excitement, and a hint of aggression. After observing closely, Amir nodded.
"Not a bad idea."
Amir stood from the table and headed to the dart machine, with Lee Se-hun following and eyeing his posture.
Hmm. Something feels off.
But not enough for certainty.
Slipping his spoiled young master mask back on, Lee Se-hun shrugged off his suit jacket and picked up a dart.
"Never used this machine before. Mind setting the game?"
"I'll set my usual."
Amir tapped a few air panels, and the text atop the machine changed.
[HELL MODE]
Clack!
The floor below opened, and black tentacles-like things surged up, densely blocking the path to the dartboard.
"Dodge the tentacles and hit the board. Easy, right?"
The tentacles whipped side to side relentlessly, constantly blocking the way. Lee Se-hun gaped before biting his lip hard.
"Looks doable."
He raised his arm, glared ahead, and hurled the dart the instant a gap opened.
Thud!
But it didn't even reach halfway before a tentacle swatted it away, embedding it at his feet. He jolted in surprise, then scowled.
"What the..."
"My turn, then."
Standing beside Lee Se-hun, Amir picked up a dart and tossed it lightly without hesitation.
Tang!
It dodged the tentacles perfectly and struck dead center on the board.
Lee Se-hun's eyes went wide. Amir stepped aside with a smile.
"Your go."
"...Got it."
They took turns after that, and the results were utterly consistent.
Lee Se-hun's darts never reached the board, bouncing back and nearly impaling him. Amir's hit center every time without fail.
"Hoo. That guy's pretty..."
"Not to be underestimated, like earlier..."
The polar opposite outcomes drew a crowd who settled in to watch. In the casino atmosphere, bets naturally started flowing toward the pair.
"Brat hits once. Slick misses center. Who's it gonna be?"
"Duh, slick."
"That obsession'll fail once. I'm on the brat!"
"Not slick fail—brat has to hit for payout."
"What? Pass."
No one believed Lee Se-hun could land one, mocking him openly. After over twenty throws, nothing improved.
"Kuh..."
Face flushed with humiliation, Lee Se-hun glared daggers at the tentacles. Watching from the side, Amir gave a wry smile.
Thought it was an act... but he's a real brat.
Awful form, poor judgment, and the heckling had unraveled his composure completely.
Anyone seasoned in deception like him could fake that much, but one thing was different.
Through Amir's silver eyes—the Winter Sky Eyes—Lee Se-hun's inner world appeared as a clear winter sky.
Furious on the outside, like he might hurl the dart away any second, but cloudless inside. It showed he was hiding absolutely nothing.
Must be nice living without a care.
His guards must be anxious because of him. Glancing back, Amir's eyes widened slightly.
As expected...
Things weren't quite as he'd assumed.
He turned back and chuckled at Lee Se-hun desperately hunting for gaps.
Life sure ain't easy.
Even he was surprised by the unexpected outcome—how did the heartless even survive without peeking into minds?
As Amir drifted into thoughts of a long-forgotten childhood...
Thwung!
A deflected dart shot toward him viciously.
Clang!
The metallic ring echoed through the casino. Amir had reflexively formed an ice blade in his right hand and stared at the red-haired guard blocking his path.
"Sorry. My subordinate slipped up..."
"..."
Amir's gaze dropped to the broken dart on the floor, then shifted to Lee Se-hun standing far off.
"W-wait. It wasn't on purpose... I swear..."
Lee Se-hun's face drained pale as he frantically scanned around. The gathered crowd clicked tongues or jeered.
"Can't score, so now he tries to kill?"
"Must've seemed like his best shot. Kahaha!"
"Hey, slick! Let this slide and you won't show your face again, got it?"
"What're you saying... It wasn't intentional!"
The egging made Lee Se-hun even paler. Amir watched silently.
Confirming no deception in his inner world through the Winter Sky Eyes, he sighed.
"Let's call it. Even humoring you is tiring now."
"What? You're no fun."
"What about our bets?!"
To the crowd's uproar, Amir scooped up the remaining darts and tossed them lightly.
Tick tick!
All three hit dead center. The onlookers gawked, and Amir shrugged.
"That settle it?"
"Yes! Pay up, losers!"
"Throwing three at once is cheating!"
"Quit whining like a kid!"
The area erupted lively as if nothing happened. Giving them a pitiful glance, Amir approached Lee Se-hun.
He eyed the ashen face before speaking in a subdued tone.
"No idea what rumor dragged you here, but don't waste time in dumps like this. Not as fun as you think."
"Y-yes. Understood."
"And don't pick fights testing shady types like me."
Tap tap.
He patted Lee Se-hun's shoulder lightly and glanced at Ryu Eun-ha and Erika nearby.
"You two—act like guards."
With that, Amir turned and headed out of the casino.
The earlier commotion drew too much attention to probe further, and more than that, he just wasn't in the mood.
What the hell are they even doing...
Extracting and using info from idiots like that was his tiresome workload ahead. An old memory slipped in unbidden, cracking his composure.
It wasn't me! Something's wrong...!
Crying innocence, but no one listened.
And they knew the truth but ignored it for the chance, turning on him instead.
"...Tsk."
Maybe from seeing too clear a sky.
Recalling his naive younger days, Amir irritably shook off the memory and headed to his room.
Lee Se-hun slunk back to their room amid the mockery.
"That guy's carrying something suspicious. Let's rip him off."
He removed his sunglasses and grinned triumphantly.
"...It really was an act."
Ryu Eun-ha eyed him slightly surprised at the instant attitude shift, like a different person.
Midway, it seemed less like acting and more like split personality—she'd seriously pondered it. But it was all fake.
"Ah, Erika's spell adapted better than expected. If even you bought it, Dept. Head, we're golden."
"How'd you adapt it?"
"Trade secret."
Lee Se-hun grinned and touched his face.
[Artificial Disguise]: Can manipulate artificial disguises.
A fake face crafted from artificial skin and spells.
Essentially a type of armament, Lee Se-hun had used Eternal Enchant Magic's temporary circuit to achieve 100% assimilation, perfectly transforming himself into another person.
The result: fooling even Amir's heart-piercing Winter Sky Eyes and creating an opening.
Didn't expect it to work this well... This'll come in handy for ages.
A usage unknown before regression. Satisfied with the windfall, Ryu Eun-ha asked curiously.
"But how were you so sure he was hiding something? I didn't spot any tells."
"You saw how he reflexively guarded his chest when the dart bounced back, right? He's got something tucked there."
"Could've just been protecting a vital spot."
Lee Se-hun shook his head at Erika's question.
"Watched his movements since we first locked eyes—he doesn't move like that normally. He was tenser than usual, prioritizing the item over his habits."
Partly thanks to knowing the Ice Dog's moves pre-regression, but his relative inexperience made the gap visible quick.
Any longer and the disguise might've cracked or raised suspicion. Timed perfectly.
He'd sniffed out the intel. Now, identify the item, check its link to the Unkillable Blade, snag it, and bolt.
"..."
"..."
Ryu Eun-ha and Erika exchanged odd looks at Lee Se-hun's confidence.
Perfectly reading a first-time foe in that short window? Absurd. The thought flickered but faded fast.
Lee's always been like this.
No different from usual.
Not their first rodeo with his impossibilities.
Maybe he'd picked up insane skills from Sword Demon Ma Gwang-su. They moved on.
"I get why you suspect a link to the Unkillable Blade... but ambushing won't be easy. Black Arms might have powerhouses on my level."
"Got a plan in mind?"
At Ryu Eun-ha and Erika's question, Lee Se-hun grinned.
"Saw some solid materials on the way down to the casino."
He tapped his sub-space pocket and slipped the golden Ascension Lord's Ring onto his right ring finger, smiling.
"Let's forge a Mirona this time."