Hastora glanced away, watching the world go by outside.
He remembered reading this scene in the novel.
The scene where the Eldorian Empire would be attacked by a massive horde of monsters.
And numerous gates appearing randomly everywhere.
It would happen in a few days.
'I have to make the most of this moment.'
Fighting was the way to become stronger.
"Hastora," Elyshara pressed her forefinger against his cheek.
Hastora turned slightly. "What is it?"
"Have you figured out anything about the runes on the grimoire you took yesterday?"
"Not yet."
"Then, alright. I'll be quiet again."
He would discover the truth about the runes in a few days, exactly when chaos would strike Eldoria.
He was certain the runes' appearance in the grimoire was connected to the impending chaos.
He would confirm it.
---
After an hour on the bullet train, Eldoria's tallest clock tower finally came into view—marking Hastora's arrival in the capital.
They both descended from the bullet train, then approached the towering Capital Gate, where royal guards stood vigilant.
"Show your identification," the guards blocked their path with their swords.
Identification was required to enter the capital.
Without it, the guards wouldn't allow entry.
One could show identification with an Adventurer's, Mage's, or registered citizen's ID card.
Or a permit from nobles, guilds, or local authorities.
Hastora didn't have any ID cards.
He had just transmigrated and hadn't done much in this world yet.
There was only one way for them to enter the capital: paying the entrance fee.
"Money. I don't have an ID, I'll pay the entrance fee."
Hastora pulled a gold coin from his pocket and gave it to the guard.
This was another way to enter the capital.
Those without identification had to pay.
Criminals and businessmen often used this method.
They couldn't reveal their identities easily.
They might be wanted fugitives, and revealing their identities would lead to capture and execution.
After the payment, the guards sheathed their swords and let them pass.
"Welcome to the capital. Please proceed."
Hastora and Elyshara stepped through the grand gate.
Tall buildings came into view.
Cars and carriages rolled on asphalt, carrying people.
Hastora walked further, Elyshara trailing behind.
The atmosphere grew more crowded and congested as they went deeper.
The hustle and bustle filled the streets, but the magic airships flying overhead dampened the noise.
This intrigued the out-of-touch Elyshara, prompting her to ask Hastora.
"Hastora, why did it suddenly get so quiet?"
"It's because of the hushcores on the airships above."
Elyshara looked up at the sky. "Wow! So that's a magic airship? Five thousand years ago, that didn't exist."
"Times have changed. Get out of your ancient life and embrace modernity."
"Alright, alright, teach me, okay?"
"I don't mind. All you need to do is listen to me."
"Hastora, Hastora, I have another question. What's a hushcore?"
"A hushcore is a small, cylindrical or boxy device palm-sized, matte black with a soft blue indicator light. When activated, it emits an anti-noise wave field 3–5-meter radius, muffling external noise without disturbing internal conversations," Hastora explained at length.
"Wow! That's amazing. These strange modern things are so cool!" Elyshara grinned.
Their conversation ended in front of a ten-story building.
It was adorned with gold and emeralds. Its windows were fitted with anti-magic glass.
This made the building more resistant to magic.
"Casino?"
Elyshara raised her eyebrows after reading the sign above the entrance.
"What are you going to do here?"
Hastora stepped inside. "Make a lot of money. Come on."
Elyshara smirked. "Make money, huh? Hahaha! Let's take all their money!"
People gambling were visible after they stepped inside.
Men and women alike gambled at a large round table.
Calmly, they approached the crowd.
"Eight gold coins."
Hastora placed eight gold coins on the table.
Everyone turned, slightly surprised by Hastora's sudden arrival.
A muscular man spoke.
"You're bold, kid. Who do you think you're challenging?"
"The insignificant lackeys".
"You're quite arrogant for a newbie, eight gold coins, right? I accept your challenge."
The muscular man placed eight gold coins on the table.
"I'm in, eight gold coins."
"You should just give up, I'll win this easily."
Two others joined after the muscular man accepted Hastora's challenge.
All the coins were gathered; a glittering pile of gold sat on the table.
Soon, a casino attendant, a cashier specifically for the table, approached.
He counted the gold coins, exchanged them for platinum chips, and left.
"What game will we play?" the muscular man asked, stretching his neck.
"Blackjack."
"Blackjack? Hahaha! Let's play it. Dealer!"
An old man in a black suit and white gloves approached. 'What will you play, sir?'"
The muscular man smirked. "Blackjack, please, dealer..."
"Alright, let's begin."
Four players sat around the round blackjack table.
Soft jazz music played in the background, interspersed with breaths and the clinking of chips.
A waitress brought whiskey to each, then silently departed.
The Players:
Hastora, a young man with raven-black hair and a cool gaze like the night sea.
Bragg, a muscular man with minimal clothing and overly explosive competitive spirit.
Levine, a middle-aged man with a neat beard and gold glasses. A mathematical player type.
Clea, a petite woman in all-white clothing and fast speech, like a disguised street con artist.
The dealer dealt the cards. Two for each.
Hastora peeked: 7 and 4. Total 11.
He leaned back in his chair, not looking at his cards for long.
Instead, he looked at his opponents' faces one by one. Silent. Calculating.
Bragg grinned widely. "Heh, I have a good feeling today. Everyone ready to lose?"
"Feelings are the weakest variable," Levine said calmly. "Data and probability are far more useful."
Clea chuckled. "If the starting hand is two Aces, what are the chances of getting twenty-one, Mr. Statistics?"
"4.83 percent," Levine answered quickly.
"Wow, stale," Clea quipped.
Hastora remained silent, simply placing his cards on the table. 'Double down.'"
Bragg stared. "Huh? Double down so early? Crazy."
Hastora didn't answer. The dealer gave him an additional card—10. The total was 21.
Bragg snorted. "Reckless."
Levine smiled wryly, as if realizing his mistake of being too cautious.
Clea's turn. "Hit me." Got a 4. Total 18.
"Stand," she said.
Levine got an additional card—6. Total 17. He hesitated.
Hastora interrupted lightly. "You're a numbers guy, right? Then you must know... that an aggressive player like Bragg can force the dealer to bust. But only if you stand."
Levine fell silent.
Bragg chuckled. "What's that? Cheap psychology?"
But Levine finally chose to stand.
Bragg laughed, took a card. Got a 5. Total 14. He took another. 8. Bust. "Damn!"
The dealer revealed his cards: 9 and 7 = 16. Took one—9. Bust.
"An interesting game," Hastora said, taking his chips. "Sometimes you don't need the best hand. Just know when to speak."
The next round.
Hastora got a 6 and 3. Total 9.
Clea winked at him. "Still want to double down?"
"No," he replied. "Hit."
Got a 7. Total 16.
"Hit," again. Everyone raised their eyebrows. He got a 5. Twenty-one.
Bragg sneered. "All style, just lucky."
Hastora replied with a flat smile. "Victory looks like luck... until you see the pattern."
Bragg, annoyed, started making hasty decisions. While Levine began to doubt his calculations.
Clea, though cunning, was swept up in the serious atmosphere Hastora created without raising his voice or bluffing.
He didn't cheat. Didn't use magic. He just made everyone doubt themselves.
And at a table like this, that was the ultimate victory.
Without a word, Hastora stood, walking to the cashier counter at the end of the room.
"Exchange," he said flatly, placing eight platinum chips on the table.
The cashier counted quickly, then put 32 gold coins into a black velvet pouch and handed it over.
"Congratulations on your win."
Hastora didn't reply. He left the casino without saying a word.
Elyshara's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Wow! That's amazing! I didn't expect you to be so good at gambling!" Elyshara praised, a wide smile on her lips.
"I'm an all-rounder. Don't be too surprised if I'm good at gambling."
Before transmigrating, Hastora often went to casinos to gamble every night.
He used his card-playing skills to win.
As a result, he always won big. He used his old skills to beat the people at the casino.
Now, he had a lot of money—enough to survive in the capital.
He had to use it wisely.
"What will you use your money for?" Elyshara moved closer.
"Clothes. First, we need to buy clothes."
"Eh? Will you buy me clothes too?"
"Yes. You need to look beautiful and modern. Don't be too old-fashioned."
"So you secretly care about me?" Elyshara smiled mischievously.
Hastora sighed. "No, I don't care about you at all if the Null Scribe didn't tell me to take care of you."
Elyshara chuckled. "Liar. I don't believe you."
"Whatever. Let's buy clothes at that shop over there."
They walked towards the shop and stepped inside through the glass door.
Expensive and classy clothes were visible after they entered.
High-class clothes with high prices were placed in glass cabinets, while others were not.
"Elyshara, let's find some clothes that suit you."
"Okay, let's. What kind of clothes do you want to buy?"
Hastora turned slightly.
"I'll buy—"
Hastora stopped, dumbfounded. He didn't finish his sentence.
Hastora froze. His breath caught. "Elyshara… your hair… it was blue this morning. Why is it black now?"
To be continued in the next chapter…