Chapter 304: The Mysterious Heart Demon
When Kaito Shirogane returned to his stall, a crowd of Reincarnators still surrounded it. These people had a special fondness for the drop card of Obito Uchiha; others were there specifically for the [Particle Style] and [Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode].
"Mercenary Tao is back!"
"Mercenary Tao, you can't use these two abilities anyway. Why not sell them to us cheaper? I can give you two C-Grade Singularities!"
The speaker's avatar had long black hair and, judging by his appearance, was cosplaying as a member of the Uchiha clan. Kaito couldn't be bothered to pay attention to this kind of guy who radiated 'brainless' energy from the inside out.
There were indeed many in the Nexus who liked to cosplay as plot characters. After all, when setting up an avatar, one had to imagine an image in their mind. For the sake of convenience, many people simply chose a memorable plot character from their memories. There was nothing wrong with that.
However, to cosplay as an Uchiha, choose the Chakra system for your personal development, and now openly seek the Sharingan...
In Kaito's view, a Reincarnator who leaked their entire information profile the moment they showed their face likely didn't have a high survival rate.
Many people around them started jeering along. Although few believed this method would actually make Mercenary Tao lower the price, they all had their own agendas. They were merely trying to muddy the waters or deliberately create a false impression that everyone present was 'foolish' to irritate Mercenary Tao and prevent a deal from being reached immediately.
Some of these people were collecting tradeable resources from elsewhere, while others were joining forces with other teams or Reincarnators to 'crowdfund' the purchase.
Beneath the motley collection of avatars, all sorts of hidden thoughts were churning.
"Look, this is what Reincarnators are—a bunch of low-class filth."
A light chuckle drifted into Kaito's ears. A woman wearing a black hood had appeared silently behind him. The hood was clearly part of her avatar, so no matter what angle you looked from, you couldn't see the face beneath it.
The woman's hair and eyes were hidden in the shadows of the hood, revealing only a very petite nose and mouth. Her voice was crisp and sounded very young—childlike, even. If judged solely by the voice, Kaito would guess this person was no older than ten years old.
A childlike voice, yet a mature tone. Furthermore, the other Reincarnators seemed completely unable to see the person standing behind Kaito. In an instant, Kaito understood. This was likely the most mysterious of the rumored [Four Demons of the East District]—the [Heart Demon].
This individual, who had refused to join the forces of the Supreme Beings, had been hunted down and yet survived until now. She indeed possessed special abilities.
If she hadn't spoken, even Kaito wouldn't have noticed her standing right behind him.
What kind of concealment ability was this? Was it invisibility? Presence erasure? Or some kind of cognitive manipulation?
In the public space, no ability could cause direct effects on other Reincarnators. Therefore, this couldn't be hypnosis or an illusion. In other words, his inability to sense her wasn't because he was being interfered with.
It was because she was extremely difficult to perceive.
Interesting...
Kaito ignored the guys shouting unrealistic offers and walked directly behind Lee Chae-rin. Black Butler was also there.
Black Butler held intelligence channels on several teams and over a dozen veteran Reincarnators, so he often facilitated trades.
"The most valuable offer at the moment is this one."
"It's from [Clear Spring]. He wants to trade 1 B-Grade Singularity, 8,000 Dimensional Points, plus Real World Resources for your [Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode Cultivation Method]."
Black Butler thought for a moment before adding softly, "In the real world, he is likely a member of a major clan in Japan, possibly wielding significant power in the political arena. several Reincarnators who obtained his information went to Japan, and none of them ever appeared again."
[Clear Spring] was not currently his client, so Black Butler had no intention of keeping secrets for him. The man had approached Black Butler proactively, using his channels to trade with Mercenary Tao.
Of course, if this transaction succeeded and there was no hostility between Mercenary Tao and Clear Spring, Black Butler would attempt to develop him into a client.
But looking at it now, the chances of that... were slim.
Black Butler wasn't stupid. On the contrary, he was very shrewd. He saw the hidden meaning in this trade at a glance.
"Real World Resources... that means he wants to take me under his wing..."
Kaito also understood the true purpose behind Clear Spring's trade. He didn't get angry. However, at that moment, the woman standing behind him spoke up.
"A grandson of a Prime Minister thinks he can rely on his real-world power to take whatever he wants in the Nexus? How foolish. I will help you kill him."
Kaito turned his head. The woman was less than 1.7 meters tall, her body completely shrouded in the black cloak. Even Black Butler, who had been speaking to him just now, hadn't noticed that the [Heart Demon] was nearby and communicating with Kaito.
The corners of Kaito's mouth curled up.
"You know his identity in the real world?"
"Why not give that information to me? I can pay you a fee..."
His smile was natural, completely unaffected by the [Heart Demon's] eerie display.
Black Butler frowned. He saw Mercenary Tao suddenly turn his back to him and start speaking. He wasn't sure if Tao was talking to him, so he forced a reply.
"I don't have his specific identity information for now, but if you want it, I can try to collect it. As for the price..."
Kaito looked down at the petite woman. She was indeed the type one would instantly recognize as extraordinary; definitely not a mediocrity.
The Heart Demon raised her head. Still, only half her face was visible. Her lips curved into a smile as she suddenly asked:
"Pride. I smell the scent of Pride. Mercenary Tao, are you a holder of the Sin of Pride?"
Kaito's expression remained unchanged despite his special Reincarnator status being pointed out abruptly. Instead, he countered with a question.
"It seems you aren't unfamiliar with [Great Sin] Reincarnators. Have you come into contact with other Reincarnators of the [Great Sin] sequence?"
Kaito instantly captured additional information from her words. A [Great Sin] Reincarnator would only access content related to the Sublimation Sequence after their Karma Points exceeded 10.
Only after the Sublimation Sequence would specific Great Sin titles appear.
The Heart Demon claimed he was the Sin of Pride. Clearly, she had previously encountered a Reincarnator with this specific Great Sin sequence.
This meant there was at least one Tier 2 or higher Great Sin Reincarnator who was acquainted with the Heart Demon.
"Hehe~ Hehehe. Mercenary Tao, you really are good."
"I like you. You are far superior to those three idiots: Great Demon, Moon Fiend, and Balrog."
Kaito glanced out of the corner of his eye at Moon Fiend—Lee Chae-rin—who was still sitting sedately in front of the stall wearing her mask. He smiled.
"Indeed. Naturally, I am superior to them."
"I have a big business deal I want to discuss with you. What do you say?"
"This is a Big Deal that only truly outstanding individuals are allowed to bring to the table."
The girl's tone revealed a terrifying greed.
Kaito was curious about this Heart Demon's abilities and temperament. But what interested him even more was what this person, who had been hunted by the Supreme Beings for so long, considered a 'Big Deal.'
"What kind of big deal? Let's hear it."
The Heart Demon suddenly took two steps forward, closing in on Kaito. The distance was so short that the Space's protective barrier materialized, creating a wall between them.
Her voice was faint, filled with intense excitement and pleasure.
"A business deal to hunt the Supreme Beings. What do you think? Isn't it interesting? Ha~"
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