Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Casino (4)
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We hastily scooped up the chips scattered across the floor and stuffed them into our pockets, leaving the remains of what had just been a monster behind as we quickly vacated the area.
The other guests nearby glanced our way for a moment, but as soon as their eyes met mine, they turned back to their own games.
It seemed that the sight of a masked monster ending up like that wasn't a common occurrence.
"Ha... Look at how sweaty my hands are from all that tension."
Han Sora let out a sigh as she looked down at her hands.
Then she patted my back.
"...Our lucky charm, can't we just avoid going to one of those top teams?"
"Haha..."
There was no need to worry about that.
Top teams? They looked like the kind that dealt exclusively with monsters that would make you scream just by looking at them.
I valued my life too much to ever join one.
I'd rather quit.
"It's not about whether we can go or not—we have to make sure Minjun doesn't go."
Seo Ji-hyun said this while looking at me.
A strange pressure made me turn my head away, avoiding her gaze this time.
Make sure I don't go? How?
We gathered by a quieter row of slot machines in the corner of the casino hall to catch our breath.
We still had three more games to play.
But after the commotion just now, heading back near the poker tables felt risky.
If we went back and another masked monster showed up, we'd have to fight again.
"And because of that rule I read earlier... we can't just leave either."
In a low voice, I explained rules 4 and 5 to the team members and Rahee—rules I'd checked on my own earlier.
The ones about being forcibly dragged back if you leave without spending or cashing out your chips, and having to use your body as collateral to convert into chips if you're short.
"Forced respawn? That means we'd have to do another ten games."
Sora's face turned pale.
Team Leader Park Cheolwoo and Seo Ji-hyun looked grim as well.
In the worst case, we'd have to complete just the ten games, dump all our chips, and get out.
It was right then.
"...I'm picking up a strong item reaction over here."
Team Leader Park Cheolwoo said as he checked the detection equipment.
The direction he pointed to was the outer edge of the casino, a particularly flashy and noisy area.
We exchanged glances and cautiously headed that way.
"Auction house... Today's item guide?"
It was an auction house.
A spacious hall decorated with red velvet curtains and ornate chandeliers.
On the platform, an emcee was passionately describing something, while wealthy-looking guests in the audience stared up at the items on stage.
We stood at the back of the auction house, peering inside.
"Introducing the second item!"
Masked monsters appeared and began moving a glass case onto the platform.
With practiced ease, the emcee started introducing the item inside the transparent glass case.
"Our next item is the 'Whispering Fountain Pen'! It dramatically boosts the owner's writing ability and sometimes even sparks inspiration! Starting bid is set at 300 chips."
The audience buzzed as the emcee presented the fountain pen.
"That's..."
"Yes, an item."
Items were being traded at auction.
"What does that even mean? Does that make any sense?"
"Still, these guys don't lie..."
Those unaware it was an item were skeptical.
"I have to buy that..."
"This time for sure..."
Those who sensed it was an item were ready to spend every last chip to get it.
And in the next moment, we couldn't hold back our shock.
"Now, our special item! A slave brimming with fresh youth and a touch of talent! Starting bid a mere 500 chips! Note that this item is scheduled for the afternoon auction!"
What was dragged onto the platform was a young woman trembling in fear.
Here, not just items but people were being traded as well.
The moment we witnessed that horrific sight, the quest window popped up before my eyes again.
"...Damn it."
I muttered a curse under my breath.
Now a quest had appeared too.
At this point, we had to do something.
The main reward for the quest was a skill or a stat point.
Both were absolutely essential to me in this increasingly brutal horror game.
"What do we do?"
Team Leader Park Cheolwoo asked with a bewildered expression.
We had quite a few chips now, including those we'd gotten from dealing with the monsters just before.
But I couldn't jump into the auction recklessly.
"Those masked monsters were moving the items..."
"If we get caught, won't they try to grab us like before? Should we just give up?"
I couldn't ignore the quest.
Plus, because of rule 4, we had to spend our chips anyway.
After a moment of thought, I made my decision and whispered to the team.
"For now, in this ongoing afternoon auction, let's bid as high as possible on the person and the item. We have to spend the chips anyway."
The team hesitated at my words but soon nodded.
And I wasn't planning to stop there.
"Meanwhile, while the afternoon auction is going on, I'll sneak in and steal the items for the evening auction."
"Minjun, that's a violation of casino rules... Oh."
"I've already broken the rules."
The team leader looked shocked as he spoke, but I was already in violation.
I'd smashed fixtures and pulverized monsters into chips.
"It's dangerous. Better to give up the item and stay hidden..."
"With my abilities, I can do it without getting caught."
"Still..."
There were two reasons I was going this far.
First, the masked monsters were no match for me.
It might seem overconfident, but I'd confirmed it in the earlier fight.
The masked monsters weren't stronger than me, and more importantly...
'They're not scary.'
Human-shaped with just masks for faces?
Even as a scaredy-cat, there was nothing frightening about them.
The grotesque black hand from the pawnshop had been scarier.
And second, the huge reward—performance bonus.
I recalled the sweet bonus from the item recovery mission.
'I have to earn every penny I can for our Leo.'
Seeing the determination in my eyes, the team didn't object further.
Probably because they'd witnessed my fight with the masked monster up close.
So, the plan was set: They'd bid on the auction items in the afternoon auction to spend the chips, and I'd steal the evening auction items in the meantime.
"Alright... Let's fill our remaining game counts at the slot machines first."
We decided to complete our remaining games before the auction kicked off in earnest.
The simple slot machines seemed quickest.
We headed to a row of slot machines on one side of the casino.
Everyone took a seat and pulled the levers.
Amid the cacophony of clinking sounds, we lost a few chips or, if lucky, won a small amount.
No one cared about the results—they focused solely on racking up the required plays.
I sat down at an empty slot machine, inserted a chip, and stared blankly at the spinning symbols.
Flashy fruits and numbers. To an ordinary person, it was just a game of pure chance.
But.
'I can see it.'
As I focused my mind, the movements of the images on the rapidly spinning screen became visible, almost tangible.
The symbols in each slot and their sequence came into clear view.
My boosted stats were manifesting here too.
'If I just time it right...'
I held my breath and tracked the sequence with my eyes.
It was awkward at first, but after two tries, I got the feel. I pressed the button the moment the desired symbols aligned.
[Watermelon, Watermelon, Watermelon]
I hit three of a kind.
With a blaring fanfare, chips poured out of the slot machine in a cascade.
'...Should've aimed for 777 if I knew it'd work...'
"Ooh... Minjun hit the jackpot!"
Han Sora cheered in surprise.
I wore a dazed expression as I scooped up the spilling chips.
With this many, we could snag most things at auction.
Our ten-game requirement was fulfilled too.
Creak—
As the condition was met, the sound of a distant entrance—far from where we were—swinging open reached us.
Not just me—everyone turned to look toward the direction we'd first entered.
We exchanged nods.
"That wasn't just me, right?"
"I heard it too."
Now we just had to deal with the chips, and we could leave anytime.
We slowly made our way back to the auction house.
I gathered all the chips I'd just won plus what we'd gotten before and handed them to Team Leader Park Cheolwoo.
"Team leader, use these to buy out the items, no matter what it takes."
He nodded.
"Don't worry about us—please be careful."
Just then, the auction house lights dimmed slightly, and the emcee's voice announced the start of the afternoon auction.
"Thank you all for waiting! The afternoon auction begins now. Our first item is the one we previewed earlier—"
All eyes turned to the platform. Now was the moment.
I signaled the team with my eyes and used my quick feet to slip into the shadows at the back of the darkened audience.
From there, I stealthily entered a side corridor marked faintly as "Staff Only."
My next target was the warehouse storing the auction items.
While the team bid on the afternoon auction items, I planned to steal the evening ones.
It was an unfamiliar place, but my eyes already mapped out the corridors and paths to the warehouse clearly.
Even the number and positions of the monsters along those paths.
"Hoo..."
I took a deep breath and tapped the side of my sheath.
Click.
Shing—
The Returning Sword emerged from its scabbard.
This was the moment my Assassination skill would shine.