God of Tricksters

"It's nice to meet you, Maya."

Maya smirked and said, "You didn't seem to expect me to meet you here."

Theo let out a long sigh and scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to say. Now that Maya stood in front of him, he could imagine what kind of things happened.

"I guess I should ask you… How are you here?"

"Come on. I believe you already know how my brain works. I simply outplayed you on this one."

"Let me guess. After getting the information about the transaction, you chose to go to my residence maybe… a week or two weeks after that? And because I wasn't in the house, you realized I'm still here."

Maya nodded with a smile. "You know me well. You are not someone who will back down from a challenge, especially after your multi-billion Zils scam. So, I know that the time limit is one month. I only need to wait here for a month to find you and confirm my suspicion.

"As expected, you know something about this place, which makes your information extremely useful."

Theo sighed and said, "Even though you know it, you can actually wait on the other side."

"Isn't this what you want, Theo? With me personally clarifying the information, the price will rise even more." Maya smirked. "As I said earlier, I wouldn't be able to defeat you in terms of strategy. But it's different if I can smell money. This is my game."

This was Maya's declaration as a business genius. She simply told him that he wasn't the only genius that could play this strategic battle. There were many more geniuses around the world.

"You leave me no choice." Theo shook his head in disappointment and snapped the stick into two. The top part was just an inch from the fire, so it immediately dropped to the ground.

After that, he tossed the location tracker and let the fire reduce it into ashes.

"What?" Maya widened her eyes, never expecting to see Theo burning the location tracker. If she had that tracker, everything would be worth it.

At the same time, she never saw Theo using a black-colored flame, which meant it wasn't his power.

"Wait, stop!" Last but not least, Maya witnessed Theo throwing the stick into the mist with all his strength so that no one could recover it.

Theo looked at her and shrugged. "So, what do you want?"

"Ugh…" Maya gritted her teeth before falling to her knees, feeling defeated. "I was thinking how much I should give you just for those items… I have my own confidence in persuading you, but it seems you never thought about giving them away… my miscalculation."

"They are not for sale. And it's not like I'm planning to give you the full information." Theo shrugged.

"How much?" Maya asked with a frustrated expression.

"Twenty percent."

Theo simply wanted to give them enough information about the Magic Power and the zombies, which should be enough to find a few more treasures inside. However, the data wouldn't include the riddle, the treasures' exact locations, and even the name of this place.

He didn't want Helheim to be disturbed after all.

"You are so honest…" Maya narrowed her eyes. "Don't you think twenty percent is too low? We're friends, right? Or did my action annoy you?"

"A part of that… but I guess it's just me trying to get back at you for outsmarting me." Theo looked away and added, "Though, your action truly made everything a bit more convenient to me. I didn't need to hold back when stating the price anymore."

"…" Maya was speechless. It was clear Theo planned to suck her dry. She couldn't help but say, "Can't I just pay you with my body?"

"No. If you say something like that again, I'll increase the price by twenty percent."

"Ugh." Maya looked down, sounding so pitiful. She realized her plan backfired. "After hunting with you and Agata for a few months… I realized that I was always in deep trouble. From the hidden monster in the Arkahan Volcano to that black knight…

"Even then, a part of me believed that you were super lucky. Even though the risk was so great, the return was equal. That was why the moment I found you inside the mist and learned about your battle with Winston, I knew you were up to something.

"Hence, I checked your residence to prove my theory. As soon as I heard you were not in your home, I immediately came here to wait for you."

Theo narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "It seems I have given too much information, eh?"

"No one other than me should notice these clues… After all, it was just me believing you're different." She sighed. "If they hadn't lived with you, they wouldn't catch a single clue."

"That's also because I have underestimated a true genius." Theo shook his head, feeling disappointed in himself.

"Anyway, that's all there is to it. Well, it's not like I'm planning to become your enemy, especially when you look so protective about this place." Maya paused for a moment as her expression turned grim. "Should I investigate this place more or should I just become a fool who only wants money?"

This question was a test from Maya to Theo. She wanted to know Theo's true desire and understand the importance of this place.

And Theo simply stated, "I have no control over you. You can do anything in this place, but just know that no one can guarantee your life. Even if you send your subordinates…"

"I see." Although the result was lower than her expectation, she believed this was an important note for the future. "So, how much should I pay for the information? Is there a way for me to get a discount?"

"I can give you a discount… I think twenty billion Zils for the information is enough." Theo raised his finger and pointed at the mist. "After all, you have seen me coming out of the mist."

"I feel like that kind of price is not only for those two facts, right?"

"It's also for your life." Theo shrugged.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No way. How can I kill my friend? Do you think I'm that ruthless?"

"Ehm… no…"

"Though I wonder what will happen if I throw you inside and trap you for another ten years. This doesn't count murder, right?" Theo looked away playfully.

"…" Maya's eyebrows twitched, knowing Theo's hidden meaning. "You're threatening your friend for money. I'm sad."

"There's no way I'm going to do that. But it's true that you don't want to tell your friends all your secrets."

"I feel like my brain cells will die the more I talk to you. So, what are the conditions?"

"It's simple." A sly smile appeared on Theo's face.