Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Chapter: 13

## Chapter Title: The Big Win

The Big Win!

The Hudson Establishment.

The glittering metropolis known as the Golden City of Arcana carries a second title: the City of Eternal Celebration.

This specific venue stands as one of the three primary gambling dens managed by Hudson, the preeminent property owner of Arcana.

Its sheer scale and opulence serve as a constant siren call to the masses, blurring the lines between day and night.

What sets the Hudson apart is its accessibility; even those from the “lower districts” are permitted entry without the burden of complex paperwork.

Identities are irrelevant here—the only passport required is “currency.”

Furthermore, as the crown jewel of Arcana’s leisure industry, it is a common sight for patrons to arrive with their faces and titles carefully concealed.

“You’re telling me this land title is only worth 8,000 gold? That’s blatant robbery! Its market value is north of 15,000 gold as we speak!”

At the reception counter where visitors are vetted.

A man’s voice boomed in frustration, but the diminutive clerk in spectacles merely gave a dismissive shake of his head.

“Current transactions for that specific plot in the Fifth District are hovering at 7,800 gold. Offering 8,000 is actually quite charitable, but you still need to provide the remaining 2,000 gold to meet the entry threshold.”

“But even so, how can you…!”

“Security.”

In a heartbeat, the massive sentries stationed nearby pinned the man down.

“W-Wait! I’m a patron here!”

“No 10,000 gold deposit, no patron status.”

“Gah!”

The sentries hoisted the man aloft and heaved him into the air. He soared across the pavement before slamming into the dirt and rolling.

The surrounding crowd watched the spectacle, whispering through stifled laughs.

“Look at that, a pauper trying to play with the big boys.”

“Truly embarrassing.”

“The Fifth District? Isn’t that basically a sewer? I can practically smell the filth from here!”

The city’s high society—decked out in exquisite gowns, sharp formal wear, and silk turbans that screamed old money—sneered.

They wrinkled their noses at the sight of the ragged man attempting to cross the threshold.

They poured out scorn and mockery.

Such was the reality of Arcana. A society where “wealth” was the only metric of worth.

However, my attention wasn’t on the aristocrats, but on the sentries.

These weren’t simple hired muscle.

【Lv. 6】

They were seasoned combatants, possessing the strength of knights.

According to the world’s history, these men were actually part of the official knighthood of Arcana City.

It might seem beneath a knight’s dignity to stand watch at a gambling hall, but in this realm, every “major city” functioned as a sovereign state.

Consequently, the statutes and traditions varied wildly from one border to the next.

Arcana operated under its own unique set of principles.

“Step forward.”

Significantly, I was the one in line immediately following the man who had just been ejected.

Isabella and I were currently at risk of being tossed out just as violently as he was.

“Entering the premises requires a deposit of 10,000 gold. We do, of course, accept high-value items as security.”

The clerk behind the glass partition offered a practiced, polite smile.

A 10,000 gold requirement. Meanwhile, my total liquid assets didn’t even hit 300 gold.

‘I dropped 50 gold just to clean up and get some decent attire.’

That left me with exactly 250 gold.

Walking into a high-end casino drenched in gore wasn’t exactly an option.

Since I was short on hard cash, I had to rely on my inventory.

‘Even the entry requirements are scaled by status.’

I wasn’t lacking in valuable assets.

Based on Isabella’s estimation, parting with the pumpkin-themed blade would easily net 30,000 gold.

The staff here were equipped with high-level evaluation skills to determine the precise “worth” of any object.

While 10,000 gold was the floor for entry, the different tiers of the casino were unlocked based on the total value of your collateral.

In this context, collateral wasn’t treated as standard currency.

It was a litmus test for a visitor’s “standing.” It filtered those who could easily leverage immense wealth from those who were merely scraping by.

“Well, sir? Do you have anything?”

The sentries shifted closer.

“If you’re broke, get out of the way!”

“There’s a line here! Move it!”

“Paupers wasting everyone’s time, as usual.”

The people waiting behind us began to lose their patience.

Two consecutive delays were too much for a crowd itching to get to the slot machines; their complaints grew into a roar.

The clerk’s eyes trailed over me, judging my appearance.

‘Cheap garments, likely picked up for 13 gold at a common market. No visible jewelry or accessories. The companion is attractive, but she isn’t wearing anything of note.’

The clerk gave a silent, weary sigh.

It seemed today was plagued by a string of people who didn’t belong.

Individuals who would be better off betting on street corners than stepping foot in a real establishment.

Allowing too many low-class visitors would damage the brand. Hudson’s place was known for being the most open of the major three, but it had its limits.

‘I should make an example of this one.’

They had watched the previous man get thrown out and still dared to stand there. They were troublemakers.

A simple toss wouldn’t suffice this time.

A brutal lesson in a dark alley would ensure they never showed their faces again.

“Security, take—”

“Will this suffice?”

Just as the guards were about to grab me, I reached into my inner pocket and produced an item.

The clerk squinted at the object, his head tilting in confusion.

‘What is that?’

He didn’t recognize it at first glance. He immediately triggered his “Appraisal” ability.

The clerk’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“……Please, allow us to show you to the VIP suite. We are honored to have you at the Hudson.”

The clerk and the once-threatening guards bowed in unison, their hands clasped respectfully.

“We will escort you through the private VIP portal.”

“Right this way, please. Clear the path! Move aside!”

The demeanor of the guards shifted instantly, their movements becoming sharp and synchronized.

They physically forced a path through the complaining crowd.

It was like watching a modern-day parting of the Red Sea.

“VIP?”

“How is that…?”

The mob in the lobby could only stare in stunned silence as we bypassed the main floor and ascended toward the exclusive upper levels.

The casino’s penthouse level.

Once we reached the sanctuary of the VIP zone, Isabella shot me a look of deep suspicion.

“……What exactly did you give them?”

“The Fairy Queen’s Tear. It’s a specialized charm.”

I gave a casual shrug.

She looked even more baffled.

“Isn’t that just a material for upgrading gear? No matter how rare a charm is, it shouldn’t be enough to get this kind of royal treatment…”

“Usually, you’d be right.”

In most cases, even a top-tier charm wouldn’t be valued over a million gold.

Strictly speaking, the Book of Teleportation would have a higher market value due to its utility.

But the Hudson was a special case.

‘Hudson. He’s definitely a player.’

Real people had crossed over into this world as NPCs. For a long time, I thought their unexpected behaviors were just part of the game’s AI, never imagining they were humans.

If some NPCs were actually synchronized humans, then Hudson, the master of this domain, was almost certainly a person from the real world.

‘Hudson is a charm collector. He’d do anything to get his hands on a legendary one.’

Hudson followed the Merchant path.

Since he lacked the stats for direct combat, he built his power through charms.

Some of these items could bypass class restrictions on weapons or grant skills to people who weren’t born with them.

The Fairy Queen’s Tear was the perfect fit for someone like him.

It was a legendary drop—acquired only after defeating roughly 10,000 “Knights of the Fairy Queen,” who functioned as mini-bosses.

More importantly… it was the one piece Hudson was missing from his collection.

‘The easiest target. There’s no better person than Hudson for gathering data.’

I was intrigued by their lives as NPCs and the information Hudson might hold.

Out of everyone I suspected, Hudson was the most reachable.

But before the meeting…

“First, let’s see what the roulette table has to offer.”

Rattle!

A small ivory ball danced around the edge of the massive wooden wheel.

The wheel featured numbers 1 through 50; bets could be placed on high or low, odd or even, or specific digits. Classic roulette.

“Come on, land on red!”

“Hold it right there!”

The gamblers were in a frenzy, their gazes locked onto the spinning ball.

Clack, ping!

It took a few erratic hops.

Finally, it settled firmly into the pocket labeled “48.”

“He won again?”

“Who is that guy?”

All eyes in the room turned toward a single person.

A literal mountain of gold was stacked in front of one man.

“He started with a measly 250 gold—what’s the count now?”

“It has to be 1.32 million gold, right?”

“No, he just put down ten gold bars, so it’s up to 1.42 million now!”

“This is insane. Is he some kind of gambling deity?”

There were 300 minted coins from the central reserve, each worth 100 gold.

There were 20 spheres of solid gold, valued at 1,000 gold apiece.

And 127 heavy gold bars, each representing 10,000 gold.

A total of 1.32 million gold sat piled on the table.

While such amounts weren’t unheard of in the VIP section—where everyone had to show a million gold just to sit down—the shock came from the fact that he had started with only 250 gold.

‘The Golden Grace never fails.’

A thin smile played on my lips.

The 1.32 million was the balance before the last round.

The 100,000 gold wager had just paid out, bringing the total to 1.42 million.

A massive haul.

The Golden Grace ability displayed the probability of success for any action involving money. The more data points it gathered, the more precise it became—and a casino provided a near-infinite stream of data.

The dealer’s face was a mask of pure shock.

It wasn’t just me—everyone who had followed my lead was winning.

And they weren’t just winning small; they were cleaning the house out.

I would likely be banned from every casino in the city by sunrise.

“S-Sir. Please, no more…”

The dealer, staring down a catastrophic loss for the house, looked like he was about to collapse.

Moments later, I felt the heavy grip of security guards on my shoulders.

It was time to walk away.

Even for a VIP room of this caliber, these losses were a major blow. They had tried to catch me cheating several times during the session but found absolutely nothing.

“We will honor your winnings in full. However, you are hereby permanently trespassed from the Hudson.”

They were kicking me out; they had no other choice.

The guards began to close in around me.

If I stayed any longer, I’d be risking more than just my chips; I’d be risking my life.

Isabella tensed beside me, her hand hovering over her weapon.

“That’s enough. This man is my personal guest.”

A man descending from the grand staircase spoke, his voice quieting the guards.

They immediately stood at attention and bowed.

The room erupted in hushed whispers as the patrons recognized him.

Paying them no mind, he walked straight to me and offered his hand.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Hudson, the proprietor of this establishment. If you have a moment, perhaps we could share some tea?”

……Hudson.

The master of this casino, and in all likelihood, a human from the other world.

【Lv.9】

The first thing I noted was the level hovering above his head.

But, as I expected, there were no other details visible.

Could he see my level as well?

Other NPCs were blind to my stats.

Was this a privilege granted to players? Or was it my own unique trait? I still wasn’t sure.

If players could see each other, would Hudson recognize me for what I was?

Especially after the scene I had just caused. What would his move be?

I had no choice but to face him head-on, and even I felt a flicker of tension in that moment.