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The Gambling System Chapter 73: Where are we
Peter’s eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred by a haze of dull pain and sedative fog. The first thing he noticed was the cold. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of rust and mildew. Rough stone walls surrounded him, their surfaces cracked and worn by time. Exposed pipes snaked along the ceiling, and dim, flickering lights cast long shadows across the concrete floor. It was hard to believe such a grim, decrepit place existed beneath the school. Peter's wrists ached where the cuffs had bitten into them. He was no longer restrained, but he wasn’t free either. Standing along the perimeter of the room were a line of burly, stone-faced bouncers—hired muscle that looked entirely out of place in a school setting. And in front of them, poised like a queen addressing her subjects, stood Katharina. “Ah. No need to look so upset, Peter,” Katharina purred, her lips curling into a sharp, satisfied smile. Peter’s voice came out hoarse but defiant. “What the hell do you want from me
The Gambling System Chapter 74: Are you worried?
Peter sat frozen in silence his breath shallow, his pulse drumming in his ears.This was spiraling out of control far faster than he could have predicted.Only moments ago, he had been on a hospital bed, struggling to recover from a loss so brutal it nearly killed him. Now, here he was—dragged into a life-or-death gamble in a decaying underground chamber, face-to-face with madness itself.The air in the room was thick, suffocating. Every breath tasted of dust and cold metal.Katharina tilted her head, her smile curling wider, more deranged by the second. Her amber eyes gleamed, feverish with mania."Oh, are you worried, Peter?" she cooed, her tone mockingly sweet, her voice curling in his ears like smoke."Are you afraid of what happens when one of us… dies?"She let the word linger, tasting it."Don’t trouble yourself," she continued. "The Queen is far more powerful than she lets on to you. More powerful than you could ever imagine. And the university? They’ll sweep it under
The Gambling System Chapter 75: A Game of Madness
Grant was yanked up roughly by one of the bouncers, dragged toward the observation room. His eyes pleaded with Peter, but Peter simply watched, cold and silent.“You two have a sign, huh?” Katharina taunted, skipping beside him as they prepared the setup. “A secret code, like naughty schoolboys. Will he flash you signals with his fingers? Wiggle his thumb, maybe?” She let out a sharp laugh, cruel and cutting.Peter only offered her a hollow smile in return.That seemed to irk her — good.In the observatory room, Grant was shoved into a hard metal chair. His heart thudded against his ribs like a war drum as a fresh deck of cards was placed in front of him.“These are your cards,” the moderator instructed, voice monotone. “Make sure your hands and the cards stay within the view of the camera at all times. Any gestures outside of the play area will be considered cheating.”Grant’s eyes darted across the surveillance room — dim, sterile, suffocating. No windows, only the cold gaze of th
The Gambling System Chapter 76: Thank you
Peter decided against using the system this time around, mainly because he had not fully recovered, the last thing he wanted was passing out again at a moment like this, only the heavens know what a maniac like Kat would do, besides he had another trick up his sleeve.They both picked their cards, and the cards were placed face-down across the grid, like traps laid in a battlefield.The backs of the cards, crimson and gold, glimmered under the harsh overhead lights, their designs swirling hypnotically — beautiful, deadly enigmas hiding life and death beneath their polished surfaces.Grant could hardly breathe.His chest heaved, but it was like the air itself had been sucked out of the room, leaving him gasping in a vacuum of fear. His vision blurred, sweat slicking his temples and rolling down his back in cold rivulets.He couldn’t stop shaking.His trembling hands hovered uselessly at his sides as he watched the camera fixed on him, its unblinking mechanical eye sealing his fat
The Gambling System Chapter 77: As planned
Peter lifted the chalice to his lips, his hand steady in appearance but cold with sweat beneath the surface.Truth be told, he had never drunk anything this strong before. The bitter sting hit his tongue like fire and acid intertwined. His throat burned as the liquid slid down, a sharp heat blooming in his chest.But it wasn’t poison.He knew that before he had taken the first sip.Not because he was lucky.No — because everything had worked out has planned.He swallowed slowly, deliberately, locking eyes with Katherina the entire time.As the final drop passed his lips, silence wrapped the room like a noose.Grant, from behind the observation glass, slammed his hands against the panel, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror. His breath fogged the surface as he choked on fear.“Again, Katharina,” he began, voice smooth but laced with underlying pain, “I should thank you for choosing this cup.”Peter lowered the chalice slowly, with almost theatrical control. He tilted it to
The Gambling System Chapter 78: Katherina’s Obsession
Ever since she was a child, Katherina had always known something about her was off.Not wrong. Not defective. No, far from it.She was simply… too perfect.Her life was a string of effortless victories. Money, power, fame — she won them all with ease. Her family, the number one gambling clan in all of Monaco, had raised her among card sharks and high-stakes predators. Even though she was not a professional gambler, Katherina had bathed in that glittering world, outwitted her elders, and devoured her rivals.Yet, no matter how much she took, no matter how high the stakes, she felt nothing.Not joy. Not thrill. Not satisfaction.The crowd could roar her name.The cash could flood her account.Her opponents could sob and beg for mercy as they lost everything.But inside, there was only a yawning, empty void.Until the day she met Her.The Queen.Noir Quin.The moment their eyes met across the gambling table, something inside Katherina twisted — knotted in ways she had never
The Gambling System Chapter 79: The Taste of Ecstasy
“It was pure ecstasy…”Katherina’s voice dripped like warm honey, slow and indulgent. Her breath, heavy with memory, misted in the chill of the dimly lit underground chamber. She leaned closer to Peter, the gleam in her amber eyes not just wild — but hungry."My brain went completely numb,” she confessed, her lips curling into a sultry smile that was far too intimate for the moment.Peter said nothing.He knew he should look away, but her tale — her madness — had a magnetic pull. Against his better judgment, he found himself listening with a strange, dangerous fascination.Katherina’s gaze never left him. She watched him the way a predator admires prey not for its fear, but for its resistance.“I finally understood," she continued, her voice dipping lower, huskier, her fingers tracing lazy circles on the rim of her chalice, "why people fall so helplessly in love with gambling. It’s the rush… the moment you offer something you can’t afford to lose, and feel your heart clench tigh
The Gambling System Chapter 80: It's time for the second round
“It’s time for the second round,” the moderator announced, her voice cold and clinical, like the clang of steel in a surgical room.All the chalices were changed and two new set of three chalices were placed before them both.Katherina leaned back in her chair, lips twitching into a devilish smile. Her golden eyes narrowed to slits. Her fingers drummed softly against the edge of the table—an erratic, hypnotic rhythm.Look at him.Peter Donovan.Sitting there with that maddening calm, that illusion of control. But she saw it. Of course she saw it—the twitch in his fingers, the subtle tension in his jaw, the slight shimmer of sweat glistening at his temple like dew on a blade.He was in pain. Suffering. Barely holding himself together.And it was beautiful.She inhaled slowly, deeply, savoring it like a connoisseur would fine wine.Delicious.They all thought the same, at first.“She’s insane.”“She’s bluffing.”“She won’t go that far.”Fools.They didn’t understand her.
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Chapter 103: The Mirror Breaks
Peter didn’t speak.He didn’t fidget. Didn’t sigh. Didn’t crack a joke.He just stared at his chips, at the rising tower across the table that now belonged to Naomi.And behind her…Viktor.He hadn’t said a word since sitting on stage. He hadn’t offered a nod, a smirk, or a twitch of condescension.He simply watched.Like a king at court.Like a god behind glass.Peter had never feared silence until now.Because in that silence—there was no reassurance.No mockery to sharpen his edge.No reaction to push against.It was Naomi’s game now.Naomi, with her red ruby necklace glinting under the stage lights.Naomi, who once trembled in his arms after a stormy night.Naomi, who now looked at him like a rival she intended to erase.The dealer reshuffled."Next round," she said simply.They both submitted their participation chip and the cards were dealt. Naomi gave up one card.Peter stared at his hand.9-Spade, 9-Heart, 7-Diamond, 3-Club, 2-Spade.Another pair.Anot
Chapter 102: Another Break
During the break, the crowd buzzed with unease, trying to make sense of the exchange. Naomi had won the round, yes—but barely. And not convincingly. She didn’t celebrate. She didn’t even smirk. She simply gathered the chips with a mechanical hand, her mind elsewhere.Peter could see it. The flicker behind her eyes. The tremble she was trying to bury beneath bravado.And that’s when Viktor moved.He didn’t speak. He stood.Slowly. Deliberately. Like a king rising from a throne he never doubted was his.The lights of the hall seemed to bend toward him. Eyes turned. Voices hushed.Even the dealer, ever expressionless, paused mid-shuffle to watch.Viktor stepped onto the edge of the raised platform, not breaking eye contact with Peter. The distance between them was wide—but somehow, Peter felt like the man was breathing down his neck.“You’re clever, Peter,” Viktor said softly.His voice didn’t need to be loud. It carried.Too well.The crowd leaned in.Naomi’s spine went rigi
Chapter 101: Hunting
The next round began with the quiet tension of a lit fuse. The crowd, now too stunned to keep up their commentary, watched in breathless silence. Naomi’s win had widened the chip gap again — Peter’s stack sat noticeably shorter, Viktor’s calm presence looming larger behind Naomi’s chair like a shadow.But Peter wasn’t fidgeting anymore.He sat still. Thinking. Observing.No more frantic energy. No more reactive betting.This time, Peter was hunting.They both dropped their participation chip for this round and the dealer laid down the cards, smooth and methodical. Five cards each.Peter didn’t even glance at his hand right away.Instead, he studied Naomi.She shifted her chair an inch back. Adjusted her sleeve. Looked at Viktor for a brief second — and in that blink, Peter saw something she didn’t mean to show.Uncertainty.She was no longer gambling for herself.And it was breaking her.“Will you trade?” the dealer asked.Peter didn’t hesitate. “One card.”Naomi blinked
Chapter 100: Just Pressure
The next round was quieter.No shouts from the crowd. No big swings of excitement.Just pressure.Thick.Heavy.Alive.Naomi shuffled her cards with perfect grace, but her hands betrayed her — just slightly. A tremble in the thumb. A hitch in the wrist.Peter caught it all.This was new.Naomi had always thrived under risk. But now? The weight wasn’t just the money or the game. It was Viktor.The puppet strings were showing.Peter leaned back in his chair, deliberately casual, stretching his arms like he was lounging at a café.“I have to admit,” he said, eyes on Naomi but voice aimed at Viktor. “I thought you’d be scarier than this.”Viktor didn’t rise to the bait.But his fingers paused their motion along the rim of his untouched glass of water.Peter had noticed that too.No alcohol. No erratic behavior. Viktor didn’t gamble like Naomi.He didn’t chase the thrill.He chased the certainty of power.The illusion of invincibility.And illusions?Peter was learning
Chapter 99: After the Break
The 10-minutes break elapsed soon enough and the dealer reset the table.Cards shuffled. Chips stacked. The next round loomed like a guillotine blade, swinging lower and lower with each tick of the clock.Naomi’s fingers tapped lightly on the felt table. Her ruby necklace — the same fake one she’d worn since childhood — glinted under the spotlight. It was a small, meaningless trinket to anyone else. But to her, it was a reminder:You chose this life. You chose the gamble.Peter was silent, staring at his untouched chips.He had 75 billion left.Naomi had over 200 billion.It was a massacre waiting to happen.But Naomi didn’t look smug this time.She looked… hungry.“Shall we?” the dealer asked, almost too polite.They both dropped their participation chip for this round and the cards were dealt.Five each.No words exchanged.Peter peeked at his hand. Two pairs. Not bad. But nothing to write home about.Naomi looked at hers and — to Peter’s shock — laughed.Not a polit
Chapter 98: The Cornered King
The moment Viktor declared his 200 billion euro investment, the auditorium detonated in sheer chaos. Screams. Gasps. Phones snapping pictures. Some students stood in shock, others cheered like they were watching a high-stakes sports final. "Two hundred billion?!" "Is this real life?" "Who the hell has that kind of money just sitting around?" "That’s not gambling. That’s a declaration of war!" "Bro… this isn’t a game anymore. This is a massacre." Even some of the professors seated in the higher rows murmured uneasily, their whispers blotted by the crowd’s explosion of disbelief. A girl near the aisle dropped her soda and didn't even notice. A guy in a leather jacket muttered under his breath, "That’s more than the GDP of a small country." Katherina leaned forward in her seat, eyes wide with twisted delight. "Ooooh, it’s happening. The stakes are no longer just life or death — they’re legacy. This is beautiful." Grant, meanwhile, sat frozen in place — mouth parted, mind racin
Chapter 97: A Battle Beyond Money
The crowd exploded again.If Peter’s bet had been a bomb, Viktor’s was a nuclear strike.People screamed.Chairs clattered against the floor.Someone in the back actually fainted."TWO HUNDRED BILLION?!""IS THIS EVEN LEGAL?!""WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!""THIS IS MADNESS!"It wasn’t just a gamble anymore.It was warfare on a scale none of them had ever witnessed.---And in the center of it all —amid the chaos and disbelief —Peter and Viktor locked eyes.No words.No smiles.Just two forces of nature colliding —and only one of them would walk away.The second Viktor’s voice cut through the air —"Two hundred billion." —the reaction was cataclysmic.The arena didn't just erupt — it detonated.It was as if the very walls trembled from the shockwave of noise.A thousand voices screamed at once, the sound bouncing off the ceilings and hammering into the floor.Some people laughed hysterically, others yelled in disbelief, and still more sat frozen, mouths gaping like broken machines."TWO
Chapter 96: The Battle Escalates
For a single breathless moment, the entire arena froze.Then, dramatically — like an emperor descending into the gladiator pit — Viktor stood from his luxurious VIP seat and began making his way toward the stage.His every step echoed in the vast silence.A slow, deliberate, predatory gait — like a wolf circling wounded prey.The crowd instinctively parted for him, the sea making way for the storm.The overhead lights caught his sharp suit — dark as night — and made it gleam like polished obsidian.Every movement he made was smooth, precise, dripping with arrogance.He didn’t strut.He didn’t posture.He simply existed with an undeniable dominance.As he ascended the steps onto the stage, his smirk widened — the kind of grin you’d see on a man who already knew the ending of the story... and knew it ended in your ruin.---Peter’s fists clenched by his side.His mind scrambled to process what the hell was happening."What the hell is going on?!" he blurted, voice cracking with confusio
Chapter 95: Choosing Fire Over Safety
Risk made Naomi feel real. It reminded her she still existed — that she could still touch the world, and it could touch her back. But even with all the dares, the bets, the adrenaline highs, the near-death moments she laughed through… Something inside her stayed hollow. A part of her stayed cold. Like no matter how hard she ran, some piece of her was still trapped in that silent house, under a mother’s cold hand, waiting for a father who was never coming back. --- Until she met him. Until she met Peter. --- It was a cold, gray morning. The kind that makes the whole city feel dead. The sky was heavy with low, steel-colored clouds. The streets were slick with rain from the night before, the air sharp and damp. Naomi had her headphones in, lost in the beat of some reckless song — one that made her feel like she was the only real thing in the world. She didn’t see the bus. She didn’t hear the shouts. Didn’t realize the screaming wasn’t part of her music. Until — Hands.
