"Alright, it's time to try our luck at the casino," Cyril sighed and replied reluctantly. He didn't want to eat rough black bread every day.
The unscrupulous restaurant owner had made his already meager savings even worse. The two of them struggled to finish their meal of black bread, under the invisible scrutiny of the puppet-like waiters, before exiting the restaurant.
Cyril cast a glance at the nearly untouched delicacies on the tables, silently clenching his fists. Hardworking folks never gave up.
They followed the stream of newcomers towards the lower decks of the ship. At the entrance to the casino stood two puppet-like figures dressed in black uniforms, one on each side, like guardian spirits.
Cyril was surprised to see two puppet-like figures at the entrance simultaneously. He couldn't help but recall the brass sign he had seen on the deck earlier, which read, "No fighting allowed except in the casino." He felt a sudden unease.
Similarly, there was a brass sign at the casino entrance that read: "Welcome, everyone! Here, all games are available for your enjoyment, follow your desires, and have a great time! I believe in you!" Can a casino really encourage you to follow your desires?
Cyril raised an eyebrow, feeling that the casino's sign was anything but benevolent; it was more like a subtle warning. As they entered the casino's hall, the lighting became brighter, and it seemed like there was dazzling gold everywhere, shimmering with an aura of extravagance.
The casino hall was lavishly decorated, rivaling the grandeur of a rose garden. The ceiling displayed richly colored oil paintings and exquisite reliefs, while the floor was covered with plush, deep red velvet carpets. The air was filled with a unique scent.
Not the refreshing kind that clears your mind, but a sweet, sticky aroma, with a sense of opulence and indulgence that made one feel intoxicated.
In the center of the casino, there was a circular stage raised above the ground. On the stage, a group of puppet-like figures dressed in finery danced gracefully to music that seemed to come from nowhere.
Their extravagant dresses billowed like petals, but with their featureless smooth heads, they had a somewhat eerie appearance. Unoccupied gaming tables awaited players, each accompanied by puppet-like figures dressed as dealers.
Each puppet dealer wore a complete outfit with a crisp white shirt and a black vest, neatly tied ties, exuding professionalism. Perhaps because many people had arrived, the music seamlessly changed.
Cyril keenly noticed that the current tune had a seductive undertone. The soft music quickly relaxed people's guards, making them feel light-headed and dreamy.
He scanned the surroundings and saw the newcomers dispersing to different games, exchanging chips with the puppet dealers. Even Warren, who was with Cyril, seemed eager to sit at a gaming table.
"I'm going to take a look first," Cyril said clearly, patting Warren. His voice, mingling with the noisy crowd and the alluring music, flowed like a clear stream.
Warren hesitated for a moment, realizing that his momentary confidence had made him feel like the most handsome guy in the casino, ready to win hundreds of witch crystals without a care. It was only when Cyril patted him that he snapped out of it.
"Thanks... thanks to you!" Warren shook his head and breathed a sigh of relief, then followed Cyril to a spot in the crowd.
They chose what appeared to be the simplest game, a large roulette wheel that seemed to test only luck. The circular wheel was divided into twelve sections, each with numbers: "0, 5, 0, 10, 0, 15."
In the center of the roulette wheel lay a long pointer. One newcomer looked up at the puppet dealer standing by the wheel and asked, "How do I exchange for chips?"
"You can exchange anything valuable on you, including but not limited to gold coins, witch crystals, clothes, accessories, magical items, and more. I will assess their value, and no bargaining is allowed. After one round of the game, the number where the long pointer stops represents the number of witch crystals you can obtain."
The puppet dealer's calm voice explained. There was a fifty-fifty chance of getting different amounts of witch crystals.
Cyril pursed his lips, his eyes flashing. However, due to his mistrust of the entire "Black Ship" cruise, he just stood in the crowd and decided to observe for a while.
The newcomer who had asked the question seemed unsure after hearing the explanation and hesitated about whether to try.
Then Cyril spotted a "familiar face" – it was Ales, the one who had robbed others at the staircase of the Rose Mansion. He took out a small bag from his pocket, gritted his teeth, and handed it to the puppet dealer.
The puppet dealer received the small bag, weighed it in their hand without opening it, and then said, "You get two chips, two spins."
After saying that, the puppet dealer put the small bag into their black vest pocket, and it disappeared instantly. The puppet dealer's pocket remained smooth and seemed empty.
Cyril felt like he heard a very faint sound of something falling and touching the bottom. He discreetly glanced at Warren beside him, but Warren seemed oblivious.
Cyril suspiciously examined the puppet dealer's seemingly normal belly. He suspected that the small bag of coins had somehow ended up inside the puppet dealer's body.
Unfortunately, the onlookers couldn't see the exact contents and quantity of Ales' small bag, so they couldn't determine the exchange rate for the chips. Cyril guessed that the chips might not be easy to exchange, and the small bag probably contained gold coins.
Ales received two chips. They looked plain, like round brass coins, similar to the common copper coins used on the Atlantis continent. However, on both sides of these brass chips, there was a large ornate letter "B" at the center.
Following the puppet dealer's instructions, Ales inserted one of the chips into the coin slot in the center of the roulette wheel. He took a deep breath. The gears began to click, and the roulette wheel started spinning, along with the long pointer.
Compared to the pointer, the roulette wheel spun faster, while the pointer moved slowly. Cyril could barely make out which section the pointer was pointing at.
Ales anxiously watched the rapidly spinning roulette wheel, clenching his fists, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He mumbled softly, "15! 15! 15..."
The other newcomers around him watched the scene with slight tension.
"Ka-ching," as if signaling the brass gears coming to a stop, both the wheel and the pointer suddenly slowed down.
"15! 15! 15..."
Veins bulged on Ales' forehead. His muttered prayers grew louder, filled with urgency.
The pointer had stopped spinning, but the roulette wheel was still turning slightly. Ales could only watch as the pointer, with the wheel's motion, shifted from "15" to "0."
His heart sank, and his face turned grim.
"Spin faster! Please, spin faster!" Ales couldn't help but urge, his voice filled with desperation.
However, the roulette wheel continued to move at a leisurely pace, neither fast nor slow. At this point, the pointer pointed to "10."
"10 is good too! Stop, please stop!" Ales anxiously wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
But he might as well have been talking to the wind. The roulette wheel kept turning slowly, and once again, the pointer shifted from "15" to "0" as the wheel turned.
"May the Goddess of Light bless me! May Merlin protect me!"
Ales closed his eyes in despair, unable to watch the wheel any longer. It continued to turn until the puppet dealer's voice echoed in his ears.
"You have won 5 witch crystals. Do you wish to continue?"
The puppet dealer's flat, mechanical voice was like heavenly music in Ales' ears. He opened his eyes in disbelief and saw that the roulette wheel had finally stopped on "5"!
5 witch crystals!
According to the exchange rate at the restaurant, 5 witch crystals were equivalent to 500 gold coins!
He had turned 20 gold coins into 500 gold coins!
Ales felt an overwhelming sense of triumph and pride. Am I the Chosen One or what?
He proudly accepted the 5 witch crystals from the puppet dealer and glanced at the crowd gathered around, feeling like a king.
As Ales's gaze swept over Cyril's face, he hesitated for a moment, as if involuntarily shrinking.
"Do you wish to continue?" the puppet dealer repeated.
"I'll continue," Ales said decisively.
He quickly picked up another chip and tossed it into the coin slot at the center of the roulette wheel.
The gears started clicking again.
The large roulette wheel and the pointer began to spin simultaneously.
"Just another 5 will do!"
Ales thought it best not to ask for too much.
Play it safe, no problem.
"5! 5! 5..."
He chanted in his heart, and his clenched fists followed the rhythm of his prayers, waving in anticipation.
However, this time, he didn't get what he wished for.
The long pointer finally stopped at the "0" position.
Ales wore a regretful expression, his face filled with disappointment.
"Do you wish to continue?" the puppet dealer asked once more.
"Huh?"
Ales was still lost in his disappointment, not registering what was being asked of him.
Continue what? He was out of money! He had used up all his chips!
"You can continue exchanging chips with the witch crystals you have."
The puppet dealer dutifully stated.
Its voice, accompanied by the seductive background music, wormed its way into Ales' ears.
"Yes! I still have 5 witch crystals! I can continue exchanging them for chips! With chips, I can double my witch crystals!"
Ales' eyes lit up, and he promptly handed over the 5 witch crystals he had just received to the puppet dealer. He patted his chest with great confidence, saying, "Exchange them all!"
He threw caution to the wind, discarding his earlier intention to play it safe.
"Here are 5 chips for you, granting you 5 spins."
The puppet dealer accepted the witch crystals, stashing them into its clothing pocket (the witch crystals disappeared instantly as well) and then handed Ales five chips.
Encouraged by Ales' win of 5 witch crystals, other onlookers rushed to nearby roulette wheels to exchange their chips with the puppet dealers.
Warren mentally calculated his assets and felt he could afford this loss.
He took a deep breath, making up his mind.
Warren gestured to Cyril and walked towards one of the roulette tables.
Cyril nodded at him, wishing him luck, and continued to explore other areas.
He gazed with his ink-black, tranquil eyes, resembling a sober outsider, silently observing the revelry before him.
Some people were flushed with excitement, exchanging chips for many more rounds.
Others had quickly lost everything and still eagerly requested credit.
Greed and the hope of striking it lucky were magnified here; everyone believed they could be the one-in-a-million lucky winner.
Cyril lowered his eyelids.
He also needed to find a suitable game quickly to exchange for some witch crystals. But he hadn't seen the consequences of losing all yet, which was strange.
"Credit is available for half an hour. After half an hour, anyone who still owes chips will need to participate in a confrontation match on the stage. It can be one-on-one or multiple participants."
At this moment, a puppet figure's voice clearly reached Cyril's ears.
He looked toward the source of the voice.
Cyril saw a puppet dealer with a round, smooth head swaying up and down, explaining to a newcomer who had just exchanged chips.
"When participating in the confrontation match, it can include but is not limited to verbal confrontation, physical confrontation, magic attacks, and the use of magical items. The winner can offset all the chips they owe, while the loser needs to continue in the next round of confrontation matches until the competition time is over or one side is judged to be in extreme life-threatening danger. Passive competition is prohibited!"
Cyril suddenly looked towards the central circular stage of the casino.
By now, some puppet dealer croupiers had led two people who owed chips and needed to participate in the confrontation match to the side of the stage.
The elegantly dressed puppet figures who had been performing dances and songs noticed the situation and gracefully retreated from the stage.
The two newcomers were brought to the center of the stage and exchanged nervous glances, both feeling a bit tense.
But they both understood they had to win, not lose.
As long as they won this round, everything would be settled...
"If the match is exciting, the winner can also receive chips as a reward."
A puppet figure in a referee's uniform stood by the stage, adding lightly.
It held a delicate hourglass in its hand, with the lower half filled with white sand.
"Get ready!"
Gradually, some newcomers who had just finished their previous rounds of gambling came over to watch.
"Three! Two! One! The match officially begins!"
The puppet referee's voice had just fallen, and it quickly turned the hourglass upside down.
At the same time, Cyril felt a strong sense of being watched.
Who is it?!
He suddenly raised his head, scanning the surroundings in an attempt to find the source of that gaze.
But the gaze didn't seem to come from a fixed direction; it was converging from all directions.
Overwhelming, pervasive, and inescapable.
A chill ran down Cyril's spine.