Chapter 43
Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Swept Them Clean
Andres was, in his own way, quite the poker player.
In truth, poker wasn't just about luck—psychological warfare took up even more of the game.
How to bluff a weak hand as a strong one and win.
How to disguise a strong hand as weak and lure them into calling.
Of course, sometimes it was all bravado.
Or actions they thought were bluffs turned out to be genuine.
With all those complex layers, that's what made poker fun.
Which meant piercing through your opponent's psyche was key...
'I can't read him!'
At the table sat five players.
His gaze was fixed on Lee Ji-hoon, who sat there with an unchanging blank expression.
Lee Ji-hoon, the hotel's VVIP guest.
He showed virtually no emotions at all. It was astonishing.
Win or lose, good hand or bad.
He maintained that signature poker face.
It almost made you wonder if he was an android.
Naturally, reading his face was impossible.
'What kind of guy is he...?'
Truth be told, Andres had underestimated him a bit.
A VVIP or not, he had that youthful, delicate face.
Even his speech had this oddly innocent vibe.
And gambling? This was Andres's domain.
But the results? Ji-hoon was raking in the pots all by himself.
Now, even that unshakable confidence in his own wins was starting to unnerve Andres.
"Call."
"Haha, Ji-hoon. You hit a triple earlier too. Three strong hands in a row? Fold this time."
The guy who'd lost the second most piped up, trying to rattle him.
"Scared? Then drop out."
The man shot back the typical taunt with zero expression.
That made it all the more infuriating!
'This guy's... a pro.'
Calm in any situation or reaction.
Always composed.
Which made him that much harder to handle.
"Fold."
"Me too."
The others folded after eyeing the situation.
Ji-hoon, victorious again, spread his cards with zero remorse in his voice.
"Sorry for keep sweeping these. Total trash—not even a pair."
That many coins on hands without anything good?
At this point, his poker face felt downright heroic.
Of course, Ji-hoon didn't win every hand.
Nor was he hitting massive jackpots.
But look back, and somehow he'd always amassed the biggest pile. Incredible.
'I've brought a wolf cub into the fold.'
The young guy had come in with two women, which sparked a bit of envy, so Andres figured he'd mess with him.
Now he was on the verge of handing over all his saved coins.
The incident happened right as Ji-hoon was on a hot streak.
"Hey, cut it out. Bottom dealing?"
Ji-hoon, still stone-faced mid-game, grabbed the guy next to him by the wrist.
No 'tricks' had ever been pulled at this table before.
You didn't pull skills or traits in a place where you didn't know what the others had. It was suicide.
The caught man yelled back, playing dumb.
"Wh-what the hell are you babbling about?!"
"Your job: Gambler. Trait: Bottom Dealing."
The man's face went sheet-white.
Even if they'd been duped by Ji-hoon, everyone here was no slouch at poker.
No one missed that his expression confirmed Ji-hoon's claim.
"If you're here to have fun, play fair. Stealing cards? Lame."
"Pr-proof? Got any proof?!"
The guy spouted the classic criminal line.
Staff had already noticed the commotion and approached.
"Proof? Obviously. You were waiting for the right moment to boost your hand. Bet my arm that hidden card's the King of Hearts. What's your stake?"
"Hey, kid! Act like a gentleman!"
"Then stake your arm too? Gentlemanly?"
The outcome wasn't anything special.
The March Hare searched everyone with a grim face.
Soon, the man was dragged off by staff.
"...To pull this in my casino. You've got guts."
"Argh! I was broke after the room fee! Mercy, just once!"
His screams echoed through the casino like a death knell.
Who'd have thought we'd see a scene like that here, of all places.
"Shall we continue?"
Ji-hoon said it casually, shuffling the cards himself.
Face unchanged even after burying a guy.
After that, who dominated the table went without saying.
"Ji-hoon."
"Yes?"
"Please take this and enjoy the other facilities instead?"
I was sipping orange juice at the cocktail bar when the March Hare approached.
Her hands trembled as she offered me something.
"Ahem! Well, this is... something."
I pocketed it with a glance around.
It was too good to pass up.
Who'd have thought they'd hand out an item like this just to shoo me away.
"...Guess I cleaned up a bit much, huh?"
"Congrats—you're the first ever on our casino blacklist."
"Ahem! Ahem!"
No illusion in the March Hare's resentful glare.
A few wins in, and folks started keeping their distance.
'Yeah, I did sweep the place.'
2,680 coins won.
For an average player, that's a fortune.
Room fee was 50 coins a night, right?
Still, I didn't think it was that big a deal...
"Thanks to you winning big, some guests left bored."
"Sorry about that."
The blacklist bit was half a lie, really.
Couldn't outright kick a VVIP.
So this was their polite nudge to move on.
Operators had to care about the vibe too.
No issue on day one.
But if guests bailed en masse from boredom, that'd hurt.
"Didn't mean to cause trouble."
"Ahem! Ahem! We know you played fair. Consider this our gesture."
The March Hare asked with a bright smile.
"How'd you spot that cheat, anyway?"
I didn't ask what happened to the guy.
Didn't care, as long as I got coins.
"Didn't know he was cheating."
"Huh? But—"
"Just guessed he'd try something shady, watching him."
Before starting, I'd used 'Truth's Eye' first.
A cheat skill revealing jobs and traits.
Spotted Gambler.
Kept an eye on him since.
This was a webnovel world, craving drama.
No way a guy like that just gambled clean.
Of course, no need to explain that.
They wouldn't believe it anyway.
"Impressive. You've got gambler's instincts."
The March Hare raised her glass of red liquid.
I lifted mine, clinking.
"Still, you won big. Fun at our casino?"
"Honestly? Gambling's not my thing."
Right now, 'Metafiction' let me manage a face.
Few days, and it'd crumble.
Plus, after this streak on day one?
No one'd play big against me.
'Better to smash zombies honestly than stress and risk losing.'
Sure, saying that after sweeping coins was shameless.
"Anyway, sorry for dragging you into that mess."
"No biggie. Not your fault."
I leisurely downed my orange juice.
Fresh-squeezed from fruit right in front of me—sweet and refreshing, whatever magic they worked.
This luxury service alone was lucky.
"Mind if I ask one thing instead?"
"Anything I can answer."
"What's an NPC, exactly?"
The March Hare clasped her hands with a grin.
"Against the rules☆"
"......"
"Oh? Don't customers know anymore? Suzu—"
"Nah, I know."
Otaku cred or not, bunny girl saying that? Obvious reference.
Writer knew it too.
Decent weeb, huh.
"Not 'instead,' but here's useful info."
"Info?"
"We hold parties and events regularly."
Parties and events.
Not into socialite gatherings.
But she'd mention if it was just that.
"Events are competitive games where guests participate. Win for good rewards."
Competition, games, rewards.
Hidden piece vibes everywhere.
"Right now, three in our suites dominate. Their faction leads."
"Like that?"
"Wasn't always, but current guests are 'martial artist' types. They bicker, formed groups."
Martial artists, huh.
Makes sense—jobs and traits vary per person.
Diverse crowd fit for Doom Hotel.
Survivors with big coin stacks? No normies.
"For event rewards, befriend one. Top players like you? They'd kill to recruit."
"Hmm."
Worth pondering.
Didn't know their deal.
Worst case, 'Comment Search' and 'Truth's Eye' gave me the edge.
"That's my info. Other questions?"
"Any casino games with item prizes, not just coins?"
Asked based on prior Comment Search intel.
March Hare's eyes widened.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
She pulled out a transparent vial filled with white smoke.
"That?"
"Saw fog in the first main quest, right?"
She grinned proudly.
"You might not know, but that fog—"
"Manifests the target's fears. Bigger fear, stronger monster."
March Hare's eyes bugged out in disbelief.
"H-how do you know?! Players can't learn that secret!"
"Stumbled on it. So, what's this?"
"Hmm, true VVIP. No ordinary guy."
Her ears drooped.
A bit disappointed, it seemed.
...Should've played dumb?
"This smoke shows what scares you. Unlike fog, no substance."
Like a fear inducer or hallucinogen.
Scary in wrong hands.
"We call it 'Scarecrow'."
"Rip-off."
Ignoring me or pretending?
She continued.
"Inhale and endure 10 minutes for a prize."
"Too easy?"
She shook her head.
"Not really. Hits primal fears. Beyond strength or weakness. No one's cleared it yet."
I stared at the smoke.
A message popped up.
Yeah, 'Metafiction' was god-tier, making me invincible.
Mental powers? Cheat key.
"Mind if I give it a shot?"
"Man, whatever it was, just sit 10 minutes for a reward? Easy pickings."
Cleared the quest like it was nothing, prize in hand.
A mandragora root, looked like.
Fantasy fans knew it well.
No clue what for.
But clearing a tough quest meant value.
March Hare handed it over with teary eyes and shaky hands.
Not my problem.
"Now what."
Kicked from casino too.
Nothing left to do.
Plenty of spots unexplored.
Buffet untouched.
Doom Library with books.
Event hall for parties.
But no urge to go.
Better with others, or waste of time.
Then one caught my eye.
'Plenty of time. Hit the training hall?'
Stronger now, but still weaker than original protagonist Yuri.
Swing the bat around, maybe improve.
Might have limits or fees.
Eh, VVIP. Should be fine.