The revolver returned to Violetta’s hand. Now the probability of taking a bullet became one in four.
“Bless me…”
Violetta closed her eyes and prayed.
She didn’t call out the name of any god. Instead, she prayed to her dead friend.
But when the time came to pull the trigger, she still hesitated.
She wasn’t afraid of death, but she was afraid that if she died here, no one would be left to avenge her friend.
“If you don’t dare, I can help you.”
Castio offered considerately. Violetta shot him a disdainful look, then resolutely pulled the trigger.
The gunshot didn’t ring out, but Violetta’s white dress was already soaked with sweat.
Castio calmly took the revolver and aimed it at his own temple.
Just like last time, he felt not a trace of panic or fear. Only the greed in his heart grew stronger.
He didn’t look at the chips. Instead, he stared fixedly into Violetta’s eyes, savoring the fury burning within them.
It seemed he wasn’t interested in Violetta’s chips, but in her soul.
Castio didn’t fire immediately. First, he shot Violetta a playful smile.
“Now I suddenly remember where that dress of yours came from. A while back, a girl in a white dress lost to me playing the roulette wheel of death.
“You know, I’m a good judge of people. I could tell she was someone who followed the rules, someone innocent. You could call her a ‘good kid.’ Someone like her would never set foot in a casino. So, her coming here must have been for some important reason.”
Then, Castio tipped his hat to Violetta like a gentleman and continued:
“Judging by how sickly you look, it seems she came to gamble for you.
“Too bad reality isn’t some fairy tale. No matter how noble her original intention, she still became a gambler, a piece of trash.
“Dying at the gambling table is the fate of every gambler. Quitting is impossible.
“Even if she hadn’t died by my hand, she would have died sooner or later. Once you’ve tasted the thrill of throwing down a fortune, there’s no going back.”
Loren remembered the story he’d heard about Castio from the Falling Star Merchant Guild. He had originally been just an ordinary gambler too. After being caught cheating once, he was beaten half to death and thrown into a dumpster.
Later, he returned to the casino, won streak after streak, eventually took over the entire establishment, and dealt with the people who had laid hands on him back then…
This time, his methods had never been discovered. Not even Loren had found them out.
“Aren’t you just a gambling addict yourself? And here you are, looking down on gambling addicts?”
Seeing that Violetta was about to be consumed by rage, Loren spoke up with a taunt.
He was worried that Castio’s goal was to make Violetta lose control and attack him directly. That would give him ample reason to retaliate, and even if word got out, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Only when Loren spoke did Violetta calm down.
“You and I are the same kind of person. I really liked what you said earlier. Don’t do it unless you’re sure of victory.
“But clearly, I’m not as cautious as you. As long as there’s a ninety-nine percent chance, I’ll go for it…”
“Wow, such a high failure rate? Don’t you value your life at all?”
Loren abruptly interrupted Castio, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Besides, we’re not the same kind of person at all. You’re just some nobody on the street. You—don’t—deserve it.”
“Hahaha…”
Castio laughed a few times, then pulled the trigger.
Even though there was a one-in-three chance of death this time, he didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
Once again, he remained completely unharmed.
The revolver returned to Violetta’s hand. This time, Violetta was truly afraid.
One-in-two odds.
“My offer still stands. If you’re scared, I can pull the trigger for you.”
Hearing this, Violetta pulled the trigger herself instead. She couldn’t bear to be looked down on by Castio.
“Die!”
Along with her furious roar came the sound of a gunshot.
In that instant, Violetta felt time stand still. Her mind flashed back to the old days.
Back then, they had nothing, but they weren’t lonely. Even though life was hard, they were happy.
Back then, there was hope. They dreamed of the future, dreaming about what they would do with the Dawn Princess’s treasure.
Violetta wanted to make sure no one dared to bully them. Her friend wanted everyone in the world to have enough to eat and to be free from oppression.
All of that had been shattered with her death. And now, Violetta was about to go see her.
The gunshot left Violetta’s ears ringing, so much so that her mind stopped thinking. Her vision grew blurry.
It took a long time before she came back to her senses. In front of her stood an enraged Castio and several bodyguards who had risen, ready to attack.
And beside her, Loren had just withdrawn the longsword back to his waist.
“This doesn’t break the rules. After all, you were only betting on pulling the trigger, not on your lives.
“Now that Violetta has lost, the chips are yours. But are you interested in a few rounds with me?”
“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a few days. I’ve won all your chips, and the casino needs to be closed for a few days for reorganization.
“Right now, you have nothing. I have no reason to keep gambling with you.”
Castio smiled, wearing the look of a victor.
“What if my chips are my lifespan?”
Loren offered a reason Castio couldn’t refuse. But Castio only chuckled.
“Who do you think you are? Lifespan… hahaha… You want me to shorten yours?”
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Loren.”
Loren pulled off his hood, dispelling the Hermit’s cognitive concealment.
In an instant, the room fell silent.
Whether it was Castio, his bodyguards, or even Violetta, all of them wore expressions of disbelief.
Castio had thought of many possibilities, but never once considered that the person before him was Loren.
Any notable figure wouldn’t forget Loren’s face, even if he had been dead for four years.
“It’s Loren!”
One of the bodyguards, upon seeing Loren, turned and ran without hesitation.
His end was simple. The longsword Loren threw pierced straight through his heart.
“Violetta, get my sword back for me.”
“Yes…”
Upon seeing Loren, Violetta suddenly wore a fanatical expression.
Even though she had never met Loren before, she had grown up hearing his legends.
The scene before her was no less than a fairy godmother bringing Cinderella her glass slippers. Violetta’s story had suddenly turned from tragedy into a fairy tale.
“Now, can we gamble? I have plenty of ways to help you extend your life.”
“How do you prove your identity?”
There were many methods of disguise, and Loren had been killed by the God of Light and Fire. No one knew better than the followers of the God of Freedom just how strong the God of Light and Fire was.
“You never cheated. Because you never needed to. Your luck was already enough.”
“…”
Castio fell silent at Loren’s words. But what Loren said next made Castio fully understand Loren’s terror.
“Your luck comes from the God of Greed, doesn’t it?”
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