Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Sweeping the Third Floor
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Got it, alright.
Information Junkie quietly focused on the screen.
Truth be told, he couldn't type in the chat even if he wanted to.
It wasn't a matter of conscience or etiquette.
[Moderator has banned 'Grad Student 12' from chatting today for 'etiquette' reasons.]
He physically couldn't.
Soon, a terrifying message arrived.
['Grad Student 12's message.]
[Why are you watching the stream right now? It's mission time—]
[View message?]
He could guess what came next without reading it.
His finger accidentally hit the cancel button.
A dry voice rang out.
"I. Just. Mis. Tap. Ped."
He decided to quietly focus on the screen.
"But come to think of it, it could be spam? Or someone impersonating the Moderator."
Perfect timing.
The screen showed the scenery of the third floor.
Click— click— click— click— click—
Along with the sound of something hard opening repeatedly.
A bag was placed on the table.
Inside it, countless chips gleaming with golden light sparkled.
Before long, Information Junkie was completely sucked into the screen.
The atmosphere on the second and third floors was different.
The density of the air, the glint in their eyes, even the tension.
The number of tables was starkly different too.
Only five tables.
And at those tables sat people wearing all sorts of animal masks.
There wasn't a single person without a mask.
The aura they exuded was different.
It was a space Information Junkie had only heard about in words.
They said once you passed the second floor and reached the third, a whole other world unfolded.
And it would become your grave.
What they learned from dispatching several exploration teams.
The people on the third floor were each experts who had stepped into the realm of gambling.
But—
Those people weren't ruling the third floor right now.
All eyes in the entire third floor were fixed on one single person.
Behind him stood a multitude of attendants.
The Security's attire alone created a massive sense of intimidation.
One of them naturally pulled out a chair.
As if it were familiar, Newb took a seat.
Pig mask, cow mask, donkey mask, rooster mask.
The table in the center of the five.
Laughter erupted here and there from the other tables at Newb's actions.
It looked like the toughest seat based on their reactions.
Yet despite the pressure and reactions, Newb acted unfazed.
To the four tense people, Newb greeted first.
—Long time no see.
A greeting whose meaning was unclear.
But that didn't matter.
Before they could even understand it, Newb's hand tapped the desk twice. Tok, tok—
—Let's deal the cards.
Cold gaze.
The Dealer swallowed hard under that gaze and spoke.
—...Dealing the cards.
The gamble began.
From that moment, what Information Junkie saw wasn't a game.
It was a wave.
A massive wave no one could stop.
And that wave—
Swept across the table.
—Raise.
No real fight even formed.
The rooster mask tossed his cards.
—...Impossible.
With those words, the rooster mask vanished.
Only an empty mask remained on the table.
Three left.
"Is, is this what gambling is?"
His legs shook wildly.
His fingers trembled.
The screen shook with it, making it hard to see properly.
But he couldn't care.
Breathing was hard.
Unable to withstand the pressure on the screen, the donkey mask lunged in.
—Raise!
—Raise.
The stakes climbed endlessly.
The table was now piled high with golden chips.
Finally, the donkey mask used up all his chips.
Now all that remained—
Was to reveal their cards.
The donkey mask cautiously spread his cards.
8 full house.
A smile crept across the donkey mask's lips.
Then Newb's cards flipped.
A A— two pair.
—I won!!! I won!!! Th-this is mine now!!! All of it!!!
The donkey mask's hand reaching for the chips stopped.
As if blocked by something.
His eyes widened.
Then, his gaze slowly turned to Newb's cards.
Newb's remaining cards were revealed.
9 9 9 triple.
Plus A A.
Combined, 9 full house.
—Th-this is impossible!! Cheat!! It's a cheat!!!
The guy tried to bolt from his seat.
But it was useless.
Forced settlement began.
The moment victory and defeat were decided, energy was sucked out through every orifice of the donkey mask.
Where the scream faded, only the mask remained.
One card short.
He knew Newb wouldn't lose, but.
He couldn't help the sweat in his hands.
Then, a familiar sound rang in Information Junkie's ears.
Tok, tok—
Newb tapped the table with his finger.
The signal to start the gamble.
The sound echoing in the silent space felt like a death sentence.
The Dealer looked down, shuffled, and dealt the cards.
New cards were distributed to the cow mask and pig mask, who had refused the gamble.
Under that overwhelming atmosphere, the remaining two didn't last long either.
When the pig mask, who held out until the end, cried fold.
The hall sank into complete silence.
Chips poured endlessly into the Pawn Shop.
And the Newb who emerged was even stronger than before.
With every round, the animal masks' win rate approached zero.
Without limit or end.
Finally—
Ding—
As the sound of an animal mask dropping echoed, no more opponents for Newb remained in the hall.
The Dealer alone kept his eyes on the floor, avoiding eye contact.
Thud—
The chair scraped back as Newb stood.
Behind him, countless people rose.
Security lined up on both sides like a black wave.
At the end of the path they created.
There was a staircase.
Leading to the fourth floor.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The moment he saw that.
Information Junkie learned for the first time that a heart could hurt from beating too hard.
The blood pressure surging through his veins was too much.
He couldn't calm down at all.
Shaking hands.
He set the phone he was gripping down on the desk.
Otherwise.
The screen was shaking too much to see properly now.
And from his mouth—
Unstoppable hot breaths burst out.
"Crazy crazy crazy! Crazy!! Crazy!!!"
Was Newb a god?
That's what he thought.
And he wasn't the only one.
: Newb is a god.
[Human Centipede] : What the hell did I just see. This is humanly possible?
[Crazy Woman] : WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋdamn
[Flounder] : Is the god Newb?
No way this was possible by normal means.
Using the Pawn Shop to buy everything inside?
That was—
Something you wouldn't even attempt before debating possibility.
By the rules here.
Whether pawning items or staking lifespan, there were set limits.
The only way to get more chips was through gambling.
Rob the Pawn Shop? Sure.
Say you buy the items.
'What if you lose after?'
It's over.
Whatever you achieved before means nothing.
If you buy Pawn Shop items and run out of chips.
One loss, and you're permanently enslaved to the casino.
And that wasn't just simple death.
Yet Newb stuck to the same method on every floor.
Leaving only the minimum to enter a gamble.
He used all chips to buy Pawn Shop items.
A heart bordering on madness.
Information Junkie stared at the screen.
Newb ascending the fourth-floor stairs was visible.
And there was no hesitation there.
***
The fourth floor scenery.
A space no one had ever reached before.
As word spread through the Anomalous Tale Gallery.
Even gallery users who usually ignored Newb's streams started logging in one by one under the pretext of 'info gathering'.
[Polar Bear] : For real?
[Narita] : It's exciting, that's what!
Viewership was at an all-time high.
Already surpassing the previous record.
Newb stopped walking.
His head turned toward the transparent orb hanging overhead.
Information Junkie knew what that was.
The orb the casino used to collect chips.
Soon, Newb's head lowered.
Toward the devil mask sitting at the end of the table.
—Let's game. With me.
Newb was unchanged.
No matter who the opponent.
—Event is chess. And Russian roulette.
He proposed a gamble to the devil mask first.
—Loser pulls the trigger each time. I'll set four bets. Survivor takes all. ...How about it?
Their gazes locked.
The devil mask's eyes turned red.
As if in anger.
Information Junkie felt a bit of anticipation.
This scene was the climax.
Newb who crushed every floor from below.
And the demon king awaiting the challenger at the top.
He imagined the response.
—Hah. Fine. I accept the challenge.
—I'll show you the true world of gambling.
Not perfect, but not bad.
Finally, the devil mask's mouth opened.
What!
What line!
—...What if.
What if?
The phrasing felt off.
In this peak moment?
...No way?
Information Junkie's eyes trembled.
—...Wh-what if I refuse?
It came out in the end.
And the chat exploded in an instant.
: ...That spineless bastard?
[Crazy Woman] : Like Information Junkie.
: Horror bitch has no balls. Could've accepted coolly and died after, right?
ㄴ[Flounder] : For real lol
ㄴ[Human Centipede] : For real lol If it were me, I'd accept.
[Narita] : Dunno what, but that line kills the vibe big time.
In that instant, he understood the anger other gallery users felt staring at him.
'That fucker..?'
He almost swore.
But fortunately, the chat quieted soon.
Newb turned toward him.
Pressing oppressively.
At that, the devil mask finally uttered acceptance.
—Lucky you.
Newb's lips slowly curved up.
—Know your place. Good.