chapter 109 cute mist move

The air inside the Silvercrest Grand Hotel suite was thick with tension, though neither of its occupants showed the slightest sign of backing down.

Frost Eye sat comfortably on the luxurious velvet couch, his body language relaxed, yet exuding an unmistakable aura of control. His Trickster Mask concealed his expression, but his smirk was evident in his tone. Across from him, Cute Mist sat poised in her chair, her golden eyes sharp with calculation.

The moment their one-million-credit transaction was completed, the weight of the deal lingered between them.

Mist, instead of showing frustration, did something unexpected.

She smiled.

Not a forced, angry smile. Not one of defeat.

A real, knowing smile.

A smile that meant trouble.

Raven noticed immediately. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of the couch, an unconscious rhythm as he watched her with intrigue.

Cute Mist: "You think you've won, don't you?"

Her voice was soft, almost teasing.

Raven chuckled, tilting his head slightly.

Frost Eye: "Mist-chan, I'm not thinking—I already did."

He tapped the side of his mask, the smugness in his voice unmistakable.

Mist exhaled, leaning forward slightly, her elbows resting on the polished wooden table between them. The golden candlelight flickered, casting faint shadows across her face.

She wasn't angry anymore.

She was plotting.

Cute Mist: "Enjoy this while it lasts."

There was a dangerous calmness to her words, a sharp contrast to the fiery rage she had displayed earlier when she had thrown furniture in frustration.

Raven's smirk didn't falter, but he noted the shift.

She wasn't here just to buy.

She was here to learn.

She had been testing his limits.

And now, she had an answer.

Frost Eye: "Oh? Are you finally planning to compete with me? How cute."

He leaned back again, as if completely unbothered. His fingers lazily swiped through his own interface, watching the live market prices rise as more and more players scrambled for Poison Resistance Potions.

Mist didn't react to his provocation.

Instead, she pulled up her own interface.

Her fingers moved swiftly through the menus, making precise, calculated adjustments.

Raven, still lounging, watched with mild curiosity—until his peripheral vision caught movement outside the hotel window.

Then—

The entire town chat exploded.

> [System Announcement: Rainbow Solutions has officially launched an exclusive alchemy division. Recruiting top-tier alchemists! High pay, long-term contracts, and full resource support!]

The moment the message hit the town-wide channels, the reaction was instantaneous.

The bustling marketplace outside came to a near standstill. Players stopped mid-step, their heads snapping up as the glowing blue notification flickered in front of them.

Inside the suite, Raven's eyes flicked to Mist's expression.

She was smiling.

This wasn't a bluff.

She had planned this.

She wasn't just trying to buy potions from him anymore—she was aiming to take over the market.

Mist casually closed her interface and met his gaze, her smirk widening.

Cute Mist: "Like I said—enjoy this while it lasts."

Silence.

Then—

Raven laughed.

Not a chuckle. Not an amused exhale.

A full, rich laugh—the kind that sent a chill down the spine of anyone who had ever faced him in battle.

Mist didn't flinch.

She had expected this.

She knew the kind of man Frost Eye was.

And now, for the first time since their cat-and-mouse game began, she saw something else in his posture.

Not just confidence.

Excitement.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his gloved hands clasped together. Their faces were just a breath apart.

His voice dropped into a low, almost purring tone.

Frost Eye: "Mist-chan… this just got a whole lot more interesting."

The war for the alchemy market had just begun.

The Silvercrest Grand Hotel had fallen into an almost eerie silence, save for the soft crackling of the fireplace in the corner. The air between Frost Eye and Cute Mist was charged, a silent war unfolding in the space between them.

Frost Eye leaned back in his chair, his legs crossed in a posture of absolute confidence. His gloved fingers tapped idly against the wooden table as he processed Cute Mist's move.

An alchemy division?

Recruiting top-tier alchemists?

He nearly laughed at the absurdity.

She thought she could buy her way into the alchemy market? That she could simply throw money and manpower at the problem and expect to match him?

How naïve.

He could already see the flaw in her plan.

Alchemy wasn't like blacksmithing or enchanting, where the fundamentals could be brute-forced through trial and error. Alchemy required knowledge, precision, and, most importantly—designs.

Alchemy Designs.

And they were rarer than phoenix feathers.

They weren't something anyone could easily buy, and even if, by some miracle, a few players managed to become Alchemists, they wouldn't have the blueprints to craft anything valuable.

But him?

He had everything.

Not just alchemy knowledge, but a lifetime of experience.

A past life's worth of secrets.

He knew where the rare alchemy designs dropped. He knew how to efficiently gather materials. He knew where the hidden alchemy teachers were.

Cute Mist had ambition, but ambition without knowledge was just a waste of time.

His smirk deepened beneath the Trickster Mask.

Frost Eye: "Mist-chan… even if you pay a thousand alchemists, it won't change a thing."

His voice was smooth, dripping with amusement.

Mist's golden eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't stupid—she knew it wouldn't be easy. But the fact that she was attempting this meant she had some kind of plan.

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

Cute Mist: "Everything has a price. It's only a matter of time before I find someone who can match you."

Raven's low chuckle filled the room.

Frost Eye: "Oh, Mist-chan… keep dreaming."

His words weren't a taunt.

They were a fact.

She was fighting a battle she had already lost—she just didn't know it yet.

Because alchemy was his domain.

And no one—not even Cute Mist—could challenge him without the right tools.