Chapter 111: Second Round of Gambling, Poker

"Alright, Miss Eliana, it's checkmate."

In the world of the opposing black and white chessboard, Alister stood with his hands in the pockets of his black coat, waiting for her next move.

"... Is it?"

Eliana didn't believe that this was the end.

Being in checkmate didn't mean she couldn't move to avoid it.

As long as she didn't step into the opponent's death squares, she'd be fine.

So Eliana played with a coin, asking a question to "Lucky King" in her mind.

Heads means there's a death square on the right, tails means there isn't.

In the next moment, with the support of her luck in the background, Eliana tossed the coin up and caught it, seeing heads.

However, she needed to be even more cautious; she couldn't afford to make another mistake.

Heads means there's a death square on the left, tails means there isn't.

Eliana tossed the coin up again, catching it in midair, and in the process, saw "Shadow's" cold smile.

She adjusted her breathing, opened her hand, and felt a slight daze.

Heads.

With no way out, neither the approaching black queen nor the death squares on either side...

Alister touched the shadow in his hand and said with a victorious air:

"So, Miss Eliana's first defeat, I'll reluctantly accept it."

"Enough with the chatter."

Eliana's eyes held a cold gleam. She took a determined step to the right, her slender white legs moving decisively.

In an instant.

Representing the white king, she was inevitably judged by the death square.

"Game over."

As if by magic, Eliana turned into white particles, disappearing from the chessboard world.

"Winner, Ranked 1st in E Tier, black side player."

"Loser, Ranked 2nd in E Tier, white side player."

The cold announcement from the system echoed in the casino, leaving the spectators in shock.

"I won?"

"This shouldn't be the case; the luck factor in this game... should be the dominant factor..."

Ignoring the audience's doubts and the loss of ten million chips, Eliana launched another round of gambling with a smirking smile.

"Do you want to try again?" Alister leaned on the luxurious table, resting his elbow, "Falling into the same trap twice isn't a pretty sight."

"What method did you use to see through my plans?" Eliana asked coldly.

"Care to guess?" Alister's answer remained the same as before.

With just a few words, the white-haired girl who had won countless gambles before was defeated mercilessly.

This fact shocked many spectators in secret.

It also piqued their curiosity about the mysterious player named "Shadow" and what advanced techniques he possessed.

"Mind-reading or body language analysis?"

Eliana was a bit angry. This was the first time she had been defeated so thoroughly and mercilessly.

"Distortion of perception." Alister smiled, calmly telling a lie, "Your luck was actually on my side."

"...Do you think I'm a fool?"

Eliana didn't doubt "Lucky King."

Predicting hidden death squares with a hundred percent accuracy was the best proof; it couldn't be...

"I don't believe you."

However, the nonchalant demeanor of the "Shadow" made Eliana slightly suspicious.

Lacking evidence, she couldn't rule out...

"Shadow" using his luck to predict her moves, guiding her step by step into traps...

Eliana disliked this feeling.

...

...

The second round of gambling began.

Poker—a game set in the casino.

Rule one: The gold-masked attendant representing the casino deals the cards. Each side receives five poker cards; the casino won't favor either side.

Rule two: Both sides have one chance to exchange any number of cards.

Rule three: The above rules are repeated three times in succession.

Rule four: Finally, both sides place an equal number of chips and reveal their cards. The winner is determined by the strength of their hands. Best of three, two out of three wins.

After explaining the rules, Eliana looked around the room with a gentle smile, representing herself as the queen:

"Any suggestions or encouragement are prohibited. Making noise would even disqualify you from watching, you know?"

Then, Eliana and "Shadow" locked eyes, formally beginning the gambling game.

Poker would be a game heavily dominated by luck; the element of skill could almost be ignored.

Even beginners could win if they had a good hand of cards. No matter how much a skilled player struggled, it would be meaningless if they had weaker cards.

Even psychological warfare meant nothing when facing absolute luck.

Therefore, Eliana never thought she would lose.

"Before we begin, it's necessary to check the deck of cards as a precaution."

Alister glanced at the emotionless gold-masked attendant and made a reasonable request within limits.

"You're not planning any tricks, are you, Chief?" Eliana warned with a smiling expression.

"I'm not." Alister remained calm, "Just guarding against someone of noble standing trying to cheat ahead of time."

Upon hearing this, Eliana signaled for the gold-masked attendant to inspect the deck of cards.

The golden-patterned poker cards were shuffled in the air, each card being inspected thoroughly.

"Alright, it's fine." Alister confirmed. The gold-masked attendant stopped, shuffled the cards in a way that was invisible to both sides, and finally formed a randomly arranged deck.

"Pointless action." Eliana took a sip of her milk tea.

"No matter if the deck was tampered with or not, you can't win against me. You've already lost."

In the realm of good luck, she was the only true goddess.

"Theoretical possibilities shouldn't be dismissed just like that." Alister touched the shadow at his side.

Luck dominated, but it didn't mean there was no chance of winning.

"Accept the reality that luck is paramount." Eliana said with a smug smile, "Also, don't underestimate my abilities."

The first round began.

Golden poker cards flew to Alister and Eliana in turn, suspended in the air in neat rows.

Five cards for each player, neither could see the other's hand.

Eliana regained her pleasant demeanor, gently observing her five cards as if she were reviewing a line of knights.

Three, four, five, six, seven, and a straight flush to top it off.

A hand of the highest possible rank.

This round was pretty much a declaration of victory.

Not just that...

"You know, the game is far from over~"

Eliana kindly reminded.

Then, she touched the surface of her cards with her fingertips, smiling as if she were talking to someone:

"White pawn, E4."

...

...

In a hall of the Chenghai Miracle Cruise, this magnificent place seemed oddly quiet.

Tap, tap, tap...

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere, halting at the border of a corner.

"Hope she keeps her promise."

The original appearance swiftly dissipated, transforming into the shadow-clad figure wearing a long black coat.

The imposter had no expression, walking with hands in pockets through the spacious corridor toward a planned destination.

"Rule Four: Order cannot be violated in any form."

Just like a regular game program, once the rules were broken through unknown means, the transgressor would be classified as a bug.

Then, the protective program would forcibly erase them.

In other words, it would strip "Shadow" of his gaming qualifications, giving birth to a deity.

...

...

Inside the gambling room, the exquisite golden poker cards floated in the air, catching Alister's eye.

Different suits and numbers formed various combinations, a pleasing sight.

"Agreed, the game is far from over."

Alister listened to the melodious music in the hall and replied to Eliana in a calm tone.

The back-and-forth of the game had begun.

Black pawn, E5.