## Chapter 126 – (2)
He had run so much that the man’s once neatly slicked-back hair now stuck out in every direction.
“Would you… Haa… Would you mind if I helped you?”
He sounded almost desperate, so I agreed.
The man’s explanation was as follows:
The gold I had produced was more significant than he had anticipated, requiring a substantial amount of chips to be issued. However, exchanging chips for such a large sum was beyond the authority of the woman I had initially dealt with.
Therefore, he had come himself.
And another thing.
The man asked for my membership card for a moment, and when I handed it over, he presented me with a black card.
Considering my original membership card was white, it was essentially the opposite color.
“Please accept this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s the second-highest tier card in our casino.”
As he said this, he also handed me a brochure.
The brochure detailed the card tiers and the areas accessible with each tier.
However, the descriptions of those areas were quite intriguing.
First, the white, standard tier had no special features, allowing access to gambling and shopping only on the first floor and basement level 1.
Next, the red tier granted access to basement level 2, where more exclusive gambling was available, along with participation in auctions.
The green tier allowed access to basement level 3, which housed unique clubs and shops where many people spent their chips.
And then, the black tier.
It granted access to auctions and gambling events featuring items that were hard to believe existed in a modern setting.
Although a detailed explanation was lacking, one of the main auction items in basement level 4 was said to be slaves.
In other words, people were being sold at auction.
“…Huh…”
Hearing this story after entering the world of the novel made me feel dizzy.
As I was expressing my astonishment, the man added,
“For green tier cards and above, the number of chips you carry around becomes too large, so we load the chips onto your membership card. Currently, Seonghan-nim’s card has five hundred thousand chips on it.”
So, this membership card essentially functions like a debit card within the casino.
Not bad.
After hearing the explanation, I left the room.
I was now ready to fully enjoy the casino.
The dazzling lights I had seen from the outside were just as vibrant inside.
Light emanated from every direction, making even people’s shadows blurry.
There was a saying that playing in a casino could make you lose track of time.
One of the reasons was this light.
With no windows and no clocks in this casino, and the lighting so bright it was blinding, it was difficult to know how much time was passing.
One might argue that you could just look at your phone or wristwatch.
But seeing the countless phones and wristwatches held as collateral at the chip exchange, I realized that even that wasn’t an option for some people.
On the first floor, there were basic gambling games.
Blackjack, roulette, slots, and poker, among others.
These alone were enough to create the atmosphere of a casino.
The atmosphere of a typical casino.
The sounds of the roulette wheel spinning, the slots whirring, and occasionally the celebratory sounds of someone winning on the slots could be heard.
Listening to those sounds made my heart flutter for some reason.
It was exactly the casino I had imagined.
“Then…”
I slowly looked around.
I ruled out slots and roulette, anything that overly emphasized luck.
That left blackjack and poker.
I headed towards the poker table, which felt a bit more familiar.
And, wanting to give it a try, I approached an empty poker table and sat down.
“Please place your chips or card on the table.”
The dealer kindly explained as I sat down.
There were designated spots on the table for placing chips and cards, and I naturally placed my black membership card in the card slot.
“Huu…”
One of the poker players, a thin middle-aged man, made a strange noise when he saw my card.
He seemed to understand the significance of the black card.
Some of the other players, who didn’t seem to know, asked me.
“Oh my, why don’t you have any chips?”
“The chips are on the card.”
“Really?”
A young woman looked at the dealer with a suspicious gaze, but the dealer reassured her with a nod.
Only then was I able to receive my cards and start playing.
And as soon as I received the cards, I understood the ability of the Gambling Skill.
The poker hand rankings came to mind, and by looking at the other players’ open cards, I could roughly predict what cards might be drawn.
Frankly speaking, it wasn’t that helpful of an ability.
It was definitely a level 1 skill, so there were many shortcomings.
There were other abilities that were much more helpful.
‘…What is this?’
The Yin energy from the woman next to me was seeping out and being absorbed into me.
When a woman’s Yin energy surged like this, it meant one of two things.
Either she had the Nine Yin Meridians, or it was desire.
It certainly wasn’t the Nine Yin Meridians, so it was more likely to be desire.
‘Looking at the open cards, I have the advantage.’
“Half!”
“Half!”
The woman raised the stakes, and the thin man called.
Then it was my turn.
After some consideration, I said,
“Fold.”
“…And you have so much money…”
As I folded, the man who had recognized my card muttered as if he was disappointed.
I didn’t really mind calling, but I wanted to take a moment to calmly observe.
Was this woman’s blatant Yin energy really meaningful?
The man was also emitting Yang energy, but it was insignificant compared to the woman.
“Please reveal your hands.”
At the dealer’s words, the man smiled and showed his hand.
“Flush!”
It was a fairly high-ranking hand.
However, the woman was smiling.
“Four of a kind!”
“Agh!”
The man screamed and covered his face with both hands.
I chuckled at the sight.
It seemed I had found something much more useful than the Gambling Skill.
I got up from my seat.
“What, are you leaving already?”
The woman, emboldened by her win, smiled at me and said.
“Yes, enjoy yourself.”
“Okay~”
The woman replied casually.
Did this woman know?
That I had just given her a chance.
I had lightly played poker and seen the potential of my abilities, so it was time to go to basement level 2.
Passing through the first floor, I took the escalator to basement level 1, and it was…
A little different.
‘A shopping mall?’
The only gambling-related thing was the slot machines, which even on the first floor had the most people participating, placed in the center. The rest were shops and restaurants.
There were all sorts of stores.
A supermarket, convenience store, pharmacy, and even a bank and a beauty salon.
There was even a toy store, which seemed out of place in a casino.
Moreover, glancing at the price tags in the restaurants, they were surprisingly cheap, considering they were located in a luxurious casino.
It seemed clear to me.
‘At this rate, everything can be taken care of within the casino?’
From the second floor above ground, there was a hotel, so accommodation was also provided.
“…Wow, seriously.”
Thinking about it made me shudder.
They had created a system where you could take care of everything without ever leaving the casino.
The cheap prices at the restaurants suddenly felt a little sinister.
I didn’t have any business there right now, so I decided to go straight to basement level 2.
However, this time I couldn’t just take the escalator.
Two men were blocking the way to the escalator.
It belatedly occurred to me that only red tier members and above were allowed on basement level 2.
As I approached the men, they naturally asked for my card, and I presented it.
“Ah! Please, come in.”
The two men’s expressions brightened, and they stepped aside, allowing me to pass through and board the escalator to basement level 2.
Finally, I was able to enter the main stage of the novel.
And as soon as I descended to basement level 2, I couldn’t help but open my mouth in amazement.
“Huh.”
If the theme of the first floor and basement level 1 was extravagance, this place exuded a refined sense of luxury.
A crimson red carpet covered the entire floor, and a subtle darkness created a late-evening atmosphere, unlike the upper floors.
I had read about it in the novel, but seeing it in person was even more astonishing.
The people were also dressed in formal suits or dresses, showing off their luxurious attire as if they had agreed to do so in advance.
And on top of that—
“Sir, would you like a drink?”
A woman approached me with a tray.
The tray held glasses filled with champagne, whiskey, cola, and other beverages.
“Ah? Oh, then I’ll have this…”
Without thinking, I grabbed a cola, and the woman gave me a bright smile and then headed towards someone else.
Even the service was different.
As I enjoyed the luxurious atmosphere and walked around, I saw a place where people were gathered.
Seeing the people, who had been holding glasses elegantly in one hand all along, excitedly shouting, it was clear that this was where the special gambling took place.
I knew what kind of gambling took place here, so I was a little afraid of the reaction.
As I approached the crowd, I saw a deeply recessed space at their feet.
And in that space was a circular, cage-like structure.
Of course, it wasn’t a cage.
It was a ring.
Like the kind where MMA fighters fight.
Specifically, a ring called an octagon.
Yes, the identity of the special gambling on basement level 2 was MMA fighting.
People were enthusiastically watching the fights, which had slightly more aggressive rules.
And I, too, stood next to them and began to watch the fights.
My impression was simple.
“…This, I could make some money here?”
