Chapter 329
"What's your name, mister?"
As I was thinking about him, Chun-mong asked me.
"I don't really want to tell you."
"Where's the logic in that? I took a big step and told you my name."
"You didn't even tell me your real name, did you?"
"It's definitely not my real name, but everyone who knows me calls me that, so it's as good as my name."
"An ancient sage said so. Don't form a deep friendship with someone who uses a pseudonym. Especially since this is a gambling house where you can't trust anyone, right? So how can I trust you and tell you my real name? I don't know what might happen later."
I arrived at the place where they were gambling with the dice I had been playing with until yesterday.
Then Chun-mong, as if he were frustrated, grabbed my arm and said, "How can you be so cold? To treat someone who is clinging to you to become friends like that."
"It's my theory that if you really wanted to be friends, you wouldn't have told me a fake name. You can just tell me your real name now, can't you?"
"Hmm..."
He, pretending to be contemplating something, answered, "Alright. I won't force our friendship anymore. Instead, just tell me what I should call you. I'm planning to follow you around for a while, and I can't just call you 'mister' or 'hey' every time, can I?"
He was a much more sociable person than I thought.
To think he would come out like that even after I had refused so coldly.
'Chun-mong, who lived as a strange person in the future, I know that he also died fighting against the Demonic Cult bastards... I have no idea what kind of person he is.'
In the end, I, deliberately making a face as if I had no choice, looked at him and opened my mouth.
"Hoo. Just call me Hwi."
"Hwi? I see. I don't think it's your real name. Is it a nickname?"
"It's a pseudonym."
"Didn't you just say not to trust people who use pseudonyms? Haha!"
"That's right. So don't trust me. You shouldn't trust me, so you absolutely shouldn't bet on the side I bet on today, okay?"
"Hahaha! But that's not my thought, it's your thought, isn't it, Brother Hwi? I trust people who my heart goes out to, even if they use a pseudonym. But for some reason, my heart goes out to you, Brother Hwi!"
He, chuckling, followed me, and I didn't bother to stop him.
"Now, now. Where will you bet? If you guess odd or even, you get double. If you guess the number of eyes, you get five times!"
Right at that moment, the gambler shouted loudly, and I, this time too, just bet as my heart led me.
The dice rolled, and.
"The number of eyes is four!"
But since I had bet on odd, I lost money.
Although I didn't bet a lot of money, I still started by losing from the first round.
'Was yesterday just heavenly luck?'
I bet a few more times after that.
Although I bet on the number of dice eyes and on odd or even, in the end, out of five gambles, I only won once on odd or even.
"No. Brother Hwi. What happened today? Why is a completely different person sitting here from yesterday? Yesterday, there was no other god of gambling."
Then, the one who was groaning was rather Chun-mong.
He had confidently bet a considerable amount of money as I had bet at first, but since I kept losing, he also kept losing money.
"Can you always do well at gambling? Yesterday, I was on a lucky streak, and today, it just hasn't come yet."
"Then when does that luck come?"
"I don't know that either. So I'm not acting rashly and am betting a small amount of money, waiting for that luck to follow, aren't I? The reason why gamblers usually go bankrupt is because they bet a large amount of money with just confidence when they can't ride the flow of luck. So, Brother Chun-mong, you should also bet a small amount and observe the atmosphere for now."
"Ahem... I see. How do you know so much about gambling when you look much younger than me? Are you really a god of gambling?"
I deliberately spoke to him as if I were lecturing him.
He seems to believe my words implicitly.
In fact, I just strung together things I had picked up here and there to make them sound plausible.
If anyone passing by on the street had said this, it would have been a common remark that would have been ignored for saying the obvious, but since it was me, who had been so successful yesterday, who was saying it, he probably couldn't ignore it.
"The number of eyes is three."
So, I gambled a few more times, and.
"This time, it's six!"
I didn't win a single time during that time.
"This time... it's three!"
But at some point. I felt a very, very faint and thin energy, which a person with a sensitive sense like me would never be able to notice, as if it were surrounding the dice gambling table.
I realized instinctively. That this must be the Formless Heaven Creation that Elder Maeng Gwang-gae was performing.
"This time, I'll bet the maximum limit on the number of eyes being five. What is the upper limit?"
"The upper limit is one hundred and fifty silver coins."
"Good. All one hundred and fifty. On the number of eyes being five."
"I understand."
Trusting that feeling, I boldly bet my money.
But this time, it was rather Chun-mong who stopped me.
"Brother Un. Are you sure?"
"About what?"
"To suddenly push all your money in like that. I was worried that you might be in a state of despair..."
"That could be. But if you can't trust my senses, you don't have to follow me, do you? Or you can just bet a small amount."
"Keu-eung..."
He, as if he were contemplating for a moment, said this to the gambler, "I'll bet twenty silver coins on odd!"
Since I had said five, he had said odd to increase the probability even a little, and he had also adjusted the stake to twenty silver coins to some extent.
And a little while later.
"The number of eyes is... five!"
As expected, the dice were showing five eyes.
"Wow! No, to think you really got it right this time. Is this you riding the flow of luck?"
"I don't know that yet. But it's true that for some reason, I had a feeling I would get it right this time."
"Amazing. Where will you bet next?"
"Hmm... one hundred nyang on the number of eyes being one."
"Good! Then I'll also bet fifty nyang on one!"
He followed me this time, and the result was, of course.
"The result this time is one!"
The eye I had bet on came out correctly again.
I could clearly see the difference between yesterday and today.
Yesterday, it was definitely my luck. Every time Elder Maeng Gwang-gae performed the Formless Heaven Creation somewhere, there was a slight catch, but yesterday, I didn't have this feeling at all.
"Wow! That person. Isn't that the person from yesterday?"
"That's right! He won with almost a 100% probability in the coin toss."
"Right?! Let's go to the dice too. If we follow the god of gambling, we can also win money!"
Although I had only won twice, perhaps thanks to the atmosphere I had created yesterday, people began to flock to this side, and I won several more times in a row after that.
"It's the god of gambling! The god of gambling has come."
"O god of gambling! Where are you thinking of betting next?"
"Please show us the way!"
The gamblers shouted at me like crazy people, or like fanatics.
"This time, I'm going to bet on six."
"He said six. It's six!"
"One hundred silver coins on six!"
"I'll bet one hundred and fifty!"
"Give me one hundred on six too!"
The gambling house was like a scene of chaos.
They, without exception, emptied their pockets and bet their money.
The gambler's expression is very dark.
If all these people win money, even if it's just the Rabbit Room, it's as clear as day that a huge loss will occur.
He didn't seem to want to be the protagonist of such a tragedy (?).
But what can he do? It's not a position where he can do what he wants and not do what he doesn't want.
In the end, he had no choice but to roll the dice.
And the result was...
"Yes. Yes! It came out six!"
"Sob. Mother. I can finally leave this gambling house. I've recovered the principal of the money I stole from my mother, so I'll quit gambling now."
"So there's a day when I win here too! Hahaha! Good. Good!"
"Praise the god of gambling. God of gambling! God of gambling! God of gambling!"
Elder Maeng Gwang-gae's Formless Heaven Creation seems to have really reached a state of mastery.
To the extent that I don't even know how he can so naturally make the number he wants come out with such a faint energy that even I can't feel it well.
"Where are you thinking of betting next?"
"Please tell us!"
The people, like baby birds waiting for food, are stretching their necks towards me and only looking at me.
The moment I was about to say something that came to my mind.
"Wait."
As if a cold voice were heard from among the crowd, someone came walking out from between them.
It's the face I saw yesterday. Was his name Hwang-jo?
"Did you return safely yesterday?"
"Yes. I had a good dream yesterday, and thanks to that, it seems to be going well today too. Although I stumbled a little at first, I quickly got my sense back."
"That's a relief. I was watching you from afar."
He had a much more sociable attitude and expression than yesterday.
"But what's the matter today?"
I deliberately made a face as if I were annoyed.
I tried to express with my whole body that I didn't have time to gamble, so why was he bothering me.
As if he had understood my intention, the other gamblers around me also began to exude a sense of displeasure.
They also have to win money quickly, but they don't like being disturbed by Hwang-jo.
"I don't have time. If you're going to tell me to go to the Deer Room or something, I'll refuse in advance. I don't need a tiger either. I just like playing here."
I, thinking that he might say the same thing as yesterday again, struck first.
Although I thought he would be flustered, he, far from being flustered, even smiled broadly.
"I didn't come to make such a trivial suggestion. How can we move the place where our customers want to play as we please? Today, it's not that, but the owner of the manor wanted to see you once, so I came to escort you."
"The owner of the manor?"
"He is the owner of this manor, and the one who oversees this place. He is not a person who often shows his face, but he said he really wanted to meet the god of gambling."
I cheered inwardly.
Because it was as Maeng Gwang-gae had planned.
I, pretending to be interested in his words, answered, "The owner of the manor? Why did he want to see me?"
"Originally, the owner of the manor made this place because he loved gambling so much. But to think that there is a god of gambling... of course he would be interested, wouldn't he?"
"Is that so? But the god of gambling is too much of a title. I'm just a little lucky."
"Even humility becomes a flaw when it's excessive. The performance you've shown here is worthy of being called a god of gambling."
He showed a polite attitude that he hadn't shown yesterday.
It seems that woman named the Green Snake had told him to bring me by any means.
Otherwise, there is no way that person with a stiff neck would be so subservient to me.
I deliberately pretended to be contemplating.
"Hmm... it's good to go, but then I have to waste time that I could be winning precious money..."
"He said he would give you a gift."
"A gift?"
"Yes. He said he would give you a good gift even if you just followed me, so he asked you to come once."
"I see. Then I have to go."
I got up lightly from my chair.
"Lead the way. What are you doing?"
At my very sudden change in attitude, he seemed to be flustered for a moment, but then he quickly came to his senses.
"Yes. Please follow me."
Somehow, I feel like many gazes are fixed on my back.
The gamblers who want to win even a single penny more, and Chun-mong, who seems to find this situation very interesting.
And even the gaze of Maeng Gwang-gae, who is pleased that the plan is going as planned.
I, receiving all those gazes, followed Hwang-jo and walked into the gambling house.
(End of Chapter)