Ayanokoji walked out of the casino, took a deep breath, and instantly felt the air was much better.
After staying in the casino all morning, his head felt a bit dizzy, somewhat like the feeling after staying up all night.
He couldn't imagine how bad the mental state of those gamblers who constantly gambled in the casino must be. Their emotions constantly shifted between great joy and great sorrow; weren't they afraid of sudden death?
"Materialize R Card [Mint Candy]." Ayanokoji found an R Card he had previously drawn from the system's mailbox and materialized it in his pocket.
Any item drawn from the system's card pool would be directly sent to the mailbox for storage, requiring no extra space. No matter how long it was stored, what was materialized would be at its optimal shelf life.
However, once an item was taken out, it couldn't be put back in; it couldn't be used as a storage box, which made him want to grumble.
It truly was a defective product. A system without even a storage space was a disgrace to systems.
Ayanokoji's mailbox currently contained forty to fifty items, mostly N Cards, and also more than ten R Cards.
N Cards came in a wide variety of types, ranging from food to toys, furniture, and some valuable luxury items.
From socks to refrigerators.
It could be a toy water gun, or it could be a real gun with live ammunition.
It could be worthless toilet paper, or it could be priceless pearls and diamonds...
Anything that could be bought with money was included in the N Card category.
However, perhaps because the system knew that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was not short of money, about half of the N Card items he drew were snacks, which he used as treats in his leisure time.
Unlike N Cards, R Cards could only draw one type of item—food.
Desserts, main courses, afternoon tea, snacks... Any edible food could be drawn.
The food from R Cards was different from what was bought in reality and what was drawn from N Cards.
Each R Card item came with a "temporary buff" such as "increased energy," "increased stamina," "increased memory," "indomitable," or "rapid adrenaline secretion," which was only effective for the first person to eat the food.
For example, the R Card [Mint Candy] that Ayanokoji materialized had the effect of instantly boosting one's energy.
Ayanokoji took out the canned mint candy materialized in his pocket, took one out, and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a cool sensation shot from his feet to the top of his head, making him shiver involuntarily.
The next moment, he felt his mind clear, like putting on new underwear on New Year's Day and opening the window to breathe in the fresh outdoor air.
He felt he had never been so good; he could stay energetic even if he stayed up for a few more nights.
He felt that in this state, no one's cheating could escape his notice. If he gambled in this state, his winning rate would definitely increase greatly!
But this feeling came and went quickly. Five minutes later, he felt himself being dragged back to reality, returning to his usual state.
However, his spirits were much better than when he first came out of the casino, like he had gotten a good nap.
Ayanokoji picked up another mint candy and put it in his mouth. To his disappointment, this time the feeling was significantly less intense; only a faint coolness rushed into his mind, relaxing his head for a while.
It seemed that the first bite's enhancing effect accounted for 80% of all effects, and even if the remaining part had an effect, it was greatly reduced.
However, everything was just a comparison.
Ayanokoji believed that even these remaining parts had a much greater effect on mental clarity than a whole bottle of energy drink on the market.
It was during the long break. Ayanokoji hadn't been sitting in his seat for long when he saw Saotome Meari walk in from outside the classroom with a dark expression, coming directly to his side.
"What's wrong with you?" Ayanokoji felt a bit amused, "You didn't lose another gamble, did you?"
Yesterday, when Saotome Meari lost to Aiura Kokoro, she had the same expression.
"If I had lost a gamble, it would be one thing, but..." Saotome sighed lightly, her gaze falling on the seat in front of Ayanokoji.
"Can I sit here?" Saotome asked Ayanokoji, who then looked at Kuroki Ya, who had just walked out of the casino.
"Of course you can!"
Kuroki's ability to read the room was maxed out. He didn't know what he had misunderstood, but he immediately said, "I'll go for a walk. You don't need to mind me. You can sit for as long as you want!"
He quickly left the classroom, afraid of disturbing the two of them.
"Alright, tell me, what happened?" Ayanokoji asked with a smile.
"Why can you make friends, but I can't? I don't even have anyone to play cards with!" Saotome seemed to be full of resentment, plopping down in the seat opposite Ayanokoji, crossing her arms, and looking displeased.
"Why? That gamble with Aiura Kokoro was seen by the whole class. They should all know how formidable I am, right?
To avoid being looked down upon, I also answered questions perfectly in class, tried to make my makeup look more natural than usual, used a light pink nail polish, and didn't forget to treat everyone kindly."
"But... why is no one approaching me? Not even someone who wants to gamble together!"
Saotome said, becoming exasperated, and slammed Ayanokoji's desk.
"Calm down..."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka handed Saotome a mint candy: "Your attitude towards others isn't important. What's important is how others perceive you and how they should treat you."
Saotome took the mint candy and, without suspicion, put it in her mouth—
The next moment, she suddenly jolted, her eyes instantly lighting up, and her voice carried a hint of coolness: "Ayanokoji, this candy of yours tastes good. Where did you buy it? I feel so much more energetic!"
"This stuff isn't easy to get. Don't even think about buying it with money." Ayanokoji shrugged, returning to the previous topic.
"Let me ask you, what do you think of Aiura Kokoro's status in your class?"
"It should be very high, right? There's always a circle of people around her. Oh, and she seems to be the daughter of a big company's boss, a true young lady."
Saotome said indifferently: "But what does that matter? Even if she lost to me, would she intentionally make others stay away from me? She should, in fact, make others seek me out for gambling, right? Doesn't she want to see me fall?"
"I thought you'd be able to figure this out..."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka hadn't expected the usually intelligent Saotome Meari's emotional intelligence to drop, shaking his head helplessly as he began to explain to her.
Aiura Kokoro and most of the students in the class have been together since middle school, spending three years together, and have long since formed their own small clique. They know each other inside and out, and are all clear about each other's true skill levels.
If there are no surprises, Aiura Kokoro's gambling skills are quite high among them. Most people probably win by cheating with invisible contact lenses, while their actual gambling skills are terrible.
Although their gambling skills are not good, they are not fools.
Simply put, you are like an outsider who defeated a small boss as soon as you entered. Even if the other elite monsters want to trouble you, they will weigh your skill level and think about whether they should come and give you money.
Ayanokoji made a gesture like a bear shrugging: "They are all people who care a lot about their reputation. They won't easily do things they are not confident about. So... you've been put on 'placed' play."
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