Ding!
[Host, would you still like to purchase the extra luck card?]
My eyes darted from the table where Fiona sat to the system message hovering by my side.
It was true that I needed an extra boost of luck if I wanted to make the most out of this trip. But for the moment, I didn’t find it necessary to get an extra luck card.
’Save it for later. For now, just pull up a few skills that can help me win this match.’
[Give me one moment, host.]
The system interface showed a progression bar before flickering out of existence.
Seeing no point pondering over it, I turned my attention to the game about to begin at the table.
The greasy old man sitting opposite me wore a nasty expression as he dabbed sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "Since my lady wants to trust this obvious clown so much, I, your humble aide, shall give my all."
Fiona clapped her hands, eyes bright with delight. "That’s more like it, James! Games are made to be fun and exciting."
The croupier, who happened to be the woman who’d led me into the casino earlier, shot me a nervous smile before her gaze skittered elsewhere.
Her fingers, though, never faltered, shuffling the cards with the crisp precision of a seasoned magician despite her nerves.
’I thought this fuckers where cheating but that doesn’t seem to be the...’
Just as I was about to finish my thought, the system’s frantic voice burst into my ear.
Ding!
[Host! It seems someone on this table is using a reshuffler or has an ability related to it!]
I raised a brow. ’A what now?’
[A reshuffler. It’s a device that lets someone mimic a specific magical spell, one that isn’t native to this world.]
I leaned forward, eyes sweeping the table, cataloguing every twitching hand and darting glance. ’So another system user, or just someone who got his hands on the tech.’
[Not sure. We Systems are usually bonded to a single host, with little to no memory of anything that happened before our assignment.]
I closed my eyes and exhaled sharply, the force of my sigh drawing several curious glances from around the table.
"Earth to Mister Mysterious? What happened? Feeling like you’re going to lose?" Fiona called out, her voice pulling me back to reality.
I opened my eyes to find the entire table’s attention fixed on me.
The woman seated to Fiona’s right, dressed in a fascinator and all the other trappings of old money, curled her lip in disdain. "I knew this clown was all talk and no bite."
"Yes, miss!" the old man barked, jabbing a finger my way. "This bastard is definitely here to scam you. Perhaps he’s even an assassin."
At the word assassin, the table went dead silent.
Chairs creaked as bodies stiffened, hands instinctively drifting toward intercoms and hidden weapons.
It felt like I’d been branded a fugitive without even lifting a finger.
Though, if I was being honest with myself, I kind of liked it.
Was it because I wasn’t some powerless fool anymore? Because I now possessed information no one else at this table had?
Or maybe this was simply who I’d been underneath it all.
My lips curled into a smirk as I rose to my feet, palms slamming the table hard enough to send the stacked coins clattering to the floor.
"A scammer? An assassin?" I tilted my head. "Old bastard, can you seriously back up those claims?"
"What?!" The old man’s eyes bulged as he shot upright. "How dare you speak to me like that, you country bumpkin!"
’Hey, bestie. Walk me through how this Reshuffler works.’
[Huh? I’m your bestie now that you need something?]
[...sigh.]
[Well, its mechanism is quite simple. It lets the wearer randomly shift the position of anything they lock onto. It’s weaker than the actual spell and far less precise.]
’That works fine for me.’
I tucked my hands into my pockets and lifted my chin. "Yeah, I’m a country bumpkin. So what? At least I’m not out here scamming a young lady right under her nose, especially not under the roof of the great Golden Casino."
From the corner of my eye, I caught Fiona’s expression darkening. Heads from neighboring tables began turning toward us, and my lips curled upward slightly.
"Wait, did he just say they’re running a scam?"
"That’s a serious accusation if it’s true."
"Worse for him if he can’t back it up."
The crowd pressed closer, murmurs rippling through the room as more people caught wind of the commotion.
’Yeah... gather up just like that. How else am I supposed to become this young lady’s beneficiary?’
See, it wasn’t as if I hated cheating on principle. Hell, I’d have loved it if I were the one running the con.
But this wasn’t just aimed at me anymore. It threatened my goals. My future!
So I was going to shut it down while playing the part of an upstanding hero fighting until the bitter end.
Hell, I wasn’t just going to shut it down...
A slow, menacing grin spread across my face.
I was going to blow this thing wide open.
"So, old geezer..." I shook my head slowly. "Actually, not just you."
I swept a finger across the rest of the table. "All of you ragtag mongrels. Let’s make a bet. I’ll wager my life, and you wager yours. Let’s prove to everyone who the real scammer is. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll even find that assassin you were talking about."
I spread both arms wide. "How does that sound? Good enough for you all?"
"Wait, is this kid actually onto something?"
"Look how tense they are. They were definitely planning something shady."
"Damn. Takes guts to call that out."
I didn’t give the old geezer or his cronies a chance to respond. I glanced at Fiona, and once she gave me a small, approving nod, I waved the croupier over.
The instructions I gave her were simple: swap out the deck, choose three cards, track their exact positions through the shuffle, and report everything back to Fiona.
If the system was right, we were about to watch a show like no other.
’System, line up a useful ability for me. Best one you can find in my price range. And bump all my stats from unranked to tier 1, f rank. Grab me a decent weapon too, while you’re at it.’
[Understood, host. One moment.]
[Should I still pull the skills to win the match?]
I scoffed. ’No need. Why would I want to win when the whole point is proving they’re cheating.’
I dragged my chair back, dropped into it, and kicked my feet up onto the table, then waved lazily at the others still standing, faces twisted with fury, inviting them to sit.
’Actually, System, scrap the Luck Card. Give me a Bad Luck Card instead.’
[Are you sure, Host? A Bad Luck Card could burn through your funds.]
I smirked. ’Yeah, I’m sure. Just get me one that lasts for the entire game and doesn’t cost too much.’
[Affirmative.]
Almost on cue, the croupier returned, a fresh deck in hand.
"Since we’re all seated," I said, tilting my head, "let’s begin. A game of Blackjack."