"90 platinum"
The bustling crowd seemingly froze from that single sentence, their gaze now lay solely on the man who had just announced his bet.
A few steps away, a blond man in ordinary clothing, if not rags. Approaches the game where even nobles dread.
A slightly confident smile rose from his scarred face, his eyes unwavering with resolve. Roland has come to feast, he raises high the pouch clinking with wealth enough to feed a family for years for all to see.
Some gasp, others chuckled, anticipating a shit show. The dealer stared back and forth at the pouch and Roland, seemingly unable to draw the connection between the two.
Roland soon stood facing the puzzled gentleman. "Ahem, I thought you were supposed to announce the bid ?".
He started counting the coins, certain no one would make a higher bid. Things would have gone as planned,...if not for a certain senior.
"95 platinum."
From above the VIP floor, an amused call rang out. With a puff of smoke, the senior nonchalantly flaunts her bid.
Leaning on the marble railings, her etiquette would remind one of a longing maiden. Her eyes however, show otherwise. Like a curious house cat playing with its meal, she lazily flicks the smoke and it begins condensing into a perfect circle, flying down to the Spiral like a fishing net.
The already puzzled dealer became even more perplexed, as if he wasn't wired to react to such a situation. Only when the man standing behind the playful cat gave him a mindful glare did his senses return to him.
Wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, the dealer took a deep breath." 95 going once,...going twice…, going thri-"
"97 platinum give or take". Roland scoffed and returned the favor, his grip tightened on the pouch.
From above, an amused laughter can be heard.
"100 platinum final offer, make it count dealer". The crowd exploded in surprise.
Some started counting their coins, others envied the two bidders who had just dropped such an enormous amount of money for a single bet.
The dealer starts his count as well.
All the guests began settling down. No one wants to out-bid the two parties, partly from fear of losing their entire life savings and also from the oppressing aura emitted from the clashing of predators.
"100 platinum going twice…., going thrice…And-"
"110 platinum. Final offer"
Just when the count was about to end, Roland decided to move. announcing his ultimate price.
"..."
No more words came from the upper floor.
*A few minutes later*
"10…30..60… Alright that's 110" I handed the bid to the sweating dealer, his palm was so moist from the sweat that the coins almost slipped out.
That wouldn't do—who knows what these folks are scheming? I half-expected a random dwarf to jump out from the floorboards, grab the loot, and teleport away.
The dealer started his routine, stealing terrified glances toward the VIP floor. Why is he so afraid of a hostess? And why was she so hell-bent on winning this bid? Did my request for a light actually bruised her ego that much?
That chick smokes like crazy, I could barely recognize her behind the veil of smoke. Do people in this world have enhanced lung health ?
Whatever it is, I'll dig later. Time for action
"And the wheel rotation begi-"
"Wait." I interrupted the dealer's routine. "Let me propose a deal, Mr. Dealer.".
I extend my hand, slowly uncurling fist. 5 more platinum coins were revealed lying inside.
Roland used bribery! The dealer is confused !
"Take these 5 coins and hand them to me, those ivories floating in your cup". using my innate showmanship, the five coins vanished from my palm and reappeared, slotted perfectly between my knuckles.
The anticipating crowd was quiet this time, something was oppressing them from above.
The dealer turned his neck with mechanical hesitation, his eyes pleading with the Senior. He was waiting for her to kick this nutjob out. Instead, she leaned further over the white railing, her predatory curiosity piqued.
She gave a single, sharp gesture. A silent command: Let the madman play.
Mr. Dealer sighs, he starts levitating the balls and placing them in my palm." Good lord, In all of my years working here, you're the first to make such a request". He controls the coins from my hand, pulling them out and into his breastpocket.
Bribery was super effective!
As soon as I received the ivories, a familiar mechanical roar started. sounds of gears turning, and tuney music hype up the air.
Looking at the balls, I knew exactly what to do, and make my money's worth!
The heavy clatter of brass gears saturated the room, building into a rhythmic thrum that vibrated through the soles of my boots. The crowd watched like a herd of hungry chickens, their heads bobbing in sync with the rotation.
Roland holds up one ball, placing it on the nail of his thumb. Aiming for the wheel, he started whispering something…
"The wheels on the bus go round and round….round and round…round and round.." Right at that moment, he flicks the ivory ball. The momentum sent it flying, diving straight into roaring roulette.
The crowd shouts in disbelief, saliva swallowed, eyes peeled at the ridiculous event that happened.
The uncaring ivory soared from Roland's thumb, making a landing right into the innermost circle of the wheel…hitting the jackpot Orange.
"How can this be!" a noble shouted, twirling the waxed tips of his mustache until they nearly snapped. "The bum just won the jackpot!?"
"Relax, it's just dumb luck," his companion whispered, though his eyes were glued to the pile of platinum.
The guests started getting rowdy, the air thick with the smell of lust and greed. Meanwhile, Roland was still in "lock-in" mode. He didn't even blink. Reaching for the second ball, his lips moving in a low, rhythmic drone.
"Johnny Johnny…" his thumb numbing from the pressure.
"..Yes, papa" His hand shaking from the grip
"...Eating sugar". With a slight, clinical flick the marble soars through the thickened air
CLANK
And lands neatly, precisely on another oily orange slot.
Roland immediately reloads another paying no mind to the result, his movements as mechanical and cold as a professional pool player clearing a table.
The dealer couldn't believe his eyes, his face masked with calm interest but inside.. "What the bloody hell!!" are agonizing horrors.
Two back-to-back jackpots, in a game thought to be rigged from the beginning. A "a default house win" now shaken by the thumb of a ragged blond vagrant.
The Senior's cigar slipped from her lips, tumbling toward the floor below as her jaw dropped. She stared at the wheel of fate as if it was the sun, her eyes widened like a full moon.
The menacing man standing next to her instinctively reached out to cover her mouth—a desperate attempt to preserve her dignity—but his own jaw remained wide in a silent scream of disbelief.
The surrounding guests can't help but cheer, as miracles are happening right before them.
"Golly, look at him go! beating the odds two times in a row?!". "Shits crazy! should I ask him for today's lotto?". The cheering gets louder as Roland casts his next ball.
With his eyes closed, Roland keeps repeating nursery rhymes over and over. One by one, flinging all the balls in as the wheel speeds up, resembling a vortex consuming all. Until finally, after the final ivory was casted did he become obvious to what has transpired.
I opened my eyes, the light was blinding. Why is everyone cheering? Glancing at the big wheel in front of me, I finally understood something.
This world, in the end, is still a game after all.
Mr.Dealer seems to be taken back. It's obvious by the way his hand keeps shaking while pressing on his throat. This…Was quite unexpected to me as well.
After a few excited guests nudged him, he ultimately announced. "Results are…out! 3 Greens, with 4 Purple and…3 Oranges! We have a winner!".
Despite the cheerful celebrative tone, I can see a tear quietly roll down his left eye. This guy really is a scammer ,ain't he.
This Spiral. Is in fact a scam like every other gachas. But it came with something unexpected. A gimmick to win. Think of it like the fishing game, where you have to time the best moment to cast in order to get a perfect reel.
By granting myself the right to cast the balls, I essentially grabbed a fishing rod. The moment the wheel begins its rotation, it becomes a fishing pond. All I have to do is time the perfect moment to cast my line.
After reading through several wikis, and forums. Most players suggest you should cast right as it starts, they think it's the best time as the wheel is still slow and easily predictable.
However, a certain player came up with a different solution. A legendary forum post from a guy so unhinged, the community at that time reigns him as the King of deadbeats.
He spent thousands of dollars on the Spiral, recording every roll and instant ramen packs he had to eat for his poor financial choices. After more than three months of trial and error, he came to a conclusion.
The Spiral has a logic, It didn't run on chaos and hopium. It followed a curve. A clean, ugly quadratic graph. With each second passed after the initial start, the odds of hitting the jackpot climb little by little.
Until it hits the peak, the zenith. 7 seconds.
After that with every millisecond missed, the odds plummet straight down to the depths of hell. when the clock hits 14 seconds, it resets and the cycle runs anew.
I came to learn of a perfect way to keep track of that sweet 7 from the time I was still active in the game.
When I came to my older sister's house warming party back in Uni, I saw my little nephew basically wiring his eyes into his Ipad. Repeating something about monkeys jumping on the bed for hours like a zombie.
When I even put a finger on the Ipad, that monkey will start bashing like a rabid. As if his life, the London bridge is falling down in front of him.
That's when it came to me.
Nursery rhymes.
Nothing keeps the mind active yet unconscious at the same time like nursery rhymes do.
Anyways, if I counted correctly…I won… 406 platinum. Really brings the thrills back in these old veins.
Roland can't help but smile, it was his first jackpot in years. Counting from his life on earth. He signals the dealer, the gentleman seems rather displeased but still fulfils his duty. The four hundred and six platinum coins neatly packed handed directly to Roland.
The dealer started counting in his head."406 platinum, that makes..more than 200 thousand gold coins. I don't think even my retirement funds are that grandiose." He handed the bloating pouch to Roland, still stealing glances at the VIP floor.
Roland happily receives the pouch, already rejoicing. He handed the dealer another 2 platinum as a tip for good luck.
Envied eyes track the ragged man with every step, some grinded their teeth until it cracks. Regretting not bidding, even though they knew they had no chance.
Just when Roland's happy ass was about to pass the front door. Something unprecedented happened.
From the marble balcony above, a figure blurred; descending rapidly from the height. Her crimson cloak flapped like the wings of a hawk before her boots struck the floor with a heavy, earth-shaking thud.
"Hey geezer."
Roland froze. A presence surged behind him—unrelenting and suffocating. It felt as though she were miles away and right against his neck all at once
"Wanna make a bet?" She pulled a cigar from her coat and offered it to him.
Roland took it, suspicion gnawing at the back of his mind.
This woman had made a total 180; the air around her no longer felt like that of a mere hostess or servant. He scoured the depths of his game knowledge, yet no one like her came to mind.
The senior approaches, a lazy snap of her fingers igniting a small, orange ember on her index. She held it to his cigar, her face inches from his.
leaning in closer she whispered. "If you win all of the remaining jackpots, I'll give you half of this den. My father owns the place after all." She feint chuckle.
Her voice slowly quiets down. "But if you lose, you have to give up all your winnings. Besides, there's only 2 Oranges left, with your skills. It shouldn't be much of a labor wouldn't it ?, Mr. Mouse"
For the first time since waking up in this world, Roland felt a rush—stronger, hotter, and more terrifying than the jackpots. It was a sensation his inner self had tried to suppress for a long time, going "All in".
Roland smiles gently at the woman, eyes reflecting his wild inner nature.
"When do we start ?"