Chapter 189: Key
The giant roulette wheel began to spin with a loud sound.
SWOOSH!
The wind inside the grand hall blew hard, shaking the heavy crystal chandeliers above us. The red carpet fluttered under our boots.
The heavy silver ball dropped onto the outer rim of the table, making a sharp metallic sound as it rolled.
CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!
Inside the dark world behind my blindfold, I felt Viora’s small fingers holding onto my palm. Her grip was tight, warm, and steady.
I didn’t think about the points on the line. I didn’t think about what would happen if I lost. I didn’t picture a cold cell or losing my strength.
I just stood there, breathing slowly under my paper bag, letting the silence settle inside my mind.
Across the table, the Gambler was not silent.
Behind his black blindfold, his breathing was fast and shallow. His boots shifted on the floorboards, tapping nervously against the dark wood.
’Is the ball moving toward the Sword?’ the Gambler thought frantically, his teeth gritting together tight. ’It has to land on the Sword! If it hits the Flame, I lose 100 Stamina! I’ll become weak! The Master will destroy me! I can’t lose! I CANNOT LOSE!’
The table’s magic reacted to his thoughts instantly.
A thick, dark energy flared up around the wheel. The table felt his panic, his anger, and his deep fear. The magical field on the Sword symbol expanded, turning into a invisible wall of pressure.
BOUNCE!
The silver ball hit the edge of the Sword section and was violently kicked away into the air!
CLACK-CLACK!
It bounced off the Crown divider, skipped right over the Shield, and dropped straight into the deep red pocket of the Flame symbol.
CLINK.
The blindfold on my face suddenly lit up with a warm crimson light that burned through the black cloth.
DING!
[Dual Spin Result: PERFECT VICTORY FOR THE PLAYER!]
[100 Stamina Points Acquired from The Gambler!]
[The Gambler’s Stat Pool: CRITICALLY DEPLETED]
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
The Gambler’s shriek echoed through the entire palace like a dying monster.
BOOM!
A massive stream of golden light tore out of the Gambler’s chest, flying straight across the table and slamming into my body. My ribs throbbed with a wave of intense heat as my muscles grew denser, tighter, and stronger in a single second.
The black silk blindfold on the Gambler’s face snapped in two.
He fell flat on his knees onto the red carpet. His tall frame shriveled rapidly, his fancy white suit turning baggy and oversized on his tiny, withered body. The silver dragon mask on his face cracked down the middle and fell to the floor, breaking into dull silver pieces.
Underneath the mask was a frail, pale old man with hollow eyes and thin gray hair.
[Scenario Boss: The Gambler HAS BEEN DEFEATED!]
[Gate Clear Conditions Satisfied!]
Tim collapsed onto his backside, letting out a loud, ridiculous sob of relief. "WE SURVIVED! WE ACTUALLY SURVIVED THE DUAL SPIN!"
Raymond stepped forward, smoothly straightening his coat sleeves. "A fine victory, Young Master."
I reached up and untied the black silk blindfold from my paper bag, dropping it onto the table. I looked down at the old man lying on the red carpet.
The Gambler raised one trembling, skeletal hand toward me. His voice was a weak, wheezing rasp.
"You... you didn’t feel a single drop of fear..." the old man whispered, staring up at my brown paper bag with wide, hollow eyes. "Why? Why were you not afraid of the dark?"
I looked down at Viora, who was still holding my hand gently.
"Because I wasn’t in the dark alone," I said flatly.
The Gambler blinked once, let out a long, shuddering sigh, and dissolved into tiny particles of black dust that blew away across the carpet.
DING!
[Total Experience Granted: +100,000 EXP]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 48]
A massive blue system window flared up directly in front of my vision, flashing with bright golden letters that filled the hall.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
[Scenario Gate: ’The Lost City of Elaria’ — FULLY CLEARED]
[Raid Performance: SSS-Rank]
[Special Clear Reward Generating...]
From the spot where the Gambler had dissolved, a bright beam of golden light shot straight up into the high palace ceiling.
The floorboards in the center of the hall parted, and a small pedestal made of black marble rose slowly into the air.
Resting on top of the velvet cushion was a heavy, ornate key made of pure, shining white gold. The top of the key was shaped like a majestic crowned castle, and ancient runic letters were carved deep along its blade.
It wasn’t an A-Rank key like the card keys we found outside. It pulsed with a heavy, ancient power that made the air around it hum softly.
I walked over to the pedestal and picked up the heavy white-gold key.
[Unique Item Obtained: The Kingdom Key of Elaria (EX-Rank)]
[Item Type: Kingdom Ownership / Artifact]
[Description: Grants full administrative control over the Lost City of Elaria. Allows the user to open, close, and manage the spatial boundary of the city from any location.]
I held the heavy white-gold key in my hand, staring at the description. ’A Kingdom Key? That means this whole city... belongs to me now?’
"Woo Jin?" Viora asked softly, tilting her head toward the pedestal. "What is that key?"
"It’s the Key," I replied plainly, sliding the heavy key straight into my pocket. "It means we own this casino now."
Tim scrambled to his feet, staring at me with broad eyes. "Wait... you own the whole Gate now?! Does that mean you can come back here whenever you want?!"
"Appears so," Raymond noted smoothly, stepping beside the pedestal. "It will make an excellent storage facility and private training ground for the Young Master."
RUMBLE.
Behind the golden throne, the wall of black stone split down the center, sliding open to reveal a massive, swirling golden portal that led straight out of the dungeon. Through the portal, I could see the fresh green grass and bright blue sky of the real world forest.
"The exit is open," I said, turning back to my group. "Let me hold your hand tight. Let’s head out."
"Okay," Viora smiled sweetly under her paper bag, her fingers tightening around mine.
The five of us stepped through the swirling golden portal together.
SWOOSH!
The dry, ozone-filled air of the black palace vanished instantly.
A cool, fresh forest breeze hit my face, bringing the scent of pine trees, wet soil, and wild grass. The warm afternoon sun cast bright light down through the green tree leaves above.
We were standing back in the clearing near the entrance of the raid forest.
Around us, the other seven five-man teams from the original forty-person raid squad were sitting on rocks and fallen logs. Most of them were covered in dirt, blood, and torn armor. Their mages were exhausted, and their shield bearers were nursing bruised arms and broken weapons from fighting their way through the normal combat paths.
When the massive golden portal flared up in the middle of the clearing, every single hunter turned their head to look.
"They’re out!" someone yelled.
"The paper bag team cleared the gate!" another hunter gasped, standing up from a rock.
The raid leader, a tall man in heavy steel plate armor, pushed his way through the crowd of bruised hunters. He stared at the five of us in complete shock.
Our clothes were clean. We didn’t have a single scratch on our skin. And all four of us were still wearing our matching brown paper lunch bags on our heads, while Tim stood behind us holding his wooden bow.
"You... you guys actually killed The Gambler?!" the raid leader stammered, his eyes wide. "We heard a loud announcement! SSS-Rank clear?!"
"Yeah," I said deadpan, adjusting my paper bag. "We cleared it."
"How?!" a mage hunter shouted from the back, her jaw hanging open. "You didn’t even bring real weapons! You were wearing lunch bags!"
"It’s all about mindset," I replied calmly. "A true hunter keeps his head cool and his face covered."
The entire raid squad fell completely silent. Nobody knew what to say.
Carmilla rolled her eyes under her mask. "Stop standing around staring at us. The gate is over. We’re leaving."
"Right," I agreed. "Let’s head back."
We walked past the stunned crowd of hunters, heading down the forest trail toward the raid exit zone where the transport vehicles were waiting.
As we walked under the shade of the green trees, I opened my system menu to check our rewards.
[Current Status:]
[Name: Woo Jin]
[Level: 48]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 140]
[Inventory: Kingdom Key of Elaria (EX-Rank), Spade Key, Club Key, Heart Key]
’140 stat points and a whole secret city,’ I thought to myself, a faint smile touching my lips behind the brown paper bag. ’This raid was definitely worth the trip.’
Viora leaned her head lightly against my arm as we walked along the dirt path. "Where are we going now, Woo Jin?"
"First, we get some food," I said softly, squeezing her hand gently. "Then, we go check out our new city."