The air still smelled like smoke and melted wood. The wall crew was already patching the scorched stone like they could scrub “drake” out of existence with enough mortar.
Roth walked in silence with his new drakehide shield on his arm.
It looked right on him. Like the world had finally given him something that matched the way he stood.
Lyra walked with her hands behind her head like yesterday had been a fun festival and not a near-death city barbecue.
Mina walked slower. Level twenty again, but still pale, still recovering. Her symbol glowed when she asked it to, but it took effort. Resurrection Sickness was not a label. It was a weight.
Valeblade was buckled at Mina’s hip and somehow still managed to sound smug at half volume.
“I saved the city,” he whispered.
Mina whispered back, tired, “I saved the city.”
Valeblade whispered, “By using me.”
Mina whispered, “By ignoring you.”
Pyon trotted beside me in mount form for a while, then blinked ahead and back like the road itself was too slow.
…go
…go
…go
“Yeah,” I muttered. “We’re going.”
In my inventory, the S-rank shard sat wrapped in cloth, inside a resin sealed box, inside another box because I was not letting a divine tagged mystery rock touch anything I cared about.
Do not expose to floodgate water.
That note had burned itself into my brain.
We had two objectives left.
Deliver seal ring crates to two more floodgate stations.
Identify theft source.
And not die.
The system said that last one in the tone of someone pretending it was optional.
The second station town was called Stonebridge.
It was bigger than Rillhaven. A proper trade junction. A river bridge, stone walls, and enough merchants to make you feel poor just by standing near them.
The floodgate station sat under the bridge, iron grates and water roaring below. Guards stood watch with the exhausted eyes of people who had been told “corrosion” is now part of their job description.
We presented the manifest.
The station captain, a woman with a scar over her eyebrow, opened the crate and inspected the seal rings like they were gold.
Then she exhaled like she had been holding her breath for days.
“Finally,” she said. “We lost two shipments last week. No bodies. No fights. Just gone. Like smoke.”
Roth’s eyes narrowed. “Stolen without contact.”
She nodded. “And when we tried to replace them, we found residue on the grate. Blue. Like burned sugar.”
Lyra’s expression tightened. “Blue again.”
Mina’s hands clenched.
I kept my face neutral and felt the S-rank shard in my inventory like a cold pebble.
The captain stamped the manifest and handed Roth the station receipt.
My quest window updated.
[OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]
Deliver seal ring shipment (2/3)
Dopamine. Clean. Useful.
Then the captain lowered her voice.
“Captain Roth,” she said. “There’s something else. Rumors.”
Roth didn’t change expression. “Speak.”
“People say the stolen shipments end up in the underbridge district,” she said. “In a place called Lucky River House.”
Lyra’s head snapped up so fast I heard her neck pop.
“Lucky River House,” she repeated.
The captain nodded. “Casino. Gambling hall. They call it respectable. It’s not.”
Lyra’s eyes gleamed.
Roth’s tone went colder. “And you are telling us because.”
The captain held his gaze. “Because my guards keep losing their pay there. And because every time the House has a big night, we get blue residue on our grates the next morning.”
My stomach did the small roll again.
Divine tag things kept showing up in places where money and water and corruption overlapped.
Lyra clapped her hands once.
“We have to investigate,” she said.
Roth said, “Yes.”
Mina looked uneasy. “Investigate, not gamble.”
Lyra smiled. “Of course. We investigate with our eyes and our wallets.”
Roth stared at her.
Lyra held up two fingers. “I promise not to gamble more than. A little.”
Roth’s stare did not blink.
Lyra sighed. “Fine. A medium little.”
Roth said, “We are going to the House to find theft connections. If you gamble, you do it responsibly.”
Lyra nodded too fast.
That should have been a warning.
Lucky River House looked like a temple to bad choices.
Lanterns everywhere. Gold paint on the sign. Music spilling into the street. A doorman in a red vest who smiled like he had never been punched in his life.
Inside was noise.
Coins clinking. People shouting. Laughter. Rage. The sound of a dice cup slamming down like a hammer.
The air smelled like perfume, sweat, and money changing hands.
Lyra breathed in like it was holy incense.
“We are going to be rich,” she whispered.
Roth said, “We already are. For ten minutes.”
Lyra ignored him and walked straight to a roulette style wheel. Not called roulette, because this world liked pretending it invented things, but it was roulette. A spinning wheel with numbered slots and colored tiles.
Lyra slapped gold on the table like she was offended by caution.
The dealer smiled.
“Big night,” he said.
Lyra grinned. “I like big nights.”
Mina stood behind Lyra, hands clasped, looking like she was watching someone juggle knives.
I watched too.
Because I had a weird sinking feeling that this would become my problem.
The wheel spun.
The ball rattled.
Lyra leaned forward.
It landed.
Lyra lost.
She laughed like it was fine.
“Again,” she said.
Again.
Lost.
Again.
Lost.
Lyra’s smile stayed, but her eyes got sharper.
She changed bets. Bigger. Smarter. Different.
Lost.
The dealer’s smile stayed perfectly polite.
“Unlucky,” he said.
Lyra’s jaw tightened. “No. That is statistically rude.”
Mina whispered, “Lyra.”
Lyra raised a hand like she was shooing a fly.
“It’s fine,” she said, then shoved another stack of gold forward. “Again.”
Roth finally stepped closer.
“Lyra,” he said, voice calm. “Stop.”
Lyra’s eyes flicked up, annoyed. “I am stopping. After I win it back.”
She did not win it back.
She lost more.
She started chasing.
That was the moment I realized something important.
Lyra did not love money.
Lyra loved beating systems.
She loved proving she could outplay the universe.
The casino was the universe for her right now.
And it was winning.
I glanced at my inventory, then at the gold chest in Roth’s bag. He had brought it because we were planning to commission gear and supplies after this station. The plan had been simple.
Arrive. Deliver. Pay for repairs. Leave.
Lyra had just set the plan on fire.
She kept betting.
The dealer kept smiling.
The wheel kept landing wrong.
Not wrong in the normal way.
Wrong in the way that makes your skin itch.
Like someone was nudging it.
Lyra slammed her fist on the table.
“One more,” she hissed.
Mina grabbed her sleeve. “Lyra, please.”
Lyra shook her off gently. “Just one.”
She went all in.
The wheel spun.
The ball rattled.
It landed.
Lyra’s stack vanished into the house’s pile.
Silence hit her face.
Not dramatic silence.
The kind of silence where your brain stops making excuses.
Lyra stared at the empty spot where our gold used to be.
Then she slowly turned to us.
“I can explain,” she said.
Roth’s expression did not change. That was worse.
Mina looked like she wanted to cry and scold at the same time.
Valeblade whispered, delighted, “Conflict.”
Lyra glared at Mina’s hip. “If you say one word, I will throw you in the river.”
Valeblade whispered, “No.”
I opened my inventory. I checked again, hoping the numbers were lying.
They were not.
We had silver from the drake reward and small quest payouts. But the big money was gone. The plot progression money. The “fix Roth’s gear forever” money. The “buy supplies and not starve” money.
Gone.
Roth exhaled once, controlled.
“We leave,” he said.
Lyra’s voice went strained. “We can get it back.”
Roth looked at her. “How.”
Lyra looked at me.
I hated that.
I hated that so much.
“Kenta,” Lyra said, voice quiet now. “You are broken. Do something broken.”
Mina looked at me too, desperate.
Even Roth’s eyes shifted slightly, like he was trying not to hope.
I swallowed.
I checked my pockets out of reflex.
Nothing.
I checked my inventory again.
A few copper coins. Not even enough to buy dinner.
Then Pyon blinked onto the table, sniffed the dealer’s coins, then blinked back to my side.
A small clink hit the floor.
A single copper coin rolled to a stop against my boot.
Pyon stared at it like it had always been there.
Stolen story; please report.
Thought: …mine?
I stared at the coin.
Then at Pyon.
“You stole that,” I whispered.
Thought: …found.
Lyra leaned in, eyes wild. “One copper. That’s enough. Right.”
Roth’s voice was flat. “It is not enough.”
My brain made a choice before my fear could catch up.
It went: if the system is a slot machine, then so is this.
Fine.
I picked up the copper.
I walked to the nearest small table. A simple dice game. Two cups. Two dice. Lowest entry.
A sign read: Copper Cups. Winner takes pot.
The dealer at this table was bored. He looked up and then froze when he recognized my cloak.
He smiled, but it was tight.
“Hero,” he said. “Playing small.”
“I am learning,” I said.
Lyra hovered behind me like a starving cat.
Mina hovered behind Lyra like a worried saint.
Roth stood behind all of us like a disappointed father.
Valeblade whispered, “Glory.”
I placed the copper on the table.
The system chimed instantly.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Gambling (Rank F)
Of course.
I rolled the dice.
The dealer rolled.
I won.
A tiny pile of copper slid to me.
The system chimed.
[SKILL EXP]
Gambling +38%
Lyra whispered, “Again.”
I rolled again.
Won again.
Again.
Won.
The pile grew.
The system started climbing.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Gambling: F -> D
My fingers moved without hesitation now. Not because I knew dice. Because my brain was latching onto patterns. Tiny things.
Breath timing. Wrist angle. Dealer’s rhythm. The way his eyes flicked when he wanted me to bet higher.
I did not need to cheat.
The system gave me a cheat called learning fast.
I moved tables.
Copper to silver.
Silver to gold.
The casino noise blurred into a dull roar behind my focus.
My Competitive Flow trait kicked in like a switch.
[TRAIT ACTIVE]
Competitive Flow (Unique)
Effect: Skill growth increased during formal competition
Effect: Fatigue reduction in contest focus
I felt calm.
Too calm.
Like I was floating.
Gambling went up again.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Gambling: D -> B
A new subskill popped.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Tell Reading (Rank F)
Then it climbed immediately.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Tell Reading: F -> C
Lyra started making a noise in her throat like she was watching a miracle.
Mina clasped her hands like she was praying.
Roth did not move, but his shoulders had stopped being as tense.
I won at cards.
I won at dice.
I won at a wheel game.
I won at a coin flip that absolutely should have been random, except the man flipping it had a habit of breathing out when he wanted heads.
I did not feel lucky.
I felt like I was seeing the house’s shape.
And then the system chimed with a brutal little confession.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
House Edge Sense (Rank F)
My stomach tightened.
House edge.
That meant the system recognized this was rigged.
Not necessarily illegal.
Just weighted.
I focused on the air.
On the tables.
On the faint blue shimmer around certain corners.
On the way Lyra had lost with uncanny consistency.
Something in the casino was draining luck. Or nudging outcomes. Or both.
The blue shimmer looked too familiar.
My hands tightened.
I kept winning anyway.
Because now the system was helping me compensate.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Gambling: B -> A
Tell Reading: C -> A
House Edge Sense: F -> B
By the time I reached the high table, my initial one copper had become a stack of gold coins big enough to make the dealer sweat.
The dealer’s smile was no longer polite.
It was strained.
The pit boss noticed.
A man in a dark suit walked over, eyes sharp, smile fake.
He watched one hand.
Watched me win again.
Then he leaned in slightly.
“Hero,” he said softly. “We appreciate your patronage.”
Lyra whispered, “He is scared.”
Mina whispered, “He is angry.”
I placed one more bet.
Won.
The stack slid to me.
The system chimed like it wanted to humiliate the casino personally.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Gambling: A -> S
Lyra made a strangled noise. “No way.”
Mina blinked hard. “S.”
Roth’s eyes narrowed. “Already.”
The pit boss’s smile cracked.
I gathered the coins.
Not just ours.
All of them.
I counted fast.
It was more than what Lyra lost.
Not enough to bankrupt the house, but enough to embarrass it.
Lyra grabbed my arm. “Get our gold. Then stop.”
I nodded. “Stopping.”
I stood up.
The pit boss’s hand landed on the table, blocking me.
“House policy,” he said pleasantly. “Large winnings require verification.”
Lyra’s voice went cold. “Verification is not a thing.”
The pit boss’s smile stayed. “It is when the house says it is.”
Roth stepped forward.
The air changed. The pit boss’s guards appeared like they had been waiting.
I felt it.
Not danger from a monster.
Danger from people who owned the building and did not care about laws.
Mina’s hands tightened around her symbol.
Valeblade whispered, thrilled. “Yes. Conflict.”
Lyra snapped, “You are enjoying this.”
Valeblade whispered, “Yes.”
The pit boss leaned closer. “Hero. We could resolve this privately.”
Roth said, “No.”
The pit boss’s smile turned thin. “Then perhaps you can earn your winnings another way.”
He snapped his fingers.
The floor under us opened.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
A trap door.
The world dropped.
Lyra screamed a curse mid-fall.
Mina grabbed my sleeve.
Roth tried to catch the edge, but the door slammed shut above us like it was designed for exactly this.
We fell into darkness.
Then hit dirt.
Hard.
My HP ticked down.
[HP -14]
Reason: forced capitalism.
Lyra sat up first, hair wild, eyes murderous.
“I hate casinos,” she growled.
Mina groaned, pushing herself up. “Is everyone alive.”
Roth stood, calm, already scanning.
“I am alive,” he said.
Valeblade whispered, pleased, “We are in a dungeon.”
Lyra snapped, “Shut up.”
Valeblade whispered, “No.”
Torches flickered on around us.
Not friendly torches.
Arena torches.
We were in a pit.
Circular walls. Iron grates. Blood stains. Old bones. A locked gate on one side.
Above us, we heard cheering.
Not the casino crowd.
A different crowd.
Underworld crowd.
People betting on violence.
A voice boomed from above through a metal funnel.
“Welcome, lucky winners! Lucky River House thanks you for your donations!”
The crowd laughed.
The voice continued.
“You wanted gold. You will earn it in the pit. Survive three rounds and we will return your winnings. Lose, and we keep the coins and the bodies!”
Lyra shouted up, “We already earned it!”
The crowd laughed harder.
Roth’s voice was calm and lethal. “We are leaving.”
The gate on the far side clanked.
It began to open.
A foul smell rolled out.
Something heavy breathed.
The system popped a window like it was thrilled to be here.
[ARENA EVENT]
Underground Pit: Lucky River House
Survival Rounds: 3
Reward: Winnings + bonus
Failure: Death
Note: Audience betting detected.
Lyra’s eyes gleamed.
“Okay,” she said. “Now I feel better.”
Mina’s voice was quiet. “Please do not enjoy this.”
Lyra grinned. “I enjoy winning.”
I felt my hands itch.
Not crafting itch.
Combat itch.
And something else.
A new skill ticked into place.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Arena Sense (Rank F)
Then another.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Bloodsport Composure (Rank F)
My stomach tightened.
The system was adapting to the environment again.
Great.
The gate fully opened.
A beast stomped out.
A huge lizard thing with plated scales, hooked claws, and a chain collar like someone thought that counted as control.
The crowd cheered.
The announcer voice yelled, “Round One! Chainmaw Basilisk!”
Lyra swore. “That is not a basilisk. That is a lizard with anger.”
Roth lifted his drake shield. “Kenta. Right flank. Mina. Stay behind. Lyra. Control.”
Mina nodded, expression firm.
Valeblade whispered, “Draw me.”
Mina drew him.
The blade flashed.
Valeblade whispered, triumphant. “At last.”
Then the liner kicked in and suppressed his next comment mid-word.
“Glor…”
Lyra laughed. “Sixty percent is doing work.”
The beast lunged.
I moved.
Athletics S made it feel slow.
Gambling S made it feel predictable in a way I did not like.
Because suddenly, enemy motion had tells too.
Weight shift. Breath timing. Shoulder dip.
My House Edge Sense pinged even though this was not a table.
It still applied.
Everything has odds.
I parried the claw swipe.
Riposte.
Precision Thrust into the soft neck seam under the collar.
The beast screamed and recoiled.
The system chimed.
[SKILL EXP]
Arena Sense +22%
Bloodsport Composure +18%
Lyra’s fire snapped across its eyes, not to burn, to blind.
Roth slammed shield into its snout and forced it to turn.
Mina stepped in and drove Valeblade into its flank with a clean stab, then pulled out fast and stepped back like she had always been a combat priest.
The beast staggered.
It tried to bite Mina.
I shouted.
Heroic Shout hit.
The beast snapped toward me instead.
Aggro drawn.
Good.
I wanted it on me. Not on Mina.
I circled, footwork tight, and stabbed the exposed underside.
It fell.
Fast.
The crowd went silent for half a beat.
Then erupted.
Because they loved blood, but they also loved being surprised.
The system chimed.
[ROUND COMPLETE]
Round One cleared.
EXP +320
Lyra looked up at the grates. “Next.”
The voice boomed again, slightly less amused.
“Round Two!”
The gate opened.
Two fighters stumbled out this time.
Not beasts.
People.
Arena slaves. Criminals. Debt prisoners. Their eyes were wild, their weapons rusty, their bodies half-starved.
The crowd cheered louder, because of course it did.
My stomach twisted.
I did not like this.
I did not like killing people in an alley.
I liked it even less when a crowd paid to watch.
Roth’s voice went low. “Nonlethal if possible.”
Lyra scoffed. “In a pit.”
Mina’s voice was firm. “We try.”
The fighters charged.
I moved with the same speed, but different intent.
Parry. Redirect. Trip. Disarm.
Athletics S made it unfair. They were not trained. They were desperate.
Roth shield checked one into the wall without breaking ribs.
Lyra blasted the ground in front of the other with a heat wave, forcing him to flinch and drop his weapon.
Mina stepped forward, symbol glowing, and cast a barrier between them and us like a wall.
The fighters slammed into it and bounced back, stunned.
Mina whispered, “Stop. You do not have to die.”
One of them screamed and tried to charge again.
Valeblade whispered, “Stab.”
Mina ignored him and knocked the man out with the pommel.
The other fell to his knees, shaking.
The crowd booed.
They wanted blood.
The announcer voice snarled. “Kill them!”
Lyra looked up and smiled coldly.
“No,” she said.
Then she raised her hand and fired a flame bolt straight into the funnel opening.
Not enough to start a fire in the casino.
Just enough to make a point.
A scream came from above.
The crowd went quiet.
The system chimed.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Crowd Pressure (Rank F)
Lyra’s eyes gleamed. “I can level intimidation too.”
Roth grabbed the unconscious fighters, dragged them away from the gate, and shouted up.
“Open the gate. You want blood, fight us yourselves.”
The crowd hissed.
The announcer voice went colder.
“Round Three,” it said. “Final round.”
The gate opened.
Something large walked out.
Not a drake.
Not that level.
But still ugly.
A horned bear, scarred, with metal plates bolted into its flesh.
A fighting beast.
The crowd screamed in joy.
The announcer voice sounded smug again.
“Pitbreaker Ursa! House favorite!”
Lyra exhaled. “Okay. That is an actual problem.”
The bear roared and charged.
Roth met it with the drake shield.
Impact shook the pit.
The shield held.
Good craft.
I felt a sick little pride.
The bear tried to bite the shield.
Its teeth scraped drakehide.
It could not get purchase.
Roth shoved forward and pinned it for half a second.
Lyra fired fire into the ground behind it, creating a wall of heat to prevent it from flanking.
Mina stepped in, symbol glowing, and cast Purify on the bear’s metal plates.
The plates hissed, loosening slightly.
Valeblade whispered, “Now. Strike the heart.”
Mina actually listened this time.
Not because of Valeblade.
Because she saw the opening.
She thrust.
The bear screamed and reared.
I took the moment.
Precision Thrust into the underside, deep.
The bear staggered.
Then Pyon blinked.
He appeared behind it, head lowered, and slammed his horn into its leg joint.
The bear’s weight shifted wrong.
It fell.
Roth’s blade took its throat.
Fast.
Clean.
Silence.
The crowd went dead quiet.
Then the pit boss voice boomed again, strained.
“That is… Round Three complete.”
The system chimed.
[ARENA CLEARED]
Underground Pit: Lucky River House
Survival rounds: 3/3
Reward pending
EXP +900
[SKILL RANK UP]
Arena Sense: F -> C
Bloodsport Composure: F -> C
Crowd Pressure: F -> D
Lyra looked up at the grates and shouted, “We win. Open the door.”
A pause.
Then a different sound.
Metal grinding.
A side door opened at ground level, not the beast gate.
A man stepped through with guards.
The pit boss.
He wore the same dark suit, but his smile was gone.
He looked at the dead bear, then at us, then at the unconscious fighters Roth had dragged aside.
His eyes narrowed.
“You embarrassed the House,” he said.
Lyra smiled. “You kidnapped us.”
He ignored her and looked straight at me.
“Hero,” he said. “Return the winnings. Leave. This ends quietly.”
Roth stepped forward. “No.”
The pit boss’s eyes flicked to Roth’s drake shield.
He swallowed slightly.
Then he tried a different angle.
“Fine,” he said. “Keep your winnings. But you will not leave with your lives if you make this public.”
Lyra laughed. “We are already making it public. In our hearts.”
Mina’s voice was calm, tired, and dangerous. “Open the exit.”
The pit boss’s gaze flicked to Mina.
To Valeblade.
To the way Mina held herself now.
He hesitated.
Then he did something stupid.
He gestured behind him, and one guard wheeled out a small crate.
A crown stamped crate.
My stomach dropped.
The pit boss smiled thinly.
“Looking for stolen shipments,” he said softly. “You should not.”
Roth’s voice went flat. “That is crown property.”
The pit boss shrugged. “And this is my house.”
My system chimed softly.
Not a warning.
A note.
[QUEST UPDATE]
Theft source linked to: Lucky River House
Evidence detected: Stolen seal ring shipment
Quest progress. Slight. Real.
Lyra’s eyes went cold. “Oh. So you are the thieves.”
The pit boss’s smile widened. “We are businessmen.”
Mina’s hands tightened.
Valeblade whispered, eager, “Kill him.”
Mina whispered, “Quiet.”
Valeblade whispered, “No.”
I felt something shift in my brain.
The way it had shifted when I kicked Mina out so she could take the drake kill.
That disgusting min-max part of me that kept noticing levers.
Because this was another lever.
This house was using a pit to punish winners.
Using stolen floodgate supplies as blackmail.
Using blue residue luck drain to control outcomes.
And the system was still watching.
Still rewarding.
Still turning everything into a grind.
I stared at the pit boss.
Then at the guards.
Then at the crate.
Then at my party.
Roth’s shield needed metal reinforcement later. Lyra needed to stop gambling. Mina needed stability. The escort quest needed completion. The divine tag contamination needed answers.
And I had just learned Gambling to S in about ten minutes.
That meant something bigger than money.
It meant any skill could be forced.
Any weakness could be patched.
Any teammate could be leveled, if you could create the right conditions.
The thought was disgusting.
It was also practical.
And that scared me more than the pit.
Roth spoke first.
“You will return our winnings,” he said. “You will return that crate. And you will open the exit. Now.”
The pit boss’s smile twitched.
He gestured to a guard.
The guard stepped forward holding a pouch.
Gold clinked.
Lyra snatched it immediately and hugged it like it was a lost child.
“Never again,” she whispered. “I learned my lesson.”
I did not believe her.
The pit boss slid the stolen crate toward Roth with a stiff motion.
Roth didn’t touch it yet. He stared at the pit boss.
“You will also tell me,” Roth said, “who gave you blue charms.”
The pit boss’s eyes sharpened. “I do not know what you mean.”
Lyra leaned in. “Lie harder.”
Mina’s symbol glowed faintly.
The pit boss swallowed.
Then he said, quietly, “We buy them. From priests who do not wear robes.”
The air went colder.
Mina’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes tightened like a knife being sharpened.
Roth nodded once. “Understood.”
He picked up the stolen crate.
Then he pointed his blade at the pit boss.
“If we see another stolen shipment linked to your house,” Roth said, voice calm, “I will not ask questions.”
The pit boss held his gaze and did not blink.
Then he stepped aside.
The side door remained open.
An exit.
Lyra pointed up at the grates. “What about the two fighters.”
Roth glanced back at them.
The pit boss sneered. “They are not your concern.”
Mina’s voice went flat. “They are.”
She walked to the fighters, knelt, and healed them enough that they could stand without collapsing.
Not a miracle. Not resurrection. Just mercy.
Then she looked at the pit boss.
“You will release them,” she said.
The pit boss laughed once, sharp. “Or what.”
Mina’s symbol glowed brighter.
Valeblade whispered, thrilled, “Yes.”
Mina whispered, “Quiet.”
Valeblade whispered, “No.”
Mina stood.
Roth stepped beside her.
Lyra’s fire flickered.
I stood behind them with Pyon at my side.
The pit boss looked at the four of us and finally realized what he was threatening.
He waved a hand, irritated.
“Get them out,” he snapped.
The guards dragged the fighters away, grumbling.
Mina exhaled.
Then we walked out of the pit like we owned it.
Because we kind of did now.
We stepped back into the casino, and the noise hit like a wave.
Music. Coins. Laughter. People pretending odds are fair.
Lyra clutched the pouch like it might vanish.
“We are leaving,” Roth said.
Lyra nodded rapidly. “Yes. Leaving. Immediately.”
We pushed out into the street.
Fresh air. River smell. Lantern light.
I exhaled like I had been holding my breath the whole time.
My system chimed one more time.
[SKILL RANK UP]
Gambling: S confirmed
House Edge Sense: B -> A
Tell Reading: A -> S
Lyra stared at my face. “Do not ever gamble again.”
I blinked. “Why.”
“Because you will break the economy,” she said. “And then some noble will put you in a jar.”
Roth’s voice was calm. “She is correct.”
Mina glanced at me. “Kenta… are you alright.”
I looked at my hands.
They had stabbed monsters, crafted miracles, and just turned one copper into a fortune while a casino tried to murder us for winning.
“I am,” I said slowly. “But my brain is getting ideas.”
Lyra groaned. “What kind.”
I hesitated.
Then I said it anyway, because it was already living in my skull.
“The way I leveled you,” I said softly to Mina. “With the drake.”
Mina’s eyes widened slightly.
Roth’s gaze sharpened.
Lyra’s expression turned wary. “No.”
I kept going.
“That was a lever,” I said. “Party distribution. Final blow. Kill credit. We used it once and it worked.”
Mina’s voice was cautious. “It worked but it was cruel.”
“I know,” I said. “I hated it.”
Lyra crossed her arms. “Then stop thinking about it.”
“I cannot,” I admitted.
Roth’s voice was low. “Speak.”
I swallowed.
“We can build a training plan,” I said. “Not just for me. For all of us. If we can create the right conditions, you can force skill growth. You can force levels. You can catch someone up fast if they fall behind.”
Mina’s face tightened. “That is dangerous thinking.”
“I know,” I said. “But resurrection cost levels. If you ever have to do it again, you could drop to one again. We need a way to recover you fast without risking another miracle.”
Mina looked away, jaw tight.
Roth nodded once. “Practical.”
Lyra stared at me like I had grown a second head. “You are planning to farm your priest.”
Mina’s cheeks went pink, horrified. “Lyra.”
Lyra held up her hands. “That is what it sounds like.”
I exhaled.
“It sounds awful,” I said. “But the system is awful. It rewards awful. If we ignore it, it will still exist.”
Roth’s voice was firm. “We do not become monsters. We do not sacrifice people for levels.”
“I agree,” I said quickly. “But controlled last hits on monsters. Controlled party splits. Controlled leveling. We can do it without cruelty.”
Lyra squinted. “You say that now.”
Mina finally looked back at me.
Her expression was tired, but steady.
“Kenta,” she said quietly, “do not let the system turn you into someone you hate.”
My throat tightened.
I nodded once. “I will try.”
Then Valeblade whispered, smug, “You cannot resist destiny.”
Mina tightened her grip on the sheath. “You can resist my fist.”
Valeblade went silent for a full second.
Lyra blinked. “She is getting scarier.”
Roth’s mouth twitched. Almost a smile.
We walked back to the floodgate station barracks with our winnings restored, plus the stolen crate, plus a new piece of information that made my skin itch.
Priests who do not wear robes.
Divine tags.
Blue residue.
Luck drain.
Theft.
Water.
It was all connected.
Just not in a way I could name yet.
My quest updated again.
[QUEST UPDATE]
Floodgate Supply Escort
Shipments delivered: 2/3
Stolen shipment recovered: 1
Next destination: East Road Station Three
Slight progress. Real progress.
And a bigger problem behind it.
As we reached the barracks door, Pyon blinked onto my shoulder and sent a simple thought.
…hungry
Lyra clutched the gold pouch tighter.
“I hate gambling,” she said.
Then, very quietly, she added, “I might love gambling.”
Roth said, “No.”
Lyra sighed. “No.”
I stared at the river in the distance, listening to the water roar under the bridge.
Then I thought about the note on my S-rank shard.
Do not expose to floodgate water.
And I realized something that made my stomach go cold.
If the corruption wanted water, and we were literally traveling from floodgate to floodgate with seal rings meant to keep water safe, then the road ahead was not just dangerous.
It was the road the corruption wanted us on.
And the system was watching, quiet and hungry.
Just like the casino.
CLASS: Hero
AFFILIATION: Asteria Adventurers Guild
GUILD RANK: Bronze II
PARTY: Hero Standard (4) Party Bonus: Coordination (Minor)
EXP: 900 / 6500
MP: 175 / 175
STR: 35
AGI: 45
VIT: 35
INT: 11
WIL: 11
LUK: 8
- Auto-Translation
- Inventory (40 slots)
- Appraisal
- Growth Rate x5
- Mental Resistance
- Courage (Passive)
- Hero’s Aura (Passive)
- Weapon Adaptation (Passive)
- Heroic Shout (Active) Cooldown: 5 min Effect: resolve up, fear down, aggro draw
- Sword Basics (Lv. 5)
- Footwork (Lv. 6)
- Parry (Lv. 5)
- Precision Thrust (Lv. 2)
- Riposte (Lv. 3)
- Guard Break (Lv. 1)
- Healing Magic (Rank F)
- Minor Heal (Lv. 1)
- Crafting Rank: S
- Sealwork: A
- Leatherwork: B
- Metalwork: B
- Pet Taming: S
- Beast Link: Lv. 2
- Companion Tactics: Lv. 1
Companion: Pyon (Blinkhorn Runner)
GAMBLING:
- Gambling: S
- Tell Reading: S
- House Edge Sense: A
- Arena Sense: C
- Bloodsport Composure: C
- Crowd Pressure: D
- Maker’s Focus (Unique, Enhanced)
- Competitive Flow (Unique)
- Athletic Body (Minor)
- Quickstep (Minor)
- Iron Gut (Minor)
- Nestbreaker (I)
- Sewer Cleaver (I)
- Bloombreaker (I)
- Workshop Menace
- City Games Champion (Rillhaven)
- Drakebreaker
- Pit Survivor (Lucky River House)
Weapon: Short Sword (Common) ATK +12 Durability: 82 / 100
Cloak: Hero Cloak (Asteria Issue) Reputation Gain +5% Cold Resistance (Minor)
Plate: Hero Plate (Bound) Identity Verification Level Display Quest Proof Storage
Hands: Sewerwalker Gloves (Uncommon) Acid Resistance (Minor) Grip +5%
Feet: Leather Boots (Reinforced) Acid Resistance (Minor)
Accessory: Cracked Silver Ring (Uncommon) VIT +1
Key Craft: S-Rank Catalyst Fragment (DIVINE tag, origin blocked) Stored safely
MAIN QUEST: Defeat the Demon King
GUILD QUEST: Floodgate Supply Escort Delivered 2/3 Theft source linked: Lucky River House Stolen crate recovered 1
ROTH: New shield equipped (Drakehide Kite Shield, Rare). Reliable frontline.
LYRA: Emotionally banned from casinos (unenforced).
MINA: Level 20 restored. Resurrection Sickness lingering. Valeblade bound at hip.
PYON: Blinkhorn Runner active. Cargo and combat utility growing.
VALEBLADE: Still loud. Still smug. Still restrained (60%).