Magic Was Dead Until I Returned

Chapter 005

Linden left Crest Manor and went all the way west. He proceeded to a block on the outskirts of Hartington Fort.

Shadow District was the name of the street, and it was only open after dark. Pubs, casinos, and brothels were among the main businesses that operated here. Linden had never been to a place like this before, and today was his first visit.

He noticed a group of women in short skirts standing underneath a red light before entering the neighborhood.

These women beckoned to him with their beautiful legs and breasts exposed. "Come, Sir! Have a good time with us."

They did not get a response from Linden. He walked straight to the casino on the Shadow District's east side. He did not come out today to have fun with women but to make money.

Outside the Shadow District, a young girl was holding onto a man's arm. They were passing through the neighborhood. The girl's brows twitched as she saw Linden walk into the neighborhood.

"Linden? Why is he here?"

The girl looked at Linden strangely.

"Did you see someone you know, Becky?" The middle-aged man held onto the girl's hand and said, "Shadow District is not exactly a decent place. The folks who come here are either boozers, gamblers, or leches. If you have a friend that visits this place, you have to stay away from him."

"I know, Father."

Becky nodded, but she could not stop thinking about what had just happened.

Why would Linden visit such a place? Also, didn't everyone else claim that he had committed a crime and was detained in prison? Did he visit the Shadow District as soon as he was released?

It had never occurred to her that Linden was someone like this.

Looking at the prostitutes in the Shadow District, they wore revealing clothing and occasionally pushed their huge breasts up. Becky blushed, all the men were indeed cut from the same cloth.

Becky snorted and walked away with her father. However, as soon as she exited the street, she came to a complete stop.

Her father asked, "What's wrong, Becky?"

"Father, I have something to do. You should go home first. You don't have to worry about me."

Becky broke free from her father's hand and dashed into the Shadow District.

She had given it some thought, but she wanted to check what Linden was up to.

Both of them lived at Hartington Fort. They used to play in the mud together when they were younger. They were childhood friends who grew up together. Furthermore, Becky had always had a good impression of Linden, and even had a crush on him. She was a little uneasy when she saw Linden going into the brothel. So, she needed to double-check.

In a casino in the Shadow District.

The room was thick with smoke. Many warriors and mercenaries smoked cigarettes in the lobby. Some had scars on their faces and tattoos on their bodies. They were gambling while holding a woman with a large chest in their arms.

"Big!"

"Bet! Take all!"

"Fuck, Henry! You're one lucky bastard! I bet you've won a lot of gold coins tonight, right?"

"Relax, buddy! I'll foot your bills for booze and women," a scarred man said generously.

Linden entered the casino lobby at that precise moment.

Henry heard him. He lifted his head to glance at Vulture and said disdainfully, "A suckling boy like that wants to gamble here? I'm guessing he'll lose everything, including his underwear. Who wants to join me in this wager?"

"You're so lucky tonight! You'd probably win the bet. Whoever bets against you will lose. If that kid really does lose his underwear, I'd gladly donate him one." A bald man next to him said wretchedly.

"Haha! Vulture, you have your eyes on that kid?"

"Fuck you! I'm a straight man." Vulture cursed.

At that precise moment, both stout men noticed that the young man they were discussing was approaching them.

"Yo! That kid is approaching us!" Henry said.

"Haha, this is great! He could've kept his underwear on, but given that he had to stumble across you, I imagine it would be difficult for him to have anything left." Vulture joked.

Linden made his way to the center of the casino.

"Gods act as my eyes and grant me insight into everything!" He chanted a magic spell in a low voice. His eyes flashed with a six-pointed star pattern. He had a panoramic view of everyone's movements in the casino thanks to the magic spell. He could even see things in slow motion.

My spiritual power is far too weak! The magic spells that I am capable of casting are pitiful, but it's not too difficult for me to see through everyone's movements, their cards, and dice here.

Linden quietly observed everything in the establishment.

At table one, he sees through the marble table covered in poker cards. He noticed a woman rubbing the thigh of another gambler with her toes. Due to her seduction, that gambler became very shy and lost several games in a row, but he was not angry. On the contrary, he enjoyed it very much.

A middle-aged man with small eyes sat at table number two. He was glancing all over the place. When other gamblers were not paying attention, he quietly hid a card in his sleeve and switched it to an Ace card. He yelled, "Call!"

There was a dealer at table three who dealt cards. He exchanged glances with a gambler on the table and gave him some good cards.

"On the surface, the games in this casino appeared to rely purely on luck. Surprisingly, there was a slew of under-the-table dealings going on behind the scenes."

Linden shook his head and walked over to Henry and Vulture's table.

"Evening, sir! What game would you like to play?" When the dealer in charge of this table noticed Linden's arrival, he smiled and asked.

"Perhaps a dice game! We can play Grand Hazard. It's a more efficient way for me to win money." Linden said.

"It's also quicker for you to lose!" Henry finished a sentence next to him and let out a malicious smile.

"Don't blame me for not warning you, kid! Once you place a bet, you can't change your mind. If you lose your money, it'll be impossible for me to return that money to you, even if you kneel and beg for mercy." Vulture stated icily.

Linden grinned. "So be it!"

"Haha! You've got a big mouth! I'm curious as to how much money you have on you." Henry examined Linden, "If your bet is too small, no one will play with you. It's a waste of our time."

Thud! Linden tossed a gold coin onto the table just as Henry was talking about it.

"Is this enough?" Linden asked.

"A gold coin!" Both Henry and Vulture's eyes lit up.

The common currencies of Lumos Land included copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins. One gold coin is worth 100 silver coins, and one silver coin is worth 100 copper coins. In short, one gold coin is worth 10,000 copper coins.

An average family's annual household expenses were 10,000 copper coins.

Linden had casually tossed out such a gold coin, which was the equivalent of a year's worth of expenses for an average family. It was not a small sum of money.

When Henry and Vulture saw the gold coin, they put their disdain aside. Other players at the table became more serious too.

Soon, under the arrangement of the casino's staff, the dice were put on the table. Everyone exchanged their cash for chips and began placing their bets. Thanks to the blessing of magic, Linden was able to see through the dice inside the chest box. He had an easy time winning the game.

As Linden bet, again and again, he accumulated more and more chips around him.

In contrast, Henry and Vulture at the same table lost badly. Both of them were drenched in sweat, and they were visibly irritated.

"How is it possible for this kid to keep winning?"

"He must have cheated!"

Within an hour, Henry and Vulture, as well as the other gamblers at the table, lost a total of thirteen gold coins. It was a total of thirteen gold coins! Not a small sum of money. For a time, the faces of those who had lost money on the table appeared hideous.

"You cheated!"

"Yes, this kid must have cheated. Otherwise, how could he keep on winning?"

"Damn it! How dare you take my money?! I won't let you leave this casino today!"

Neither Henry nor Vulture were good men. The two of them were visibly frustrated, and their hostile gaze was directed at Linden.

"What is it? You can't afford to lose?"

Linden sat motionless at the table. He looked at the crowd, which was getting angrier. He said to the staff on the side unhurriedly, "I'm visiting your establishment for a good time. Is my safety not guaranteed at your place?"

"What?" The dealer in charge of shaking the dice appeared embarrassed.

Of course, they must ensure the safety of their guests when they show up at their casino to gamble. There was a policy in place for ordinary visitors.

Even though Linden did not look very old, he was so skilled and knowledgeable about the game that even Henry and Vulture were defeated by him. He never lost a game and continued to win. Could he be considered an ordinary visitor?

"Gentlemen, please calm down. Our casino has clear rules. If a guest suspects another guest of cheating, we will deploy professionals to investigate the matter. If it is proven that the guest in question is cheating, the winning chips must be returned and the cheating guest must accept appropriate punishment!

"If the guest in question did not cheat after verification, the other party who accused the guest must compensate the accused guest for the infringement of reputation. This is the clause in question. Everyone is welcome to take a look."

Clearly, the staff had undergone special training. The dealer immediately calmed down and took out a document.

"Are casinos this professional now?"

Linden took the document and glanced through it. He had not expected a small gambling establishment in this rural neighborhood to be this professional.

It will be difficult for me to leave this casino if they discover that I cheated.

Linden looked around and discovered that the place had hired at least ten or more warriors as bouncers.

Thankfully, magic isn't part of their investigation. In other words, using magic doesn't constitute cheating.

Linden greeted the staff with a smile and said, "I accept your investigation. Please compensate me if the results show that these people are slandering me."

"Of course!" The staff nodded and looked at Henry, Vulture, and others.

"Check him!" yelled the gamblers. "You must all look into him! I doubt he'll be able to keep winning with his skill without cheating!"

They had lost too much money. If the investigation's findings were favorable, they would be able to recover their losses. On the contrary, they only needed a gold coin as compensation for moral damage. They could accept the price of a gold coin in comparison to the money they lost. They were curious to know if Linden had cheated or not.

"Everyone, wait a minute." One of the staff walked into the office, smiling apologetically at the crowd. He led a woman out of the room after a while.

Her hair was pulled back, and she was dressed in a black formal gown with a white lining and a black butterfly bow tie. She had a heroic appearance, but there was also a hint of seductiveness about her. Her presence made the guests' eyes sparkle with joy.

"Miss Delia, the guests at this table requested to be examined." The staff said.

"Hmm." Delia nodded.

"It's Delia! I didn't think I'd be so fortunate to see her today."

"It's been a few days since I've seen her. The goddess in my heart has grown even more beautiful."

The entire casino fell silent as soon as Delia appeared. Almost everyone's gaze was drawn to her, it was difficult to believe that such a noisy place could suddenly become so quiet.

"She is so beautiful." Linden, too, could not help but sigh.

Linden had lived for two lifetimes. He had met a lot of people, but Delia was particularly attractive. Especially, when she was present in this casino which was full of muscular mercenaries and warriors. Delia's appearance was like a breath of fresh air, and seeing her made everyone's eyes light up with delight.

"Hello, gentleman. I'm Delia." She spoke, her voice resembling an angel and sounding pleasing to their ears.