Chapter 100

Chapter 100

The League Casino stood as a colossal venue that epitomized the wealth of England.

It had commenced operations a three-year period prior, and whispers circulating the industry suggested its market valuation had already eclipsed that of Las Vegas Sands.

The explanation behind this meteoric rise was self-evident.

The World League, which served as mankind’s premier athletic competition, was currently hosted on English soil.

By combining lodging, card tables, electronic gaming machines, pachinko, roulette, and a myriad of other attractions, a single establishment had emerged where every imaginable variation of wagering could be pursued within legal boundaries.

“Wow.”

The arriving members of the guild stared ahead wide-eyed, resembling rural folks stepping into the sprawling metropolis of Seoul for the very first time.

The gathering of people was not merely dense — it was practically bursting at the seams.

It wasn’t restricted to players either. Individuals from every corner of the planet who had journeyed here specifically for league-related sightseeing were packed tightly into the common space.

“Look over in that direction! They even have an outlet for players!”

Yu Jia appeared absolutely delighted to be experiencing her first international journey in quite some time, gesturing excitedly at every sight and reporting whatever caught her eye.

A player boutique?

The eyes of Baek Jinwoo shifted toward the designated spot.

Well, look at that.

Based on his observations, the establishment was styled exactly like a high-end luxury shop, presenting various items with considerable flair.

Because security and shoplifting were valid anxieties, they had inscribed the specifications of each piece elegantly across shimmering golden cards.

This implied that if a customer finalized a purchase, the merchant would personally oversee the delivery and exchange.

“That is actually a highly effective marketing strategy.”

“See, I told you!”

Yu Jia immediately produced a small notepad and began scribbling notes at a frantic pace.

“Instead of just listing merchandise through the standard Market, if we establish a distinct brand and cultivate an aura of prestige, elevating the price points becomes much simpler. This is an approach we must replicate without delay.”

Good grief.

She truly possessed the mind of a career business executive.

Even while ostensibly taking a holiday, she was actively conducting market research.

“Guild Master, follow me this way.”

Hwang Juwon had evidently conducted thorough preliminary research, as he confidently stepped to the front to navigate their path.

They threaded their way through the sea of bodies, tracing a route across a maze of halls until they arrived at an unassuming indicator.

“We have reached the spot. The surrounding perimeter caters strictly to standard sightseers, but this interior zone right here — this is exclusive to players and individuals of extreme wealth.”

“Fascinating.”

Yu Jia uttered a low sound of admiration.

“So this is how the upper echelon operates.”

“An upfront deposit of one billion won is mandatory just to cross the threshold, but our intention from the start was to utilize the entirety of our funds anyway.”

“Precisely.”

“In that case, let us proceed inside. Does everyone have their travel documents ready?”

“Affirmative.”

“Yes, indeed!”

Gaining access required a mere pair of credentials.

An official passport, along with a premium credit card.

Specifically, a high-tier financial card capable of verifying a credit limit of one billion won.

“Greetings, honored guests.”

The moment they stepped over the threshold, employees dressed in immaculate, well-tailored attire offered them warm expressions of welcome.

The group separated, with each person being escorted individually by a dedicated representative.

“You must provide authorization for the entire one billion won to be utilized strictly on internal wagers. Furthermore, please be advised that the absolute ceiling any single patron can withdraw from this venue is capped at one hundred billion won.”

Ah, these clever operators.

They had crafted their regulations with extreme precision.

Wagering was permitted, but they deliberately restricted the potential payout ratios from exceeding a fixed limit.

Regardless of how extraordinary your luck might be, your earnings were legally confined to a maximum of one hundred times your initial buy-in.

He could respect the business logic behind it.

Looking at it from the casino’s perspective, they had to implement safeguards to prevent anomalous entities like himself from walking through the doors and draining their entire treasury.

“If these conditions are acceptable to you, please authorize the agreement here, Player Baek Jinwoo.”

The representative had clearly catered to numerous elite figures in the past, as their demeanor remained perfectly composed and unchanged even when a representative of the national squad walked into the room.

The only expression they maintained was that same, unshifting polite smile.

Well, that made perfect sense.

An enterprise of this scale likely hosted individuals of even greater renown on a regular basis.

Perhaps someone of Rachel’s stature was present?

Scratch, scratch.

He penned his endorsement on the document, and they presented him with a security credential.

The exclusive lounge of the establishment was situated deep within the subterranean levels.

Was this layout chosen to ensure airtight protection?

Heavily built guards were positioned at every turn, holding firearms and patrolling the outer boundary.

Swoosh.

Baek Jinwoo scanned his surroundings the very instant he crossed into the interior.

The chamber itself was staggeringly vast.

It roughly matched the dimensions of the grand Olympic Stadium in Seoul.

It was an immense pavilion capable of accommodating approximately one hundred thousand individuals simultaneously.

Positioned dead center was a massive sector configured like a athletic sports book where wagers could be placed on the upcoming tournament fixtures, while the outer rim featured an unending bounty of high-end culinary delicacies and premium beverages.

Furthermore, the room was filled with people. An immense number of them.

Celebrated musical artists, international social media icons whose likenesses seemed vaguely recognizable, corporate executives, multi-billionaires, and various other elites.

Yet, the figures who naturally commanded the most attention were, without a doubt…

The active players.

It was entirely predictable.

His own group was far from the only ones who had conceived this idea.

Celebrated combatants representing countries from every corner of the earth had assembled here in massive quantities.

Look, Shusuke is present over there as well.

Utilizing his enhanced visual acuity, Baek Jinwoo managed to pinpoint Takahashi Shusuke, an individual he had previously clashed with in combat.

It felt like a mere blink of an eye since he had been actively issuing ultimatums to that man, yet there the guy stood, smiling broadly and enjoying a lively conversation without displaying a single care in the world.

“Alright, let us assemble for a moment.”

Hwang Juwon assumed management of their wagering strategy.

It seemed he possessed a fair amount of background experience with athletic gambling.

“The system here is structured similarly to equestrian racing, you understand? We are unable to place stakes on specific head-to-head matches until the initial brackets are officially drawn, so the alternative is to wager on the ultimate champion or the exact podium placement. That is the current methodology.”

Huh.

That was a logical approach. A basic victory-defeat-stalemate option would inevitably invite all sorts of underhanded manipulation and fixed outcomes.

Because of that risk, the organizers would have completely barred active tournament participants from placing direct wagers on single matches.

“As you might expect, the return on an English championship is incredibly meager. 1.24x. If you risk a full billion, your net return amounts to a mere 1.24 billion.”

“Incredibly cheap. How ungenerous.”

“There is no alternative when the vast majority of the public is dumping their capital onto England.”

Predictably, the top five superpower nations carried the least profitable payout coefficients.

England, Japan, America, Russia, Taiwan.

Personally, I would rather withhold my money entirely than back any of those choices.

Given that context, what were the prevailing metrics for South Korea?

“24x.”

“That is considerably lower than my initial estimates.”

“My thoughts exactly. It honestly ought to be valued at 100x at the bare minimum.”

These companions of his.

They were displaying a fair amount of avarice, weren’t they?

A 24x return already equated to a staggering 24 billion won… yet their ambition was fixed on maximizing the full 100 billion ceiling…

Which was entirely justified.

A faint smile crossed Baek Jinwoo’s features.

“We can alter those metrics by assembling a multi-leg parlay.”

He directed his finger toward the digital display panel.

Right there.

While predicting an outright English championship offered a paltry 1.24x return, backing England to finish specifically in second place yielded a much higher 3.14x.

That was a substantial increase.

“Given that the organizers stated the tournament tree is arranged based on performance in the qualifying rounds, provided we secure the absolute highest point total, the mathematical likelihood of confronting England in the final round becomes exceptionally high.”

The distribution of the brackets was not left to random chance.

The algorithmic parameters of the system were engineered to ensure that the most dominant squads would only cross paths at the absolute climax of the event.

And even if catastrophic misfortune placed England directly into their initial division?

That presented no real obstacle.

They maintained a cooperative relationship, after all. They could easily calibrate their respective scores to complement each other, then aggressively crush the remaining opposition to accumulate a staggering quantity of points.

With that in mind.

What if they merged these two specific projections into a single combined wager?

[Total: 75.36x]

An absurd multiplier exceeding 75 times the original stake flashed into view.

Risking a collective 11 billion meant they stood to walk away with a grand total of 82.9 billion.

“Even in the event that we fall short, our loss is capped at a mere 11 billion. But if our calculations prove correct, isn’t that an ideal sum of spending money?”

Baek Jinwoo remarked with an amused expression.

Man.

What an incredible shift in perspective.

To think that a moment would arrive in his life where he could gaze upon 82.9 billion won and casually dismiss it as pocket change.

As a point of clarification, the displayed returns already had all governmental assessments and levies fully deducted.

Should the scenario unfold precisely as anticipated, that exact figure would land directly in their accounts.

“The choice is finalized!”

Yu Jia declared loudly.

“The moment we claim this payout, I intend to construct a spectacular SKY corporate tower right alongside Yubaek City!”

“Incredible!”

“A dedicated SKY tower?”

“Now that gives us a real reason to fight!”

The members of the guild locked hands in a shared show of enthusiasm.

“Even if claiming the ultimate trophy is an uphill battle, it remains an endeavor well worth pursuing.”

“Furthermore, the entire philosophy of placing wagers is to enjoy oneself using resources that won’t be missed.”

Whether a sum of 11 billion truly qualified as “resources that won’t be missed” was certainly open to interpretation, but the specific caliber of players gathered in this environment possessed every justification to make such a claim.

That was the reality.

Even Baek Jinwoo scarcely viewed 11 billion as tangible currency under his current circumstances.

“Is it your explicit desire to commit your entire combined funds to this precise formulation?”

The croupier managing their table spoke in a low tone, his face betraying genuine astonishment, and that was the exact instant a disruption occurred.

“You possess quite the bold spirit, don’t you?”

Step, step.

Advancing from the far side of the pavilion, a gentleman drew near while slowly striking his palms together.

“Oh my goodness—”

“Th-that individual is—”

Observing the sudden tension that rippled through the guild members, it was clear that the approaching figure commanded immense global recognition…

Ah, could it be Xenos?

Indeed.

The gentleman who had approached their position was none other than Xenos, representing the United States.

Baek Jinwoo had committed his physical appearance to memory through extensive digital research, allowing him to identify the man instantly.

Holding the top position in America.

One of the illustrious Five Emperors.

Wow.

Baek Jinwoo felt a genuine sense of pleasure upon encountering him.

The recollection of that 32-year-old individual constantly offering sycophantic praise within the digital chat channels was still fresh in his consciousness.

“Am I correct in assuming you represent the national contingent of South Korea?”

In that precise interval.

The gazes of Xenos and Baek Jinwoo locked onto one another.

Baek Jinwoo allowed a subtle smirk to play upon his lips, while Xenos slowly ran his tongue across his lip line.

As a reminder, the translation creature that Baek Jinwoo had previously obtained from Jasim remained comfortably nestled upon his shoulder.

“If you would permit me.”

“……”

“Would it be considered improper if I requested a private dialogue?”

At thirty-two years of age.

Xenos carried himself with perfect decorum.

He offered a polite invitation to converse with Baek Jinwoo, leaving the accompanying guild members entirely stunned by the development.

Ohhh.

That notoriously arrogant Xenos is initiating contact in THAT specific manner?

Our Guild Master truly operates on an entirely distinct spiritual plane.

The Five Emperors legitimately view him with the reverence reserved for JinuGod.

The guild members shifted their glances back and forth between Xenos and Baek Jinwoo with expressions of profound awe.

Baek Jinwoo offered a simple nod.

“Very well.”

Xenos and Baek Jinwoo transitioned over to a secluded alcove of the pavilion.

“I prefer to speak candidly,”

Xenos initiated the dialogue.

“I conducted a thorough investigation regarding your background.”

“On the exact day our global reality transformed, you were involved in an automobile collision. You regained consciousness three years down the line. Please do not take offense. Any member of the Five Emperors who holds awareness of your existence would have executed at minimum that basic level of scrutiny.”

Well, he harbored no resentment over it.

He had fully anticipated such actions.

Had Baek Jinwoo found himself in their exact circumstances, wouldn’t he have pursued identical measures?

In truth, I ought to count myself fortunate.

The fact that they possessed this data and still chose to leave him unmolested was a relief.

Realistically speaking, if any among them had possessed a slightly more malicious disposition, they might have resolved to eliminate the threat before it had an opportunity to fully mature.

First and foremost.

Xenos is absolutely certain in his mind that I am JinuGod.

He couldn’t point to a specific piece of evidence.

It was merely an intuitive certainty.

If that were not the reality, what purpose would be served by deliberately isolating him to deliver a statement of this nature?

“What is your motivation for sharing this with me?”

“No particular motive,”

Xenos replied without a moment’s pause.

“Maintain your vigilance, JinuGod.”

“Against what threat?”

“Not every individual within the ranks of the Five Emperors holds a favorable view of you.”

“You operate entirely on your own terms. You decline to participate in our collective data pools. Furthermore, your capabilities are simply too formidable. That combination naturally paints a target upon your back. Though, it seems Rachel views the situation through a different lens.”

“I find myself curious about something.”

“Ask away.”

“What grants you such absolute certainty that I am JinuGod?”

“Hmm.”

Xenos shut his eyes momentarily, weighing his words.

“To be perfectly frank, it isn’t so much my own personal certainty — rather, I place my faith in Rachel’s judgment.”

“Rachel?”

“Precisely. She is the one who harbors zero doubt. Having interacted with Rachel in a face-to-face setting, I can assure you that her perceptual capabilities are nothing short of extraordinary. She is convinced you are JinuGod, and she sincerely desires to foster an alliance with you.”

“For an individual harboring such desires, she has completely refrained from initiating any form of communication.”

“That is because she remains uncertain of your ultimate intentions.”

My intentions?

Xenos let out a quiet, amused sound before carrying on.

“Have you ever once attempted to initiate contact with Rachel first?”

“…No.”

He genuinely had not given the matter any serious consideration.

If anything, his focus had been entirely dedicated to accumulating power covertly, ensuring the Five Emperors remained oblivious to his progression…

“That dynamic captures Rachel’s character perfectly. She behaves like a hound awaiting its master’s signal.”

“She is likely waiting with bated breath for you to establish a line of communication. So — do you possess any inclination to grant her an audience?”

“At this very moment?”

Following Baek Jinwoo’s query, a profound grin spread across Xenos’s face.

“Rachel, Sugoi, MoscowMan, Baekcheon… Every single one of them is present. They are observing the events of this floor from an authentic VVIP chamber that remains entirely hidden from the knowledge of ordinary patrons.”

“You must be joking.”

An elite VVIP chamber sequestered within the standard VIP zone?

If this pattern persisted, would an even more exclusive VVVIP chamber manifest next?

Hmm.

An audience with the Five Emperors.

Baek Jinwoo had to acknowledge a seed of genuine intrigue.

To look upon the physical countenances of individuals he had interacted with for a five-year duration — within actual reality?

Right as he was contemplating the prospect.

KA-BOOOOOOM!

A earth-shattering blast shattered the atmosphere, erupting directly from the path leading to the main entryway.

“What in the world was that?”

Baek Jinwoo’s expression darkened into a deep frown.