Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
"Welcome, everyone, to this Golden Gamble." Raya, wearing a golden mask, stood before the main stage, her figure shimmering under the bright lights.
"I trust everyone has carefully reviewed the rules before participating. It's now eight o'clock sharp. You have six hours—until two o'clock tomorrow morning—to win as many Gimmighoul coins as possible. The twelve individuals with the most Gimmighoul coins will advance to the next round."
"I hereby declare the Golden Gamble officially open."
As Raya's voice rang out across the hall, the Golden Gamble officially began.
Throughout the entire gambling hall, participants were prohibited from using Pokémon. They could only rely on their own abilities to win. Additionally, for the sake of fairness, no one was permitted to use Psychic abilities within the hall.
The gambling hall was divided into four distinct areas: the card area, the dice area, the mahjong area, and the free area.
Each area featured different gambling games. Participants could visit whichever area matched their skills to place their bets, or they could agree with other players to meet in the free area for any self-defined game, such as rock-paper-scissors.
At the same time, free trading was permitted within the gambling hall. Anyone wishing to withdraw could exchange their chips and Gimmighoul coins for cash and leave at any time.
Jacob, with his limited number of chips, didn't rush into gambling. Instead, he chose to observe for a while and test the system's capabilities first.
He walked around the various areas and discovered that the system's abilities weren't restricted at all here. With the system's Helping Hand, Jacob possessed something akin to X-ray vision—an invincible advantage in any gambling hall.
After his observation period, Jacob finally entered the dice area, ready to begin his first gamble.
Compared to the other areas, the dice area was undoubtedly the most suitable for Jacob's needs.
Having the X-ray vision ability granted by the system allowed him to effortlessly determine odd or even, big or small, and even predict the exact numbers. This was unlike the card and mahjong areas, where even with X-ray vision, victory wasn't always guaranteed.
Jacob walked into the dice area and noticed that the gambling tables here differed from those in ordinary gambling halls. There was no dealer present—only small gambling tables. To play a round, one simply had to find an available table, sit down, and gamble directly against another participant.
Jacob didn't rush to find a seat. Instead, he held his ten chips and single Gimmighoul coin and deliberately wandered around the dice area, only observing at other people's gambling tables, acting hesitant and indecisive.
At this moment, the nervous-looking Jacob had unknowingly become a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered in many observers' eyes.
It's important to understand that being hesitant and indecisive is a major taboo in gambling. Such behavior typically only appears in newcomers.
Jacob's current demeanor perfectly fit all the characteristics of a rookie gambler: naive, wealthy, lacking any real skill, and possessing poor psychological fortitude.
"Want to play a round?" Soon enough, someone approached Jacob with an invitation. It was a short man wearing a black mask, slightly hunched over, and clearly advanced in age.
"No... no, thank you." Jacob's voice came out timid, creating a stark contrast to his tall stature. "I'd rather not gamble. I'll just... exchange these chips... and Gimmighoul coins... for money instead."
Hearing Jacob's plan to handle his chips and Gimmighoul coins in the safest possible way, the short man felt a surge of urgency rise in his chest, though his face remained perfectly calm. "Selling them is certainly the safest approach," he acknowledged.
"But don't you want to take just one chance? You could play the smallest stakes—just one chip. If you win a single round, you gain one chip, which you can exchange for an extra million. Whether it's guessing big or small, or odd or even, it's a fifty-fifty chance. If you guess correctly, that's a million right there." The short man's words carried a seductive, tempting quality. "A million, earned in the blink of an eye."
The short man's words were like a devil's whispers, attempting to lure Jacob into the abyss.
How many people had embarked on a path of no return because of such enticement, ultimately leading to ruined homes, broken families, and crippling debt?
Jacob silently swore that he and gambling were irreconcilable enemies, and he equally detested those who encouraged others to gamble.
If you're going to be heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless in return.
Seeing his prey apparently hooked, Jacob hesitated visibly before nodding slowly. "Then... let's gamble... just once..."
"Excellent choice."
The short man smirked inwardly when he saw Jacob take the bait, and sat down opposite him at the gambling table.
"How should we play? Guess big or small, or odd or even? Do you want to roll the dice, or should I?" The short man looked at Jacob and continued, "For the sake of fairness, you decide the terms."
Listening to the short man's words, Jacob smirked inwardly. Talking about fairness in a gambling hall was undoubtedly the most ridiculous thing imaginable. "I... I'm not very good at this... How about you roll the dice, and I'll just guess..."
"Very well." The short man didn't seem to mind at all. He picked up the dice cup, flicked his wrist skillfully, and began shaking it with practiced, even movements, producing a crisp and enticing rattling sound.
At the same time, other participants had already gathered around, eager to watch this gamble between a seasoned veteran and an obvious rookie.
The crisp sound of dice rattling in the cup, coupled with the enormous stakes of millions, stimulated the nerves of not only Jacob but everyone watching, making the crowd even more excited.
People always seek excitement—this is a fundamental psychological characteristic of human nature, difficult to change.
This is also why very few gamblers successfully quit gambling once they've started.
"Thud!"
With a muffled impact, the short man slammed the dice cup heavily onto the gambling table, producing a sharp, decisive sound.
"Your turn now. You can guess big or small, or odd or even," the short man's voice rang out clearly.
Jacob had already secretly used the system's ability to see the dice results through the opaque cup.
Four, four, two. Even. Big.
Although he already knew the answer with certainty, Jacob still put on a nervous and indecisive expression. "I... I'll bet small. No, wait, I... I'll bet, um, I'll bet odd or even instead. I... I'll bet even..."
"Are you certain?" Hearing that Jacob had actually guessed correctly, the short man asked pointedly, "Once you place your bet, you can't take it back. Are you absolutely sure? If you want to bet on even, place your chips on the 'even' spot on the table."
Listening to the short man's words, Jacob's face showed renewed hesitation. He held the chips in his hand, appearing thoroughly indecisive, wavering between the odd, even, big, and small areas marked on the table. "Never mind, I'll bet big or small instead. I... I'll bet... I'll bet big."
Jacob hesitated for what seemed like a long time before finally placing one chip on the "big" section.
The short man also took out a chip and placed it in front of himself as the opposing bet.
"If you've placed your bet, I'll reveal the results."
Seeing Jacob bet on the correct answer, the short man made no suspicious movements with his hands, then calmly lifted the dice cup.
"Four, four, two! Big!"
The short man was well aware of the numbers he had rolled—he had known all along that Jacob would win this small round. In fact, he had deliberately lost to Jacob. But he still put on a convincing look of regret. "What a shame, just missed it by a little. Good luck on your part. Want to try another round?"
"Even if you lose the next one, you'll just break even. But if you win, you'll have another million in your pocket."
Listening to the short man's words, Jacob sneered inwardly. It seemed the short man truly intended to butcher him like a fat sheep, genuinely wanting to drag him into an abyss of no return.
If that was the case, then the short man shouldn't blame Jacob for being equally ruthless.
"No, no more gambling. One million is enough for me to spend for a long time. I'm not gambling anymore."
Jacob maintained an excited, satisfied expression as he directly picked up the two chips from the table and turned to leave.
Who doesn't know how to bait a hook? My reputation isn't just for show.
While the short man had been attempting to lure Jacob step by step into the abyss, Jacob was simultaneously leading him into one of his own making.
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back into you.
Only by letting the short man experience the frustration of a fat sheep slipping through his grasp would he become desperate enough to try winning all of Jacob's chips in one aggressive move the next time they met.