Reboot Arc, Chapter 240: The Utopia Auction

Ten black cards right from the start!

At this moment, everyone present was shocked. This was an incredibly rare scene in any gambling hall; even veteran gamblers who had spent years in the trade had rarely witnessed such a match.

"Congratulations, sir! You have successfully collected ten black cards and secured the ultimate victory! Furthermore, we congratulate you on becoming the second person in this casino's history to collect ten black cards at the very start!" The dealer system’s announcement broke the silence, followed immediately by fireworks that burst and scattered in the air with a loud "pop."

"Incredible! Ten black cards on the opening deal!" someone cheered.

"Too powerful. I’ve been around for years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing!" another agreed.

"Absolutely spectacular! I’ll have something to brag about when I get back!"

"He’s like a Gambler Deity descended to earth!"

"Look, I told you before, didn't I? He is the legendary Gambler Deity himself!" the fat man, Gulaja, exclaimed in admiration. "The true Gambler Deity who wins every battle and manipulates the game at will!"

"This... how is this possible?!" The thin man, Marcus, clutched his head, unable to believe he had been "one-shotted."

"Nothing is impossible. Hand over the twenty thousand gold coins; I’m a busy man," Mo Xing said.

"Hmph!"

Marcus spat on the ground and pulled several large bags of gold coins from his storage ring. These were the spoils he had stolen over the past month, and they were gone in the blink of an eye!

As the dealer system tallied the money, the onlookers began to murmur:

"I never imagined he had so much cash on him."

"I heard he robbed a wealthy household last week."

"Aren't those wealthy houses heavily guarded? How did he avoid getting caught?"

"Don't let his scrawny, sleazy appearance fool you; he’s incredibly fast when he runs."

"You are short by one thousand one hundred and twelve gold coins," Mo Xing’s booming voice interrupted their conversation.

"Ah... what do you mean?" The thin man, Marcus, frowned, his expression betraying his panic.

"There are only eighteen thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight gold coins here. You didn't pay enough," Mo Xing added.

"You... you’re lying!" Marcus protested. "There are ten bags here, each containing two thousand gold coins. That’s twenty thousand total! How could it be short?"

"Oh?" Mo Xing sneered.

"System verification: a total of 18,888 gold coins received, which fails to meet the 20,000 gold coin requirement! Party A is requested to remit the remaining balance!" the dealer system announced.

"Did you hear that?" Mo Xing smiled. "Even the machine is urging you to pay your debt."

"Marcus, I didn't think you were that kind of person!" someone remarked.

"A bet is a bet; don't try to welch on it!" another chimed in.

"Exactly, can't you afford to lose?"

"That guy always pulls dirty tricks when he plays anyway."

Facing the insults of the crowd, Marcus gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, muttering, "To... to dare to humiliate me like this..."

Suddenly, a surge of violent energy gathered in Marcus’s hand, and a murderous aura flared.

"Damn you! I’m going to end you!"

*Crash—*

Before anyone could react, Marcus Ye Ming was sent flying by a much more powerful force, slamming into a nearby pillar and splayed out in the shape of an "X."

"Knocking you out is much easier than drawing cards," Mo Xing said, shaking his head.

Only then did the spectators realize what had happened: the disgruntled Marcus had tried to attack the "Gambler Deity," only to be blasted away by a mysterious force and "nailed" to the pillar.

This was the legendary "Gambler Deity" indeed! Not only was he a master at cards, but his strength was also top-tier! The crowd erupted into another round of gasps and praise.

"I won't pursue the remaining thousand-plus gold coins; consider it his medical expenses." Mo Xing collected the coins from the table into his storage ring, then turned to the fat man, Gulaja, and said, "This is for the two of you."

"This is..." The fat man, Gulaja, frowned as he took the two cigarettes from Mo Xing, hesitating. "This... is this Shelley-Mead?!! This is the finest grade of tobacco available!!!"

"Don't mention it. I'll be going now."

Mo Xing offered a wry smile, waved his hand, and walked away under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Within Mo Xing's consciousness space:

"Kasin, that was a pretty cool move!" Mo Xing exclaimed.

"It was exhausting," Kasin replied.

"Huh? Exhausting?" Mo Xing was confused. "Do Dragon Gods get tired too?"

"It’s because your physical constitution is too weak. I only exerted a little control, and you were already falling apart," Kasin said.

"Why do you say that?" Mo Xing asked, stretching his arms. "I still have plenty of strength."

"Your vitality and essence are insufficient; your body is fundamentally hollow," Kasin added.

"Er... that sounds a bit strange," Mo Xing scratched his head.

"Mortal, your body is returned to you. If there’s nothing else, I’m entering a dormant state," Kasin said.

"Wait! Lord Dragon God! I haven't found the wanted fugitives Captain Huo asked me to track down yet!" Mo Xing said.

"Mortal, you have inherited my power. As long as you exert your perception, you can find these people!" Kasin’s voice drifted from afar.

"Lord Dragon God! How do I use that perception..."

Before Mo Xing could finish, the scenery shifted back to the underground casino.

"...how do I use it?" he finished the sentence.

Next, Mo Xing stumbled his way through, using his newfound perception to locate several of the wanted criminals. These men all looked fierce, sporting tattoos, smoking, and drinking.

Mo Xing handed them the "Shelley-Mead" cigarettes—which contained signal trackers—under the guise of "making friends." At first, they were suspicious of his sudden friendliness, but upon hearing from others that he was the legendary "Gambler Deity," they all became incredibly warm and welcoming.

One bald man even wanted to pull him aside to teach him card tricks. Mo Xing successfully extricated himself by quoting a famous scientist: "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

Mo Xing looked at the pack of cigarettes; only a few were left, and there were still more fugitives to find.

Come to think of it, why were all these fugitives gathering in this underground casino? Was it just for gambling and pleasure? No! There was definitely something drawing them here—something that kept them lingering.

"Ladies and gentlemen—"

A broadcast echoed from not far away. Mo Xing looked over and realized there was another level further to the north.

Mo Xing walked along the patterned red carpet toward a tiered space the size of a soccer field, an air of extravagance hitting him head-on. Towering pillars circled the area, and giant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Under the golden light, the murals carved into the walls seemed to come to life.

Mo Xing couldn't help but take a deep breath; the sight was truly magnificent.

"The quarterly Utopia Auction will begin in five minutes. Please take your seats, distinguished guests."

"So it’s an auction..." Mo Xing nodded.

The gamblers who had been playing cards flocked over, brushing past Mo Xing as they headed toward their seats.

"Damn, I don't think I have a seat," Mo Xing scratched his head, feeling awkward. Without a seat, he felt completely out of place.

Well, he was never one of them to begin with!

"Could you excuse me?" a low, cold voice came from beside him.

Mo Xing turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a black mask over the lower half of his face.

"Oh... sure!" Mo Xing hurriedly replied, stepping aside to make a path.

However, the man didn't move. He stood there, narrowing his eyes, which gave Mo Xing a sense of unease—as if his identity might be exposed.

"Not bad!" the man suddenly remarked. "There aren't many people left who wear formal suits to these auctions."

"Huh?"

Mo Xing scratched his head, remembering he was indeed dressed for the occasion.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Mo Xing asked.

"The crowd here is complex. Wearing a mask is primarily for protection to ensure good health," he said.

"I see..." Mo Xing nodded.

"Oh? Your seat number is ninety-nine," he noted. "That’s right next to mine."

"This... how could you tell?" Mo Xing was surprised. He didn't even know that information himself, yet the stranger did.

"The seat number is on your badge," the man said, pointing to the mouse-shaped medal on his own chest.

"Oh!" Mo Xing had an epiphany. He tilted his head down, and under the refraction of the lights, he could actually see the serial number on his own badge!

"Is this your first time here?" the man asked.

"No, no!" Mo Xing quickly explained. "Usually my friends bring me, but they had something come up, so I came alone this time!"

"I see," the man shook his head. "That’s a pity. This Utopia Auction has many items of extraordinary value."

"Mhm," Mo Xing nodded in response.

"Let’s go find our seats then; the auction is about to start," the man said.

"Alright." Mo Xing took a deep breath, nearly having slipped up again. He wondered what kind of treasures were at this Utopia Auction that could attract so many people, including those fugitives.

As for the masked man beside him, he didn't look like a bad guy, but who exactly was he?

One hour later.

"Congratulations to Guest Number Sixty-Six for winning the [Hundred-Percent Enhancement Stone] at a price of one hundred thousand gold coins!"

As the auctioneer brought down the gavel, polite applause filled the hall. The item was claimed by the guest in seat sixty-six. The man stood up to thank everyone.

Mo Xing recognized him—it was the scar-faced man from the wanted list, Hen Ren. Seeing his fierce eyes and the scars covering his entire arm, he was indeed a dangerous character!

As for the "Hundred-Percent Enhancement Stone," Mo Xing had initially thought it was just a broken rock, but after the man beside him explained it, he realized it was a material for enhancing weapons.

As for things like the Heavenly Flame Talismans or God-Lock charms, they were refining materials. If it weren't for the auctioneer’s introductions, he would have been completely clueless.

Every chair had a small button on the side; pressing it allowed one to place a bid, effectively acting as a "paddle." Mo Xing had wanted to be like a novel protagonist and press the button to bid in a domineering fashion, but his hands were shaking too much. Instead, the man next to him placed several bids and won a few items—mostly small antiques.

"The main event is coming up," the man suddenly said.

"Huh?" Mo Xing snapped back to reality.

In the center of the stage, a massive glass crystal display case covered with a red cloth was being slowly pushed out.

"This is an extraordinary item. I believe many of our guests here today came specifically for this," the auctioneer smiled.

"That’s right, it is the artifact known as the [Vanishing Blade]—"

"Ghost Cry: The Blade of Wandering!"