Smoke filled the air, making it nigh impossible to breathe. Laughter, curses, and the constant clinking of chips was the only sound that could be heard. The red vulture betting house was loaded with desperate men and lucky frauds, both high and low, but no one looked more different than the two brothers seated at the high-stakes wheel.
They were young, and it was a rare sight seeing younglings in the betting house. The house was mainly for old men, but these two looked to be in their late teens or early twenties. Most youngsters like them would prefer to cultivate for a whole year than visit this smoke-filled, godforsaken place.
Raven Hart leaned back, eyes fixed on the glowing roulette machine in front of him. His black coat rested neatly on the back of his chair. Not a wrinkle on him. Not a bead of sweat either, despite the fact he'd just lost ninety million deri.
"That expression.....I like it" The dealer smiled.
There was no way they could hit the jackpot as the roulette has been tampered with by him. The highest multiplier anyone could attain was 10, and that chance was 1 in a thousand. But yet.....the unaware customers couldn't help their greed when they see the 40, 50, 100 and 200 x multipliers on the board, and this kid was one of em.
Only ten million left.
Only one more spin.
"You're crazy," his brother whispered sharply, his eyes almost tearing up. Lucien Hart gripped the edge of the table like it might ground him. He knew his bro was a gambling addict but this was just too much. "That's all you've got left. Let's just walk away, Raven. We can still cover it up. Father doesn't even have to know."
Raven's fingers brushed against the stack of chips. His expression didn't change. Cold. Calm. Ever stoic.
"Life," He spoke calmly, his red eyes locked onto the 200x slot. "is a gamble....every choice we make are the stakes and fate decides the outcome"
Lucien's veins bulged out, his eyes twitching
"You and your damn philosophy!"
"....."
"This isn't fate...it's math.....rigged math." Lucien slammed his hands on the table, visibly shaking at the thought of them going to lose the remaining 10 million deri. He knew his brother! Whenever he made one of those ridiculous proverbs....his mind was made up
The dealer, a grinning bastard with slicked-back hair and eyes that screamed corruption, leaned forward. "He's right, y'know. That wheel's been sitting there patiently for five years. No one's ever struck it. Might as well hand me your chips now!"
Raven didn't blink. He pushed the full 10 million deri into the center.
"Max bet. 200x."
The room buzzed.
"Here we go again," the dealer smirked, spinning the wheel with a dramatic flair. It whirled, a blur of colors, numbers, and impossible dreams. Everyone's eyes followed the wheel, especially Lucien, whose heart was beating twice as loud as the Palace drums.
Click.
Click.
Click.
It began to slow.
Lucien held his breath.
Click.
The wheel passed 10x. 25x. 50x.
Click.
100x.
Click.
Then it hovered... dangerously close to the final three.0x, 50x, and the impossible 200x.
And as fate would have it, the hand crept toward 0x.
Laughter erupted around them.
The dealer's grin widened. "Better luck in your next life, rich boy."
The hand stoppedRight on the edge of 0x. Just a flicker away from ruin.
Raven's face remained still.
Then.....
Boom.
A sudden power flicker cut through the room. Lights blinked once. A distant bang echoed from the back of the building, some say a fuse box exploded, others swore it was lightning without a storm. Raven didn't. For him, it was just fate… intervening, as always. The entire wheel gave a soft electrical crackle.
The dealer blinked. "What the?"
The wheel on its own nudged forward.
Just one tick.
Just enough.
The hand moved.
Click.
200x.
Silence.
Then, chaos.
"WHAT?!"
"No way!"
"That's impossible!"
The machine lit up like a festival. The screen flashed in gold:
+2,000,000,000 Deri
Jackpot Achieved: 200x Multiplier!
Lucien's jaw dropped. The dealer looked like he'd seen a ghost. Raven? He simply stood up, adjusted his coat, and looked the dealer dead in the eye.
"Fate," he said coolly, "never loses to rigged odds."
The dealer's face twitched. His smile dropped.
"Y-You cheated…!" he barked, pointing a trembling finger at Raven. "There's no way—No one just lands 200x! Not here! Not on my table!"
Raven didn't respond. He simply sat back down, one leg crossed over the other, resting an elbow on the armrest. Red eyes stared straight ahead like he was bored of the whole thing.
Lucien frowned. "He didn't cheat. Your machine glitched. Take the L and go cry in a corner."
The dealer slammed his fist on the table.
"I knew it! That look on his face, like he owns the place! You're not leaving with a single deri!" he yelled.
Suddenly, a side door creaked open.
From the shadows, four men stepped out. Broad shoulders, heavy boots, thick leather jackets. All of them armed, knives, bats, and at least one with a concealed artifact humming with unstable mana.
Lucien's body stiffened.
"Of course," he muttered. "Rigged math and muscle."
The dealer's voice turned cold. "You thought you'd waltz in here, rob my house blind, and walk away smiling? Nah. This is where the house cashes in."
One of the thugs cracked his knuckles. "You heard the boss. Leave the pretty boy. Break the redhead."
Lucien stepped forward.
"I dare you."
The fire in his eyes flared.
"I've been holding back all day so this idiot doesn't burn the building down with his bad luck. But now? Now I've got a reason."
He cracked his neck, his right hand glowing faintly.
Dao of Fire: Second Realm.Martial Arts: Rank Two.
The air around Lucien shimmered as faint embers sparked off his skin.
"Stay behind me," he muttered to Raven.
Raven, already reclined, didn't even flinch. His voice came out like ice water.
"...Make it snappy"
Lucien smiled. "Damn right I will."
The first thug lunged in, blade flashing.
Lucien vanished.
A burst of flame exploded mid-air. The thug's weapon melted in an instant as Lucien's fist slammed into his gut, sending him flying back into a row of slot machines.
The second came swinging a bat. Lucien ducked low, then jabbed with a flaming elbow, direct hit to the ribs. The man screamed and collapsed.
The last two tried to flank him.
Bad idea.
Lucien stomped the ground. A ring of fire expanded outward like a shockwave, catching both of them off guard. With a spin and two swift kicks, he sent them flying across the room like broken dolls.
It was over in seconds.
The room was dead silent again—only this time, out of fear.
Lucien stood amidst the wreckage, chest rising and falling, flames fading off his skin.
The dealer fell to his knees. "W-Wait... we didn't mean, please…"
Raven stood up slowly, adjusting his sleeves as he walked past the bodies without a second glance. As calm as ever, he dropped a single line:
"You bet against fate."
Then he paused by the dealer, lowering his head just a little.
"And fate always collects."