Chapter 71

There were four tables in the dedicated dice room.

Dan walked over to one of them.

“Hey, who do we have here?”

“Decided to clock in after a while, huh?”

The two people sitting at the table recognized him.

Snake Eyes and Odd Ear.

They were a pair, like flies, always looking to swindle easy marks out of their money.

Of course, they were just small fry.

They knew Dan, but they weren’t partners.

They were more like competitors, each trying to scam the easy marks first.

“Hello, everyone.”

Dan greeted them.

“Just in time, two seats are opening up here. It would be perfect if you two sat down, right?”

Snake Eyes said with a sly smile.

“That sounds good.”

Odd Ear nodded in agreement.

They had immediately sensed that I was an easy mark.

They were pressuring Dan to share the good fortune, not to hog it all to himself.

“Hmm, I’m fine with it, are you?”

Dan accepted the offer without much thought.

He was a real player, confident he could sweep the stakes at the crucial moment if he chose to.

Of course, he would subtly control the game.

“I don’t mind. There’s no other empty seat anyway.”

“Ha-ha, then shall we go?”

We sat down at the table with Snake Eyes and Odd Ear.

As soon as I sat down, I boldly placed all my chips next to me.

A showy gesture.

Something that naive marks often do.

I saw Snake Eyes and Odd Ear trying not to laugh.

They must have thought an easy prey had just rolled in.

‘Enjoy it as much as you want.’

I also let out a laugh.

They would never understand what that laugh meant.

“You’re a young guy, but you seem to have made it big.”

Snake Eyes flattered me.

Flattering the mark was a very basic tactic for them.

“Making money is the easiest thing in the world.”

I played the part of an overconfident mark.

“If there’s such an easy way, I’d like to learn it too.”

“Not everyone can do it.”

“Ha-ha, of course. You’re quite something.”

Snake Eyes played along just right.

I couldn’t help but laugh because it was so transparent.

“Alright, enough chit-chat, let’s start the game. That’s what we’re here for, right?”

Odd Ear changed the subject.

“Is the basic rule fine?”

The basic rule.

It was the simplest rule.

Roll three dices in a wooden cup, and the person with the highest number takes the pot.

“Yeah.”

“Simple is best.”

Everyone agreed.

I nodded too.

I was planning to go along with whatever they wanted to do anyway.

“Then let’s add the rule of increasing the stakes based on the number of games.”

The rule of increasing the stakes based on the number of games.

A rule that allowed you to bet multiples of the base stake depending on the number of games played.

For example, if it was the fifth game, you could bet up to five times the base stake.

And this was precisely the means to fleece the mark.

At first, they would deliberately lose to boost the mark’s confidence, and when the stakes were high enough, they would take the timing to sweep the money.

Even if they were small-time hustlers, they each had at least one trick to manipulate the dice numbers.

For someone like Dan, who was at a much higher level, it went without saying.

Of course, I was the only one here who knew Dan’s true skills.

“Let’s do that.”

Again, everyone agreed.

There was no reason to oppose the most important rule.

And so, the dice gambling began.

“Ah, the numbers just aren’t coming up today.”

Snake Eyes grumbled.

“That’s right.”

Dan also shook his head and clicked his tongue.

The early game.

I had won 7 out of 10 rounds.

It was a result orchestrated by the hustlers.

Dan and the other two weren’t in the same gang, but giving the mark an early win was almost an unspoken agreement.

The mark had to taste winning so that even if they lost money, they wouldn’t leave the table.

They would keep gambling, eyes wide with greed, trying to win back what they lost, thinking they had won by skill.

“Ha-ha, well, luck comes and goes, doesn’t it?”

I played the happy mark.

“Yeah, it goes around. Ah, screw it. Maybe if I bet more, my luck will stick.”

Odd Ear made the first move.

So far, he had only been betting the basic 10 chips, but now he raised the bet by 5 chips for the first time.

He was setting the mood to raise the stakes.

“Come on, what’s 15 chips?”

Snake Eyes, from the same pack, casually placed 15 chips as well.

Objectively, they were in the most advantageous position.

After all, as long as one of them won, it was a victory.

They would split the money amicably.

“Well, can’t be helped.”

Dan appeared to be reluctantly going along.

The guy I knew wouldn’t show his true skills until the crucial moment.

He was probably waiting for the right time in the second half to make his move.

‘Yeah, have fun playing.’

I smirked inwardly and placed the same amount of chips.

Soon the money would start flowing to them, but it didn’t matter.

It was money that would eventually come back to me.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The gambling game entered a new phase.

“Crap, damn it.”

I grimaced and groaned.

The large amount of chips in front of me had vanished at some point.

As the game went on, they had all gone to the hustlers.

Especially to the Snake Eyes and Odd Ear gang.

Dan hadn’t won much yet.

He seemed to be expecting that I still had a lot of money left.

If I got angry and threw in even that money, he would seriously start targeting it.

He was indeed a con artist of a higher order.

“Oh dear, it seems the young friend has lost his luck this time. What will you do, can you continue?”

Snake Eyes subtly provoked me.

He was trying to make me angry to keep me gambling.

Of course, I would oblige.

“Tch, it’s all luck anyway. Let’s keep going.”

I turned my head towards the staff.

“Hey, come here.”

The staff approached.

“What can I do for you?”

“Chip exchange. Quick.”

I pulled out a check instead of gold this time.

At that moment.

I could feel everyone’s eyes widen in shock.

It couldn’t be helped.

The check I had taken out was worth a whopping 1,000 gold.

“How much would you like?”

“All of it, of course.”

“All of it?”

“Yes. Hurry up and exchange it.”

“Ah, right away.”

The staff hurried off.

Of course, they had to.

The chip exchange fee alone was a considerable amount.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed their saliva.

The faces of the hustlers were drenched in undeniable excitement.

They must have thought they were lucky to have met such an incredible mark.

“Here you are.”

Soon the staff brought a huge amount of chips.

It was very prompt service.

“Thanks.”

I turned my attention back to the gambling table.

“How many rounds are we at?”

“Exactly 41 rounds.”

Dan answered.

“Is that so? Perfect for a big bet.”

I pushed forward 410 chips.

The guys’ eyes widened in surprise.

They never expected someone to go all-in, filling the table, even if they were desperate.

It was an enormous amount.

An amount that would bankrupt anyone except me, who had exchanged 1,000 gold.

But the shocked expressions on their faces soon turned into excited smiles.

My chances of winning were zero.

So for them, this was an opportunity that would never come again.

Snake Eyes and Odd Ear’s gang, and even Dan, seemed ready to join the gamble.

“Let’s give it a shot.”

“The one who chickens out loses.”

“Umm, I’m nervous, but it can’t be helped.”

The atmosphere was ripe.

The order to roll the dice started with Odd Ear, who had won money earlier.

Just as Odd Ear was about to start and moved his hand,

I spoke out for the first time with a cold voice.

“Wait. Anyone who cheats in this round will lose a hand.”

Despite my warning, there was no tension on their faces.

How would a mark know about cheating, and even if he did, what could someone like me do about it?

“What are you blabbering about?”

Odd Ear sneered.

“Oh, is that so? Decide for yourselves whether it’s nonsense or not and roll.”

I ignored them and twisted my lips into a smile.

My gaze had already confirmed the entrance of a burly bald man quietly entering through the back door.

It was Godwin.

Exchanging a high amount of chips was the signal.

Since I was the only one who would exchange 1,000 gold at once, he would have noticed right away.

“Damn, you’re really playing mind games.”

Odd Ear glared at me once and then covered the dice with the wooden cup.

And just as he was about to roll.

Wham!

A giant hand grabbed Odd Ear’s wrist.

“Don’t play games, you piece of trash.”

“What the hell-!”

Odd Ear turned his head with a vicious expression.

But then.

“Huh.”

Odd Ear’s mouth shut.

Because he saw Godwin.

A face with no match for ferocity.

A massive build, incredibly thick bones.

And tremendous muscles.

As a quick-witted guy, he couldn’t help but realize.

This was a dangerous man who couldn’t be handled by force.

His expression completely stiffened under the overwhelming aura of murderous intent.

“What… who are you?”

For the first time, respectful words came out of the mouth that had been spewing informalities.

A typical bully who is strong against the weak and weak against the strong.

“It’s none of your business. Hey, staff!”

Godwin shouted.

Everyone in the room, including the staff, turned their attention to us.

The gambling that had been going on stopped, and everyone looked curious about what was happening.

“Come here!”

“Ah… Yes!”

The staff hurried over.

“What’s the matter?”

“Open the lid.”

“What?”

“Open it, I said.”

He meant to open the wooden cup.

The staff, understanding the meaning, looked at us.

“Open it.”

I said.

“Wait, you can’t just—”

Snake Eyes started to speak in a panicked voice.

“F*ck, are you in on it too? No? Then shut up.”

I also showed a threatening demeanor.

By now, they must have realized.

I was not just a simple mark.

Something was going wrong.

But it was too late.

Even Dan’s pupils were shaking.

“Open the lid.”

Godwin spoke again.

His voice was like a threatening wild beast.

The staff, with trembling hands, opened the wooden cup.

Three dice were revealed.

Clearly, they hadn’t been rolled yet.

But strangely, there were two sixes.

“Check under the sixes. You should feel something sticky, like adhesive.”

“What the hell is this…!”

Odd Ear desperately cried out, trying to move his free hand, but that hand was also quickly caught by a giant grip.

“Ugh!”

While this was happening, the staff carefully checked under the dice.

And then.

“I can feel it! There’s definitely something sticky…!”

The staff shouted, eyes wide.

Odd Ear’s cheating method.

Before rolling the dice, he would cunningly place them on a transparent, sticky substance applied to the mirror table so that the sixes would show.

Even if the dice were rolled, they wouldn’t move because they were fixed.

With just two like that, a twelve was already secured.

The odds of winning would skyrocket.

This was how they would cheat the mark at crucial times.

But this time, they picked the wrong opponent.

“How dare you use tricks in a sacred gambling hall! You should naturally lose a hand for that!”

Godwin shouted with a voice filled with murderous intent.

One of his absolute convictions.

He never forgives anyone who cheats in gambling.

That’s why no one dares to cheat in the gambling halls of the capital when Godwin is around.

“You piece of trash!”

Thwack!

Before anyone knew, Godwin had drawn a dagger and cleanly severed Odd Ear’s right hand.

Blood spurted out like a fountain from the severed wrist.

(TLN: BRUH )

The table was stained with blood.

“Get lost!”

Godwin flung the writhing Odd Ear aside.

Thud!

“Aaaargh!”

“If you don’t want to die, get out!”

“eeek!”

Odd Ear ran out of the room, his face pale with terror.

Revenge?

He wouldn’t even dare to dream of it.

“What’s going on?”

Guards, sensing that something had happened, swarmed into the room.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Some bastard was cheating. Right?”

I looked at the staff.

“Yes, that’s right. He definitely cheated.”

The staff confirmed.

One absolute rule of all gambling halls.

You must not cheat.

Of course, gambling and cheating are inseparable.

So using tricks without getting caught is not a concern.

But if you’re caught, you have to take responsibility.

Just like now.

It’s not for no reason that there are quite a few gamblers missing one hand.

“Just a personal sanction, so please handle it quietly, and oh, clean this up after the game is completely over.”

I took out a 100 gold check from my pocket and tossed it to the guards.

“Understood, sir.”

The guards nodded as if this wasn’t their first time dealing with such a situation and left.

I turned my gaze back to the gambling table.

“Let’s continue. It’s your turn, isn’t it?”

I looked at Snake Eyes with a sneering smile.

Snake Eyes, who had been so confident when he thought he was swindling me, was now sweating profusely with a pale face.