Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: To Enter the Magic Tower (2)
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“Mm, this guy’s hand is way better than yours. Drop dead.”
“Die.”
Thud!
At the old man’s words, I unhesitatingly laid down my cards.
“Hey. What’s up? Why’d you die so fast?”
“Keek, this conservative fella, huh?”
Clatter, clack clack!
Chips rolled across the table.
The crisp sound of shuffling rang in my ears.
“Hmm, yours is crap again this time. Huh? But everyone else’s is crap too. Worth going for this one?”
“Alright, call.”
This time, I tossed in the chips.
Reading the opponent’s mind?
Calculating odds based on my hand?
None of that crap was necessary.
“Cackle, look at that guy’s face. You feel that tiny twitch? Both have shit pairs, but yours is one pip higher. He’s spooked.”
Just do what the old man said.
Was there ever an easier way to make money?
“All in!”
Swoosh!
I grinned and shoved all my chips forward.
I knew the opponent was done for anyway.
But early on, I had to establish that I was the type to bluff like this.
That way, when good hands came up, we could go all out.
“Ooooooh!”
“Damn it. All in?”
“Thought he was conservative, but he’s got fire! I’m out.”
“Me too, fold. What the hell hand does he have?”
When the uncles laid down their cards in curiosity.
“Who knows? If you’re curious, pay up and check.”
Tease them like that.
And at the same time.
“Whoops.”
Pretend to drop my cards by accident and reveal them?
“Damn… insane?! Bluffing with that shit hand?”
“All in on treys? What the fuck is this guy?”
“…Pretty slick bluff.”
That really drove it home.
That I was a guy who bluffed.
“Whoops, sorry~ Since I won with crap, here’s a house as service.”
Swoosh!
I swept up the piled chips, leaving only the initial stake.
That was the play.
For about an hour.
I hadn’t lost a single hand, and when things got hot, I always edged it out by a pip or two.
“…”
The uncles who’d cheered at first.
“…”
Now their hands trembled with excitement.
Their faces had gone pale, unlike before.
“Does this make sense?”
“How can he not lose a single hand?”
“What is he, a ghost…?”
Before long, all the chips the gamblers had brought were wiped out.
In contrast, stacks towered around me.
“He’s not using magic, right?”
“Nah, there are detectors.”
As expected of the magic world?
Magic detectors were installed on the ceiling of this casino.
They seemed to pick up on gathering mana or moving magical power.
‘Anyway.’
I’d made a killing, as planned.
“No one else wants to go?”
Grinning, I stood from my seat.
“Uncles. Here’s your meal money.”
Flick!
With a snap of my fingers, a single black silver chip flew and landed thud! before them.
* * *
“That guy. Who is he?”
The casino owner, the Great Thief on patrol, furrowed his brow.
“Why’d he cash out so many chips?”
At his question, the madam chewing gum sloppily replied.
“Glanced at him earlier. Seems pretty good.”
“Pretty good?”
“Yeah, didn’t lose a hand almost.”
“…Really?”
He stared at the departing man’s back.
A Great Thief who’d rolled in gambling dens for years.
And now the owner of this casino.
Even he.
Had never seen a 100% win rate.
If that was possible, one of two things.
Cheater or cardsharp.
“That bastard…”
Daring to work my casino?
“Hey.”
As the Great Thief raised his hand.
Sss!
Several black-hooded subordinates emerged from the shadows.
“Track that guy. Find out who he is, where he’s from. Don’t touch him rashly.”
Once money entered his casino, it never left.
That was the Great Thief’s way.
* * *
A day passed.
Then two more.
The gambling continued.
I’d booked long-term lodging nearby and clocked into the casino every night.
“Cackle, kid.”
The old man grinned.
“Looks like the moment you wanted is finally here.”
‘Yeah?’
“Yeah. The guys you’re up against now? All in on it together. Heh, swapping cards from an angle you can’t see. They’re gunning for you hard.”
‘I see.’
I smirked inwardly too.
Truth was, I’d suspected it ever since attaching a few shadows around.
Figured they’d try something like this eventually.
‘Can’t be helped.’
I’d raked in enough gold from this casino to fill a small room.
“Hey, friend. Heard you’ve been crushing it lately?”
“Show us that skill too.”
Clatter!
Thud, thud, thud!
The bald uncle bared yellow teeth in a grin.
I beamed back and shot to my feet.
“Huh? Why stand?”
“Just. Gambling got boring all sudden.”
“…What?”
The grinning uncle went slack-jawed.
Had to be absurd.
The mark they’d hooked spouting nonsense to bail.
“Thinking about it, wasting time in this dingy hole at my young age… feels like throwing away life, you know?”
“But you’ve been playing fine till now!”
“Enlightenment strikes when you least expect.”
“Huh? Hey, hey! Wait!”
The bald guy’s eyes shook wildly.
No wonder.
If I left now, they’d get skinned alive by the boss.
But that wasn’t my problem.
Clatter!
I cashed out my chips leisurely and stepped outside.
“Lalala.”
Dark alley.
Whistling a tune, stretching with hands in pockets, I strolled.
Not toward my original inn.
But deeper into the shadows.
Swoosh, swoosh!
A dozen black-masked men appeared from all sides.
At the sight, the old man clapped delightedly.
“Hahaha, whether your world or ours, this place is the same. Just like you said, it’s playing out exactly.”
‘This is what we call a cliché back home.’
Cliché.
A trite, seen-it-before situation straight out of a mold.
Cliché-looking thugs stepped out, in cliché voices.
“Hey, stop!”
I halted as the guy said.
Then, the sneakiest-looking one among them stepped forward.
‘That’s the one.’
The friend who’d stomped shadows showily from the city walls.
“Hey.”
He lowered his voice.
“Don’t know what tricks you used to rob our casino blind, but you know something?”
Clatter!
He twirled a dagger fluidly in his grip, black hood and all.
“If you’re gonna mess around, at least be ready to lose a hand.”
“Dunno. My hands are precious.”
I tilted my head, and he scoffed in disbelief.
“Oh? Cocky, huh? Can’t read the room?”
“I read it fine.”
Thud!
I set down the backpack on my back.
Then loosened my wrists and ankles.
“Two days ago, you poked around my background, got nothing, so you grace me personally, right?”
“…How’d you know!?”
No way background check would turn up anything.
I’d dropped straight from another world, after all.
“Counteroffer instead.”
Crack, crack!
My neck popped satisfyingly.
“I’ll give up half the gold from the casino. Make me an identity.”
“Identity…?”
“Yeah. One that gets me into the Magic Tower.”
I laid out the point bluntly.
That’s why I’d fleeced this casino.
Why I’d tailed this criminal.
All to enter the Magic Tower.
“If we can settle nice and peaceful, that’s cleanest for me too.”
“Ha? Look at this clown.”
But.
The black masks thought differently.
“Think a little poker bluff works in real life?”
“…”
“Whether you walk away peaceful? That’s all up to me.”
Ssss!
He drew up his energy.
Difference in stance.
Each seeing the other as the mark.
“You’ll regret it.”
“We’ll see how long that cool lasts.”
The black mask nodded.
Then the dozen waiting men drew weapons and crouched low.
“Fhew.”
I sighed.
Fine.
I’d erred going the roundabout way.
When violence was such a fine tool.
* * *
Fwoosh!
The Godslayer-grade weapon shifted into a sturdy club.
“Hoo, a club’s new.”
‘No need for swords or spears against these chumps.’
Swordplay or.
Clubplay or.
It’s all just whacking someone with a long stick.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
Someone snuck up and swung a dagger.
I bent back leisurely, letting it slide past.
Then.
Bam!
Club straight to his lower jaw.
Crack!
“Gahack?!”
Bones shattered; his body flew up.
Whirl!
I spun once, slamming my foot into his gut.
Boom!
He crashed into the wall.
“One.”
I reset my stance; now two charged.
One left, one right.
Sss!
I backstepped, making them collide.
Bam! Baaaam!
Light club taps to their napes.
“Gurk!”
“Guh!”
Both out cold without a proper scream.
“Two, three~”
Low level in this world?
Or just these guys?
Against them, no need to even call my bones.
“Cackle. Didn’t Delaila say it, lad?”
The old man read my mind and laughed.
“Only strong worlds—chosen ones—get world ranking boards. This is just some average joint. World with maybe one or two tough guys.”
The old man and I could sense it.
This world.
Had no world ranking board.
That unique energy from the board should blanket the world, but nothing here.
‘Well.’
Thinking about it.
Our Earth was tough.
Demon King Jack Smith.
Heavenly Demon Hasera.
Oxford’s Sage Sophia Silverstone.
Place with folks like that.
“Th-this! He’s no ordinary guy! Rush him!”
The black mask yelled.
“What, you’ve been soloing till now?”
Acting like they’d fought fair before.
I bolted lightning-fast toward him.
Screeeee!
Bam! Bam bam bam!
Subordinates in my path.
Napes, guts, legs, backs.
Whacked whatever was there as I ran.
“Arghhh!”
“Gah! Hurts, it hurts!”
The hit ones clutched spots, tears streaming.
Hurts, right?
Has to.
“Kid. When’d you learn this? Picking only the most painful spots flawlessly.”
‘…All from you, sir.’
How much it hurt.
How agonizing.
One who’s been hit hits best.
I applied the old man’s massage lessons straight to them.
And.
“Guh.”
“Grk, guh.”
Dark alley.
Dozen men all sprawled, groaning in agony.
“…This psycho?”
The stunned black mask muttered.
See, punk?
Told you you’d regret.
I smirked indifferently and raised my club.