Swipe. Swipe. Swipe... then... Dazzle!
Those were the only sounds I could make out as the croupier shuffled the cards, a stern look fixed on her face.
Was she uncomfortable? Yes.
Did she want to be here? Absolutely not.
Did I enjoy watching her suffer through it? Every second of it.
For someone like her, accustomed to the simple world of sucking up to the rich for pennies, though admittedly, those same pennies had once been a fortune to me, this entire scene must have felt like something straight out of a fever dream.
The entire bronze class of the casino had gone quiet, every eye locked on the large round table hosting the evening’s main entertainment.
"We’ll begin the initial deal now," the croupier announced.
Everyone at the table nodded before pushing out their initial bids.
"One million."
"I’ll go with two."
"Hahaha," the old man cackled, spit spraying everywhere. "Come on now fellas, do you think this country bumpkin can afford that?"
I folded my arms across my chest and closed my eyes for a moment. "I don’t think you should be worrying about me."
Veins bulged across the old man’s forehead as he shoved a stack of chips forward. "Three million on the hand!"
Normally, I was supposed to use Fiona’s coins for this game. After all, I was technically playing for her.
But I doubted I’d make much money that way.
Even if I got paid for exposing the scammers, there was no guarantee the System would count that money as System Coins.
So, although this gamble could very well cost me everything I’d made tonight, I needed to invest enough that whatever large sum "the princess" gave me afterward would count as hard-earned income.
Prying my eyes open, I raised my hand in the air to signal another casino worker over. "Can I get my own stack of coins? One’s worth seven million, to be exact."
"What? Did he just say seven million? For a game of cards in the Bronze Class?"
"Wait, you mean those aren’t from extra earnings? That’s straight from his bank account?!"
"Damn, don’t tell me this kid is some second-generation young master too?!"
The old geezer stared at me with pure hatred before slamming his foot against the ground.
I completely ignored him and watched as the young man in a neat suit hurried out. About two minutes later, he came back with a trolley stacked with blue and red chips.
I gave him a small nod of acknowledgement before pushing three million worth of chips toward the center of the table. "Three million."
The entire casino erupted in cheers, and Fiona, who sat in a seat next to the table, couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear.
"Since everyone is done with their bid, I’ll deal the first cards," the croupier said, already gathering the deck.
With practiced ease, she dealt each of us a card, then placed one of her own face-up at the edge of the table.
She dealt us our second cards before placing her other card face-down beside the first.
Ding!
[Host, using so much from your funds would limit me from completing your purchase. Should I add your request in carts, or...]
’No. Use the remaining three million to buy the important things.’
[This would be limited to a bad luck card, and an ability. Should I continue?]
’Yeah do it.’
I focused back on the game and glanced at the card the dealer had placed face-up on the table.
A queen of spades.
’She’s already at ten points without the second card.’
It was clear our "dealer" had already reached her quota for the game.
Shifting my focus from her, I glanced around at my opponents, who were exchanging quick, furtive glances.
From the System’s description of the Reshuffler’s ability, I could tell they had two possibilities.
Either they wanted to exchange cards among themselves, or, if the ability could only lock onto a single card, they planned to wait until the moment of the hit before swapping it out.
The problem was, if none of their cards matched the one the dealer had marked, and none of the cards they drew on their hit matched either, then I was playing a losing game. Plain and simple.
I shook my head lightly, raising my cards to study them.
’An eight of Hearts and the King of Hearts?’
That put me at eighteen, still short of the twenty-one target, but close enough that taking another hit could be risky.
Ding!
[Bad Luck Card has been activated.]
[Time remaining: 3 minutes.]
’Good. That should help.’
I was just about to tap the table for a hit when a strange ripple ran through my fingers.
Ding!
[System has detected strange sorcery around the Host’s hands.]
I quickly checked my cards, only to be greeted by a sight that made my blood run cold.
’A King and a Queen? Shit!’
My gaze snapped toward the others at the table.
Every head was bowed, eyes fixed on their own cards as they desperately feigned ignorance.
’Fuck! Aren’t they worried I’d figure out their ability? Or am I so insignificant that they don’t care if I know? Maybe they don’t think I’d say anything.’
A soft chuckle escaped my lips, drawing curious glances from around the table.
’Nice, nice. What a smart move to pull at a time like this.’
The corners of my lips slowly curled into something almost... sinister.
’But did you really think this was enough?’
Sure, I was the fool for underestimating them and thinking they couldn’t figure out what I’d told the dealer. Hell, for all I knew, she could even be working with them.
Their plan wasn’t just to dismantle me from the inside. They wanted to let me win just enough to make me confident, only to rig the final hand so badly that even the heavens would have a hard time saving me.
But if they could play such a game, I could play it too.
Ding!
[Purchase complete.]
[Price: $2.5 million.]
[Host, should I activate the ability?]
Without a word, I stretched out my hand to take my first hit card.
Sure enough, the moment I reached forward, the stinky old geezer’s head snapped toward my hand.
He stared at it intently.
’One...’
’Two...’
’Three...’
I counted down the seconds, waiting for that strange ripple.
I held the new card steady just above the deck.
Then, suddenly, a young man’s voice rang out across the table, snapping everyone’s attention toward him, mine included.
"Stand!"
For the briefest moment, every pair of eyes shifted away from me.
And right on cue, that strange ripple passed through my fingers.
My expression immediately twisted into panic.
Meanwhile, a huge, triumphant grin spread across the old geezer’s face.
’Fuck! I messed up the timing!’
But the instant his gaze shifted away, the panic vanished; and a smirk slowly curled across my lips.
Like a bunch of bots following a script, the table erupted with the same mocking command.
"Stand!"
"Stand!"
"Stand!"
The people at the table who had shouted almost in unison all turned their gazes toward me.
"So, Mister Mysterious, do you wish to stand after your hit?" the old bastard drawled, his tone dripping with mock cheer.
’Fucking bastard.’
I leaned back in my chair and, instead of panicking, smirked openly. "Stand."
The dealer nodded before flipping her second card face-up, bringing her total to seventeen.
"Now!" she announced. "Show your hands!"
One after another, they began showing their cards, ranging from eighteen to nineteen to twenty, without a single one reaching twenty-one.
"Hahaha!" The woman in the fancy clothes fanned herself lazily. "Oh dear mister, what’s taking you so long? Are you too scared to show your cards? Or have your cheating acts caught up to you?"
"I guess breaking a habit for one game is harder than he thought," another man jeered.
I exhaled slowly and leaned back in my chair, lounging like a king on his throne.
"You want to see my card that badly?" I drawled, deliberately needling them. "What if it ends up worse than yours?"
The old bastard threw his head back and laughed.
"If you really do have a lower card, then I swear on my Awakener’s Seal, I’ll admit I’m a cheater. Not only that, I’ll give you three times what you just wagered and do whatever you say!"
’System...’
[Yes, my handsome host.]
’This is counted as my hard work pay, right?’
[Hahaha, obviously. If this isn’t hard work, what else is?]
"Can’t say a word?" he sneered. "Or has a cat just caught your tongue, you worthless cheater!"
I didn’t say another word, or trouble myself entertaining his rambling. I simply flipped my card and let the faces of everyone at the table turn white as a sheet.
"Now..." I said, my voice turning cold as I interlocked my fingers. "How about we talk about your little secrets, Mister Cheater?"