Since I’d already been feeling pumped after converting my ten million dollars into System Coins, I wanted nothing more than to make even more money and finally begin my hero’s journey.
The only problem?
Sarah hadn’t moved an inch.
Even after I’d told her I was ready to move on to the next level, she was still standing there.
"Hey, can you start going?"
Sarah shut one eye playfully. "It’s not like I don’t want to go, Horns. But besides the one-million-dollar entry fee, there’s also a bunch of paperwork you need to complete before you can head up there."
I frowned, parting my lips to respond, only for her to raise a finger, the corners of her lips curling upward. "But don’t get discouraged yet. There’s still a way to make it up there."
I raised a brow, my body instinctively leaning forward. "And what’s that?"
Sarah tilted her head to the side, her gaze settling on someone behind me.
Following her line of sight, my eyes met the same blonde-haired young lady who had been laughing at the card table.
"Her?" I asked, confusion creeping into my voice.
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe she could enter the second level, after all, someone who could spend like that was definitely the young lady of some clan.
However, having the influence to bypass the rules of such a large casino was a totally different thing.
Sarah offered a small nod. She rested her face against her clenched palm, elbow propped on the counter. "From what I heard, she’s the young lady of a really big family. If you get on her good side, perhaps you could enter without even an entrance fee."
I stared at the young lady for a long moment.
Yet again, I was caught up in the choice of either having to use a woman for my own and the system’s goals, or just settling for less.
I let out an exhausted sigh, turned to face Sarah, then turned back to the young lady. "Then, I’ll take my chance."
Without turning back to check Sarah’s expression, I moved forward, walking toward the round table filled with faces from several age groups.
From young men to middle-aged patrons, even old geezers who looked like they had one foot in the grave, sat at the table, their gazes fixed on the girl at the edge.
"Miss Fiona, looks like you’ve lost again. Why don’t you go for another round? I’m sure Lady Luck will shine on you this time," one of the men said smoothly.
The entire table erupted into snickers.
The beautiful blonde ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Argh! How did I lose another round?"
She raised her gaze toward the people around the table, her eyes turning vicious as she glared at them. "You guys are cheating, aren’t you?!"
The men and women around the table shrank beneath her light-purple eyes.
Sweat quickly beaded across their foreheads as they scrambled to explain themselves.
At that exact moment, I stepped forward, lowering my voice and doing my best to make it sound mysterious. "Why don’t you play another round, my lady?"
Having already sized up everyone at the table, I paid them no attention and instead offered the young woman a slight bow.
"I’ll make sure you earn ten times your current winnings within thirty minutes. All I ask for in return is a little favor."
Fiona, whose fingers were tangled in her hair in frustration, raised a brow at me, genuine interest flickering across her expression for a brief moment.
"Help me win?" she echoed. "And ten times more?"
A long pause followed before she giggled lightly. "You sound like a movie character. Is this a show the casino hosts? Hehehe, I kind of like it."
"..."
The men and women around the table stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
Even I couldn’t think of anything to say for a moment.
’A show?’ I thought, irritation bubbling inside me. ’Hello? I’m fucking trying to make a living here.’
I let out a quiet breath and straightened just enough to meet her gaze through the mask. "Hey, do you want to win or not?"
Fiona’s eyes widened at the sudden change in my tone and demeanor. Her lips parted as though she was about to respond, but before she could say a word, one of the men at the table shot to his feet.
He was a fat, greasy-looking man wearing spectacles and a suit that was clearly far too expensive for him.
"You clown! How dare you speak to the young lady like that?!" the old geezer spat, quite literally, flinging a hand dramatically through the air. "If you know what’s good for you, you’d better get on your knees and beg for—"
He never got to finish.
"Can you shut it?!" Fiona’s voice boomed across the table, instantly silencing him.
The old man froze, his head slowly turning toward her. "My... lady?"
Fiona let out a long breath, her expression relaxing as a faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Mister Mysterious..." She tilted her head. "You said you’d help me win all my money back, right?"
I offered her a small nod. "If you’re willing, that is."
"Hahaha, of course I am." She shifted her focus from me to the people at the table. "So, are you guys up for another game?"
The atmosphere around the table changed as their gazes moved from the beautiful young woman to me, standing at its edge. It was clear that they were weighing their chances.
If they won, they would have a clear reason to leave the table and walk out with a fortune. If they lost, or if their schemes were caught, their lives were as good as over.
However, under the intense, almost crazed stare of the blonde woman, they could only push their chips forward in silent defeat.
Fiona’s eyes brightened, and for a moment, I found myself lost in her face, from those vivid purple eyes to her delicate pink lips.
I quickly shook off the thought.
’She’s dangerous.’
Fiona let out a menacing chuckle and pushed her chips forward. "Since you’re all going all out, I’ll put everything I have on the line too."
A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she looked back at me. "So, Mister Mysterious, think you can break my bad-luck streak?"
Nope. Not even a little bit.
I smirked. ’System, you think we can do it?’
[Why are you asking me? You’re the one who made the wager.]
’Yeah, but you’re a part of me now, aren’t you? So what’s our chance of winning this?’
[Hahaha! Are you seriously asking me that?]
[With the money we have now? One hundred percent. No... a billion percent.]
I almost laughed. ’Then let’s help a down-on-her-luck young lady.’