Chapter 324: Dopamine (3)

Translator: DreamscribeThe gambling hall set up in the Golden Palace drew a response just as explosive as Jinwoo had expected. No, it exceeded his expectations.

The games were open from sunrise to sunset, and everyone, without a single exception, gathered in the banquet hall and sank deep into gambling. Pickled in dopamine, they couldn't think about anything else at all.

They enjoyed their gambling without any sense of time passing, and when closing time came, their eyes dripped with regret and they could hardly bring themselves to leave.

The nobles stayed in the luxurious rooms prepared within the Golden Palace. Normally, they would have gazed at these opulent rooms and lost themselves in admiration, or used them as bragging material, but the only things flying around in their heads were numbers and cards.

Their hands were still trembling.

It felt like just a little more would be enough to turn their lives around.

Their luck had finally come in, and this was exactly when the winning was supposed to begin.

The nobles gathered in the hall in front of their rooms chatted with flushed faces. All of them still wore their masks, and thanks to that, they could speak freely without worrying about who was listening.

"Did you win big?"

"I got lucky. Isn't this all thanks to His Highness's grace?"

"Ahem, I was just starting to win myself..., what a shame there has to be a closing time."

"I heard it all ends tomorrow...."

"What?!"

The nobles began to stir.

"It ends tomorrow?! What do you mean...!"

"Preposterous! It's only just begun! I was only just starting to win, how can this be!"

"Th-then after tomorrow, we can no longer play this glorious game?"

"No! I still have to win my money back!"

The nobles were shaken.

To be unable to enjoy the games!

The withdrawal symptoms had already set in and their hands were trembling, so what if they couldn't play after tomorrow?

It would be as agonizing as losing everything in life.

They had already become people who could no longer live without the games.

"N-no!"

"I-if we appeal to His Highness...."

"Are you out of your mind? Do you want to die?"

"Er..., I happen to be acquainted with Head Steward Berto...."

Everyone turned to look at the noble who claimed to know Berto. He nodded, and together with the whole group, ran to the annex where Berto was staying.

Berto came out the door looking haggard.

"...What is it?"

"I-is it true that everything ends tomorrow?"

"That's right."

Berto could only manage a feeble smile.

His hair had already been bleached completely white.

"I-it would be too unfair to end it like this! With just a little more time, I could recover my principal and win double, no, triple that...!"

"Same here!"

"My luck was just kicking in!"

"I dozed off for a moment just now, and I had such a lucky dream."

Berto nodded as if he understood. He related to every single one of those words.

"I could have won too. It felt like just a little more would do it..., but I'm out of funds, so I don't think I can participate anymore. Ha ha ha ha...."

The nobles exchanged glances, then each took out the chips they had and held them out.

Berto's eyes went wide at the sight of the chips.

"You all...."

Was this the bond of comrades-in-arms!

Berto accepted the chips, his eyes welling up.

"Thank you. I will win it all back and repay you, I swear."

"If you could please appeal to His Highness on our behalf...."

When the noble said this and handed over a few more chips, Berto hesitated for a moment, then accepted them.

"Understood. I will stake my life on speaking to His Highness."

"Thank you!"

"Head Steward, you are our hero!"

Berto set off on trembling legs amid the nobles' cheers. As he cautiously approached the palace where his master was staying, the doors opened as if they had been waiting for him.

The moment Berto saw Jinwoo, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"Y-Your Highness! Please, kill this servant!"

"Hmm."

Jinwoo looked down at Berto.

He was shaking violently and drenched in sweat.

"You lost all the money?"

"This lowly one's inadequacy...."

"Well, it happens. I suppose I expected too much of you."

Jinwoo's voice, heavy with disappointment, pierced Berto's ears.

"Can you recover it tomorrow?"

"If you grant me a little more time, I will succeed without fail! I can see the answer!"

Berto's voice was filled with the conviction that he could absolutely win. Jinwoo smirked and took out a pouch of gold coins, dropping it on the floor.

CLANG!

Gold coins spilled out of the pouch as it hit the floor. Berto reached for the coins with quivering hands, then froze the instant he felt Jinwoo's gaze on him.

"This time, I can't just lend it to you. Let's make a contract."

"A c-contract?"

"It's simple. If you fail to repay it, you offer up your soul. I originally planned to end the banquet tomorrow, but..., hm, I'll extend it one more day, just for you."

When Jinwoo produced a contract and set a pen on top of it, Berto signed immediately, as if there were nothing to even think about. Soul or no soul, he was a servant belonging to Prince Reist anyway.

He felt a slight prickle of unease, but the thought vanished at once.

'Because I can pay it back!'

He had the patterns all figured out!

All that remained was to win. There had been a minor error, which was why he'd lost by a hair yesterday. If he had stopped midway as originally planned, he would have had more than enough to pay off his debts.

This time was different!

This time, he would win for certain!

He would return triumphantly before His Highness, arms loaded with gold!

"Take it."

"Your grace is boundless! Your Highness!"

"Sure."

Berto hurriedly gathered up the pouch of gold coins. He bowed once more with the utmost reverence, then dashed out. Jinwoo simply smirked as he watched Berto hurry off, positively buzzing with excitement.

When Berto came outside, the waiting nobles swallowed hard as they stared at him. Berto put on a solemn expression and nodded.

"His Highness, out of special consideration for me, has bestowed his benevolence upon us! We may enjoy this delight for one more day, so make the most of it!"

"WOOOOOAH!"

"KYAAAAH!"

As the nobles reveled in mad joy and let out cheers, Berto shouted along with them.

"Now! A great battle lies before us! Everyone, sleep well and let us meet here early tomorrow morning!"

"Yes!"

"We will win, no matter what!"

They all returned to their rooms with resolute expressions.

The next day, Jinwoo deployed the modified pachinko machines. He had built and rolled out pachinko machines themed around battles against dimensional predators.

A screen appeared that made it feel like heading into combat, accompanied by crisp hit sounds, addictive music, and a voice that stirred up excitement.

The nobles who strode confidently into the banquet hall marveled at the pachinko machines. When they started the game following a servant's explanation, they were struck by a powerful jolt and shuddered.

"Ohh! This truly is a warrior's game!"

"Indeed."

"I-I need to go get more money!"

"I'm running out of chips!"

Jinwoo watched the nobles from a special seat in the banquet hall while running his broadcast. The moment the broadcast went live, the people he had rescued and the vengeful spirits started typing in chat.

First, he had posted a warning notice.

[Gambling is the fast lane to ruin, and thus it is forbidden in the name of the Evil God.]

It was an absolute rule.

-That noble just lost again! Ohh! Misfortune! Rage on like a storm!

-The Evil God's games...! They've all lost their minds to the madness. Ohh! What sacred power!

-How fleeting is the end of greed!

The viewers happily watched the nobles suffer as they lost their money. Just then, something approached Jinwoo, seeping into him.

[Urobon has felt joy. The light of the heart grows stronger.]

[Raphne laughs while watching a suffering noble. Light flows out from within her satisfaction.]

As the viewers felt joy, light was conveyed to him, like donations to a streamer. That light accumulated not with the Evil God, but with the Lord God of Arsilan.

Jinwoo felt his Authority rise and his Sacred Power increase. The anguish and pain of those who had accumulated Evil Karma, and the joy and happiness of the good, all became power for Jinwoo.

[Mouth2,311 hurls curses at the noble Lont. Lont's luck decreases by 30%.]

[Eye2,343,2... reads Head Steward Berto's hand and secretly informs the dealer.]

[Hand777 swaps the noble Hahot's cards.]

[Foot7,643,2... gives the roulette wheel a little extra spin.]

The vengeful spirits meddled in the nobles' gambling and stirred up chaos. As they did, Evil Karma values rose and accumulated with Jinwoo once again.

'Now this is gaming.'

Jinwoo had completed a world where everyone had fun!

Two days passed like that, and closing time arrived.

Jinwoo showed himself in person at closing time. Nobles with low Evil Karma values were rare, but a few did exist. Through rigging, Jinwoo handed them jackpots. If everyone only ever lost, the games would lose their thrilling edge, so he had rigged it.

"Haha! I think I'll buy a villa with this."

"C-congratulations."

"This too is all thanks to the grace His Highness has bestowed, is it not!"

"I'll be replacing my vehicle. Just a modest little win, you see. Hahahaha!"

The nobles who had won money wore beaming smiles.

"How...."

Berto, who had lost every last coin, looked like his soul had left his body.

He had gone all-in on the final game and lost by a razor-thin margin. The pot had been large enough to pay off everything he'd borrowed, so the cards still seemed to swim before his eyes.

When Jinwoo raised his hand, the banquet hall fell silent.

"Regrettably, it is time to bring this to a close."

The nobles wanted to beg him right then and there to please extend the event, but they barely managed to hold their tongues. There wasn't a single noble reckless enough to dare say such a thing to an imperial prince.

"Did you enjoy the games you played here?"

"Y-yes! Your Highness!"

"It was an absolute delight!"

"I d-don't think I can l-live without the games anymore!"

The nobles praised the games in unison, as if they'd been waiting for the question. Jinwoo smiled contentedly as he looked out over them.

"You need not worry. Construction is already underway so that you may continue to enjoy these games."

"Gasp!"

"Then, could it be?"

The nobles recalled how the center of the great city had been flattened.

Something had been under construction there, and the nobles had assumed it was some new treasure vault of Reist's.

"A-at that scale, it would be dozens of times the size of this place...."

"Ooooh!"

"Prince Reist! May you bask in glory for all eternity!"

The nobles' reaction was tremendous.

"Your Highness! Might my humble house lend its unworthy hands so that the construction may proceed smoothly?"

"I wish to take part in Your Highness's great vision! My house also wishes to help with everything we have!"

"M-me too...."

The nobles' eyes had gone completely unhinged.

One could almost see cards fluttering across their glazed-over pupils.

"Your devotion is truly commendable."

Jinwoo gladly decided to accept their help.

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire's technology was formidable, so the construction would be finished in no time.

"Then, safe travels home, everyone."

When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, the lights went out.

The nobles left the Golden Palace, their regret trailing behind them. They boarded the ships in a daze and descended into the city. The city that had once been so dazzling now seemed to appear in shades of gray.

'How dull.'

'So tedious....'

'Was this place always this boring?'

The nobles trudged along, returning to their own mansions.

* * *

Nasko, the Imperial Princess's knight, returned to the 9th Planet. Her expression remained vacant the entire way back.

Whenever she closed her eyes, gorgeously moving marbles and cards shimmered before her. Her fingers twitched, as if they could not forget the feel of those cards.

She was so deeply immersed in that overwhelming euphoria that she had even forgotten the beloved sword she always carried. She tried gripping her sword, but it no longer filled her heart the way it used to.

"That was a magnificent battle."

A table where everything was staked to decide a victor.

That tension was combat itself.

"Red, 23...."

The roulette wheel shimmered in her mind.

The sight of that beautiful marble gliding along, scattering golden light, was intoxicating just to recall.

When many nobles were waiting their turn, there were even places to rest for a while.

Without thinking, she reached out her hand and pulled it down. The thrill of pulling a slot machine lever felt far better than swinging a sword. No, there was no comparison at all.

And what of the card games?

"Haah...."

Nasko drank the fine wine a servant handed her.

Compared to that tingling, sweet taste, this stuff was garbage. The food she had eaten at the Golden Palace surpassed anything she had eaten in her entire life.

Paradise, heaven, a dream world.

The Golden Palace was that kind of place.

"Prince Reist was...."

Hiding his true self!

She was not imperial royalty herself, but she did carry a faint trace of imperial blood. She had subconsciously looked down on Reist, yet now all of it felt as though it had been part of a plan.

He must have deliberately played the fool in order to distance himself from the imperial succession. Wasn't he revealing a noble determination to transform this tedious Sanctuary into a place of enjoyment?

Before she knew it, Nasko had come to respect the very Reist she had once so disdained.

The moment she returned, she was summoned by the Imperial Princess.

As the Imperial Princess's faithful right hand, she had served her since childhood.

The Imperial Princess, 6th in line for the imperial succession, regretted her failure to recruit Kalgul more than anyone. She had sent Nasko to infiltrate the event in order to monitor Reist's movements.

Only a close aide of Nasko's caliber could at least offer an excuse if she were discovered.

She knelt before the Imperial Princess.

"Haven't I told you there's no need for formalities when it's just us?"

At the Imperial Princess's gesture, Nasko bowed her head once more and rose to her feet.

"So, what was our foolish little brother scheming?"

"Your Highness, this servant saw heaven there."

At Nasko's words, the Imperial Princess blinked, then tilted her head.

"Tell me in detail."

Nasko recounted everything that had happened in full detail.

Her memory was exceptionally good, so she could convey the games vividly.

Nasko marveled upon hearing the types of games and their rules. Her fingers tingled and the hair on her head stood on end. If merely hearing about them did this, what would actually playing them be like?

"Hmm."

A strong interest stirred in the Imperial Princess.

Having fallen far behind in the imperial succession, all she did these days was tend her garden and eat delicious food. Unlike the others, she did not invade dimensions beyond the Sanctuary or fight against dimensional predators. The factions were already firmly divided, leaving her no room to squeeze in.

"With the nobles providing support, it seems it will be completed very soon."

"Those nobles are providing support?"

"Yes, they are helping most eagerly."

Unless things were taken from them by force, nobles never offered up anything of their own accord. Even their groveling before the imperial family was a show of submission born of fear, not loyalty.

And yet, they were voluntarily supporting that Reist?

"The Reist Game, you called it?"

"Yes, Your Highness. That is what it is being called."

The Reist Game!

It was the collective name for all the games Reist had unveiled.

"I shall have to go see it for myself."

"Then please take me with you! I am concerned for Your Highness's safety."

"For you, who did nothing but train all day, to say you'll accompany me... how very interesting."

"Forgive me."

The Imperial Princess laughed heartily and patted Nasko's shoulder.

Nasko bowed her head deeply, her body trembling. It was not because of the Imperial Princess's gracious touch.

'This time, I'll win.'

She hadn't brought much money, so she hadn't been able to bet big.

But this time was different!

A perfect plan surfaced in her mind.

The Imperial Princess was not the only one who had sent a spy to Reist. On top of that, various nobles were busy bragging about what they had experienced.

Word of the Reist Game was slowly spreading throughout the Sanctuary.

*****

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