Chapter 60
Until Xia'er walked out with 150 chips in hand, the remaining gamblers erupted in cries of regret.
"Wait! This luck is just too good, right?"
"She must be faking it! She’s got skills!"
"Damn it!"
"Come on, let’s go again! Don’t leave!"
Xia'er had already taken her winnings and was not planning to linger any longer, let alone continue gambling with them.
At that moment, Xia'er, carrying a handbag and a small wooden box containing three chips, followed the maid into the foyer, where she saw a group of people waiting for her.
When Aivina spotted Xia'er, she stepped forward to greet her, but soon her attention was drawn to the basket in Xia'er’s hand and the mismatched number of chips inside.
"Uh... is this all you have left?" Aivina asked, her expression neutral, but her mind was racing.
Maybe I could lend her a bit...
"I won," Xia'er replied, "I only exchanged one hundred."
"That’s good to hear." Aivina nodded, secretly thinking it was a pity.
Aivina led Xia'er and Adele toward the exchange area, which was their actual destination.
The exchange area was located in the basement of the manor, featuring a massive vault door akin to those found in banks, guarded by extraordinary beings.
Two maids followed them, guiding them into the cellar.
Aside from the slightly cooler air, the opulence down here was on par with the upper floors.
Countless materials that Xia'er had never seen before were displayed in various glass cases, making her feel as if she had entered a gem exhibition.
Four attendants approached, quietly inquiring about their needs.
Before long, Adele and Aivina were led to the area for second-tier potions, while Xia'er was taken to the first-tier potion section.
"Bitter Monk," "Listener," "Instigator," "Healer"... Xia'er recognized several familiar potion products, among which the Instigator was something she could consume directly.
Previously, the only materials extracted from Thomas were auxiliary ones; the other potions had permeated his flesh and required specialized methods for extraction and refinement.
From the notes Xia'er had seen earlier, she knew that the extracted potions would carry some irremovable contamination.
This contamination caused a significant difference in the final product's color and effectiveness compared to the original potions.
These discrepancies manifested during the replication ritual; if the initial potion required the sacrifice of ten lives, the recycled potion might demand eleven, thirteen, or even fifteen lives to achieve successful digestion.
Moreover, after digestion, the mental contamination attached to the potion would inflict more severe psychological effects on the user, with the whispers in their ears becoming more intense.
Of course, the kind of potion extracted from Xie Lun, which showed no signs of digestion, also belonged to the category of original potions.
According to the notes, the author had even witnessed a potion that had been recycled three times; the person who consumed it was immediately assimilated by the potion, transforming into an indescribable monster, completely losing their sanity.
The potions sold at Dedun Manor were divided into original potions and recycled potions, with the latter being nearly a third cheaper.
Xia'er had seen many potions in the notes.
For instance, "Detective," "Gardener," and "Magician," but there were also many empty glass cases, some labeled, some not.
Xia'er noticed the absence of the "Gambler" potion, as well as its subsequent "Judicator."
Soon, Xia'er realized something seemed to be missing.
She turned to the attendant beside her and asked, "What about the 'Gambler' potion? Is it in one of those empty cases?"
She had seen the "Adventurer" potion, but not the "Gambler." Logically, the "Gambler" potion should be one of the most abundant potions at Dedun Manor.
"No, miss, those empty cases contain potions that are not for sale," the attendant explained. "However, the potions from the 'Gambler' path are free."
"Free?"
"Yes," the attendant nodded, "as long as you win fifteen consecutive games at the Death Roulette, you can receive the 'Gambler' potion and the replication ritual for free."
"Win fifteen games?"
"Yes, winning fifteen in a row is considered the fastest way to complete the 'Gambler' replication ritual."
This was nearly an impossible task... but Xia'er felt she had a chance.
"What are the rules for going first at the Death Roulette?" Xia'er inquired.
"Hidden chips. After writing down your chips in a concealed compartment, the highest bidder goes first, capped at eight thousand pounds in chips," the attendant explained.
"The first player can choose how many bullets to load, with a maximum of five."
"The handgun is made from 'Gambler' spiritual materials, granting the abilities of a gambler."
"If you load five bullets, the shots will be rubber-tipped, capable of blinding but not lethal."
"The fewer bullets you load, the greater the power of each shot."
"If the shooter fires a blank, the remaining bullets will continue to be enhanced, allowing the shooter to keep firing."
"If the shooter fires at the opponent with a blank, it becomes the opponent's turn to shoot."
"For an ordinary person, having three bullets left and shooting accurately is enough to be fatal."
So, the fewer bullets loaded, the stronger the shot?
"What if I load four blanks and one live round?" Xia'er asked.
The attendant replied, "The live round will be deemed a 'sure hit,' and after firing, the shooter will be declared the winner. Just like the extraordinary beings of the 'Gambler' path, the less likely an event is, the greater the reward for betting correctly."
Is this the ability of the "Gambler"?
Do you have to gamble on probabilities even in battle?
To achieve a sure hit and victory, one must first shoot oneself four times...
A path with both high risk and high reward... but for Xia'er, it seemed there was no such worry.
Because she could know whether the next bullet was live or blank.
If that handgun were paired with her precognitive ability...
"What happens after I win? Does the next person come in, or do we keep betting chips for the first turn?" Xia'er asked.
"The Defender goes first."
The Defender goes first.
In other words, as long as she won the first round of betting chips...
She could keep going first, continuously winning with her precognitive ability?
Finally, Xia'er asked her last question.
"What happens after fifteen consecutive wins? Are there any further rewards?"
"After fifteen consecutive wins, there’s a reward for fifty consecutive wins, which is the ritual and potion for the second-tier 'Harbinger of Misfortune' of the 'Gambler' path."
"If you achieve one hundred consecutive wins, you will receive the potion for the third-tier 'Fate Seeker' ritual and be upgraded to the highest-level member of Dedun Manor, enjoying the benefit of one-to-one chip exchanges without fees at all Dedun locations."
The more she heard, the more tempted Xia'er became.
"What’s the current record for consecutive wins?" Xia'er asked.
"Seventeen," the attendant replied.
Xia'er carefully reviewed the rules the attendant had explained.
If the rules were true, she had no chance of losing.
A path leading all the way to third-tier potions and rituals, along with the benefit of fee-free chip exchanges...
Was this worth spending ten life points to explore?
Fifteen consecutive wins would complete the "Gambler" replication ritual.
But what if she consumed the "Gambler" potion after achieving one hundred consecutive wins?
Not only would she gain a new path ability, but she could also exceed the replication ritual and earn additional life points as a reward from the system.
This could be seen as using ten life points to gamble for even more life points.
Xia'er held her breath, her eyes focused as the system screen unfolded before her.
If the upcoming simulation or past simulation was within the next two days, Xia'er would choose to proceed directly to the Death Roulette.
Otherwise, she would forfeit.
The silver-white simulation interface appeared before Xia'er, and a message popped up in her view.
「Second breaking of the destined death, random simulation times saved」
「Upcoming: 1h (Saint Year 741, June 20, 9:05) (Cost: 10 life points)」
「Past: 1Day (Saint Year 741, June 19, 9:01) (Cost: 10 life points)」
「Old Day: ***, ***Day (？？？) (Cost: 10,000 life points)」
「Re-randomization times: 1」
One hour later?
Xia'er no longer hesitated. She looked at the attendant and asked, "Do you have a pen and paper?"
"I do."
"Please take me to the lounge."
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