The Dealer's Secret
The corridor where the darkness had lifted.
Inside, it held a splendor that could rival the outside world.
Slot machines spinning without pause.
Dealers shuffling cards with practiced hands.
“Number five!”
“Number twelve!”
Steel balls danced across the spinning wheel.
“Oh my. So this stage is the root of desire.”
“Well, yeah.”
“Mortals are truly fascinating. Betting their entire lives on a single stroke of luck.”
“Some bet their lives. For others, it’s just thrilling entertainment.”
People who came to the casino hoping to turn their lives around.
Or those who found pleasure watching such people from the sidelines.
And every other kind of human gathered here—that was the casino.
“Still, other places look much the same. Was there truly a reason we had to come here?”
“This place is for players only.”
I pointed at the dealer who had just picked up a deck of cards.
For a split second, the dealer’s hands glowed red as he shuffled.
It wasn’t sleight of hand.
He was infusing mana into the cards, altering their contents according to his will. The afterimage lingered for only an instant—subtle enough that anyone without strong mana sensitivity would miss it entirely.
“There is one thing I am curious about.”
“What?”
“If skills are being used, the dealer is guaranteed to win. Does that not diminish the meaning of gambling?”
“Well, obviously you can’t get caught.”
If a participant’s use of a skill was exposed, they automatically lost.
Guards were stationed around every table—each one possessing detection-type unique abilities.
“Would you like to try playing as well, Goddess?”
“Human entertainment, is it? Quite intriguing.”
We exchanged chips at the currency exchange.
They handed over chips worth two billion won.
“Are you not overdoing it?”
“It’s fine. My wallet’s plenty thick.”
Rewards from the Tower of Babel.
Plus the byproducts and bounties from clearing gates had built up a decent balance.
Of course, it was still an enormous sum to treat as disposable money.
“If someone wins, someone else has to lose, right?”
“How arrogant. Do not be surprised by my skill.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“You will regret this.”
Nyx grumbled as she took a seat at the table.
One by one, gazes gathered around her.
I had kindly explained the Black Casino to draw attention toward Nyx.
A beautiful woman.
And a complete novice who didn’t even know the first thing about gambling.
More than enough to capture the eyes of every player in the casino.
Well then. Time to get started on my end.
I strolled leisurely through the casino before settling at an empty table.
“Is this your first time at the Black Casino?”
“Yeah. No need for explanations.”
“Haha, you might end up regretting that.”
The dealer licked his lips at the easy mark sitting before him.
“Just deal the cards.”
“Understood.”
Today, I’d be pulling out one of the building’s pillars.
“……I lost.”
The dealer hung his head, face drained of color.
A mountain of chips sat in front of me.
Just like Nyx, I had started with two billion won.
In just one hour, the chips had grown tenfold to twenty billion.
“You should’ve just played honestly.”
I patted the dealer’s shoulder.
The previous dealer had tried to pull a trick, got caught, and lost as a result.
He should’ve just bet on pure luck instead.
Every dealer at the Black Casino was overconfident in their abilities.
The result?
The chips piled in front of me said it all.
The casino was massive, and I’d gambled quietly, so I hadn’t drawn much attention.
But professional gamblers who sensed something unusual began circling my table one by one.
I’d scattered quite a bit of bait. Wasn’t it about time someone took it?
“My, my. Quite the remarkable guest we have here, hahaha.”
A dealer in a crisp white shirt and red vest approached with a friendly smile.
Yes. I’d been looking for you.
Davy Smith.
Manager of this Black Casino and its finest dealer.
The man who would guide me to the Black Market.
“Davy.”
“No one’s ever beaten Davy once he picks up the cards.”
“He’s about to lose everything he just won.”
The casino patrons muttered with pity.
Their voices were low, but thanks to my synchronized stats and enhanced physical abilities, I heard every word.
Thanks to Nyx, the attention directed my way had decreased considerably.
“And you are?”
“Davy Smith. My skills are nothing special, but I work as a dealer here.”
“I haven’t met anyone working at the Black Casino who had ‘nothing special’ skills.”
“Hahaha, after winning ten times your bet, you shouldn’t say things like that.”
Davy replied calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.
I’d caused a scene at the casino just to draw him out.
Maybe a normal casino would be different.
But in the Black Casino, where player abilities and “cheating” were the main attractions, I had no intention of losing.
“So what are we playing?”
“Poker.”
Davy placed his hand on a freshly opened deck and began shuffling with practiced ease.
Thousand Eyes
My magic eye read the flow of mana.
Since my eye showed no visible change, it was difficult to detect.
Reading the mana flow was taxing on the mind, though the actual mana consumption wasn’t high.
In the Black Casino, it was a skill powerful enough to be considered cheating!
Even so.
I couldn’t let my guard down around this man.
Even with the magic eye active, it was impossible to catch the exact moment he used his skill unless I watched carefully.
As the man shuffled the cards with practiced hands—
“Wait.”
I reached out and grabbed the dealer’s wrist.
“Pulling tricks from the very first hand?”
“Haha, I’m not sure what you mean……”
“I’m not merciful enough to let tricks slide.”
“You’re saying I used a skill from the start? Me?”
“You used Snatch. While shuffling.”
Snatch.
A skill most players who used small weapons like daggers had learned at least once.
Its original purpose was equipment swapping.
This guy had honed that skill to its limit and used it to swap out cards.
How did I know?
Because even before my regression, I’d played cards with him.
The dealer called “Davy” stared straight into my eyes with a calm expression.
“Prove it.”
His gaze didn’t waver in the slightest.
He was a gambler.
He believed so firmly that his trick wouldn’t be discovered that he didn’t even flinch.
“Sir, it seems you’re unfamiliar with the rules here, so allow me to explain. Even if you fail to detect a skill, you lose the game.”
“Obviously. This is the Black Casino.”
“If you wish to expose my trick, you’ll need to place a bet.”
“I haven’t called yet, so you’re saying I should call now?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then I’m all-in.”
I pushed every chip I had exchanged forward.
Over ten billion won.
Every bit of money I’d saved since buying the fossil, plus the investment from Gold Moon.
“That newbie just went all-in against Davy on the first hand!”
“Whoa, he’s completely lost it.”
“It’s Davy we’re talking about. How’s he planning to expose a trick no one’s ever figured out?”
The crowd of spectators grew.
The dealer let out a small sigh.
“Well, this is troublesome.”
“What is?”
“I don’t like drawing attention.”
“That’s not something a casino dealer should say.”
“At this point, refusing isn’t an option, is it? I’d like to step back for your sake, but I can’t afford to die.”
“We’ll see who you’re really doing this for.”
“Call. I accept.”
His tongue was still as long as ever.
The confidence that his trick would never be exposed.
I’d shatter that pride.
“Right pocket. Two pair—King and Queen.”
The moment I spoke, the dealer’s eyes—which had remained composed the entire time—widened for the first time.
Davy Smith.
Manager of the Black Casino and its greatest dealer.
He had shuffled cards countless times.
No one had ever seen through his tricks.
But now—
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He couldn’t maintain his composure.
The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears.
‘How did he know?!’
If he relaxed his expression even slightly, he felt like he’d break into a cold sweat.
The pressure Davy felt was immense.
0.03 seconds.
That was how long it took Davy Smith to use Snatch and swap the cards.
A fleeting moment no ordinary person could perceive.
The mana consumed was so minimal that even detection-type ability users couldn’t sense it.
Yet.
“Aren’t you going to flip them?”
The Easterner he’d never seen before had seen through his trick.
No—
He had even noticed the cards prepared for the swap.
Jinho had grabbed his wrist the exact moment he used Snatch to reach for the cards hidden in his clothes.
Detecting the use of Snatch was one thing.
But knowing the exact contents of the cards was impossible.
‘X-ray vision? No. My clothes are enchanted to block observation.’
Mind reading.
Future sight.
Countless other possibilities flashed through his mind.
But—
‘That can’t be. Those skills consume an enormous amount of mana.’
X-ray vision and mind reading were classified as high-grade magic.
At least three stars or higher.
If used, there would have been traces left behind somehow.
Let alone future sight, which was a unique ability.
‘Future sight isn’t omnipotent either.’
At best, it could see a few seconds ahead.
Detecting cards hidden in someone’s clothes was far beyond the scope of foresight.
The longer Davy Smith remained silent, the colder the spectators’ gazes grew.
“Is he serious?”
“No way. Davy’s going to lose?”
“But he’s not reacting. He should’ve flipped the cards by now.”
It was checkmate.
Davy sensed his defeat.
Once he had called—
Delaying or nullifying the match was impossible.
“Wait, dealer.”
“Yes?”
“About the bet. Can I wager something else instead?”
“Please, go ahead. If it’s equivalent to the chips, I can provide it instead. Assuming you win, of course.”
Even cornered, Davy maintained his composure.
The pride of a professional dealer.
Even in defeat, he couldn’t allow himself to become a loser in spirit.
That was how Davy had succeeded as a gambler until now.
Jinho smiled.
To Davy, that smile felt like the hand of death.
Making a proposal in this situation.
Then—
Jinho’s lips moved slowly.
—Black Market.
Though no sound reached him, he understood immediately.
A secret that couldn’t be revealed even to Black Casino patrons.
The existence of the Black Market had come from Jinho’s mouth.
But—
‘I can’t refuse.’
He had already accepted the call.
If he didn’t open the path to the Black Market—
He would have to pay back the entire amount.
That would shake his position.
“I lost.”
Davy cleanly declared his defeat and stood up.
Jinho followed slowly behind him.
The chips he had gathered for the all-in remained alone on the table.