Damon's Ascension-Chapter 160: Chaos Casino

The Chaos Casino was expansive, and the options for the crew to take were plentiful. However, they all unanimously agreed on one thing early on.

First, everyone would take their bets one by one, with the others nearby to provide support with abilities. While that would be cheating, as long as they did it smartly, they could get away with it.

The second thing was that - despite her protests - the most valuable person was still determined to be Xela. After all, she was the only one who could guarantee that if they fell, they would be able to rise again, which was one of the reasons that Damon - and the entire Vanguard Team - dared to be so casual.

So Xela was pushed into the seat of a dice game while grumbling, her opponent being a tall skinny alien with three eyes like a triclops and blue skin.

His name tag read ’Zivar’ and his expression was locked into a confident grin as he glanced at Xela like she was a small meal waiting to be devoured.

Zivar’s fingers twitched as he rolled the dice with practiced ease. "I’ve waited a long time to take on a Post-Chaos Species in this place."

"How much are you willing to stake for your first game, dear?" He asked in a smooth, hissing tone.

Xela looked at Damon, who nodded with calm authority. She took a breath and said, "I’ll bet one day of my lifespan."

A hush seemed to fall around the table, the crowd of alien creatures leaning closer. Even the machines stopped humming for a brief second, as if they were... alive?

Zivar’s grin widened. "A good start. I’ll match that."

He picked up the dice, their black surface gleaming, and handed them to her. "Ladies first."

Xela took the dice, feeling a tremor run through her fingers. She glanced at Felicia next, who gave her a reassuring nod.

She closed her eyes and rolled. The dice spun, bounced, and landed on the table, giving two sixes.

A cheer rippled through the onlookers while Zivar’s eyes narrowed, and his smile faded just a fraction.

"Beginner’s luck." He said coldly. He took the dice himself and rolled, getting two threes.

Xela’s screen lit up: [First Bet Won].

Relief washed over her, and she smiled at Damon.

"Good start, but stay sharp. Luck doesn’t hold forever." Damon said, his mental voice steady.

Zivar’s grin returned, sharper than before.

"Double or nothing?" He taunted.

Xela hesitated, but Damon’s voice in her mind was calm. "Accept it, we need to test the waters."

She nodded. "Double or nothing."

The dice rattled in Zivar’s hand and his three eyes glowed when he whispered something under his breath. He rolled and got two fives.

Xela’s heart raced as she picked up the dice again, her fingers slick with sweat. She rolled... and the dice tumbled, finally stopping on two twos.

A harsh chime sounded. [Second Bet Lost].

Xela gasped, feeling a sharp pull in her chest while the crowd murmured, some of them grinning wickedly.

Zivar’s grin was now a shark’s smile. "Looks like luck is a fickle friend."

Xela shivered as the air felt heavier around her, and she could sense her strength dropping ever so slightly.

Henry’s voice in the mental link was tight. "We need to be careful."

Damon’s voice was calm, almost amused. "Now that we understand how this game works, we can start playing properly."

"Xela, bet for 10 years of life." Damon suddenly instructed, causing the entire group to be alarmed.

Xela stared at Damon, her eyes wide. "Ten years? Damon, are you serious?"

Henry’s mental voice was panicked. "Ten years is insane! What if she loses again?!"

Felicia’s voice was sharp and controlled. "Damon, that’s a huge stake. Even if she’s our healer, that’s..."

Damon’s voice cut through the link with a firm calmness. "Trust me. None of you can lose as long as I’m here. Not one second of your life, not one skill, not one memory will be lost."

Xela took a shaky breath, staring into Damon’s unwavering eyes and she knew his word was law. With a slow nod, she turned to Zivar. "I’ll stake ten years."

A ripple of surprise went through the casino. Screens blinked and the mechanical croupier actually paused, a mechanical voice sounding out: "Ten years lifespan wagered by contestant Xela. Confirmed."

Zivar’s grin twisted. "Very bold. I accept."

He rolled the dice, his fingers moving with an unnatural smoothness. As they landed, they showed two fives again.

The dice passed to Xela, and her hand trembled as she picked them up. Damon’s voice echoed in her mind, quiet but absolute. "You will win."

She rolled and the dice spun across the table and bounced.

Time seemed to slow as all eyes followed the deciding throw which would determine who lost a whole ten years of life.

Then, they landed... two sixes again.

The crowd erupted in a mix of gasps and cheers.

Zivar’s eyes widened, his grin faltering for the first time.

"Impossible..." He hissed, his three eyes flashing in panic as if a secret had been revealed.

Xela’s screen lit up: [Third Bet Won].

The team exhaled as one, relief sweeping through them.

"See? I told you. Let’s keep going." Damon’s voice was a calm shield against the chaos.

Felicia turned to Damon, her eyes sharp. "How did you know she’d win? That was too perfect, Damon."

Damon folded his arms, his expression unreadable for a moment as he pondered whether to tell them. However, thinking about the overarching situation as well as the happening with the Universe Will and the Chaos Eye, he eventually decided to reveal a corner of his massive power to stabilize the group.

Then he spoke, his mental voice calm and steady. "Ever since we entered this place, I’ve been using my EX Probability Manipulation non-stop. I’ve been checking the odds on every roll, every card, every move. I’ve been shifting the probabilities to give us an edge."

Xela’s eyes widened. "You mean... you were controlling the game the whole time?"

Damon nodded. "Her first win was my doing. Her second loss was also my doing. I needed to test the boundaries of this place’s mechanics and see how much energy it would cost me to influence luck at this level."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "And the drain? It’s not small, is it?"

Damon gave a small smile. "No, it’s not. The higher the bet, the more energy it takes to swing the result, but that’s the point. As long as we bet within reason, I can keep doing it without us ever losing."

Henry’s voice cracked through the mental link. "So you’re saying... we can’t lose if we play smart?"

Damon’s eyes glinted, cold and determined. "Exactly. As long as I’m here, none of you will lose a single bet."

Just then, Zivar’s face shifted, his three eyes flaring with a sickly light as he let out a low growl. His fingers twitched, and a faint ripple of energy spread around his hands.

It was subtle, but Damon caught it instantly and so did Felicia.

Felicia’s eyes narrowed. "He’s using an ability, Damon."

Damon’s voice was steady, unfazed. "I know, let him. This is the Chaos Casino, not our home ground, so let him play his tricks."

Xela’s eyes stayed on Zivar, her hands steady even though her heart raced. "Alright. Let’s see what happens next."

Zivar’s grin was back, though strained now. "Beginner’s luck won’t save you twice."

Xela lifted her chin. "We’ll see."

She picked up the dice again, her hand trembling for only a second before she steadied herself. She rolled them, feeling Damon’s towering presence at her back.

The dice clattered across the table and bounced. When they landed, it was two sixes again.

The crowd went wild with a mix of shocked gasps and scattered laughter. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Zivar’s grin froze, his three eyes locked on the dice. His hands trembled slightly, and the glow around them faded.

Xela’s screen lit up again: [Fourth Bet Won].

Damon’s voice echoed through the mental link. "I told you. Now let’s keep going."

Damon turned to Felicia. "You’re up next."

Felicia was surprised while Xela, who was standing up was slightly stunned. The rest also cast strange looks at Felicia, with Henry being the most daring as he sung in the mental link.

"Felicia and Damon, sitting in a tree~ K~ I~ S~ S~ I~ N~ G~"

Felicia blushed and glared at Henry and didn’t dare to look at Damon for a moment, before taking a deep breath and sitting down. Xela patted Felicia on the back and gave a thumbs up, which made Felicia give the young lass a soft knock on the head.

By this point, Zivar had calmed down and realized he was dealing with a group of powerful Post-Chaos species. He had his own luck augmentation ability - most creatures who dared linger in this casino did unless they were helpless ’prey’ who accidentally entered - but when he activated it the previous time, it felt like an ant trying to topple down a bucketful of water.

The probabilities had been solidly fixed to the point where it felt hopeless to even shift!

This meant that one of these fellows had a luck altering ability that was extremely powerful, of a very high grade!