Chapter 187: Gambler
The huge, glowing barrier surrounding the white city cracked down the center.
CRACK.
With a loud shattering sound, the giant wall of magic broke into tiny red crystals. The red dust drifted up into the dark purple sky, slowly fading away near the two pale moons.
The two mahogany tables, the silver cups, and the heavy iron gun all disappeared instantly.
In there place, two shiny metallic keys dropped onto the hard dirt ground. One key was shaped like a playing card Club, and the other was shaped like a Heart.
I walked over and picked up both keys from the ground.
As soon as my fingers touched the cold metal, blue light flashed in front of my eyes.
[Item Obtained: Key of the Second Table (A-Rank Key)]
[Item Obtained: Key of the Third Table (A-Rank Key)]
[Experience Points Granted: +30,000 EXP]
I nodded quietly behind my paper lunch bag. ’30,000 EXP, again. That’s a huge boost.’
I put both keys straight into my pocket.
The giant iron gates of the city began to move. They groaned loudly, dragging across the stone ground until they swung wide open.
A long, wide marble street stretched straight through the middle of the empty white city. At the very end of the street sat a massive palace made of polished black stone.
Above the black palace, a huge golden sign floated high in the air:
[ THE CENTRAL CASINO — RESIDENCE OF THE GAMBLER ]
Tim fell flat on his knees, breathing heavily while wiping sweat off his nose. "We... we didn’t get blown up... I can’t believe my luck..."
Viora walked over to my side, her small fingers reaching out to find my hand. She held onto my palm, leaning her shoulder lightly against my arm.
Raymond bowed his head politely, keeping his hands behind his back. "Young Master. Shall we head inside the city?"
"Yes," I said. "Let’s move and get it down as soon as possible."
We started walking down the main marble street of Elaria.
The city was completely silent. The tall white buildings on both sides had no glass in their windows, and no signs of life inside. It looked like everyone who lived here had vanished years ago.
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from a dark side alleyway ahead.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
From the dark shadow of the alley, a tall figure slowly stepped out into the middle of the main street.
It wasn’t a Dealer.
The figure was wearing full plate armor made of dull gray iron. In his right hand, he held a massive two-handed broadsword that dragged along the marble floor, leaving deep scratches in the stone.
On his face he was wearing a golden metal mask shaped like a playing card Ace.
Behind him, eight more gray armor knights stepped out from the shadows, blocking the entire street. Each knight held a heavy iron shield and a glowing spear.
A blue system screen popped up above the lead knight’s head.
[Mini-Boss Encounter: The Royal Guard of Elaria]
[Level: 55]
[Type: Dungeon Guardian]
Tim took two steps back, his face turning pale again. The lead Ace Knight raised his heavy broadsword, pointing the tip directly at my paper bag.
"Halt, trespassers," the Ace Knight spoke. "None may approach the Central Casino without the express permission of Master Gambler. Present your credentials... or face immediate execution."
Carmilla took a step forward, her red eyes glowing brightly through the eye holes of her brown paper bag. "I’m sick of people telling us we’re going to be executed."
"Wait, Carmilla," I said, holding out my hand. "Let’s test something first."
I pulled the three golden keys out from my pockets—the Spade, the Club, and the Heart. I held them up in my right hand so the moonlight reflected off the shiny metal.
The Ace Knight froze. The red glow inside his helmet eye slits flickered rapidly.
"The Three Master Keys..." the Ace Knight muttered, his hollow voice faltering for a moment. "You... you defeated all three Dealers?"
"Yeah," I said in a flat voice. "So move out of the way."
The Ace Knight slowly lowered his broadsword. But then, he shook his head with a heavy metallic clank.
"It matters not," the knight rumbled, tightening his grip on the handle. "Master Gambler’s secondary directive overrides key ownership. Any challenger wearing paper bags upon their heads must be tested by blood!"
I blinked behind my mask. ’Wait. Is there actually a rule about paper bags?’
Carmilla let out a low laugh. "He asked for it. Woo Jin, don’t interfere. This guy is mine."
Before I could answer, Carmilla kicked off the stone pavement.
BOOM!
The marble floor under her feet shattered into pieces as she shot forward like a red rocket. She didn’t draw a weapon. She simply pulled back her right fist, her red leather jacket snapping in the wind.
The Ace Knight raised his massive broadsword to block, bringing the flat side of the blade in front of his chest.
Carmilla’s fist slammed straight into the center of the heavy iron sword.
BANG!
A loud metallic explosion echoed through the quiet street.
The Ace Knight’s giant broadsword snapped completely in half.
The shockwave from her punch blew the knight backward, crashing him straight through the solid stone wall of a white marble building.
THWACK! CRUMBLE!
Dust and broken stone poured out of the building wall where the lead knight had landed.
The remaining eight shield knights stood completely frozen, their heavy spears shaking in their metal gauntlets.
Carmilla landed smoothly on her feet, dusting off her sleeves. She turned her paper bag toward the eight knights and tilted her head.
"Are you eight going to fight," Carmilla asked in a dark, cold voice, "or are you going to get out of our way?"
The eight shield knights immediately backed up against the walls, lowering their spears and making a wide, clear path down the middle of the street.
Tim stared at Carmilla with wide eyes, completely speechless. "She... she broke a two-handed iron sword with her bare hand..."
"She has gotten strong," I said deadpan, stepping forward.
We passed the terrified shield knights and continued walking down the marble street until we finally reached the front steps of the black palace.
The palace was gigantic. Up close, the black stone walls looked like smooth glass, reflecting the purple sky above.
At the top of the grand stairs stood two massive double doors made of pure brass, carved with images of playing cards, dice, and spinning roulette wheels.
In the center of the brass doors were three keyholes shaped like a Spade, a Club, and a Heart.
I walked up the stone steps, with Viora, Carmilla, Raymond, and Tim following right behind me.
I pulled out the three golden keys and inserted them into the three matching keyholes one by one.
CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.
A deep mechanical chime rang through the entire palace.
CLANG!
The heavy brass doors slowly unlocked, sliding open toward the inside.
A bright, warm golden light poured out from inside the palace, washing over our group.
Inside, the floor was covered in a thick, dark red carpet. The ceiling was held up by dozens of massive golden pillars. Hundreds of crystal chandeliers hung from above, casting a warm, rich glow everywhere.
It looked like an insanely fancy, grand casino from an ancient empire.
Standing right in the middle of the grand hall, about thirty yards away, was a single high-backed golden throne.
Sitting on the throne was a man wearing a crisp white suit, a red silk tie, and a wide-brimmed white hat. On his face was a polished silver mask shaped like an elegant dragon face.
In his right hand, he was casually tossing a glowing golden coin up and down in the air.
CATCH. TOSS. CATCH.
Above his head, a large blue system title floated in bold letters:
[ C-Rank Gate Scenario Boss: The Gambler ]
[ Level: 60 ]
As we stepped into the grand hall, the Gambler caught the golden coin in his palm and looked down at us from his throne.
"Ah," the Gambler spoke. His voice was calm, rich, and echoed smoothly across the vast hall. "The paper bag squad finally arrives. You defeated my three Dealers with clever tricks instead of brute force. Impressive."
I stepped forward onto the red carpet, keeping my hand linked with Viora’s.
"We cleared your requirements," I said in my normal flat voice. "Are you going to open the exit portal now, or do we have to play another game?"
The Gambler let out a quiet, smooth chuckle behind his silver dragon mask.
"An exit portal?" the Gambler said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "My dear challenger, this gate does not have a standard exit portal. The only way out of Elaria... is to take everything I own."
He pointed his gloved finger at the center of the hall.
RUMBLE.
The thick red carpet pulled back, revealing a massive circular gambling table rising up from the floorboards.
The table was easily twenty feet wide. In the center of the table was a giant, glowing roulette wheel, but instead of numbers, the wheel was divided into various symbols—swords, skulls, flames, shields, and golden crowns.
"This is the Grand Roulette of Elaria," the Gambler explained, standing up from his golden throne. "To clear this gate, we must place our bets. But we do not bet coins or silver."
He stepped down the throne stairs, walking toward the giant table.
"We bet stats," the Gambler declared, his silver mask shining under the chandeliers. "Strength, Agility, Mana, or Stamina. You place your stats on the wheel. Spin it. If you win, you double your power and open the gate. If you lose... your stats are permanently stripped away and added to my strength."