Chapter 62

“Chapter 62: Quick Access to the ‘Gambler’ Path? (4000 words)”

“Miss, when you first enter Derton Manor, you need to participate in a gambling game.”

“Losing 50 Su Pound chips or winning 50 Su Pound chips in any gambling game will end the game.”

“Do you have any objections?”

The maid, wearing a red chip mask, softly explained the rules to Xia’er.

“No objections,” Xia’er nodded.

At this moment, the green-masked dealer in front of Xia’er asked, “Miss, what type of card game would you like to play?”

“Whist, Blackjack, Faro, Draw Poker, Roulette, Dice, Backgammon, all of these can be played in the gaming room.”

The dealer politely introduced the games. After a moment of silence, Xia’er asked, “Can you explain the rules of each one?”

Xia’er’s question brought smiles to the faces of those around her.

Many were already eager to get on the tables.

Xia’er seemed completely focused on paying the 50 Su Pound “protection fee” and leaving.

Why not take the easy money?

Xia’er listened attentively to the dealer’s explanation, mentally calculating which game had the best chance of winning.

Games like Whist and Backgammon require a certain level of skill, which Xia’er lacked, so she would only lose.

Roulette and Faro depend mostly on luck, and Xia’er couldn’t predict the outcome before placing her bets.

If she wanted to win, only two games offered a higher chance:

Blackjack and Dice. These Xia’er could predict the outcomes ahead of time, increasing her chances of winning.

However, Xia’er wasn’t confident she could win every time.

After all, cheating was possible here, as long as it went unnoticed.

While passing by a gambling table earlier, Xia’er saw a “gambler” change a card from a 7 of Clubs to the King of Clubs, even though Xia’er had seen the card a second before.

It was too skillful.

For Xia’er, card games were harder to win.

The easiest to win was actually the death wheel in the glass house earlier.

With the first move, Xia’er would almost always win, as she held the gun and didn’t worry about cheating.

But just to be safe, Xia’er wouldn’t play the death wheel in reality. If she were to digest the “Gambler” path, she might consider it.

Xia’er chose the dice game.

The rules were simple: two six-sided dice were shaken in a wooden cup, and the points were added up.

In this game, Xia’er could control the dice cup. If she didn’t get the desired number, she wouldn’t bet, preventing others from tampering with her dice.

“Miss, please.” The dealer moved the black wooden dice cup in front of Xia’er and then looked around, asking, “Does anyone want to play dice with this Miss?”

“I’ll do it!”

“Me! Me! Me!”

“Me!”

Instantly, the seats around Xia’er were filled. They were given dice cups and started shaking them in various ways.

As the first in line, Xia’er placed her hand on the dice cup and began shaking it. Suddenly, she stopped, tightened her grip, and made a gesture as if she were going to open the cup.

“Miss! You should bet before opening…” The dealer thought Xia’er was going to open the cup immediately and hurriedly reminded her.

At this moment, Xia’er had already loosened her grip on the dice cup.

She had already seen her numbers.

Two sixes, quite lucky.

Xia’er took out a 50-value chip and placed it on the table, pushing it forward: “50.”

Seeing this, everyone else on the table was delighted and quickly followed suit.

“50!”

“50!”

“Me too, 50!”

“Follow.”

They all assumed Xia’er was here to give away money and never considered she might win.

After one round of betting, the table had accumulated 300 Su Pound chips. At this point, the other five players exchanged knowing smiles.

This was a winner-takes-all game, but if everyone got the same number, the loser’s chips would be split.

When a new player joined, the “gamblers” would discreetly ensure someone skilled rolled double sixes, allowing the winner to take the chips and split them.

This reduced the risk of being caught cheating and allowed them to share the free 50 chips.

“Open.”

The dealer reached out and opened Xia’er’s dice cup.

“Double sixes.”

The dealer continued opening the other players’ cups, but everyone stared in disbelief at Xia’er’s double sixes.

No way? Such good luck?

Only when Xia’er walked away with 150 chips did the remaining gamblers let out cries of regret.

“No! This luck is too good!”

“She must be faking! She knows how to play!”

“Damn it!”

“Come back and play again! Don’t leave!”

Xia’er had already left with the money. She never intended to stay longer and certainly wouldn’t continue playing with them.

Now, Xia’er carried a bag and a small wooden box containing three chips, following the maid to the front hall. There, she saw everyone waiting for her.

When Aivana saw Xia’er, she stepped forward to greet her. But soon, she noticed the basket Xia’er held and the mismatched chips inside.

“Uh… Did you lose everything down to this?” Aivana said expressionlessly, but her thoughts were active.

Maybe I can lend her some…

“Won,” Xia’er replied, “I only exchanged 100.”

“That’s good.” Aivana nodded, inwardly sighing in relief.

Aivana led Xia’er and Adelle to the exchange area, their destination.

The exchange area was located in the basement of the manor. It had a massive door similar to a bank vault, guarded by Extraordinary Persons.

Two maids followed them, leading them into the underground area.

Except for slightly cooler air, the luxury was comparable to upstairs.

Countless materials Xia’er had never seen were displayed in individual glass cabinets, making her feel like she was in a gem exhibition.

Four guides approached and quietly asked about their needs.

Soon, Adelle and Aivana were led to the second-tier potion area, while Xia’er was taken to the first-tier potion area.

“Reformed Monk,” “Listener,” “Instigator,” “Physician”… Xia’er saw many familiar potion products. Among them, the “Instigator” potion was one Xia’er could directly consume.

Previously, only auxiliary materials had been extracted from Thomas’s body. Other potions had permeated his flesh and required specialized methods to extract and refine.

According to Xia’er’s previous notes, the extracted potions contained…

The meeting came with some indelible contamination.

This contamination made the initial potion and the recycled potion after the second extraction differ greatly in color and effectiveness.

These differences were reflected in the replication ritual. If the initial potion required only ten kills, the recycled potion from the second extraction might need you to kill eleven, thirteen, or even fifteen people to succeed in the digestion process.

Moreover, after the digestion, the mental pollution attached to the potion would cause the user to suffer more severe mental infection, and the whispers in their ears would be more intense.

Of course, potions like the one that emerged in Xie Lun’s body, which showed no signs of digestion at all, also belonged to the initial potion category.

According to the notes, the author had even seen a potion extracted three times; the person who drank it immediately transformed into an indescribable monster and went completely insane.

The potions sold at Derton Manor were divided into initial potions and secondarily recycled potions, with the latter being nearly one-third cheaper.

Many of the potions mentioned in Xia’er’s notes were seen, such as “Detective,” “Gardener,” and “Magician.” However, some glass cabinets were empty, with some labeled and others not.

Xia’er did not see the “Avenger” potion, nor its subsequent “Judge.”

Soon, Xia’er realized something seemed to be missing.

She turned to the guide and asked, “Where is the ‘Gambler’ potion? Is it among these empty cabinets?”

Xia’er saw the “Adventurer” potion but did not see the “Gambler,” which should be one of the most abundant potions in Derton Manor.

“No, miss, these empty cabinets cannot be sold,” the guide said. “But the ‘Gambler’ pathway potions are free.”

“Free?”

“Yes,” the guide nodded. “If you win 15 consecutive games on the Death Roulette, you can get the ‘Gambler’ potion and the replication ritual for free.”

“Win 15 games?”

“Yes, winning 15 in a row is the quickest way to complete the ‘Gambler’ replication ritual.”

This was almost an impossible task… but Xia’er had a chance to accomplish it.

“What are the rules for the first move in the Death Roulette?” Xia’er asked.

“Hidden chips. After writing your chips in the secret compartment and revealing them, the highest bidder gets the first move, capped at eight thousand pounds worth of chips,” the guide explained.

“The first mover can choose the number of bullets to load, up to five.”

“That pistol is made from the spiritual materials of a gambler and has the abilities of a gambler.”

“If you load five bullets, the shots will be rubber-tipped darts that can blind eyes but not be fatal.”

“The fewer bullets you load, the greater their power.”

“If the shooter fires blanks, the remaining bullets will be enhanced, allowing the shooter to continue firing.”

“If the shooter fires blanks at the opponent, it’s the opponent’s turn to shoot.”

“For ordinary people, with three bullets left, accurate shooting is enough to be lethal.”

So, the fewer bullets loaded, the stronger their power?

“What if four blanks and one real bullet are loaded?” Xia’er asked.

The guide replied, “The real bullet will be judged as ‘certain hit,’ and the shooter will be declared the winner after firing. Just like extraordinary persons in the ‘Gambler’ pathway, betting on smaller odds can yield unimaginable rewards.”

This is the ability of a gambler?

Even during combat, you have to bet on probabilities?

To achieve certainty and victory, you must first fire four shots at yourself…

A very high-risk, high-reward pathway… but Xia’er didn’t seem to worry about it.

Because she could know whether the next bullet is a real one or a blank.

If that pistol were paired with her precognitive ability…

“What happens after winning? Will the next person come and start with chips?” Xia’er asked.

“The ‘Guardian’ goes first.”

The ‘Guardian’ goes first.

In other words, as long as the first round of betting is won, you can always go first and keep winning using your precognitive ability?

Finally, Xia’er asked her last question.

“What happens after 15 consecutive wins? Are there any additional rewards?”

“After 15 consecutive wins, there is a 50-win reward, which includes the second-stage ‘Doom Messenger’ ritual and potion of the ‘Gambler’ pathway.”

“If you can win 100 consecutive times, you will receive the third-stage ‘Fate-Bearer’ ritual and potion, and you will become the highest-ranking member of Derton Manor, enjoying a 1:1 exchange rate for chips in all Derton Manors.”

The more Xia’er heard, the more excited she became.

“What is the current highest consecutive win record?” Xia’er asked.

“Seventeen,” the guide answered.

Xia’er carefully reviewed the rules stated by the guide.

If the rules were true, she had no chance of losing.

A pathway leading all the way to the third stage potion and ritual, along with a discount on chip exchanges…

Was it worth wasting 10 Mortality Points to test it out?

Completing the ‘Gambler’ replication ritual in 15 consecutive wins.

But what if she won 100 consecutive times and then took the ‘Gambler’ potion?

Not only would she gain a new pathway ability, but she could also complete the replication ritual beyond expectations and receive the system’s reward of Mortality Points.

This was essentially betting 10 Mortality Points to gain more.

Xia’er held her breath, and the system interface unfolded in front of her.

If the future simulation or past simulation was within the next two days, Xia’er would choose to proceed directly with the Death Roulette.

Otherwise, Xia’er would give up.

The silver-white simulation interface unfolded before Xia’er, and a message popped up in front of her.

「Secondary removal of fated death, random simulation count saved」

「Future: 1h (Sheng Year 741, June 20th, 9:05 AM) (Consumes 10 Mortality Points)」

「Past: 1 Day (Sheng Year 741, June 19th, 9:01 AM) (Consumes 10 Mortality Points)」

「Old Days: *** Day (???) (Consumes 10,000 Mortality Points)」

「Random Simulation Count Reset: 1」

One hour later?

Xia’er no longer hesitated. She looked at the guide and asked, “Do you have a pen and paper?”

“Yes.”

“Please take me to the rest room.”

Soon, Xia’er was taken to the rest room on the first floor. She borrowed the guide’s pen and paper and wrote in An Su language:

[Borrow 5000 pounds from Aivana, then observe the Death Roulette]

Finished, she looked up at the guide and smiled, saying, “Hello, I’ll rest here for a bit. Could you please leave and make sure no one disturbs me?”

“Of course, madam.”

Once the guide left the rest room and closed the door, Xia’er sat on the sofa and slowly closed her eyes.

“Future, No. 0.”

The white light engulfed her.