Chapter 74

Chapter 74
## Chapter 74: Sword Saint vs Sword Saint

* This is impossible…!

Greed was spiraling into pure desperation.

It was the natural reaction for someone suffering loss after loss in a contest they were certain they would dominate.

A simple game of luck.

In any struggle that relied entirely on the whims of fortune, I was destined to remain undefeated.

Attempting to overwhelm me with sheer numbers?

That strategy was equally useless.

The reason was simple: I could see through the veil.

《Hidden Trait ‘Golden Grace’ is active.》

《Odd 36.1% / Even 63.9%》

The internal probabilities were laid bare.

No matter how skilled he was at misdirection or hiding the truth, ‘Golden Grace’ calculated the exact likelihood of the outcome.

It wasn’t a perfect hundred percent, but the accuracy was high enough to ensure victory.

《Wager 5,000 value on even.》

《Outcome: even.》

《Current total value: 37,000.》

Starting with a modest 7,000, my hoard had grown to 37,000.

If converted to standard currency, that represented three hundred seventy million gold.

-…We are switching games.

Greed finally conceded. He recognized that continuing with odd-or-even was a path to total ruin.

It was a rational move, under the circumstances.

However, the shift in format changed nothing for me.

-The next trial is over-under. Predict if the gold I draw is above or below the designated threshold.

From odd-or-even to over-under.

This entity—was he truly the ultimate manifestation of a golden goblin?

In a typical gambling den, he would have pivoted to sleight of hand or blatant fraud. But Greed was a purist; he adhered to the spirit of the gamble.

He sought to crush opponents using nothing but the weight of his vast wealth and inherent value.

I still had to stay sharp, as the odds weren’t absolute.

*Clatter clatter clatter!*

A massive geyser of gold coins erupted from the hoard, swirling into the air.

The volume was significantly larger than any previous round.

-Make your bet. You have 5 seconds.

“All in.”

-…?

The goblin froze. All in?

Greed couldn’t believe his senses.

‘Is this human completely insane?’

My record wasn’t a perfect streak of wins.

I had carefully woven a pattern of minor losses and major victories, appearing to build my wealth with calculated caution.

He likely viewed me as a conservative player who only moved when the safety net was secure.

And now, a total wager?

-Consider this carefully. If you lose your value here, you will have nothing left but your miserable hide!

In this domain, the only two outcomes were total loss or total acquisition.

Greed had never been stripped of everything within his own borders.

Even with the best luck in the world, a single slip in a “double or nothing” scenario would be the end of the road.

“All in,” I repeated, my voice steady.

I spoke with the finality of a man who had already seen the end.

A thin, mocking grin spread across Greed’s face.

‘You’ve finally walked into the trap.’

The prior rounds were merely the setup.

Did he truly believe he could calculate this?

*Rumble! Rumbllllle!*

The sky filled with even more gold.

It was a mountain of metal that no living soul—mortal or otherwise—should have been able to quantify at a glance.

-10 billion gold pieces. Over or under? 10 seconds.

Logic suggested a deep calculation was required.

But if one looked at the facts, the reality was plain.

Greed’s starting valuation was roughly 200,000.

Between the Essence of Gold and the Jar of Greed, 60,000 was accounted for.

Add the 30,000 in value he had already surrendered to me.

That left 90,000—and in terms of raw gold coins, it was mathematically impossible to exceed 10 billion.

We had been betting specifically with gold, keeping other artifacts out of the tally.

-10, 9…

“It is neither over nor under.”

Greed’s expression twisted into a scowl.

-…Neither? Explain yourself.

“The count is exactly 10 billion gold.”

Panic flared behind Greed’s eyes.

‘How could he possibly know?’

Normal analytical skills were suppressed in his presence.

That meant the human would have had to count every individual coin—an impossible feat of speed for any entity in ten seconds.

It defied all laws of the world.

Not a million, not a hundred million—ten billion.

How could he possibly process that number in ten seconds!

-Are you certain?

“I am.”

-I will grant you one final opportunity to revise your choice.

“You’re stalling.”

-…Correct…

It defied logic.

But a singular truth was becoming apparent: in a game defined by numbers, I was untouchable.

-Next game! Immediately!

He was desperate now, reaching for a more convoluted, higher-stakes challenge.

—

《Wager 37,000 value on 10 billion gold.》

《Outcome: 10 billion gold.》

《Current total value: 74,000.》

This was going well.

So well it felt almost criminal.

‘Essence of Gold.’

The fundamental component for crafting unique-tier equipment was finally within my grasp.

Now, the Jar of Greed was the only prize left to claim.

The original purpose of navigating the labyrinth had slipped from my focus.

That was secondary now.

The primary goal was to drain this creature of every asset he possessed.

‘I’m not just relying on Golden Grace. I have Great Sage as well.’

The synergy between the two was broken. While Golden Grace provided the odds, Great Sage provided the raw data.

Standard observation was blocked, but Greed’s aura couldn’t suppress hidden traits.

While odd-or-even involved hidden elements, the over-under was an open display—which made Great Sage the ultimate cheat code.

The number “10,000,000,000” had appeared in my vision as clearly as a neon sign.

-Ah, aaaah…!

Greed finally fell to his knees.

《Current total value: 237,000.》

I had bled him dry.

The legendary vault of the golden goblin was a hollow shell.

The Essence of Gold, the Jar of Greed, and every single coin and relic were now mine.

Yet, I wasn’t finished.

-My… my life’s work…!

“There is still one more thing you can put on the table.”

-What could possibly be left?

“Your own existence.”

The physical form of Greed himself remained.

The goblin stared at me with an expression of pure disbelief.

-…

It was a look that asked: *What kind of monster is truly standing before me?*

### Sword Saint vs Sword Saint

Greed gathered his thoughts.

He had been caught off balance because he’d never faced a losing streak of this magnitude, but he realized there was one final card to play.

The ultimate prize.

Everything in this room had a price tag, but one element had remained unvalued until now!

Greed himself.

The sum of all the world’s treasures paled in comparison to his personal ‘worth.’

Confidence returned to the goblin’s features.

The game wasn’t over until the final hand was played.

-It is not enough.

“What isn’t enough?”

-Your current worth is insufficient to challenge me.

“You’re telling me 237,000 isn’t a high enough stake?”

237,000.

That was the equivalent of two billion three hundred seventy million gold.

At the very least.

It was a fortune capable of purchasing an entire city-state—and it wasn’t enough?

Greed gave a slow nod.

-I will stake everything I am. In return, you must do the same.

“A total wager from both sides—what is the contest?”

-Value!

He was obsessed with the concept.

But since he had dismissed my current hoard, it was obvious he was talking about a more metaphysical ‘value.’

-We shall bet our intrinsic worth—yours against mine.

“A direct comparison? To see whose essence carries more weight?”

-Precisely. The one with the superior value takes everything! It is the law of the universe for the greater to consume the lesser!

Greed radiated certainty.

This was a victory he viewed as inevitable.

The human had done well to push him this far. He deserved credit.

He was the most formidable challenger to ever step into the Golden Abyss.

‘But your luck ends here.’

That was the reality.

He was the Monarch of the Golden Abyss.

That position alone bestowed a staggering level of worth.

For countless ages, he had been the singular golden goblin known as ‘Greed.’

Despite the thousands of other goblins in the depths, none held that specific name.

Why?

Because he possessed the requisite value.

The necessary standing.

He was the one who had lusted after every treasure in existence, driven by the purest ‘desire.’

As one who was synonymous with the abyss itself, could a mere human truly be worth more than him?

His true value had never been measured by an external force before.

‘I am the sovereign of gold.’

Since the dawn of time, gold had been the yardstick for value.

As its master, his worth was naturally the highest in existence.

“How do we measure this? What is the metric?”

-Have no fear. My innate authority provides an objective appraisal for all things. Even for the divine.

There would be no trickery.

Just a pure gamble fueled by raw ambition.

A test of fate, instinct, and will.

‘So, take the bet.’

Just like always.

Step forward with that same arrogance.

No amount of luck could tip the scales in a ‘value game.’

The outcome was dictated by who they were, not what they did.

Luck and deception were irrelevant here.

This was a different beast entirely.

Would he fold?

“Hmm…”

-Are you frightened? I can see why. But you were the one who demanded I bet my life. If you decline now, you forfeit everything you’ve won thus far.

The goblin had proposed the format, but I had initiated the stakes.

Demanding his body had triggered this final confrontation.

There was no retreat.

To walk away was to lose the entire haul.

Acceptance or refusal—Greed was delighted by the dilemma.

‘He’s wavering.’

…Watching his smug display, I took a moment to reflect.

His overconfidence was his default state, so I didn’t find it particularly intimidating.

I was simply curious about the specific mechanism of ‘intrinsic value.’

‘The worth of a thing is entirely dependent on the lens through which it is viewed.’

Value shifts depending on the criteria.

The previous games had used ‘gold’ as the baseline.

This might be the same.

If the standard was ‘total wealth accumulated over a lifespan,’ I was doomed.

He was an eternal being; I was a mortal.

By simply existing and hoarding, Greed would win by default.

‘…Yet, Greed has played with surprising integrity.’

I reevaluated my opponent.

In any den of thieves, cheating was the norm.

Lies, scams, and threats were part of the game.

But Greed was a purist.

His devotion to the act of gambling was almost holy in its intensity.

Even with the house advantage, he didn’t resort to blatant fraud. Setting the rules and having a larger bankroll wasn’t cheating; it was just the reality of the game.

If he had been honorable until now, would he remain so—or was I being naive?

‘The masters of these abyssal realms have been here for eternity. They are static.’

No, my instinct was right.

Every ruler I had encountered was defined by a rigid, unchanging nature.

The passage of eons in the dark had hardened their minds into something inflexible.

Stubborn, obsessed, and bound by their own internal codes.

I saw that same trait in Greed.

He wouldn’t cheat.

I made my choice.

“Fine. Let’s settle it.”

-Kuhahaha! Excellent! A true clash of worth! I haven’t felt this excitement in ages! Revel in it, human! Show me your confidence!

He was all talk.

…Is this guy related to the Serengeti family or something?

—

Gracia paused to clear her throat.

‘That cursed woman…’

The Sia Saintess.

She never anticipated an unprovoked assault.

Even with her heightened senses, she hadn’t detected a shred of killing intent.

It had been a seamless transition—a strike meant to kill without a hint of malice.

If she hadn’t been perpetually on high alert, that could have been fatal.

‘I have no idea how the Sia Saintess survived, but she is clearly compromised.’

Gracia had attempted to end her but ultimately stayed her hand due to a lingering sense of dread.

Executing the saintess would lead to a myriad of complications.

Furthermore, leaving her alive meant she would act as a natural deterrent for other challengers in the maze.

“…This is it.”

Gracia had spent her time hunting the event’s creatures using her Thousand Swords, collecting every ticket in sight.

With a thousand tickets in her possession, the path was revealed.

She now stood before the threshold leading to ‘Sword Saint Riley.’